K Thanaletchimi
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I just wish to highlight that one or two of the schools, they built lifts near to the gym. A gym is supposed to be where students exercise and they are supposed to be climbing the stairways. But instead the lifts are built alongside and not at the mainstream classrooms' column.”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. I just wish to know, when lifts are built, are the teachers consulted on the locations where the lifts are to be built? Is there any consultation or review with the teachers in the school before it has been planned to be built?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State Dr Amy Khor for the reply. Dr Khor mentioned that the Skills Framework will be out at the end of this year. May I know which profession or category of jobs in the Skills Framework will be out? Is it particularly nursing, allied health or all the other categories of jobs?”
“I would also like to ask the Minister if the Primary Care Network clinics are considered to be on par with the general practitioner clinics, so that, under the EA, the medical certificates (MCs) are recognised and also, they are able to get reimbursements from the employers.”
“I would like to ask the Minister a follow-up question on those companies on the FCF Watchlist. Are they still eligible for Government funding, such as Adapt and Grow and all the others, to improve their businesses? Are they still eligible to apply for those kinds of fundings?”
“Can the Government review and consider for a second wave of PG Package for those who missed out on the last wave? Healthcare needs are major concerns of our older citizens. We need to look after their needs adequately.”
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“This would also serve to help us with our endeavour to be environmentally friendly.”
“Many conscious non-smokers are of the view that having a designated smoking facility is, indeed, a compromise by the authority and that the Government should work towards removing such provision completely in the long term. In anticipation of backlash among some segments of the population, there is also a need to explain the caveat that comes with the no-smoking zone within the prohibited areas, that there will be designated areas where smoking is still permitted. A generic concern would be, when we prohibit the sales of a commodity, there will be a likelihood of a black market. Applying the same concept, by further restricting the areas that people can smoke, are we inevitably creating “black zones”? How can we ensure a good balance of prohibition, regulation and enforcement to ensure that smokers comply with the regulations without having to dramatically increase enforcement officer presence? If we are very serious about making the large part of Singapore a smoke-free city, can we make use of the latest technology, predictive analytical programmes as well as AI, to identify violations and potential violations by smokers as well as errant operators? Similar to Snap Safe apps introduced by MOM for snapping unsafe work practices, we can also create Snap Smoking apps to empower Singaporeans to report such violations real time. There is a need to review the level of penalty for those who breach the law. The current penalty does not send a stern warning to those who are affecting the non-smokers who are in most danger of passive smoke. Sir, notwithstanding this, I thank the Government for making this an important subject to ensure every Singaporean has the right to live in a clean and green environment and that they are also entitled to breathe smoke-free air.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. I support the move on the general expansion of places to be prescribed as specific places with the intent to have more smoke-free public areas, in line with the overall goal of discouraging smoking among the population and with the hope that such restrictions will protect the rights of non-smokers to breathe in clean air, that is, smoke-free air, and for smokers to gradually reduce smoking and eventually give up the habit. Smoke-free areas will help reduce a non-smoker’s exposure to harmful second-hand cigarette smoke. Sir, I understand that the Government’s long-term policy goal is to prohibit smoking in all public areas except at Designated Smoking Areas, to protect the non-smokers from the harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke. In this case, enforcement is going to be a real challenge even though it is an offence for a person to smoke in these smoke-free areas. Therefore, the onus must be on the operators and premises managers to stop patrons, visitors, customers and staff from smoking in such prohibited areas or request that they leave the premises, which may affect their businesses. There must be public education to encourage and empower non-smokers to step up by reminding smokers not to light up in smoking prohibited areas. There are also concerns that if the community were to be bold enough to do so, they can inevitably be abused by the smokers. Therefore, it is important that we also educate our smokers to smoke responsibly with the community in mind and to do so in smoking areas only. Sir, though I support the Bill, I have the following comments and clarifications. Sufficient time should be provided for managers and owners of the specified places to set up a designated smoking facility.”
“Perhaps, this may invoke a healthier habit of keeping safe and conforming to the rules, rather than people trying to evade punishments. Sir, with this, I support the Bill.”
