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 Chairman, with the transformation and changes that we are witnessing, the public sector too needs to build capability to stay relevant. A key role that the public sector plays is that of steward of public resources. Can Minister share what MOF has done to build up public sector capabilities in areas of procurement, grants management, internal audit and shared services to enable better governance, value for money and benefits for the businesses and citizens? With digitalisation and the pace of change, traditional Government procurement processes will need to evolve as current tender procurement processes may not always work. The effective use of technology and digitalisation enables agility, speed and the capability to do things differently. How has MOF leveraged digitalisation to strengthen public sector capabilities and processes, to transform the way work is done and improve how citizen services are delivered? Transforming public sector services is not just about application of technology or digitalising. It involves relooking at how things are done and in some cases, completely new ways of doing things. Digitalisation enabled by new technologies and platforms is also increasing citizen engagement and feedback with Government. This is changing the dynamics of citizen and Government engagement and will require public officers to have new mindsets, technology and leadership skills. How is the public sector developing public officers, bringing in new talent and competencies and ensuring the retention of subject matter expertise?”
“Mr Chairman, COVID-19 has provided the impetus for many Singaporeans and businesses to adopt the use of e-payments. E-payments make real-time payments between individuals; consumers and business; or business-to-business convenient, seamless and fast. It takes away the need and the risk of carrying and handling cash, saving time and effort, and is safer. There are clear benefits of using e-payment and we have been helping our residents as well as businesses in using and adopting e-payments. But we do still receive requests and feedback to ensure that e-payment does not become the only mode of payment, Because there are segments amongst our residents and even small businesses that prefer to continue to use physical cash. A case in point is that, during COVID, the bank branch in our constituency was closed. You would not believe the number of emails and requests I had to talk to the bank just to get the bank to open and there were long queues. I was sent photographs of long queues at other bank branches near our constituency that residents needed to go to. So, clearly, there is anxiety and people like to still handle cash and there is also anxiety about security. This has been conveyed. So, I would like MAS to give us an update on whether Singapore residents have been more receptive to e-payments in the past year, albeit that COVID-19 would have driven some of that. But what steps has MAS taken to ensure that the less digitally savvy amongst us are not left behind? Option for PIN-only Bank Cards”
“Mr Chairman, in 24 November 2014, the Smart Nation initiative was launched by Prime Minister Lee. At the launch, Prime Minister Lee outlined Singapore vision to be a Smart Nation. He said, I quote, "Our vision is for Singapore to be a Smart Nation – a nation where people live meaningful and fulfilled lives, enabled seamlessly by technology, offering exciting opportunities for all." Echoing this, Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Office said, and I quote, "How do we include everyone in the digital revolution? This is all about designing solutions for people, and not the other way round." Now, more than six years into our journey to make Singapore a Smart Nation, can the Minister share how we are making our vision of Smart Nation real and tangible for Singaporeans and Singapore? In the last year, we have seen how COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of digital, affecting many aspects of our work and life, changing how we work, live and play. Digital solutions enable new capabilities, allowing us to reimagine the way things are done. And in doing so, how we have and how are we continuing to ensure that no one is left behind in our drive to being a Smart Nation? In my Budget debate speech earlier this week, I did give the example of my resident struggling to get a simple task as the process had been digitalised. And I had shared that it was not an aversion. It was because of a gap in tech savviness but not an aversion to use in tech. So, in our process of digitalisation, are we going to make an effort to drive a Smart Nation and design solutions for our people who are less tech savvy. How can we make it such that we make technology disappear? Personalised Smart Nation Initiatives”
“Mr Speaker, as we continue to support workers and businesses still suffering from the impact of COVID-19, we must move from containment to decisively positioning for transformation and invest in the future in order to emerge stronger. I support the Budget. 2.14 pm”
“COVID-19 has also accelerated the pace of disruptions and impacted jobs and employment. All segments of society have not been spared and the impact on jobs has not been seen only on the lower income or the low-wage workers, but also on the middle and the PMETs. While there are support packages in last year's five Budgets to help workers and families, for example, the COVID-19 Support Grant, the Self- Employed Person Income Relief Scheme, GST Vouchers, many in the middle income were not eligible given the criterion of annual value of the homes they live in. I do agree on the need for eligibility criteria for support schemes as funds are finite. However, some of these criteria may be too broad and may miss those that should be supported or result in a delay in the support reaching them, as the exceptions are being reviewed and approved. With the pace of disruptions or shocks like COVID-19, while individuals may have assets like their home, they do need short-term support to help them tide over. In some cases, the affected individuals do not own the properties they live in. For means-testing for application and eligibility for short-term support to assist individuals and families to manage such disruptions, I would like to ask the Minister if consideration can be made to remove the criterion of annual value of the property of the home, for those who own one property or do not own the property they live in. I know this is a tough decision but I hope that some consideration can be made because we have seen the exception was quite large during this period because of the short-term needs.”
“And he was really at a loss. He came to see me and he said, "I received an SMS saying I had to go and do an inspection." And he tried to call, could not get through, went down to get his inspection done. And lo and behold, guess what? He could not get his inspection done because he did not make an appointment and he could only made an appointment online. So, he came to me and said, "Jessica, can you tell me what is an 'e-letter'?" He showed me an SMS and said, "What is an 'e-letter'?" And it really dawned on me that things we take for granted, things that we do daily and we think it is something that is a matter of fact in the digital world – I mean, he is the phone, he is using a smartphone but he did not know what an "e-letter" was. And then, I said, "Let me try and show you", because he said all the information is inside in this "e-letter". So, I tapped. And guess what? I realised he is not connected to data. And then, he did not have his SingPass! You get the point. So, basically, what happened was, we set it up and he is now being supported by a Digital Ambassador. The point I want to make here is that you can see from the story that while my resident was not tech savvy, the gap was not caused by a resistance to getting help, a resistance to use the digital. Rather, it shows that there are many moving parts. And it is not just about technology but the changes and how we do things, things that we take for granted and leads to a vicious cycle. So, what this shows, it takes a whole system's approach and change management to bring people along. We must all participate to ensure that while the progress and support are available, each of us need to make sure that we bring everyone along.”
“Deputy Prime Minister Heng also said that the Government will continue to absorb the GST on publicly subsidised healthcare and education. The question is: why raise tax, then give reliefs? I think Deputy Prime Minister Heng also said in his speech was the majority or 60% of the net GST borne by households and individuals is actually borne by foreigners residing in Singapore, tourists and the top 20% of resident households. The question I have is that, with the impact of COVID and the lower number of tourists as well as the impact of COVID-19 on foreigners working and living in Singapore, how does this affect that amount that was projected for the GST increase? And will it be sufficient to fund the increase in healthcare spending? If not, then is the Government considering other forms of tax to fund increasing healthcare spending? And if so, I do hope that it would be calibrated and that we would not be implementing similar caps as we saw in Budget 2016 on total tax relief because at that time, I had feedback from many working mothers claiming the Working Mother's Child Relief, who were impacted and had to pay higher taxes. I know, if you need to spend more, something has to give, you have to pay it somehow. But it is affecting a big group of middle income. Now, let me touch on the point of leaving no one behind. COVID-19 has and made more evident potential gaps. Digitalisation and the need for and increasing reliance on digital, while not intentional, does increase the risk of alienating some segments of the population and increasing the divide. Let me just share a very simple story of a resident who came to see me and the pin really dropped for me then. He said he had a simple task to do. He had to get PMD inspected before he would be slapped to the penalty.”
