Janet Ang
Singapore
“It is important that the GPs step forward and engage themselves in the redesign of work processes and incentives that will help make Healthier SG implementation efficient, effective and most importantly, deliver on its intended purpose.”
“In conclusion, my hope is for our Singapore-style of meritocracy to be one which values the dignity of every person – no matter their abilities or achievements, upholds the spirit of community, that is, as Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong calls it, more about the we and us and less about the I and me; empowers attitudes of always learn…”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to ask Minister how is MSF enabling, empowering and compensating our social workers so that they can meaningfully journey with families and persons in their care? What is MSF doing to attract good people and leaders to this sector? Communities with purpose serve.”
“How does MOM and the Tripartite partners intend to manage the implementation of the Fair Practice in the Workplace legislation and achieve its intended purpose while at the same time ensuring that we maintain workplace harmony and not allow for a litigious culture to take root?”
“That said, what measures are in place to ensure that Government agencies do not spend on advertising on what can be perceived as self-promotion of the Government or to show it in a positive light? How does MCI measure the effectiveness of its spending? Partnering Industries for the Future”
“Two, in view of recent Presidential-level engagements between them, how hopeful can we be that open communications and dialogue will continue to progress constructively?”
The complete record
Every one of 219 lines we hold for Janet Ang, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 5.
“I have been preparing myself for a meaning and purposeful life beyond the IBM employee pass, which I carried for 33 years. Admittedly, however, it was still a moment of truth to be reckoned with when the day actually came. So, for the many who were less prepared than I, and for some who were even caught by surprise, I empathise with them. I would dare say that most in my generation are generally ill-prepared and cannot quite cope with the drastic physical and physiological change at the point of retirement. We are the Baby Boomer generation, with strong work ethics and most have given their all to their jobs and growing Singapore's economy. So, transitioning from active employment to retirement, for many, is like dropping off a cliff. This experience often leaves the individuals frustrated. There is a need, therefore, for companies and the communities supported by the Government and civil society to better prepare our senior workers for what I will call the "shoulder season". Apparently, this is a travel industry term indicating the time between the high and low travel seasons of a specific destination between the peak and off-peak months. So, I advocate that companies begin a gentle off-ramp programme spread over five years for their employees between 55 and 65 – maybe even 70. With a longer expected lifespan, even the seniors who do not choose re-employment after having worked for almost 40 years, I advocate that, collectively, we start a new focus on the shoulder season. Let us coin a new life stage. Ringfence this age demographic, define the benefits, including, perhaps, CPF, especially for this life stage, and build a whole new economy with ancillary services and so on around this social tribe. Make it a stage of life that people look forward to.”
“Whilst there is general support by both retired and retiring seniors as well as by companies, some of the key questions linger in their minds include: seniors thinking, "Will there be a change in CPF withdrawal age resulting from this amendment?" Well, everyone should be quite glad to hear the Minister confirm that there will be no change to the CPF withdrawal date, which incidentally is a sacred cow, a sacred milestone, not to be touched. Another question is that if they are re-employed to do the same job, will they get the same compensation? How can seniors, even the so-called retired ones, continue to contribute their experience and skills in building and strengthening Singapore? As for employers, some of the questions they have on their minds may include: how will this impact the cost of doing business? Will senior workers be able to pick up the skills and competencies needed for today’s competitive market? Will they be able to cope with digital disruptions? How do I implement succession planning without being misconstrued as having an ageism attitude? And with millennials in search for meaningful roles, should seniors not be making way for them? All these are very good questions, and many Members in this House have already touched on quite a few of them. For me, I am part of the retiring/retired cohort. I consider myself very blessed to be reasonably prepared for my second half. When I was in my 40s, I was recommended the book "Half Time" by Bob Buford and that got me thinking. Before I turned 50, I attended Cenacle Sister Linda Lizada's retreat on mid-life transition and that started me planning and praying. Finally, at 60, I said "yes" to retirement.”
“Let me start with a quote by Pope Francis: "Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfilment." Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for the privilege to join in the debate on the subject of retirement and re-employment. Singapore is faced with an increasingly tight labour market due to the rapidly ageing population. This, coupled with a shrinking working-age population caused by Singapore’s declining fertility trend which hit a low of 1.1 resident TFR in 2020, will further exacerbate our tight labour market situation. Hence, keeping seniors in the workforce for as long as they are willing and able, will help ease the manpower situation somewhat. Life expectancies have risen to such levels that many people think that they do not have sufficient savings to meet post-retirement living and healthcare expenses, and therefore want the option to work for longer so as to improve their financial adequacy for retirement. I support the raising of the statutory retirement age and re-employment age, and that our senior workers have the option to stay employed longer if they so choose. Legislation will help to ensure consistent fair treatment of senior workers by all employers and deter possible senior worker abuse. Equally, if not more important than legislation, are the structural changes needed at the workplace, the support needed to help mature workers to better prepare for retirement in addition to the all-important CPF adequacy and MediShield Life, and above all, the need for mindset change on everyone’s part.”
“If, as Singaporean PMETs, we do not speak up, we do not ask for the job, we do not show hunger for our jobs, then, of course, those who speak louder, those who are more enthusiastic, those who appear more hungry, will get the job. So, my point is, Mr Leong, you have been a private sector executive yourself. Do you give the job to the individual who is entitled to the job, almost like – and this one, a little bit scary to say it – Malaysia's bumiputra policy, perhaps? Or do you give the job to the guy who has the skills to do the job and, better yet, has the added characteristics of passion for the business, hunger for the business and a willingness to go the extra mile? So, Mr Leong, since you asked me those questions, if you could help me understand whether I got you wrong. [Applause.]”
“I am so sorry; it is past midnight and I am 62! [Laughter.] Mr Speaker, if I may, I am really humbled that Mr Leong Mun Wai called my name in his speech. So, I cannot help but have to stand up. He mentioned the data that I shared in my speech that came from the survey of American companies, a preview of the survey that the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) shared with me. They are real employers who are hiring and they have found the gaps they found. So, I am not sure what Mr Leong is disagreeing with me about. It is from a survey. They are real employers. They have found those gaps. We can do a couple of things. One is engage these employers and really, like I said in my speech, understand what those relevant skills that our people are missing are, what are the relevant experience that is missing, and then we go figure out how to get the right approach. But since I have managed "United Nations" employees in IBM before, I will share with Members – which is what I said in my speech – one tip that Singaporean workers need to recognise. We have to be brave to speak up. We will always have all our things in our heads: "I am so good at all these. That guy is not so good. Why is he taking the job?" But if you do not speak up and you do not tell anybody why you deserve that job, you will not get that job. Because of the competition, Mr Leong, which is my second point. I was going to ask you because you did say that the paradigm has shifted from our time. I am 62 years old. I do not know how old you are. But, yes, the paradigm has definitely shifted. So, do you not agree that competition for most jobs is not just among the talent that are onshore in Singapore, whether local or foreign, but, really, a global one? Again, back to my point.”
“As the Prime Minister said in his National Day Rally closing speech, "We have done it before, we can do it again". I support Minister Lawrence Wong's Motion. [Applause.]”
