Josephine Teo
Singapore
“The Government's risk-calibrated approach to data security in artificial intelligence (AI) systems was explained in a written reply, given on 9 January 2024, to related questions asked by Dr Tan Wu Meng and Mr Gerald Giam.”
“Access to frontier models is helpful for specific use cases, such as advanced research and cybersecurity. However, these form a small proportion of artificial intelligence (AI) demand. For most industry, Government and research uses, capable models are already available.”
“The Government tracks the development of technical standards for identifying artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, including watermarking and digital provenance approaches, as part of broader efforts to manage AI-related risks.”
“Upon receiving a valid report of intimate image abuse, the Commissioner of Online Safety is empowered by law to direct Online Service Providers (OSPs) to disable access by Singapore users to the specified harmful online material. This direction may be extended to cover identical copies found on the platform.”
“The Government is committed to keeping children safe online. We have announced plans to extend age assurance requirements to designated social media services, including requiring platforms to keep users under 13 off their services.”
“Under the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025, the Commissioner of Online Safety is empowered to issue directions to platforms to remove specified harmful content, including intimate image abuse.”
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“That is the approach that we take, rather than to think that just because we have done security vetting upstream, other controls are not as important; or since they have cleared vetting, then it is safe. We do not make that sort of assumption. Security by design means that you have all these multiple layers of defences in order to be able to guard against the cyber risk.”
“Mr Speaker, if we are serious about mitigating against insider threats, we should not assume that any particular profile of someone who is able to access the system is more or less likely to commit nefarious activities. This is the first point I want to put across. You do not want to have a preconceived idea that this profile would necessarily be safer than another profile. If you want to be able to defend against as many insider threats as possible, you have to assume that every single person that has access to the system could pose an insider threat. Second, we also do not assume that security vetting is a silver bullet. If a nefarious actor is determined to infiltrate the system and they know that there is a vetting process of some sort, then clearly, it would be an effort on their part to overcome whatever it is that would stand in the way of them clearing a vetting system. So, a vetting system is also not a silver bullet. Thirdly, in cybersecurity, today we operate with the concept of zero trust, meaning that you decide in terms of how you architect the access controls, and you provide what is known as least privileged access, for every single one who has access to the system, you design the access controls in such a way that they only access what they are supposed to access in order to get the job done. Then, you need to put in place a robust system so that you never trust, you always verify whether a user is accessing the part of the system that they should access. Then, you need the system to monitor, to look at suspicious behaviour, whether there was a user that attempted to go beyond the access privileges that were granted. And you are very careful about who you provide more access to.”
“Mr Speaker, insider threats are just one of a multitude of threats facing our critical information infrastructure (CIIs). Under the Cybersecurity Act, owners of CIIs are required to put in place access management controls and processes to monitor for anomalies and suspicious activities in these systems. Upon detection of any unauthorised activity, CII owners are required to investigate such anomalies. These controls mitigate potential insider threats or any other threats. The Government takes the cybersecurity of our CIIs very seriously. We will continue to review the standards we require and consider further enhancements that could be effective.”
“For businesses, CSA has rolled out various initiatives to assist organisations in raising their defenses. For example, CSA's CISO-as-a-Service programme provides small and medium enterprises with access to cybersecurity consultants who can work with them to raise their cyber hygiene. The Government has also put in place measures to protect our citizens against malicious actors, such as by introducing mandatory cybersecurity requirements for gateway devices (i.e., home routers). Home routers are currently required to meet minimum cybersecurity requirements in the form of the Cyber Labelling Scheme Level 1. This requirement will be raised to a higher standard (i.e., Cyber Labelling Scheme Level 2). We will also explore introducing similar standards for IP cameras. These will make digital products harder to compromise. In summary, Singapore maintains a robust and adaptive cybersecurity posture. However, even with the best of defenses, we must remain vigilant and alert to evolving threats including AI-enabled cyber threats. The Government will continue to review our policies and initiatives to ensure that Singaporeans remain well protected in cyberspace.”
“Singapore's position as a major financial hub and digital economy makes us an attractive target for malicious actors. The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) regularly updates the public on cybersecurity threats, such as through SingCERT advisories and the Singapore Cyber Landscape publication. Over the years, the Government has taken steps to strengthen our cyber defenses. Critical systems are held to higher cybersecurity standards and obligations under the Cybersecurity Act. We have also invested heavily in capability development. Initiatives like CSA's Cybersecurity Development Programme have helped to strengthen our talent pipeline while national exercises, such as Exercise Cyber Star, help enhance the operational readiness of cyber defenders across both public and private sectors. As the threat evolves, so must our response. CSA will be reviewing and updating our cybersecurity standards and obligations to strengthen security controls. The Government will also be helping owners of critical systems better detect threats, including those from advanced threat actors and AI-enabled threats. This includes equipping them with proprietary threat detection systems. We will also partner the industry to deepen the capabilities of our cyber defenders so they can better protect Singapore. For Government systems, GovTech has existing internal guidelines to safeguard systems that hold sensitive data and provide important Government services. Moving forward, GovTech will be introducing more stringent cybersecurity and data protection obligations for Government vendors, such as requiring Government vendors that manage critical systems and sensitive Government data to meet Cyber Trust Mark requirements.”
“As the custodian of Government records of national or historical significance, the National Archives of Singapore (NAS) works with Government agencies to facilitate access to Government records that have been transferred to the NAS. The Member may wish to refer to a Parliamentary Question by Mr Leong Mun Wai at the sitting on 1 March 2023, where he asked about requests to view Government records yet to be declassified. [Please refer to "Requests to View Government Records Yet to be Declassified", Official Report, 1 March 2023, Vol 95, Issue 89, Written Answers to Questions section.] In my response, I shared that Government agencies had reviewed more than 5,000 Government records in response to 2,130 requests by members of the public between 2016 and 2022. Between 2023 and 2025, more than 4,000 Government records were reviewed by Government agencies in response to 2,361 new requests by members of the public. In total, 72% of the Government records reviewed between 2016 and 2025 have been approved for access. The main reasons for rejection were national security, confidentiality obligations and personal privacy. Today, over 74,000 Government records have been declassified and are available for access. From time to time, the Government may also release documents even if they have not been requested. We do this so the record of some key milestones in our history can be as full as possible. The recently released Albatross File is one example. Next year, NAS will also be releasing Mr Lee Kuan Yew's Oral History.”
