Jessica Tan Soon Neo
Singapore
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the Senior Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. I am also very happy to hear that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will continue to review that. I agree with the writer that structurally, there are some challenges, and productivity is important.”
“And as global supply chains re-organise, how are we positioning Singapore as a trusted, stable hub so that businesses continue to choose Singapore, create good jobs and keep our economy strong?”
“Caregiving is not only a financial load. It is a time load and a well-being load. Employers have a role to play as well. Incentives for caregiving friendly workplace policies, such as caregiving leave, flexible hours and phased return-to-work schemes, would encourage more companies to adopt practices that keep caregivers employed and prod…”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for her reply. The reason I am asking this is because I have seen an increasing trend of appeals with regard to these kinds of issues, especially mould caused by continuous use of air-conditioning by neighbours.”
“Mr Speaker, I do have a clarification for the Senior Minister of State. He says that the AV is not relevant for retirees. I would say it is relevant with regard to CareShield Life premium because the assumption is that people only retire at 67.”
“Yet, we must ensure that Singaporeans understand that CareShield Life does not stand alone. It is complemented by a suite of targeted schemes like MediSave Care, which allows monthly withdrawals for care expenses; the Home Caregiving Grant, which offsets informal caregiving costs; and the ElderFund, which provides discretionary support fo…”
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“The Acting Minister talked a bit about companies having to build up the load, the Singapore core as well. So, rather than taking the punitive or the investigative approach when there is a complaint, is MOM willing to work proactively with companies, local and foreign, to proactively build up that pipeline and that Singapore core for that next generation of progression of local talent?”
“Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister of State regarding the ETS scheme. She mentioned about holistic CET and HR solutioning. That is great. Can I understand if this is a broad programme? Is it sector based? How do companies access this programme?”
“So, employers and organisations benefit from that. I can also say to the Minister for Transport that a side benefit is that flexible work arrangements might also ease the load on the traffic. Can MOM share the progress of companies in Singapore in offering flexible work arrangements? How extensive have these been and how successful have we been able to enable our workforce in Singapore to participate in flexible work arrangements? What help is given to organisations to be effective in offering flexible work arrangements? Work-life Balance”
“If we do not see and help prepare for good job prospects and success for Singaporeans in these jobs, our strong Singapore talents will leave Singapore and go to other markets where there are more attractive job opportunities and where these markets develop them. Flexible Work Arrangements Madam, I have personally benefited from flexible work arrangements throughout my commercial career. In more than over 20 years of experience in the industry, I have also seen many women who have been able to stay in the workforce and continue their career because of flexible work arrangements which have enabled them to balance their responsibilities. Flexible work arrangements are not just about attracting more women to the workforce. It is also for both men and women, young and old, able or disabled, that can benefit from these work arrangements. I do want to emphasise that it is not just about providing flexible work arrangements. There is a whole mindset shift from equating the number of hours we spend on a job to how we look at performance and how we look at whether an employee is performing or succeeding in a job. This is a fundamental shift if we are looking at providing flexible work arrangements that we need to pay attention to and ensure that that is done because, if we do not do that, then what just happens is jobs get provided, you do not really have work-life balance. There is also a belief that work-life balance with flexible work arrangements are to benefit employees only. I think we need to rethink this because employers do benefit as well because what we have seen as we are aligning work structures and practices with the needs of employees to reduce the stress of Page: 102 workers, they become more committed to the job, they do better in their job.”
“Madam, with the growing number of PMEs in Singapore, access to quality jobs is important. The current sentiment is that foreign talent compete with Singaporeans for quality jobs, especially PME jobs. While we must address this, we must be careful to balance foreign and local talent as they are both complementary in developing and growing quality jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans. While we must ensure a level-playing field for Singaporeans, we need to also pay attention to ensuring that Singaporeans are ready to take these jobs and are ready to succeed in these jobs. While I agree that we cannot legislate HR practices, I would encourage MOM to take a more active role in building up the HR competencies in this country and to work closely with employers, both local and foreign, to build up HR practices that will enable Singaporeans to grow, Page: 101 develop and progress in organisations and professions. I would like to say that the opportunities provided to me throughout my commercial career were due to my competencies. I must admit that if I looked back, my employers had provided me the opportunities, both to do well in the jobs that I was doing and at the same time, to build my career opportunities. That is important. They were serious about ensuring quality jobs and, more importantly, success and progressions for Singaporeans in good quality PME jobs here in Singapore. Madam, I want to point out that we must also recognise the threat from globalisation. While we are worried about foreign talent competing with talent in Singapore, our Singapore talent are mobile and have opportunities outside of Singapore.”
“Mdm Chairperson, over the years, the subject of transport concessions, including bus concessions for Polytechnic students, has been raised by several Members of this House, including myself. And, today, we have heard the same. As this continues to be a matter that has not been addressed – and at the risk of sounding like a broken record – I am again making an appeal for MOT to consider providing transport concessions for Polytechnic students. Polytechnic students form the largest the population of the cohort of post-Secondary students. Currently, only JC and ITE students have transport concessions as students from Polytechnics pay twice as much bus fares. Whilst I understand the cost implications and that it is not a trivial matter, it is hard to agree with letting full-time Polytechnic students pay more than their peers in JCs and ITEs. Transport costs form a good part of a student's daily and monthly expenses and transport concessions for the Polytechnic students would be greatly appreciated. Affordable Fares”
“Madam, I would like to thank Minister of State Mrs Josephine Teo for taking the time to patiently answer all our questions and covering the areas that address quality growth for an inclusive society. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $673,716,700 for Head M ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $135,615,700 for Head M ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“Madam, I thank Minister Lim Hng Kiang, Second Minister Iswaran, Senior Minister of State Lee Yi Shyan as well as Minister of State Teo Ser Luck for covering a wide range of areas that our Members have brought up, and addressing them. I was glad to see that there were strong strategies to continue to strengthen our economy and make sure that commitment and support are given to the SMEs. I was a little bit troubled that quite a few acronyms were used, from TAP, GCP, MRA to PACT. But I was glad to hear Minister of State Teo Ser Luck summarise it nicely in "2-3-8". Two outcomes, three thrusts and eight strategies. Thank you very much for that, although some people would have loved one more digit. With that, Madam, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $696,050,700 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $5,241,362,300 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“Now with cloud services, businesses can leverage technology more effectively, as businesses do not need to invest in infrastructure or resources to support keeping up with the currency of the infrastructures. Singapore's next generation infocomm infrastructure and global connectivity also provides support for SMEs to operate in this environment. How successful have these programmes been contributing to SMEs' competitiveness in Singapore? Can MTI share with us how SMEs have used these programmes? Energy Security”
“What efforts have been made for collaboration and innovation at the sector level and can trade associations take a leading role in this, as clustering efforts may prove more effective in providing a supportive ecosystem for innovations for SMEs? Have we been able to also attract top calibre talents in various disciplines to join private sector R&D investments in Singapore, and attract good calibre companies to anchor their operations in Singapore? Leveraging on Technology I must declare my interest as I work for an IT MNC. Technology can play a key role in not only helping companies improve productivity, but more importantly, compete effectively. In fact, as Thomas Friedman outlined in his book The World is Flat, technology and connectivity have opened up opportunities and to some extent, levelled the playing field for individuals and smaller companies to compete. Today, a start-up can quickly grow and gain significant global presence by leveraging technology. It is a whole new business model and its potential is huge. SMEs can increase the quality of their products and services, by tapping on the capabilities of ICT. Productivity gains and better insights can also be achieved. As we have seen, broadband connectivity, adoption of mobile and Page: 69 smartphone technology and social media have changed the way the businesses engage with the customers. Beyond just online presence, ICT can help businesses cut cost, streamline processes, improve service levels, enhance communication with customers and partners, and can drive more effective distribution of products and services.”
