Intan Azura Mokhtar
Singapore
“Chairman, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Minister or Minister of State Zaqy, what are the plans for MENDAKI's Tuition Scheme to ensure that our children are ready for a more dynamic environment and also to seize opportunities to excel in various areas apart from academic excellence?”
“For instance, they can work a few days a week in the office and a few days from home so that they can still work full-time, fulfill their work obligations but can reduce commuting time and yet have the opportunity to meet with colleagues and interact with them face-to-face in the office for that much needed social interaction.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answers. It is heartening to know that the numbers have dropped over the years, from 2009 to 2019, over a period of 10 years. However, 2,800 is still quite a large number every year for enforcement acts to catch recalcitrants.”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the answer. So, 19,000 diabetes cases each year. Does the Ministry of Health (MOH) have the numbers as to what are the causes of the diabetes cases, whether it is through direct sugar intake or is it through other foods, such as high starch content?”
“Mr Speaker, the first question I have is for the Minister for Health. Do we have enough healthcare workers and professionals to help manage patient cases in NCID and the hospitals in this period of heightened healthcare alert seeing to the increased demand and work stresses on them?”
“It is related to schools. Are there any specific or additional measures in schools, particularly for preschoolers and primary school children who may not always be aware or practise proper personal hygiene as we try to educate Singaporeans in this?”
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“It has been reported that while our unemployment level remains low, there are substantial numbers of jobseekers who have been out of work for at least six months and who have found it difficult to get new employment. In other words, they are considered to be facing long-term unemployment. While the number of long-term unemployed has risen only 0.02% for the period 2015 to 2017, what is worrying is the re-entry rate of older workers aged 50 and above. It was found that less than 56% of resident workers aged 50 or older were able to re-enter the job market, compared to more than 66% for the national average. How effective have the PCP, CSP or Adapt and Grow (A&G) schemes been in helping older workers aged 50 and above to re-enter the job market? How many of our older workers have managed to draw a salary equivalent to their last drawn salary after undergoing PCP, CSP or A&G as they re-enter the job market? How many have managed to see an increase in their monthly salary after having gone through PCP, CSP or A&G? I would also like to urge the Ministry to consider reviewing the CPF contribution rates for older workers aged above 55. At the moment, once employees are more than 55 years old, the employee CPF contribution is reduced by 7% while the employer CPF contribution is reduced by 4%. This results in an overall reduction of 11% for their combined CPF contribution each month. This is not a small amount. As we encourage Singaporeans to continue to stay active, be gainfully employed and financially independent and make their golden years count, the Government also needs to help them to do so. At the age of 55 or 56, many Singaporeans are still supporting school-going children as well as elderly parents and are still paying for their housing loans.”
“The only income brackets where there are more women employees than men are jobs where the monthly salaries are less than $1,500. For jobs that pay a monthly salary of at least $1,500 up to below $11,000, there are consistently more male employees than female employees in every income bracket. I just cannot accept that women are less capable such that they deserve lower salaries or cannot be employed in positions that pay more for which they are given more responsibilities. I hope the Ministry will look into how employers employ the workers, particularly in ensuring that women are given equal opportunities, equal recognition and equal remuneration for jobs. Maternity Protection”
“Mr Chairman, in 2017, the labour force participation rate for women aged 15 and above was 59.8%. This was a slight dip from 60.4% for both 2016 and 2015. There are various reasons that women may choose not to work or be employed. These reasons range from childcare or elderly care responsibilities to the decision to have a better work-life balance and work from home on a flexi-work basis. To what extent does our labour force participation rate data capture the proportion of women who are home-based entrepreneurs or who are on flexi-work schemes? What are some plans that the Ministry has to help and encourage more women to work or be economically active? To what extent have employers implemented flexi-work or work from home schemes to help our women who may wish to have a better work-life balance, and what more can we do, as a society and couples, better manage their familial and economic responsibilities more equitably, thus reducing the burden of familial responsibilities that rest on more women and reducing the burden of economic responsibilities that rest more on men? There are increasingly more women who are home-based entrepreneurs due to the work flexibility it provides. How can the Government better support our home-based women entrepreneurs? What are some possible schemes or grants that can be made available to them, such as "micro-loans" or "seed" funding, for instance? How else can the Government provide support for this network of home-based women entrepreneurs? Another concern that I have is that women are still not seen as a valuable source of manpower in the workplace. Looking at the manpower statistics of 2017, more women are earning lower salaries compared to men.”
“I would like to ask the Minister, in the past six months since the Standard was established, how many complaints have been received and what are the outcomes of the engagements? I understand the Ministry's position to calibrate the compliance to give employers the incentive to adopt the Standard. But there is also the need for the Ministry to do occasional audits to make sure that the Standard is meaningful for contract workers. I believe many public agencies are hiring term contract workers and they should have adopted the Standard. I would like to suggest that the Ministry audit the agencies and survey the contract workers to find out whether the Standard is working and where the gaps are. Second, on the coverage of protection. Currently, the Standard covers prorated leave benefits, adequate training and the notice period for early termination or non-renewal. The notice period is the same as the notice period for retrenchment of permanent employees. But what is missing in the Standard for Term Contract Workers is the recommendation of retrenchment benefits. Without this recommendation in the Standard, term contracts remain a risk of being the route for employers to avoid the moral and regulatory pressure of retrenching employees responsibly and fairly. Protect Vulnerable Employees”
“Mr Chairman, currently, PMEs who earn a basic salary of $4,500 or more are not protected under the EA. According to recent employment data, the median gross salary of resident employees is about $4,050 a month. This means that just under half of our resident employees would easily fall under the category of PMEs earning at least $4,500 a month. Yet, they are not protected under our EA. It is time that our EA be reviewed to ensure more of our workers are protected under it, particularly when retrenchments or employment disputes arise. It would be good to increase the salary cap as there are more Singaporeans and resident employees who are now earning $4,500 a month and where we now also see more PMEs among Singaporeans. Better still, remove the salary cap altogether so that all Singaporean employees, PMEs or otherwise, are protected under the EA. Supporting Contract Workers Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Chairman, Sir, term contract workers make up 10% of our resident workforce. Last year, the Tripartite Standard on Employment of Term Contract Employees was launched. It is a good first step in ensuring better protection of contract workers. When I asked the Parliamentary Question (PQ) on the compliance mechanisms for the Standard in October last year, Minister Josephine Teo said that in two months, 400 employers, accounting for more than 28,000, or 17%, of all resident term contract workers, have adopted the Standard. Could the Minister give an update on how many contract workers are now covered under the Standard? I have two points to make. First, on compliance. In her reply, Minister Teo said that the Standard relies on self-assessment by companies and engagements with employers based on complaints from employees.”