“Service providers are held to high service standards through the Telecommunications Act and the Telecom Service Resiliency Code. For example, service providers are required to ensure that service incidents are resolved within one hour, failing which IMDA may take enforcement actions and impose financial penalties. Among other measures, service providers are required to conduct regular audits on key telecom infrastructure for resilience. They are also required to uphold stringent quality of service standards, such as ensuring more than 99% nationwide outdoor mobile service coverage at all times. While disruptions cannot always be prevented, IMDA requires key service providers, like Singtel, to put in place robust measures to contain their impact and ensure speedy recovery. This includes providing redundancies and failover systems for core network functions. IMDA also regularly reviews its regulatory frameworks to ensure that they remain relevant. This includes updating regulations to protect our submarine cables in 2022 and to enhance the cyber security of key telecom operators in 2023. IMDA is reviewing telecom service resilience regulations to ensure they remain effective. It has been about three weeks since the incidents. We note that Singtel has provided one-time rebates for affected mobile subscribers as part of their service recovery. In the meantime, IMDA's investigations are ongoing. It will publish its findings after investigations are completed and will not hesitate to take strong regulatory action should any lapses be identified. We also thank Members for their suggestions. These will be assessed for the ongoing review of telecom service resilience regulations, together with other suggestions that IMDA or the industry have put forward.”
“My response will cover the questions raised by Ms Poh Li San, Dr Neo Kok Beng, Mr Ang Wei Neng, Mr Melvin Yong, and Ms Elysa Chen in today's Order Paper, as well as the questions filed by Ms Joan Pereira, Mr Gerald Giam, and Mr Alex Yeo for tomorrow's Sitting, relating to the recent Singtel service incidents and resilience of our telecommunication services. If the MPs are satisfied with the response, they may wish to withdraw their questions after this session. Between 16 and 18 March 2026, Singtel experienced difficulties with its mobile service network. Based on preliminary reports, an incident on 16 March 2026 affected more than 600,000 Singtel mobile customers. While services were progressively recovered, the disruption lasted for about nine hours. The cause of the incident was attributed to a mechanical fault at one of Singtel's network facilities. A separate incident reported on 17 March 2026 affected about 2,000 Singtel mobile customers and was attributed to a software bug from a planned IT system update. On 18 March 2026, some Singtel mobile customers experienced intermittent connectivity issues during peak network traffic in the late afternoon. Singtel indicated that these issues were resolved within an hour. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is investigating the incidents. Thus far, there is no evidence that the incidents were due to cyber-attacks. IMDA is also investigating whether calls to emergency services were affected by the incidents, even though there are no such reports thus far. I would like to assure Members that the Ministry of Digital Development and Information and IMDA take all service disruptions seriously and we recognise the concerns raised.”
“Agencies will take into account Court orders relating to the custody, care and control of children, where such information is relevant to the administration of their policies or services. How they do so, including in digital systems, depends on their specific contexts and requirements.”
“Mr Speaker, the Member asked a question about Singapore's cyber defence posture. When a conflict of this nature takes place, naturally, we have to watch out for potential vectors of attack, even if Singapore is not directly involved in the theatre of action. Having said that, I think there is another type of risk that we have to watch out for even more. That is the risk of misinformation and disinformation that could threaten our social cohesion, when narratives are being put forward that polarise not only the countries that are directly involved in a conflict, but also have a spillover effect on Singapore. So, with regard to what we are watching out for, yes, cyber defence, but at the same time, misinformation and disinformation that could also give rise to tensions within our society.”
“The other thing is that in response to the earlier question by Mr Melvin Yong, I had cited how the regulations have also helped to reduce the number of incidents as well as the average duration per incident. And we will continue to look at how regulations can be strengthened in support of such improvements. Finally, to the question posed by the Member regarding state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat actors, whether IMDA does its own investigations. The short answer is that IMDA, together with CSA, will have to look very seriously into these issues. We have, on previous occasions, updated the public about findings that could be made known. Of course, the work continues.”
“Mr Speaker, the telco service providers have different commercial arrangements. In some instances, with bigger customers, they may indeed have built into their contracts conditions upon which compensation would be due. We are not privy to all the details of these arrangements. But I can say to the Member that they do exist. Some customers may already be seeking damages from the telco service providers when an incident of this nature happens. He may be referring to individual consumers. And when he talks about some European jurisdictions, we are only aware of the United Kingdom and Germany having in place arrangements that he may be referring to. In these two countries, the regulators require compensation, but the scope is quite limited, such as for loss of service for broadband or landline only, which the incidents that took place in March for Singtel, would also not have qualified. [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister for Digital Development and Information", Official Report, 7 April 2026, Vol 96, Issue 27, Correction By Written Statement section.] Nonetheless, it is not a common requirement. We are prepared to look at the suggestion. I would just add two points. One is that on their own volition, because of competitive reasons and the need to maintain customer goodwill, in this instance, Singtel has decided to pay a one-time rebate to their customers. I think a competitive market does have this effect on the service providers. They know not to assume that the customers cannot change providers. That is one feature of the way the market works that gives the consumers some assurance that the service providers need to be up to mark in terms of service resilience and reliability.”
