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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“Mr Speaker, I do have two supplementary questions for the Minister of State. I thank the Minister of State for covering the points and answering the questions I had. As the Minister of State has mentioned, people will still buy IPs and it is not just for private healthcare. Many of my residents have shared with me that they buy IPs because of sometimes long wait times and capacity, and to give them that choice to be able to shorten the wait times. Because the care at our restructured hospitals and our public hospitals are actually very good, but the demand is also very high. So, the capacity issue does incentivise them to want to buy IPs in order to have that ability to shorten some of the wait time, not just to see a specialist but also for scans and tests. So, what can be done on the other end to help people who do not actually want IPs but have MediShield Life, to be able to get more timely care in terms of tests, scans and all that, given the capacity at our public hospitals? The second question is with regard to the advisory on IPs because as rightly pointed out, IPs are very complex. Apart from the information that is published, would there be any possibility for additional help in terms of an advisory panel that people can call up, besides the agents that they are buying from, to be able to say, "Am I over-insuring myself?"”
“Speaker, I thank the Minister for covering the PQs quite comprehensively. Related to the PQ I had filed, can I just ask, because the Minister also made the important point that you cannot predict all disruptions and disruptions will happen. And because it is so complex – as part of my PQ, I had asked this as well – is there a requirement for organisations, not just the Government, to test their response and resilience plans more regularly? Because you can have the plans in place, but if they are not tested, you do not know whether the systems will fail and if they fail, it is also the response plans because the response plans are both operational as well as digital.”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. I would like to ask Senior Minister of State Janil on the upgrade of the NBN. When we saw the upgrade happening in 2006, we did see quite a few residents not signing up. So, as you talked about the half a million expected to sign up, I hope that there will be good communication to residents and businesses to ensure that they do sign up for it and not miss the cycle. And we just saw so much logistic challenges there. So, I hope that there will be a lot of communication to ensure that people understand what to do and when to sign up, so that we do not see a repeat of that.”
“How is the Government ensuring that Singapore's digital infrastructure remains secure and resilient so that businesses can have the confidence to do business digitally and offer their services seamlessly, reliably and securely? Digitalisation – Better Lives of Singaporeans Mr Chairman, the vision of our Smart Nation is, "a Singapore where people are more empowered to live meaningful and fulfilled lives, enabled seamlessly by technology, offering exciting opportunities for all." At its core, the Smart Nation is about people and making lives better. The Smart Nation objectives are to improve the everyday convenience and the quality of life of Singaporeans, drive greater business effectiveness and value and support new areas of innovation and ensure that no one is left behind. With the Smart Nation now in its 10th year and digital being very much a part of life in Singapore, how has the Smart Nation translated to opportunities for businesses and jobs for Singaporeans? How has the Smart Nation and the push for digitalisation improved lives of Singaporeans?”
“These were the findings of a report in 2021, commissioned by Amazon Web Services, amongst six Asia Pacific countries. With the push for digitalisation not just in Singapore, but around the region as well, there will be increased competition for talent. How will we ensure that we build the capability, grow and retain the talent and skills required to support our digital ambitions and growth? With the pervasiveness of technology and digitalisation, including AI, we can expect every job role to be redesigned in some shape and form. Most jobs will need some form of digital literacy. Training and reskilling will be required. How can businesses be supported, especially less digitally-ready SMEs, to develop digital capabilities to improve productivity and competitiveness? Preserving Trust in the Digital Domain Mr Chairman, in Singapore, with rapid technology development, the push to digitalise and the greater use and reliance on digital technologies is very much a part of how businesses operate and how people work across many sectors. For individuals, digital is very much a part of life – from our social interactions, buying and paying for goods and services to leisure and entertainment. With the increasing reliance on digital for how we live, work and play, how will the Government foster a trusted digital environment, resilience and security of Government services and the responsible use of digital technology, including AI? How will we assure our people of service availability, protection of their personal data and the security of their digital transactions?”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. Mr Chairman, as part of Budget 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that $1 billion would be put into the National AI Strategy 2.0 over the next five years to help boost Singapore's AI capability, capacity and value with the twin goals of excellence and empowerment. AI and GenAI have the potential to transform industries and improve our quality of life, reimagining the way we live and work. AI development and deployment are however, not without risks, such as bias training data or algorithmic design, privacy concerns with the analysis of large amounts of data, the complexity and sometimes, the lack of transparency of AI systems. There are also concerns with security risks with the sophisticate use of AI to exploit vulnerabilities in systems. Despite the risks, GenAI and machine learning with capability to learn from large amounts of data efficiently can predict potential cyber threats and secure systems. 5.00 pm For Singapore, the strategic bets are to leverage AI to address big challenges, such as population health and climate change. How will we be able to develop capability and enable improved productivity and competitiveness of businesses and Government with AI and to prepare our workforce, especially our lower-skilled workers, that will be disrupted by the use of AI to reskill and to be prepared for the opportunities? How will we address and minimise the risks of AI? Digital Talent and Capability Mr Chairman, technology is important but without having people to imagine what is possible with technology and capable of utilising, developing and innovating with technology, we would not be able to realise the potential and value of technology. By 2025, Singapore's economy would need another 1.2 million digitally-skilled workers.”