“For instance, the GST can be increased 1% for one to two years, then another 1% for the next one to two years. This staggered increment will give people more time to adjust to the increased GST and better manage their finances and expenses. In addition, I would implore the Government to look at how GST for e-commerce, especially in the buying and selling of luxury items, such as branded bags and accessories, can be enforced and collected. While I do not have the data on this, I believe there is a substantial amount of revenue lost through e-commerce transactions, especially for large quantum amounts involving branded items. There is still room for tax revenues to increase to front higher and increasing social spending, and I hope the Government will explore the suggestions I have made, even if not for this year's Budget, then for future ones. In conclusion, Mr Speaker, I support the Budget.”
“In comparison, in Malaysia, the maximum personal income tax rate is 28% for those whose assessable income is more than RM1 million or S$335,000. Another comparison, in Taiwan, the maximum personal income tax rate is 40% for those who assessable income is more than S$203,000. Other than increasing personal income tax rates for higher-income earners, the Government can review the corporate tax rates, particularly for multinational corporations (MNCs) or large firms. The current corporate tax rate for Singapore is 17%, flat. Comparatively, the rate for Taiwan is 17% while that for Hong Kong is 16.5%. While it may make it less competitive for Singapore to increase our corporate tax rate across the board, we can consider making it more progressive. For MNCs or large firms, especially those that are earning annual revenues of more than $1 billion annually, which are among the top 1,000 earning firms in Singapore, they can be charged a higher corporate tax rate. These MNCs or large firms that are earning in excess of $1 billion annually, can be charged a corporate tax rate of 17.5% to 18%. It is a small increase, in order to keep Singapore globally competitive for businesses, but the revenue that can be generated to fund Government expenditure and social spending is significant even with this half to one percentage point increase. Since personal income tax has already been made progressive, corporate income tax should also be made progressive, rather than the current flat rate that benefits high income earning MNCs or large firms significantly more than smaller firms. For the imminent GST change, I can understand the need for the increase. However, the GST increment should be made gradual.”
“This would send two very significant signals. One, that flexi-work is acceptable and can still render effective contribution at work; and two, that flexi-work is meant for both men and women, so that they are able to better manage work and familial responsibilities. Three, making taxes more progressive. Taxes seem to weigh heavily on the minds of many Singaporeans, even in the lead up to the Budget announcement. Many have been worried about possible increase of the GST, and an increase in personal or corporate income tax rates. I am aware that the last increment in personal income tax rates came into effect for year of assessment 2017, where those whose assessable income is more than $320,000 are taxed at 22%. Comparing similar economies as Singapore, that is Taiwan and Hong Kong, there is room for personal income tax rates for high-income earners to increase. In Taiwan, those whose assessable income is between S$105,000 to almost S$200,000, have to pay a personal income tax rate of 30%. Those whose assessable income is more than S$200,000 would have to pay a maximum personal income tax rate of 40%. In Hong Kong, the maximum personal income tax rate is 17% and this is applicable to those whose assessable income is more than S$33,000. Hence, I feel there is room to increase the personal income tax rates for higher income earners. For instance, those whose assessable income is more than $320,000 and up to $500,000, can be charged a personal income tax rate of 22%. Those whose assessable income is more than $500,000 and up to $1 million can be charged a personal income tax rate of 24%. Those whose assessable income is more than $1 million can be charged a personal income tax rate of 26%.”
“In comparison, the proportion of men who are actively working is around 75%. There are various reasons that women may choose not to work or be employed. These reasons range from childcare or elderly care responsibilities, to the decision to have a better work-life balance and work from home on a flexi-work basis. Whatever the reasons, sufficient support must be given to our women in managing their numerous responsibilities. In addition, we need to continue our push to ensure better parity between men and women, be it in terms of salaries earned or in terms of familial responsibilities. Men cannot be expected to always earn more than women in the household. And women cannot be expected to take care of the family more than the men in the family. Another concern that I have is that women are still not seen as a valuable source of manpower in the workplace. Looking at the manpower statistics of 2017, there are still more women earning lower salaries compared to men. I will speak about this in the COS debates. While salaries are competitive and are based on merit and experience, there is still much that the Government can do to lead by example in closing the income gap between men and women, and in changing the perception of what women and men are capable of doing in the workplace. For instance, there can be more women appointed to senior Civil Service or Administrative Service positions, the boards of companies and organisations, and even as ambassadors to other countries or to international organisations. Other than appointments, the Government would also need to lead by example in allowing for more flexi-work for public sector and Civil Service employees, for both male and female employees. Currently, flexi-work is more widely accepted in the teaching service.”
“However, I would also implore the Government to ensure the employment of more older workers in these dual-service care centres. There are many jobs that provide meaningful work for older Singaporeans to do, be it in mentoring, training or caregiving, beyond menial work, such as cardboard collecting or cleaning jobs, that some of our seniors feel they are destined to do once they reach their late 50s or early 60s. On the subject of continued employment of older workers, I would urge the Government to review the CPF contribution rates for employees above 55 years old. Currently, once a worker hits 56 years old, their employer CPF contribution is slashed from 17% to 13%, while their employee CPF contribution is cut from 20% to 13%. In total, there is a drastic cut of 11% in CPF contribution overall. That is a huge cut when you cross 55 to 56 years old. I would propose that the CPF contributions not be cut until much later, say, when they are at least 60 years old. It does not make sense that when our average life expectancy is at least 80 years old, our CPF contribution rates are cut at 56 years old. It is too premature. Alternatively, if not cutting the CPF contribution rates may render our older workers less attractive to be employed, then at least make the reduction progressive over four or five years, rather than the drastic 11% cut in just over one year. With more Singaporeans marrying later and having children later, it is quite inevitable that at age 55 or 56, we would still be supporting school-going children and elderly parents, as well as financing our housing loans. Women and flexi-work. The proportion of women who are actively working has been almost constant around 60% for the past few years.”