“Mr Speaker, I think service providers can certainly improve the timeliness of their updates to their subscribers as well as to members of the public. Today, quite a lot of the information on outages is crowdsourced. There is something called "Downdetector" that people very frequently refer to. By and large, it is quite reliable and it gives a very good sense of what is going on. But I take the Member's point. In terms of our investigations, in terms of how we assess the incident response by the service providers, we will also look at how well they have done in terms of communicating with their subscribers and members of the public.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his suggestion, and we will continue to study it. But preliminarily, I would say that, even if there was mobile switching available. It would not be able to respond to all kinds of service disruptions. It depends on which part of the network has gone down. And maybe some parts of the network can be switchable between telcos, some parts of the network will not be able to do so. There maybe other kinds of mobile switching options available, but they will inevitably involve some cost, and it is not clear that subscribers are willing to pay for these additional features. That is something that we also have to keep in mind. I should add that in the Singapore context, wireless services are readily available. So, looking at the issue from the point of view of a user, if you are able to get to a wireless network, there are also messaging services that you can rely on. That is the option that many people currently rely on and remains something that is quite viable.”
“Mr Speaker, the short answer to the Member's question is yes. The stress testing obviously has to take place, but as we complete the investigations, we may find that there are parts of a system where the stress testing is not as good as it needs to be. So, this will then inform our understanding of the extent to which we need to then strengthen the regulations and put in place the right set of obligations and expectations. I can assure the Member that we will take this very seriously. Just to say that our telecom networks have become much more complex. We continuously introduce new service enhancements. From 3G to 4G to 5G and of course, in today's context, the system is also needing to respond to greater user needs, for example, in AI-enabled tools. We fully appreciate what the Member has said. Members of the public, whether businesses or individuals, are depending on these services, so in terms of their reliability, the expectation is certainly rightly high. I would like to provide some context to assure the Member that we track these performance issues very carefully. If we look at telecom incidents and look at the period 2016 to 2020, compared to 2021 to 2025 – two big blocks, because annual numbers may not be fully reflective. If we look at five-year blocks, it was an average of eight incidents in the period 2016 to 2020. In the more recent five-year period, 2021 to 2025, that has come down to an average of six incidents per year. The average duration of the incidents has also come down from eight hours to six-and-a-half hours. Is there room for improvement? The answer is yes. And part of the purpose of investigations is to arrive at a better understanding of how the system components are interacting with one another and where we need to strengthen the measures.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his questions. Because investigations are still ongoing, I will not want to prejudge the outcome. We do not rule out entirely that the incidents are related in some way, but the extent of the relations is yet to be firmly established, so it is better to let the investigators complete their work. It is clear, however, that, for now, there is no evidence to suggest that any of the incidents that have been reported were cyber-related. As to the question that the Member raised about the compensation, this was done on Singtel's own volition. Around the world, if we look at various jurisdictions, we do not know of anyone that require telcos to make compensation for service disruptions. [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister for Digital Development and Information", Official Report, 7 April 2026, Vol 96, Issue 27, Correction By Written Statement section.] Part of the reason is because in most markets, telecom services are quite competitive. Meaning that from the provider standpoint, there is an interest on their part to maintain goodwill with their customers. And so, in this instance, Singtel has decided that the service disruption lasted long enough. It impacted a wide swath of people. Many of their customers were inconvenienced. And they decided that they would offer a one-time rebate as part of their own service recovery.”
“For example, service providers are required to ensure that service incidents are resolved within one hour, failing which IMDA may take enforcement actions and impose financial penalties. Among other measures, service providers are required to conduct regular audits on key telecom infrastructure for resilience. They are also required to uphold stringent quality of service standards, such as ensuring more than 99% nation-wide outdoor mobile service coverage at all times. While disruptions cannot always be prevented, IMDA requires key service providers, like Singtel, to put in place robust measures to contain their impact and ensure speedy recovery. This includes providing redundancies and failover systems for core network functions. IMDA also regularly reviews its regulatory frameworks to ensure that they remain relevant. This includes updating regulations to protect our submarine cables in 2022 and to enhance the cybersecurity of key telecom operators in 2023. IMDA is reviewing telecom service resilience regulations to ensure they remain effective. It has been about three weeks since the incidents. We note that Singtel has provided one-time rebates for affected mobile subscribers as part of their service recovery. In the meantime, IMDA’s investigations are ongoing. It will publish its findings after investigations are completed and will not hesitate to take strong regulatory action should any lapses be identified. We also thank Members for their suggestions. These will be assessed for the ongoing review of telecom service resilience regulations, together with other suggestions that IMDA or the industry have put forward.”
“Mr Speaker, my response will cover the questions raised by Ms Poh Li San, Dr Neo Kok Beng, Mr Ang Wei Neng, Mr Melvin Yong and Ms Elysa Chen in today’s Order Paper, as well as related questions filed by Ms Joan Pereira1, Mr Gerald Giam2 and Mr Alex Yeo3 for tomorrow's Sitting. If Members are satisfied with the response, they may wish to withdraw their questions after this session. Sir, between 16 and 18 March 2026, Singtel experienced difficulties with its mobile service network. Based on preliminary reports, an incident on 16 March affected more than 600,000 Singtel mobile customers. While services were progressively recovered, the disruption lasted for about nine hours. The cause of the incident was attributed to a mechanical fault at one of Singtel’s network facilities. A separate incident reported on 17 March affected about 2,000 Singtel mobile customers and was attributed to a software bug from a planned IT system update. On 18 March, some Singtel mobile customers experienced intermittent connectivity issues during peak network traffic in the late afternoon. Singtel indicated that these issues were resolved within an hour. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is investigating the incidents. Thus far, there is no evidence that the incidents were due to cyberattacks. IMDA is also investigating whether calls to emergency services were affected by the incidents, even though there are no such reports thus far. I would like to assure Members that the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and IMDA take all service disruptions seriously, and we recognise the concerns raised. Service providers are held to high service standards through the Telecommunications Act and the Telecom Service Resiliency Code.”
“The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) monitors industry practices and maintains robust enforcement of the Do Not Call (DNC) provisions through investigation of complaints and engagement with businesses on compliance. The number of DNC complaints has continued to decline since the DNC regime was updated in 2021. The PDPC received approximately 1,700 and 1,380 DNC complaints in 2024 and 2025 respectively, of which 122 and 176 cases respectively were investigated for potential breaches of the DNC provisions. None of these cases warranted a financial penalty.”