“Mr Chairman, Singapore's power sector makes up 40% of our emissions. Singapore has set very ambitious plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. As a small country with limited renewable energy potential, it is challenging to balance delivering sustainable, secure and affordable energy. The Singapore Energy Transition (SET) was launched in 2021 as a blueprint laying out the broad plans for the power sector to decarbonise and help Singapore achieve its climate commitments. The SET involves using natural gas more sustainably, maximising solar deployment, introducing regional power grids and electricity imports; and preparing for deep decarbonisation using hydrogen and emerging low-carbon alternatives. Can MTI share the progress of Singapore's plans to decarbonise our power sector? Is Singapore making other investments to green our power sectors with sources of low-carbon alternatives? In Budget 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Wong announced the new Future Energy Fund with an injection of $5 billion to help the nation transition towards cleaner energy sources. What are the key initiatives that will be invested in to catalyse Singapore's transition to clean energy? Nuclear Fusion”
“Mr Chairman, to enhance Singapore's R&D efforts, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced additional investments of $3 billion to the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan (RIE2025) in Budget 2024. The additional funding will go towards research and related investments in national priorities, which include deepening our capability in advanced manufacturing, sustainability, the digital economy and healthcare. 1.30 pm Can MTI share the progress of the RIE2025 plan since its launch in 2020? What initiatives will MTI be focusing on to build Singapore's innovative capability to grow our economy? How will we grow the talent pool in Singapore to help bring these innovations to market and strengthen the capabilities of our enterprises? During the Budget debate, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat spoke about the importance of building greater linkages and collaboration at all levels and of the innovation ecosystems. Can more be shared about these innovation ecosystems and the impact for Singapore as an innovation and business hub? RIE2025”
“As the hon Ms Mariam Jaafar has said, for MNEs to anchor their investments here, in Singapore, it is not an easy decision and it is extremely competitive. And in today's world, even more. What strategies are we exploring to continue to make Singapore a place that the best global companies will choose to locate their regional and global businesses? This is important for Singapore to have good growth as well as bring investments in cutting-edge technologies, know-how and good jobs. Can more details be shared on international partnerships and how these partnerships can ensure that Singapore remains at the centre of global trade? Leveraging on Singapore's status as a global business node, how can Singapore companies tap on the enhanced support measures announced in Budget 2024 to expand and capture growth opportunities to play an important role in regional and global value chains?”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. With geopolitical uncertainties, rapid technology development, structural disruptions and inflationary pressures, Budget 2024 signals the urgency for businesses to transform. It is no longer a good-to-do but a must-do if businesses want to stay relevant, continue to do business and grow. Business transformation is not easy as it involves business process and operational changes; the adoption of relevant digital technology; as well as the need to build new and deep capabilities of employees to address the structural disruptions. With climate change, we see increasing legislation of sustainability standards and disclosures. This will require that companies commit to and transition to sustainable ways of doing business, if they want to do business. With the Industry Transformation Roadmaps and the myriad of support measures to help businesses transform, can MTI share the progress of companies in Singapore, including SMEs, in their business transformation? How will the various measures announced in Budget 2024 come together to support businesses, including SMEs, in their transformation efforts especially in digitalisation, cybersecurity, sustainability as well as growing internationally? How many Singapore companies have taken on the support measures to transform? Position as Global Business Node Mr Chairman, Singapore has retained our position as the world's leading business hub. But Singapore's hub status is challenged with increasing geopolitical uncertainties, emerging disruptive technologies and BEPS 2.0. What efforts is the Government making to ensure that Singapore continues to be attractive and competitive globally?”
“Mr Chairman, the Government has outlined ambitious sustainability targets. In the drive to meet the targets and as a large purchaser of goods and services, public sector procurement plays a key role in catalysing the transition to green and achieving Singapore’s ambitious net-zero emission goals by 2030 and, subsequently, 2050. What measures has the Government taken in its procurement policies to support and encourage suppliers of products and services to the Government to adopt more sustainable practices and grow their sustainability capabilities? Are companies participating in the Government tenders able to meet the standards and requirements and the Government’s procurement considerations? Is the Government on track to achieve its green procurement goals? What challenges has the Government encountered in its drive to green procurement? Support for Green Transition”
“Mr Chairman, against the backdrop of geopolitical volatility, digitalisation and climate change, we are witnessing structural changes in the global economy. Singapore’s growth and success are dependent on an open and global economy. How is Singapore strengthening our value proposition to address the risks and capture the opportunities driven by structural supply chain shifts to continue to anchor Singapore as a trusted and preferred hub for trade and business? Public Resource Prudence and SME Support”
“Mr Chairman, in Budget 2024, as in previous Budgets, funds are allocated to support Singaporeans, reinforce our competitive advantage, build on existing strengths as well as upgrade sectors where we have competitive advantage. The allocation in this year’s Budget is $20.4 billion. An example of these funds is the top-up of the Financial Sector Development Fund by $2 billion. Other funds include the $5 billion Future Energy Fund to invest in critical infrastructures to catalyse the move to low-carbon electricity; the GST Voucher Fund of $6 billion; and the $2 billion top-up of the Edusave Endowment Fund to recognise and encourage our students to develop competencies, such as adaptive and inventive thinking, communication skills and civic literacy, that will prepare them better and be future-ready. These initiatives are longer term and span over a few years. What measures does MOF take to assess and ensure the appropriate, effective and prudent use of public resources as they would be expected to be expensed over multi years? Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Relief”
“The adjustment will help homeowners, especially retirees, who may not be well-off. Together with the 24-month instalment plan without any interest, this will help retirees who are unable to make the lump sum payment for their property tax. Budget 2024 is a comprehensive Budget. It lays new foundations and building blocks for us to build our shared future together. To achieve the bold ambitions set out in Budget 2024 will require everyone, Government, businesses, individuals and community to take an active role and play our part. Mr Speaker, I support the Budget.”
“In the case of retirees who have no PHCI, will AV be used as the means-tested criteria to determine eligibility? If the AV is even slightly above the AV threshold, they would not be eligible for any subsidies. I made this appeal in last year's Budget debate for a review and refinement of the means-tested criteria for senior long-term residential and non-residential care. If AV continues to be a means-tested criterion to determine eligibility, at risk of sounding like a broken record, I ask the Government to review how we support Singaporean families to care for their seniors, just as we support all Singaporean families with the care of their young children as announced in last year's Budget, without means testing. I am not asking for no means testing but a refinement of how AV is used to determine eligibility. The cost of eldercare services is not insignificant. Without subsidies, daycare services can cost from $945 to $1,430 per month. Dementia care services range between $1,260 to $1,575 per month before subsidies. For families that have both young children and seniors to care for, these expenses do add up. For retirees, the impact is even greater. Finally, I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for recognising the challenges faced with the increase in property tax in 2024 for owner-occupied residential properties with the sharp increase in the AV and for making the adjustment to widen the AV bands for the property tax for owner occupied properties. This means homeowners will pay less property tax in 2025 and following years if AV remains unchanged. As shared by CBRE Research, the adjustment to the AV bands will benefit the lower- and mid-tier properties the most with lower property tax payable in the range of 20%-30%.”