“The organisation they work in can redeploy them as mentors or trainers who are able to train within the context and institutional knowledge of the organisation and be granted SkillsFuture grants for employee training, rather than engaging external training vendors who may deploy trainers who lack the experience, the contextual understanding or institutional knowledge of the organisation. Another example is to retrain our older workers who are keen to explore working in a different industry, to be trained as early childhood teaching assistants or educarers, for example. I have brought this up before in this House. Personally, I believe that older persons have much more patience to work with young children, compared to their younger counterparts. Other than patience to nurture and help take care of the young children, it also provides the older persons an opportunity to laugh at the antics of the young ones and feel young again. In 2016, Bangor University in the UK carried out an experiment in letting the elderly in a seniors day care centre and young children in Plant Parciau nursery in Caernarfon, Wales, a childcare centre, to interact and spend time together over several days. It was found that, for the seniors, they felt happier and had a better sense of well-being. For the young children, significant benefits were: one, there was an improvement in learning language, particularly dialects, and, in this case, it was Welsh; and two, a boost in their confidence levels. This was because the children had almost undivided attention and encouragement by their elderly friends as they played. I am heartened that our Government is already piloting the co-location of childcare and elderly care centres over the next few years.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank Minister Heng Swee Keat for sharing with us Budget 2018. It is a prudent and inclusive Budget that aptly refocuses our attention on providing for the under-served and the elderly and looking at how taxes can help supplement Government revenues so that we are able to fund much needed and increasing social spending. I support the Budget, but I also wish to speak on three areas that I feel we need to take a closer look at, whether in this Budget or future ones. These areas are: one, older workers; two, women and flexi-work; and three, making taxes even more progressive. One, older workers. In an earlier Sitting this month, some of our esteemed Members in the House filed a Members' Motion on the elderly, which is timely. I had the privilege of speaking on the Motion, and I wish to reiterate some of the points I raised then here. Sir, the elderly among us are largely an untapped source of invaluable knowledge, experience and human resource. While I applaud the numerous schemes, programmes and initiatives to retrain older workers to help them reskill or cross-skill or deep-skill, what they also need are beyond skills and training. More importantly, our older workers need opportunities – opportunities to be given continued employment or job redesign or even opportunities to be mentors to younger workers. The amount of knowledge, wisdom and experience they have garnered over years of working should be put to better use, specifically for our younger workers to learn from. To elaborate, for older workers who may not be able to carry on with work that is rather physically demanding, they can undergo job redesign to become mentors or trainers to younger workers.”
“I thank the Second Minister for the answer. It is quite heartening to know that there are Singaporeans being emplaced with jobs even after they are retrenched. However, in conversations with residents and some volunteers, not many are aware of the whole slew of SkillsFuture initiatives and schemes available. Whenever we mention SkillsFuture, the first thing that comes to mind is the $500 SkillsFuture Credit. Is there any data that the Ministry has to show the level of awareness and knowledge that Singaporeans have about the various schemes and programmes under SkillsFuture? And are there plans to increase outreach or roadshows to inform and explain to Singaporeans that there are many different schemes and programmes under SkillsFuture that they can tap on?”
“I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for the answer. Are there other incidents of sexual harassment that have been reported to the Police that are outside of the use of technology or beyond the workplace? And are there plans to strengthen section 509 of the Penal Code to include men as victims of insult of modesty?”
“Hence, the adult children can be made to pay back the full amount received from their parents in the purchase of their own abode when their familial relationships fail and eviction of the parents occur, or they can be made to pay for the monthly rental of the elderly parents should the elderly parents take up a rental flat or apartment. Nonetheless, while we have the Maintenance of Parents Act or a new policy or even legislation to protect elderly parents who are made homeless by their own children, surely, we should not need to depend on a piece of legislation that has to be invoked for us to show love, care or responsibility towards our parents. Should that not be a responsibility that comes willingly from the heart? We should not be compelled to take care of our parents because the law says so. We should do it because it is the right thing to do. I support the Motion.”
“Like Mr Mohamed and his wife, Madam Loh lives with her son and daughter-in-law. However, their familial relationships were strained after living together for four years and Madam Loh was asked to leave the flat. She is desperately looking for a rental flat as she has no other children and does not wish to live with relatives, because she is embarrassed to let them know. In her desperation, she said she wants to take her own life so that she need not be a burden to anyone anymore. For each of these cases above, my heart breaks at the despair and sadness faced by each of these elderly persons. As I said earlier, with our families getting smaller and with fewer children, the dependence on one or two children will be the norm for each elderly person, and the heartbreak they may face when their only child refuses to take care of them in future or when they get evicted from their shared home, will be very real. I would propose for the Government to look at how our housing policies can be tightened to protect elderly parents who (a) decide to sell their flat or apartment or house; or (b) those who are compelled or maybe even tricked into selling their flat, apartment or house, in order to help their child or children to purchase their own flat, apartment or house. While we respect the decisions of senior or elderly Singaporeans to help their children with their own abode, I would propose that we consider having a policy, or even legislation, that can be invoked to take to task adult children who have benefited from the sale of the abode of their elderly parents and who later on neglect or drive out their parents from the abode they have bought as a result of that. This can be something similar to the Maintenance of Parents Act.”
“I have also met Mr Mohamed and his wife who are both in their 60s, too. They met me at the MPS and asked me to help them get a rental flat. At that time, they were living with their son and his wife in their 5-room flat, but they were chased out of that flat. When asked about the circumstances leading to this situation, I found out that Mr Mohamed and his wife sold their 3-room flat around 10 years earlier in order to help their son buy a bigger flat and gave the proceeds from the sale of their house to buy their son’s 5-room flat. Now, after almost 10 years have passed, they were chased out of that same 5-room flat. They were very worried and were scrambling to get a rental flat. It was heart-wrenching for me to hear their story. When I think of these two situations, I often asked myself where is the compassion and sympathy towards these elderly parents? Why are some people so cruel to them? These elderly parents willingly sacrificed their heart and soul for their children, but yet, why can their children not repay their sacrifice? As the proverb goes, the elderly have to tolerate all kinds of behaviour. Fortunately, there is a diligent effort by our volunteers to engage our seniors and offer much needed assistance. Nonetheless, the responsibility of taking care of our seniors falls primarily on each one of their children, and it should not be the main responsibility of society and the Government. Parents are a gift and we should fulfil our obligations and look after them throughout their remaining years. We should never become like those who abandon their parents. Mr Deputy Speaker, please allow me to continue in English. (In English): Madam Loh is a resident whom I met recently at MPS. She was in tears as she sought help to get a rental flat.”
