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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“Sir, there is an increasing concern on mental well-being of Singapore’s population. The National Population Health Survey 2020 reported 13.4% of the population having poor mental health, of which younger adults aged 18 to 29 made up the highest proportion at 21.5%. Similar trends can be observed with older persons. Older persons are affected more by specific stresses in later life, example, ongoing loss in capacities and a decline in functional ability which could result in isolation, loneliness and depression. In Changi Simei, together with our community partners Changi General Hospital (CGH) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), we have been exploring how the environment can contribute to mental well-being for the young and old in our community. Studying unused common spaces in the estate, engaging residents to understand needs, observing residents’ rituals and ground stakeholders, we co-created with residents, volunteers and agency partners an open design Art Farm in one of our pocket parks. This is now managed by residents and volunteers, with the support of agency partners. Residents from our public and private estates are involved and enjoy the farm as they wish. The initial findings are promising. We believe that better understanding of the design of space and the involvement of community partners and residents in place-making and place-keeping can contribute to the mental well-being of residents across different demographic groups. How can MND support such efforts in older estates amongst community stakeholders to reimagine and co-create shared spaces in the community to promote residents’ mental well-being and inclusivity?”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for sharing about the cybersecurity health plan. It will go some ways to encouraging SMEs to understand their cybersecurity risks because it will develop. There will be a health plan for the SMEs. But just like all health plans, the real benefit is when you do something about it after you get your health plan. So, can I ask the Senior Minister of State what more can we do to shift the mindset of SMEs who need to focus on some of the business challenges to also give that right emphasis to be looking at cybersecurity and making their companies safe so that they can be competitive? [Mr Speaker in the Chair]”
“How have these programmes enabled businesses to digitalise, to seize opportunities and to raise their competitiveness? How is MCI supporting businesses to digitalise?”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. Sir, the fibre-based Nationwide Broadband Network (NBN) has provided the foundation for Singapore to become an intelligent and Smart Nation. It has made possible the high broadband penetration to households and businesses in Singapore and enables access to services. The pandemic has demonstrated the value of investing in the broadband infrastructure as the NBN has been instrumental in providing the connectivity for Singaporeans to work, learn and access services from their homes. With the acceleration and speed of digitalisation in Singapore and our Smart Nation ambition, the demand, volume and complexity of our infrastructure will grow exponentially. What are our next steps and investments for the next generation of NBN to build capacity and high-speed connectivity for future needs, to realise potential opportunities and to be prepared for unexpected challenges? Beyond capacity and speed of connectivity, security risks, privacy and environmental sustainability will also have to be key considerations as we plan for our future NBN. Digitalisation of Businesses Mr Chairman, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many businesses and demonstrated the importance of digital technology to enable businesses to continue to operate. While businesses do understand the importance of transformation and digitalisation of their business, current economic conditions and rising business costs faced by businesses, especially SMEs, do pose challenges. What is the progress of the digitalisation of businesses in Singapore, especially amongst SMEs? There are a slew of initiatives and programmes to support businesses to digitalise, just to name a few – CTO-as-a-Service, Digital Leaders' Programme, Industry Digital Plans (IDP) and Advanced Digital Solutions (ADS).”
“Mr Chairman, the Digital for Life movement was set up to promote digital inclusion, encourage and support Singaporeans from all walks of life to embrace digital technologies to participate in the digital world and enrich their lives. An important aspect that the Digital for Life movement is to promote good digital habits which includes cyber safety, media literacy and how to manage risks and handle online harms. I have been fortunate to engage with the Digital for Life partners and I am heartened to see the Digital for Life's vibrant and diverse ecosystem of partners from the people, and the private and public sectors. But as digitalisation becomes increasingly embedded in our lives, how is the Government enhancing partnerships with the people, and the private and public sectors to enhance the Digital for Life movement to scale digital inclusion to enable the less digitally-savvy to participate digitally in their daily lives and to allow them to take advantage of the opportunities presented? Digital Empowerment”
“Mr Chairman, the advancement in technology has given rise to people accessing news online both from mainstream media as well as other sources. 3.00 pm Based on a survey conducted in Singapore from the end of January to February in 2022, 83% of respondents indicated that they get their news online, including through social media. Public funding is being provided to our local media organisations to enable them to better service audiences in a digital age. There is increasing competition for eyeballs online. What are our local media organsations doing to capture the attention of news readers online to retain and grow share? With the potential of harmful influences online, how are our local media organisations building and strengthening their capabilities to engage audiences online and to maintain trust, especially amongst younger demographics? Digitally-inclusive Singapore”
“Mr Chairman, to achieve our target of net zero emissions by 2050 will require all in Singapore to work together. Businesses are important stakeholders in our green transition. To make the transition will involve adoption of innovative measures and technology for businesses to be more sustainable and efficient. Often, this means that businesses will have to incur more costs. However, businesses are already facing increasing costs of operations and labour. In 2022, and now in 2023, the unit business cost in manufacturing and service sectors rose by 9.6% and 8.8% respectively. It is projected that these costs will continue to increase in 2023. As we work towards decarbonisation, what are the Government's key measures to support businesses in the green transition? How will the Government make it viable for businesses to embark on sustainability initiatives to reduce cost? What support can be given to businesses to address current business costs pressures as they make the investments for the transition? Being able to report their carbon emissions will increasingly become a requirement for doing business in many countries as well as with larger companies. SMEs may struggle to account for and report their carbon emissions if they are unable to deal with such costs. Does the Government have plans to support SMEs in their sustainability reporting? Workforce in Power and Gas Industry”
“Mr Chairman, Singapore is a small country with limited natural resources. Our energy needs are mostly imported, with few options for renewable energy. Most of Singapore's energy is generated by natural gas. Lowering our carbon emissions while ensuring our energy security and reliability is a challenge. In Budget 2023, Deputy Prime Minister Wong shared that Singapore is working towards the transition to solar energy and cleaner energy sources. He also mentioned working with our neighbours to develop regional power grids. It is important for our transition to alternative sources of energy to be a gradual one. Our current sources of renewable energy are not sufficient to support all households and businesses. Even in resource-rich countries, the switch to renewable energy is not immediate and takes a few years. While more research is being conducted for more viable approaches to renewable energy, we will need to educate and prepare households and businesses for this switch to greener energy. For businesses in particular, the adoption of renewable energy options might incur greater operational costs. How is the Government investing to build Singapore's energy security to enable reliable and affordable sources of energy for businesses in line with our economic goals and environmental needs? Energy Security and Transition”