“When we start it right, that is always the best. So, if Singapore hopes to continue to secure good jobs and livelihoods for Singaporeans into the future, we need to continue to be amongst the best of global cities in the world. The alternative is to fall off to the wayside. For a moment, consider what that alternative might look like. We no longer are a hub for human capital and, therefore, lose our edge in attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). Without a melting pot of talents, innovations will likely be dry and, without innovation, the investments into the best-in-class infrastructure will not be funded. Businesses no longer find Singapore attractive for their hub activities and the list continues to spiral downward. At that point, we will not be debating as to whether having foreign talent in our workforce is a good thing or not. The debate would shift to how do we stop the brain drain of our younger Singaporeans who, in the absence of good jobs and good opportunities in a Singapore that has become unplugged from the global network, will need to leave their country in pursuit of better opportunities for themselves and their families, elsewhere. The future of that Singapore in that story will be sad one. We have watched this movie before. And as if this is not nightmarish enough, with Singapore's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) being in decline for a few decades and hitting a low of 1.1 in 2020, we will see the decline in the size of the Republic's working population. I have four daughters. So, I can say this loudly. Let us make sure that we do not ever come close to this alternate state being a reality. Mr Speaker, I hope that, with humility, pride and solidarity as Singaporeans, we will be a resilient nation.”
“Meanwhile, in order to fill these gaps, companies need to bring in qualified foreign talent who can do the job and also support the training and development of high-potential local talent, especially in areas, such as technical knowledge and global markets. This feedback is pretty consistent with the other TACs. Critical for Singapore is to understand what are the relevant skills and work experience that employers are looking for and to be willing to step up to learn and to reskill as well as to lean in to express our interest in picking up the new skills and our readiness to pick up the relevant work experiences. If we do not unleash our voice to compete for the job, we have no one else to blame. Asking "who has moved my cheese?" will not help. Go get the cheese. Be humble and learn from the foreign talent coach and do not hesitate to ask the boss for that job when you are done learning. Why you? Because you are always ready to learn and will do the job even better than your foreign talent coach. And who knows? Your foreign talent coach may get promoted in the headquarters and bring you along as he or she rises in his or her career. There are many such heartwarming stories during the 30 years of my career. It does take two hands to clap. Everything starts, in my opinion, with the right frame of mind and attitude. That said, during the Committee of Supply, I did highlight that in engaging with the MNCs, in particular, I hope that MTI and EDB, which are the ones the MNCs work with upfront, will lean in on them to really recognise the value of the Singapore talent as the foundation of their business success. While it is very good to have MOM come in to police and to check, when it is at the policing end, it is always not so much fun.”
“Mr Ng shared that while companies are committed to do all they can to transform their business model, redesign jobs, offer training and upskilling and reskilling opportunities to locals, there remains a near-to medium-term structural issue, that is, locals continue to shun certain jobs, for example, physically strenuous jobs, jobs that require shift work and workplaces in remote locations. There are certain deep-seated negative stereotypes of jobs which Singaporeans seem to not want to take on or, perhaps, I should say, that Singaporean parents do not want their kids to take on. These jobs, however, are critical and essential to our economy. Such jobs can be found in both the domestic sector like the built environment and construction as well as the export sector. For example, a considerable number of foreign manpower work in our food manufacturing sector that exports about 60% of its manufacturing output to overseas markets. Without continued access to foreign workers, companies in these essential sectors will not be able to function, stay viable and thrive, and, hence, even the jobs of the locals in those companies will be threatened and, by extension, impact the wider economy. Without access to foreign workers to take on work that locals do not want to do, it will affect the export readiness and competitiveness of Singapore brands. I spoke to Dr Hsien Hsien Lei, CEO of AmCham Singapore and she shared with me a preview of the soon-to-be released 2021 AmCham Manpower Survey of member companies. Sixty-four percent of respondents looking to hire Singaporeans for senior level roles – managers and above – are finding that candidates lack relevant skills and 53% of respondents report candidates lack necessary work experience.”
“However, positions, such as BIM managers, project managers and architectural managers, had to be filled by foreigners or outsourced to foreign companies because Singaporean architects and engineers were not sufficiently exposed to the convergence of these technologies with traditional engineering and architectural disciplines. The foreign talent was proficient in visualising building information models (BIMs) and AutoCAD. Likewise, in the engineering domain, there is an increasing need for employees to have multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary skill sets. Businesses that have secured contracts from clients cannot wait for a critical mass of Singaporeans to be trained before they can service the contracts. Foreign talent, hence, provides a good complement as our Singaporean Core upskill and reskill for the changing demands. Notwithstanding that I am a National University of Singapore (NUS) alumni, I must say that NUS' bold move in transforming curriculum structures – for example, setting up the new College of Design and Engineering – to prepare the future Singaporean workforce who will be interdisciplinary, broad-based critical thinkers and problem solvers in a VUCA world – VUCA being volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous – is exactly what the industry expects of our world-class Universities: to lead the way of change and to secure our workforce's relevance in the new normal. Mr Roland Ng, President of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce, recently wrote an opinion piece in Zaobao; and I am very happy that Minister Tan See Leng actually referred to it in Chinese just now.”
“Singapore's highly- educated workforce, enabled by world-class University communities here, coupled with our ability to attract diversity of global talent, has helped us maintain our competitiveness and attracted large multinational companies to expand in Singapore and startups to plant their seeds of innovation here. In dialogues which I had with trade associations and chambers (TACs) throughout the year, it is almost unanimous – I could say unanimous – that Singapore must maintain our open foreign talent policy. To quote Mr Farid Khan, President of Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce, "Singapore must accept diversity and remain open and transparent in our foreign talent policy even as we scale up the number of graduates from Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) majoring in key disciplines where we have supply/demand gaps: information technology, cybersecurity, software engineering and the like." In the same breath, all agree that companies, both global MNCs and Singapore companies, need to implement fair practices in the workplace. They demonstrated their commitment with a pledge in January earlier this year and Mr Per Magnusson tells me that the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce has focused on operationalising the intent of the pledge by doing a pilot of orientation programmes for newcomers to Singapore. But, of course, alas, industry-wide, it is still work in progress. We might think that foreign talents are needed only by the MNCs but that is not true. Dr T Chandroo, Chairman of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) shared with me an example in the built environment industry. Building information modelling (BIM) professionals were in high demand for their competences and skills early last year or in recent years.”
“Mr Speaker, let me declare that I am a council member of Singapore Business Federation (SBF). I have spent 37 years in the ICT industry and I was a foreign worker myself: three years in Japan and eight years in China. So, thank you, Mr Speaker, for the privilege to join in the debate on the subject of jobs, livelihoods and foreign talent. I have shared previously in this Chamber my views of the imperative of free trade agreements (FTAs) for Singapore businesses. The FTA network which Singapore has established, including the more recent Digital Economic Agreements, offer a key tool for businesses to expand into new markets, enhancing accessibility to different markets. I quote Mr Lam Yi Young, CEO of SBF who wrote in a July article, "Trade is Singapore's lifeline, and it is imperative that we remain open and connected to the world." We are a country built by immigrants. But Singapore has gone from third world to the first by recognising that though we are an island, it is imperative that we cannot behave like one. We need to be relevant to the global economy. When I did research of all the rankings that are out there, in almost every competitiveness ranking report for the most innovative cities in the world, the world's best global cities, the world's most competitive economy, this is what I found. A city's ability to attract talented human capital, generate economic growth, increase competitiveness and ensure stability and security are key factors that make the difference. Singapore, though just a little red dot, is ranked amongst the top 10 in many of these lists. The concentration of quality talent is invariably a key factor for outperformers, whether they are companies or cities.”