“Over the 10-year period from January 2016 to December 2025, there were a total of about 330 million physical and e-books borrowed including renewals. Breakdown of loans by language: (a) 76% of total loans were for English-language books; (b) 21% of total loans were for Chinese-language books; (c) 2% of total loans were for Malay-language books; and (d) 1% of total loans were for Tamil-language books. Breakdown of loans by age group: (a) 60% of total loans were for adult books; (b) 4% of total loans were for teenage books; and (c) 36% of total loans were for children's books.”
“The Member is likely referring to YouTube accounts that recently published a large volume of artificial intelligence-generated videos containing fabricated claims about Singapore's foreign policy and domestic politics. It would be clear to Singaporeans, and those who live here, that the videos contain entirely made-up storylines about Singapore's current affairs. The Government's statement on this issue was reported by Lianhe Zaobao and Channel NewsAsia. Additionally, most of the videos and accounts that we were aware of have been removed by YouTube for contravening the platform's own community guidelines against misinformation and spam. Given this context, we did not issue Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) correction directions for these videos. As is typical of such disinformation campaigns, similar videos and accounts have resurfaced. The Government will work with platforms to review and investigate these videos. POFMA is an important tool against online falsehoods, but a well-informed and vigilant public remains our first line of defence. Public education is crucial in equipping Singaporeans with skills to verify online content. We urge Singaporeans to check official sources for accurate information and not to forward content from unknown or unverified sources.”
“The National Library Board (NLB) supports local authors and publishers by buying books and promoting them. All our libraries carry Singapore Collections to ensure that Singaporeans have access to local books and perspectives. NLB pays fair value for the books it acquires, whether local or foreign. Paying above market prices would simply mean buying fewer copies or titles. This will limit its ability to meet the varied needs of library users. Instead, NLB supports local authors and publishers through a broader range of initiatives to raise awareness of Singapore literature, authors and publishers. Working with many partners across the local literary ecosystem, these efforts include supporting book launches and facilitating the sale of books by local authors at selected events. NLB will continue with such efforts to build a vibrant reading ecosystem in Singapore.”
“This question has been addressed in a related Parliamentary Question filed by Ms Elysa Chen at the 3 March Parliament sitting. [Please refer to "Limits on Singapore's Total Data Centre Capacity", Official Report, 3 March 2026, Vol 96, Issue 23, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] While Singapore does not have a pre-determined upper limit to data centre (DC) capacity, we work within the envelope of our resource constraints and long-term environmental commitments. Therefore, we adopt a calibrated approach to growing the sector. We monitor the resource footprint of DCs using internationally recognised metrics, like power and water usage effectiveness. These metrics are used in the assessment of applicants for new DC capacity, which is primarily allocated through the competitive Call for Application mechanism. We expect applicants to be best-in-class for resource efficiency. The upcoming Digital Infrastructure Act aims to uplift the energy efficiency and overall sustainability of DCs. We will share more details when ready.”
“The Government tracks the productivity impact of our measures at the national level. We will study how to leverage these assessments, together with adoption rates, to assess the effectiveness of our artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. The Government shares the Member's interest to ensure that AI implementation is effective and leads to good outcomes for companies. This is partially achieved through pre-approving AI-enabled solutions and vendors that have been market-tested and shown to improve productivity. For other customised AI solutions, grant recipients must meet committed milestones before more funds are disbursed. More generally, we require co-payment from recipient companies, so they too have a stake in the project's success. We will continue to refine grant conditions, whilst avoiding onerous rules that deter genuine efforts to improve.”
“The National Library Board (NLB) offers a collection of 3.72 million books, including physical books, e-books and audiobooks, in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil for children aged zero to 12 years old. Of this, (a) 74% are English language books (approximately, 2,749,400 books); (b) 18% are Chinese language books (approximately, 680,300 books); (c) 5% are Malay language books (approximately, 167,100 books), including around 22,500 books (13% of Malay language books) in Bahasa Indonesia; and (d) 3% are Tamil language books (approximately, 118,900 books).”
“My response will cover the question raised by Ms Elysa Chen in today's Order Paper, as well as the question Assoc Prof Jamus Lim filed for tomorrow's sitting relating to the environmental impact of data centres (DCs). While Singapore does not have a pre-determined upper limit to DC capacity, we work within the envelope of our resource constraints and long-term environmental commitments. Therefore, we adopt a calibrated approach to growing the sector. We monitor the resource footprint of DCs using internationally recognised metrics like power and water usage effectiveness. These metrics are used in the assessment of applicants for new DC capacity, which is primarily allocated through the competitive Call for Application mechanism. We expect applicants to be best-in-class for resource efficiency. The upcoming Digital Infrastructure Act aims to uplift the energy efficiency and overall sustainability of DCs. We will share more details when ready.”
“The planned Artificial Intelligence (AI) park at one-north is not a data centre (DC) park. It is designed to be a hub for a growing community of AI developers and solution providers. We therefore expect its annual electricity and water consumption to be comparable to other technology-intensive industrial estates, such as the Punggol Digital District. Singapore is committed to advancing our AI capabilities in a sustainable manner. Under the National AI Research and Development plan, we have identified resource-efficient AI as a research priority. This, along with close monitoring of practices elsewhere, will help us consider appropriate policy measures. For example, green or energy-efficient AI software is a still a nascent field and there is no internationally recognised standard today. Nonetheless, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is working closely with the Green Software Foundation on the methodology for the new Software Carbon Intensity International Organization for Standardization standard, which provides an indication of energy usage for general software applications. In the meantime, IMDA promotes the efficient use of computing resources through initiatives, such as the Green Software Trials and the recently launched Practical Green Software Guide for Enterprises, which provides actionable steps for businesses to reduce their software carbon footprint. We have also taken steps to improve the sustainability of our DCs through IMDA's Green DC roadmap. The Ministry of Digital Development and Innovation will introduce baseline energy efficiency standards for DCs through the Digital Infrastructure Act, which we are developing in consultation with the industry.”