“Last year in the Ministry of Trade (MTI)'s Committee of Supply (COS), Minister Gan revealed Singapore Economy 2030 vision to strengthen our local businesses for sustainable growth in the services, manufacturing and trade sectors, as well as the Enterprise 2030 strategy to foster a vibrant ecosystem of Singapore enterprises that are future-ready and globally competitive. What is the progress of the strategies of Singapore Economy 2030? What are the growth and emerging sectors and how can businesses seize opportunities in these areas? Last year, the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) for five sectors from the Advanced Manufacturing and Trade cluster were refreshed. The refresh of ITMs aimed to better support companies in research, innovation and digitalisation. They also set out to help SMEs by providing avenues for partnerships and better position companies for global opportunities. Can MTI share more details on how companies are doing and will be able to benefit from these ITMs? The objective of the refreshed ITMs is to encourage the use of Industry 4.0 technologies. How are companies transforming and leveraging digital and tech solutions? How has the Government invested to transform and groom companies to adopt new solutions to remain competitive? Businesses in Transforming Industries”
“Mr Chairman, the global economy continues to be challenged with inflationary pressures. To stay competitive, Singapore needs to remain attractive to global investors. Global companies choose to invest in Singapore for our skilled labour, as seen in our Manufacturing and Services sectors. We have also focused on developing our local companies in these sectors. How have our Manufacturing and Services sectors performed? In order for our local companies to remain competitive, they need to innovate and stay up to date with technological developments to create more efficient processes. With rising costs of operations, businesses will need support. Amidst global uncertainties, in the past year, we saw retrenchment and unemployment levels go up as businesses restructured their operations. Some workers might be at risk of redundancy and retrenchment. Our talent base is limited. Businesses need to transform and build capabilities in order to create better jobs and remain attractive. While reskilling is important for workers to transition to more relevant jobs, there needs to be alignment of jobs in demand and training. What steps is the Government taking to develop the sector further to create good jobs in these sectors? Emerging Sectors Mr Chairman, Singapore's economy grew by 3.6% in 2022, amid a challenging economic environment and external backdrop. Good growth will create good jobs and sustainable businesses, and keep our economy resilient.”
“If we are able to plan for the reskilling and training of our talent in alignment with the profile of talent required to support the economic opportunities and growth, we will be able to grow a strong talent base and capabilities and provide fulfilling careers for workers. Overcoming Manpower Challenges”
“Mr Chairman, high inflationary pressures in 2022 have impacted the labour market. As Singapore emerges out of the pandemic, businesses require more manpower to operate at higher levels. Yet, some businesses we have spoken to, find themselves unable to fill positions for skilled jobs. Businesses from the manufacturing sector find themselves short of adequate talent, impacting the operations of businesses. As of 2022, manufacturing accounts for approximately 20% of Singapore's GDP. Widespread operational constraints will impact the industry, leading to a decrease in output as they struggle to fill needed jobs. Operational constraints will also impact our attractiveness to foreign investments and affect Singapore's position on the global value chain. What should businesses do to adapt to the tight labour market and manpower challenges? The Jobs Growth Initiative (JGI) scheme was successful in encouraging local hires amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Firms expanded their local workforce. With our tight labour market, businesses shared that talent is constantly moving around companies or industries. How do we help businesses find the appropriate talent to ensure consistent operations? Our talent base needs to be skilled to match the growing sectors that require talent. I had asked a list of questions on the capability of the new Job-Skills Integrators, how will they be supported and funded to work with businesses and workers. Does their role include working with businesses to align career planning and training to upskill their employees to stay relevant as the businesses transform.”
“An important element of the digital experience is availability of support or helpline when there are questions or when the service does not go as planned. Can Minister also share the structure of support for help for citizens when the service experience does not go as planned? Protection against Cyber Threats”
“Mr Chairman, digital services are now becoming essential in Singapore. Ease and confidence of using digital services does encourage the use and adoption, especially for the less digitally savvy. Can Minister share the Government’s assessment of the digital services experience for Government services? For less digitally savvy users, what is the level of adoption of essential digital services? How are we leveraging technology to make the digital services experience more natural and human or intuitive? What are the design considerations for Government digital services? There are clear benefits of reach, access and speed to making digital first our strategy. While we advocate digital to improve the delivery of Government services, I hope that we do not move to being digital only. This is not just to ensure that physical access to services is available and that no one is left behind, but also to recognise that engagement with citizens is one that has many touchpoints and channels. What is important is how we integrate the experience of citizens and their access to services through the various touchpoints. Digital is a channel for engagement and delivery of services. The focus is serving the needs of citizens and enabling the best delivery of services to meet the needs of citizens. Can Minister share the Government's plans to make it easier for people to use digital services and apps to improve their digital experience? A common complaint when accessing Government services is not knowing which agency to go to or having to deal with different agencies. Digital can enable collaboration across agencies and integration of the user experience to deliver a more seamless experience.”
“If the intent is to encourage and support working mothers to continue working after they have children, the appeal is to allow a hybrid approach of the new fixed WMCR amount for those earning less than $54,000 a year and the working mothers who have children after 1 January 2024 to continue to stay on this current system of using a percentage of earned income as there is already a $80,000 cap on the amount of personal income tax relief an individual can claim. In conclusion, Mr Speaker, Budget 2023 outlines the principles of how we will move forward together in this new era. We are setting our ambition to continue to grow and to enable opportunity for all. In our new social compact, we are appealing for all to do their part, and for those who have more to give more, while we ensure that we give support to those who need help. This will enable those who are doing well to continue to do well, and for all to have the opportunity to succeed and do better for themselves and their families. Mr Speaker, I support Budget 2023.”