“On the amendments in section 67(2) in clause 34, the minimum age for a person to be registered should be thoroughly reviewed in tandem with evidence-based data. For example, we should look at the demographics of the individuals that were involved in accidents and then peg the pseudo legal age. We should also note that the requirement for critical judgement when riding the PMDs is no less than that required of a driver. Food for thought to be considered. While it is a straightforward solution to ban PMDs on shared paths and footpaths, we should question the impact on people who rely on PMDs to commute to work or use it for work, such as in the case of some food delivery personnel. Additionally, we also must take special care to ensure that these new regulations do not affect users of PABs and motorised wheelchairs, which rely on these vehicles as their primary mobility aid. Instead of banning it altogether, we can consider a system where PMDs can be used on footpath during off-peak hours where human traffic flow is minimal, to minimise disruption to users with legitimate needs and uses. In conclusion, the amendments and Bills focused extensively on fines and penalties. Moving forward, could we also consider looking towards an incentive-based scheme or system that rewards people who conform to these rules and regulations and have a clean record? To put things in perspective, instead of giving a summons when one has erred, an incentive-based system could be the situation where upon registration of the mobility vehicle, a lump sum disguised as tax is collected. Upon end of every work year, should the individual not err, the lump sum will be returned to that individual.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I stand in support of the Bill. In general, the amendments in the first part of the Bill aimed to expand the restrictions to include mobility vehicles and motorised wheelchair, ban on all shared paths and footpath, increase accountability through registration and empower outsourced enforcement. These four areas are critical to help reduce the incidence of accidents involving PMDs, PABs, mobility vehicles and motorised wheelchairs. Nevertheless, the amendments are in line with the overall goal of encouraging more Singaporeans to adopt an active lifestyle by encouraging more alternative forms of transport in their daily commute. On the amendments in section 41, clause 20, sufficient information ought to be circulated to the public to inform them of the conferment of powers on outsourced enforcement officers. It is important that the public know and recognise the authority given to Active Mobility Patrol (AMP) and Public Path Wardens (PPW) to facilitate law enforcement. One of the difficulties faced by such volunteers was convincing people of their authority despite having LTA cards. Quite a handful of cyclists and riders of PMDs do not believe that the AMP volunteers have the power to stop them. This is worrying. Recognising such authority is pivotal for the officers to carry out their jobs without fear and prejudice. Additionally, information on how to recognise and distinguish between what is classified as a PMD, PAB or motorised wheelchair should be stepped up, to encourage awareness among the public on what is allowed for acceptable use. Public education is imperative. Sellers, too, need to be educated and are required to provide and display such information in a reasonably visible manner when one purchases such devices.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State Dr Amy Khor for the reply. Dr Khor mentioned that the Skills Framework will be out at the end of this year. May I know which profession or category of jobs in the Skills Framework will be out? Is it particularly nursing, allied health or all the other categories of jobs?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I just wish to highlight that one or two of the schools, they built lifts near to the gym. A gym is supposed to be where students exercise and they are supposed to be climbing the stairways. But instead the lifts are built alongside and not at the mainstream classrooms' column. So, I just wonder whether a lot of consultation have gone in before even planning the lifts' location. Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: I thank the Member again for the supplementary question. I think this is a very specific case. I will get further details from the Member. Nevertheless, as I mentioned earlier, this is something that we always look out for. We speak to the teaching community in the school and, at the same time, there may be issues of greater priority that we want to tackle in certain schools, which I may be able to share with the Member later.”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. I just wish to know, when lifts are built, are the teachers consulted on the locations where the lifts are to be built? Is there any consultation or review with the teachers in the school before it has been planned to be built? Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, I thank the Member for the supplementary question. Yes, certainly. We not only consult the teachers. We also look at the demographics, the student profile and the teaching needs availability and requirement of the people who work within the school as well as those who use the facilities. We will continue to do this to ensure that it provides as much as possible barrier-free accessibility to all the stakeholders.”
“I would also like to ask the Minister if the Primary Care Network clinics are considered to be on par with the general practitioner clinics, so that, under the EA, the medical certificates (MCs) are recognised and also, they are able to get reimbursements from the employers.”
“I must thank the Minister for that. I would just like to know the timeline for that revision to happen.”
“I would like to ask the Minister a follow-up question on those companies on the FCF Watchlist. Are they still eligible for Government funding, such as Adapt and Grow and all the others, to improve their businesses? Are they still eligible to apply for those kinds of fundings?”
“For skills to be truly recognised across Singapore, we must ensure Public Service, Government agencies and Statutory Boards revamp its recruitment methods to provide greater emphasis on aptitude, attitude and skills, with less focus on paper qualification. In fact, some private sectors are more inclined to recruit an applicant based on skill sets and this is, indeed, commendable. The thinking of Singaporeans, too, must change. Recently, I met with a union member who asked, "If I do part-time studies, will I receive additional increment or job promotion once I pass or graduate from this programme?" This is a natural reaction of anyone who wants to upgrade himself or herself. For lifelong learning to really succeed, one must erase the notion of "establish reward first, then train", but learn and train for the love of learning and staying relevant. As defined, lifelong learning is the "ongoing, voluntary and self-motivated" pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. There must be a national lifelong learning movement across Singapore. This can be done with the Singapore Conversation. In summary, learning must be enjoyable, interesting, flexible and innovative, so as to capture the attention of both the young and old. We can catalyse the love for lifelong learning by forming a community of learners and a lifelong learning movement, especially when a person transits from school to workplace and this has to be seamless. Mindset change is the important ingredient to the recipe of recognising skills and aptitudes, instead of paper qualification. Education itself must be inclusive and be deemed as a social leveller to break the cycle of poverty. Sir, with this, I support the Motion. 4.28 pm”
“He further stressed that Singaporeans should not narrow their opportunities by chasing only after paper qualifications and pursuing academic excellence, such as going to university. There are many pathways to achieving success and success is defined as what one sees as success. He further said, "Education has been, and will continue to be, an uplifting and integrating force in society." I applaud Minister Ong, being a proponent of an aptitude-based selection process, for his bold move to introduce aptitude-based admissions and lifelong opportunities in an increasingly diverse higher education landscape during his time as Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills). It is important not to place over-emphasis on academic achievements, but on skills and talents. We must embrace diversity of skills and talents, each of which combines to form a successful Singapore, since human resource is our only available critical asset and brain power is our gift. Mindset change is important. Employers should not recruit based on paper qualifications alone, but to look at other skill sets relevant to the job. Many employers are still taking examination grades as proxy to a potential employee doing well at work. This is a fallacy. More should be done to change this. Education should not be exclusive to a few, but an inclusive social leveller. We must transform the way we teach and the way we learn and discover new things. For continuous learning and lifelong learning to be successful, there must be conversations with adult learners and working people, as many are attending part-time classes to attain paper qualifications.”