“In the United Kingdom, the government runs student loans, companies operate several plans where incomes must cross a fixed weekly or monthly threshold before loan repayment deductions are made. In the United States, various permutations of the programme have been proposed and implemented since 1971, enjoying bipartisan support and has been championed most recently by the Institute for College Access and Success. Australia, Hungary, New Zealand, the Netherlands and South Korea have all introduced various variations of the scheme. Importantly, such a programme in the local context will also free parents of tertiary students from the perceived need to finance their children's University education, especially when their parents' CPF funds are already stretched in terms of meeting retirement needs and, all the more, by the income shocks endured during the pandemic. The risk of repayment would be transferred to the main beneficiaries of this human capital investment, the undergraduates themselves, while being underwritten by the Government. Since human capital investments, as a whole, pay off in the long run, such an investment is eminently suitable for funding via the long-term bond issuance under the auspices of SINGA. And, most importantly, surely, nobody can credibly argue that education should not be considered infrastructure in our 21st century economy. Notwithstanding these three questions, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I support the Statements.”
“If so, we may inadvertently end up significantly undershooting the approved SINGA loan limit of $90 billion and all the benefits associated thus. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I had also previously flagged a number of potential projects on the human capital side that could be considered under SINGA. If I may indulge in this opportunity to elaborate on one more suggestion: could we consider dedicating a part of SINGA financing to fund an initial pool of income-contingent repayment student loans? I should also add, before I proceed further, that I am an educator at an Institute of Higher Learning. To reiterate, the idea is to use SINGA to seed a fund for income-contingent loans. The Government commits to fund all the costs of tertiary or continuing education programmes upfront, perhaps subject to a very, very modest co-payment as collateral. As the graduate secures a job and contingent on them earning enough, the recipient would then pay off the acquired debt. To maximise repayment probabilities, we could limit, at the outset, the scheme only to courses with a clear economic need, such as information and computer science, biopharmaceutical sciences and digital and social media marketing, among others. Just as important, such loans stand apart from SkillsFuture, because it will cover the full cost of an extended training programme. It will also not be constrained by the need to identify employer matches as the Work-Study Degree programme is. And it is meant to be accessible to young, college-age students rather than mainly targeted at reskilling displaced workers. Such schemes already exist elsewhere in the world.”
“I will contend that we require not just a clear, if amendable, issuance timetable, but also one that is front-loaded as much as possible. After all, it is useful to keep in mind that low interest rates will not remain with us indefinitely. Between the start of this year till the end of the first quarter, the US long-term interest rate almost doubled, from 0.9% to 1.7%. This rate remained elevated through most of the second quarter, before easing significantly to around 1.3% in more recent times. Surveys of market forecasters suggest that the rise in rates through mid-2022 may only be slightly higher than 2%. On its face, then, it may seem like we have ample time to return to markets for our future infrastructure borrowing needs but markets are unlikely to remain quiescent forever. Indeed, a more careful consideration of the underlying components of long-term yields reveals that since mid-May this year, the real long-term interest rate – that is, the true underlying cost of capital – began to rise. What this means, in practical terms, is that as markets normalise, surplus capital is beginning to be dissipated. Once this process takes hold, we should expect a more decisive climb in the observed long-term interest rate. As I had previously documented in my two prior Parliamentary interventions on the issue, one of the main advantages underlying SINGA is the ability to lock in current low financing costs for long-term projects that we fully expect to realise and that will disappear or, at the least, face a much higher hurdle rate to justify the debt incurred if we do not seize the day. Put another way, once interest rates begin an inexorable climb, many projects will no longer be economically justifiable.”
“While we have attempted to relax some of the immigration controls, they remain comparatively restrictive and our friends in the industry share that this remains their most binding constraint. Thus, while we recognise the importance of exercising caution to limit imported cases, as well as the longer-run need to transition away from low-cost labour in the construction sector, as my Aljunied colleague Mr Gerald Giam had shared, there is, in the meantime, an immediate need to relieve labour needs on this front. Moreover, we know that well-executed quarantine procedures have proven their worth in containing spread along this channel. Will the Government be willing to offer an update on their plans in restarting our inflow of foreign workers in this sector and the accompanying measures for managing imported cases? Furthermore, mandatory quarantine routine testing and safe distancing measures all have added to costs, which, inevitably, renders some projects no longer economically viable. Could some of these overheads be partially offset by the Government to help the sector as it tries to get back on its feet? And, ultimately, the surfeit of projects could potentially have lasting consequences. Our sources also report that skilled workers are leaving, hollowing out a sector already struggling with low productivity. Another important question, Mdm Deputy Speaker, is to enquire about whether the Government has a detailed plan for upcoming SINGA bond issuance, or if it plans to dip into markets on a more ad hoc basis. More pointedly, are the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System and North-South Corridor the only projects that can be brought forward to be capitalised now?”
“If we truly believe that the benefits of our development expenditures have not been irrevocably altered by pandemic-related delays – and I believe they should always be the case for long-term capital projects – then we should be working hard to get these delayed projects back on track by boosting immediate spending rather than passively accepting the delay. This will also allow the revenue streams associated with projects to accrue sooner. Moreover, doing so would not only ease the restraints on the supply side, it will also serve to strengthen the demand side in the hard-hit construction sector, still among our hardest hit, having shrunk 11% in the second quarter, which will, undoubtedly, benefit from a short-term expenditure boost. And, of course, this is not an abstract cost existing only on paper. I have many residents whose living situations have been significantly compromised by the delay in the expected handover dates of their BTO flats. Could we not accelerate our spending, temporarily increase our inputs, so that the construction of these flats does not face an inordinate delay? To be entirely fair in our conversations with our contacts in the construction sector, they have shared that the ability to ramp up activity has been constrained not just by demand limitations, but also those of supply. Construction raw material prices, like those of all commodities, have increased sharply worldwide. This spike has been further exacerbated by US infrastructure building, Chinese restrictions on material exports and difficulties in procuring Malaysian-manufactured materials due to its shutdown. But activity has also been curtailed by some of our own policy decisions, which have served to dampen demand in the sector.”
“Let me close with hope and with conviction in the words of our Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the video, "In the new normal, COVID-19 will not dominate our lives". Mdm Deputy Speaker, I support the Bill. 5.06 pm Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Mdm Deputy Speaker, this latest Ministerial Statement, which details additional COVID-19-related financial measures, does much to shore up the most affected sectors of our economy. There is certainly more that can be done to offer short-term transitional support that the most vulnerable segments, especially displaced workers and those operating in the F&B and hospitality sectors, along with our local SMEs, as my Sengkang colleagues Mr Louis Chua and Ms He Ting Ru have pointed out. I wish to focus instead on the longer-term elements of the Statement, especially surrounding SINGA. I will pose three questions about spending reallocation, a timeline for bond issuance and the scheme for income-contingent student loans. My first question has to do with better understanding why the Government has decided to reallocate development expenditure from an underutilised Budget, instead of accelerating spending so that projects may be completed according to the original timeline. Specifically, why not fund the delayed $0.6 billion directly from more SINGA borrowing instead? After all, we should recognise that the delayed $0.6 billion in development expenditure has an opportunity cost in terms of foregone benefits from these capital projects.”