“Madam, the Government has set aside $16.1 billion to support research, innovation and enterprise for 2011 to 2015. The long-term objective is for Singapore to create high value jobs for Singaporeans supported by a research-intensive innovative, knowledge-based and entrepreneurial economy. A common feedback is that R&D is too high level for our companies, especially SMEs to benefit from. Can MTI share how this Page: 68 investment and R&D have benefited our companies and Singapore, especially SMEs and Singaporeans? How successful have these efforts been on the economic impact and commercialisation of R&D and Singapore? In general, do we see a trend for SMEs to invest more in R&D? Enhancements to the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) scheme in last year's Budget provided support for companies in R&D expenditure and in-house R&D software development. Did SMEs leverage this scheme in their R&D efforts? Is there an increase in investments by SMEs in Singapore on R&D? Have programmes like Growing Enterprise with Technology Upgrade (GET-Up) been successful in supporting in our local enterprises to address the funding, human resource and technology constraints that they face as they innovate? What efforts have been made to seed innovation capacities in our local SMEs – upgrade capabilities as well as acquire IP or technology and gear them for growth? While there may be programmes to support R&D, fostering R&D capabilities, especially with respect to SMEs is not easy. Effecting significant transformation and innovation is challenging, let alone for an SME.”
“MTI had embarked on a Global Asia Hub strategy for some years now, to make Singapore a compelling destination for global and regional control towers. EDB's Home for Business strategy positions Singapore as a place for companies to deeply root their business, locating key decision makers in Singapore to feel the pulse, spot opportunities and leverage the network of relationships in the region and our global connectivity. How successful has this strategy been? And how do we ensure that we continue to maintain that? Can MTI share examples of our success and which sectors have been successful in attracting companies to Singapore? Will Singapore continue to remain competitive and be successful in its strategy, given our workforce constraints and changing population demographics? Maintaining International Competitiveness”
“Another area which we could further promote is branding of both our services and manufactured products. Branding can help differentiate our Singapore-based companies from the competitors and help us sustain our attractiveness as a world-class business hub to better sustain our growth. 1.00 pm Competitiveness As we have positioned Singapore as an attractive market for investments and our strong fundamentals of trust, knowledge, connectedness and quality of life, our changing demographics and workforce, the increasing cost of doing business and growing strength of our regional countries will put pressure on Singapore's companies. So, how can we ensure that Singapore continues to differentiate ourselves and remains competitive to attract companies to operate here? As I have mentioned earlier, the Global Competitiveness Report assesses the competitive landscape of 144 economies and as usual, has put Switzerland at the top of the ranking for the last four years. But Singapore now remains in second position. Other Asian economies, like Hong Kong and Japan, ranked 9th and 10th respectively. It is pointed out in the report that productivity improvements and private sector investments will be key to improving global economies at the time of heightened uncertainty about the global economic outlook. To stay competitive as an investment hub, the Deputy Prime Minister did stress the importance of productivity enhancement initiatives, but said that Singapore lagged behind in productivity levels, despite our success in attracting Page: 51 investments from other developed nations. In Asia, there are other economies like China, Malaysia and India which are also moving up the value chain, with Vietnam and Bangladesh focusing more on high volume and low margin industries.”
“Apart from ensuring products and services are competitive, companies need to make sure that they have relevant market knowledge, adapt to market conditions and face increased competition. With the uncertainties and the global markets, venturing overseas would cause companies to face increased risks and challenges. While there is a clear need to innovate and to enhance productivity against the constraints of limited labour, and rising business costs, we all agree that we must improve productivity but this will take time. Can MTI share what key strategies will be taken to help companies scale their businesses and internationalise? Will the Government provide support for venturing overseas in terms of risks reduction and access to financing? Will there be high growth sectors and regions that Singapore companies should seek to expand to, as they focus overseas? Page: 50 With the tight labour market, will there be help given to companies to address labour constraints that might curb the expansion of their businesses overseas? For example, industry players have called for flexibility in the application of manpower policies to facilitate efforts in supporting their companies as they bring their businesses overseas. Could foreign employees deployed to overseas operations not be included in the overall foreign worker quota because many of these companies lack local manpower for certain types of businesses established overseas operations as they expand overseas, or there could be just a lack of Singaporeans willing to relocate to certain markets? With the growing services sector to support knowledge creation activities, greater incentives could also be introduced to encourage greater build up and exploitation of intellectual property (IP) in Singapore.”
“Feedback from the industry association in my constituency is that there are too many schemes and the small businesses just do not have time to go and understand the many schemes available, let alone take advantage of them. I Page: 49 have reached out to SPRING and the Enterprise Development Centres (EDCs) last year to support our SMEs in the constituency to better understand the various schemes. I am glad to say that they have participated actively with us through outreach programmes like briefings and targeted workshops with our industrial association and the members and advised on business, financials and productivity improvements as well as the various schemes available. There is continuous engagement and follow up and feedback has been very positive. We are now working to better tailor the support and capability upgrading of these companies. I look forward to the continued support and outreach to the SMEs in my ward and the integrated support from both SPRING and EDC. As we drive for growth, we also need to ensure that our workers will be able to transition and compete for jobs in these growth areas. I would like to understand what efforts there would be to ensure the development of relevant skills, to support the growth initiatives and to ensure the workers are able to transition and take advantage of the job opportunities. Internationalisation My next cut on internationalisation. Mdm Chair, given our small domestic market, our SMEs do understand the need for internationalisation than having a global and regional presence to open up new markets so as to increase the potential for growth. However, as we all know, internationalisation is not easy.”