“It is indeed heartening that the number of women in science, tech, engineering and maths, or STEM as we call it, in our University cohort in 2019 was up to 41%, from 38% in 2017. But data from IMDA does shown that representation of women in this sector is still not as high. It is at 30%. So, with the strong trend in digitalisation and the competition for talent, employers must leverage the talent pool of women in STEM or risk missing out on tapping on almost half of the talent pool. The inaugural Singapore Women in Tech list of Singapore 100 Women in Tech last year, I think is a very good initiative to encourage women to join the workforce to take on tech careers. But I think that more needs to be done to understand what is it that it is going to take to attract more women to take tech careers. Now, let me touch on the thorny issue of raising GST to finance recurrent spending. While Deputy Prime Minister Heng did say that GST will not be increased this year and he did confirm that GST will need to be increased between 2022 and 2025, and this is to finance increased recurrent expenditure especially in the area of healthcare. Raising GST will impact Singaporeans, and as announced in last year's Budget, a $6 billion Assurance Package has been set aside to help cushion the impact of the GST increase on Singaporeans. What this equates to for a majority of Singaporean households is the offsets will cover at least five years' worth of additional expenses incurred because of the higher GST, with more going to the lower income households. Those living in 1-room to 3-room HDB flats will receive offsets equivalent to about 10 years of additional GST expenses.”
“With this pace of change and business transformation, the development of skills and capability is even more important. With increasing challenges in the workforce, retention and a growing proportion of non-permanent employees in the workforce, it will be increasingly more difficult for employers to develop build skills in their own workforce. So, while individuals must continue to own their own development, the scale will not be the same. So, with these trends and the pace of change, how can we continue to transform and build deep skills in the Singapore Core? We have witnessed supply chain disruptions with COVID-19 and the need to rethink our supply chains to strengthen and build resilience. So, this same analogy, if I could say, applies to that of capability building in our workforce and the Singapore Core. It is not realistic for us to be fully self-sufficient and I am not advocating for it. I do, however, feel strongly on the need for us to invest in the Singapore Core by identifying and investing in building deep skills in the areas that matter. This will enable Singaporeans not only to take on jobs in the emerging growth sectors but more importantly, innovate, lead and thrive. This is beyond the current and important work that our education system and our efforts on continual training is doing. If I can be so bold to say this, is that we need to invest in building deep skills and this is a big effort in itself and may require us to consider if there should be a body to synthesise, coordinate and drive this effort. This requires deliberate effort across the eco-system of companies, workers and the industry sectors. Another point I want to highlight is the topic of skills and talent and the talent pool that women make up.”
“The SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme which offers company attachments; the SGUnited Skills for mid-career individuals; SGUnited Traineeship Programme for fresh graduates. These programmes help both mid-career workers and fresh graduate get into the industry or stay in the industry as well as prepare them for jobs. But beyond these grants and Government support, what we now need is an eco-system to drive and step up the momentum to build capability. We need to identify capabilities required to build the depth of expertise and knowledge for long-term resilience and competitiveness. These capabilities include technical, functional and leadership skills. It was reported in a recent Straits Times article this month that employment for fresh graduates from our local Universities increased in 2020 from 2019. However, the number that started in part-time or temporary work has increased to 22.3%, up from the 7% the previous year with more than half indicating that they did so because they had no choice. This was most likely attributed to the impact of COVID-19. So, as we open the economy, we need to pay attention to the conversions to full employment for these attachments and traineeships. The conversions are important. Traineeships and attachments provide the platforms for learning. Workers need to not only get the opportunity to learn but they need to also get deeper long-term commitment to develop and to build the required expertise. We are seeing new employment trends as well. People are moving and changing jobs more frequently. Employment models are also evolving with an increasing trend of companies hiring contract workers or freelancers, rather than full-time employees.”
“Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to participate in this Budget debate. Many business owners and leaders I have spoken to have shared that, while they are grateful that things are stabilising and improving, and their businesses are somewhat stabilised, what we now need is to grow. For many individuals, their jobs have been affected in one way or another. For some, while they are employed, many are under-employed and they can and want to do more. I thank Deputy Prime Minister Heng for a Budget that is trying to balance, that continues to support the workers and sectors that are still affected by COVID-19 but, at the same time, trying to balance and take a very decisive step and clear signal that we need to move forward and we need to invest in the future. In my speech today, I will focus on three topics: positioning for transformation and change – building resilience and deep capability in the Singapore Core to seize opportunities; number two, something that no one wants to talk about, is rising GST and to fund increased spending; and third, ensuring that no one is left behind. COVID-19 has accelerated the need and momentum for transformation. We need to position for transformation and change and the window of opportunity to do so is now. Relevant grants and support programmes are available from previous Budgets to build skills and support transformation. The extensions of these programmes announced in Budget 2021 builds on this. The Jobs Growth Incentive (JCI) is aimed at helping people get jobs in the growth sectors by encouraging employers to create and hire early for these roles in these sectors.”
“The measures proposed in this Bill are important as they seek to make clear the use and the limitations of personal contact tracing data for COVID-19 contact tracing purposes and criminal investigations. The Bill is a compromise. It is a balance between public health and keeping everyone in Singapore safe and secure while respecting personal privacy. Before I end, I do want to touch on this point because I think there were some discussions about whether this Bill will cause lower take up rates of TraceTogether. I think that is the purpose of why we are having this conversation in Parliament. It is to help Singaporeans understand why this balance needs to be made. I think to some extent I trust that Singaporeans, with the right information and understanding, will move in the right direction and support the use of digital solutions to help with contact tracing. We have seen that of Singaporeans since COVID-19 started till now. We have seen how Singaporeans have stepped up. There have been so many restrictions made on everybody's lives but everyone has played their part. I think it is important we have this conversation so that Singaporeans can make the right decision to continue to move forward together, to keep everyone safe. For these reasons, Mr Speaker, and for the implications that I have shared on public safety, I support the Bill.”
“In situations involving serious crimes – and the list, I think, we have all talked about that, in terms of the seriousness of those crimes – like murder, terrorism or kidnapping, timely access to data could make the difference between life and death. Knowing the implications of this, I ask myself again: would it be the right decision for us to agree that the data cannot be used even if it could save a life? I come to this point that – I think there is some talk about whether it is convenient or easy for the Police. Are we making it easier for the Police to investigate rather than using other data? I think we all agree this is not about convenience. It is really about aiding and helping in investigations of serious crimes – matters that involve, in some cases, life and death. As the Bill seeks to allow for personal contact tracing data to be accessed by the Police to assist in the investigation of serious crimes, what will happen if someone loses his/her token and it is used by another person for criminal purposes? I know this is somewhat a practical question but can the Minister share what will be done to prevent such misuse? Now that it could be used for criminal investigations of serious crimes, I think there are some voters who may be worried that their token or their app might be misused by someone else. How do we prevent that? Mr Speaker, as we continue our fight against COVID-19, contact tracing remains the most important measure in keeping transmissions low together with all the other measures. While we protect data privacy – and I think the reason for this Bill is that we recognise that privacy is important – we must make the right decision to protect and keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe and secure.”