“The Singapore Manufacturing Federation sees that it is an imperative for Singapore to collectively work towards the vision of ASEAN as the manufacturing hub if Singapore is to continue to stay relevant. And public-private partnerships could be strengthened for internationalisation and regionalisation of local companies. Especially in ASEAN, no one is safe until we are all safe. Seeing Minister Vivian Balakrishnan's post on representing Singapore in delivering oxygen to Indonesia during their plight was absolutely the right thing to do. Our participation in donating vaccines to COVAX for poor countries is absolutely the right thing for Singapore. This is a marathon, not a sprint. It will take time and we all need to be patient, but act now, we must. Finally, unity is strength. I hope that companies in Singapore rethink their corporate purpose and act together to lift and support the companies in their ecosystem by building greater capabilities, for example, digitalisation as strategic enabler and regionalisation. This is an imperative for Singapore and we need to enhance the hardware, software as well as the "heartware" of our businesses. There is an urgent need to find ways to keep Singapore connected to the world and for businesses to find new business models that will enable Singapore to emerge stronger, post-pandemic. It has been a long and painful journey in dealing with the pandemic. There is light, I believe, at the end of the tunnel but it will take our collective will and a strong sense of responsibility toward each other if we are to move smoothly towards the reopening of Singapore's economy and borders.”
“Businesses are very appreciative of Singapore's approach to managing COVID-19 and ensuring our preparedness to enable Singapore to reopen its corridors in a controlled and safe manner. They would like to see the Government place importance on prioritising the opening of borders for business travel and home travel for both business and compassionate reasons. Some suggestions include: the Business Traveller Pass (BTP) with restricted travel itinerary has been piloted in the past months and feedback has been good. It is hoped that MTI can consider expanding the coverage to more business travellers as this would greatly enhance the reopening of business travel. There are many senior business leaders who are Employment Pass (EP) holders in Singapore by virtue of our hub status. Since the start of COVID-19, many of them have not seen their families back home for more than a year. Our companies need to have the certainty that their staff who are EP holders returning home to see family, can return to Singapore to resume their work as per their employment agreement. As our population becomes increasingly vaccinated, it is also hoped that Singapore will be able to negotiate with key trading partners a "vaccination passport" that will enable Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and EP holders to travel with reduced requirements for Stay-Home Notice. Our companies are open to extensive testing and contact tracing and, where necessary, consider differentiated protocols to handle fully vaccinated individuals and those who are not vaccinated. The industry hopes that Enterprise Singapore (ESG) will continue to support and actively assist companies to localise in international markets through initiatives like the Global Connect@SBF.”
“A key reason for their acceleration to e-payment is the strong support by the IMDA's Digital Office. The IMDA's Digital Office staff practically hold their hands to get across the line. The same support will be needed if we are to help the hawkers and merchants adopt online ordering and delivery platforms. And I submit to you, similar support is likely to be needed for SMEs across other industries. For members of the Real Estate Developers Association of Singapore (REDAS), while it is appreciated that the Government has already given an extension for delays in project completion, they hope that the Government will give an extension of a further six months for the sale of units in the projects. With the Phase Two (Heightened Alert), sales activities are muted. Though some projects sell well, there are many which are very slow moving and likely to hit Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) penalty if no extension is granted. For the hotel, entertainment and tourism industries, establishments have been badly affected by the pandemic due to the small domestic market and lack of tourists. Businesses all hope that Singapore, with our increased vaccination coverage, will further expand green lanes and trial "Passports for Vaccinated Visitors", to attract the return of tourists and business travellers to Singapore. As Minister Gan Kim Yong mentioned yesterday, we might want to trial with countries which have similarly high vaccination rates and also have a "health passport" system similar to Singapore's. My third point is reopening plan with ASEAN and our key trade partners, critical for Singapore's status as a regional HQ.”
“There are also jobs in certain sectors where there are skills mismatch, or supply-demand mismatch, such as in advanced AI, deep tech, software engineering, in the IT sector and technology-related jobs across industries. Recognising the angst of Singaporeans on the issue of workplace discrimination, SBF, with 29 TACs, put out a joint statement on fair hiring and employment practices earlier this year, on 19 January 2021. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng, in his response to the Adjournment Motion on Singaporean Core yesterday, shared that MOM has set up tripartite committees across the board to work on this issue. I hope that there will be a good outcome for all: the Singaporean workers, the companies and our Singapore, the little red dot. Still, I will appeal to the good sense of my fellow Singaporeans to recognise that foreign talents complement our local Singaporean workforce and we need each other. This is the truth. Second point – bring back the business. Several other Members of the House have also talked about this and I must say that there have been many Government COVID-19 relief measures rolled out to help our businesses and our workforce. But the best help, of course, is to bring back the business for the companies. Most Singapore SMEs have very low digital maturity score. In the new normal, however, digitalisation and connectivity are critical for survival and growth. IMDA has been making credible efforts to bring our SMEs along with SMEs Go Digital, Hawkers Go Digital and the multitude of initiatives and campaigns. The Federation of Merchants' Associations of Singapore (FMAS) that looks after merchants as well as hawkers, tell me that, over the past 16 months, some 60% of hawkers have gone online with e-payment systems and that is a great start.”
“Of course, I agree with some hon Members who have mentioned that we must keep an eye on or be on the lookout for, when this is over, how do we ensure that they are transitioned, trained to move into permanent jobs. Since I am speaking about foreign labour, I guess I do have to say a few words of what the businesses think in this space. While there has been a plethora of initiatives by both the Government and businesses to support digitalisation, increase productivity and redesign of jobs, it will not be possible to eliminate the need for foreign workers completely. Businesses have been encouraged, both by the industry themselves as well as by the Government, to use technology, train and upskill supposedly unattractive job roles, enhancing the value-add of the job roles and, in so doing, improving the salary compensation to make these jobs more attractive for Singaporeans. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Managing Director, Mr Ravi Menon, in his recent Institute of Policy (IPS) IPS-Nathan Lecture Series lecture on "The Four Horsemen", spoke about professionalising every job in Singapore, where every worker who undergoes continuous learning and certification throughout his or her career, is recognised for his or her craftsmanship, is valued by the consumers for their services, goes about his or her work with dignity and earns the higher pay that goes with the job. In this scenario, hopefully, more Singaporeans will want to do these jobs. But until then, we simply do not have enough Singaporeans to do the work that is needed at the worksites, in the data centres, in the kitchens and so forth.”