“For many of our seniors, they take pride in being financially independent and not having to ask their children or anyone else for financial assistance. We must help them be so. There are some seniors who are in the fortunate position of being financially independent or being able to get financial support from their children or other family members, but there are others who are not so fortunate. Mr Deputy Speaker, please allow me to continue in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Aminah is a senior citizen who is a rather petite lady. She is in her 60s and lives alone in a rental flat, even though she has an adult grandchild who is supposed to live with her. Mdm Aminah has four children, who have all married and are living with their own families in their respective flats. Although all of them are working, Mdm Aminah is a recipient of financial assistance from the Government. I have visited Mdm Aminah at her flat to give her some groceries and also to speak to her. From our conversations, I discovered that her children give her between $10 to $20 each month and take turns to visit her every weekend. For most of the week, Mdm Aminah is all alone. I asked her whether the money given by her children is sufficient. She simply smiled. The financial assistance that she receives from the Social Service Office (SSO) does help to reduce her financial burden slightly. When I explained to her that there is a Maintenance of Parents Act, and whether she wishes to file a Maintenance Order at the Tribunal so that her children will give her a higher amount for her maintenance, she swiftly declined. She said that she does not want to burden or embarrass her children. We had to respect her wishes.”
“While this, in itself, is not a bad thing, so long as our seniors continue to keep healthy, fit and active, and continue to sharpen their skills, more than health or skills, they need opportunities to be employed and be entrusted with work responsibilities. They may not be able to carry out physically demanding work but they do have invaluable experience and knowledge that we can tap on. For instance, they can be assigned as workplace mentors to train younger workers or be tasked to do administrative or information organisation work that would require a fair amount of patience which, I am sure, they have more of, compared to younger counterparts. In the universities and some institutions of higher learning, professors and lecturers are given tenure until they are 65 years old ‒ what we call T65 ‒ which is proof that they are able to carry on teaching, writing, doing academic and research work until they are 65 years old. Similarly, I would urge the Government to look at how older workers in the public and Civil Service sectors can be retained in their jobs until 65 and offered re-employment contracts only thereafter. In other words, allow for retirement with two options, that is, one, retire at 62 years old, or, two, retire at 65 years old, and allow for re-employment up to 70 years old. Our seniors should be given more options in deciding their employment in their golden years. I would also implore the Government to make it a requirement for private companies to retain older workers until the age of 65, and these should be older workers across all ranks and not just those in senior management. Companies that demonstrate strong support in retaining their older workers should be commended and given due recognition.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to speak on this Motion. It is a timely one and I laud the efforts of my fellow Members of this House who filed this Motion. In our frequent interactions with our residents, we have come across seniors or elderly residents who have lamented on the different challenges and issues they face, such as the lack of employment opportunities, being financially dependent, being neglected by their children or having strained familial relationships. Mr Viswa is a resident I have met several times at MPS. He is 70 years old and is married to his 68-year-old wife for more than 40 years. They have one son in his 40s who is in prison. Before their son was sent to prison, he financially supported both Mr Viswa and his wife. Now that he is incarcerated, Mr Viswa and his wife have to fend for themselves. Mr Viswa is adamant that he must find a job to pay the bills and support his wife who has ailing health. While we try our best to give him some interim financial assistance and to get some form of employment assistance for Mr Viswa, jobs for someone his age are difficult to come by. Fortunately, after several months of appealing for employment assistance and employment opportunities, Mr Viswa was offered a part-time position. While he is happy to have found employment, I am also worried if he will be alright and if he can continue in his job. The reality is that with families getting smaller, we will end up having many elderly and seniors among us who may need to fend for themselves and continue to work into their golden years.”
“Third, while this Bill aims to address the various measures and countermeasures to prevent, manage and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents that may afflict our public sector and Civil Service, it must be accompanied by non-legislative approaches as well. Sustained efforts to ensure awareness in cybersecurity training of our public and Civil Service officers, so that they are able to recognise potential and actual cybersecurity threats, need to be carried out as well. In fact, this approach has to be nationwide, even to users of public services, such as students and the general public. Public education to increase awareness and identification of potential and actual cybersecurity threats must also be done to support the provisions of this Bill. Public and Civil Service officers, as well as students in our public education institutions, need to understand and recognise when certain emails, hyperlinks or even mobile applications could risk the integrity and compromise the safety of connected computing systems in our various public offices, institutions or schools. Our cybersecurity public awareness programmes must continue and be further enhanced. In addition, to what extent is data shared among our public sector officers currently in designing and implementing better policies or programmes for the public? And with this new cybersecurity legislation, how will that sharing of data and information be impacted? Notwithstanding my concerns above, I support this Bill, Mr Speaker.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity to speak on this Bill. I support the Bill, which is an important one that will eventually help strengthen our laws on cybersecurity and related threats. With our Smart Nation initiative and Government-wide move towards digital transformation of our processes, procedures and data management approaches, cybersecurity inadvertently becomes a concern that needs immediate address. While a lot are in this Cybersecurity Bill, there are, however, several concerns that I have in the implementation of this Bill that is to be enacted. First, the cybersecurity services providers and licensees. How does the Government plan to ensure the integrity and reliability of these companies? Are their track records studied, and are the employees all screened? How sure can the Government be in ensuring security and privacy of matters pertaining to the Government, with these third-party cybersecurity service providers and licensees having access to such privileged information? Second, we know that cyber hackers and attackers are always, at least, two steps ahead. While I appreciate the focus of the Bill to put in place a penetration testing service to search for vulnerabilities and compromises in the computing system of our public sector and Civil Service outfits, how do we stay ahead of the curve and stay relevant and secure? How do cybersecurity service providers and licensees ensure that the personnel who are helping them to search for these vulnerabilities and compromises are up to speed with what potential cyber hackers or attackers are or will be doing?”
“May I ask the Minister whether there are plans to have a standard framework for after-school care centres, similar to what we have for childcare centres, which is the SPARK certification framework, to ensure that there are certain standards of operation, as well as standards pertaining to the personnel who take care of these student care centres?”
“Can I just check how many times have each of the BSOs been issued fines for neglecting the shared bicycles that are strewn all over the place, and are there plans to tighten this penalty mechanism imposed on the BSOs?”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary. I just wanted to ask whether companies that offer internships to students consider the internship period as relevant work experience and whether they consider, in terms of employment thereafter, these students who have gone through the internship by giving them some increment in terms of salary, so that they get a higher salary grade when they are eventually employed by the companies.”
“On what platforms would such information be shared? And will such information be available under the Credit Bureau Report or made available to the banks or employers? I look forward to the Ministry's clarifications on these questions I raised. Notwithstanding my concerns and questions, I support the amendment Bill.”