“Finally, let me touch on two measures of the Budget and the impact these have on some of our residents. CPF wage ceiling increase from $6,000 to $8,000. The rise in CPF monthly income ceiling from $6,000 to $8,000 by 2026 will mean that employees will get more from their employers. This will help middle-income earners earning more than $6,000 per month as their employers will now contribute more to your CPF which will increase their retirement savings. However, my resident shared with me that this does affect his monthly take home pay as he will have to contribute to this as well. My residents did share that while the employees benefit in growing their retirement savings, in a time of pressing and increasing inflation, we must recognise that this results in less cash for their monthly spending. I just wanted to share the feedback on the impact in a time of inflation now. The other measure is the Working Mothers Child Relief (WMCR), which I think many have spoken on. The change to a fixed dollar for WMCR will mean that working mothers will claim the same amount of tax relief for a child in the same child order. The intent of the change will enable lower- to middle-income working mothers to get more tax relief. The WMCR tax relief is to encourage women to continue working after they are married and have given birth to or adopted children. The feedback I have received is that, and this is not just with the change, but over the years, when this was in place, many working mothers share with me that this tax relief does mean quite a bit to them. Just taking a rough back of the envelope calculation, this would mean that the working mothers who are earning more, around $4,500 a month, or $54,000 per year, will get significantly lower tax relief compared to the current system.”
“A point I wish to highlight and I hope that Deputy Prime Minister Wong would consider is the affordability of eldercare services for families that qualify for only a small amount of subsidies or do not qualify for any subsidies for eldercare services. While we must provide lower-income families with more help, we need to also look at how we support Singaporean families to care for their seniors just as we support all Singaporean families to care for their young children as announced in this Budget without means testing. The cost of eldercare services is not insignificant. Without subsidies, day care services can cost from $940 to $1,430 per month. Dementia care services range from $1,260 to $1,575 per month. I took these numbers from the AIC portal. For families that have both young children and seniors to care for, these expenses can put a strain on finances. As we plan for funding and support to increase the capacity and capability for quality senior care and services in the community, I do hope that access and affordability of quality and appropriate care for seniors in the community is not focused only on the lower-income. This is not only for the well-being of seniors but is important support for families and Singapore to enable our seniors to age well in the community. During my dialogue on the Budget last weekend with residents and feedback received when I visited residents, several highlighted the importance of work or organisational culture that understand and supports parenting and caregiving. Having financial support, work arrangements and policies that support parenting and caregiving are important. But this must be complemented with a work culture that empowers and fosters an environment of mutual trust amongst employers and workers, and between workers.”
“Budget 2023 outlined the importance of the family as the foundation of our society and enabling a Singapore Made for Families. The Budget sets out support for young Singaporeans to meet their housing aspirations and significantly increasing financial support for parents in the child’s early years as well as an increase in paternity leave. These measures are welcome. 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. While the Budget provides support for seniors, the enhancement to the care and support options for seniors in the community is still under study as part of the Forward Singapore exercise. The "infrastructure" and services as well as resources and capabilities to support seniors to age well in the community need to be increased especially as our population is ageing rapidly. Without such support, those providing caregiving will find it difficult to manage employment and caregiving responsibilities. Just as working parents seek quality childcare for their children, families with seniors also require centres that provide not only care for our seniors but also keep them meaningfully engaged. We are fortunate that in my constituency that we have service providers and centres that give quality care and have meaningful programmes to engage and help our seniors stay active. But there is need for more. The programmes are well attended and there is a waiting list for a place at the senior care centre. Seniors and their families share with me the value that these programmes provide and the services contribute to the well-being of the seniors as well as their families.”
“I am glad that the Budget will provide additional support to employers to hire senior workers who wish to work with the extension of the Senior Employability Credit till 2025 and the Part-time Re-employment Grant till 2025. I would like to ask how many enterprises have taken up the Senior Employability Credit and Part-time Re-employment Grant? What roles are seniors employed for in these organisations? In our engagements with seniors and with employers, a key challenge that the employers and seniors highlighted was training and re-skilling of seniors for suitable jobs. It is heartening to know that the pilot for the Jobs-Skills Integrators will be in sectors that have higher concentration of matured workers. The learnings from the pilot on training and reskilling of seniors to the jobs in the pilot will be helpful in providing insights to improve the structure and delivery of training of seniors and better align the training to jobs for seniors in other sectors in future. As job-skills integration is implemented, we should take the insights to help with the understanding of what structural intervention is required to make learning as systemic for workers in the workplace as it is for the young in formal education. There should be multiple routes connecting the roles, opportunities and commitments of individuals throughout their adult lives. We need to understand and support individuals to learn, work and age well throughout their lives, that fit their life stages and their abilities. If we are able to do this, it will grow a strong talent base and capabilities for businesses and provide fulfilling careers for workers. Let me now touch on the structure of work and support for workers who are caregivers.”
“How will those who are seeking to enter the workforce, those who have been displaced or retrenched or those seeking a career transition engage with the Jobs-Skills Integrators? Will the scope of the Job-Skills Integrators include working with businesses to align career planning and training to upskill their employees to stay relevant as the businesses transform? How will the Job-Skills Integrators be funded? I know there are a lot of questions! So, let me now talk a little about senior employability. With longer life expectancy and healthier longevity, a senior can continue to work productively and lead a meaningful life and seniors are a valuable pool of talent for businesses. In November last year, I raised an Adjournment Motion on Senior Employability. I shared the feedback gathered from our PAP Senior Group (PAP.SG)'s efforts to reach out to hear the voices of seniors employed and unemployed, to understand their experience and the challenges they faced in finding employment. Our engagements both online and through focus group discussions, allowed us to examine the matter from the perspectives of seniors and stakeholders, such as employers, HR professionals, younger workers who work with seniors and organisations such as NUHS who work on active ageing initiatives. All stakeholders agreed that it is not just the number of seniors being employed but the quality of the jobs and the work experience of seniors as well as seniors being able to fulfill the requirements of available jobs. With inflation, businesses are facing increasing cost of doing business.”