“Minister Desmond Lee and Mr Tan Chong Meng, the co-chairs of the EST, had a webinar with SBF and TACs to share the process and the roadmap and to encourage businesses to engage with the various AfAs, as the companies plan their pivots and transformation. It was well-received and the feedback of the process had been positive. The call to action is for our Singapore businesses, big and small, to join in the action. No time to waste. As Singapore prepares to transition from pandemic to endemic, the business community believes that Government support and tripartite collaboration continue to be key. And I would like to voice the following three pleas for support, which need to be addressed in parallel with "Let's Test, Let's Trace, Let's Vaccinate". The first one is access to foreign employees to overcome the labour shortage in all of our service sectors. Businesses hope that, as Singapore reopens, the following suggestions can be considered. In-country testing and Stay-Home Notice arrangements in source countries before bringing new foreign workers to Singapore on chartered green-lane buses from Malaysia or chartered green-lane flights. The Government to review policies to ease inter-company and intra-company transfer of foreign manpower. This morning, I think the Minister of State did talk about this during the Parliamentary Question session, but more details can be provided. The Government to review policies to ease inter-company ongoing efforts, such as the Place and Train Programme, that allow employees in affected sectors to temporarily move to another company or sector are positive interventions and it is hoped that it will be continued.”
“For the nightlife sector which has been dealt a hard blow since the start of COVID-19, it is now bearing the brunt of the wrongdoings of a handful of errant operators who ran unlawful KTVs, the subject of which was much discussed yesterday in this Chamber. The Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA) had to put in a three-ring approach to recover from the KTV cluster and this includes the whistle-blowing system, industry pledge for transparency and compliance and call for severe penalty for the errant operators. Everyone is tired, anxious and mentally strained. We need a sign of hope to move forward. The business community is fully behind Prime Minister Lee's call to test, to trace, to vaccinate – I shall not sing for you – so that we can transition from pandemic to endemic as a community and a nation more safely and be ready to emerge stronger together. It is encouraging to hear Minister Ong Ye Kung's update in Parliament yesterday that Singapore's vaccination programme is progressing well, though there are still concerns with the vaccination rate and pace amongst the high-risk seniors. We have to believe that, with all of the efforts of Team Singapore, we will get to the 80% coverage by the time we have the NDP Rally at the end of August. There is hope. The Emerging Stronger Taskforce (EST) report that was rolled out in May-June 2021 has demonstrated that public-private partnerships with an action-oriented mindset can make things happen. The EST and the various Alliances for Action, AfAs in short, have laid out a good roadmap for Singapore to get into gear to grow again post-pandemic.”
“It was unexpected and disappointing even if we do understand the necessity of the tough action taken by the MTF. Minister Lawrence Wong's announcement of the $1.1-billion package, the subject of which we are debating, has brought a sigh of relief to the most affected businesses, like food and beverage (F&B), gyms, hawkers and market stallholders. I have spoken to several of the TACs and they have all expressed appreciation for the quick action by MOF in reallocating funding to provide enhanced support to the sectors and the workers most affected by the Phase Two (Heightened Alert) measures. The Enhanced Job Support Scheme, rental reliefs, credit and other measures in the package will go a long way to help the affected businesses keep their staff and stay afloat. That said, many of the businesses are frustrated and worried about the future. Recovery has been uneven. TACs have shared with me that unlike last year, most businesses by now would have drawn down their reserves and savings considerably, and if their business does not pick up soon, some of them may not be able to sustain further losses. The Restaurants Association of Singapore said that the F&B sector has been battered with reduced seating capacities of some 50% for over 16 months. Rental costs caused a pivoting to food delivery and their manpower woes are amongst what keep their members up at night. Singapore Retail Association members are in no better shape as they battle COVID-19 woes and disruption by e-commerce. Those who have invested in digitalisation early stand a better chance, while some 10% to 15% of the businesses may never recover. Robinsons' closing down is the red flag for this sector.”
“Hon Deputy Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to participate in this debate. I would like to declare that I am a council member of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), chairman of SISTIC and board member of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). There has been a lot of angst felt by everyone across the board since the COVID-19 virus reared its ugly head some 18 months ago and continues to reach through communities across the globe causing healthcare crises, economic upheavals and putting individuals' mental well-being at risk. Like many Singaporeans and businesses in Singapore, I am grateful that we are riding this storm with our Multi-Ministry Task Force (MTF) as captains. A big shout-out to the MTF and their crew for all they are doing to keep the rest of us safe and to ready our ship to sail the high waters, as we prepare to transition from pandemic to endemic and reopen our borders and our economy to the new normal. Yesterday, in Parliament, our MTF Ministers had given us reason to be cautiously confident of what is to come. But it will take all of us, with a collective will, to see us through this crisis safely, to be there for each other and to be responsible for our actions, not simply for our own good, but for the common good of our society and the world. Since the start of COVID-19, Government agencies have been working very closely with SBF, the trade associations and chambers (TACs) to understand the disruptions faced by the different industries and to help businesses navigate the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government's support measures throughout the pandemic have been critical in supporting lives and livelihoods and these efforts are very much appreciated. The recent return to Heightened Alert was a major blow to all of us.”
“Across industries, developing the DNA to tap into overseas markets and to trade with multilateral partners is critical for businesses to be successful, given Singapore’s limited domestic market. FTAs offer a key tool for businesses to expand into new markets, enhancing accessibility of different markets by allowing businesses to export more freely and easing some of the regulations. But Singapore and Singaporeans must humbly recognise that we are vulnerable. Past success does not guarantee future success. We need to exercise humility and restlessly reinvent ourselves. Some areas of concern highlighted in the recent World Competitiveness Report, in my opinion, are rather worrisome. These include potential relocation of businesses being a threat to the Singapore economy; perception of Singapore’s changing attitude towards globalisation, which Minister Ong Ye Kung has also highlighted earlier; the availability of skilled labour, qualified engineers and competent senior managers in Singapore, regardless of nationality. So, the availability of skilled labour and competent senior managers is a concern; as well as our immigration laws preventing hiring of foreign labour. Such perceptions could erode Singapore’s attractiveness as a business capital and our businesses are concerned and, I am sure, the Government is equally concerned. And, I believe, as Singaporeans, we should be concerned as well. Singapore’s miracle has been attributed to our leaders deciding on a few right strategies, from generation to generation, and then, together with the support and passion of all Singapore businesses and workforce, executing those strategies brilliantly, with humility but with pride and solidarity as Singaporeans. We believe in each other. We have done it before. We can do it again.”
“Many have shifted away from lean supply chain models to adopt agile supply chain strategies and the FTAs are even more relevant than ever before for our businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated digital transformation to the top of the board’s agenda in every company. Singapore’s Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs) with Chile, New Zealand, Australia and, potentially, the UK look to provide frameworks for regulatory cooperation in support of trade and business in a digital economy and address issues arising from these emerging technologies. As we have heard the Minister for Trade and Industry yesterday, MTI and the Government agencies have been hard at work looking into various new opportunities for us to enter into new trade agreements, including for renewable energy, green economy and so on. On that count, frankly speaking, on behalf of our business community, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of MTI, MOF and all the Government agencies in helping our businesses to be competitive. It is all about teamwork. In order to help our companies familiarise themselves with Singapore’s FTAs and improve their global competitiveness, the business community, supported by SBF, holds regular workshops as well as seminars and provides complimentary advisory services to assist the Singapore companies on FTA-related enquiries. Businesses can utilise these available resources and leverage SBF to provide feedback on how existing and future FTAs can better serve their needs, and we will continually do so. Sir, to conclude, Singapore businesses, in our opinion, cannot afford to take a wait-and-see approach. We will need to navigate the pressing issues that adversely impact supply chains and business processes. Singapore businesses need to be "born international".”