“If data analytics and AI are expected of future industries, the future workforce, how ready are we in developing our own skilled workforce? Can the IHLs turn this around to suit the needs of the future fast enough? Singapore's education system is among the most highly regarded in the world, but it is also a very stressful one for the students and young people. We were the top-performing country in Science, Mathematics and Reading in a 2015 study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It also suggested they scored higher on test anxiety. The adult literacy rate of Singapore increased from 92.5% in 2000 to 96.8% in 2015 with an annual growth rate of 0.75%. This rate is for a population of 15 years of age and above, who can, with understanding, read and write simple statements in their everyday life. Such achievements are commendable, but it has to translate into a better life for Singaporeans. It is, indeed, heartening to note the Education Minister Ong Ye Kung's comment in a recent The Straits Times interview, "Singapore's compass for the education system points towards two things: preparing the young for the future and ensuring that education continues to be an uplifting and integrating force in society". In other words, education is a social leveller. In his interview with The Straits Times, he also, with pragmatism, said, "A prime minister without a degree can happen not too far off in the future as there is nothing inherent in a Minister's job that requires a degree". His comments provide a new hope and the beginning of a new dawn to those who have missed out on their formal education route.”
“Employers must be receptive to training young people through effective collaboration with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and increase the rate of place-and-train for students, interns and employees. Employees, too, must be receptive to the notion of learning while working and with attaining a skill qualification or equivalent skills. The Government, too, must change its mindset towards the definition of training and learning. In today's time and age, learning is multifaceted and the mode of learning is multi-pronged. It need not be purely classroom training of defined hours, but rather, a composite type of training which includes classroom, on-the-job training, application-based learning, e-learning and, in some cases, virtual reality, too, can be used. SkillsFuture Singapore, too, must transform to meet the needs of today's industry and training relevance. The ideal is to have WSQ programmes for skill-based training. However, if the regulatory and policy process becomes an impediment to making a relevant customised programme nationally recognised, then we have a challenge of persuading both young and mature workers to go for training recognised only within the company. Skill sets must be transferable, even though this can be customised. We need to be agile and yet develop programmes to fit the need of industries of not only today, but for the future. The question of how fast do the IHLs develop programmes that are relevant for the future, as identified by EDB, which brings in new investments, remains to be seen. For instance, in the green energy industry sector, have we trained an adequate number of cohorts to fit this industry under the place-and-train programme, if we find that this will be the future-ready skill that is required now?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I strongly support this Motion. Education is the key enabler to unleashing potential and poverty; it is the key to gaining more knowledge; and it is the key to staying relevant and future-ready. The Motion on Education is a broad topic. I just wish to speak on something that is close to my heart: adult learning and lifelong learning. Continuous skills upgrading and learning are paramount for us to keep abreast of the changes that are happening in the fast-changing world. The SkillsFuture credit was introduced to encourage Singaporeans to learn new skills, new knowledge. Some use it for higher learning programmes and, some others, for new skills. As of 1 February 2018, 285,000 Singaporeans have used their SkillsFuture credits. However, more awareness needs to be created about the use of this credit. Additionally, there must be three "Flex" for lifelong learning to be successful. Flex-time, flex-place, and flex-learning would further encourage Singaporeans to embrace lifelong learning more readily. Age is just a number. What is important is the tenacity to be open-minded, be adaptable to un-learn and re-learn new knowledge and skill sets. There should be co-ownership between employers and employees and interns to train and learn, so that employers can retain skilled people in the workforce. Employees must be open to training and upgrading their skills and knowledge. Employers should give these employees opportunities to go for training so as to upskill themselves. More online learning courses can be made available to allow for flexibility in learning. The winning formula for continuous and lifelong learning is mindset change by all three parties.”
“Can the Government review and consider for a second wave of PG Package for those who missed out on the last wave? Healthcare needs are major concerns of our older citizens. We need to look after their needs adequately. We also need to start educating Singaporeans to sign up for Lasting Power of Attorney to undertake decisions on behalf of them. All things must run in tandem to ensure an affordable, accessible and holistic healthcare for Singaporeans.”
“Mental health issues and cognitive impairments in older Singaporeans do affect their ability to perform ADLs and are significant issues that will be faced by the growing segment of our ageing population. The assessment should ideally be at no cost at all. While the gender-differentiated CareShield Life premiums reflect the differences in risks between men and women, we should also acknowledge and consider the economic disparity stemming from the gender wage gap. Could the Government look into either reducing the difference in premiums, or provide greater financial support, so that women are not doubly-penalised in having to pay for higher premiums, especially for those with lower income? Moreover, the gender wage gap of 19% to 40% in some industries do persist for various reasons and this makes women more financially vulnerable if they do not have enough for their retirement and also their healthcare needs and payment of premium. I support the committee's call for the Government to review the existing schemes and subsidies to assist Singaporeans who are already severely disabled in the existing cohorts since they will be excluded from CareShield Life. However, why have such differentiated approaches for existing cohorts of Singaporeans with pre-existing disabilities under CareShield Life, whereas universal coverage was introduced with MediShield Life covering those with pre-existing conditions? How will the Government be offering additional protection to cover people with pre-existing disabilities but are excluded from CareShield Life? What kind of additional coverage is being considered besides the long-term care fund, such as ElderFund, and withdrawal of cash from MediSave?”