“While there are opportunities, with the current economic conditions, disruptions as well as uncertainties, business will be required to adapt and to transform to stay relevant and competitive. New skills will be required and jobs will change. This will impact young graduates entering the workforce as well as workers already in the workforce. Deputy Prime Minister Wong announced the Jobs-Skills Integrators, an interesting concept of intermediaries that will work with industry, training and employment facilitation partners to optimise training and job placements. Better aligning skills training to jobs will benefit not only our workers but more importantly ensure the right skills and workers for businesses. In our Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC)’s engagement with business leaders, a key challenge they highlighted is the difficulty in finding the right skills for roles, and this is impacting their operations and ability to take on opportunities and grow. I wish to seek clarifications regarding the Jobs-Skills Integrators as the devil is in the details. From what has been shared by Deputy Prime Minister Wong in his speech, the Jobs-Skills Integrators are required to identify skills gaps, scope appropriate training programmes and identify the profile of individuals for training and upskilling to fill the required roles. My questions are, how will the selection or appointment of the Jobs-Skills Integrators be done? Who or which organisations can qualify to take on the role of the Jobs-Skills Integrators? Apart from engaging enterprises and stakeholders to understand the manpower and skills gap in the sector, will there be support given to them?”
“Mr Speaker, many of my residents have shared that given the ongoing major global uncertainties and risks as well as inflation, the support measures announced in the Budget for inflation, cost-of-living and business costs are welcomed. While providing the much-needed support to cushion the impact of inflation, I am glad that this year’s Budget continues to give emphasis to the importance of growth, attracting high-quality investments and investing in growth sectors where Singapore can continue to differentiate and be competitive. One of my residents said when I met him at a recent house visit, “Regardless of support given by the Government, high costs will continue for some time. We need to also have a longer-term solution centred on growth.” Deputy Prime Minister Wong had said that, “Our best strategy to cope with inflation is to make ourselves more productive and competitive – so that our workers can earn more, and the increase in earnings can more than make up for the higher prices.” Growth does not automatically increase wages and Deputy Prime Minister Wong outlined the other key thrusts of this year’s Budget to equip our workers for good jobs and to strengthen our social compact to enable all Singaporeans regardless of their circumstances to move forward together in this new era. In my speech, I will cover the following areas: one, opportunities and preparing Singaporeans so that they are able to get good jobs and aligning skills training with jobs; two, structure of work and support for workers who have caregiving roles to enable them to stay in the workforce; and three, some of measures in the Budget and their impact on Singaporeans. Let me now talk about the opportunities.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for reiterating the rationale as well as the position of the Ministry with regard to the funding on the question I asked. I understand that no funding has been released to SMT yet, but when will the first tranche for FY2022 be released in light of the current situation?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister a supplementary question. As we talk about valuation and its impact on BTO prices, as we know, because of the current situation of supply, the affordability of resale flats is also in question. So, how can we assure people if BTO is not an option and they are going into the resale market, that it is still affordable, especially for first-time home owners.”
“The fear, real or perceived, is that the repeal of 377A will amplify this activism. But, similarly, I would like to caution us that with the debate on this repeal, we are also seeing a heightened attention on those that identify as gay. I also have residents expressing concerns of possible discrimination against those who identify themselves as gay. What is clear is that this is a subject that matters to many, regardless of whether we support the repeal or the retention of section 377A. What we cannot allow is for any persons, regardless of which side they stand on, to be labelled, discriminated or bullied. Minister Shanmugam and Minister of State Sun Xueling have shared that the agencies are looking at ways to ensure that discrimination is not tolerated. I would ask for more to be shared as to what the details of these are and to reassure individuals and groups that there are clear protections from discriminatory pressures, a cancel culture and bullying in society, in schools, and/or at the workplace. The societal values and definition of marriage, family and policies affecting our children are important for Singapore and Singaporeans. As we have done before, I do appeal to all, regardless of where we stand on this matter, we must work together and not allow this to divide us. I do believe that while the amendments strive to provide the legislation to preserve and protect our social norms, how we act will determine the Singapore we have today and in the future. I support the Penal Code amendment as well as the amendment to the Constitution.”
“But the anxiety is if this would make it easy for change as it will only require a simple majority to amend the definition of marriage. I have received feedback from some asking that the definition of marriage be directly in the Constitution so as to require a two-thirds majority and not just a simple majority to affect such a radical redefinition. The proposed amendment, I feel, is a balanced one, as it protects the traditional definition of marriage and pro-family policies while allowing our future generations to decide on societal norms. To give further reassurance, Deputy Prime Minister Wong has given PAP's commitment that the definition of marriage as that of the union between a man and a woman, will not change under the watch of the current leadership of Prime Minister Lee and if the PAP Government were to win the next General Election, it will not change under his watch. That is the reassurance that has been given. I think that that is a balanced approach and one that does seek to protect, the definition that the majority want to hold. Finally, I would like to talk about the cancel culture and bullying. We are hearing strong sentiments and differing views with the debate around the repeal of section 377A. From the reactions and feedback shared, an area that is of concern and we must address is that of bullying and a cancel culture. Youths and working professionals have approached me and expressed fears and anxieties with gay activism. Some have shared that while they accept their friends and family who identify as gays, they find it difficult to voice their opinions when they do not share their values and ideas, for fear of being labelled, bullied or cancelled in school or at the workplace.”
“However, that would be extremely irresponsible, as there is real risk that the very definition of marriage and the pro-family policies that the majority want to protect will be challenged as we are already seeing in several countries. On the point of why we keep section 377A, I think it is also important that I also share feedback that I have received from residents, that I have friends, colleagues, neighbours and family members, as I have shared, who are gay members. They, and even those who have asked for the repeal of 377A, do not view it as a crime that what consenting adult gay men have and do in private. But what it stems more from the fact that of the fear of what it means after that. What the repeal of 377A really does is it removes the stigma and the hurt that the gay people in our community have been feeling. And I want to say that gay males are fellow Singaporeans as they are and they can be your neighbour, your co-worker, your friend or even your family member. They contribute to and are part of our society and they too, deserve dignity and respect. Let me touch on the proposed amendment to the Constitution and the insertion of the new Article 156 and whether they will be sufficient to safeguard the definition of the institution of marriage and the associated pro-family policies. The new Article 156 subsection (3) and subsection (4), seek to protect the definition of marriage in such laws like the Women's Charter, the Administration of Muslim Law Act and laws that confer rights and benefits on or in relation to persons married under those enactment, from constitutional challenges. Pro-family policies of the Government, for example, in regard to housing, education and media standards will therefore also be protected.”