“It will cushion the cost of retraining and I believe will go some way to encourage individuals to make the commitment and take charge of their reskilling and career. This will require a mindset shift and support from employers, educational institutions and family for reskilling and work and managing the transitions. It will require adjustment to all stakeholders including the mid-career worker as going back to formal education after some years can be daunting. There will be other considerations, such as finding and deciding on suitable courses that will lead to better employability and better jobs and for those who are not taking full-time courses, the ability to manage work and study. But ultimately, for SkillsFuture to be meaningful for workers, reskilling must align to business needs so that the result is really indeed securing better jobs. If we are successful in making the shift to reskilling, as advocated in the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, I am hopeful that it will make learning as systemic for workers in the workplace as it is for our young in formal education. Let me now touch on healthcare and senior care. With household facing higher cost pressures and cost of healthcare, I welcome the Government's revision of the monthly per capita household income (PHCI) criterion for means-tested healthcare and associated social support subsidy scheme. As stated, with the revision, more than one million will benefit from the higher subsidies. I would like to seek clarification on the revised thresholds and subsidies for Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social and Family Development long-term residential and non-residential care. The details provided make no mention of AV. Is AV no longer a criterion?”
“As people live longer and healthier, we continue to learn, are productive and desire to be able to continue to work as we age. But we will progress through our life stages in a non-linear way. Just as we allow for different pathways of our young in formal education, I highlighted the need to rethink how we structure learning for those in the workforce to enable continuous learning and work. Individuals, as well as employers, know the value of continuous learning. The challenge is the opportunity cost and making the time to substantially invest in it. Hence, the vicious cycle of talents gaps and skills relevancy affecting both businesses and individuals. I had asked that we find ways to allow a period of maybe a few months of work-related learning every few years. Then, we can really build skills. The SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme announced in the Budget is significant. It will support all Singaporean mid-career workers aged 40 years and above with $4,000 SkillsFuture credits for selected industry-oriented courses in sectors with good hiring opportunities; subsidise full-time diplomas at the polytechnics, ITE and arts institutions and give training allowance capped at $3,000 a month up to 24 months throughout one's lifetime. These measures are meant to offset income loss during the period. It also signals a recognition of the structural shifts impacting employment and the need for the right support for mid-career workers to proactively take the step to reskill and to enable them to deal with changes in employment by being future ready to take on new and good job opportunities. SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme is indeed a structural change in supporting mid-career workers.”
“But it will come down to whether our local enterprises will commit and make the investment to do so while continuing to run their current businesses. When I was working in MNEs, I personally witnessed the synergy and benefits of collaboration between MNEs and local businesses, especially SMEs. SMEs can level-up by tapping on the technical know-how, expertise, financial strength and access to markets of MNEs. Many MNEs have initiatives to develop local businesses as MNEs understand the value of working with and building a strong network of local businesses to provide local market insights, tapping on the potential of the local markets and address gaps. It is a win-win for both the MNE and local businesses. Hence, it is important that our local businesses make the necessary investments to transform and be ready to partner and play a key part in the value chain of MNEs. The Partnership for Capability Transformation scheme and the enhancement that Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in the Budget will promote partnerships between MNEs and our local businesses. But our local companies can only do so if they have the capability. Let me now touch on an equally important point. For growth to be possible, businesses need people, people who have the relevant skills and knowledge to take on the jobs. The disruptions are impacting businesses structurally and, in turn, jobs. In an Adjournment Motion that I raised in 2022 on senior employability, I shared the findings of work that the PAP Seniors Group embarked on to better understand work and senior employability. One of my recommendations was the need for structural intervention in how we support learning and organise work.”
“If we do not grow, we will be worse-off in the long run as we will be relying on a shrinking pie and there will be less to count on. This is the stark reality and a timely reminder. We cannot do more of the same. Global uncertainties, disruptions and structural shifts, driven by technology and climate change, require us to make fundamental shifts and innovate to achieve good and sustainable growth. Singapore needs to continue to remain an attractive hub for businesses to invest their high quality projects, as this brings cutting-edge capability, knowledge and technology, and more importantly, it creates good jobs. The introduction of the Refundable Investment Credit, investments in AI, upgrading of our Nationwide Broadband Network, and the further boost to the RIE2025 plan, are some of the important measures that Budget 2024 is investing in for Singapore to continue to remain competitive and attractive for companies to invest in. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] But to realise the full potential of the growth will require our businesses, including SMEs, to have the capability to be part of that growth. Having strong local businesses will also improve Singapore's attractiveness for investments, as businesses looking to invest will require a strong base of companies to partner. It is critical that our local enterprises transform to remain relevant and the changes, we must realise, will not be easy as it will require new ways of doing business, harnessing technology, building new skills and adopting energy-efficient solutions. The measures and enhancements in the Budget will support our local enterprises in their transformation efforts.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, there is a lot to unpack in Budget 2024. It takes care of the immediate cost-of-living challenges, provides support for families and our seniors, supports individuals and businesses to be future ready for growth and jobs. The introduction of measures to anchor quality investments, invest in new economic sectors and major moves to decarbonise the economy, are welcomed but require large funding. Our spending needs continue to rise. The question is, will we be able to continue to afford such large funding. Deputy Prime Minister Wong outlined that our medium-term fiscal position is tight, but assured that if we remain in the range of projected spending increase, we should have sufficient revenues to maintain a balanced Budget. So, I hope that we continue to be able to share as we progress on our specific initiatives. My speech will focus on four areas: better growth; jobs and opportunities; healthcare and senior care and the property tax adjustments. With the continuing geopolitical situation, slower economic growth and decline in real income, Singaporeans and businesses have been challenged in coping with inflation, higher cost of living and of doing business. The cash support and grants announced for the AP and Enterprise Support Package will help families and businesses cope with current cost and inflationary pressures. But we do need to give focus to growth and quality growth. This is vital if we want better lives for Singaporeans and for businesses to be able to thrive. This point was aptly articulated by one of our residents in Changi Simei last year during our Budget dialogue. As we were discussing budget measures to support cost-of-living pressures, he reminded us that while support measures are needed, we must also "grow the pie".”
“With an ageing population, we have more mature workers and people retiring or retired and their incomes may be lower due to job changes, re-employment or they may have no active income. With the rising cost of living and the prolonged disruptions, these segments are feeling the strain of the rising cost of living. The reason why I am saying this is because half of the residents in my constituency live in private property, and the majority are in private apartments and terraces. Because our system of tax is progressive and it is means-tested for most of the support measures, many of the households do not meet the eligibility criteria and they do not receive the full benefits of some of the support packages. But I do want to say that given the current prolonged nature of the uncertainties and the slower growth, we may have to look at doing more for this group of people. I would just like to conclude and say that as the situation is likely to be prolonged, it is all the more important that the measures we take are sustainable. The key is finding that balance with spending for today to support the current needs of Singaporeans to improve their quality of life, while doing it in a manner that will allow us to continue to invest for future needs and growth. The reality is that funding comes from taxes, from how we spend our Past Reserves and how we accumulate our Reserves, and hence adhering to the principles of not spending more than the revenue within that term of government and protecting our Past Reserves has and will enable us to achieve this balance. So, I would say that I cannot support the original Motion, and I support the amended Motion.”