“Many have also pointed out that there is no need for the data from TraceTogether to be used as there are other sources of more intelligent data and information available from other smarter devices. These include close-circuit TVs installed in buildings, elevators, along our streets, in-vehicle cameras, and GPS devices including smartphones, just to name a few. With data from these devices, is there really a need for the data from TraceTogether? Given the earlier assurance and the mistake made – I think the Leader of the Opposition and Mr Murali have also pointed this out, and I think we have had a discussion – I actually ask this question of myself: would be be an easier decision not to allow the use of the TraceTogether data for any other purpose? Easier in the sense that because of what people are feeling and the angst that some are feeling. But then I ask myself again: is it the right decision? If we take the position not to allow access to TraceTogether data for the purpose of police investigation when a serious crime is committed, what it would mean is that even if the data from the TraceTogether token or app could help in the investigation, even if there is a remote possibility, the Police cannot access the data. The Minister gave the example of someone being kidnapped. I actually wrote that down for my speech too. In the event that someone was kidnapped – I had this discussion with a resident – if that happened, and if TraceTogether data, in the remotest possibility, was the only available data that could provide a lead in expediting investigations in that situation, what it would mean is that the data cannot be accessed if we did not have this discussion and we did not agree on this Bill.”
“The fact is that data is deleted after 25 days – based on what the Minister had shared – based on medical advice of the time required for contact tracing data, if required, and that it is deleted after that time. The Minister in his speech also shared that when the pandemic is over, the TraceTogether solution will be stood down and all personal digital contact tracing data used for COVID-19 contact tracing will be deleted from the systems as soon as practicable. If you think about it from a design purpose, it is clear. But I think the important question now for all of us, in front of us now, is: do we restrict the use of that contact tracing data? This Bill seeks to limit the use of personal data collected for COVID-19 through digital contact tracing solutions. If this Bill is passed, it will mean that personal contact data from TraceTogether and SafeEntry as set out in the Sixth Schedule of the Bill can only be used for COVID-19 contact tracing purpose when there is an infection and the only exception will be when the data is needed for criminal investigation proceedings for the serious offences as specified in the Seventh Schedule of the Bill. Despite the intent of the Bill to limit the use of personal contact tracing data for the specified seven categories of serious crimes, some have asked if we should even allow access – and this discussion has been happening outside of this Chamber as well – and use of data for any other purpose as there was assurance given earlier that the information was for the sole purpose of COVID-19 contact tracing in the event that there is an infection.”
“Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak on this Bill. Many Singaporeans recognise the importance of contact tracing in our quest to keep Singaporeans and Singapore safe during this COVID-19 pandemic. With the clarification that TraceTogether data can be accessed by the Police under the Criminal Procedure Code, I, like many, have received feedback from residents expressing disappointment and concerns. This change from the earlier assurances given that TraceTogether data would only be used for COVID-19 contact tracing purposes is something that has caused some disquiet. I can understand that many are upset because many had collected the token or downloaded the app on this assurance. But I do want to make this point about looking at the TraceTogether solution and what the Minister has shared earlier with regards to the design decisions on TraceTogether. I think that it is clear that TraceTogether is purpose-built with the singular purpose for COVID-19 contact tracing to prevent a situation of the spread of COVID-19 and with privacy protection central to that design. Why do I say that? First, TraceTogether utilises, as many have said, Bluetooth exchanges to capture proximity of who has been close to you. This token or app does not use GPS capabilities and hence does not capture location information. This data is also captured and stored on the token or the app and not on the server. The Minister had also shared that there are safeguards and what these safeguards include – that the data is kept on the token and is also deleted after 25 days. The scope of the TraceTogether solution has been very singular in that purpose of design.”
“I do want to make a special mention to the team that worked on this because, clearly there was a lot of work put in and a lot of thought given in terms of that balance because when I first started looking at this amendment Bill, I actually had the very opposite feeling about it. But having gone through the details, I think there has been very good thought given to strengthening of accountability but at the same time, not limiting that use of data for innovations while protecting individuals' privacy. I believe that success will be achieved when individuals trust that their personal data is protected. And this will in turn gives organisations confidence to use and leverage the data for insights to deliver value. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Bill. 4.39 pm”
“The requirements outlined in the Bill for notification, the manner and the period for individuals to opt out are fairly broad. I agree that it should not be prescriptive but there must be measures to ensure that individuals fully understand that they are deemed to have given their consent for the use of their personal data if they do not opt out. And I am glad that the Minister, in his speech did say that the individuals can also withdraw consent even after the opt-out period. I think this is important. Why am I saying this? Because many of us today, we just tick that box that says "I consent" but not realising that actually, even when you do not do it, it is deemed consent and therefore it is an uninformed consent. What I am asking for is, ensuring that there is informed consent, not necessarily that we take away deemed consent because, at the end of the day, what is important is consumer trust. And if consumers understand that fundamentally, then the protection and the appropriate use of information will be there because organisations will have that confidence to use the data. Mr Deputy Speaker, I must admit that when I first reviewed the amendments proposed in the Bill, I was concerned with the challenge of how we can achieve the protection of personal data while still allowing the effective use of personal data for innovation because they seem at the opposite of each other. But having worked through the details of the Bill, and I must admit that there was quite a lot of details on the Bill, I see that it does strive to achieve the difficult balance of protecting consumer personal data and, at the same time, not limit the use of data to innovate and deliver greater benefit. In today's day and age and the role that Singapore plays, I think it is important.”
“But with the current economic challenges, can the Minister also share if there will be any support given to businesses in managing the increased cost of compliance and also the increased complexity of compliance? Let me touch on the amendments to section 15 and the point about "deemed consent" and the new section 15A "deemed consent by notification". As businesses may need to partner, subcontract and outsource services to deliver their contractual obligations to customers, the amendments proposed for section 15 introduces deemed consent by contractual necessity. I think this is important because it does recognise a new business model and facilitates collection, use and disclosure of personal data by organisations with their contractors and partners to enable better understanding of customers for more effective performance and fulfillment of contractual obligations to customers. But let me now touch on the introduction of the new section 15A relating to deemed consent by notification. What is required of an organisation if it wishes to rely on this new section 15A to obtain deemed consent by notification is that they need to conduct risk assessments to identify and mitigate adverse effects that the collection, use and disclosure of the personal data may have on individuals. This will allow them to collect and process personal data to use, to improves services as well as productivity research purposes and also for fraud detection and security. All these are good. I do support and agree that there are benefits for consumers when organisations use data to innovate. I do, however, have questions on how we ensure that deemed consent by contractual necessity and by notification does not lead to unintended and more importantly, uninformed consent?”
