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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“For foreign employees, the Ministry of Manpower requires employers of Work Permit and S Pass holders to bear the cost of their medical treatment, and purchase and maintain medical insurance of $15,000 per year for each worker for inpatient care. Employers are not required to bear the cost of medical treatment for Employment Pass holders, although most of them would typically provide healthcare benefits as part of the employment package.”
“Government subsidies and the 3M (MediSave, MediShield Life, MediFund) framework provide for the basic healthcare needs of all Singaporeans. Additionally, more than 90% of employers provide company medical benefits to local employees, covering either inpatient costs, outpatient costs, or both. Today, fewer than 4% of employers provide portable medical benefits to their employees, such as by making additional MediSave contributions. More than half of all employers provide medical benefits via Group Hospitalisation and Surgical (GHS) medical schemes, where insurers cover their employees' inpatient medical fees. While GHS schemes were previously an affordable way to attract and retain workers, they will become increasingly costly with an ageing workforce. Furthermore, with the introduction of MediShield Life for all Singaporeans in 2015, employees have duplicate insurance coverage if their employers also provided GHS or other forms of inpatient medical benefits. This is why the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers has recommended that employers restructure medical benefits to provide additional MediSave contributions or other such flexible benefits. Employees could then use such benefits to purchase portable medical benefits, such as Integrated Shield Plans that ride on MediShield Life. The Government has taken steps to encourage employers to adopt portable medical benefits. For example, while the normal tax deduction limit is 1%, employers can enjoy up to 2% tax deduction for medical expenses of total employees' remuneration if they provide additional MediSave contributions. The limit for additional MediSave contributions was also raised to $2,730 per employee per year in 2018.”
“Eligible working parents are entitled to paid childcare leave, provided for under the Child Development Co-Savings Act and the Employment Act. Childcare leave supports parents in caring for and spending time with their young children. While parents are entitled to childcare leave, every leave application is subject to the employers' approval, which cannot be unreasonably withheld. Early notice of the intention to take childcare leave provides lead-time for employers to make alternative arrangements to cover the work duties of the employee where necessary. On the other hand, it would not be practical to expect employees to be able to give advance notice of matters which cannot be foreseen and cannot be postponed, for example, their child falling ill suddenly. Some businesses operating on shifts may need a longer lead-time for employers to make alternative covering arrangements, while others may not need any lead-time at all. It would, therefore, not be helpful to prescribe, in terms of number of hours or days, what constitutes sufficient early notice. The vast majority of employers and employees have been able to work out mutually workable arrangements. As a last-resort safeguard, employees who think they have been unreasonably denied childcare leave, can report their cases to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). I thank the Member for highlighting the current information on childcare leave found on the MOM website. Presently, the write-up does not make a clear distinction between legislated childcare leave versus practical advice aimed to promote mutual trust and harmony between employees and employers. MOM will review the information to make the details of childcare leave clearer.”
“Both employers and older workers must play their parts in achieving productive longevity for Singaporeans. Employers must redesign workplaces and processes in ways that support older workers to continue contributing meaningfully and ensure they are equipped with the right skills to perform. Workers must also be adaptable, willing to upgrade and update their skills, and keep an open mind about trying new roles. The Government has committed to support both employers and workers to make these necessary changes. More details on this support will be shared at Budget 2020.”
“Over the past decade, concerted tripartite efforts have led to an improvement in older worker employment outcomes. The employment rate for residents aged 50 to 59 rose from 70% in 2008 to 76% in 2018. The employment rate for residents aged 60 to 64 saw a significant increase as well, from 47% in 2008 to 60% in 2018. A Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers was formed to develop recommendations to help strengthen support for older worker employment. The Workgroup has released its recommendations in August this year. These recommendations were fully accepted by the Government. In particular, the Prime Minister announced the Government's acceptance of the Workgroup's recommendation to raise the Retirement Age (RA) and Re-employment Age (REA) to 65 and 70 by 2030. The first move, to increase RA to 63 and REA to 68 will take effect from 1 July 2022. The increases in RA and REA will provide older workers the assurance of employment up to a higher age, while continuing to meet employers' need for flexibility to make reasonable adjustments to the employment terms of re-employed workers. As legislation alone is insufficient to achieve truly age-friendly labour markets, the Workgroup also made recommendations to promote inclusive and progressive workplaces for older workers. These include (a) voluntary adoption of the higher RA and REA ahead of scheduled legislative changes; (b) implementing transformative job redesign to effect systems-level and organisation-wide change; (c) engaging mature and older workers in structured career planning sessions to guide workers on the training they need for career development and re-employment; and (d) providing part time employment opportunities to allow more older workers to continue working at lower intensities.”
“All employees, including those with disabilities, are covered by the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) and can receive work injury compensation from their employers if they suffer an injury arising out of and in the course of work. We do not condone selective coverage or cherry-picking of employees based on their personal characteristics by insurers. With the new WICA 2019, insurers offering WICA policies must be licensed by the Ministry of Manpower. The licensing conditions will prohibit designated insurers from refusing to cover certain groups of employees based on personal characteristics, such as disability, age or health status. Under the new Act, designated insurers will also have access to companies' actual claim records, to help them price the premiums to reflect the risk profile of the company. In other words, there is no need for them to presume that a company hiring disabled persons will face higher WICA claims.”