“For example, to help with inflation and the higher GST, there was the Assurance and the Enhanced Assurance package, for all Singaporeans aged 21 and above. The cash payouts were, of course, disbursed across 2022 to 2026 and there is a certain amount that everyone will get, depending on your property ownership. An estimated 2.9 million adult Singaporeans will benefit from this Package. There was also the Cost-of-Living Package and the Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers. The CDC vouchers were provided to each household. The most recent disbursement was in January this year where every Singaporean household received $500 in CDC vouchers. Government spending on other key areas is also equally important. On education, childcare, healthcare, senior care, training, infrastructure to grow the economy, we must continue to make these important investments to ensure inclusive growth. With the volatile geopolitical environment, Singapore will need to maintain significant investments in security and to invest and strengthen our preparedness and resilience against future disruptions by securing critical supplies for energy and food. The effects are long term and, sometimes, because the effects are long term, we forget and it is difficult for us to see the impact on the lives of Singaporeans today as well for the future. But the rising cost of living is impacting not only the vulnerable and the lower-income in Singapore. Singapore is an open economy. We import most of our goods and services and we are a price taker. With smaller families and people marrying later, or some remaining single, many have to care for both the young and the elderly.”
“The Government can only draw on the Past Reserves with the approval of the President. With the current geopolitical tensions, global disruptions and rising costs, it is appealing for all of us to ask for more of the NIRC to be made available to alleviate cost, because people are feeling the cost-of-living pressures. While this does sound attractive, we need to understand what the implications are. NIRC is a large contributor to the annual Budget at 20% for FY2022 and estimated to be the second largest for FY2023. As outlined in MOF's Occasional Paper on the Medium-Term Fiscal Projections and with geopolitical tensions and uncertainties as well as addressing internal needs of an ageing population, while refreshing our infrastructure and responding to other challenges, like climate change, we do have to continue to maintain and accumulate our Reserves. If we do not, we will also impact the stream of Budget revenue. Ultimately, it will impact also the taxes that we will have to raise if that base gets eroded. I do also want to talk about the geopolitical tensions and what our people are facing. What we are experiencing are unprecedented challenges and disruptions caused by the tensions we see, conflicts and also climate change. These are affecting costs and it is becoming more prolonged than we anticipated, from the pandemic to the strained US-China relations, the Ukraine-Russian conflict, the situation in Gaza and the Red Sea. I do not think I need to remind everyone of the challenges we are facing. This is impacting cost of living, and not just for Singapore, but across all countries. There have been measures to help Singaporeans cope with the elevated costs.”
“An example is the Job Support Scheme introduced in the Unity Budget in February 2020. This provided wage support for employers. It is very important to retain local workers so that people kept their jobs. So, they kept their incomes. At the same time, companies could continue to function and, more importantly, retain their talent; and when things recover, to recover. It is not a trivial matter. If we talk about accountability, accountability is not just in how much funds we have and how we are managing the funds, but also how the funds are used and the impact it has on lives of Singaporeans. So, I really implore that everyone, let us not forget, as we talk about numbers, we are talking about people as well. The impact: the amount that was spent on JSS was about $28 billion. And a total – just to remind everyone – of an estimated 165,000 local jobs were preserved. Of course, there was still impact on people's jobs, but it could have been worse. And as I said, by retaining the staff, it allowed things to recover faster when the tides improved. So, the key principles adopted by the Government to stay fiscally responsible and sustainable, the two key principles that we need to keep in mind and keep the course on that – and what are they? One, it is not just about the Reserves, but it is also the balanced Budget, the balanced Budget approach, and that we do not spend more than what we have in that term of Government, so that we do not accumulate debt. And of course, protecting the Reserves and that we only spend part of it, so that, at the same time, we can continue to re-invest the Reserves and protect it for when we need it. The Reserves are protected also by the fact that there is a second key.”
“Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Motion. Singapore's Reserves are critical assets and are vital for Singapore, as we have heard, many Members have already spoken about it. They are funds that Singapore can draw on during national emergencies, provide a source of investment income to finance part of the annual Government Budget and to maintain confidence in the value of the Singapore dollar through the exchange rate. But as a small country with no natural resources and an open economy, having the base of assets to provide a steady flow of funds is key to ensure that we have a base to draw on to handle emergencies for the benefit and quality of life for Singaporeans now as well as planning for the future generations. We are a little red dot and, sometimes, I worry that we forget that. We are not like many countries that have other pots of resources that they can draw on. We are not talking about just protecting the Singapore dollar. We are not talking about just protecting the currency. It is important. We have seen in recent times what has happened to countries. Things we cannot predict, on top of things in terms of natural calamities as well. So, I would like to remind the House that we are talking about the livelihoods, the lives of Singaporeans, present and the future and like Mr Liang Eng Hwa, I implore that we really take a fiscally responsible position and approach to this. As we witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore was able to draw on the Reserves to take decisive actions to protect and support Singaporeans. Yes, there was still pain; yes, there were still challenges. But we were able to make choices, take action quickly and ensure that we kept Singaporeans in a better position.”
“While we discuss building an inclusive and safe digital society, core to our Motion is our People. It is not about being a digitally advanced society with the best infrastructure, policies and skills or level of excellence and technology adoption. All these are necessary, but the purpose of an inclusive and safe digital society is to ensure that everyone can actively participate and benefit to make their lives better and that no one is left behind. But in order to achieve this, it will take all of us to do our part to enable an inclusive, trusted and safe digital society.”