“If CPF Board were to administer the scheme in addition to the other schemes, that is MediShield Life, CPF LIFE and so on, will there be additional safeguards and constant reviews of how these monies are used, especially when we recognise the fact that any investments have potential risk to it? In particular, how much loss is acceptable? What is the tolerance limit to risk and losses? Will the principle of perhaps an assurance of net gain over a time horizon, for example, five years, be adopted since it is understandable that there is bound to be risks, that is losses and gains, for any investments? With CareShield Life being compulsory for all citizens from 30 years old, it will be a considerable sum of insurance monies to be managed by CPF Board. What are the safeguards in place and are there adequate controls, accountability and transparency? It is also equally important to invest in public education and awareness since the enhanced scheme is new and relatively complex. It should be communicated in simple terms to the lay person. This is particularly relevant to the millennial since there was no option given for them to opt out of this scheme. So, accountability and effective communication of the policy will lead to better appreciation of the scheme and help ease unhappiness from the lack of choice. On the technicalities of CareShield Life, I wish to seek some clarifications: according to page 63 of the White Paper on the ESRC Report, it states that the impact of cognitive impairments on functional ability should be explicitly considered in the disability assessment framework for claims. How will mental health issues and cognitive impairments be factored into disability assessments for CareShield Life?”
“Specifically, the amount should at least defray a significant portion of their expenses, transportation cost and caregiver costs, notwithstanding consumables and drugs. Is there any benchmark set to defray certain percentage of the cost of long-term care? While we look at the social safety net for their long-term care need, we also must ensure that our healthcare cost is sustainable. The fear is, will the spiralling healthcare cost lead to escalating premium and cash outlay by Singaporeans? All efforts to contain healthcare cost must run in tandem with such insurance schemes. On Recommendation 9, I support the call for the Government to administer an enhanced scheme. The scheme should not be outsourced to third party insurance companies but instead be headed by the Government to prevent third party insurance companies from exploiting CareShield Life for the main reason of profiteering. We do not want a similar state of affairs like in the past where the Integrated Shield Plan (IP) with no claim limit was sold as a sweetener to entice many Singaporeans, including the mature and older ones, at a very high premium with increasing age. Cost of medical bills become exorbitant with the full insurance coverage under the IP. Healthcare cost needs to be curbed for greater sustainability. To strengthen transparency, the Government should have additional safeguards and periodic reviews of how these monies are utilised, especially when these monies are invested in varying investment portfolios.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion of the White Paper report on the ElderShield review as the basis for designing CareShield Life. Singaporeans will need peace of mind to be certain that their healthcare needs are taken care of, especially their long-term care needs as people live longer. Healthcare for the elderly has been a main worry not only to the elderly but also to the young, as they shoulder the burden of care for their loved ones in their old age when their parents require long-term care. With smaller family size and low fertility rate, the issue of eldercare has become increasingly pertinent. Who cares for my old age? Is it the state, the family or the individual? It is, indeed, a collective effort of everyone. If we truly call ourselves to be an inclusive nation, we must partake in our social responsibility, be it in the form of insurance or risk-pooling. The recommendations put forward by the ElderShield Committee to strengthen our social safety net for Singaporeans address three key objectives which I fully concur: greater inclusivity, better protection and affordability. These three areas are critical and help ensure that the proposed scheme is sustainable to meet the long-term care needs of Singaporeans. The scheme does not only benefit Singaporeans who require long-term care, but also their caregivers, to cushion their financial burden on taking care of them. For this scheme to be effective, the proposed payouts need to be reviewed periodically to reflect the cost of living in Singapore, especially the healthcare cost. How often will the Government review the adequacy of this payout? This certainly arises in the minds of many Singaporeans.”
“Sometimes, their purchases may not even have relevant receipts as evidence of purchase. This is concerning. More needs to be done to empower our consumers, enlighten and educate both our consumers and our retailers.”
“Section 5 – including hire purchase claims: increasingly, sellers/institutions allow instalment payments, and this is a norm that should be included in the "Nature of Dispute" as well. Section 2 and section 35(1) – making work orders relating to property damage and short residential leases. Giving the Tribunals more flexibility to order other forms of compensation and not just monetary order is a step in a right direction so as to allow more equitable compensation of varied forms. I welcome the step taken to enhance the Tribunals' powers and improve the Tribunals' processes. Renaming “Referee” to Tribunal Magistrate confers the judge the authority and respect that should be accorded in facilitating the tribunal process. Section 17 – empowered to order mediation which is known to be helpful in facilitating resolution. This is a great step forward and, from my experience, mediation has been effective when dealing with employment-related disputes handled by the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) and the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM’s) Labour Relations Department. Many disputes arise from miscommunication which can be easily addressed and settled amicably with a win-win outcome. Under sections 26 and 27, with regard to cases like o-Bike, can class action be taken if the case satisfies the criterion that the combined value of the claims heard together does not exceed the Tribunals' monetary jurisdiction? Last but not least, I would like the relevant authorities to create greater awareness and educate Singaporeans that there is an avenue for them to turn to if, for some reason, they are faced with purchase issues of goods and services. Many, especially those who are less literate, may not know whom to turn to and what to do.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the amendments to the Bill. The Tribunals, indeed, provide an expeditious and cost-effective way for resolution of disputes between suppliers and consumers. It may be viewed to function somewhat in a similar way to the Employment Claims Tribunal that aims to provide quick and economical solutions to smaller claims. I welcome the notion that it frees up the Criminal Justice System and engage mediators instead of lawyers for the Tribunals. The pool of mediators can then be enlarged to facilitate the process expeditiously. As Singapore moves towards a digital economy, the transformation of the Courts towards digitalisation is commendable. The CJTS provides for pre-filing assessment to determine case eligibility and, most interestingly, has an e-negotiation function where settlements can be made without going to the Court. This is much welcomed. But there must be assistance given to those who may not be familiar with the digital form. The following adjustment to allow greater scope by the Tribunals is, indeed, laudable. Increasing limits from $20,000 to $30,000, compared to the current $10,000 to $20,000 respectively, will be well received by consumers. This is necessary with the increase in cost of living and prices. Further, it allows the Tribunals to hear more cases and, semantics-wise, this claim limit amount is still fair to be considered a "small claim". If the intent of the Tribunals is to provide a quick and cost-effective resolution to claims, then this amount should be periodically reviewed to be relevant to the trends and cost of purchases without having ordinary Singaporeans to incur exorbitant costs in recovering their claims in an open Court.”