“The Bill also includes the introduction of offences for the mishandling by individuals of personal data and fines and imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both. With increased accountability, offences and penalties – while I do agree that it is necessary – there may also be a danger of organisations becoming overly risk averse to protect themselves. This seems a little strange but one would say it is okay for organisations to protect themselves. If they do all the right things, individuals will be protected. It really depends. If the scale is on organisations protecting themselves from being penalised or against enforcement, we may also lose the focus on actually protecting consumer's data privacy and risks. This may also have a negative impact on the desire to use data appropriately to innovate and improve productivity. The Bill's introduction to require organisations to conduct risk assessments to identify and mitigate the adverse impact on individuals is the right approach because it balances this, because it allows organisations to analyse what is the real risk and really then make that decision of being able to notify and then decide to innovate. I will later touch on this in my speech on the point about "deemed consent" associated with the risk assessments. These amendments to strengthen accountability of organisations are necessary as they give businesses clear guidelines on how they handle personal data. We must, however, recognise that there will be compliance costs associated. Given the value of personal data and the inherent risks, I think it is important that organisations take the responsibility and it is a necessary cost of doing business.”
“This will enchance the protection for indivduals and is key to building trust with individuals on how their personal data is used. Second, amendment of section 15 regarding "deemed consent" and changes to the exceptions and the new section 15A "deemed consent by notification" and a reasonable period and manner for the individual to withdraw consent. Let me touch now on strengthening of organisational accountability. The amendments proposed in the Bill will make mandatory and will require organisations to report data breaches to the Personal Data Protection Commission or PDPC, if such breaches are likely to result in significant harm or impact to individuals, and/or are of a significant scale. Organisations must also notify affected individuals when a data breach is likely to result in significant harm or impact to them, regardless of the scale of the breach. Why is this important? Cybercrime statistics show that data breaches continue to rise. And just to cite one example, on SafeatLast Editor's Choice, one of the key cybercrime statistics, that a hacker attack takes place every 39 seconds. So, you can imagine, as I am speaking here, by the time I finish my speech, the number of attacks that have happened. So, notification to individuals is important because it will allow them to take timely mitigating measures but also it is important that there is notification because it allows the national actions, both of the organisations and other organisations impacted to take the necessary actions. To signal the importance of organisational compliance and the proper handling of personal data, irresponsible organisations will face a higher financial penalty cap of 10% of annual gross turnover in Singapore or $1 million, and if I heard the Minister correctly, whichever is higher.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Bill. Sir, with the increasing demand and trend for personalisation of products and services and the pace of digitalisation in many aspects of everyday life and work, sharing personal information is increasingly a requirement for us to be able to gain access to a service, obtain a benefit or even to participate. Against this backdrop, the Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Bill is timely. This looks to ensuring the protection and responsible use of personal data by organisations. Clear accountability on what data is collected, used and disclosed digitally or even physically, will help in building consumers' trust. For businesses, having clarity on the use of personal data and the trust of consumers will give them the confidence to use the data to innovate and improve services. With advancement in technology, the volume of personal data collected and aggregated is vast and growing. With capabilities like data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence making sense of the data and using it to gain valuable insights is real. If used appropriately, this can provide benefits but it can also be exploited for not so well-meaning purposes. To strengthen trust and at the same time derive the value of data, we need to balance and handle the "right to data privacy", "data security" and "the proper use of data to innovate". These objectives may seem at odds. My speech will focus on trust which I believe is core to achieving the objectives of this Bill. I will speak on two aspects of the proposed amendment which are key to protecting data while appropriately enabling the leverage of data for innovation. First, the strengthening of organisational accountability.”
“In today's context where digital is critical for resilience and agility, it is even more important that the Government continues to drive and strengthen Singapore's Smart Nation efforts. I must say the Government has been doing a good job in this, and I am glad that we started this early because otherwise, we would not have been able to respond the way we did so far. Investing in state-of-the-art open and connected infrastructure, business friendly environment, policies, intellectual property, data and cybersecurity laws will provide the eco-system for people and businesses to thencome together to create value. It is not about digitalising the economy as much as I have talked about digital, let me be very clear. It is not about digitalising the economy, but it is about connecting Singapore to the world and in understanding the opportunities such that Singapore can be relevant, so that our people and our businesses continue to have opportunities and better lives. In conclusion, Mr Speaker, Sir, as we adapt to the COVID situation and keep our people safe, we must move forward and grow our economy and most importantly, the eco-system to provide quality jobs for Singaporeans. To do so, Singapore must continue to invest in the eco-system to develop the digital capability of our workforce to be ready for the opportunities that do exist in the post-COVID-19 world. While the journey will not be easy, I am confident that if we do it together, truly together, we will emerge stronger.”
“How do get people to go for the appropriate training. It is a very bad analogy but I just could not find another example. I asked myself, "What have we done in Singapore that we brought people altogether really fast and really quickly?" And actually, the mask distribution was amazing, because there was a need! And because there was a need, we pulled people together, we brought the resources together, and people came together. But this is not a one off. You got to keep doing it. So, same thing – we then use the same mechanism to do the next round and the next round. And so I think we need to think about training in that aspect; not training for a skill but really to equip people with the pieces that they need to then function effectively and be able to take the opportunities. To make this happen at scale will require the policy framework – most importantly to bring stakeholders together, meaning companies, training institutions and people in the workforce to address demand, accelerate training and encourage experienced people to want to learn – what I call a culture of continuous curiousity in learning. The last point I want to talk about is the Government's role in Smart Nation. To foster a culture of innovation to support growth and quality of life for Singaporeans, I firmly believe that as much as we want society and businesses to participate, the Government now has a very important role to play in making the Smart Nation's efforts really scale and be really forward-thinking. And no one else will be able to do that. Not businesses because businesses have a PNL to run. They are never going to be that much ahead, unless they are doing R&D. Otherwise, you need the Government to play that role.”
“So, we have got to recognise the adjacencies. What does not happen enough today is the understanding of competencies that individuals already have in the workforce, because what individuals have is knowledge of businesses and that is a very, very precious knowledge. What we need to then equip them is today's skills to accentuate that knowledge. And that part, I think, we also have not done very much in profiling what we have in the workforce today. And being able to then say to individuals, "What is the experiences, competencies that we must preserve, and then accentuate?" We talk about data analytics, for example. Data analytics only make sense if you understand the business. Otherwise, you do not see no pattern. You do not see the pattern at all, unless you know the business. And then, suddenly, illumination happens, but how do you marry the two? You have got to preserve what is in the workforce; where is the experience? And many of our mid-career people have these. But they are at a loss because they lack that little piece to join the puzzle. And we need to do this and scale that – I repeat that. This will then allow us to leverage all the adjacencies – the adjacencies of what educational institutions themselves are doing, but also the competencies we have in the workforce and the experiences as well as what the companies need; and bringing that knowledge together. So, how do we create these right platforms to get people in the workforce and those whose jobs have been impacted to participate? That is the other thing. Because until your job is impacted, you tend to just keep working. You forget about upgrading yourself and picking up the skills when you do not need them. Because it is too late sometimes when you need it. And that is the point.”