“These assistants or debt collectors who are employees of the moneylending companies must be trained, monitored and disciplined in the ethics of debt collection, not through aggression but by being firm yet respectful in retrieving the debts owed to the company. I am sure there could even be SkillsFuture courses on how such skills and ethics can be trained and nurtured for debt collectors. I also support clauses 13 and 14 which make amendments to sections 22 and 22A respectively, where a cap is placed on the amount of interest imposed on the amount borrowed. However, how do the moneylending companies, the Government or even employers monitor borrowers' record of borrowing, especially those of the employees? For the banks, there is the Credit Bureau Report that monitors borrowers' credit and record of borrowing, which can be accessed and shared by the banks and with employers. How can we ensure the borrowers themselves do not over-extend through borrowing excessively from different licensed moneylenders? While section 30E makes provisions for a record of borrowing, similar to the Credit Bureau Report, to be made available for each borrower who borrows from moneylending companies, I do question why an approved moneylending company, which is still a private entity, is the one appointed to maintain such records of borrowers. Why is a regulatory body overseen by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) or the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) not tasked to do so instead? How much borrower information is collected and shared? The fact that this is a private company designated as a credit bureau, the issue of confidentiality and privacy is a concern for borrowers. Will there be a sharing of such credit information of these borrowers among the different moneylending companies?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to speak on this amendment Bill. I am heartened that the Government has strengthened our laws to ensure stricter controls and measures towards those who lend money and seek to reclaim their monies, as well as to ensure safety for those who borrow money. As MPs in this House, many of us would have heard from residents their laments about harassment from loansharks and even licensed moneylenders. I support the Government's move to strengthen our Moneylenders Act through this amendment Bill. To elaborate, I strongly support the insertion of section 11(A)(10). It is important to keep track of and monitor every employee or person who works for a company that lends money or an entity whose core business is moneylending. There have been instances where moneylending companies have painted themselves to be run by thugs no different from loanshark syndicates. I have met residents who have shared their nasty experience where the moneylender assistants or debt collectors from moneylending companies had acted aggressively when dealing with clients in debt collection, with threats and vulgarities hurled at the debtors when the debt could not be paid up immediately or in full as demanded. As moneylending companies are registered companies and the assistants or debt collectors are employees of these registered companies, there must be some form of decorum and sense of responsibility and respect in carrying out their duties, even that of debt collection, in addition to having good moral character with no prior criminal records.”
“The other concern I have is in clauses 15 and 16. I support that the appointment of the CE of a public sector agency is to be approved by the Minister, with the concurrence of PSC. However, from what I understand, the removal of the CE can be solely decided by the Minister. There seems to be a lot of power vested in the Minister to decide on the removal of the CE from a public sector agency. I would like to propose for consideration that this decision for the removal of the CE be made in consultation with the board of directors, advisors or governors of the Public Service agency as well. Sufficient consideration to be made regarding the CE's prior experience, background or contributions to the agency should be considered collectively and consultatively, rather than largely by the Minister alone. Similar practices are carried out in the private sector where the decisions to employ or dismiss senior executives of a company are made in consultation with the board of directors or advisors of the company. Notwithstanding the concerns I have raised, I support this Bill.”
“Another example is the sharing of information by MOE with Institutes of Higher Learning or self-help organisations, such as the Council for the Development of the Singapore Malay/Muslim Community (MENDAKI), the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) or the Eurasian Association (EA). Having been involved in a self-help organisation and a couple of public sector institutions, it is a common refrain heard amongst strategic planners or managers that a more open sharing of student and cohort education-related information would be useful in designing and implementing programmes or interventions by the self-help groups that can better help our students. The sharing and use of information and data within each and across public sector agencies will make it more efficient and effective in helping Singaporeans address their healthcare, housing, education or social and financial assistance needs. However, to what extent will the sharing of information or data make this possible? Will Singaporeans find it easier to purchase a flat and secure a housing loan at the same time? Or visit their choices of doctors across different restructured hospitals and have their medical information shared? Or have access to the necessary social or financial assistance without having to repeatedly provide their personal or family information to different Public Service officers? Nonetheless, it is understandable that there is a concern with the confidentiality and privacy of such information sharing with self-help organisations or public sector institutions. Hence, I support clause 7 that sets out the conditions and extent of the proposed law that would protect the confidentiality, privacy and use of such information.”
“This is necessary to allow greater expediency and efficiency for data and information to be shared among different public sector bodies to help Singaporeans, be it in healthcare, education, housing, retirement adequacy or social and financial support. However, this sharing of data and information needs to be made expedient, efficient and transparent not just between public sector agencies but also within each agency, between their different departments and units. There have been instances where the different departments and units within one public sector agency do things in silo and are not cognisant of what the other departments and units within that same public sector agency are doing. For instance, I have received feedback from residents about their experience when executing the purchase or sale of their flats, in securing housing loans from HDB, or in managing the funds related to housing through CPF Board. There have been occasions where residents lamented while they have been approved their housing loan through the housing finance department, but when executing the sale or purchase of the flat through the sales department, there seems to be a lack of information sharing between the departments. This has made the transaction experience faced by residents nothing short of frustrating and confusing. For some residents I have met, their home loan eligibility approval or extension by the housing finance department has not been conveyed to the sales department, which then requires them to make additional CPF cash payment instead during the sale or purchase transaction for their flat. We can imagine their frustration and confusion.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to speak on this Bill. May I please, first, speak in Malay, followed by English? (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Deputy Speaker, to my understanding, MUIS is not really affected by this amendment. I support this amendment that guarantees the standards of administration and governance for each of our public agencies because it ensures that quality as well as accountability and transparency standards continue to be upheld. At the same time, there are some suggestions within this amendment that are already familiar to MUIS, which already possesses and implemented accountability and transparency standards, which were determined by the Government under the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA). The appointment of MUIS' CE is still based on the MUIS Council's approval with the Minister's concurrence. This ensures that the amendment does not erode the responsibility or influence of MUIS Council members regarding the appointment of the CE that is based on the experience and expertise of each MUIS Council member. I would also like to acknowledge the support and funding by the Government for the corporate and administrative functions of MUIS, which have allowed MUIS to channel money from donations and zakat from the Muslim community towards the community's other needs. Please allow me to continue in English. (In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, this is an important Bill to consolidate the different Acts governing the various public sector bodies. In principle, I support this Bill. However, I have a couple of concerns for clarification. Like many others in this House, I support clause 6 that makes provisions and grants authority for public sector bodies to share information.”