“Madam, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head V of the Estimates be reduced by $100". Madam, during the Budget Debate, we discussed extensively in this House the need for quality growth and inclusive society for a better Singapore for all Singaporeans. I had stressed in my speech that growth is not guaranteed. To have quality growth, we must have growth. Given the size of our small domestic market, our economy is open and dependent on external markets; for Singapore's economy is one of the most competitive markets globally. We rank second in the World Economic Forum's global competitive report behind Switzerland. Singapore is also the best country in the world to do business as the World Bank Ease of Doing Business index has indicated. We are still dependent and vulnerable to the external markets. Current uncertainties of the global economies, physical challenges and high unemployment in the US and Europe, coupled with the constraints we are facing with our changing population demographics and labour constraints will impact Singapore's growth. Against this landscape and the need to accelerate the transformation of our economy, can MTI share the strategies to grow our economy, albeit slower? Will there be specific sectoral support and growth strategies? What are the new growth sectors that we can develop to enable quality jobs for Singaporeans? More importantly, how can we ensure that Singaporeans and Singapore's companies especially SMEs continue to benefit for this growth? In my speech, I emphasised that we must make every effort to ensure that as many companies as possible, especially SMEs, are able to take advantage of the various schemes available. What measures will be in place to help SMEs restructure and leverage productivity improvements?”
“This scheme gave Singaporeans a chance to live and work in China while they would not have otherwise considered for cost and skills reasons. Why not extend this programme to the PMEs in targeted areas? Economics will encourage employers to hire Singaporeans who are then more eligible as they pick up requisite skills and more effective in the various job opportunities available. We Singaporeans have a track record of self-reliance and hard work. What we must ensure is that Singaporeans continue to feel that we have access to opportunities and aspirations for better lives for ourselves and our families, and that this does not become out of reach. These include good quality jobs, job security, housing, amount of time spent on commuting, accessibility and affordability to transportation, leisure − I say "leisure" because this is an important area that I think Singaporeans do not place enough time and effort on − and worklife balance. I believe that this will be key to uniting Singaporeans to do our part to build a better Singapore for all. Mdm Speaker, I have, in several of my speeches in this House, said that we must push forward for growth but at the same time we must create an environment that is inclusive, and that people feel that they have "Hope" − hope to chase their dreams, and that they are able to achieve more for themselves and their families. The Government plays a crucial role in enabling and creating that ecosystem that Singaporeans feel that they can run their own race and have a fair chance for success. The Government cannot promise success but it must have the vision and provide the environment for Singaporeans to believe that they and their families can do better and to succeed in Singapore. Mdm Speaker, I support the Budget. 12.31 pm Page: 21”
“Access to jobs is important. Current sentiments are that foreign workers compete for the same jobs especially professionals, managers, executives (PME) jobs. There is a perception that this reduces employment opportunities for Singaporeans. We must, however, be careful that this sentiment does not grow out of proportion as it will impact Singapore's ability to attract the right talent that is needed to complement Singapore's workforce for quality growth and hence higher employment opportunities for Singaporeans. I am glad that Deputy Prime Minister Tharman point out in his Budget speech that our Employment Pass (EP) policy will ensure that firms in Singapore remain able to recruit the best teams, including both locals and foreigners with the skills and expertise that companies need to compete internationally. At the same time, we must maintain a level playing field for Singaporeans with respect to jobs and progressive opportunities. And there will be – as I understand – further calibration and adjustments to the policies. Page: 20 While we put a framework in place to ensure that firms give fair consideration to Singaporeans in their hiring, I think another important area that our GPC members and our Resource Panel members discussed was also about ensuring that a level playing field, not just in terms of access but also in terms of skills and upgrading is done. There was discussion and ideas on the need for continuous up scaling and re-development of Singaporeans to enable them to have the right skills and experience for the PME roles available. A suggestion was to encourage companies to hire Singaporeans by giving subsidies for Singaporeans who are hired so that they can go for skills training. This is much like the programme that IE Singapore had previously.”
“I did not intend to speak about affordability of cars with the tiered Additional Registration Fees which I felt was fair, given that it is progressive and there was no impact on the economy range of cars. However, with the recent Page: 19 announcement on MAS' policy on restrictions on loan tenure and maximum loan-to-value for vehicle loans, I am concerned on the impact on needs-based car owners. For many families, while they do take public transport, having the flexibility of a car when you need it, does help especially when you have young children and older members in the family. While I understand the need to encourage financial prudence of buyers, the sudden and somewhat drastic changes introduced will make it difficult for many to own even an economy car. Take the example of a Mazda 3 or a Toyota Altis. I believe they fall in the range of cars with OMVs below $20,000 and hence will not see any increase in Additional Registration Fee (ARF). However, with the new financing restrictions, in order to buy this range of cars, with the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of 60% – I checked this last night – these cars still cost about $130,000 to $140,000 today. You will have to pay approximately $50,000 cash upfront and you are subjected to higher monthly loan repayment amounts, given the shorter loan tenure. I am not an advocate of increasing the car population. I am not an advocate of buying a car because it is an asset that depreciates immediately when you buy it. But I will say to you that there are people who do need to own a car on a needs basis rather than for luxury, and I am worried that this group will be priced out. I am asking that we relook at refining this area for needs-based car ownership which I believe the economy range of cars cater to. Employment.”
“I had asked that we refine the criteria used for means-testing for eligibility for transfers like GST vouchers and CPF top-ups, and so on. An increasing number of residents that I meet are retirees who may be asset rich but cash poor or are living with their families in private apartments or landed property. Current criteria used would mean that they continue to be left out. I do hope that we can consider this request. This request was also recently raised by Parliament's Estimates Committee. The middle income group. I would like to touch on the middle income group as this is a large part of Singapore's population and this is the segment that is impacted most by the effects of income inequality. Many in the middle income group are most impacted by the need to care of their parents and children, and they also aspire to have quality jobs. I am glad to see that this Budget has several measures to benefit the middle income – ranging from managing the home front on costs by providing MediFund top-ups, increasing rebates on Services and Conservancy Charges, reducing Personal Income Tax and maid's Levy Tax. It also anchors on the future with measures to level up preschools, having student care centres and expanding the Opportunity Fund to enhance social mobility for aspiring young ones. The Budget also looks into ensuring job prospects continue to have a positive outlook and wages can be boosted by the Wage Credit Scheme as companies restructure for higher productivity. To address the growing concerns on healthcare and affordability especially with an ageing population, MOH, I am glad to hear, will be conducting a review on healthcare financing.”
“This directly, therefore, benefitted the hawker and made the process simple and gave certainty. Let me talk about the further tightening of foreign workers especially in the Services and Food & Beverage (F&B) industries. Members of our GPC Resource Panel discussed the opportunity to better leverage the part-time and hourly wage workforce through WIS. WIS today covers full-time and part-time workers but does not cover hourly wage workers. There is a suggestion for WIS to cover hourly wage workers. Agencies like WDA can play a role in providing a framework to get a base of regularised reliable hourly wage workers and potentially part-time workers as well. We see this trend in mature markets. The outcome will be good as there will be many benefits: it will provide replacement workforce for small and medium enterprises (SMEs); a more flexible wage market; SMEs can also compete better with multinational corporations (MNCs) for resources; and they will enable more Singaporeans to participate in the Page: 18 workforce and, perhaps, also attract younger folks. This might give our young folks a little bit more taste of the workforce before really entering it. Mdm Speaker, let me now touch on the measures in the Budget for a more inclusive society, and also to highlight some of the income inequality issues and doing more for older Singaporeans. I am heartened that we will be doing more for retirees. I had on several occasions in this House raised my concerns on the need to do more for retirees as they out of the labour force and unable to benefit directly from economic growth. Their concerns and anxieties stem from cost of living and uncertainties as many depend on their savings to finance their living expenses.”