“Two, that the repeal of section 377A will encourage gay activists to push the agenda much further and this may cause reactions and divisions in Singapore as we see happening in many countries in the world. The concern of my residents is the divisions and what it may cause. Three, protecting people from being pressured, bullied or discriminated against when they do not support the same ideas and beliefs whether to retain or repeal section 377A. Many have shared that they feel that section 377A is a unique Singapore compromise. Its non-enforcement means our colleagues, friends, neighbours and family members who identify themselves as homosexuals are able to live out their private lives while protecting gay values from becoming mainstream. It has worked for Singapore, so, the question is, why the need to make the change now? Minister Shanmugam has explained the circumstances and that there are real risks that section 377A can be stuck down. Section 377A has been challenged as unconstitutional and continues to be challenged. The Courts have judged that such matters are sensitive societal issues and that it is for Parliament to decide. But the point is that if Parliament does nothing, the Courts will have to do what it has to do, when it has to do it. And when that happens, the apprehensions that have been expressed will become real. It is precisely that the Government, hearing the views of the majority, is acting. It is easier for the Government to do nothing – and in fact, politically actually, much easier, especially given how controversial this issue is.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am speaking today on both the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill and the Bill on the amendment to the Constitution as many of my residents have reached out or written to me since the Prime Minister's National Day Rally speech on the repeal of section 377A. They had asked that I share their concerns and seek clarification to address their apprehensions. This is a difficult topic with differing views but an important one for all Singaporeans. At this point, I should share my personal views on this. And I will say that it took me quite a long time to write the speech. My speech is not long, do not worry, but it took me a long time to write it. Because I had to ask myself where I stood on this. As a parent and also being a Member of Parliament for the last 16 years and seeing my residents when they come to me with issues, I have a very firm belief that the family is the cornerstone of society. I really believe it is the source of strength and it is also the source of weakness. Therefore, I do cherish the traditional definition of family. Being a parent for more than 30 years now, and being married for over 32 years, I will say to you, as much as I think I am a good mother, I have realised that my husband and myself play a very important role for our three children. I do want to preserve and protect the definition of a family. So, let me now summarise the apprehensions expressed by my residents and what they centre around. One, the safeguarding and the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman and pro-family policies, such as, public housing, education, adoption rules and media standards.”
“With rising prices and higher cost of living, I ask that we review and calibrate the AV eligibility criterion for appropriate support schemes for these segments. All said and done, while we are debating the need to increase GST and to provide support for those who need support, let us not lose focus on the need to continue to keep our economy strong and to provide quality jobs for Singaporeans. This, together with the right support for those who are disadvantaged, will ensure good opportunities for all to do well. And I think that is what we are all debating today; not just the GST increase.”
“The Government's approach ensures that we start building the funding required today, now, while delaying the impact of the GST for most Singaporeans. I have heard quite a bit of the speeches and there were quite a lot of asks to delay the GST increase. Effectively, if we look at not just the GST increase on its own, but the GST increase together with the other reliefs – both the Assurance Package as well as the cost of living and all the other packages – taken in totality, it does, in fact, delay and, in some cases, actually, for the lower-income, completely remove the impact of the GST increase. So, let us not miss the bigger picture. The bigger picture is we need that funding. We can say, delay the impact, but what about the funding? If we delay the GST, we delay the building up of the funding. So, what do we do when we need it? Scramble and figure out something at that point in time? It is going to be quite tough. In my speech, I have given focus to the "sandwiched generation", as they have to care for both their young children and aged parents and relatives and will bear greater financial strain with rising cost. While many do live in HDB flats and qualify for most of the components of the Assurance Package, there are those that live in private property that are above the Annual Value (AV) threshold for eligibility. I have also highlighted seniors living with relatives in private property, but do not own these properties. These seniors are not eligible for the GST Voucher (Senior Bonus) but may be less well-off than a senior living in an HDB flat that they own but eligible for the GST Cash Voucher (Senior Bonus).”
“Do not get me wrong. What I am asking is whether it can be calibrated to allow eligibility for those living with extended family members but do not own the property or can there be a higher AV threshold with a lower cash bonus for retirees that own the property but require support. For the sandwich generation, can there also be calibration to allow for higher AV thresholds to allow eligibility for the support schemes if they do meet the annual income criterion? For the sandwich generation who live in private properties, if the seniors who live with them or who they support are eligible for support schemes, this will help cushion some of the rising cost of care and the rising cost of living that many have expressed today. Although not directly related to the GST increase, ECDA's recent announcement of the lower fee caps for preschool from January next year at anchor operators and partner operators is, indeed, welcomed as it will help parents in the sandwich group manage cost. So, I hope that the Government will also continue to review and provide relevant relief in areas that can help the sandwich generation manage rising cost. We can expect that businesses, too, will be impacted by the increase in GST and will, inevitably, increase the cost of their products and services; and the consumer will, ultimately, bear the cost increase. Mr Speaker, taking into consideration the Assurance Package and how it will delay the impact of the proposed GST increase for most Singaporeans, I support the Bill. Together with the other tax measures in Budget 2022, it will give the revenue required to fund rising expenditures needed for social spending.”
“That means that $140 a year will offset 2% of the GST increase over the five years, which, effectively, means that for a spending of $580 a month for each individual – this is just the cash payout component – you will not be paying GST. So, it is not insignificant. It may not cover everything, but it is not insignificant. And it is also just one of the components. While I do not disagree that the value of the property reflects one's means, I have seen the need for support amongst some of our residents who live in properties that are above the annual value threshold criterion. A point that I have raised several times in this House is the application of the annual value criterion for those who live with their extended families in properties with annual values above the eligibility criterion of $21,000. These persons could be elderly parents or siblings who live with relatives as they need care or cannot afford housing. In several of these cases, they do not have means. But because of their residential address, they do not qualify for the various support schemes. With the trend of smaller families as well, people marrying later, there are also many more couples who have to provide for both their young children and senior parents and relatives. Some call this the sandwich generation. I do have such families in my constituency who live in private properties with an annual value of between $21,000 and $30,000. I would like to repeat my ask for a refinement of the use of the annual value criterion for eligibility for support schemes. For example, take the GST Voucher – Cash (Seniors' Bonus) in the Assurance Package. Seniors or retirees living in properties of annual values above $21,000 will not be eligible. I am not asking that means testing or the annual value be removed.”