“Is there any other hotline to report suspicion as many may hesitate to report to the Police as it is not yet known to be a fact that such abuse is taking place in the first place? Moreover, some may want to report but do not want their identity to be known for fear of souring their relationship with neighbours, relatives or friends. Can MSF do more to create awareness amongst the public, riding on SG Cares, which is a national movement to support the efforts in building a more caring and inclusive society? Four, even if a deputy or donee has been appointed, their consent is not required for the power to assess, power to remove and for the medical care to take place as stated in sections 6(2), 10(2) and 18(3) of the Bill. Under the Mental Capacity Act, however, their consent is required for medical care. Will this cause a conflict? On relocating vulnerable adults, I have the following question. MSF is given the mandate to arrange for temporary care location. Who would be responsible for the cost of care and any other costs, such as those requiring medical attention deemed necessary by professionals? Notwithstanding the above clarifications, I am optimistic that with the support and cooperation of Singaporeans at large, complemented by robust law and SG Cares initiatives, we can minimise or perhaps eliminate such inhumane abuse and exploitation inflicted upon vulnerable individuals who trust the very people that cause them pain.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am heartened that the Bill will further strengthen the Government's ability to intervene to protect the vulnerable adults who may have fallen through the cracks of family, friends and community support and subjected to abuse and neglect. Such individuals may include the elderly, as well as persons with disability and special needs. It is about time that the Vulnerable Adults Bill is set to complement existing laws that address violence, maltreatment and abuse against vulnerable adults. Therefore, I rise in support of the Bill. Sir, however, I have the following clarifications in two broad areas of the Bill, that is, one, empowering state intervention and, two, relocating of vulnerable adults. On empowering state intervention, I have the following four questions. An "adult" is defined as 21 years of age in the majority of Singapore's laws. How has the age of 18 been decided in this Bill? As the Children and Young Persons Act covers children below age 14, and this Bill covers persons from 18 and above, how would the vulnerable persons between ages 14 and 17 that are not covered under this Bill be supported? Two, how do we first establish early identification of this group of vulnerable adults? Three, how can MSF take on a more active than reactive role when it comes to identifying vulnerable adults? I am sure most of us remember the case of 26-year-old Annie Ee Yu Lian, who had intellectual disabilities and suffered torture at the hands of a trusted couple. Eight months of agony and suffering, and yet no one knew – no one even suspected that something was wrong. What more can we do? How else can we educate Singaporeans to look over one another and be bold enough to report?”
“I was glad to see several women who came forward to share their stories, one of whom was inclined to work because of employers' support for FWAs. Share and tell more such stories. Perhaps, go a step further to provide relevant grants or funding support only to employers who are supportive and have put in place policies or adopted tripartite standards on FWAs to be considered first in the name of positive discrimination. Lastly, I again reiterate the call for working women to have a lactation room. A colleague of mine cynically commented that Singapore is very advanced in many ways and with laws on bicycle parking and provision of parking spaces but is yet to have a provision for dedicated enclosures for lactating mothers at the workplace or in shared office buildings. It can start with new buildings, but we have yet to see any progress in this area. To be truly inclusive at all levels of the employment and economic fronts, we need both tripartism and bipartism that thrive at all levels. We need the political will to move things for the long-term and greater good of all working people, including women. I am confident this will happen expeditiously in the good hands of our woman Minister for Manpower Mrs Josephine Teo. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Lim Swee Say, the former Minister for Manpower, for truly walking the talk of tripartism, bringing about incredible positive change for the working people and for jobseekers. Through implementing various measures and innovative initiatives, this had resulted in a win-win outcome for many working people and employers. Mr Lim Swee Say, I would like to thank you for that. With this, I support this Motion. [Applause.] 3.29 pm”
“I applaud the success so far even though the adoption of Tripartite Standards on FWAs has been gradual. I urge MOM to closely monitor the labour participation of women in the respective industries. The assumption is that there are more women in the service sector than any other sectors. But we need to post-mortem those issues and strategise tripartite initiatives at the sectoral level to further improve the overall labour participation rate across Singapore. In fact, in recent years, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has done pretty well in attracting non-practising nurses and stay-at-home women back to nursing. MOH's continuous engagement with inactive nurses does make a difference in persuading them to go into community nursing. Likewise, each sector, despite its incoherent industry nature, could also strive to develop strategies and programmes to help stay-at-home women back to work. There should be better opportunities for good job and fair wages offered by companies to encourage women to rejoin the workforce. I must thank Minister Josephine Teo and her Ministry for organising the Adapt and Grow appreciation lunch last Saturday. It was attended by employers, career coaches as well as clients or recipients of jobs and their families, each to share their journey. Several recipients of jobs shared their emotional stories of being unemployed and the joy of being gainfully employed. It is, indeed, heartwarming to hear some of these stories. In fact, these are inspirational anecdotal stories that we need to compile and share with more workers or potential workers, so that they do not lose sight of resilience and the hope for a bright light at the end of the tunnel when one loses a job.”