“In each of the five years from 2013 to 2018, there were about 50 male foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Singapore. The main reason cited when applying to hire a male FDW is that a female FDW is not suitable for the family's caregiving needs. Examples are where the family member to be cared for has a disability, is of heavy build and/or has a special medical condition. The vast majority of employers prefer to hire female FDWs. The Ministry of Manpower will continue to assess applications for male FDWs on a case-by-case basis and exercise flexibility in exceptional situations.”
“In 2017 and 2018, there were about 18,200 claims from foreign workers for work-related injury or disease under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA). These claimants comprise less than 1% of our foreign workforce. This has stayed around the same level in the last three years. Claimants can be of any nationality, but given the occupations they tend to be in, there are more from Bangladesh, China, India and Malaysia. Among the approximately 17,500 cases that have since concluded, 85% were valid claims, 13% were withdrawn, and the remaining 2% were invalid claims as their injuries were not deemed as work-related. The vast majority of the invalid claims made in the past two years were due to misunderstanding over what scenarios are claimable under WICA. We have found five cases in the past two years with dishonest intent to claim compensation. We have initiated prosecution against all of them. Those convicted will face a maximum fine of $15,000 and/or 12 months' imprisonment under WICA and will be permanently barred from working in Singapore.”
“In July 2017, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) launched the Tripartite Standards to encourage companies to adopt fair and progressive workplace practices. Employers who adopt the Tripartite Standards are publicly recognised as progressive employers. This helps them to attract and retain jobseekers and their current workers. Adoption is voluntary. Two years on, we have seen significant progress. As of July 2019, about 2,700 employers, including public sector agencies, covering about 670,000 employees, have adopted at least one Tripartite Standard. This means that one in five workers can be assured that their employers have committed to implementing fair and progressive employment practices, such as recruiting based on merit, setting out clear terms of engagement, and providing flexible work arrangements. Table 1 below provides a breakdown of the number of employers who have adopted each Tripartite Standard and workers covered. The top three industries with the most adopters of the Tripartite Standards are (a) Infocomm Technology and Media, (b) Professional Services, and (c) Wholesale Trade. MOM and the tripartite partners have been working hard to encourage companies to adopt the Tripartite Standards. For instance, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) has been reaching out to companies, including through promotional campaigns, event roadshows, and briefings to members of Trade Associations and Chambers. TAFEP also organises clinics on Tripartite Standards to help companies better understand the specifications, so that they can confidently implement those practices before adoption. These concerted MOM and tripartite efforts have led to good progress in the adoption of the Tripartite Standards. We will press on with these efforts.”
“In 2018, 63% of employers selected the option to open a Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) Payroll Account for their prospective foreign workers (non-domestic Work Permit holders) in their Work Permit applications. Currently, foreign workers have to visit the POSB branch at Kaki Bukit Recreation Centre to collect their bank cards. POSB is aware that more foreign workers are visiting the POSB branch at Kaki Bukit Recreation Centre and is working with the Ministry to explore ways to reduce the need for foreign workers to visit the POSB branch. For example, POSB has plans to pilot an initiative to allow foreign workers to receive their bank cards through the mail.”
“About 1,600 employees have filed salary claims at the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) between April 2017 when it was established and December 2018. Two-thirds of the claims filed resulted in money orders issued to employers to settle the salary claims, and the remaining were mostly withdrawn or dismissed. ECT does not order employers to pay sums beyond the employees' statutory or contractual entitlements. If an order has been made against the employer, it is usually due to two reasons: (a) the employer did not abide by the terms of the employment contract; or (b) the employment contract although observed, was contrary to the Employment Act.”
“The breakdown of training participation rates of unemployed persons by gender, in each of the last three years, is provided in Table 1. The training participation rate of unemployed males increased significantly from 2016 to 2017, but dipped slightly in 2018. The training participation rate of unemployed females has steadily increased from 2016 to 2018. We do not have the breakdown of utilisation rate of SkillsFuture Credit by employment status. Since the rollout of the SkillsFuture Credit in January 2016, its utilisation between genders has been relatively balanced.”
“We do not collect utilisation rate of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) because it does not show if employees require more FWAs or not. A low FWA utilisation rate could be due to employees not requiring FWAs at the point in time. A more useful indicator is the accessibility of FWAs for employees who need it. Among employees aged 25 to 64 who required FWAs in 2018, more than eight in 10 had access to the FWA that they needed, an increase from seven in 10 in 2016.1 The percentage is broadly similar across age and gender. The Work-Life Grant (WLG) is only disbursed to companies after their employees have regularly utilised the FWAs. The amount disbursed depends on the number of employees who utilised the FWAs, up to $105,000 per company. We do not track the utilisation of FWAs by all employees in each company. However, as part of the WLG conditions, every beneficiary company must adopt the Tripartite Standard on FWAs, which includes informing all their employees on the types of FWAs offered and the outcomes of their applications, and engaging them on alternatives if their requests cannot be granted. To provide greater support to companies to implement FWAs, the budget for the enhanced WLG was recently increased to $100 million, up from $30 million. We strongly encourage employers to tap on the grant to offer FWAs to their employees.”
“Under the Retirement and Re-employment Act (RRA), it is an offence for employers to dismiss workers on grounds of age before the minimum statutory Retirement Age of 62. Additionally, employers are required to offer re-employment contracts to eligible employees from 62 up to the Re-employment Age of 67. The RRA covers persons who rejoin the workforce if they meet the same criteria as those who remained in the workforce. The priority should, therefore, be to help them return to employment. They are likely to need some training or reskilling. Through Adapt and Grow, they can access a suite of services and programmes to facilitate employment matching and overcome mismatches in skills or wages.”