“However, with technological disruptions, many in the workforce are finding that they need new skills to stay relevant and to take on new opportunities. So, the training actually needs to happen for those who are in the workforce and not just for those who are entering the workforce. And COVID-19 has just accelerated this even more. So, what we need to do is to have platforms for training large groups of experienced people in the workforce to build new skills, especially digital skills, and this process needs to be iterative because technology and changes in the workforce will continue to keep moving and it is not static. So, training must be demand-led and, therefore, a very key competent of this must be the companies. They must be key participants in the development process and the programmes to provide context. Understanding what industry and employers need will allow us to appreciate the skills and competencies needed to do these new jobs and the appropriate training and development programmes. Precisely because we are preparing people for the digital world which is fast moving and dynamic, agility is an important criterion embedded in these programmes. In today's context, to achieve relevant training at scale and to do it in a timely manner are difficult. Why? Because while training and development are available and we have lots of it, it is disparate. Many different institutions provide development programmes but they are in silos. What do I mean by that? We must get educational institutions to come together for training programmes and endorsements of each other's training programmes to support a mutual recognition of prior learning so that we can accelerate the learning because what we need is speed but not speed in just getting it done, but quality.”
“Having global technology giants, like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, LinkedIn, Facebook and, more recently, the best Chinese tech companies, Alibaba, BtyeDance and Tencent, making Singapore their Asian headquarters and base for their operations in the region, coupled with Singapore becoming a regional and global hub for technology and start-ups not only creates quality jobs – and this is very important because we need quality jobs for Singaporeans – but it brings with it talent and, more importantly, know-how that creates a vibrancy and a buzz to drive innovations and investments. But to that point, as these opportunities present themselves, I would like to touch on the second point that Singaporeans must also be ready for them. And today, as we have discussed quite a bit in this House, many Singaporeans have had their jobs impacted or at risk of having their jobs impacted. At the same time, companies are hiring. But we are saying is, many times, that match is not quite there. So, I want to touch on this point that we must also look at how we ready Singaporeans. And this is not something that we can leave to chance. We must be deliberate in preparing Singaporeans for these new opportunities and we must be able to do it at scale. If there are too few people with the appropriate skills for the jobs created, this not only has a gap but increases the cost of talent and will drive business cost up and, therefore, again, create other disamenities. So, more importantly, while there are good jobs available, Singaporeans must be ready for them. Training at scale – I spent a lot of time thinking about this point about training at scale because it is not easy. How do we do it? This is done in schools today. It is done in tertiary institutions.”
“Digital technology has accelerated the disruptions and has played a crucial role in enabling connectivity and operations to continue when physical borders and interactions are restricted. But ultimately, technology is about addressing needs and solving problems. Digital technologies enable agility and new business models to respond to these needs and to capture new opportunities. Deputy Prime Minister Heng, in his speech, spoke about the progress made with the implementation of our industry transformation maps (ITMs) to restructure our economy, sector by sector, firm by firm. This transformation is important as it affects 23 sectors and our businesses within these sectors. The shifts driven by the digital transformation and, now COVID, have taught us, however, that the disruptions businesses are facing are not coming from traditional players but non-traditional competitors. For example, a non-banking player like WeChat handles an array of payment transactions for more than a billion users in China without the need for a bank account. So, the new opportunities that are being created from the adjacencies between industries and partnerships across sectors are also equally important. As we drive the ITMs, how are such disruptions being addressed with the work that we doing with the ITMs and the opportunities that present themselves? How are they also being leveraged?”
“Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Ministerial Statement by Deputy Prime Minister on the Government's strategy to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic. Sir, while the Government must continue to support households, workers and businesses to manage during this difficult period as many had been impacted, it is imperative that we now look forward and prepare for the post-COVID-19 new normal. While we must protect lives, we must also continue to grow in order to secure livelihoods. I will speak on three areas. First, re-making Singapore as a global-Asia node of technology, innovation and enterprise with digital as a game-changer, while building up our domestic eco-system as a home base for innovation. Second, preparing Singaporeans for the digital world and doing this at scale. This is critical if we want inclusive growth and Singaporeans to be ready and able to seize the opportunities. Third, the important role of the Government needs to continue to play in building and strengthening Singapore as a Smart Nation through the right investments in infrastructure and, more importantly, policies. Let me now touch on the first point. The strategy to be a magnet to attract leading companies, including technology companies and building strong local companies, is an important one. Singapore's success in attracting top technology companies and start-ups to locate their operations in Singapore and providing an eco-system to nurture local companies and start-ups is strategic for growth. In this new normal, we have seen that digital is, indeed, a game-changer. COVID-19 has disrupted many aspects of life and forced people to think about new ways of doing business.”
“So, we should not be looking at pure numbers in order to make our conclusions about whether PMETs are being displaced or not.”
“I do not think that that was what was being said by many of us in this House. In fact, in my speech yesterday, that was precisely the point and together with many of our colleagues, that was precisely the point that we made. It is not the only thing that needs to be watched and that it has to be done in a balance. In making that statement, I think you were the only one that was making that statement. And therefore, that is why I was asking, what is your approach then? Are you suggesting that we stop the number of EPs or S Passes completely? What would the implications of that be and what would that mean for companies? Not just foreign companies, foreigners coming in, but what would it mean for Singaporean jobs as well? Because some of these jobs need to be complemented by some foreign workers as well, or foreign talent. So, what is your suggestion? Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: Sir, if I may clarify once again, I was not saying that this was anything that I attributed to the rest of the Members of the House. But during Minister Teo's speech, she had explicitly said, that at the lower end one instrument that they were using was through the restrictions of quotas, quotas of EPs and S Passes. So, I wanted to clarify that, that alone was is a very blunt instrument and is insufficient. And more importantly, I also wanted to clarify that the numbers themselves are misleading. Just as Minister Teo said, the numbers were reduced to almost zero this year. Of course, we all know that the reason why they were reduced to almost zero was because unemployment rates shot up. So, it is unsurprising, of course, that the number of EP and S Pass holders fell dramatically.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to ask a clarification from Assoc Prof Jamus Lim. He made the point about EPs and S Passes, and the numbers not tallying. If I could ask a clarification, what is his recommendation and what is his proposal in terms of the approach or the numbers that we should take? Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: I thank the Member. If I may clarify, Mr Speaker, I was not suggesting that the numbers were incorrect. So, I should be clear. What I was suggesting is that, when we think about decreasing the rate of EP and S Pass holders, and we simply think about applying it as a blunt instrument, by saying that just because reducing it is sufficient, that itself is misleading. I think this was something that Minister Teo clarified – that ultimately we do not want to look for a single number in which we can reduce EP or S Pass holders. What we want ultimately is the ability to think more flexibly about how we approach PMET issues and displacement, potential displacement by the foreign workforce.”