“The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) has addressed similar queries on (a) ensuring high quality mobile coverage by telecommunication companies in a Parliamentary Question (PQ) response dated 29 February 2024, and (b) mobile connectivity in high-density residential estates in a PQ response dated 25 September 2025. [Please refer to "Ensuring High-Quality Mobile Coverage by Telecommunication Companies", Official Report, 29 February 2024, Vol 95, Issue 127, Written Answers to Questions section; and "Precincts with High-density Condominiums and Apartments Experiencing Poor Mobile Connectivity and Enhancement Plans", Official Report, 25 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 5, Written Answers to Questions section.] Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are required to meet the Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA's) Quality of Service standards and the IMDA conducts regular checks island-wide to ensure these are met. MNOs therefore work closely with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to facilitate mobile network coverage in new HDB Towns, such as the Bidadari Estate. Over the past five years, the IMDA has received eight complaints regarding weak mobile coverage in the Bidadari Estate. Five of the complaints have been addressed and the MNOs are actively working to resolve the remaining three, which concern the basement carpark of the Alkaff Courtview Estate, within the first half of 2026.”
“Ahead of the 2025 General Elections, the Ministry of Home Affairs also launched a public education campaign that highlighted how deepfake videos and AI-generated posts had been used in influence operations targeting other countries.”
“The Government shares the Member's concern that generative AI can be exploited by bad actors to spread falsehoods, conduct hostile information operations and manipulate public opinion through convincing deepfakes produced at scale. We have introduced safeguards to moderate these risks. The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act allows the Government to correct AI-generated falsehoods against the public interest and counteract coordinated inauthentic behaviour. Under the Broadcasting Act, the Infocomm Media Development Authority can direct online communication services to disable Singapore users' access to egregious content, including content that is AI-generated. Our elections laws prohibit deepfakes that misrepresent election candidates. The Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act also provides the Government with powers to deal with AI-generated online content or accounts that are part of a hostile information campaign, such as by preventing such content from being viewed in Singapore. We employ a variety of detection tools and techniques, from commercial products to in-house technology, and continuously review our capabilities to detect and respond to malicious AI-generated content. We also set up the Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety to strengthen Singapore's technological capabilities to combat online harms and threats. These efforts are extensive but not enough. We also need our citizens to be vigilant and discerning. This is why we continue with public education initiatives, such as through the National Library Board's S.U.R.E. (Source, Understand, Research, Evaluate) programme.”
“Minister of State Jasmin Lau can supplement, but maybe very quickly, on citizen expectations. We do not see it in a bad way. The Member and I use digital services all the time. And for us as citizens to want the Government to do better, in terms of digital Government services delivery, is a very natural thing. And so, we want to hold ourselves to higher standards. But the Member's point, I think is a very useful one to keep in mind, which is that the expectations around failures, the expectations around what we may need to do to introduce more security that could come at the expense of some convenience that we have been used to, that is something that we need to socialise more people to. In cybersecurity, we always say that there is a trade-off. When things are able to move in a very fast way, you worry about whether the security features have been properly built-in, and there may be times that we need to prioritise the security more than the convenience. So, the same for some of the services that we may have to offer, we do not know for a fact that we need that sort of thing and we will try, not to purposely, to deliberately, introduce inconvenience. But if and when we need to, we have to explain to people and do so properly. I do not know whether Minister of State Jasmin Lau wants to add on.”
“I fully agree with you, multiple languages — perhaps I will ask Senior Minister of State Tan to reply because he has been working on this.”
“I believe that our institutes of higher learning are also very much involved because they interact with the private sector and they have a lot of students who are interested to prototype solutions in order to implement them, so we will look at those as well. The Member's question about responsible AI biases, how to make sure they are not perpetuated. The way we approach the potential risks and harms of AI is a multi-prong one. In some instances, we already have safeguards that perhaps need to be sharpened. So, for example, pornography that could be enabled by AI, child sexual exploitation material. These are already prohibited under the Penal Code. We can update the Penal Code to make it clear. We can also think of instances, like the Workplace Fairness Act. If there is a demonstration of bias in the recruitment process, then that piece of legislation can be relied upon, because it does not depend on how the unfairness, the discrimination was produced, so we can deal with it that way. But there will be instances where existing legislation, existing laws, existing measures are not enough. So, for example, we introduced the Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising), or ELIONA, legislation. This was specifically to deal with AI-generated content that are applied to candidates in an election context, so we will continue to maintain this sort of nimble approach. Use existing laws, sharpen the laws, if and when necessary, but also do not hesitate to introduce new measures when they are needed and when it is clear what can be done about them. So, those are the things that we will do. Inclusivity, I fully agree with you, multiple inclusivity.”
“Mr Chairman, in terms of how citizens are going to access the National AI Impact Programme, it again will not be solely through the channels that MDDI and IMDA oversee. For one, we will work very closely with trade associations and chambers as well as professional bodies for outreach. There is very strong interest from these intermediaries to get the word out and we welcome their interest. We already have existing programmes that serve as a useful base so, for example, the enterprise solutions will very largely be offered through the Productivity Solutions Grant scheme. The Productivity Solutions Grant is well known to many of our enterprises. The intermediaries are also familiar with it. I mentioned in my earlier speech that about 30% of the solutions are now AI-enabled. That will likely grow because of the interest and also because of the availability of the tools. If we look at enterprises that already use some digital tools, the Member can imagine that the vendor goes to the enterprise and say, "If you add this AI tool on top of it, actually, you can do more things than you were able to previously." So, this is one way to propagate on a base that is already quite ready. It is already quite well equipped. For individuals, I mentioned that we will start, initially, with the accountancy and legal professions and then look to extend towards fields like human resources (HR). HR, for example, easily has 50,000 members, 50,000 practitioners. So, through their own mechanisms, individuals can also be reached. So, those are the different ways in which we will propagate the access to the National AI Impact Programme. We welcome suggestions. If anyone comes to us and say, "This is what you can do." We are very keen to understand how.”