“It outlines also our ambition and commitment to building a trusted and responsible AI ecosystem, driving innovation and growth through AI and empowering our people and businesses to understand and engage with AI. But it will require new governance models as well. So, my point is, to realise these ambitious plans, we will need people with skillsets in new areas of technology and cybersecurity. Why? It is to build thoughtful design and solutions to really benefit from these new technologies. What it also means is good jobs for Singaporeans. But in order to take advantage of these opportunities will require new skills. Organisations must make investments to support their employees in building new skillsets, educational institutions must prepare our students and those in the workforce for these opportunities, individuals of all ages and career stages must be open to learning and taking on new opportunities. There must be investments by the Government and the private sector to build deep skills. New technologies will allow for new ways of doing things and this involves more than technologies. We will need new thinking and ideas. And this brings me to a point about a diverse workforce. A diverse workforce will enable organisations to leverage different perspectives, skills and experiences because you need that to develop new ideas to grow and thrive in a digital society. This is possible. On that note, I do want to make a point to employers and organisations that we must tap on the vast pool of wealth and experience of senior workers and bring that into that diverse workforce to enable us to find new ways, both young and old, to create new ways of doing things with technology. Let me now conclude.”
“While digital literacy allows us to transact digitally, one of the areas when people do hit issues with transaction is the ability to get help to resolve these issues can, sometimes, be quite challenging, given how access to support is currently structured. Unless you are a victim of fraud or have been scammed, most helpline numbers provided take quite a bit of navigation. Prioritising support for those who have been scammed is necessary. However, users of digital services when faced with issues during their transaction, do also need support to resolve their transaction issues. I do agree that it is challenging to resource support given manpower constraints, cost and capacity. But as commercial businesses and Government services become more digital-first, we need to rethink the model of support and find more effective ways to provide timely access to support for users when they encounter issues with their digital transactions. This will reassure and build digital trust and confidence. Especially when transactions involve monies, it can cause anxiety for users, young or old. I do want to touch on another point about digital inclusion and that is about the ability to participate in opportunities. New areas of technologies, including AI, have the potential to enable new capabilities, cause disruptions, of course, but create new ways of doing things and generating new opportunities. Singapore continues to have ambitious plans to leverage new technologies to grow and bring benefits to our people and businesses. An example is Singapore's second National AI Strategy (NAIS 2.0), which was recently launched last December by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. It outlines both the opportunities and risks of AI.”
“I just want to make another point that, the Singapore Digital Society (SGDS) Report 2023 did say that 55% of Singaporeans aged 15 and above are willing to accept the risks that come with the use of technology and only 33% amongst those aged 60 and older. So, people are aware of the risks. But what we now need to do is to manage that. So, let me now also talk about the role of users and public education. Industry players and Government play a big role to strengthen digital safety and security and digital literacy of persons using these applications and online systems. Public education and efforts to equip people with digital literacy, especially for certain segments like seniors and vulnerable segments, have been effective and have helped adoption. But more needs to be done and more efforts need to be continual because the digital space does not stay static. But, I do want to make a point about each of us and the role that we have to play. We do need to remind ourselves that what we do to protect ourselves in our physical interactions should also be practised digitally. Take, for example, in our physical lives, before we let someone enter our homes, we would check on who they are and we would not let anyone suspicious or someone we do not know into our homes. We would not give our NRIC details, bank account information or ATM card to anyone we do not know or trust. These same principles and practices must be applied when we are online and using our digital devices and applications. Otherwise, no matter what measures and legislation are in place to improve digital safety and security, they would not be able to protect us in our digital transactions. So, we all have to do our part. Let me now touch on a few other points.”
“Recently, a young resident in her 20s came to see me for help as she had worked hard to save her money, and had spent a few years building up her savings, but as a result of an online transaction she made, unfortunately she lost all her savings. To add to it, she had her bank account details and credit card credentials stolen which resulted in unauthorised credit card payments as well. Basically, what it means is that with the new technologies and sophisticated tools, user digital literacy will not be sufficient to safeguard against digital risks. We must put more demands on Government, on platform players, telcos and device manufacturers to do more to improve the standards of security to enhance online safety of users on their platforms and for their services. But as we talk about the dangers and risks, there are also opportunities. As we put more demands on all the larger players, and the key players and stakeholders, I will say that there is also an opportunity for platform and service players in Singapore. Singapore is an advanced market with high levels of connectivity, as I have shared earlier, and also high levels of residents owning smartphones. The number of seniors owning smartphones has increased to 89%, as per the report I cited earlier. This provides platform and service players an opportunity to use Singapore as a base for innovation to apply and showcase higher standards of security. I do urge all players to do this, because as the Government pushes the measures, if all players come together, it will be a great opportunity for us to try new things, as Dr Tan Wu Meng had said, to really make Singapore that showcase to bring trust and confidence back in the digital space. As I have mentioned, it is key to building trust and confidence for digital adoption.”
“This now brings me to the critical point of digital safety and resilience which impacts trust and adoption. You heard from all the previous speakers about the concerns, the risks, the dangers. But I would like to just make a few points on this. Digital inclusion is more than access. It must be accompanied with the ability to use digital technologies effectively and safely and trust in the security and resilience of the digital environment and the platform in order for someone to really benefit from it. This includes important skills to stay safe online such as how to interact safely, how to protect your personal privacy online and how to effectively search for and discern information. The increasing use of new technologies does have its risks and safeguards against cyber risks, scams and misinformation is vital to increase building confidence and trust. With the increasing use of sophisticated technologies and tools by scammers, the number of persons affected by and amounts lost to scams is significant. Of particular concern are unauthorised transactions. While there are measures including legislation that have been introduced to safeguard the online space from harmful content and Government agencies continue to implement strategies with critical services and digital platform providers to prevent, detect and recover monies lost to scammers, more still needs to be done to secure digital transactions and online transactions and protect vulnerable users. When we think of vulnerable users, we tend to think of seniors and those less digitally savvy. Sadly, I have had both seniors who lost their life savings to scams as well as younger individuals who had been scammed, approach me for assistance.”
“However, a study by IMDA showed that while Singaporeans are more willing to try new technologies, only 55% of those aged 18 and above and 24% of seniors know how to use devices and applications with emerging technologies such as voice recognition, virtual or augmented realities. Singapore takes a digital first but not digital-only approach as a central organising principle to harness the innovation potential and productivity but still ensuring that those who may not be comfortable with using digital technologies not be excluded from essential services. But while we continue to provide non-digital options, we must work to encourage and enable as many as possible to participate digitally. If we do not, what it will mean in a digital first but not digital only society is that those who do not use digital will miss out on the ease, timeliness and benefits that digital can offer. Let us just take a simple example of the collection of the Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers to illustrate the point. You can get the physical CDC vouchers by going to a community club (CC). To do so, you will be required to make time to go to the CC when it is open. If you are lucky, there is no queue and you do not have to wait in line to get you CDC vouchers at the CC before you can use them. If instead you "collect" your CDC vouchers online using your Singpass, it would take you a minute or even less and you can proceed to use your CDC vouchers. The point applies to many other transactions that we do like banking. You can go to the bank to get your transactions done which requires travel and time. It also has to be done during the opening hours of the bank. With online banking, you can do so anytime, from wherever you are.”