“While there are still risks, this pandemic as with previous crises has once again shown us that together, Singapore, we can overcome difficulties. What it takes is all of us working together. The Multi-Ministry Taskforce, our businesses and people working together, with each playing our part, has allowed us to keep transmissions low and our people safe while slowing opening up our economy. We should not wait for a crisis to happen to bring us together. We need to look at how we come together, tap ideas, expertise across Government and across Government agencies, businesses and our citizenry. We should build communities of learning. Singapore continues to be an attractive place for doing business and we have a strong talent base. Together, I am confident that we can and will build a stronger Singapore to meet the aspirations and give Singaporeans hope today and for the future. In conclusion, Mr Speaker, the three areas I spoke about highlight areas I feel important for Singapore to secure our future, and most importantly, to give hope to Singaporeans in an ever uncertain world. First, the need to accelerate the building of capabilities in our industries, companies and, most importantly, our workforce. Without such capabilities, our companies cannot respond to opportunities or provide quality jobs, and our people cannot be ready. Second, Singapore must be connected and stay open. It allows for access not only for wider market opportunities but also diverse talent and experience which in turn helps to build the Singapore Core. And finally, we must do it together, whole-of-Government, businesses and citizens. We will learn, innovate and adapt faster to respond and create opportunities as the uncertain world unfolds before us. I support the Motion. [Applause.] 2.00 pm”
“Apart from all the subsidies for training and for manpower cost which everybody talks about in the FinTech sectors and the financial services, what is important is the package has structured talent development programmes for more than 900 Singaporeans amongst the newly hired in the financial institutions (FIs) over the next three years. To prepare local mid-career workers as well for new or transformed roles, MAS is closely working with the Institute of Banking and Finance and Workforce Singapore to train and redeploy workers. Having jobs is not good enough; we need to have the right support for our workers so that they are ready for the recovery. I think that is the thing that worries all of us, not just for Singapore, but for the opportunities outside of Singapore. While we must continue to grow the Singapore Core, I must say that we must not lock ourselves out as foreigners are required to complement the Singapore workforce. Singapore cannot become a place that is difficult for companies both Singaporean and foreign to operate as Singapore is a small market and dependent on external demand as well as resources to grow and to scale. COVID-19 has shown us what happens to many of our businesses and jobs when demand and supply of both products and manpower is shut off. It is just so stark. It is frightening. During circuit breaker time, that was experiment that I think nobody wanted to see. But that is a big reminder for all of us – shutting ourselves out is not a solution. The third point want to make is about staying stronger together. The challenge we face in the post-COVID-19 world is not about how in Singapore we become better, but how as Singapore we become better.”
“Even when there were foreigners in key skilled or leadership positions, and I worked for many of them, there were clear development plans and identified succession plans or pipeline for local talent to fill these roles over time, and that was deliberated every single year. I myself held many key leadership positions managing business in Singapore and in the region taking over from predecessors who were foreigners and managing both local and foreign teams across the world. With clear succession planning in place, when I left my last role in the MNC that I was with to pursue new opportunities, the successor to my role is also Singaporean. I believe that many companies still have such people practices in place. However, it could be that the speed and the scale of growth in the last few years, coupled with the disruptions that we have seen, some of these practices may have been sidelined to meet the demands of business. I believe that while we do have policies in place, we must have, to ensure fair employment practices, more importantly employers must have People Plans to grow and strengthen the Singapore Core. This requires commitment, not just of the Government, but of the companies both Singapore and foreign to invest and develop skills of Singaporeans, and with a balance of Government policies and enforcement, I think we will get to that balance. At the sector level, a good programme is the launch of MAS’ $125-million support package launched in April this year.”
“MOM has also announced last week that higher qualifying salaries for S Pass and EP will be effective 1 September 2020. With the reduction in the number of jobs available due to COVID, as well as the changes that were seen in the economy to encourage companies to give Singaporeans a fair chance and to ensure foreigners do not undercut Singaporean wages, it is important to have this. I want to share a little bit about my experience. Although I currently work for a Singapore company, a large part of my commercial career was with two foreign MNCs in Singapore. My tenure with these two companies was for almost 30 years. During my time with both these companies, I worked closely with Singaporeans and foreigners from many countries. I and many of my Singaporean colleagues had development and many good job opportunities. Working with a diverse group of colleagues enabled me to learn and develop both in Singapore and in other markets overseas. Having access to a network of expert talent in and outside of Singapore gave us the ability to compete effectively, build centres of competencies in Singapore or quickly scale up for large projects. We would otherwise not have been able if these specific skills required had not been available, or we just had not had them available in sufficient numbers. So, I asked myself what is different from the experience many are feeling today? One factor could be that despite some periods of challenging business climates, most times the economy was growing. The other factor which I did not think much about even though it was there was the deliberate People Strategy and Plans that both these MNCs I had worked for had.”
“Programmes such as traineeship, placements and various skills upgrading initiatives in the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package allows learning beyond just knowledge to real experience and learning from others to prepare and develop people for these roles. Effective execution of these programmes is key. We must also continue to invest in an innovation and learning ecosystem to build deep local capabilities enabled by a world-class infrastructure. While helping our SMEs go digital and building digital capabilities are important, I am also glad that in its Addendum to the President’s Address, MCI has outlined how efforts will be made to promote the ecosystem, having the eco-system to support digital transformation. International connectivity, growth of local digital champions, progressive regulations and public private partnerships – these are key to building capability and growth of SMEs, who provide 70% of employment in Singapore, as well as markets outside of Singapore which are key for growth. Now, let me now move on to my second point on why Singapore must stay open. With job losses and as more jobs are impacted, many Singaporeans are hurting, and many of my residents are questioning if we have too many foreigners working in Singapore and competing for jobs. There is no easy answer to this, but it is a topic that we must discuss. While they are not the majority of companies, there are companies hiring a higher proportion of foreign PMETs than their industry peers. Just earlier this month, it was reported in the Straits Times that MOM has placed another 47 employers (on top of the current 1,200) on the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) watch list for potentially discriminatory hiring practices.”
“With the sudden and severe impact of the COVID pandemic on businesses, support like the Jobs Support Scheme or JSS, has helped companies manage manpower costs and keep jobs. This is, however, not sustainable on a long term. Companies need support to recover and create jobs for Singaporeans to have good and meaningful work. This COVID pandemic has forced organisations to rethink how and where they do business to stay resilient. This pandemic has demonstrated the need for deep capabilities, diversification of markets and supply chains, and the importance of digital capabilities of our companies and workforce. While no company is spared the impact of this pandemic, we did see that companies with sound business continuity plans, and those who had invested in building capability and digitalisation, were better able to adapt quickly to keep operations and business going. For small businesses, the ability to adapt and adopt digitalisation has accelerated virtual connectivity and access to new business. A simple example is how stalls in our wet markets and hawkers have overcome the physical access restrictions by adapting and selling online. With access to new customers, some of these businesses are doing better than pre-COVID-19 times. With the importance of digitalisation, tech and tech-related jobs in data analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, network and software engineering are up and will be in demand. These are quality jobs, but we do not have enough Singaporeans equipped with the requisite skills. We must train our younger Singaporeans and reskill our mid-career workers to be ready for the recovery.”
“Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion of thanks to the President for her Address on behalf of the Government. Sir, Mdm President in her opening address to Parliament last week spoke about “Securing our Future in a Different World”. We are indeed facing a different world. Prior to COVID-19, companies in Singapore have started digitalising to improve productivity, build new capability to access new markets and opportunities. COVID-19 has accelerated the pace of digitalisation. The way we work, live and interact has significantly changed. I never thought I would see a day where our borders are closed, people not able to interact freely physically and businesses having to limit their staff from working in the office. Virtual meetings, e-commerce, digital payments, deliveries, safe distancing and digital tracking have become a way of life. I will speak on three areas. First, the concern over jobs and the need to ensure economic growth to support quality jobs. Second, building the Singapore Core and why Singapore must stay open. And third, working together to emerge stronger. Let me now touch on my first point on concerns about jobs. Conversations have shifted. From my house-to-house engagements with residents, many expressed their anxiety over their jobs. Mid-career residents shared that its harder to find equivalent job opportunities when they lose their jobs, that is, quality jobs. I am also hearing from younger residents – their concerns of finding employment. I met several young residents last week who had recently lost their jobs or had their pay or job scopes reduced due to COVID. Many are concerned about losing their jobs and livelihoods as the companies they work for are not seeing the same demand for their services and hence need to cut back.”
“The landlords though will still have – if they are eligible for that reprieve – will still have to pay half of that obligation. And the landlords if they seek assessments on grounds of financial hardship, the assessments will take into consideration if the rental income forms a substantial part of their total income and the annual value of their properties. Is that how it is going to be assessed? And can Minister also share the assessment process and also how long that would take? SMEs play a crucial role in Singapore’s economy making up a majority of companies and do provide employment for more than two million Singaporeans. So I do agree that SME tenants do need support during these tough times as they have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The rental reliefs will allow the SMEs the space to recover and in turn save jobs. So, I support the Bill. 7.39 pm”
“Eligibility for the relief are for SMEs with less than $100 million turnover that rent premises for their businesses and are facing cashflow difficulties as a result of COVID-19. So, to be eligible, SMEs also have to fulfil two other criteria of a 35% or more drop in average monthly revenue from April to May on a year-on-year basis, and the tenancy must have been entered before March 25 of this year Landlords are also not required to help larger SME tenants who may have better access to financing or tenants who have seen an increase in business during the period such as supermarkets. Can Minister share if there has been an assessment of whether the rental relief measures will unnecessarily prolong the exit of unviable businesses, or benefit such businesses at the cost of landlords and taxpayers’ monies? The rental reliefs do weigh in favour of tenants. At this point, I do want to declare my interest as I am a board member of a commercial REIT. Minister did mention that other stakeholders, including landlords and REITs, have been consulted. Minister has also shared that some of the views and concerns of these stakeholders who have been impacted are being addressed? For example, the cashflow difficulties that have been expressed as well as the measures and mechanisms are being put in place to support these landlords. While I am supportive of this amendment Bill, I am concerned that landlords may face financial hardship as a result of the additional rental waiver they have to provide to SME tenants. For some of the smaller landlords, they may be dependent on the rental income to meet their own financial obligations. The Bill does state that for landlords who face difficulties in providing the additional waiver to SME tenants, it does provide some reprieve.”
“Mr Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic and the circuit breaker measures have had significant impact on businesses. Over the last two months, I have received many appeals for assistance from my residents who are SME business owners as they are facing cashflow problems. The retail sector has been amongst the hardest hit as they have had to close their physical premises. While some of them have been able to move their business online, overall business still has been impacted. In the meantime, there are business costs and obligations still to be met and they still have to be paid. The latest Department of Statistics data has also shown that in April there has been a dramatic drop in performance of 40.5% and this is the largest since 1986. For many SMEs, rent is a large part of the business cost making up about 25% to 30% of overall business cost. Even as some businesses are able to start and reopen this week, they are not able to resume pre-COVID levels of operations immediately, and business demand will likely remain low. The Bill seeks to help SMEs ease some of the burden by ensuring that their accumulated rental obligations are shared among the Government and landlords. The interventions in the Bill are quite substantive as it mandates that landlords will have to waive rent for SME tenants. For eligible SME tenants in commercial properties, the landlords are required to waive two months of rent and tenants of industrial and office properties will receive one month’s waiver of rent. The Bill also requires landlords to pass the Government granted tax rebates in cash grants as part of the Fortitude Budget to the SME tenants. The Bill does take a targeted approach and is reasonable. It does not apply across the board to all SMEs and businesses.”
“I really am very happy and very supportive of this programme because, as we all know, while devices are important, funds are important, to drive change you need support, you need engagement and having that with a thousand Digital Ambassadors doing that will make that big difference and will help us get past this, and allow our seniors as well as our hawkers to really fully come on board and be digitalised. While the funding from the Fortitude Budget is needed and welcomed, we have to also recognise that it cannot go on indefinitely. We are fortunate with prudent management that our Government has built up on our reserves and we did not have to borrow to fund such a significant support package. How and when we beat COVID-19 is not certain. But I do not think it has to necessarily be only when a vaccine is found. During these last few months, we have witnessed many examples of the Singapore spirit, generosity as well as our resilience. I believe that all of us working together as SGUnited will allow us to overcome this crisis and emerge stronger. The Government must provide the leadership, the right programmes and the right policies to build for our future. Our businesses must rebuild, recover and invest to stay relevant. Our people will need to stay positive because it is tough, what everyone is going through is tough, but we must stay positive and work together to overcome current challenges and continue to reskill and be ready for the future. I support the Fortitude Budget.”
“And so it is a real plus point that digitalisation this COVID-19 has enabled some people and organisations to get past that barrier. An important priority of the Fortitude Budget is digital inclusion with attention on students from lower income families, seniors and the smaller businesses and hawkers. I think this is so important to ensure that no one is left behind and more importantly to be able to meaningfully engage and connect to the services and the opportunities. While funding and support is required to go digital, digitalisation has to be more than just about technology. Going digital is also more than just mirroring traditional ways of doing things. It is an opportunity to reimagine, improve improve and redesign how we do things and enable more to be done. So, let us not waste this opportunity and ensure that this benefit of doing things differently and doing things better through digitalisation is realised for every segment of the population. Digitalisation, as I have mentioned, entails new behaviours whether for individuals, families, businesses large or small, as we have witnessed. So, it is indeed a brilliant move and I really must say that it is indeed a brilliant move and a commitment to invest in the Senior Go Digital Movement to support digital adoption for seniors. It is not just about teaching seniors digital skills. It is about enabling them to connect, enabling them to stay engaged and all the other groups to be able to do the same thing.”