“Today, employers can make voluntary Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions on top of mandatory CPF contributions for all their employees. The three ways are through the Additional MediSave Contribution Scheme, Retirement Sum Topping Up Scheme and Voluntary Contribution to all three CPF Accounts Scheme. In 2018, about 1,000 employers made voluntary contributions for about 13,000 employees aged 55 and above. However, as these are private arrangements between the employers and their employees, CPF Board does not have sight over the basis for voluntary contributions and if they are due to voluntary equalisation of CPF contribution rates for employees aged 55 and above.”
“So far, MOM and the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices have not received reports of this nature. We urge members of the public who are aware of such cases to report them.”
“Based on preliminary data for the second quarter of 2019, total employment has continued to grow, although at a slower pace compared to the previous quarter and a year ago. At the same time, retrenchments have not picked up and remained fairly low at 2,300. Unemployment inched upwards but also remains low. This suggests that most employers are not laying off existing workers but exercising greater caution in hiring. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and our tripartite partners are closely monitoring the economy and labour market and stand ready to step up support for companies and workers through the Adapt and Grow initiative. This includes employment facilitation services and Professional Conversion Programmes offered by Workforce Singapore and NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute. Employment Pass (EP) holders typically renew their EP every two to three years, and all new and renewal applications are subject to the prevailing EP salary thresholds at that point. The EP criteria were last reviewed in 2017, with higher salary thresholds imposed, not just at entry level, but also for older EP holders. The increased salary thresholds reflect local salary progression, so that employers do not substitute local professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) with cheaper EP holders, and that EP holders are of the right calibre to complement our local workforce. We will continue to monitor wage levels of local PMETs and will revise the EP salary thresholds if necessary. The scenario that the Member outlined, where for the same job, an EP holder is offered a permanent position, but a local offered a fixed term contract, would appear to be a breach of the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.”
“However, since it was launched in April 2018, its monthly visitorship has risen from about 214,000 in April 2018 to about 511,000 in June 2019. As a gauge of the portal’s attractiveness to employers, fewer than 20% of the job postings were to fulfil the Fair Consideration Framework's (FCF's) advertising requirement. This suggests that employers are coming on board MyCareersFuture.sg voluntarily because they find value in doing so. Under FCF, the Ministry of Manpower takes action against employers with unfair hiring practices, including those that place job advertisements without fairly considering applicants. For instance, we have withdrawn work pass privileges from employers that pre-selected foreign applicants and went through the motions of advertising on the Jobs Bank without applying their evaluation criteria consistently across all candidates. We investigate cases where employers are suspected to have such practices and will not hesitate to sanction them.”
“To find suitable candidates, employers advertise job openings through a variety of channels, including print advertisements, online job portals and recruitment agencies. Likewise, jobseekers may apply to jobs advertised through multiple channels. It is, therefore, unlikely that an employer or jobseeker relies on any single portal, including MyCareersFuture.sg. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Workforce Singapore's (WSG's) efforts to help Singaporeans to find jobs also go beyond MyCareersFuture.sg. Under the Adapt and Grow (A&G) initiative, WSG and the National Trades Union Congress' Employment and Employability Institute offer a suite of career matching services, including career coaching, employability workshops, job fairs and job matching through their career centres. Together with MyCareersFuture.sg, our career coaches help jobseekers to make informed career choices. There are also programmes that help jobseekers overcome mismatches in skills, wages or job expectations. For example, there are over a hundred Professional Conversion Programmes providing wage and training support for employers to retrain workers to take up new jobs or careers. The Career Support Programme encourages employers to give opportunities to mature retrenched or long-term unemployed professionals, managers, executives and technicians by providing wage support for a period of time. Through A&G programmes and services, we helped about 30,000 Singaporean jobseekers find new jobs in 2018. In the first half of 2019, we helped about 18,000 jobseekers secure jobs, about 9% more than in the same period last year. MyCareersFuture.sg contributes to these placement results. Neither employers nor jobseekers are obliged to inform WSG of the outcomes of their job postings or searches.”
“To support the return of women back into the labour force, the Adapt and Grow initiative offers a suite of employment facilitation services and programmes to help jobseekers enter new jobs and overcome mismatches in skills, wages or job expectations. One of these programmes is Career Trial, which provides an opportunity for jobseekers and employers to try each other out and assess job fit. During the trial, which can be up to three months, jobseekers receive a training allowance from the Government. To allow those who prefer to work part-time to access more job opportunities, the Career Trial was enhanced in May this year to include part-time jobs. Jobseekers who need career assistance can visit Workforce Singapore's Careers Connect and the National Trades Union Congress-Employment and Employability Institute's career centres.”
“Based on a 2016 Marriage and Parenthood survey conducted by the Prime Minister's Office, women with children below six years have strong preference for "full-time work with flexible work arrangements (FWAs)" rather than "part-time work"1. For every woman who would prefer part-time work, there are around two to three women who would prefer full-time work with FWAs. The Government supports working mothers through (a) promoting FWAs, (b) providing more affordable childcare support, and (c) providing employment facilitation services, including for part-time work. Firstly, to encourage more companies to meet their employees' FWA needs, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) increased the Work-Life Grant budget from $30 million to $100 million and will continue to actively promote the Tripartite Standard on FWAs with the tripartite partners. Through the concerted efforts by the tripartite partners, FWAs are now more common. More than nine in 10 employees today work in companies that provide some form of work flexibility2. Among those who need FWAs, more than eight in 10 employees have access to the FWA that they need3. Secondly, the Government has also improved the accessibility, affordability and quality of preschool services, to provide parents with greater assurance that their children are in good hands. We have doubled full-day preschool capacity, from around 90,000 in 2012, to almost 180,000 places today. We will increase preschool subsidies significantly from next year. These moves help working mothers4, including those on part-time work, as subsidies are provided for those who work at least 56 hours a month. Thirdly, mothers who have left the workforce for longer periods of time may need additional help to find jobs, including part-time work options.”