“There must be regular engagement at bipartite levels and with workers to know what are the jobs at risk and what are the jobs of the future. We are seeing incoherent speed of transformation happening in each of the industries. This is of concern. What have we implemented so far? How does it translate to workers on the ground, and if it translates into meaningful outcomes of better skill, better jobs and better career with better wages? More needs to be done. As such, I urge the Government to take a sector-based approach in all current and future programmes. These include monitoring progress in areas, such as productivity, skills development, adoption of tripartite standards, labour participation rates of women, older workers, as well as the percentage of vulnerable workers, and the adoption rate of NWC recommendations in each of these sectors. I understand that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has some of the indicators. But to be holistic, we should not only track but form tripartite task forces in each of the sectors to drill down and improve the outcome in each of these aspects with clear deliverables. Though we pride ourselves to be an envy of the world, but we are not quite there yet when it comes to women in the workforce. In this Chamber, many of my fellow Members of Parliament have spoken on the challenges that women are faced with during the first half of the Parliament for this term. I wish to further reiterate what I had mentioned during the last Budget speech on working women issues. I am, indeed, heartened by the Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo for initiating several initiatives. Minister Josephine Teo has been a strong advocate on flexible work arrangements (FWAs).”
“I am, indeed, surprised and amazed that through the years, I have only come across a handful of working cohorts who understood the working mechanism under tripartism and even the National Wages Council (NWC) recommendations. We are not talking about ordinary workers with minimal education, but graduates and those doing postgraduate studies. If we place much importance on industrial peace and justice, it is about time that the whole of the Government, employers and working people understand and cherish this national treasure. There have been several calls to have this as a main core curriculum in school but, beyond this, we need to do more at every level to ensure that this is entrenched into every generation of Singaporeans. HR professionals are the key to ensuring the sustainability of bipartite relationships at workplaces. Government officials and employer representatives are the keys to the sustainability of tripartism. Strong tripartism and bipartism should also help Singaporeans move towards social equality. With good bipartism at the workplace and tripartism at the national level, we are in a better position to execute and implement the ITMs for the success of our current and future economy. There must be tripartite and bipartite efforts in each of the 23 sectors of the ITMs. SkillsFuture initiatives and lifelong learning can only be sustained if employers partake in the responsibility of training their workers, employees embrace change as a constant, are willing to learn, unlearn and relearn without having to chase after academic qualifications alone. The Government also should provide a conducive environment for all forms of learning to take place, be it online learning, bite-sized training, on-the-job training or structured training.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, President Halimah Yacob's Opening speech charts the direction for the Government, the people and the nation as a whole for an inclusive and caring society. We have a Government that upholds the rule of law, a well-educated and skilled workforce that upholds meritocracy, a cohesive society cemented by multiracial, multilingual and multi-religious beliefs and values. In the last 50 over years, we have developed as a nation comparable to any First World Nation, but we should not rest on our laurels. Tripartism has been our national treasure that helps us through the economic cycles, uphold industry peace and harmony for employers and justice and fairness for workers. Tripartism is one of Singapore's most sustainable advantages. Unions in other countries tell us that, in their circumstances, it is not so easy to replicate or emulate Singapore's successful formula. In 1996, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, our Founding Father had said, and I quote, "Singapore has enjoyed harmonious industrial relations for almost three decades because of the successful tripartite cooperation among employers, unions and the Government. This has been a major achievement in our industrial relations – a complete turnaround from the bitter, confrontational practices of trade unions in the 1950s and 1960s." We have to ensure that the younger generation and workforce understand the importance of tripartism, as well as bipartism relations at the company level, too. I am very concerned over the fact that many of our working population do not understand or perhaps appreciate the history behind our successful economic development and growth. Over the last five years, I have been teaching tripartism and industrial relations to aspiring younger working cohorts doing their degree programme in HR.”