“Sir, as Minister Ong Ye Kung has earlier said, we have over 26 FTAs and our network of FTAs covers about 85% of global GDP, enhancing the value proposition of countries and economies that sit at the nodes of these networks, and Singapore is one of them. So, the FTAs yield tangible value to our companies. In 2018 alone, I understand that our companies enjoyed more than $1.1 billion in tariff savings. These FTAs accord our businesses preferential market access into the markets of our major trading partners, lowering entry barriers for the export of goods and services, as well as protecting their investments in other countries. This strong FTA network can be a tool for businesses, not only in reducing their costs and time-to-market, but also in ensuring a predictable trading environment. Despite the pandemic, Singapore’s total services trade exports in 2020 amounted to $259 billion, with China, US, EU and Malaysia as our top trading partners. I would dare say that because our Singapore businesses remain very much plugged into our FTA network, we have been able to ride the storm of COVID-19 a little better than if we were disconnected. We should know first-hand what it Is like to be disconnected, considering the impact we experience in aviation and tourism because of border closures. Trade, along with foreign direct investments into Singapore, will drive our economic recovery and the resumption of business activities post-COVID-19, even as we restlessly reinvent our industries, innovate ideas, products, services and business models to emerge stronger post-pandemic. Through this crisis, businesses have realised the urgent need to build resilience in their business models and supply chains, partly by exploring new markets and supply sources.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to declare that I am a Council Member of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF). On behalf of the business community, I thank both Ministers for their Ministerial Statements. Contrary to closing the doors, the businesses are begging, "Please open the doors, we need workers. Otherwise, who's going to do the work?" Nonetheless, if I may, I am a product of Singapore’s MNC strategy. And during the Budget Debate and COS, I have shared my views in regard to embracing diversity of talents from all over the world, so that we can be uniquely competitive. So, for today, I will not go there. I will talk more about FTAs, in support of FTAs. A lot has been said but, perhaps, if Members can bear with me for a while, I will talk, from the business community, why is this important. As a small and open economy without natural resources, we are highly dependent on international trade and highly integrated, well-functioning global value chains. International trade not only provides us with the products that we import and consume, but also connects us to the global market that supports our businesses and sustains our economy, creating the good jobs that Singaporeans have enjoyed in the past and aspire to for the future. With Singapore’s international trade more than three times its gross domestic product, our livelihoods and prosperity depend heavily on international trade. For Singapore businesses, free and open trade, premised on the foundation of a rules-based multilateral trading system, is crucial to ensuring a conducive, stable and predictable environment. This is particularly important for us, considering that we are just a little red dot. Hence, the importance of FTAs.”
“To encourage hybrid adoption alongside EV adoption, the industry has a suggestion for LTA to review the COE Category classification for hybrid vehicles. I am told that there are best-in-class hybrid EV powertrains which use a 1.8-litre engine to achieve remarkable carbon dioxide emissions. De-carbonising should not come with a premium COE or a premium road tax. One other point I would like to bring up is how used cars will be treated. As we pursue the transition to cleaner energy vehicles, with the various policies for new vehicle registration, what regulatory changes will the Government be making with regard to used cars? Will the same penalty policies for C1 and C2 banding guidelines for new cars be applied for used cars, if their emission test results at point of COE renewal fail to meet the mark? In conclusion, the industry supports the Singapore Green Plan 2030's move to cleaner energy transportation. Singapore is not an early adopter and so there are many best practices and lessons in other cities we can learn from and adapt quickly for our situation. The industry suggests for the Government to use the many levers at its disposal, namely, car taxes, COE quotas and road taxes, grants, rebates and so on as both sticks and carrots to help accelerate cleaner energy vehicle adoption, both hybrid and EV. The time to act is now. The industry looks forward to participating in MOT and LTA's industry consultation to discuss the above issues, amongst others, and move the agenda into high gear. Notwithstanding the issues and questions raised, Mr Speaker, I support the Bill. 6.31 pm”
“Such carrots should help to make fast-charging stations more accessible at malls, office buildings and new developments. Existing petrol stations and public carparks are also, of course, potential fast-charging sites. The second broad theme is around re-skilling the mechanics and technicians in the workshops. Singapore needs an EV-ready skilled workforce. It is exciting that MTI and EDB have attracted Hyundai Motors to set up their electric car manufacturing in Singapore. I am sure it will be a highly automated facility but still our Singapore workforce needs to be systematically upskilled to support electrification across all the OEM brands – from manufacturing, service, aftersales – and to ensure that our workers are future-proof. There are new opportunities for our workers in this industry as the EV works on digitalisation and there will be new digital jobs in the auto industry. We hope that the Skills and Jobs Framework in the new clean energy for the auto industry can be in place early to help current workers upskill and next-gen workers be future-ready. The industry is ready to collaborate with our IHLs, SSG and WSG. The third broad theme is around hybrid being the low hanging fruit to decarbonising on our roads. While EVs offer the largest reduction in carbon dioxide footprint, drivers could take a while to warm up making their first EV purchase. I must declare I do drive a hybrid car. Hybrid presents the lowest hanging fruit to decarbonising our transportation. Hybrid's carbon dioxide emission reduction of 25%, compared to an ICE, is considerable. Adoption of hybrids is independent of charging infrastructure and the psychological barriers for purchase are significantly lower.”
“So, those are the inconveniences that may appear. The industry is exploring an option for the installation of the slow chargers to be provided as part of the purchase of the EV, similar to how chargers come with our smartphones today. Does this mean Singapore may need to consider the approach in Japan, where one can buy a car only when one owns a parking lot? If that is so, then the EV charging station is individually owned, which also has the benefit of the charging taking place off-peak and not strain the electricity grid. Is it, however, wasteful since each EV probably only needs to be charged a couple of times a week at most? The dilemma is how best to balance cost, convenience and social acceptance when deciding between all these options. A third issue around EV charging infrastructure is how to handle range anxiety. With the average driving distance being 50 kilometres a day, one charge can probably hold up for three to four days. That said, access to fast-charging is still needed in the event of "emergencies". In speaking with several mall developers, many are already fitting up a few EV-ready fast-charging stations. There are, however, questions around how many lots to provide optimally and the sharing of these lots by EV drivers. Perhaps an intelligent app can help to alert the driver that his or her EV is fully charged and higher parking charges will kick in thereafter if the car is not moved. This is but one form of behaviour-changing tactics that could be considered. To help accelerate provision of fast-charging stations, will the Government consider EV lots to be included in URA's existing Community/Sports Facilities Scheme, or CSFS, which allows Gross Floor Area, or GFA, exemptions?”
“The variance between fast and slow charging can range between 20 minutes and seven to eight hours, and the cost of fast charging is estimated to be 30 times the cost of a $10,000 to $12,000 slow charging station. How will Singapore decide on the standard to be used? How will Singapore manage the risks involved with this big bet depending on how battery technologies advance or if other technologies disrupt, for example, hydrogen? A second issue around EV charging infrastructure is the accessibility of chargers which is a key factor affecting the rate of adoption of EVs. During the Committee of Supply, the Minister for Transport announced that, by 2030, it is planned that there will be 60,000 EV charging points available across the island. What is the planned roll-out of these charging points? Will EV charging be considered a national infrastructure or will the Government leave it to the private sector to decide based on their business models? What will be the design point for the charging network, balancing speed, cost, coverage, convenience and load on the grid? HDB carparks will be a major real estate for charging points. So, will HDB fund the roll-out of the charging infrastructure? How does LTA plan to encourage existing condominiums to put in charging stations since MCST will have to fund the capital costs? Industry players support a more extensive slow-charging network complemented by a fast-charging network for top-up and emergency. The slow-charging network can be shared or is specific to each EV. The shared model will require consumer acceptance of some level of inconvenience. So, imagine having to drive your EV to a HDB carpark maybe three MRT stations away and then wait for your car to get charged up and then bring it home.”