“Mr Speaker, our GPC for Communications and Information is advocating for commitment of all stakeholders to build an inclusive and safe digital society as the pace of technological advancements has changed how we live, work and play. These changes have enabled ease and speed of access, ability to connect or interact, bringing benefits as well as new capabilities and opportunities. As we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital connectivity enabled people to continue to access timely information, services and to communicate. Businesses and work could continue – albeit virtually. Increasingly, access to many services for living are digital. From everyday tasks such as booking a taxi or private hire car, ordering food or making a restaurant reservation, making payments, getting information or directions, to accessing and transacting Government services and banking transactions. Even to get discounts requires you to scan a QR code or go online. For some organisations, job applications and interviews are done online. The latest news is availably digitally as soon as it happens or even as it happens. If an individual is digitally excluded, he or she will not get timely information, services and its benefits. It is therefore important to ensure that no one is left behind as we become increasingly digital. While it is encouraging to see in the Singapore Digital Society (SGDS) Report 2023 that 99% of households in Singapore have Internet access and there is a higher adoption of digital technology and skills even amongst seniors.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I just have one clarification for Minister of State. He mentioned in his reply that the two banks had done their testing – they had the plans, they had done their testing. But despite the testing, which was done annually, these errors did still occur and these errors were impactful to users. So, is there a need to review the kind of testings and the requirements for the reporting of those testings, or further measures to be taken to ensure reliability? I must thank the Minister of State for the earlier reply also, because I thought it was quite comprehensive. But it still requires the banks to adhere and also to ensure that the level of adherence is done.”
“So, before I conclude, I would like to say that while we recognise the benefits and should go ahead with legislation, we should not expect legislation to be the panacea for all issues. Lease agreements are between two parties, landlord and tenants. Ultimately, as in every good relationship, we must adopt a win-win approach, one that is fair and predictable for the tenant so that he or she can focus on growing the business, while aligned to market conditions so that landlords can continue to make investments to maintain the property and promote vibrancy. I am glad that the Minister of State has just reassured us that FTIC will continue to review and engage landlords and tenants to obtain feedback and, with the appropriate approvals, update the Code and this is important to ensure its relevance. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.”
“It sets out clear leasing guidelines and negotiation principles for landlords and tenants of Qualifying Retail Premises in Singapore. This is an effort by industry comprising landlord and tenants, who are the key stakeholders, and supported by the Government, industry experts and academia. The Code was developed and released in 2021 by the Fair Tenancy Pro Tem Committee which was formed in 2020 under the auspices of the SBF. The Code contains 11 leasing principles for key tenancy terms, confidentiality clauses and data transparency. This is important as it provides clarity on the terms in the lease agreement, easing the leasing negotiation process for landlords and, more importantly, for tenants, the Code addresses key concerns over an imbalance in bargaining power. The second reason is that there has been positive voluntary adoption of the Code. After the release of the Code in 2021, it is positive that over the last two years, major industry landlords and all Government landlords have voluntarily adopted the Code. So, that is a positive sign because, clearly, the Code is fair and for both parties. Third, support in place for ease of compliance. FTIC has taken several actions to ease compliance for landlords and tenants with the launch of a sample lease agreement template and a portal to facilitate joint reporting by landlord and tenants on deviations and FTIC has also developed a checklist for lease negotiations. Fourth, there has also been very active engagement with industry stakeholders. Through outreach and briefing sessions with industry stakeholders, which included the TACs, the Law Society and real estate agencies, FTIC has received feedback and has updated the Code. The Government has conducted industry and public consultation on key provisions in 2022.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Sir, with the trends and disruptions that businesses face, predictable and fair tenancy conditions and environment are key for businesses to better plan and manage. This is especially so for businesses in the retail sector, both large and small, as rental of premises forms a significant part of business cost. This fact was acutely felt when retail businesses were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic when the ability to operate from their retail premises had to be restricted or even halted. Likewise for landlords, both large and smaller landlords, as rent is the source of income. While I do agree that the balance of power does tend to favour landlords, as we give due consideration for the needs of retail businesses, we have to take a win-win approach for both landlords and tenants. If this is achieved, retail businesses can have fair and predictable rents and terms and conditions to allow them to operate in a highly competitive market while landlords can benefit from the occupancy and continue to invest in the quality of their properties and marketing programmes. As Minister of State Ms Low has outlined, the Bill seeks to mandate compliance with the key leasing principles in the Code, with permitted deviations that have to be jointly declared by landlord and tenant for all retail lease agreements with a tenure of one year or more. It also seeks to establish the dispute resolution process and officially establish the functions of FTIC. I am supportive and agree that it is timely to move ahead with legislation and compliance with the Code. Let me share why I think that it is timely to move ahead with legislation. One, the Code enables a fair and balanced lease negotiation process benefiting both landlords and tenants.”
“Mdm Lee and her sister currently pay for his medical expenses as he does not have any medical insurance coverage. The irony is that if Mdm Lee's brother or mother did not live with Mdm Lee but instead lived in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat, her mother and brother would qualify for support for eldercare services and nursing home. But Mdm Lee and her family believe that staying together contributes to the overall well-being and care of their mother and brother. I appeal for a review of the criteria to qualify for support for eldercare services, intermediate and long-term, to better support families as they care for their loved ones. I am not saying that we discount means-testing, I think that is required. But we need to think about the flexibility and also, the circumstances. And sometimes, we do it on a case-by-case basis. As our population is ageing, we will have more and more of such scenarios. Mr Speaker, our people are at the core of Singapore's past, present and future. In this complex and rapidly changing world, while the Government has to do more, our businesses, citizens and society, too, have to do our part. Working as one people, we have been able to weather challenges and emerge stronger. I am confident that as one people, we will move forward together to address challenges and seize opportunities.”