“While there were no direct schemes this year in the Budget to address rentals, the Corporate Income Tax Rebate (CIT) introduced is targeted to help Page: 17 businesses cope with cost pressures during the transition and I guess rental cost could be one of them. Given the high cost of COEs, allowing owners of commercial vehicles the flexibility to renew their COEs for five years with extension for another five years does help to ease cash flow. There is also the additional cost savings of one year 30% tax rebate for goods vehicles, buses and taxis. Our success to get as many companies as possible to take advantage of the Three-Year Transition Package and other schemes announced as they restructure will in some way help mitigate the concerns of the inflationary impact with the increased cost. As we spoke to businesses, there was a call – and I do not know how to say this nicely – there was a call for clarity on the policy measures. This will enable businesses better certainty and help them plan better. There was a sense that although there were directions given on policies to businesses, for example, the tightening of foreign workers' quotas, property cooling measures, and so on, there is a greater need for greater predictability and simplicity. So, rather than talk about the negative, I will give an example of a positive. Last year, our Resource Panel members cited a very good policy change that was made and this was in the change of rental for Hawkers Centres. This will give an example of how a good policy was made. Simple and achieve the objective. The policy gave clarity on the rental conditions preventing subletting and it did not stipulate a reserve price and hence did not add cost to the process.”
“I encourage companies to leverage the existing PIC schemes with enhancements in the new PIC Bonus as well, which is really dollar-for-dollar matching over three years and above existing PIC benefits. This Bonus will also benefit smaller companies more as it encourages a minimum spending of $5,000 for businesses to undertake productivity investments. During a recent pre-Budget Dialogue that I participated in that was run by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants Society (ICPAS), the discussion was on how we recalibrate growth. Industry leaders made good suggestions on the need for the Government to have policies and schemes that are more relevant as companies restructure and move up the value chain, especially in the Service Sector. There were suggestions to support knowledge creation activities, provide greater incentives to encourage greater build-up and exploitation of intellectual property (IP) in Singapore. To differentiate Singapore-based companies, we could also further promote branding to help Singapore sustain our attractiveness as a world-class business hub. There were also suggestions to consider helping companies during the implementation of their investment projects overseas. Especially in the initial period, it would be useful to help tide over unexpected losses in this period, and encourage more companies to venture overseas and yet remain rooted in Singapore. Another area of cost concerns raised by many businesses is high rentals. Rental forms a significant cost for businesses in Singapore. There needs to be more measures to assist businesses to reduce rental without distorting markets.”
“The WCS is to support companies co-fund 40% of wage increases for Singaporean employees, earning up to a gross monthly income of $4,000, over the next three years as businesses restructure. I am glad to see the recognition by the Government that acceleration of growth will take time, and hence three years to enable transition, WCS, I must remind everyone is a Progressive Wage System as the intent is to raise wages in line with the market. While our median total household incomes have risen in the last five years by 17%, much faster than many of the markets in the region, there is a need to raise real wages for Singaporeans in line with market growth and to address concerns of the cost of living for many Singaporeans. I cannot stress more that Page: 16 especially for the lower-end wages, there has been stagnation and re-rating has taken far too long. As WCS is co-funding, companies will have to share the cost of increased wages. WCS enables wages to rise and to some extent without adding to the full cost that companies have to bear and, hopefully, this will avoid full inflationary impact. This will enable workers to also keep their jobs while companies need time to transition for more productive growth. The critical point is that businesses must upgrade. Many have asked what happens after three years. The point is transition needs time but we must transition. We must upgrade. Otherwise, with wage increases, they will not be able to sustain the additional cost and, if not, they will go out of business and jobs will be lost. So, I cannot reiterate this enough – that getting the balance right will be crucial.”
“Concerns were raised on the impact of the pace of the measures proposed in Page: 15 the Budget to accelerate restructuring of companies. Similar concerns were also raised during the Budget Dialogue that I had with residents who manage businesses. Many recognised the need for measures to restructure. The tightening of foreign workers inflow is with the intent to accelerate efforts by companies to improve their productivity and compete. Programmes and initiatives are needed to support companies to restructure their businesses and we do need investments to support the development of workers. While many agree on all this, getting the balance and the pace right will be crucial. Many expressed that if we are not careful, while wages increase and if businesses are unable to upgrade fast enough, this will cause businesses to scale down, move out of Singapore or close, if they are unable to restructure quickly. This will also mean that Singaporeans will not have jobs because many of these smaller companies offer jobs for our Singaporeans today. The measures on further tightening of the foreign workers inflow will be painful for businesses. So, while recognising current and future manpower constraints, we must ensure that companies, as many of them as possible, especially our SMEs are given the right support to upgrade. We must ensure that businesses not only understand the $5.6 billion Three-year Transition Support Package announced in the Budget but, more importantly, we must make every effort to put in and ensure that as many companies as possible take advantage of these schemes. The Three-Year Transition Package includes: the Wage Credit Scheme (WCS); the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) Bonus; and the Corporate Income Tax (CIT) Rebate.”
“" Worries about the cost of living, affordability of healthcare, especially as we are getting older, access, reliability and affordability of transportation, access to quality jobs, access and quality of education for our children, and affordable housing. Until these concerns are addressed, people are not going to be able to focus on the future of Singapore as many are concerned with addressing their current concerns. Deputy Prime Minister Tharman touched on the need to strengthen and sustain social mobility. As he rightly pointed out, "meritocracy alone will not assure us of this". Education is a key lever for social mobility and we, therefore, must do more and should start early in childhood for the disadvantaged. Members of our Government Parliamentary Committees (GPCs) will touch on this point later. This will also ensure that all Singaporeans, regardless of our circumstances, have the capability and access to opportunities. This Budget also touches on the importance of well being, especially for older Singaporeans. We must ensure that we take care of our older Singaporeans and address their anxieties over the uncertainties of their quality of life and future, especially after they stop working. While this will vary for each person due to their circumstances, they share concern of health, quality of their daily activities and affordability, as they are drawing from their existing savings once they leave the workforce. Let me now touch on the first thrust of the Budget which is accelerating our efforts to drive higher productivity of businesses for Quality Growth. Our GPC for Finance, Trade and Industry has been very busy. We have been gathering received feedback from businesses as well as our Resource Panel members.”