“Mr Speaker, one of the key sources of carbon dioxide emission is road transportation. Borneo Motors CEO, Jasmmine Wong, shared with me the results of a study they have done internally which shows that Internal Combustion Engine, or ICE, vehicles emit 50% and 25% more carbon dioxide than EVs and hybrid EVs respectively. Tackling the issue of having cleaner energy vehicles on our roads is of great urgency. Mr Speaker, let me start by stating my support for the LTA (Amendment) Bill. The planning and deployment of EVs involve different Government agencies, and a coordinated approach to the design of policies and regulation as well as stakeholder engagement is critical. Industry players like Borneo Motors and members of the European Chambers' Smart Mobility Committee are all supportive of the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and look forward to collaborating with Government and stakeholders in the eco-system to achieve the goals set. For today, allow me to highlight three broad themes which will need further dialogue and consultation amongst the stakeholders and the Government. The first broad theme is around the EV charging infrastructure. The first issue around EV charging infrastructure is the choice of standards. The choice of charging standards will have an island-wide infrastructure impact. It is good to know that the Government has already identified a TR25 Committee put together such a team to look into this. Of course, globally, there is a flurry of activities in the industry to come up with the technology that will become the industry standard. The jury is still out and there is also the related issue of fast charging or slow charging.”
“I thank the Minister for the comprehensive response to my Parliamentary Question. There were recent media reports on the sale of meaningless carbon credits by a top US supplier. I originally had two supplementary questions, but the Minister has answered my second one. So, I will just tackle the first one. How does the Government plan to increase the awareness amongst Singapore companies with this relatively new product? We know Singapore has worked so hard to attain a stellar reputation as a credible and trusted hub and partner. As the Minister has shared just now, I am very excited to hear about all the opportunities as well as the work that we are doing to develop a taxonomy and guidelines and so on. How are we going to engage the companies in Singapore so that they will not be scammed or they can be better prepared as they prepare for their alignment to the Singapore Green Plan 2030?”
“So, my question is: how will IMDA ensure that PICK supports the smaller SME delivery operators to embrace digitalisation and improve productivity and, thereby, reduce costs ? Three, logistics is a business driven by scale. We anticipate consolidation in the industry or the development of integrated services hub for urban logistics. How does the logistics Industry Transformation Map shape these developments? Four, security is of increasing importance and, as my hon other Members of Parliament have mentioned ahead of me, how will PICK, SingPOST and IMDA handle the security checks of packages to ensure that there is no mischief? How will the PICK platform ensure interoperability with commercial players? And how will this platform enable our operators to go beyond Singapore? Mr Deputy Speaker, notwithstanding these questions, I support the amendment of the Postal Services Act. 5.07 pm”
“This is, in my opinion, an excellent example of public infrastructure that will ensure that all Singaporeans will be served as IMDA’s subsidiary, PICK, will install the locker networks in HDB estates, community centres and MRT stations and these will complement the commercial locker networks in commercial malls and office buildings. Two, the PICK lockers will be accessible by all e-commerce and logistics service providers and, in so doing, facilitate competitive pricing and continued innovation of business models, services, regulation and technology adoption. Three, there will be wholesale access to SingPost letter box infrastructure for non-letters, small parcels, under regulated terms and conditions. This will serve to level the playing field for delivery service providers as far as small parcels are concerned. In my view, another tick mark for this amendment. In speaking with the Singapore Chamber of E-commerce, we have identified several areas which will still need continued adjustments. Some observations include the following. One, many first- and last-mile operators are not doing well in terms of managing cost. The wholesale pricing of SingPost and the price of the PICK lockers can potentially help the operators on the cost side and we certainly hope that IMDA and the Government will help facilitate that. Two, visibility of track and trace data of the packages for the consumers, coupled with the easy access for self-collection at lockers conveniently located near the consumers, will enhance end-user experience. Better user experience will increase the value consumers will be willing to pay for the service.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, most of us would have experienced staying home to wait for a package to be delivered and it can be frustrating. Deliveries mostly happen during work hours. So, customers often miss the delivery window, then worry that their packages are not safe. And, with the increasing volume of e-commerce transactions which is projected to reach US$2.9 billion in 2021 according to Statisca, the urban logistics of getting the packages to the intended recipients is going to grow in complexity and, very likely, so in cost and carbon emission. I recall that, back in 2017, when I was still with IBM, the IBM Garage worked with the Singapore start-up, Freshturf, to study the issues from the first-mile to last-mile logistics and to explore technology solutions like blockchain to design the concept of federated locker networks and to create a secure way of making these lockers available to any delivery company wishing to use them. While this prototype never got commercialised, Freshturf co-founder Kevin Lim, did share that they learnt much from the prototyping and went on to develop solutions targeted for specific logistics problems. We have come a long way since 2017 and COVID-19 has accelerated e-commerce even further. Hence, the Amendment to the Postal Services Act is very timely. Here are my thoughts on the three key points in the amendment. The nationwide parcel locker network will transform Singapore’s last-mile delivery infrastructure. And the good part is that IMDA has implemented pilots in collaboration with e-commerce and logistics industry players in two HDB estates and the study has shown benefits for both consumers and industry players and the potential of a sustainable delivery eco-system.”
“COVID-19 is the burning platform that drives businesses and professionals across all sectors to digitalise, to reskill and to transform; and the Arts is no exception. Does MCCY plan to scale platforms like Geylang Serai? Will MCCY support with more shared space for ideation and experimentation? Is it in MCCY’s plans to bring the creative and tech talents together to co-create new innovative models for the Arts? Performances have started to come back but audience max at 250 people and in "bubble wrap seating". It does not look like large scale events and lounge performances will return in the near future. Does the $45 million Resilience Package, which is much appreciated, support the gig workers and SEPs in our creative industries? And can the social and wellness industries tap on our creative talents? Sir, the creative value-chain – from artists to production houses, from promoters to event organisers, from venues to ticketing agents, from designers to art and music teachers – all contribute to Singapore's creative capital, that is, Singapore’s “soft power”. I hope that Singaporeans, corporates, the Government and the creative community themselves can come together to strengthen and grow our Singapore creative capital. Now that we even have a University of the Arts, what would have to be true for our creative capital to turn to gold for Singapore, like what K-pop and K-drama did for Korea? And on that note, let me close with the lyrics from one of NyaLi’s COVID-19 singles: “The world is big and we are small; geography can be so cruel; but I’d like to think that love stands up; tall and proud on her own.” Thank you and I wish everyone Happy International Women’s Day! State of the Arts amidst COVID-19”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to declare that I am on the Boards of SISTIC and Esplanade. Artists, musicians and their work give meaning to the complex world in which we live. During the lockdown, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed at an empty Milan Cathedral and lifted the spirits of millions around the world. Museums offered free virtual tours to all who needed a culture fix while self-isolating. And I joined Singaporeans all across the island to belt out in solidarity from our balconies, Dick Lee’s “Home Truly”. Indeed, like Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a speech, “Human beings need the arts and culture to nourish our souls”. The arts and culture industry is amongst the hardest hit by COVID-19. Creative people are, however, resilient people, and the “show must go on". Many have pivoted to teaching, and of course, going digital is inevitable. SISTIC, for example, had to pivot quickly so as to support our Arts groups and venues to go online. Esplanade and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) were amongst the first to pilot with ticketed livestream performances here, and viewers, including global audiences, were delighted to consume Singapore arts content during the circuit breaker. To go digital, artists need a digital stage but tech resources are scarce and funding is needed, especially since many in the creative sector are gig workers, self-employed professionals (SEPs) and SMEs. A young Singaporean woman composer/musician, NyaLi shared with me her gratitude for the “Geylang Serai Arts Platform” which helped her to go digital. I was encouraged to hear NyaLi tell me that she signed up for a course on Digital Marketing and is also using her talents to help the disadvantaged.”