“Let me touch on our society and the value of support for families. The family plays an important and central role in our society. The family provides our sense of belonging in society and are our first line of support and care. With an ageing population and people living longer, families are multi-generational and caregiving needs will increase. With smaller families, some families need to care for both the young and seniors. Means-testing qualifying criteria for caregiving support for middle-income Singaporeans may work against some middle-income families that care for their family members. For example, a middle-income household living in a private property taking care of aged parents or siblings may not qualify for any relief or subsidy for eldercare services because of housing type. Let me relate an example from a recent house visit I did. Our resident, Mdm Lee – not her real name – shared with me her worries on the long-term care needs for her brother. Mdm Lee and her husband are in their 60s and do not have children. They live in a terrace house with her brother, aged 65 years old, her sister who is in her 50s and an aged mother in her early 90s. The family are a close-knit family. Mdm Lee's brother suffered from poliomyelitis, which affected his speech and mobility, and he is unable to care for himself. In fact, during the COVID-19 period, it was really quite trying for this family in terms of caregiving needs. Mdm Lee shared with me that the family does not qualify for any Government subsidies because of their housing type. As her husband, herself and her siblings are either retired or nearing retirement, she is worried about affordability for her brother's long-term care when his condition gets worse and he needs to stay in a nursing home.”
“This is an advantage if we are able to tap the diversity of the workforce. I have made this point in several of my speeches in this House, that we need to rethink the structure of work to make learning and training systemic for workers of different age groups and stages of life. With change, people of all ages in the workforce will need to acquire knowledge at each stage of their careers and lives. Apart from work, workers have to manage their different obligations and life stages, hence, learning has to be organised and accessible both online and hybrid-enabled access to learning to fit the learning needs and the different obligations, life stages and schedules of our workers. COVID-19 has also brought fundamental changes and shown us the possibilities of how work can be organised and where work can be done. These can provide opportunities to attract and retain workers as well as tap a larger pool of talent. But to do so, will require fundamental shifts in mindsets and policies around work arrangements, including flexible work arrangements (FWAs) and even retirement age. President Halimah touched on the need for broader and a more open meritocracy to allow every Singaporean to have the opportunity to take on meaningful work that tap on their strengths and to be rewarded fairly for it. I feel that our schools, institutes of higher learning (IHLs) and our SkillsFuture programmes, have and do provide pathways for learning, training, certification and credentials to recognise the skills acquired for our students and those in the workforce. What we need, is for businesses and society to recognise skills, competencies and experiences of workers of all ages and qualifications, and not just academic levels of attainment for job opportunities and qualification.”
“Adapting is not just about being flexible and making changes rapidly, but making the right changes. The irony is that in order to deal with changes and to be confident in making the right changes, it will require effort to understand and discern. Acquiring knowledge is essential but not sufficient. The need to analyse data and information, to ask questions and understand in order to use and build on the knowledge is essential. To be adaptable, our students will need to build their problem-solving skills and creativity. With the pace of change and the complexity of the changing landscape, to prepare our students for success, we must also develop them to collaborate well with others and to communicate confidently to articulate their ideas and thoughts. As outlined in the MOE addendum, how teaching is done in our schools has evolved. An example is Subject-Based Banding (SBB), which caters to the diverse interest and needs of students by allowing secondary school students to learn subjects based on their strengths and learning needs. To support our students to be able to collaborate and communicate effectively, schools will also need to continue to provide ample opportunity for students to do team-based learning around projects and problem solving. These skills will train our students to collaborate with diverse groups and also require them to communicate effectively. This will prepare our students and give them life skills and the confidence for opportunities in Singapore and overseas, both in school and in the future. Let me now touch on those in the workforce. With people living longer and healthier, our workforce is multi-generational. The needs and experience of workers differ between generations in the workforce.”
“It is heartening that MOE will invest more in preschool education especially for children from disadvantaged families. Studies have shown that access to quality childcare and early childhood education develops foundational skills and helps boost math and reading in children. For our young, building strong foundational knowledge and skills, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), is crucial. With rapid digitalisation, technology skills need to be part of core curriculum. With how technologies are evolving and the potential benefits and risks they pose, technology skills are essential not only to enable use and leverage of these technologies and tools. Equally important, is the understanding of the pros and cons to enable discernment and appropriate use. For example, the benefits of ChatGPT, which everyone has been talking about. ChatGPT gives the ease of use with human-like conversations, extensive applications to produce text, images, music and code – to just name a few. But just last week, an article in The Straits Times highlighted what seemed realistic artificial intelligence- (AI) generated images that surfaced in recent months and the difficulty to differentiate a fake photo from the real one. There are both benefits and risks as AI and new technologies continue to play a bigger role in our work and lives. With increasing use of technologies, there are rising concerns around privacy, biases and discrimination. Policies are needed to protect, but with a balance so as not to impede the benefits to be derived from these technologies. This is an area that the Government will need to continue to monitor and manage. In a fast-changing landscape and with disruptions, we will need to be agile and adapt quickly.”
“Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion. "A Different World", "realities we have to adapt to", "As a small nation, we must take the world as it is", "challenges" and "opportunities". These were points highlighted by President Halimah in her speech at the Opening of the Second Session of this 14th Parliament. But she reminded us that "we are far from powerless". Our history and what we have achieved as a nation today has shown that our strength has and continues to be our people and our will as one people, Government, businesses and citizens "working together to make the improbable, possible". There are many important aspects that President Halimah has covered in her speech and plans that the Ministries have also outlined in the various addenda to her speech. In my speech today, I will touch on two areas which I feel are important for Singapore and Singaporeans to be ready and more importantly, confident for the changes we are facing and to remain relevant now and in the future. They are: one, education and continual learning – to equip Singaporeans and expand opportunities throughout life for all; and two, a society that values and support families. Let me now touch on education and continual learning. For our young: with the fast pace of change and rapid digitalisation across many aspects of work and life, what we teach, how we teach and when learning happens has changed and will need to continue to transform. In schools, we are preparing our young for work and careers that do not exist today. The Ministry of Education's (MOE's) addendum to the President's Address outlines its commitment to quality education and strong foundation for every child, while breaking new ground to adapt to the changing landscape.”
“It took our resilience as one people, public and private sectors, civil society and strong leadership to protect lives and livelihoods that brought us to this new normal. I am confident that as One People and with our learnings from our COVID-19 journey, we will be able to work together to better prepare ourselves for the next pandemic and future crisis. Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.”