“Mdm Speaker, thank you for allowing me to participate in the Budget Debate. For "a better Singapore". That is the essence of this year's Budget. The strategic thrusts of this Budget are the two main pillars of intensifying the drive for higher productivity and restructuring the economy for Quality Growth and taking major steps to ensure a fair and more Inclusive Society. The point that I want to emphasise is that it is important that the two are taken together. Otherwise, the initiatives for Quality Growth in this year's Budget taken on its own could, as many have expressed, just lead to higher cost for businesses and have the inflationary impact for Singaporeans who are already concerned with the high cost of living. On the other hand, for an Inclusive Society, if we only take steps to mitigate income inequalities, especially for the lower- and middle-income group, without quality growth and building capability of all Singaporeans and having quality Page: 14 jobs, this will not be sustainable. Growth and quality growth is absolutely necessary. While growth is important, Singaporeans must also feel that we can actively participate and benefit from this growth – in areas of opportunities, jobs, real income and, more importantly, well-being. It is important that we recognise that it is precisely the concerns of having or not the chance to actively participate in the growth and benefiting from it that is causing angst that we are hearing many express. I had said during my speech on the recent Debate on the Population White Paper that it is imperative that we "pay attention to the concerns of citizens and of what our citizens are experiencing today.”
“Yes. While the infrastructure and spaces are being used, we have to pay attention to the side effects of all these developments – the noise, the privacy impacts and just that little bit of attention to detail. With greater density and proximity come greater stress and irritation. And it does affect social cohesion. The way we face buildings, how we place buildings, the proximity of buildings will make a difference. I do ask that we look at that and continue to look at the affordability of our housing. Many of the Members have touched on that so I will not touch on that again. But I will go back to the point that I started on. This White Paper, as much as I was asking myself, "why now?", I recognise that it is an important point that we have to start planning. I will implore that we continue to involve Singaporeans in the details of this plan. The very fact that all different segments have expressed their concerns, I think they have ideas and we should hear them out and we should involve them as much in the plans. It is important and we have to continue to do that. I want to remind the House that it was against the landscape of impossibilities, constraints that Singapore and our people made it possible to be here today. So, let us not forget that. With that and with our people together, collaboratively, I think we can build the future we want for Singapore. 7.05 pm”
“For some, their service levels are affected. Lastly, I like to talk about the quality of living. The Land Use Plan – I have a lot of confidence in this. From my office, I have seen the way Marina Bay has developed and the space that has been created and the way the walkways have been done. While I am very concerned about utilisation of space, I am confident that with the right planning and the track record, we will be able to do that. But I want to touch on something that is related —”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. So, I do hope that we can look at how we can invest in building that muscle. It is not going to happen overnight but it is about building a HR practice – I do not know whether you call it a practice, competency – but I think we need that engine. And we also need the partnerships in organisations to help them to be able to build that. Now, I would like to talk about costs. That is also impacting our businesses and I was very glad that Minister Lui talked about some of the measures about transport and how it will help Singaporeans but I want to talk about it in relation to how it affects businesses, small businesses. We heard about some of that during Question Time earlier. This is about the COEs that companies are facing for their goods vehicles that they need for their businesses. As the hon Member Mr Christopher de Souza said, these are the people who depend on our roads to make a living. Many of our businesses here need vehicles to be able to provide their goods and services and move them around. Many are telling me that they are finding it very difficult when they want to renew the COEs, the cost of which is high. Let me give you an example. Just a year ago, COEs for the Goods Vehicles Open Category was $30,000 and now it is $60,000. So, it is a double impact for them. If we look at the Open Category as well, the COEs have gone up. We all Page: 135 know the prices there. A lot of these businesses need these vehicles to be able to transport. I hope we can look at a different system that is outside of the COE, for people who need these vehicles, how we can look at managing a more reasonable cost of operating this. There are some of them who are deciding not to continue their businesses because of that.”
“Just because we get Singaporeans into jobs does not mean they are going to be successful. Why do I say that? I am going to use my own example. I am a sales person. I am in sales and IT. That is my entire career, 20 years. I was successful as a sales person and got promoted to becoming a manager. But if I had applied the skills that I had used as a salesperson to be a manager, then I would have failed miserably. What made me successful as a sales person will not make me successful as a leader, because it is about not me doing any more, it is about me building other people, growing other people, building organisational capabilities, helping them build businesses, build channels, build relationships. A different set of skills. What we also need to pay attention to is not just about the jobs but how do we prepare Singaporeans for the jobs. It is not that our education system does not prepare our people for it. What we need to do is look at not just continual learning but what kind of career development that we have to do for people, especially if we have a big group of PMETs, we have to prepare them. What we need to do is think about the HR practices, the HR competency in this country. How do we build up that competency, how do we ensure that we work with companies that operate here, local and foreign, in building up HR practices that will allow Singaporeans to continue to grow and develop in organisations, or in professions, or in particular segments and sectors of the population as they Page: 134 progress. That is something that we need to look at.”
“I am not sure whether the Members of the Workers' Party saw today's headlines: "Several Foreign Firms Prepare to Leave Singapore". Whether they heard about the Chambers sending in their inputs to the Minister about their concerns, whether they have heard the SMEs – both local and foreign – about the pains they are going through. Page: 133 Because these people are the ones − they are not just companies, they are not shells − they provide livelihoods for Singaporeans. So, it is important. If they leave, where are the jobs going to come from? And I am not talking about just foreign firms leaving – it just so happens the headline is "Foreign Firms", but our local firms, SMEs in my constituency, I have many industrial associations and these are viable businesses. But some of them are either streaming down, they are not scaling, or some of them are shutting parts of their operations because they cannot fill those jobs! So, what happens? SMEs hire about 70% of Singaporeans or offer 70% of our jobs. MNCs, foreign companies, but guess what? Of the large companies, guess what? About 60% of Singaporeans work in these companies. Small companies, again, how many of our locals? About 60%, around there. So, think about it. That is what it means. I am concerned because just saying, "let us turn off the tap, let us make it happen", what happens tomorrow? Why tell the SME who comes to see me, a father of three or four children and employs 10 Singaporeans, "Sorry, I do not have people for you." Every week, I make appeals for SMEs; every week, I make appeals for them to get workers because they provide jobs for us. So, I want to talk about, besides making sure that quality jobs are available, what do we have to do, what more do we have to do?”