“The Employment Act (EA) stipulates employees' minimum terms and working conditions, including for paid annual leave. It seeks to protect the basic interests of employees while balancing business needs and ensuring employees' employability. Specific to annual leave, the statutory minimum entitlement of seven days applies to employees who have worked with their employer for at least three months, but not more than one year. With each year of service, an employee's statutory entitlement increases, up to 14 days. Statutory annual leave entitlements vary across developed economies. Some, like the United Kingdom and Australia, have relatively more generous provisions, while the United States does not have a federal law regulating paid annual leave. The minimum statutory annual leave entitlement in Singapore is comparable to that in jurisdictions, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan. Singapore's statutory annual leave entitlements should also be viewed alongside the paid sick leave, childcare leave and other forms of leave provided for in our laws. Employees can use these other forms of leave over and above their annual leave entitlements. In other jurisdictions, such leave may not be available or fully paid. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), together with the tripartite partners, completed a review of the EA in 2018. While there are currently no plans to increase the minimum statutory annual leave entitlement, MOM will continue to monitor employment trends both locally and internationally, and regularly review our laws and policies.”
“In both 2017 and 2018, the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) resolved about 85% of salary claims filed under the Employment Claims Act (ECA). The remaining 15% of claims were referred to the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) for adjudication through the issuance of a claim referral certificate. More than 80% of salary claims filed under the ECA were successfully resolved within eight weeks. Cases referred to the ECT tend to be more complex and difficult and may take a longer time to resolve.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, I am afraid we are straying a little bit from the topic that is being debated. As I explained, HTX itself is very unlikely to collect data. And as I also explained, the Home Team Departments will continue to collect data on their use. There are certain instances, for example, viewing of traffic footage that the public has access to. But for other kinds of data, we will have to look at them specifically, always guided by the principles of using data securely and responsibly. So, we will have to look at the nature of the request. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mrs Josephine Teo]. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“The smart lamp post project is actually led by GovTech. SPF supports the initiative by providing potential use cases, what can we use the data for. The sensors will be used by SPF strictly to supplement our efforts in crime deterrence and detection. As far as I am aware, the installation of the sensors on the lamp posts and the backend development is currently ongoing. I believe that there is a trial that is projected to start in the second half of 2019. So, I think the Member can be assured that the agencies involved are very mindful that great responsibility is expected in how they carry out their duties with the data collection and storage as well as its use.”
“Mr Speaker, it is a very interesting question. It also has to do with how we try to be prudent in our use of resources. So, it is in New Phoenix Park where MHA is located. We have found some space to accommodate the new HTX and we will work within our resources for a start because the emphasis really is on building the capabilities. We want the officers to have a good environment within which to work. The location of MHA is good in the sense that where public transportation is concerned, our ability to link up with our partners will be quite convenient.”
“Mr Mohamed Irshad will be glad to know that HTX will also partner other public sector Science and Technology agencies, such as GovTech, DSTA and DSO, to name a few. For example, HTX will coordinate and work closely with DSTA. In areas where DSTA has deep expertise and experience, such as Command, Control and Communications (C3) systems and marine systems, HTX and Home Team Departments will continue to tap on DSTA. This is just the most sensible thing to do. I would also like to thank Mr Christopher de Souza for his suggestion that HTX share with other agencies as well as private companies. HTX will share its expertise and capabilities with agencies which have similar needs to the Home Team. For example, forensics and sense-making solutions can be used by other agencies with enforcement functions like the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau and Singapore Customs. As for private companies, where the opportunities present themselves, we will keep an open mind. Sir, I would like to conclude by thanking the Members for their questions and suggestions. The strong interest in HTX shows this House’s support for the Home Team and the hard work they put in to keep Singapore safe and secure. The creation of HTX as a force multiplier for the Home Team ensures we remain mission-effective in the face of future challenges. And I am confident that HTX will deliver on its promise as the multiplier to transform the Home Team through greater use of science and technology. Mr Speaker, Sir, with the support of the House, I beg to move.”
“Mid-career professionals with the right training, skills and aptitude will also be recruited to augment our talent pool. There may be some specific areas for which we may not have local expertise and thus may need to source for them internationally. But I do not expect this to be very large. For young Singaporeans taking up studies in STEM, I think it is a very exciting future for them. The establishment of HTX will add to the range of meaningful careers that they can take part in in Singapore, so that they can be at the leading edge of developing technology solutions to keep our nation safe. Members like Mr Christopher de Souza also raised questions on how the new HTX agency will work within the broader science and technology ecosystem. I think Dr Chia Shi-Lu also raised similar concerns. Singapore today has a vibrant network of science and technology actors, thanks, in part, to Singapore’s investments in science and technology over the decades. Not only are there established multinational corporations, we also have many innovative startups. HTX intends to fully tap on this rich environment. Over the years, MHA has built strong collaborative relationships with key industry partners. Public-private co-creation through innovation trials have led to the development of new capabilities. SCDF's iconic light fire attack vehicle, popularly known as the Red Rhino, is now in its sixth version. The vehicle’s evolution into an essential firefighting platform is the result of the sharing of ideas and experimentation with a local company Hope Technik from the time it was quite a modest startup. Partnership with the private sector will continue to be a mainstay of MHA’s capability development efforts.”