“Does this include non-violent passive protest or demonstration that has serious societal implication besides violent or terrorist incidents? Second, when the Commissioner of Police authorises a CSO while security operations are ongoing, it will require all people in the vicinity from not taking pictures of the incident or sending them across to others. In today’s context, almost all Singaporeans use a mobile phone to inform their loved ones of their safety. Can such harmless communication be allowed if an individual is within the vicinity of the serious incident? More often than not, public information via social media may provide useful leads for Police investigations. With this Bill, the public may be wary of producing such information to the Police even if they had acquired them. While we want to prevent frivolous dissemination of vital information, there should be means to acquire such useful information from the public. We should encourage civil society’s active participation in deterring terrorism and serious incidents with useful public information. Will the Bill discourage such responsive nature of public involvement to apprehend perpetrators? Will such special powers result in public fear of abuse of power by the Police? How can one independently verify Police action when there is a communication blackout as the evidence presented is one-sided? Lastly, I call on the Ministry to create awareness of the new Bill. The public must know the serious implications as it is now deemed an offence if one violates the order. While the public gets used to the new restriction, I hope that cases of genuine violation due to ignorance will be dealt minimally with discretionary powers. Sir, notwithstanding this, I support the Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I stand in support of this Bill. In view of the rising terrorism threats around the world, it is increasingly important to strengthen and tighten home security to ensure public order and safety. This is even more crucial for a small and multi-ethnic nation like Singapore. Last year, MHA had reported that the terrorism threat to Singapore remained the highest in recent years. Security is, indeed, a joint responsibility among individuals, community and the Government. I, therefore, welcome the SGSecure national movement as Singapore's community response to the threat of terror. In our workplaces, we have people of different races and nationalities working side by side. The news on ISIS and self-radicalised individuals may affect the cohesion of the various groups of people working and living amongst us. When there is an such incident of terror, the Bill will allow the Commissioner of Police to make a CSO while security operations are ongoing, therefore, Police powers are proposed to be expanded to deal with terror attacks and serious incidents. It is, therefore, important that our officers are trained adequately to face potential challenges and different situations. In addition, the measure of barring the public from taking images and banning text or audio messages from the affected area is essential to ensure that no public disorder might arise due to misinformation. The Bill is also essential to protect the secrecy of tactical operations and enable the Police to respond to serious incidents more effectively. Sir, notwithstanding this, I have the following clarifications and suggestions to make. First, what constitutes serious incident that provides the authorities with the special power to block all communication and filming and use of social media?”
“The Government can also consider engaging the company more regularly to follow up on their high emission, or even include conducting an audit on their carbon dioxide emission level. Will some of this highly classified information from the companies be kept safe under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)? The carbon tax rate is $5 per tonne of carbon dioxide in the Bill. How is this tax rate derived and determined? Does the CP framework follow international benchmarks? Is it simple enough for companies, especially SMEs, to understand? Are there industries or processes that are exempted from this carbon tax? I think earlier the Minister did say that some of the areas are exempted. I thank the Minister for the information. Lastly, it is good for the Government to provide predictable carbon tax rate increases over time. This allows companies to better manage their operating cost, and workers, especially those in the petrochemical industries, will be minimally affected by this additional cost if such cost can be factored in earlier, in a predictable manner. The Government should also provide incentives for companies to adopt renewable energy sources and for those that innovate their processes. The carbon tax revenue generated can be used to further the cause of "Going Green" by investing in appropriate relevant "green" projects using the revenue generated. For consumers, we should discourage the use of plastic bags in a robust manner. After all, reducing carbon emission is the responsibility of every one and it starts with "I". Sir, notwithstanding those clarifications, I stand in support of the Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the CP Bill is a wake-up call for companies, industries, communities and individuals to be mindful of the indiscriminate waste we discharge into our environment that destroys our planet earth slowly but surely. Though Singaporeans understand the need to embrace a low-carbon economy by reducing GHG emission, Singaporeans are still concerned that companies will pass down the cost of the carbon tax to the consumers, therefore, increasing the cost of goods and consumer spending. The introduction of the carbon tax will incur cost that affects industry competitiveness. As a small nation that relies heavily on trade and foreign investment, how is the Government going to ensure that the economy remains competitive with the introduction of the carbon tax? How can we help SMEs to be energy-efficient and to go green with the use of renewable energy? How can we stop exploitation of consumers by some unscrupulous companies? While it is important to reduce carbon emission for climate change, the companies generally do not regard EE as a priority and may regard the new requirements as an extra step to maintain product quality. Instead of viewing the carbon tax as an additional cost, how do we encourage companies to bear in mind the EEs they get to reap at the process or product design stage, if they pay attention to low- or no-carbon emission processes? With the verified emission reports submitted by companies, would the Government analyse the data and look into areas where companies with high carbon emission can do better and provide the required advice or suggestions so that companies can act on proactively?”
“Operators may be pressured to exit the industry while new entrants may be discouraged with financial penalty imposed on them. Will LTA be open to extending assistance/exemption of penalty for the operators who perform the necessary due diligence to incentivise correct behaviour among users? Also, will LTA have plans to ramp up on public education on car sharing to complement and encourage Singaporeans to go green? On managing provision of parking by private developments, I have the following concerns. On reduced supply of parking lots, will this translate to an increase in car park charges? Part 4, provision on parking charges, indicates parking charges may be changed from time to time. Is there any general guideline on the fluctuations? Is there an upper or lower limit to this? On reduction in car park spaces for new developments near train stations, what is the definition of "near"? Does a two-kilometre (km) radius of a train station location constitute the required proximity? Will there be feeder bus services available in such a situation for those who wish to take public transport? Lastly, I would like to propose for the Government to encourage and incentivise developers' partnership with private operators. Such partnership will help to retain the connectivity and convenience of movement around the private development and/or access to public transport. Developers can be incentivised to partner with operators to provide bike-sharing facilities within the infrastructure development, that it, having designated bicycle parking lots near the building. Sir, notwithstanding this, I support the Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. The amendment to the Bill has, with it, the intention to move Singapore towards a car-lite society. Though the Bill aims to implement a licensing regime on dockless bicycle-sharing operators to address the problem of indiscriminate parking and to better manage provision of parking by private developments to support our car-lite vision, however, we need to also calibrate the regulations, monitor and evaluate the parking measures if this invariably results in less take-up of bicycle sharing as a result of this Bill. On bike-sharing operators, I have the following concerns. Licensing for bicycle-sharing operators is a good idea. However, LTA must also look into the size of each operator's fleet. While there must be regulations, it should not be a deterrent to the market players with high barriers to entry. Industry players currently operate in a free market. Yet, with fairly many regulations, these operators may not have the incentive to compete to expand their market size, as well as to invest in innovation for more efficient operation methods if their business is not viable. Penalties, including hefty fines of up to $100,000 for operators who did not manage to remove indiscriminately parked bicycles, require behavioural change. However, the responsibility should not lie solely with the operators, but also with the end user. Having said that, imposing fines as punitive measures alone may not be the best idea to discourage adverse behaviour, but rather to reward good positive behaviour. One of the operators, Ofo, has designed a reward scheme for users who parked the bicycle properly. This reward scheme can be practised by other operators to encourage and incentivise correct behaviours.”