“First of all, I want to say that Deputy Prime Minister Teo did say – in fact, I was a little bit concerned because growth is going to slow down − it is a fundamental shift. So, I am not sure whether everybody read the White Paper well because it says growth is going to slow down. It is not going to be "growth at all costs", and it is slowing down. But I think everyone recognises what is 2% to 3%, and I think the Deputy Prime Minister mentioned it is a fundamental shift, while we are growing, we will pay attention to making sure that we take consideration of that. On economic growth, I think we all must recognise and people do recognise it is important. But let us not take it for granted that growth will just happen. Because just like in business, there are already two levers in any business. One is profit or top line. Let us not talk about profit, let us talk about top line, and one is bottom line. If we all just focus on cost, there will come a time – that is for the short term, it will solve problems – when it is not going to be enough. Then you are going to need to grow and if you do not invest early to growing, we are not going to be able to catch up. So, I think we need to balance the two. Cost management is absolutely important and has to be done but prudence is important. But we cannot stop growing, so we need to calibrate them so the balance is important. Let us recognise that. Because without growth, we will not have jobs. We talk about making sure Singapore has quality jobs. Where are those jobs going to come from without growth? I want to put my hand up a lot just now but decided since I was going to speak, I would and I have it now.”
“Employers, I know, will have concerns on the implications on their businesses and the costs if they take on these measures. And it will be an investment on the part of employers to do so and, in some ways, these may seem destructive. However – as a manager myself and I do have some of these practices in my workplace – I will tell you that employees that have strong families and have the ability to balance their work life, they make for better and more committed employees. And this will have a positive impact in the longer term. We must also recognise that while the Marriage and Parenthood measures will not, on their own, be able to persuade more Singaporeans to start and grow families, Singaporeans must still desire to have children. What we need to continue is to promote the value of family life and to renew our society's enthusiasm and support for families. When Minister Grace Fu shared earlier the importance of putting the family as priority, I was smiling because she said that we all should get involved, and I thought that we would be helping people get Page: 132 married and all that, and we will all become matchmakers very soon. Let me now come to talk about the economy and the workforce. Somehow, when I listened to the debate over the last two years, I got a sense that people think that economic growth is a bad word. Maybe they did not say it but I got that sense. So, I am going to say, first of all, maybe we should read the White Paper a little bit better. It does not centre on economic growth, it does not centre on GDP, it centres on Singapore. But economic growth is required if we are really interested in the well-being of Singaporeans. Let me touch a little bit on that.”
“I am a parent myself and I benefited because my husband is very involved in the upbringing of our children, not in the child caring per se but really the upbringing of the children. And that makes for stronger children, stronger families, and I think that is a very welcomed move. I would say it would have been nice if it was a little bit longer, but, of course, we always want more. Another factor that is a key consideration for parents is the availability of quality pre-school and childcare for their children. Being a parent myself, when my kids were very young − I have three − I remember every time when my kids were ill, I was at work and if I did not know that they had good care, I would be very concerned and I would be extremely distracted. So, having good quality care, knowing that your kids are in an environment where they can thrive, they can learn, they can also be well taken care of – I think those are factors that will go a long way. So, I am looking forward to hearing what will be shared by the Ministers when they share about the initiatives and what is being done in that space. To help couples with children, employers need to adopt progressive human resource (HR) practices in hiring, having flexible work arrangements and including part-time work. I think there has been a lot of discussion around that. Recognising that men and women have changing priorities at different stages of their lives, organisations will need to adapt their HR policies to meet these priorities. This will give them sufficient time to adjust to life as young parents, provide relief to those who do not have other childcare options and ease the transitioning into childcare.”
“The introduction of priority housing to make it easier for couples expecting or with young children to get their flats earlier and to be able to rent flats while waiting for their BTO flats is welcomed. Thirty percent of all new flats are reserved for young families who will now have priority in balloting for new HDB flats. Fifty percent of flats for first-timers in HDB sales or balance flat exercises will also be reserved for them. So, with the parenthood priority scheme, effective January 2013, which is now, couples with at least one child below the age of 16 will be boosted, because, basically, they are going to have priority to the front of the queue, or at least they will get priority to the queue on the BTO flats. And that is significant. If we listen to what our young couples are saying, that is significant. The enhanced Baby Bonus, Medisave and the extension of MediShield to cover congenital and neonatal conditions will help with costs and reduce uncertainties related to conceiving and raising children because we never can tell what is going to happen. Many parents have expressed their concerns when they have children. What does that mean when you have children that need a little bit more care, especially when they are very young? These help to address some of those anxieties. It does not take it all away but it helps to address some of them. Increasing the support for those requiring assistive reproductive technology will also help alleviate the costs and this is part of the package as well for those couples facing difficulty conceiving. Giving fathers a week of paid paternity leave is a welcomed move to promote shared parenting. And a lot of Page: 131 times, it is not just about the father sharing the load.”
“Now, let me talk about the Marriage and Parenthood package. I think there has been some discussion about this as a half-hearted attempt. I beg to differ because I know about the outreach that has been done, the consultations with Singaporeans − people who want to have children, people who desire to get married − to understand what the issues and the factors were and to try and address that through the Marriage and Parenthood package. Because younger Singaporeans are better educated, they have more options, and they are Page: 130 investing time in their careers. Many have opportunities to pursue their personal goals. As a result, they are marrying later and often only when they feel they have sufficiently established themselves. Their expectations have also shifted. For example, whereas previous generations did not expect to own a home before starting a family, young Singaporeans today increasingly place priority on home ownership before having children. In our outreach efforts, to understand what these factors were, many expressed the concerns around costs and affordability of having and raising children, achieving work-life balance and career goals. Getting married and having children, we all recognise, is a personal choice. Hearing our Singaporeans and hearing their aspirations, the policies if done well can help tilt this balance in favour of having children for those who want to have children. So, I am glad to see the enhancements of the Marriage and Parenthood package. I think that we should not belittle that because it is to support young couples who want to have children, who want to get married early and have children.”
“There are sentiments that while Singapore has advanced as a country, there are also negative aspects of this progress – congestion, overcrowding, higher costs and definitely a faster pace of life and the tension trade-offs arising from this. I got caught up personally in all these discussions and I felt the same things myself. But I do implore both the House as well as Singaporeans to take a step back for a while and to understand the key thrust of this White Paper. While the White Paper discusses the demographic challenges and the policy considerations, there is a greater underlying issue. The key issue is that of sustaining Singapore. There is no Core Singapore if there is no Singapore. By 2015, what the implications of our TFR means, say, at 1.2, assuming no change and an ageing population that is living longer, is that we will shrink. We will shrink as a population. There will not be enough Singaporeans around. So, currently, one of nearly every six persons aged 20 and above is 65 years of age. Come 2030 or 2025, based on the projections, one in every three-and-a-half, and come 2030, one in every three. Why am I calling out these numbers? Because it sunk in on me as well, as to why we are doing this. What is the intent of the Population White Paper? It is about planning. It is about us having to stop and say, what are we going to do about it? Therefore, it is imperative that we address this. But I also share with all Members of the House who have expressed this earlier, like Mr Liang Eng Hwa and a few others, that we need to pay attention to the concerns of citizens, of what citizens are experiencing today, if we are ever going to get the confidence or the attention of Singaporeans to worry about the future.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you for allowing me to join in this debate and I thank Members, too, for staying on. It has been a long day. I must say that this week's debate is a very important one. I have spent quite a bit of time mulling over the White Paper and thinking through it because the implications are about the future, the future of Singapore – our future and our children's future and that of our future generations. There has been a lot of discussion around projections, the planning parameters of 6.5 million to 6.9 million population, with a composition of too many foreigners – about one-third of foreigners by 2030 in the population. The White Paper has startled many. There have been reactions from many segments of the population. I think it augurs well because it shows that Singaporeans are interested. With our current population of 5.3 million, we are already experiencing the challenges in our infrastructure. Minister Lui touched on crowded trains, waiting time for healthcare services, rising costs of housing in our already crowded city, and many are anxious and asking how? How is it going to be possible, as it is already so tough? How is it possible to have more people? It is already straining our resources. What is the impact going to be? What is the quality of life going to be? What are the social implications of integrating more foreigners into our Page: 129 midst? While many have recognised that Singapore has progressed, their concerns are whether Singaporeans really able to participate in this progress. There is concern on the growing income inequality and how individuals − individual Singaporeans − are affected.”