“First, developing the existing pool of officers, and second, attracting new talent to join the agency. I spoke about how HTX will start off with about 1,300 officers brought together from the different Home Team Departments. Mr Patrick Tay has asked about the establishment. That is something that is still evolving because the agency is new. The agency has to decide on its priorities and what the focus will be for the next couple of years. It will not be too late to establish the sizing and the type of people we will need when these priorities are firmly established. We have started investing in the resources to further the professional development of our existing officers for a start. This year, MHA has rolled out a new sponsorship programme for officers to take up more advanced degree and professional certification. We must maximise the talent and potential of our officers through continuous learning and upskilling. To Mr Christopher de Souza's point on the benefits of consolidating science and technology expertise, setting up HTX will, indeed, mean better career progression for Home Team scientists and engineers. A dedicated agency, such as HTX, can offer multiple routes of advancement for STEM talent, whether it is leading research teams, managing projects or leadership positions. This is quite clear, compared to if they remain within individual Home Team Departments. Besides developing existing officers, HTX will also be recruiting STEM talent in the next few years. This is in line with MHA's increased investment in science and technology capabilities, which is projected to go up to $1.9 billion annually by 2025. Attractive scholarships will be introduced to groom future STEM leaders.”
“MHA takes its responsibility as a custodian of the data it collects very seriously and will continue to pay careful attention to this. We will also work closely with GovTech and CSA to ensure a whole-of-Government approach to data and cybersecurity. MHA is currently working together with other Government agencies to review our data security policies and practices as part of the review process under the Public Sector Data Security Review Committee led by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean. The Committee is currently deliberating on specific measures to improve the data security regime for the Government and will submit a report to the Prime Minister by 30 November 2019. Ms Anthea Ong noted this. The Committee takes the key guiding principle that the Government places utmost importance on its duty to use citizens' data responsibly and securely. So, responsibility and security are the key guiding principles for the Committee. This is very much in line with the spirit of Members' suggestions on how MHA can protect citizens' data better. I am sure that the Committee will also take into consideration Members' specific concerns and suggestions, and we will certainly raise them in our discussions with the Committee. If I may paraphrase Ms Jessica Tan, we must also, at the same time as being cautious, not become paralysed by fear. If we do not try to use data responsibly and securely, for good purposes, then we will also never learn, and that would be a missed opportunity. Ms Jessica Tan spoke about HTX's future success being contingent on its ability to attract and develop science and technology talent. We agree fully. The key determinant of HTX's success will be the quality of its people. That is why HTX will have a two-fold human resources strategy.”
“HTX will, however, play the important role of safeguarding the Home Team's information technology (IT) systems and the data they hold. To support Home Team operations and ensure that our data is well-protected, HTX will run the MHA Security Operations Centre (M.SOC). Operating 24/7, M.SOC will proactively monitor and detect suspicious activities or attempted intrusions into the MHA network. M.SOC will also provide immediate response and investigate into cybersecurity incidents and issues. While we continue to improve data security protocols, the sharing of data among public agencies must also carry on. As Ms Rahayu Mahzam has pointed out, data and insight sharing across Government agencies can lead to better outcomes for citizens. One such example is how Traffic Police shares accident data with the Land Transport Authority (LTA). This helps LTA identify junctions or roads for engineering redesign and enhancements to improve road safety. Ms Anthea Ong and Mr Mohamed Irshad also raised concerns about privacy as we improve our surveillance capability. I think Ms Anthea Ong talked about the stress related to increased surveillance. I believe Members of this House, being all public figures, can relate to that kind of stress. We are very conscious of the need to protect privacy. In this regard, we have strict protocols in place to ensure that only officers with proper authorisation can access them. The feedback we have received about PolCam is that the public feel safer with the cameras. And indeed, in tandem with other Police enforcement efforts, PolCam has resulted in the sharp reduction of many crimes, such as property crimes and unlicensed moneylending harassment. PolCam footages have also been critical in solving many crimes and locating missing persons.”
“So, I see no reason why HTX leadership would want to slacken on this front. Mr Louis Ng had a question about clause 11 of the Bill which lists the five categories of individuals who are disqualified from serving on HTX's Board, and why these are different from that of A*STAR and DSTA. The categories listed are the same as Statutory Boards that were set up in recent years. This includes GovTech and the Info-communications Media Development Authority, which are both agencies in the technology domain. Statutory Boards adopt these categories as a measure of good governance. As for his suggestion to standardise this across all Statutory Boards, we will refer this to the Public Service Division for their consideration. Lastly, Dr Chia Shi-Lu had a question on funding for HTX. The funding for HTX will come from MHA's block budget and not from other R&D funding sources. HTX, like other Statutory Boards, will submit its annual report and accounts to Parliament. Mr Speaker, I now turn to the points raised by Ms Anthea Ong, Ms Rahayu Mahzam, Mr Louis Ng and Mr Mohamed Irshad on the topic of data. Specifically, they have queries and suggestions on the collection, sharing and security of data, all of which are very important. The collection of data will continue to be done by the respective Home Team Departments, in accordance with their statutory duties or to maintain their mission effectiveness. That is something they will have to continue doing. For example, ICA is required by the National Registration Act to collect personal information from residents. Police Officers may also ask for a person's particulars as part of a criminal investigation. It is unlikely that HTX officers will collect any kind of personal data in the course of their duties. I should make this clear.”