“Other than food ingredients, handling and preparation, I am also concerned about food items which claim to provide certain levels of nutrients or to even provide relief or cure from specific ailments. For example, among the Malay community, Air Anugerah or bottled alkaline water sold at $2 per 500-millimetre bottle. It is claimed by the producers and sellers of this alkaline water that it "combines science and medicine to relieve pain spiritually and physically. Alkaline water is known for hydrating the body while removing toxins, is an agent of anti-oxidants and able to neutralise acid in the bloodstream, leading to improved energy and oxygen levels". Air Anugerah is easily available for purchase online and I know of individuals who trust that this alkaline water will cure their ailments, more so than regular visits to their doctors for follow-up checks would. I am concerned about such food items that are sold online with regard to food safety and hygiene. It is difficult to regulate and monitor this entire segment of food item advertising and sale as there are numerous online platforms that do so, particularly where push advertising can be done very easily. Will the new section 16A be able to fully address the advertising and sale of food items, especially those done through online means? How can the Ministry comprehensively monitor and regulate such online sources? Mr Deputy Speaker, notwithstanding the concerns I have shared above, I strongly support this amendment Bill. 6.11 pm”
“On a more personal note, about two months back, I purchased some pastries and cake from a rather established bakery chain. When I sank my teeth into a chocolate cream puff, I tasted something slippery and plastic-like. It turned out that it was a piece of sticky tape that had been churned in together with the chocolate cream. I ended up throwing up and throwing away the cream puff. I am sure my experience is not unique as we have read of instances where inedible and unimaginable items end up in the food we eat − examples being plastic pieces, band-aids or even a rat. These are unpleasant encounters that we would never want happen on anyone. I hope that with the amendments proposed in this Bill, food stalls, food courts and members of the public, in general, will be more discerning in their choices of food suppliers and food sellers. I would urge AVA to work with NEA to look into tightening the regulations and requirements for food handlers, food suppliers and food sellers to emphasise the need to have as much knowledge as possible about the handling, preparation and ingredients of the food they sell. In addition, while we support the entrepreneurism of home-based chefs, cooks and bakers, we do need them to be part of a more regulated and accredited group of food handlers, preparers and sellers who (a) are trained in proper food handling, preparation and safety; and (b) who undergo regular audits to ascertain the cleanliness, quality and safety of the food they prepare, cook and sell. This will help inspire confidence among consumers and will help weed out fly-by-night or rogue food operators who cannot care less about food safety and food hygiene.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity to speak on this amendment Bill. This is an important amendment Bill to strengthen our current Sale of Food Act, especially with new methods and platforms involving the sale of food, particularly, through online means. Buying food is no longer about visiting a shop or stall that prepares the food, ordering your food, paying for it, then consuming it. The food we order and eat now − whether we order from fixed premises or food establishments, or through online means − can come from many different sources, some of which we would never have fathomed of. There is thus a need to be able to better regulate the sources from which our food items are prepared and made in. Hence, I support the comprehensive amendments made to clauses 3 and 4 of this Bill which relate to food, food items, food handling and preparation, as well as advertisements involving food. Mr Deputy Speaker, during a recent house visit to a block of flats in my constituency, I received feedback from several residents living in the block who expressed their concern about a neighbour who seemed to be involved in food preparation in their flat. This neighbour was known to be preparing food items for a yong tau foo stall at a rather big food court. Their domestic helper can be seen pushing trolleys of prepared food daily and even throwing the food waste into the dustbin at the void deck. While the residents of this block respect the enterprising spirit of their neighbour, they are concerned about two things: (a) the cleanliness and quality of the food prepared in the home of this neighbour, which is then delivered to the food court; and (b) the daily occurrence of raw food waste at the void deck dustbin, which has seemed to attract a bevy of rats to the block.”
“Mr Speaker, enacting new laws to curb smoking is just one of the various approaches we need to rein in on smoking among us. The public education and awareness efforts have to continue, as do efforts to reach out to our young to redirect their energies and focus on meaningful activities and projects and away from smoking and addiction. "What hurts more than losing someone is knowing you are not fighting to keep them from harm." We need to continue to fight to keep our children safe from the harms of smoking and drugs. Mr Speaker, notwithstanding the concerns and proposals I have shared above, I strongly support this amendment Bill. 4.00 pm”
“Currently, his time is spent on creating music and enhancing his artistic abilities, which have brought him to the regional and global stage. Mr Speaker, I will end my speech in English. (In English): Mr Speaker, I would also like to propose for the Ministry to review current efforts in curbing smoking among the young and in public places. The Health Sciences Authority officers and employees may be authorised to take to task those who flout the laws governing the sale of cigarette or tobacco products, while NEA officers and employees may be authorised to take to task those who flout the laws governing littering, including errant smokers who litter their cigarette butts and ashes around. However, at the same time, there has to be a more concerted effort to curb both smoking and littering in public places and should involve more public officers to extend this outreach effort and raise public awareness against smoking and littering, similar to how our Pioneer Generation ambassadors reach out to seniors. It would also be useful for MOH to appoint members of the public who are trained to advise and or even issue summons as to errant litterbugs and smokers who continue to litter and/or smoke in prohibited places. More importantly, the role of these MOH-appointed representatives is to ramp up outreach and public education against smoking, specifically among our youths. Granting these appointed members of the public with some level of authority will also help alleviate the demand on our current HSA or NEA officers to carry out similar responsibilities. The remuneration framework for these MOH-appointed members of the public can be similar to that for our PGAs.”
“Just imagine, a stick of cigarette takes about five minutes to finish. If a person smokes 10 sticks each day, around one hour per day is burnt away − burning away the cigarette, burning away money, burning the lungs, as well as the health of that person. Is this habit not wasteful and highly unproductive? Data on smoking from the National Health Surveillance Survey conducted by MOH in 2013 showed that the number of Malay smokers is more than twice the number of Chinese or Indian smokers. In addition, the proportion of our Malay youths under 30 years old who smoke is relatively higher, compared to Chinese or Indian youths. Malay youths who smoke daily are about 30%, whereas the national average is only 12.7%. This is a worrying trend. Therefore, I strongly support the amendment Bill on advertisement and sale of cigarettes and smoking accessories, especially to our young people who are under 21 years old. Studies and research have shown that those who start smoking in their teens are more susceptible to drug abuse. If we wish to eradicate the problem of drug abuse, we must also stamp out the smoking habit. The amendment Bill that is being tabled is timely. I would like to urge our youths to focus their time, effort, minds and energy on activities and projects that are useful and beneficial to others. One example is the These-Abled group started by Ms Nur Aryssa Jumadin, Mr Mohd Haiqel Jamaludin and Mr Muhd Asyraf Mustaffa, who organised the IQRA Project where religious knowledge is taught using the Qur'an in Braille for the visually handicapped. Another example is Mr Riduan Zalani. He is a well-known percussionist and a recipient of the Singapore Youth Award 2013 as well as the ASEAN Youth Award 2013. Mr Riduan used to smoke, but he successfully kicked the smoking habit.”