“" I am proposing that one, we identify, designate and setup in "peacetime" trusted nodes of frontline crisis communication by areas or by constituencies, closer to the community. Two, establish standard operating procedures (SOP) of communication with residents and channels of engagement and points of contacts, for example, the number to call, email addresses and WhatApp. Three, establish SOPs for two-way communication and appropriate engagement between the nodes and agencies including the latest information updates and escalation handling. This will enable not just communication of information to the public but also facilitate the resolution of issues faced by individuals and channels of feedback for changing needs within the community to the agencies. Just like with business continuity plans, there is a need to conduct regular exercises to activate these nodes of frontline crisis communications and involvement of all stakeholders including the community, in "testing" the communication flows among stakeholders and for familiarisation. Just to be clear, what I mean by "community" is including residents and citizens, so that they get familiar with the nodes of communication. While my recommendations are not novel and parts of this already exists, what I am proposing is a deliberate move to forward plan, as Deputy Prime Minister Wong has said earlier, and put in place a network and system for frontline communications and crisis communication closer to the community that is regularly exercised and tested, so that we can activate them during a pandemic or any other national crisis. Mr Speaker, the three years of dealing with COVID-19 demanded a lot from our people, organisations and Government.”
“With vaccination-differentiated safe management measures (VDS), he was unable to gain access to most places as his TraceTogether App indicated that his "vaccination was in progress". These examples related to vaccination and the TraceTogether app, but there were similar situations because of the changes with regards to quarantine order and isolation measures or safe management measures (SMMs) or border measures. In the spirit of learning from our experience and what concrete actions that we can take to better prepare for future pandemics and help us deal with other national crisis, I would like to make some recommendations. I agree with Lesson 07 of the White Paper which outlines the importance of continuing to deliver transparent and clear public communications to build trust and ensure effective response in a crisis. From the examples that I shared, there is also a need for channels of effective two-way communications and engagement for support and help when individual situations required it. The White Paper rightly outlined that we should have directed more resources to frontline crisis communication, especially at case management and the need for tight information flow between the various stakeholders. I agree and I recommend that we should also consider bringing this closer to the community and build structures and capability in "peace time" to achieve this. What do I mean by this? While directing more resources is required, from past experience, we have seen that even with more resources directed, it is not always possible or sustainable to resource support for peak loads. As the Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had said in his speech, "realistically we can plan or invest but we cannot plan for every situation.”
“We must give credit that public communications was well-managed overall. But as with all things, there were challenges related to the access of information or clarity, and that affected individual situations which did have ramifications on their movement, access to services and safety. Communications was not easy given that there was constant change and need for adaptation. To illustrate the point, let me give some examples – this is not exhaustive – of appeals for help that I received from residents. These examples will give a sense of the challenges faced with the last mile of communication. Example one, I had a resident who needed help with test results and status as well as update of TraceTogether App status. She made numerous attempts to call the MOH hotline to seek clarity but was unsuccessful over the course of more than a week. Even when she did get her call answered the persons who handled her call were unable to advise her or they gave her conflicting information. Why she needed the information was because she was required to provide her employer with the information as it was more than nine days that she had been away from work. Example two, this example related to the vaccination status on the TraceTogether App. For this resident, after receiving the second vaccination, his vaccination status was not updated. Even after waiting for two weeks after the second vaccination and sending the query form as directed by the MOH website and calling the hotline, he was informed that nothing could be done and that the matter was being escalated. When the resident reached out to me, it was already a month.”
“" And I think, it is important to remember, the purpose of why we are doing this – it is about lives and livelihoods. The White Paper is comprehensive. The Prime Minister Office (PMO) team and Mr Peter Ho who put it together have given a good account of our journey through the pandemic, covered the major areas and issues and lessons learnt. I will not be able to do justice to the details in the White Paper in such a short speech and I am not intending to. My speech today will focus on my experience and engagements with residents during the height of the pandemic, the period termed in the White Paper as the "Rocky Transition" and the period of "Learning to live with COVID-19", the challenges they faced, my learnings and thoughts on what we could do, in terms of engagement and support, to better prepare for the next pandemic. In all stages of the pandemic, we must acknowledge that in order to protect lives and livelihoods, it required adapting as the situation changed. This naturally made communication challenging and with many parties involved, there were many moving parts to deal with, and things did get complex and at times confusing for individuals and their families. On balance, as outlined in the White Paper, we maintained effective, timely and accurate communication. With channels like the Multi-Ministry Task Force (MTF) press conferences, a dedicated Gov.sg WhatsApp channel, timely sharing of information, both good and bad, as well as the outlining of plans, these played a major role in maintaining public trust. The efforts to ensure the countering of misinformation and scams and corrective actions like Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) prevented the spread of falsehoods and panic amongst our people.”
“Mr Speaker, as I was reading the White Paper, the experience and emotions were surreal. As I looked back, I cannot help but remember my interactions and engagements with residents as they reached out for assistance during the pandemic, which I think I should share some of it. Much has happened over the last three years and what has made it possible for us to be where we are today are the close partnership and trust amongst all stakeholders – Government, agencies, businesses, private and people sectors and, most importantly, Singaporeans and those living in Singapore and interacting with Singaporeans. We must thank our frontline workers and everyone who contributed, many who worked hard behind the scenes, unknown and unseen, and probably will never be known by many of us, and the many sacrifices that were made in this journey. While we debate today on what went right or wrong, let us not miss some key points made in the White Paper which I think are worth repeating. I quote, "On key events and major issues, the lessons to be drawn are quite clear. We need to learn them well and make full use of our experience to prepare Singapore for the next pandemic." Secondly, what we experienced with COVID-19 was different from SARS and we can expect that the next pandemic will be different from COVID-19. Hence, we must be prepared for surprises and challenges. While "we must learn from the past, there will be a need to adapt and be flexible". Finally, we should use the lessons captured to help those dealing with the next pandemic "to avoid some of the errors we made and improve on what we have done right this time, in order to protect the lives and livelihoods of Singaporeans.”
“The common shared spaces could include pocket parks, underutilised urban spaces and shared lanes in the private and public estates. Such spaces create opportunities for new nature spaces for mindful living and activities for the young and old; senior empowerment and volunteerism, youth spaces; inter-generational resident engagement. Nature Parks in the Community”