“And to Dr Chia Shi-Lu's specific question about accountability for budgeting as well as utilisation, the same Parliamentary and audit processes that apply to all Government Statutory Boards will apply to HTX as well. I recall when I was in Ministry of Finance, for example, the Estimates Committee, which consists of Members of Parliament, posed tough questions on Ministries' utilisation of the Budget. HTX will be subjected to the same discipline. Mr Patrick Tay also asked about the classification of HTX services as an essential service under the CLTPA. As the work carried out by HTX officers directly contributes to national safety and security, we have classified the science and technological services provided by HTX as an essential service under CLTPA. This is the same as services provided by the Home Team, which are also deemed as essential services. HTX employees are, however, not Home Affairs Uniform Scheme officers. They will, therefore, be allowed to join the unions. Mr Patrick Tay asked about the transfer of employees to the new HTX scheme. The new HTX scheme of service will be introduced in December 2019, when the agency is set up. Clause 46 of the Bill ensures that existing officers on the Home Team Specialist Scheme who are transferred to HTX will enjoy terms no less favourable than those enjoyed by the respective individuals on the eve of transfer. Mr Patrick Tay also raised important questions about career prospects as well as how we get the different cultures to work together. It is a Home Team culture, to begin with. But the short answer to Mr Patrick Tay's question on career prospects is that it is certainly in HTX's own interest to ensure that officers feel motivated and want to give of their best.”
“These unique capabilities demonstrate why MHA is setting up HTX instead of leveraging other existing agencies like DSTA, DSO or GovTech. This is also Dr Chia Shi-Lu's question as well as Mr Patrick Tay's. The mission, operating environment and requirements of these agencies are different from those of the Home Team. Technological solutions and applications need to be customised or, in some cases, built organically. This is a point that Ms Jessica Tan emphasised. There is enough scale within the Home Team to merit a dedicated science and technology agency, give specific focus on areas that would otherwise remain ancillary. This is the nature of things. If you do not put it as the focus of a particular dedicated agency, then you must run the risk that these are ancillary to other agencies. Whether you can build up sufficient capabilities in a short time to counter the challenges, that would be a question mark. I think that is an important point to make because if we were not to be able to plug the gaps that we identify, it actually is a disservice to Singaporeans, who obviously expect us to be up to speed, up to mark in all of these areas that we face threats in. But I must stress that the agencies, even though they are dedicated and separate, they do not operate in silos. They do cooperate very closely with one another and, later on, I will also give some examples. Sir, allow me to now answer specific questions on the Bill's provisions. Mr Patrick Tay asked who HTX will be accountable to. HTX is a Statutory Board under MHA. As such, the Minister for Home Affairs has overall responsibility for the agency. The Minister is, in turn, accountable to the Cabinet and to Parliament.”
“Mr Speaker, let me first thank the hon Members for their questions and comments. Many Members spoke at length about why it is important for MHA to leverage science and technology to address the challenges ahead and to set up the new HTX. I thank them for their support of the Bill. As Members have rightly pointed out, the growth of new technologies has changed the Home Team's operating environment. New threats are emerging as our adversaries are also taking advantage of technological advances. The Home Team must, therefore, not be handicapped on this front. We will need to invest in building new capabilities and transform the way we work. The setting up of a dedicated HTX is to achieve these purposes effectively and efficiently. Mr Mohamed Irshad asked about the capabilities that HTX will build. There will be a range. Besides transforming emergency response and enabling new clearance concepts, HTX will also develop forensic solutions to enhance investigations. For example, HTX scientists will conduct leading-edge research into the forensic analysis of suspected drug compounds. Advances in DNA forensics will boost the Police's capability to generate leads for criminal investigations. Digital forensics and tackling cybercrime are another area of focus for HTX. Dr Chia Shi-Lu asked about countering biological threats. The detection and handling of chemical, biological or radiological materials are an important area for HTX. HTX will work with SCDF and related agencies, such as the National Environment Agency, to develop sensor systems to detect such materials and the capability to effectively respond to incidents involving hazardous materials.”
“There have been a lot of support measures put in place for older workers, including the Special Employment Credit as well as many programmes, such as job redesign, that help companies to retain their older workers, help them to stay productive and able to contribute. I recognise where Mr Desmond Choo is coming from. He is concerned that, if there are job losses, will older workers bear the brunt of it? We are equally concerned and we will watch very closely. But in the meantime, that should not detract us from putting in place measures that will support senior employment for the medium to longer term because of the demographic transition that we can expect to observe in the next decade. That set of recommendations has been considered by a tripartite work group, and I think it would not be too long before that set of recommendations is presented.”
“Mr Speaker, it is premature to speculate what kinds of support measures should be introduced, the reason being that, as I have explained earlier, the current situation is a slowdown, very different from the kinds of downturns we most recently experienced in 2008/2009. The approach that we take is to make a correct assessment of the situation. We will have to ask: in any slowdown or a general downturn, what are the reasons that have caused the slowdown or the downturn? Is it due to cyclical factors or is it due to structural factors or a combination of both? This is because the strategies that we then adopt to bring about a recovery will be very different under the circumstances, depending on what they are. Specifically, Mr Desmond Choo asked about foreign worker quotas. In fact, in the services sector, the dependency ratio ceiling will be reduced downwards. We said in the Budget Debate during the Committee of Supply earlier this year that there was a need to bring us on a more sustainable path when it comes to the growth of foreign employment in the services sector. We actually had quite a lively debate about whether those measures were appropriate. We agreed that we would go ahead with two moves – one beginning in January 2020 and then another step coming in January 2021. Both are still on the cards. At the present time, the assessment that led to that set of recommendations has not changed. It is still important for us to press on with restructuring. So, that quota reduction is going ahead. Mr Desmond Choo also asked about older workers.”