“Will MSE be developing and rolling out an assessment programme, much like the SERI for Industry 4.0? There will be new skills and new jobs. Our workers and our future workforce will need to be trained as well. How will education and CET curriculum in our schools and IHLs change to reflect this future? In closing, I believe that there is a unique opportunity for Singapore businesses to create a vibrant value chain eco-system and circular economy around this Singapore Green Plan 2030 movement. With SGP 2030, it is once in a lifetime or last in a lifetime opportunity for the business community, the Government, academia, experts to begin the dialogue and co-create an integral development approach to economic and social growth, bringing everyone along. "The future forward begins now. We only need to imagine it, to decide it and to do it”. Green Plan to Combat Climate Change”
“Madam, our founding fathers, Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his Old Guard colleagues wrote our Singapore story. They had the courage to dream big, creating a “First World oasis in a Third World region”, and the leadership to make it happen. Their rallying cry was for this “mudflat to become a metropolis”! When they look at what we have here today, they should feel that their sweat and tears are justified. We hope that when it is our turn to look at where we would have brought Singapore to, we too, will be justified. The Singapore Green Plan or SGP2030, is an exciting vision and a rallying cry for the whole of Singapore to work towards becoming a sustainable Smart Nation. Climate change is a global emergency and a threat to mankind. This House has committed to act. Allow me to focus this cut on the business of climate change and the business of the SGP. The global crisis presents an opportunity for Singapore to be the world's living laboratory for all things smarter and sustainable. Our companies will all have an opportunity to get on this agenda, and align with SGP2030 to: one, ensure that they themselves will be able to comply with the targets; two, that their business will be ready to participate in the global "green" economy when buyers of products and services will be calling for "green" criteria to be met; and three, that sustainability will become the differentiator and competitive advantage and new businesses and start-ups will be conceived. For a start, many of our SMEs do not understand how all this will impact them. How will MSE and the whole-of-Government help our companies to begin their journey, starting with awareness? Next, companies will need to know where they are and what steps they need to take to get to the green standards that will be expected.”
“In support of the national imperative to encourage lifelong learning, Polytechnics have built on the existing industry partnerships to develop programmes to support our local Industries and businesses. What we have found is that SMEs still need help with their skills transformation plans. Can Minister share how he sees our IHL educators supporting our SMEs further upstream with the planning for the reskilling of staff? I have one suggestion, which is to second lecturers to selected industries for three to six months or longer, almost like a skills transformer as a service to help SMEs develop the CET training plans for their staff. The focus on CET for workers is imperative. How does MOE intend to further this aspiration? And in closing, I would like to leave a quote for all the students: "Educators open the door, but you, must enter by yourself." Polytechnics and ITE Outcomes”
“Sir, I declare that I am Chairman of Singapore Polytechnic and a council member of Singapore Business Federation. Sir, to-date, Singapore's world-class ITE and Polytechnic education has served us very well, with 70% to 75% of each year's cohort of students attend ITE and our five Polytechnics. Much credit goes to MOE and all our educators and staff. Education is the key enabler that imbues values and empowers social mobility. When we get this right, it is not just the students involved but their families too. COVID-19 has accelerated industry changes and everything needs a rethink and education is no exception. I have four questions and one suggestion. One, I would like to ask the Ministry for an update of Second Minister Maliki's review of Applied Education to ensure that ITE and Polytechnic graduates' skills are matched to interest and jobs. Second question – the jobs that our students will be doing in the future may not even exist today. The dynamism in the industry expects our graduates to be adaptable, versatile and resilient, as well as having an attitude of being always ready to learn. Thus, the importance of providing them a broader base education that strengthens their foundation has grown in importance. What is MOE planning to ensure that there will be resources to enable broad-based education for our students at the diploma level and would MOE consider to give greater flexibility for students in their choice of diploma and perhaps even allowing them to change course one time. The third question – how is MOE providing for resources to address mental health and wellness issues, which is anticipated to increase? And my last question is around lifelong learning.”
“Okay. So, I appreciate that MOM has had the unenviable task of balancing multiple demands. And SBF and the business community have pledged in the Sustainability Employment Report in 2019 to support opportunities and progression for our workforce, especially the vulnerable workers and the low-wage workers. So, I advocate for continued dialogue amongst all members in the tripartite workgroup (TWG), on a timeline that can be a win for all. So, speed with prudence. May I ask whether TWG will take my points into consideration?”
“Many of the small businesses are still struggling and, with the DRC and if plus wage hikes, they are going to quit. Our low-wage workers will only have wages if there are at least companies to work for. So, this is my dilemma. For those who understand the lingo, I am having an Isaac moment.”
“Chairman, let me declare that I am a council member of Singapore Business Federation (SBF). Thank you for all the presentations and the speeches earlier on. And, of course, Minister Josephine, if I can tell you, my niece took a traineeship and then she found a job. So, I am sure her cohort who did that would be very appreciative. May I seek a clarification with the Minister on the timeline for PWM implementation in food services and retail? I appreciate the NTUC's call to do this in two to three years. Indeed, SBF fully supports all the efforts to uplift our lower wage workers, especially with Workfare and PWM. The issue is, of course, timing. I think I shared the national business survey by SBF. So, pardon if I repeat again. Among those negatively impacted, which comprise about two-thirds of the respondents and the majority are SMEs – 85% of the respondents are SMEs – 70% think that they will take more than a year to recover from the pandemic. The time horizon for global recovery, of course, we all know, is uncertain and, according to some global watchers, it could be as long as four to seven years. I spoke to my Mckinsey friends and they have got a big scenario planning thing. The best scenario, maybe one year. Of course, their worst scenario is four years. Since we are in pandemic mode, I guess we should take the worst – it will be about four years. So, while I would like to see our low-wage workers earn more – and believe me, you, I really want to see that – but it may be early for our companies recovering from disruption to take on additional wage hikes. So, in my view, keeping jobs ought to take priority over wage hikes at this time. I checked with some of the businesses.”
“This could empower the players to hunt in a pack, and thereby strengthening overall competitiveness. Helping SMEs Attract Local Talent”