“This is a packet of loose tobacco leaves or "Roll-Your-Own Tobacco" that we can find in a lot of mom-and-pop shops here in Singapore. I think there are about five to 10 pieces of cigarette paper in here, and it is very cheap, costing only $2.60 a packet. Two persons I know have told me it is easy to buy them and that even students below the age of 18 have bought them, especially so when they are this cheap. Other than affordability, I have another concern regarding such "Roll-Your-Own Tobacco" products. A few of our very enterprising students in our Institutes of Higher Learning are mixing such loose tobacco leaves with weed and selling them as drug-laced cigarettes to their schoolmates. When you see some of our students hanging outside our IHLs, since they can no longer smoke within the premises, and they are smoking, you might begin to wonder if it is just tobacco that they are smoking. While these numbers are small, it is still one too many. The possibility of having such numbers growing is high. I would urge the Ministry to review the public sale of such small and affordable packets of loose tobacco leaves. If there is a need to sell such packets of loose tobacco leaves to cater to a select group of smokers who prefer rolling up their own tobaccos, there must be some parity to the price of rolled cigarettes sold in packets. If a packet of rolled cigarettes cost more than $10, so should these packets of loose tobacco leaves. Better still, ban them altogether. At this point, Mr Speaker, please allow me to say a few words in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Smoking is a habit that we must continue to eradicate, especially amongst our youths. Apart from causing health problems and wasting money, smoking is also a time-wasting habit.”
“The subutex used primarily came from licit or lawful sources and not from illicit sources, because it was meant to treat opiate addiction by General Practitioners. A comprehensive study published in 2000 from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health shows that "cigarette smoking increases a person's risk of using illegal drugs" and that, "For all age groups combined, the 65.8% of participants who had ever smoked were: seven times more likely to have tried marijuana; seven times more likely to have tried cocaine; 14 times more likely to have tried crack; and 16 times more likely to have tried heroin. The results were even more startling when the statistical evidence was sub-divided by age groups. Associations between smoking and illegal drug use were significantly stronger for young people. For instance, people aged 12 to 15 who smoked cigarettes were 44 times more likely to use crack, compared with only a twofold risk in those 50 or older." This study involved more than 17,000 respondents. Some may say this study is somewhat dated as it was published 17 years ago. However, another more recent research found that "Adolescent regular smokers showed significantly higher odds of using marijuana, cocaine and heroin", according to a longitudinal study spanning more than 35 years and which involved more than 1,200 individuals conducted by Strong, Juon and Ensminger, published in January 2016. Research and academics aside, we cannot deny that curbing smoking among the young is not just about preventing them from picking up a bad habit. It is more than that. It is to help them to not pick up any form of substance addiction or abuse, as far as we can help it. Mr Speaker, may I seek your permission and indulgence to do a little "show-and-tell" and share something with the House?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity to speak on this amendment Bill. To me, this is a very important Bill − one which complements our current laws against drug consumption and abuse. In my speech, I will address two issues. One, that adolescent smoking leads to a propensity for drug consumption and abuse; and two, that more needs to be done to curb adolescent smoking. Data from the national health surveillance surveys conducted in 2010 and 2013 have shown that the number of smokers below the age of 30 years old has dropped from 16% to about 13% from 2010 to 2013. However, according to HPB, the proportion of youth that picked up smoking and who then became hooked on smoking before the age of 21, remains high at about 80%. This is very worrying. I support the amendments to this Bill that will raise the minimum age for the sale or purchase of cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 to 21. I would go one step further to make it illegal for any person below the age of 21 years old to even smoke a cigarette or other tobacco products. Hence, I strongly support the amendments to section 11 that prohibit underage persons from using, possessing or buying tobacco products. Here, I must disagree with the hon Member Mr Leon Perera who advocates allowing controlled use of e-cigarettes. I am not convinced that addiction treatment which has used so-called safer substitutes has worked. Let us not forget when we introduced subutex as an alternative to opiates back in 2002. This use of subutex created a whole breed of addicts and a disturbing increase in the emergence of needle culture among these addicts, even more than that during the peak of the heroin addiction.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the answers. We still see quite a number of foreign MTL preschool teachers in our preschool centres. The concern, really, is about their bilingual abilities, their understanding of local cultures and context, and conversational accents in teaching our children. I do appreciate the efforts that ECDA and MOE have made in trying to recruit more local teachers. My question is whether there are plans to have conversion programmes for retired MTL teachers from the primary schools or even among our current primary school teachers to teach at the preschool level. The caveat is that, for our current primary school teachers, whether they can retain their level of pay and benefits. In other words, it is more of a secondment for them to teach at the preschool centres.”
“For instance, we need to work together to prevent Islamophobia, racial stereotypes or racial profiling against the Malays, or religious suspicion against the Muslims, from ever influencing the way we deal with one another, just because of the atrocities committed by ISIS, Al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups who claim to act on the Islamic faith. And we cannot allow Muslims to feel apologetic for what these terrorist groups, which proclaim to carry out their heinous acts in the name of Islam, have done. As a Muslim, I abhor their actions and I refuse to be associated with them, and I refuse to feel apologetic for all they have done, for they do not represent me or the faith that I believe in and uphold. What we have nurtured here in Singapore − inclusivity and trust based on multiracialism and multiculturalism − are very precious. We must continue to work and do good together, and we need to continue to be sensitised to the needs of others, especially the minorities among us. And here, when I speak of the minorities, I am not just referring to those of race and religion alone; I am also referring to those of abilities and which happen as a result of social constructs, be it cognitive, communicative and so on. As we progress as a nation, let us strengthen the bonds that exist among us, continue to be inclusive and magnanimous, and make sure we do not leave anyone behind, stranded or paralysed because of their race, religion or abilities. "The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people". Let us continue to uphold multiracialism, multiculturalism and inclusivity, for it gives us fortitude as a people. Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.”