“In my Budget debate speech earlier this year, I had highlighted the point about the eligibility criteria for the support, which I wish to reiterate. The annual value (AV) of residence or your home address is used as the main criterion for means testing and eligibility for many of our support schemes. I agree that we need to do means testing and that those who are less well-off and vulnerable must get more support. In the cash payout component of the Assurance Package, there is a change in the eligibility criteria where eligibility and the amount of the cash payout component of the Assurance Package are based on annual income and property ownership, instead of the annual value of residence. What this means is that with the cash payout of the Assurance Package, every adult Singaporean aged 21 and above, depending on assessable annual income and home ownership, will get a total cash payout of between $700 and $1,600 over five years from December this year to 2026 to offset the additional GST expenses. This means that retirees who do not have an income and those who are not well-off and live with well-meaning relatives or friends in private condominiums or houses, who usually would not be eligible for such payouts, will now be getting the cash payouts to offset the additional GST increase. I was looking at the $700 – the lowest of the categories in these payouts – just to get a sense of what that means for the individual. Let me just give you a back-of-the-hand calculation – not absolutely accurate but it gives you a sense of what it translates to. What it means, really, is, if someone falls into the category of getting $700 over the five years, what it means is that, for each year, that person will receive a $140 offset.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. With inflation and households facing rising prices in many areas, such as energy and food, many of our residents continue to express concerns with the higher cost of living. I think many Members have expressed that as well. GST is a tax on consumption. Although Singapore's GST rate, even at 9%, is amongst the lowest in the world, an increase in GST will still impact all Singaporeans and all Singaporean households, regardless of income levels. Hence, this is adding to the anxiety of many of our residents over the cost of living. While none of us likes an increase in GST, it is reassuring to know that with the Assurance Package, the majority of Singaporean households will not feel the impact of the GST increase for at least five years. For lower-income families, the Assurance Package will delay the impact of the GST increase by about 10 years. I thank Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for recognising the challenges and the inflationary pressures that Singaporeans are facing and for his reassurance that the adequacy of the Assurance Package will be assessed and, if the situation requires, more support will be provided – as what he has announced today, the increase of the $1.4 billion in the Assurance Package to stand at $8 billion today. So, if the situation arises, with the sustained trend of rising prices and inflation, I do hope that there will be timely reviews and adjustments to rising cost of living with the Assurance Package as it is dispersed over five years. This is to ensure that the support given does, indeed, provide the extent of the support, as it is intended to offset the increase in the additional GST.”
“A multi-generational workforce can also provide a platform for sharing of knowledge through mentoring and reverse mentoring amongst the different generations. We must do more in Singapore to understand and provide the environment to harness the strength of a multi-generational workforce. I do hope that MOM will agree with me on the benefits of a multi-generational workforce and will help put in place the right reforms in our system to make meaningful policies that will support this environment. I want to say that the Forward Singapore Movement provides an opportunity and an important platform for all stakeholders young and old, individuals, employers, Government, unions, educational and training institutions, trade associations and industry bodies to come together to chart the way forward for meaningful employment of seniors. My recommendation on structural change is broad as I am advocating a rethink of work and learning in the workforce, as people are living longer and healthier lives and are working longer. This change is not trivial. It will require all stakeholders to come together and take action to make the change if we are to tap the value of work of seniors and a multi-generational workforce in Singapore. What we do now will affect not only our seniors but our young of today, as they will be seniors of the future. I think that the Government will play a very important role to put in the reforms in our system to make this change possible and to help galvanise this change, to allow us to make meaningful senior employability possible. [Applause.]”
“Many organisations – I do not think we realise this – in many organisations today, there are multi-generations already there. Therefore, the needs of employees do differ between the different generations: the baby boomers, the Gen X, the Millennials, the Gen Z and now, the Generation Alphas. Factors such as one's tenure with the organisation, job type, job level add further complexity to this. Each generation has its preferences, working styles, its strengths, influenced by the world we grew up in, our work experiences and our life stage. Generational differences can lead to communication and difficulty of working together between different age groups in an organisation. Organisations must give attention to acknowledge and understand the challenges and put the right programmes, tools and processes to support and respect the needs of employees of all ages. A World Economic Forum, AARP and the OECD study found that investing in a multi-generational workforce actually increases GDP per capita by almost 19% in three decades. The key learnings that were released by OECD revealed that the multi-generational workforces increased productivity, leads to better retention of experiences and know-how, increases resilience and better access to multi-skilled teams and other benefits. Age diversity in the workplace means varied experiences and points of view, which can become a source of innovation, if we are able to harness the strengths and varied experiences of all workers. This will not only foster a culture of creative thinking, innovation, better decision making and progress for all but also address the ageism and unconscious biases.”
“There should be multiple routes connecting the roles, opportunities and commitments of individuals throughout their adult lives. This will mean that people may transition in and out of life stages, work and learning often. We need to understand and support individuals to learn, work and age well throughout their lives. People need to be able to access learning formal and informal and acquire knowledge in ways that fit their life stages and their abilities. An area emphasised by HR professionals in our FGD is the need for functional, technical and cognitive skills to support senior learners prepare and deal with career transitions. We need to recognise that senior learners may face a combination of structural, physical and emotional challenges in learning. Delivery methods should address the various needs and challenges for positive learning experience and outcomes. As people live and work longer, work and employment models need to be organised differently to allow greater flexibility for career, parenting, caregiving and personal obligations throughout the different stages of one's life. This is especially important for seniors. Let me touch on multi-generational workforce. Employers, younger workers and HR professionals we engaged, value the experience of the knowledge, experience and expertise of older workers as well as the diversity of a multi-generational workforce. Opportunities for mentoring and reverse mentoring were also highlighted. But as I mentioned earlier, the challenges were also highlighted. With longevity, an ageing population, technological disruptions and flexible work arrangements, people are working longer. It is not just a matter of young versus old employees but multi-generational, four or five generations.”