“This could lead workers to have to take on longer working hours. With requirements for safe distancing measures, businesses must pay attention to also things that ordinarily they would not have to which is even providing places for their workers to have a meal properly in their short break times. This was not something that employers needed to pay attention to but all this, may be difficult for some companies and the workers' welfare may be compromised. In the recent Straits Times report on a survey conducted by Engagerocket, 90% of the respondents indicated that they wished to continue working from home in some capacity even after the circuit breaker ends. But despite this willingness, more than half indicated their productivity had dropped and was lower. The reasons cited, of course, were practical ones that included unable to access resources as well as having family members in the house and having to share resources and space constraints. One of the factors that was highlighted was also longer working hours. I think attention needs to be paid also to the nature of work and how work is being done because the work environment now is not just in the work place but it is also virtually. Let me now touch on digitalisation. In the last two months, COVID-19 and the circuit breaker measures have accelerated digitalisation faster than one could ever imagine. There has been a lot of push back of all the areas of digitalisation, both by users, by organisations in terms of policies. But individuals and businesses have had to leverage digital platforms to continue to be able to access services, connect and continue operations. And this has created new habits and new ways of doing things. Painful as some of it may have been, I think many have seen the benefits.”
“What is key is connecting these mid-career workers who have lost their jobs with the opportunities. I hope that Deputy Prime Minister can share more on how mid-career workers can access these opportunities. While the jobs are there, there is lots of information and we need to ensure that the people who need these jobs are well-connected. While having jobs and opportunities is critical, we must also pay attention to how work is done as the nature of work has changed, given the COVID situation. For example, the circuit breaker measures have required more companies to adopt telecommuting and although the jury is out, we can expect more jobs to adopt flexible work arrangements as a norm rather than an option even after circuit breaker. This will mean that as we prepare workers for new opportunities, beyond just upgrading skills, attention needs to be given in terms of how to adopt new ways of working and being productive working remotely. For some, their first day of work and meeting their new bosses and colleagues will be virtually. Effectively communicating and collaborating will require skills for one to be effective in their jobs and to be successful. Even how performance is being measured needs to be taken into consideration. I do want to highlight an area that I think needs attention. With businesses resuming operations there will be also adjustments for safe distancing measures as well as dealing with the challenges of demand, supply and in some cases manpower disruptions. Attention needs to be paid to working conditions including work hours and workplace arrangements. Especially for essential services and front-line services, manpower supply may not have fully resumed leading to constraint on manpower.”
“While the $33 billion Fortitude Budget extends more help to support individuals and households in the fight against COVID-19, the emphasis of the Fortitude Budget is on measures to enable our people and businesses to get ready for what lies ahead and to save and create jobs. There is much in the Fortitude Budget – I will be touching on two points which is jobs and digitalisation. Businesses large and small, across all industries have been impacted with demand and supply disruptions. This has had a direct impact on jobs and the very nature of how work is done. Anxiety over employment is felt not just by those whose jobs or incomes have been impacted but even for those who are in employment. There is a fear of further job losses as some businesses have had to close especially in sectors like F&B, retail, hospitality and tourism-related industries. While some jobs will go away, I do hope that we do not lose heart because new jobs will be created. But new skills will also be needed. The $2 billion SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package with 40,000 jobs, 25,000 traineeships and 30,000 training places and hiring incentives is much needed and will provide quality jobs and programmes for those seeking employment. With the current economic conditions, the traineeship schemes will help new graduates entering the workforce find opportunities in emerging and growing sectors and this will allow them to gain valuable industry experience. I am glad that the Budget has given specific attention to providing traineeship opportunities for mid-career workers who have lost their jobs as we all recognise this group of workers find it even tougher, not just in COVID times but even in ordinary times, they find it tougher and they take longer to be able to find employment after they lose their jobs.”
“Mr Speaker, I want to start by thanking everyone for doing your part to contain the transmission of COVID-19 as this has enabled us to start the easing of circuit breaker this week. With the easing of circuit breaker measures, some of us are returning to work and school. But we are certainly not going back to the way things used to be pre-circuit breaker, as COVID-19 is still not behind us. In the last two months, the priority was to keep everyone safe and ensure that we are able to take care of those who did fall ill. The need to minimise the risk of transmission and safe distancing has changed the way we work, live and even socialise. Businesses have not been able to operate as usual with some completely not able to operate at all. This has affected jobs. Many have not had work as business operations slowed or had to stop during the circuit breaker and others had to take lower pay due to the drop in business demand, while others had to be redeployed and some have lost their jobs. The various measures with the Unity, Resilience and Solidarity Budgets have been focused on supporting businesses with operating and wage costs with the objective to protect jobs. The phrase that thes are “unprecedented times” has been used often these last few months. Indeed, what we are facing is not something any of us could have imagined. Everyone of us, young and old have had to make painful adjustments. While we understand the need for these adjustments to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, they have been tough and for many, jobs and livelihoods have been impacted. While still low, unemployment has risen to 3.3% and the economic impact is not trivial with the latest revised GDP for Singapore forecasted to be between -7% and -4%. Many are concerned about the future.”
“The Supplementary Budget grants enhanced rebate for the property tax payable for the period of 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020. With the unexpected impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the businesses, I am glad that the Bill seeks to make it a legal obligation to ensure that landlords pass on the benefits of the enhanced property tax rebates to tenants, as these rebates were meant for the tenants. Clauses 30 and 31 of the Bill provide the avenue for the tenants to take action against the landlords for failing to do so and how and when it can be enforced. Mr Deputy Speaker, COVID-19 is unprecedented and no individual, business, society or even country is spared its effect. It is therefore necessary for these significant measures proposed in the Bill to provide temporary relief for individuals and businesses affected by COVID-19 who are unable to perform their contractual obligations while still upholding the right to exercise contractual obligations. The essence of this Bill that Minister has stressed is that everyone needs to come together to take our collective approach and I agree with him on this, the spirit of this approach because given what we are seeing in the impact of COVID-19 on everyone, unless we take a collective approach, it is going to be quite difficult for us to move forward effectively. With that, Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Bill. 5.34 pm”
“The contractor will not be liable for liquidated damages, delays and non-supply of goods arising from the COVID-19 event. A contractor’s delay of works or a non-performance for supply of goods, even if it is due to the unexpected consequences of a COVID-19 event will adversely impact individuals or businesses that the works or supply was committed for. Could Minister also share on how individuals and businesses impacted in such circumstances or such situations be supported? A case in point. We are seeing appeals for renovations works impacted with the latest announcement of the circuit breaker measures that come into effect today. Sellers of HDB flats, for example, have to hand over flats that they currently live in by an agreed date to the new owner for the completion of the sale. But renovation works have and should stop from now, from today to 4 May. This may result in renovations works for the flat that the seller is moving to would not be able to be completed in time and this may leave the seller with no plans to move to when they are required to hand over the current flat. If they do ask for temporary relief of their contractual obligations to the buyer of the flat, this could create a chain effect. If my interpretation of the Bill is correct, a practical approach for all parties would be to apply for the temporary relief during the circuit breaker period and this would then allow everyone to take the pause without having material impact on all parties involved. I am not sure whether that is the right interpretation but, basically, it would then allow everyone to not have to be impacted if there are delays. The last point that I like to touch on is the temporary measures concerning the remission of property tax.”