“It tends to be one-to-one, but what we need is many-to-many cooperation and we need the mechanism to sort things out – where to prioritise, where to apply more resources, where the exploration is heading into a dead end, what kinds of policy changes that you might need. So, the NAIC is not just an advisory role. Our Prime Minister has many things on his plate. He advises us on a whole range of things, but to chair the National AI Council is a very strong indication that we are keen on making AI transformation real for all Singaporeans and not just something that just continues to exist as a vision. We have to turn this into reality. That is what it is intended to be. 5.45 pm Very quickly, Mr Chairman, I think there was also a question about trust and regulatory credibility, and whether we will set up institutions to do that. We have, in fact, taken steps. For example, quite apart from introducing model governance frameworks, we have set up a digital trust centre that is our designated AI Safety Institute. We also have the Centre of Advanced Technologies for Online Safety. These are institutions that have grown within academic organisations, but we will look for opportunities to collaborate with industry, with academia, to see how we can institutionalise this capability and turn it into an advantage for Singapore.”
“For example, in Google DeepMind, within the Singapore team, they are contributing to the development of the newest Gemini models. So, we had thought about AI Creators, we had thought about AI Practitioners – machine learning engineers, data scientists – and we had thought about users – the broad base. As we were implementing the Centres of Excellence, we also realised that in between, you need people who both understand AI, not necessarily at the deepest level, but they have good domain expertise. There is this idea that you need "bilingual" talent – people who know enough of AI, know enough of their domain and they can marry the knowledge together. Even in terms of how we think about the AI talent spectrum, what originally was a gap now turns out to be an opportunity for us to do something about it. That would be the second reflection. The third relates specifically to your question about the role of NAIC. There is a well-known saying. We use it very much to talk about social solidarity. It is an African saying. It goes, "If you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, you go together." It turns out that it applies to AI development too. If we only confine ourselves to the effort that can be applied within the verticals – MDDI, you do this; MTI, you do this; I think we will remain effective in our own ways, but we will not get to synergise. Lorong AI can become Kampong AI because there is JTC. If JTC has not been seized with this idea, then this growth could not have quite come about. So, the NAIC is precisely to do these things. Bring the whole together. Make the whole bigger than the sum of its parts. Today, agencies already cooperate.”
“It is that you can start small but dream big. You do not always have to have a Big Bang approach. That is the first observation. The second observation I would say is that in terms of how we have implemented ideas, actually, gaps are good opportunities. Let me explain a little bit. After we did Lorong AI, we were also building up AI Centres of Excellence. If we did not have a good momentum with the AI Centres of Excellence, it will be hard to now try to push ahead with Champions of AI. We do not have a base to begin with. And one of those particular Centres of Excellence was in manufacturing. When we looked at the activities being carried out at that Centre of Excellence, we realised that there are common problems that a sectorial Centre of Excellence could do. And then, it enabled us to think that perhaps in some sectors, there was a certain readiness for end-to-end transformation. So, the national AI Missions, in a way, grew out of that effort too. Then, we asked ourselves, we now have activities in industry, we now have activities in Government, which Minister of State Jasmin Lau spoke about – AI activities. In research, things were also happening in a very positive way. Microsoft has been in Singapore for years, but it was only last year that they set up a research entity here. Then Google DeepMind decided to open an office here. What that tells us is that research activities are picking up pace, because AI top talents are attracted by bold ambition and a willingness to tackle the big questions, the problems that confound many people. So, we need to have that. The gaps, being opportunities specifically apply in the talent space. We had started thinking broadly in terms of AI Creators. That would be the people in Microsoft Research, Google DeepMind.”
“Chairman, that is quite a few questions. I will try my best. Perhaps to address Mr Sharael Taha's question on what we have learned from the implementation of NAIS 2.0, the Prime Minister launched NAIS 2.0 in December 2023. So, it is just a little over two years since we formally started the process. If I were to say up to now, what we are learning from it? Maybe two or three key observations. The first, perhaps to refer to the earlier handout that MTI distributed – this is on Kampong AI – as an example. I recall that around 2023, we had visited a corner of San Francisco that was known as Cerebral Valley. It was very captivating for us because the hacker houses had such an energy about them. Papers that were being published by universities in the morning, in the evening, they already have a talk and people would come in and say, this is how I am going to use it. Then, a week later, a prototype would have already been built and venture capitalists were invited for show and tell. You could see that this generated a kind of buzz that was very enviable. We asked ourselves: can we do that? We really did not know how comprehensive our ecosystem was at the time, that would centre its attention on AI-related activities. So, we said, let us start with Lorong AI. It was not called Lorong AI at the start. We just decided that we just have to bring the community together. We did not have our Cerebral Valley then. We just had to see whether it could take off. It turned out to move a lot faster and grow a lot bigger than we expected. I think last year, Lorong AI hosted something like 150 events with about 4,000 people. Because of that, we have the confidence to do Kampong AI. But what is the reflection and what is the lesson learned there?”
“Besides delivering timely and credible news, our Public Service Media entities produce content that strengthens our sense of identity as one people. They also play a role in cultivating news literacy among our young, through regular student publications and school competitions. Given the critical role of our Public Service Media, MDDI will support efforts to keep public service media content visible and easily discoverable. We are studying approaches in other countries and will consult the industry to ensure that initiatives are implemented reasonably and effectively. The Government will continue investing in our Public Service Media entities, helping them develop new capabilities as the media landscape evolves. Sir, to conclude, the investments we make today will determine whether we lead or lag tomorrow. By accelerating AI adoption, strengthening technology governance, and building discernment among our people, we are positioning Singaporeans to seize the opportunities and make progress together.”
“Second, we will provide CII owners with advanced tools, so that they are equipped to deal with advanced threats and. Third, we will work with partners to build up capabilities in our cybersecurity workforce. Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How will say more about these efforts. Another risk we face is the spread of disinformation and misinformation, fueled by technologies like AI. As a diverse society, we are particularly vulnerable to online falsehoods that erode trust in our society and institutions. Fortunately, we have been strengthening our libraries and archives. They help to nurture a discerning population by cultivating reading habits and information literacy. Minister of State Rahayu will share more later. Our Public Service Media entities too, are important in maintaining trust in our infospace. I thank Mr Henry Kwek and Ms Tin Pei Ling for recognising this. Our Public Service Media entities reach over 90% of Singaporeans. They remain highly trusted by the public, more so than reputable international and online media outlets. Consequently, our Public Service Media entities have become indispensable in countering misinformation. MDDI will therefore continue working closely with our Public Service Media entities to maintain their reach and strengthen their fact-checking capabilities. For example, CNA will set up a digital verification team. Government agencies have also collaborated with The Straits Times on the AskST series to address misinformation. Mr Henry Kwek asked about efforts to help Public Service Media remain relevant, discoverable and financially viable as audience attention and advertising shift towards digital platforms.”