“We are ready to step up support for companies and workers under the Adapt and Grow initiative. Workers can tap on employment assistance and programmes offered by Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the National Trades Union Congress' (NTUC's) Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). These include the Career Support Programme, Career Trial and Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs) that provide wage and training support to help workers access new jobs or reskill for new opportunities. Jobseekers can also consider taking up the Attach-and-Train PCPs which train the workers ahead of hiring demand and these are available in selected sectors with strong growth potential. In addition, WSG's Careers Connect and NTUC’s e2i career centres offer employment facilitation services, such as career coaching, employability workshops, job fairs and job matching. The Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation, which was formed in 2016, proactively reaches out to retrenched workers and provides them with timely employment support, including job matching. The task force will also continue to engage retrenching companies on responsible retrenchment practices.”
“Mr Speaker, the most severe downturn in recent years was triggered by the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. Measures taken then helped companies to manage excess manpower and to invest in skills for the recovery. In a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) survey carried out in 2009, three in four companies with earlier plans to retrench workers reported they would postpone or reduce the number of affected workers due to Government assistance schemes, such as Jobs Credit and the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR). Helped by improving external conditions, resident unemployment rate rose but did not exceed 5% throughout the Global Financial Crisis. Our current situation and outlook are different from that in 2008. For example, in the first half of 2009, retrenchments exceeded 19,000 when, in a typical year during that period, retrenchments would be about 15,000. But in the first half of 2009 alone, retrenchments were 19,000. Job losses estimated for the whole year, some analysts came in with numbers, such as 100,000. That was the situation in the beginning of 2009. If we look at the situation today, actually, retrenchments have not picked up. If we look at the second quarter of 2019, retrenchments remained fairly low at 2,300. Total employment growth slowed but it did not stall. Employment growth remained robust in sectors, such as (a) Information and Communications, (b) Community, Social and Personal Services, (c) Professional Services, and (d) Financial Services. This suggests that while most employers are exercising greater caution in hiring, most are not laying off their existing workers. MOM, together with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and other Government agencies, is monitoring the economy and the labour market closely.”
“Mr Speaker, the Ministry that is most appropriate to answer this question is the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). But as it turns out, I do interact with staff there quite regularly, wearing my other hat, the one looking after Marriage and Parenthood. The points that the Member raised are important, indeed. Of course, when we place jobseekers into new roles, such as preschool teachers or educarers, we do want to see that they have good career development, too. Indeed, if the career prospects were not sufficiently attractive, then it would be very difficult to attract them to take up these training opportunities as well. What I can say is that MSF, through ECDA, has been very focused on this. There are, as part of the commitments to the support given to Anchor Operators, obligations on the part of the operators as employers, to improve the attractiveness of the jobs. But I think a more detailed explanation on this is probably better provided by MSF.”
“Mr Speaker, to support the expansion of the early childhood care and education sector, Workforce Singapore (WSG), SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) jointly offer the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) for Preschool Teachers and the Place-and-Train Programme (PnT) for Educarers, under the Adapt and Grow initiative. These programmes are designed to equip mid-career individuals with the necessary qualifications and skills for a fulfilling career in the early childhood care and education sector. Participating preschools receive salary and training support for their newly-hired employees. In the past three years, more than 2,000 jobseekers have been placed with over 400 employers in the early childhood care and education sector. As the early childhood care and education sector continues to expand, we hope to attract more mid-career individuals looking to pursue careers as Preschool Teachers and Educarers. WSG, SSG and ECDA will continue with efforts to raise awareness of these Adapt and Grow programmes and encourage preschools and interested jobseekers to take up these programmes.”
“The Tripartite Standard on Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs was introduced in March 2018. As of end June 2019, about 700 employers with 242,000 workers have adopted the Standard. We collect data on the utilisation of paid leave rather than unpaid leave. This is because employees are more likely to utilise their paid leave first before considering unpaid leave to minimise loss of income. We will consider the need to also collect data on unpaid leave in future.”
“The Dependants' Protection Scheme (DPS) is a term-life insurance scheme that provides Central Provident Fund (CPF) members and their family a basic level of financial relief at affordable premiums in the event of terminal illness, total permanent disability or death. The decision to offer DPS coverage up till 60 strikes a balance between providing insurance protection for the member's dependants and his need for adequate retirement savings. First, raising the maximum coverage age beyond 60 would result in significantly higher premiums due to higher mortality rates after age 60. DPS premiums are paid out of members' CPF accounts, and paying for significantly higher premiums would compromise members' retirement adequacy. Second, after age 60, the need for DPS is significantly reduced as most members are less likely to have children who are financially dependent. Those who started families later and may still have dependants are likely to have accumulated savings in their CPF accounts which could be bequeathed to their dependants. Members who prefer additional insurance protection may use cash to purchase insurance products from private insurers. We will, however, continue to review other aspects of the scheme to ensure that DPS continues to be relevant to members.”