“Minister Ong Ye Kung touched on this point about life stages determining the different points in terms of health and I think we need to also look at it in terms of work. We need structural change to policies around learning, employment models, work processes, HR practices, career planning to enable seniors to have more meaningful employment and for employers and Singapore to effectively tap the potential of this segment and growing pool of talent. As people live longer and healthier, we continue to learn, we can be productive and we have a desire to contribute in different ways. This implies that many of us will continue to work as we age. This means that we will progress through our life stages in a non-linear way, where there are different pathways. Just as we allow for different pathways of our young in formal education, perhaps we need to re-think of how we structure this for seniors in the workforce to enable continuous learning and work. Individuals and employers know the value of continuous learning, the challenge is making time, making time to substantially invest in it. Hence, the vicious cycle of talent gaps and skills relevancy affecting both businesses and individuals. Structural intervention is required. For example, to allow a period of perhaps, maybe a few months for work related learning every few years. Then we will really build skills. Today, there is already significant subsidies and funds available for training and development. What is required is to make learning as systemic for workers and not just seniors in the workplace as it is for young in formal education. Making it systemic does not mean that it is a one size fits all. Individuals will want to make different choices, choices that will work for them.”
“And this finding corresponds to the responses by seniors. The employers also indicated that there is a shortage of manpower to send employees away for training. From the survey with younger workers, the findings showed a paradox, where a high proportion of respondents, which is 94%, which caught me by surprise as well, acknowledged the advantages of working with older colleagues and yet, a relatively high number of respondents, 78%, faced challenges working with older colleagues. I will not give you details of some of the responses they gave. These responses translate to the general sentiment that it is beneficial to work alongside older colleagues, but at the same time, one needs to recognise there are challenges in a multi-generational workforce. These challenges are attributed to the differences between people in terms of beliefs, mindset, values, disposition and working styles. I have summarised and shared what we have heard on senior employability from seniors and other stakeholders. While we acknowledge and recognise the value of policies and programmes available today that promote, support and advance the hiring, training and retention of seniors in the workforce, the challenges need to be addressed. My recommendations touch on two areas: one, structural change required in how we learn and organise work; two, the need to better support a multi-generational workforce. We are facing structural economic and social shifts. We have an ageing population, longevity, healthier life expectancy, declining birth rates, technological advances and disruptions. The traditional one-directional and linear progression of distinct life stages of education, work and retirement and how they affect meaningful employment need to be seen through new lenses.”
“While citing these examples, seniors and HR professionals acknowledged that it is often unconscious bias and not a deliberate attempt to discriminate. From both the surveys and FGDs, seniors shared that they worry about not being able to continue to work after the retirement and re-employment age. In Singapore, the Retirement and Re-Employment Act (RRA) protects employees from being dismissed because of age. When they reach the retirement age, which is currently 63, the company will have to re-employ them until they reach the re-employment age, which is currently 68. In the FGD with HR professionals, they highlighted that while the intent is to protect older workers, the RRA is a double-edge sword, leading to an unconscious bias against selecting seniors for roles. As a company considers hiring someone who is senior and has little "runway" to retirement, they may see it as a risk to hire a person if he/she turns out not be a good fit for the role, as the company will be required to offer re-employment for the person when he/she reaches retirement age. In the OECD report on Promoting an Age-Inclusive Workforce 2020, it was reported that across OECD, the hiring rate for older workers aged 55 to 64 is half that for younger workers, and the challenges in recruitment posed barriers for older workers. From the employer FGD and the online survey with younger workers, a significant proportion of participants highlighted the need for seniors to learn new skills, especially digital skills. Employers also indicated that seniors may not have the motivation or interest to attend training due to lack of relevance of the training content, or not understanding the language used to deliver training, not being able to follow the pace of training, or not having the time.”
“The inputs we gathered from online surveys and FGDs with seniors, employers, younger workers and HR professionals have informed the recommendations I am putting forward on senior employability. The seniors, employers, HR professionals and younger employees we engaged, acknowledge the value of the many policies and programmes available today, that promote support and advance the hiring, training and retention of seniors in the workforce. However, all stakeholders agreed that more needs to be done to address challenges faced and to promote active employment of seniors for more meaningful and happier employment. It is not just the number of seniors being employed but the quality of the jobs and the work experience of seniors as well as seniors being able to fulfill the requirements of available jobs. Ageism and the continued need to learn new things or skills to stay relevant amid the dynamic macro environment were two key challenges and experiences shared by seniors in the survey and FGDs. Feedback from employers, younger workers and HR professionals highlighted the value of the experience, knowledge and expertise of older workers and the diversity with a multi-generational workforce. However again, all stakeholders, including seniors themselves, shared challenges of managing or working in a multi-generational workforce. In the FGDs with seniors, participants shared their experiences with ageism, with many citing difficulties in getting the opportunity for interviews for the multiple jobs applications made. In our discussion with HR professionals, they did share that often business leaders may not consider workers above 50yrs for certain roles as they are seen as having not enough "runway".”