“Ensuring that Singapore continues to be able to balance the negative impacts of gaming by having robust regulations while benefiting from the growth of the IRs will not be an easy one but, as stressed by Mr Seah Kian Peng, will be a very necessary one and a deliberate one. On a broader note, while we continue to strengthen our social safeguard measures to address the social risks and threats of casinos and gaming, I would like to say that while we benefit economically from the IRs, we must ensure that Singapore's overall growth strategy continues to be diversified and does not become overly dependent on gaming. With that, Mr Speaker, I support the Bill. 3.29 pm”
“To ensure sustainable economic benefits to the broader tourism industry, the IRs will need to maintain the quality of their non-casino or non-gaming offerings and their competitiveness globally as compelling integrated tourism developments. We are seeing competition intensifying regionally for tourism spending and investments in the tourism sector. It would be appealing in the short term in the face of such competition for IRs to drive for shorter term gains by emphasising the gaming components or to neglect or dilute the integrated concept of the IR development. Therefore, we must ensure that we can continue to maintain the sustainability of the economic benefits of the IRs to the economy by ensuring that we stay committed to developing the non-gaming aspects and not just focus on the casinos. In that respect, I would like to ask the Minister to also share on some of the performance indicators that would be used to assess the IRs' performance. A key reason for the Government's decision to establish the IRs was that it would be a significant benefit for the economy. There was an assumption that this would in turn mean the creation of good jobs for Singaporeans and business opportunities for local companies. With the IRs operating for more than two years now, it would be timely and useful to examine whether the IRs' presence has, indeed, translated the tangible benefits for Singaporeans and local SMEs. The Minister did share that more jobs have been created. Could he share how many have been generated for Singaporeans and are these good jobs? Page: 1383 The Minister has also shared that our local SMEs have benefited from the IRs' presence. Could he also provide more insights on how local SMEs have benefited from the IRs' presence?”
“The amendment of the Act also allows the enhancements of the Casino Control Act to ensure that the IRs – and I stress the Integrated Resorts – continue to develop and maintain to promote their facilities as world-class attractions, not focused heavily on the casinos. I think that is an important point. As the Minister rightly pointed out, when the IRs was conceptualised, they were conceptualised on the basis that the casinos form a small part, and I think we need to make sure that we keep that as the core. I would like now to touch on the economic benefits and the impact of the Integrated Resorts in Singapore. While we want to see the continued success of the IRs in Singapore, it would be a real concern if the casinos become the main attractions for tourists to Singapore. We are seeing this trend in countries like Macau, where about 83% or more of the government's total revenue comes from gaming in 2011. And an increasing proportion of the working population are dependent on jobs in the sector. This may result in a reluctance in the future to implement measures to limit the growth of the gaming industry. So, how can we ensure that our economy does not become overly dependent on gaming revenue? I am glad to see that the Bill seeks to amend section 33A of the Act to include the setting up of an independent evaluation panel to assess the suitability for the grant and renewal of the casino licence, to help in some way to ensure that the IRs in Singapore are constantly developing the non-gaming components. The IRs have so far brought in significant economic benefits.”
“Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak on the Bill. There continues to be concerns on the social threats and ills of the casinos in Singapore, and there have been very strong voices on the ills that Mr Seah Kian Peng had so eloquently addressed earlier. But I must say that, as his survey has also shown, there have also been voices, ironically, that have argued that exclusion orders and limits to the visits to the casinos are an infringement of personal freedom. I, personally, having seen the effect of problem gambling on lives of individuals and, more importantly, their families, at MPS, am glad to see the amendments to this Bill as they further strengthen our social safeguard measures. The Bill seeks to amend the Act, Chapter 33A, limiting the visits to the casinos of those who are financially vulnerable, and the enhancements of the power of the Committee of Assessors to make provisional family exclusion orders or exclusion orders in the absence of the respondent under certain circumstances and to ask for the relevant information. Clause 15, section 54 of the Bill also seeks to ensure greater calibration in the regulatory responses to breaches by the casinos. To reflect the seriousness of these breaches, the financial penalties will be raised. For the maximum financial penalty imposed in the event of these serious breaches, from the current cap of $1 million to 10% of the casino's annual gross gaming revenue. Page: 1382 So, I think it is important for us to continue to stress that there can never be enough safeguards against these social ills and that we have to be vigilant while the safeguards are in place.”
“I support this Bill as a major step towards harmonising our data protection regime to interoperate with others in the region and the world. I think that it has been developed with the traditional privacy concerns, such as the "Do Not Call" regulations, but also the flexibility in looking at the cloud computing and data hub ambitions for Singapore. Where I would suggest we make some changes is to fast track the implementation of the provisions, especially for large businesses. I propose that we have a sunrise period of 12 months for large business and two years for small business. I would also recommend that the Data Protection Commission that is being set up under this Act, be charged with the task of establishing an expert taskforce consisting of Government agencies and businesses to look at how we can progress a true "data protection" regime. A regime that looks at the end-to-end data considerations, including Government access, data analytics, sectoral regulatory reform with the aim of establishing Singapore as the world's most trusted home for information. Page: 848 Singapore has a history of innovation and reliability. One of Singapore's defining characteristics is reliability and confidence. We need to harness this reputation and seize on this momentum on privacy to lead the world in developing a truly comprehensive data protection environment for citizens and businesses here in Singapore and around the world. While businesses will incur effort and possibly cost to adhere to the data protection requirements on the care and use of personal data collected, it will provide businesses certainty and clarity on how to manage the collection and use of personal data. It will also create confidence on how businesses operating in Singapore collect and use data.”