“The most advanced AI models are developed in only a handful of countries, but their cooperation on AI safety is not deep. In recent years, Singapore has hosted major AI conferences to promote international cooperation. Last year, we organised the Singapore Conference on AI: International Scientific Exchange on AI Safety. The exchange brought together world-class thinkers across research, government and civil society, resulting in the Singapore Consensus on global AI safety research priorities. Recently, at the India AI Impact Summit, I shared that Singapore will host the second edition of the International Scientific Exchange to update the Singapore Consensus. Despite the challenges, we will continue contributing meaningfully to the international discourse on AI safety. Next, on cybersecurity. Members are understandably concerned about whether our critical infrastructure is sufficiently protected against malicious threat actors, especially state-sponsored ones. I would like to reassure Mr Sharael Taha and Mr Gerald Giam that the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) works closely with domestic and international partners to detect and contain cyber threats. On the diplomatic front, Singapore recently concluded our chairmanship of the Second UN Open-Ended Working Group on security of and in the use of info-comm technologies. Realistically, state-sponsored threat actors are par for the course. It is nonetheless important to forge international consensus on what constitutes responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. We must, however, not expect these efforts to be a substitute for stronger cyber defense capabilities. In this regard, CSA will focus on three key areas. First, we will review our cybersecurity standards and requirements for CII owners.”
“Geraldine and many PMEs are showing that AI know-how, domain expertise and human touch are a powerful combination. Not all of us can be AI engineers. But we can be “bilingual” in AI in our own areas of expertise and to solve problems in our domains. For a start, the Government will support 100,000 workers to become AI bilingual. They will be pathfinders for meaningful AI upskilling, for others to emulate. Our initial focus will be on professions that are highly exposed to AI and serve multiple industries. IMDA will work with relevant agencies and professional bodies to expand its TeSA programme, to develop AI bilingual workers in key domains. We will start with the accountancy and legal professions, and extend our reach to other fields such as HR. As Mr Henry Kwek noted, AI is also transforming the tech sector – many people can now write code and build prototypes with the help of AI. We will therefore enhance the TeSA offerings to help tech workers move up the value chain, from writing code, to orchestrating end-to-end systems powered by AI agents. With AI evolving quickly, our governance must also keep pace. We agree with Ms Jessica Tan and Dr Choo Pei Ling on risk-based, practical AI governance. Like Mr Christopher de Souza, we believe AI should not replace the discerning human mind. Our new Model Governance Framework for Agentic AI will help organisations manage systems that can act with greater independence, while ensuring human oversight. We are the first government worldwide to introduce such guidelines. For high-risk, high-impact systems like frontier models, we will progressively strengthen safeguards. However, what we do locally is not enough, a point noted by Ms Tin Pei Ling.”
“We also thank Mr Andre Low, Mr Dennis Tan and Mr Fadli Fawzi as well as Mr Sharael Taha for recognising the need to plan ahead, as the Government has done, to manage the energy impact of widespread AI use. We do this in several ways. We are judicious in how we expand digital infrastructure. When allocating new data centres, we assess how well they use low-carbon energy sources. We are introducing new sustainability requirements to improve the energy efficiency of older data centres. And through the National AI Research and Development plan, we will support public research in resource-efficient AI to better understand our options. 4.30 pm As more businesses adopt AI, there is also opportunity to uplift the workforce and help them stay relevant, whether at the entry level or at later stages of their careers. Beyond the Prime Minister's commitments and MOM’s plans, I want to assure Members like Mr Abdul Muhaimin, Ms Cassandra Lee and Dr Choo Pei Ling that MDDI is focused squarely on this. We know that PMEs and knowledge workers feel the pressure more acutely. But many have found ways to be more effective with AI’s help. Take Geraldine Lau, an audit professional who has been with KPMG for 27 years. For each audit, Geraldine pores through reams of documents to assess risk. With employer-provided training, she created an AI agent that automatically consolidates key information from company announcements for audit reviews. The AI agent organises information more quickly than Geraldine can, but her domain knowledge is key to ensuring it looks in the right places. With hours of manual work saved, she can now focus on deeper risk assessments and applying her human abilities – wisdom, calibration and professional judgement – to more complex work.”
“We will expand the range of AI-enabled solutions with grant support to meet different business needs. More SMEs can then access these pre-approved, cost-effective and market-proven tools to integrate AI readily and affordably. Like Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Muhaimin, we want these solutions to be transformative yet human-centred. At the same time, Mr Mark Lee worries about AI washing. We will put safeguards in place for grants and incentives whilst trying at the same time to not make the rules too onerous. Some enterprises are ready to do more with AI. Take Mocha Chai Laboratories for example. They are a talented team of multimedia creators who improve film visuals and sound. Unknown to most of us, sound effects are still added manually to films, often taking four to eight weeks. After joining IMDA's Digital Leaders Programme and building up their tech capabilities, Mocha Chai created a new GenAI tool that analyses video footage and automatically generates matching sound effects, reducing weeks of work to just a day. This innovation allowed the company to not only save costs but create a potential new income stream. It has opened up opportunities for both the business and their employees. We want more success stories like Mocha Chai. But as pointed out by Ms Jessica Tan, Mr Mark Lee and Mr Sharael Taha, more sophisticated uses of AI require multiple factors to succeed. Often, the technology is ready, but people are not. This is why we are enhancing the Digital Leaders Programme and launching a new Digital Leaders Accelerator Bootcamp to build skills and confidence in change management and not just tech capabilities.”