“In October 2021, PAP Seniors Group started our engagement with seniors aged 50 and above through an online survey. Nine hundred and thirty-four seniors of diverse profiles responded to the survey. To gather further insights, we engaged 200 seniors, including the survey respondents who were willing to participate in Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to have deeper conversations and dialogues. In addition, we conducted a literature review on senior employability both locally and globally. We examined the matter from the perspectives of seniors and various stakeholders, such as employers and younger workers who work with seniors. Contrary to the popular belief that one would retire, not work and "enjoy" life; seniors we engaged with shared that they want to continue to work as well as to do work that tapped on their capability. The primary motivation is the sense of satisfaction derived from the contributions made at work, amongst others, of course, more realistically, economic and some sociological motivations. The survey results corroborated with the qualitative responses of seniors who participated in our focus group discussions. We also conducted online surveys with the younger workers and employers to hear and examine the matter from their perspectives. In August this year, together with the support of Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI) and in partnership with Professor John Wong and the team from NUS and NUHS working on the Singapore Health District @ Queenstown, I joined a dialogue with human resource professionals and decision makers from different companies to understand their experience in hiring and managing seniors in the workforce.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above. Based on the United Nations' report on the world's population ageing in 2019, Singapore will be amongst the top 10 aged countries in the world in 2050 and the second highest country with the largest percentage point increase in the share of older persons in the world. Life expectancy, as we all discussed earlier, of Singaporeans is going up, and in 2020, it is 83.93 years with healthy life expectancy at 73.7 years for males and 75.2 years for females. With longer life expectancy and healthier life, a senior can continue to work productively and lead a meaningful life for longer. While longevity touches many aspects of how we live, work and play, I am advocating the need for a concerted focus on work and senior employability. Enhancing the employability of seniors aged 55 and above is not a new topic in Singapore. There are a myriad of re-employment, retirement and retention policies, financial support and grants to employ seniors, programmes to redesign work, to hire and support seniors who want to continue to work. The Motion today is to share the voices from surveys and focus group discussions on senior employment and to make recommendations to enable meaningful employment of seniors and the value of the pool of talent for businesses and Singapore. To understand senior employability, as part of the PAP Seniors Group's effort to reach out and hear the voices of seniors employed and unemployed, we conducted online surveys and focus group discussions with seniors. This enabled us to learn more about what matters to seniors in their working lives, the opportunities and challenges they face.”
“In fact, we are currently reviewing the EASE programme to explore the provision of additional items to further enhance the safety and mobility of our seniors within their flats, taking into consideration the changing demographic profile of the ageing population, as well as anticipating future needs.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his answers. I do have two supplementary questions. One is with regard to the design and accessibility outside of the flats, especially the older flats. There has been quite a bit of improvements with NRP and the various upgrading, but in terms of some of the older blocks, especially for example, those in Simei, where there is a level issue in the void decks because of the scupper drains. They do serve a purpose, but going forward, and with the advance in design and all that, is HDB looking at how to address the unevenness caused by the scupper drains, because the pathways are quite narrow for blocks of flats that were built during this time. My second supplementary question is within the flats themselves. Yes, the EASE programme has served the needs of our residents, in terms of helping with mobility and with the grab bars and the ramps, but is HDB looking at enhancing the EASE programme with regard to ramps or any other features? Because with the ageing population and those with mobility struggles, I think there is more that can be done around EASE and also, with regards to the width of the doorway entrances of flats. Because I visited many of my residents and I have noticed that the doorways are really quite narrow. Even if you have EASE and the right ramps, if the wheelchairs cannot go into the toilets or the bedrooms with ease, then it still does not serve the purpose. So, I hope HDB will look at this. Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. For the first supplementary question, I take note of her feedback and we will take it back to the Ministry. In regard to the second question, yes, the EASE programme is popular.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for his comprehensive answer but I do have two supplementary questions. One is with regards to the quality of jobs. Minister shared about the make-up of Singaporeans and residents and our workers in Singapore, in terms of the PMET jobs. Could he also share if there is any data, in that same vein, for leadership roles as the development has happened of Singaporeans taking up professional leadership roles in these sectors? The other supplementary question I have – it is very heartening to hear about the outreach on SGN and keeping in contact with Singaporeans overseas. Specifically, with regards to top talent for the key sectors that we are focusing on, what specific actions or initiatives are being done to engage and attract top talent back to Singapore to be able to fill those key positions, as we look at attracting foreign talents and specific support to their families in terms of transitioning, especially if they have non-Singaporeans as spouses?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I have one supplementary question for the Minister. It is, as Minister said, very concerning that there is still risk even with our multi-pronged approach. So, maybe I will turn my question around. I think Minister has done quite a bit of engagements with both businesses and and Singaporeans. What is it that Singaporeans, individuals and businesses, what is it that we need to do more of to be able to support this strategy?”
“Let me tell you this, in my head, I said that this person could not be the speaker. It was not a gender thing, but it was an age thing. I was looking for someone, because this topic was so complex and still is a very complex area, that I was looking in my head, a deep expert had to be one that "looked the part". And the pin dropped for me, because I was so embarrassed and this happened many years ago, and I still cannot forget that, because it is a check for me to say that: "We do not think we are, we do not think it is, but we do it"; we do it all the time. And that is why, beyond actions, I think mindsets are important. And I did a check yesterday, and this individual that I am talking about, by the way, is world-renowned, and she is still doing very well, and she is one of the world-renowned experts in this area and she is doing very well in that area. But let me now come back to this point. Mr Speaker, we all have mental models and biases. To realise the aspirations of enabling a fair and inclusive society for both women and men to achieve our fullest potential and progress together, we must recognise the need to make the mindset shifts, each and every one of us. One of the important points of this White Paper is that it is about all of us and not just about some of us. So, I encourage all of us to move forward to achieve this aspiration that we have for all of us to realise our full potential. With that, Mr Speaker, I support the White Paper.”
“But I will tell you, the nine months were challenging, your body just goes through a lot and the afterbirth is tough. So, I would say to everyone, do not forget that and, women especially, do not forget that you need to take care of yourself. So, while actions are important, let me now touch on an equally important point, my final point, on mindsets. This is going to be fairly embarrassing for me, but I thought it would make the point, because it is a personal story. So, I am going to share a personal story about mindsets. Many times, we do not realise our own inherent and sometimes unrecognised stereotypes that we all hold. I personally think that I try my hardest to be quite open-minded, but the pin-drop for me one day – this was a few years ago when I had a very important client and we had arranged for technical briefings and very deep technological briefings for the client with very deep experts coming in and we came to a very important topic – and I was looking around the room when I said to my colleagues: "Where is the speaker?" It was very important and I was looking around and we were all looking for the speaker, at the expert. And then, finally, I was told, "the speaker is in the room" and we looked around. And then I realised: "Oh dear, are you sure that is the speaker, can you all please check?" That is what I said to our team. Well, the speaker came on, spoke and, in my head, I thought it was going to be a disaster, or at least a mediocre session, but it turned out to be a very good session, because the speaker was a deep expert and, not only that, could actually relate it back to my clients' business and relate it back, a very deep technology area. So, why is this embarrassing?”