“Page: 847 Let me now touch on a related point. With the increase in cloud computing, both businesses and users of cloud services are seeking to understand how and when governments can have access to user data. Governments do have need to access data for legitimate reasons of law enforcement and national interest, but greater transparency of what constitutes legitimate access is now a major issue that we cannot ignore. I believe that a whole-of-Government dialogue is needed to assess this notion of transparency in Government access to information. For Singapore, the importance of this is only further accentuated by our ambition to be the data custodian for citizens, businesses and even governments from around the region and the world. We need to consider not just what the private sector can and cannot do with data, but the public sector as well. As I had mentioned, we are in a competition, a competition for confidence, and we need to ensure that we have transparent rules and principles that help drive the confidence of data customers that Singapore is the trusted hub for information. So, as Singapore stands at the frontier of this new data world, what are the principles that we need to consider to help move us beyond just keeping pace with global regulation but enabling us to stay competitive as well? I believe that we need to start to look at some new principles that will help shape this new data protection regime. This new regime must take into account a new world that is rich with new business models, new data usage models, new forms of technology, and individual privacy sensibilities. This may prove to be either remarkably resilient over time or quite fluid.”
“Data sovereignty is not to be dismissed or misrepresented — it is founded on a belief that not all data is created equal and so we need to think differently about certain data sets. We have seen this most notably in the area of financial services and healthcare, as each regulator seeks to protect the information of depositors and patients alike. This is understandable as all of us want our bank details and health records secured and protected. But, clearly, we need to be more innovative about how we govern the protection of this information while not shutting out the innovation and good that could be derived from more flexible and modern approaches to data protection – the balance between the individual's right to privacy and the good for society. Let me give an example to illustrate this point. In today's data-rich world, much can be revealed about a person's past and even his/her expected future. This could present both risks and benefits for the individual and society. It is important to realise the power of data analytics. Analysing data may reveal that a person has an existing medical condition that can be treated, or is at risk of developing such a condition. That data, when combined with other data, may also enable insights and medical advances. This could benefit both the person and society as a whole. Set alongside this is the need for governments to protect citizens and enforce the laws and access to data. This can be a powerful aid in preventing the wrong use of the data and responding to them when they do happen. To illustrate the point with the same example I used earlier, it is problematic if the medical history or information that suggests the risk of a future condition is used to deny employment or insurance to an individual.”
“Here in our region alone, we have recently seen privacy and data protection laws advance in Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines and Hong Kong, with legislation actively being discussed in Thailand as well. Our regional neighbours obviously see the potential for creating trusted environments for information and, not surprisingly, have high ambitions to drive the ICT sectors, especially around the cloud. The cloud provides new opportunities, new challenges and new responsibilities, and it is incumbent on Singapore to address these head on. Page: 846 The Personal Data Protection Bill is a big step forward and I am confident that we will achieve the right balance between efficiency and privacy, but our job does not stop here. Continual policy refinement around core issues, such as data security, technology standards and the international trade in data, are essential for Singapore to retain our reputation as a policy innovator and, more importantly, to attain the trust and confidence of citizens, customers and cloud providers and achieve our ambition to be the leading technology hub. An important area that we also need to consider is "what are the role and responsibility of Government beyond being the regulator and custodian of information?". In other words, what should Government have access to and what should it not have access to? For those following the cloud computing debate over the last few years, a new term has taken hold – data sovereignty. This means that many governments, including Singapore, consider certain data to be of such importance that it should not leave the country, or, in some cases, the custody of the data controller.”
“We are already home to many of the world's leading cloud service providers, so the need for a policy framework that balances the innovation and flexibility that underpin Singapore's vibrant ICT ecosystem while promoting good governance is essential. We are now in a unique position to develop not only a data protection regime that meets the privacy needs of our citizens, but develop a regime that embraces the realities of the 21st century computing and services to promote responsible information stewardship by data controllers and processors. To achieve this balance, Singapore needs a "next generation" data protection regime to meet the needs and demands of next generation technology. What I mean by this is that we need to go beyond just regulating the collection and use of personal information, but we need to look at the data as a whole. Data, both big and small. Indeed, I see the development of Singapore's cloud computing ecosystem and the advancement of the data protection regime as mutually inclusive. Singapore's growth and sustainability have long been linked to our comparative advantage of being a trading port and hub for goods, people and services. Geography had been on our side to a large extent but, in this new age, the ports of the future are not bound by geography but the policy environment that promotes them as a trusted home for data. While we are already endowed with an enviable ecosystem of cloud service providers, the competition is increasingly going to be the policy frameworks that provide certainty and confidence not just for these companies but the customers that they serve around the world.”
“But our lack of a comprehensive data protection law has been an area where it has not kept pace with global regulatory trends and technology developments. To underscore the impact that Singapore's lack of a comprehensive data protection law has had on the potential of our cloud computing and data analytics ambitions, the recent release of the Asia Cloud Computing Association's "Cloud Readiness Index" rated Singapore as third in the region for our cloud computing potential, after Japan and Hong Kong. And the key area holding us back from being first was data protection. Make no mistake – we are still in a global marketplace for information and there is stiff competition for data. One could say that data is the new currency of the digital economy and, like currency, data is a coward. It will flow to where it is safe, secure and valued. Page: 845 Singapore needs to think about our competitive position in this battle for data. Are we simply going to be an efficient and innovative hub for data for the world, or can we also be the world's most trusted environment for information. After all, there is no such thing as bad data. There is only the bad collection and bad use of data that we need to consider. It is, therefore, heartening to see the momentum that the Government has seized upon to promote a modern data protection regime and how the law will both govern technology as well as promote its use, especially in the area of next generation computing services. Singapore has been an early adopter and driver of these services, most notably cloud computing and we have been setting our ambition to be a major global data hosting and processing hub.”
“And this has never been more important to citizens, consumers, businesses and governments as we now live in a world where people are more connected and reliant on computing technology than ever before. We are all stakeholders in this data ecosystem, and balancing the competing and complementary interests of stakeholders is about striking the balance between opportunity and responsibility. Page: 844 This Bill is about striking that balance and setting down a baseline of a set of rules to govern the way we can continue to enjoy the benefits of this data-rich environment in a predictable, secure and trustworthy way. Privacy and data protection are not static. The longer we wait to create these governance models, the more we become policy followers than policy leaders. While I think this Bill is necessary, I must emphasise that it is not sufficient to achieve the balance in a way that will secure data as well as our digital future as Singapore continues to strive to position ourselves as a data and technology hub. The Bill, however, is an important step on a continuing journey to data protection as we look at how we modernise our laws to keep up with the changes and trends in data. Singapore has stood still for too long and others have set the rules of the game. We have seen our regional neighbours advance ahead of us in this area of policy or, worse, we have seen commentators position Singapore in a less than favourable light – either out of ignorance of the strong sectoral policies we have in place already, or out of mischief to drive a commercial advantage in the competition for data. Singapore already leads the region and the world on so many key indices, from network readiness, prioritisation of ICT, efficiencies of our legal system, and global competitiveness.”