“From 2016 to 2018, the Home Protection Scheme (HPS) helped to pay the remaining mortgage for about 3,000 Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat owners who passed away, became terminally ill or suffered from total permanent disability. Another 20 claims were unsuccessful as the members' HPS policies had lapsed. We have put in place several measures to minimise the risk that HDB flat owners lapse on their HPS coverage. (a) HPS premiums are automatically deducted from the flat owner's Central Provident Fund (CPF) Ordinary Account (OA). This minimises any out-of-pocket payments for the HPS premium. (b) Flat owners can tap on their co-owners' CPF-OA savings to help pay the HPS premium. (c) If flat owners miss their premium payment despite the above measures, CPF Board will offer a two-month grace period for the flat owner to pay the HPS premium. CPF Board will send letters to remind the flat owner to top up his CPF-OA and will prioritise new OA contributions for HPS premiums over mortgage instalments during this grace period. The flat owner's HPS coverage will lapse if he does not pay the premium by the end of the two-month grace period. For flat owners whose coverage has lapsed and are using CPF to pay their mortgage instalments, CPF Board continues to send letters every six months reminding them to re-apply for HPS coverage. In the few cases of unsuccessful claims where the HPS has lapsed, dependants can seek HDB's assistance to reduce or defer mortgage payments until the family regains financial stability or right-size to a more affordable flat if they choose to do so.”
“The Ministry of Manpower does not have records of the data requested.”
“S Pass holders in the Services sector are already subject to quotas capped at 15% of the firm's total workforce, excluding Employment Pass (EP) holders. This will be reduced to 13% from 1 January 2020, and to 10% from 1 January 2021. Within the Services sector, Food Services have the highest utilisation of S Pass quota. S Pass holders also have to meet minimum qualifying salaries, which are regularly reviewed to reflect local salary changes. This is to ensure locals are not disadvantaged when their wages go up. We updated the S Pass salary criteria in 2019, with a further increase in S Pass qualifying salary to be made in 2020. While we do not subject firms to quotas on the number of EPs they may hire, we require them to consider all applicants fairly. Under the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF), we scrutinise the EP applications of firms suspected to have discriminatory hiring practices, including firms with very high single-nationality concentrations. Those found to have such practices will have their work pass privileges curtailed. Like S Pass holders, EP holders are subject to minimum qualifying salaries, which were updated in 2017. Locals hold the majority of jobs paying above $3,600, the minimum qualifying salary for EPs. In most other sectors, the EP shares are around or below one-quarter, with the exception of Infocomm in the Services sector where the share of EPs is about one-third. These ratios may fluctuate but have not trended up in the last few years. Local employment outcomes, such as employment rates, unemployment rates, wage growth, have remained healthy. We continue to help local jobseekers expand opportunities for career mobility through a range of programmes.”
“Since the launch of Adapt and Grow (A&G) initiative in 2016, more than 2,000 companies have partnered Workforce Singapore to place more than 10,000 individuals through the Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs). These PCPs provide training and salary support to employers who hire and reskill mid-career jobseekers for new professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) jobs. Currently, there are over 100 PCPs in about 30 sectors. We will continue to expand or develop new PCPs in growth sectors. Although some tasks within jobs can be performed by automation, few jobs can be fully automated by technology, in particular, those that require flexibility, creativity and social interaction. While technology may reduce manpower reliance in some areas, technology can also create jobs of better quality. Where possible, it is better to intervene upstream before workers are retrenched. Workforce Singapore (WSG), together with the economic agencies, engages companies on their reorganisation plans and manpower needs to help them reskill and redeploy employees whose jobs are at risk, so that these employees can take on new job roles. Last year, about 1,300 at-risk workers were retrained for new job roles through redeployment PCPs. WSG will make a bigger push in sectors that are restructuring. We will also press on with efforts to raise awareness of the A&G initiative and encourage companies to step forward to work with WSG.”
“In addition, we are continuing to calibrate the foreign workforce policy to keep our labour market tight so as to ensure that Singaporeans, especially senior workers, continue to access good jobs and opportunities. We have cut the foreign worker Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) and S Pass sub-DRC in the Services sector to 35% and 10% respectively by 2021. Last year, MOM also convened the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers to review retirement and re-employment ages. The Workgroup is finalising its recommendations. More details would be announced by September.”
“In 2018, the sector that employed the most number of residents aged 55 and over was Wholesale Trade (54,500), which includes businesses, such as brand owners, distributors of other companies' brands, trading arms of manufacturers and retailers, and large commodities trading houses. These workers accounted for 23% of all employed residents within the sector, which is similar to the overall proportion of employed residents of this age group (24%) in Singapore. To enhance the employability of senior workers, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has in place a number of measures, and these are also regularly reviewed. For instance, the Special Employment Credit, which has been extended till end 2020, provides wage offsets of up to 11% to employers that hire older Singaporeans aged 55 and above earning up to $4,000 per month. Employers can also receive support of up to $300,000 per company under the WorkPro Job Redesign Grant to redesign jobs and workplaces to make them easier, safer and smarter for senior workers. Under the Adapt and Grow initiative, the Professional Conversion Programme and Career Support Programme provide higher levels of training and salary support to encourage employers to hire mature Singaporeans aged 40 and above. These pro-senior measures have encouraged and supported companies in hiring older Singaporeans. Over the years, our employment rates of senior workers or residents aged 55 to 64 have improved significantly. They grew from 57% in 2008 to 67% in 2018 and ranks favourably, compared to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries.”
“Another 4% reported partial payment, and the remaining 3% reported no payment. Enforcement action is taken against all employers who do not pay up, including suspension of their work pass privileges. The more egregious employers are prosecuted.”