“Here, I would like to welcome the establishment of the Islamic College of Singapore under the ambit of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS). Around 1,000 of our students are currently studying in Islamic educational institutions overseas and, in the context of an increasingly uncertain global security situation, I believe that having an Islamic College in Singapore will open opportunities for our students to further their studies in Islamic education at the post-secondary level within our shores. I also hope that our Islamic College will become a symbol of Islamic education and scholarship that is excellent, progressive and inclusive, and able to become a renowned global Islamic institution. I would also like to touch on the third item of this Motion, that is, investment in our pillars of multiracialism and multi-religious life, to defeat the threat of radicalism and terrorism. We should continue our efforts to uphold multiracialism and multi-religious life in Singapore, not only to achieve racial harmony, but also in our efforts to counter the threat of radicalism, extremism and terrorism. These efforts should continue at all levels and by every person, and not only by the Government or religious teachers and educators. (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, please allow me to continue in English. Each individual plays an important role in our efforts against the threats of radicalism, extremism and terrorism. At the same time, there is another endeavour that we need to partake in, that of ensuring that we do not swing to the other extreme of allowing any form of stereotypes or deep-seated biases to develop against any particular race or religion.”
“These teachers would work closely with the RRG, the Ministry of Home Affairs or other Government agencies that would be able to follow up with these students or youths, such as getting in touch with their parents or families, counselling them, enrolling them in rehabilitative programmes, or getting them involved in meaningful and socially constructive activities to redirect their ideas, energies and focus. At this point, Mr Speaker, Sir, please allow me to continue in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The involvement of educators and religious teachers in countering the threat of radicalism, extremism and terrorism amongst our youths is very important and necessary. Just as how some teachers from mainstream schools are trained to become counsellors to help students who may be stressed or have personal problems, we also need religious teachers in our madrasahs who are trained to help our students and youths who may be at risk of being radicalised. These religious teachers can refer such students or youths to the right persons for further assistance. At the same time, we should also encourage our religious teachers to be more active in sharing their knowledge and views about the context of multiracial and multi-religious life in Singapore with our youths, especially through the social media platforms. We do have religious teachers who are active in social media in order to engage our youths, like Ustaz Mizi Wahid and Ustaz Irwan Hadi. But I hope that the number of such social media-savvy religious teachers will increase. They have the potential to become positive influencers who can shape the views and perceptions of our youths.”
“Second, I would urge the Government to support initiatives where some of our youths are trained to be youth ambassadors and youth leaders, to mitigate the threat of radicalisation and extremist ideologies through youth activism. Our youth ambassadors or leaders are the ones to lead our youths on meaningful engagements and socially constructive projects that build communities and not partake in missions or causes that tear down communities. They are also the ones who are trained to pick up tell-tale signs of the possible threat of radicalisation and extremist ideologies among their fellow youths, before these evolve into acts of terrorism. These youth ambassadors and leaders are in constant touch with other trained counsellors and members of the RRG to help refer other youths who may be at risk of being radicalised. There is a need to work closely with our institutions of higher learning (IHLs) in the training of such youth ambassadors and leaders, and in supporting their socially constructive projects, such as Roses of Peace or Youth Ambassadors of Peace, appointed by several of our Muslim organisations. Third, there is also a need to seek the involvement of significant others in promoting vigilance against and mitigating the threat of radicalisation and extremism among our youths. An important group of significant others is made up of our teachers, in both our mainstream and secular, as well as religious, educational institutions. Just as some teachers are trained as psychological counsellors in many of our mainstream schools, we would also need teachers to be trained as first points of contact to identify students or youths who are being radicalised or may be at risk of developing extremist ideologies or being involved in acts of terrorism.”
“There is a need to work further upstream in preventing radicalisation at its core, before it can even evolve into extremist ideologies or acts of terrorism. And this upstream work cannot just be the effort of asatizahs or Islamic religious scholars and teachers alone. In fact, there is a need to work across religions, races, cultures and even languages in tackling these threats upstream. First, I would propose involving as many first points of contact as possible, be it through our grassroots movement, Family Service Centres, Social Service Offices, non-government organisations (NGOs) and voluntary welfare organisations. Volunteers and officers in such organisations are in frequent and direct contact with Singaporeans on a daily basis. They ought to be trained to pick up tell-tale signs or potential problems which may escalate into situations of an individual being radicalised or, worse, committing acts of terrorism, be it religiously motivated or otherwise. Some tell-tale signs could include being reclusive or withdrawn, spending too much time online, developing sudden changes in views or perceptions or behaviour, or developing intense frustrations or having anger management issues. Upon the detection of such worrying tell-tale signs, these first points of contact should make referrals to the RRG or other certified counsellors for further assistance and follow-up. The call has always been for families and friends to look out for such tell-tale signs, but families and friends may not always be impartial or neutral enough or may not always be quick enough to inform the relevant authorities for follow-up help. Hence, we would need many other first points of contact to manage this better.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for this opportunity to speak on this important matter. The threat of terrorism and the risk of radicalisation and extremism cannot be underestimated nor taken for granted. With advancements in technologies and increasing global connectivity, terrorist and separatist cells are emboldened and have more convenient platforms to recruit similar-minded individuals to fight their cause, no matter how insidious that cause may be, usually made under the guise of seemingly religious or cultural grounds. The new Infrastructure Protection Bill that we passed yesterday is testament to the Government's resolve in ensuring that we continue to strengthen our security measures and minimise risks and threats, in light of the recent spate of terrorist attacks. However, fighting terrorism goes beyond legislative enactments and enforcement. Some may think the onus and responsibility of looking out for such threats lie within the individual or those closest to the individual. However, just as fighting crime and ensuring public safety is a shared responsibility which requires a common effort and resolve, so is the threat of terrorism and the risk of radicalisation and extremism. Sir, let me first speak on the first two foci: to promote vigilance and resilience, and to prevent the spread of radicalised teachings. The work of addressing and mitigating the threat of terrorism, radicalisation and extremist ideologies have traditionally been done by the RRG, first set up in 2003. While RRG has been instrumental in rehabilitating Jemaah Islamiah detainees and their families, as well as ISIS supporters more recently, the work of rehabilitation is correction after the fact.”
“Mr Speaker, my question to the Minister is: for those students who have committed acts of bullying, are there also initiatives to involve their parents in the counselling process of the bullies themselves, not just the victims? And further upstream, are there initiatives to involve parents in character-building and values-in-action education of students in schools?”
“No. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." (proc text)] Adjourned accordingly at 6.34 pm.”