“But if AI follows the same path as previous technology waves, only a small group of companies at the frontier will get ahead and pull away from the pack. The long tail of smaller and often less-resourced businesses take much longer. Yet collectively, they employ most of our workforce. When they fall behind, more than GDP is at risk. At stake are our entrepreneurs' hopes and dreams, workers' livelihoods and their communities' progress. This is why MDDI is creating the National AI Impact Programme – to turn AI's possibilities into reality for the many, not the few. Today, 15% of SMEs and about seven in 10 workers use AI in some way. We want to encourage those who have not started to take the first step and help those already using AI move beyond basic applications. Over the next three years, the National AI Impact Programme aims to support 10,000 local enterprises to integrate AI into their business processes. This will create a sizable pool of early adopters. They can be multipliers in the community, sharing their experiences and knowledge through the intermediaries that Ms Denise Phua asked the Prime Minister about. Small businesses stand to gain the most. Take Durian Memories for example, a single store seller in Ang Mo Kio. They did not have the luxury of dedicating a team member to handle customer enquiries. Unsurprisingly, they lost sales when hungry durian lovers were not attended to. But Durian Memories tackled this challenge by implementing an AI-enabled customer relationship management system with a chatbot that automatically answers customer queries. As a result, peak sales went up by 30%. There are now many AI tools that improve business operations in simple, effective ways. They make up 30% of the digital solutions on IMDA's SMEs Go Digital platform today.”
“Just like my mother – she is not a digital expert, but with appropriate help, she too can shop online safely. We do not need to force ourselves to become AI masters, because not everyone can master AI to the same degree; the ways in which they benefit from it will also differ. More importantly, Singapore must remain confident so that we can move steadily ahead in this AI era. In this year's COS debate, MDDI will propose various initiatives in this direction and ensure that Singaporeans can not only keep up but also benefit. (In English): Mr Chairman, AI has taken centre stage at this year's Budget and COS debates. Members have shared optimism about opportunities and anxiety over impacts on our jobs, creativity and autonomy. Mr Sharael Taha asked a strategic question about Singapore's unique positioning in AI. We are fortunate that international counterparts recognise our ability to respond holistically across industries, enterprises and the workforce through a range of enablers – from R&D and infrastructure to safety and governance. On the global stage, Singapore is frequently at the table. Our progressive, thoughtful approach to AI makes us a credible partner and useful reference point. This has made it possible to aim higher. Prime Minister Wong, Deputy Prime Minister Gan and MTI colleagues outlined plans to grow AI champions and pursue national AI Missions. Later, Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and MOE colleagues will discuss how we empower the present and future workforce to make the most of AI. I will focus on what this means for the broader base of our businesses. In gist, we want to take full advantage of AI's ability to be democratised, or to put it more simply, for its benefits to spread widely because solutions once too expensive or complex are more accessible.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank Members for their cuts. Let me start my response in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, in the blink of an eye, tomorrow will be Chap Goh Meh. Before Chinese New Year, I asked my mother if she wanted me to accompany her to buy new clothes, but the 83-year-old said, "No need! I have already found the clothes I like online and placed an order." I was afraid that she might be scammed, so I asked her how she knew that the seller was reliable. She confidently replied, "I will only pay after I receive the goods and am satisfied with them." On the day of our reunion dinner, she excitedly showed me her new clothes, and only then did I feel reassured. Mr Chairman, digital technology has brought a lot of conveniences to our lives and created new opportunities for our businesses. However, it has also exposed us to unprecedented risks and dangers. Similarly, AI has both benefits and drawbacks. Several Members have also mentioned this. Some Singaporeans worry that they cannot keep up with the pace of this AI era. I have also felt the same way before. However, as the Prime Minister said, we cannot stand still out of fear of AI. As the saying goes, "Like a boat going against the current, you must move forward; otherwise, you will fall behind." Other countries have developed their AI initiatives. If we do not act fast enough, plan broadly enough, or establish our foundations deeply enough, we will inevitably fall behind. The key is that our goals must be clear, and our measures effective. In this AI era, how can we ensure that Singaporeans are not left behind and help SMEs maintain their competitive advantage? This is a core issue that we are closely monitoring.”
“The Government recognises that members of the public, including independent cybersecurity researchers, can play a constructive role in strengthening cybersecurity, and we welcome their responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities via the Vulnerability Disclosure Programme (VDP). The VDP does not provide exemptions from civil or criminal liability because this could unintentionally legitimise intrusive testing or activities that may disrupt services or compromise sensitive data. Providing such exemptions may also be abused by malicious attackers attempting to disguise their activities through the VDP. Instead, the Government adopts a calibrated approach. Members of the general public can report vulnerabilities discovered through the VDP and these will generally be viewed in good faith by the authorities. More in-depth security testing is conducted through structured programmes, such as the Government Bug Bounty Programme and Vulnerability Rewards Programme, where the scope of authorised access and permissions are clearly defined. This approach allows the Government to benefit from responsible disclosure by the cybersecurity community, while safeguarding public systems and maintaining clear boundaries on the degree of cybersecurity testing which is permissible.”
“The Government has put in place measures to address child sexual exploitation and abuse online. Under the Broadcasting Act and Online Criminal Harms Act, the Government can issue directions to social media services or internet service providers to disable Singapore users' access to child sexual exploitation and abuse material published online. Under the Code of Practice for Online Safety – Social Media Services (Code), designated Social Media Services are required to minimise Singapore users' exposure to child sexual exploitation and abuse material on their services, including livestreams. The designated two services must put in place technologies and processes to proactively detect and swiftly remove such material. They must also take steps to protect users from child exploitation and abuse activity, such as online grooming. The Code additionally requires designated services to submit annual online safety reports to the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which detail their measures to combat harmful content, including child sexual exploitation and abuse material, and improve users' safety. The reports are published on IMDA's website, alongside IMDA's assessment on each designated service's performance.”
“Singapore's total data centre (DC) capacity exceeds 1.4 gigawatts, and we are home to more than 70 cloud, enterprise and co-location DCs.”