“Sir, I have two clarifications for Senior Minister of State Amy Khor. One is with regard to non-practising nurses. Have we utilised all means to bring them back into the workforce, especially in the ILTC sector? The second clarification is on emplacing graduands, that means, new entrants to nursing. Is there a difference between a diploma graduand and a degree graduand? Can we break the glass ceiling and emplace them correctly since they will be doing the same job?”
“The union helped to convince our members with the advantages of taking on larger specialised job roles to meet the changing needs of this sector so as to energise them with possible career progression and enhanced remuneration. With strong union-management collaboration, the redesigned career pathway for PSAs greatly enhanced the attractiveness of the job. Concurrently, it has mitigated the possible redundancy for this group of employees whose jobs are increasingly at risk with the advent of technology. We should also look at other initiatives to attract back-to-work women, to encourage non-practising nurses to return to nursing and workers from other sectors to join through the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP). Retiring healthcare workers in the mainstream of public healthcare institutions should also be given the option. On this, I urge those who are in their early 50s and 40s to be engaged in the conversation as early as possible for second career options in ILTC. The union can act as a conduit to refer more local workers into this sector for upskilling and reskilling. I urge MOH to implement a national skills framework for ILTC sector jobs and remunerate based on the skills and job worth. Lastly, I would again urge MOH to act as a catalyst to help navigate the formation of an association for the ILTC sector so that the national skills framework and all relevant best practices can be uniformly adopted by the players in this sector which will be a win-win-win for all, that is, the organisations, staff and patients at the heart. Empowering Nurses for Future Healthcare”
“Sir, one of MOH's key thrusts, that is, "Beyond hospital to community" will give rise to more job opportunities in the community sector. As such, will there be current jobs at risks and new jobs created across the healthcare sector? With the expansion of the ILTC sector, how can we better attract locals for the jobs when, at present, 80% to 90% of these jobs are filled by foreigners? Singaporean healthcare professionals are less inclined to join the ILTC sector due to the perceived prestige, progression as well as the varying remuneration offered, which is less favourable than that provided by public healthcare institutions. I applaud MOH for the efforts and training programmes it has introduced to attract Singaporeans into this sector in recent years, though more can be done. To further drive the success brought about by the existing MOH and AIC initiatives to bring locals into ILTC, I would like to suggest a holistic review of jobs, skills training, career progression and remuneration across this sector. Jobs can be redesigned to create higher value jobs that provide areas of growth for the individuals. Sir, let me declare my interest as the President of the Healthcare Services Employees' Union (HSEU). 5.30 pm For example, in the public healthcare sector, HSEU had worked closely with the healthcare institutions to redesign the career pathway for Patient Service Associates (PSAs). The process included multiple consultation sessions with our members to tailor the job role as they were the key stakeholders. It is essential for them to take ownership of their own future.”
“The seniors who benefited from the service centre are also the best ambassadors to encourage and guide other seniors to access the services provided. A volunteer network can also be developed among these seniors for them to give back in other areas of the community, such as healthcare. It is essential for a well-established facility to be complemented by professionals. As such, it is equally important to ensure that the support staff running these service centres are adequately equipped to support seniors, attend compulsory training in basic geriatric services, have relevant language proficiency and are able to identify mental health issues among seniors. The initiative to integrate the SCN and AIC will surely help to streamline and consolidate the services provided by the respective agencies to better support seniors in Singapore. However, will there be current jobs at risk or new jobs created with this integration effort? What new skillsets are required to better prepare integrated AIC staff to better manage both social and health issues so that there can be cross-training and learning opportunities? Employees of SCN moving over to AIC must be engaged early and transited with no less favourable terms and conditions as a package. There must be efforts to integrate the employees of AIC and those from SCN for better team coordination and morale to serve the seniors better.”
“Thank you. Sir, I welcome the integration of social support and health under AIC that comes under MOH. However, I hope the services provided are more holistic and sustainable. I would like to call for the Senior Network Centre to be a one-stop service centre providing holistic services for seniors beyond social and health. Skills training with services for employment and employability and active ageing programmes can form part of this enhancement. The one-stop service centres should be easily accessible near to the homes of the seniors, and the programmes should be cost-effective and affordable. It is important to care for the mental health of seniors. At age 65, some seniors may have retired or are about to retire. Besides the loss of income, these seniors may also feel less purposeful and bored without daily work to occupy their time. Willing seniors with capability to contribute can be assisted to transit into less demanding jobs with shorter working hours. With their new-found time on hand, some seniors may also be interested to pick up new skills or knowledge. This interest in lifelong learning should be encouraged and supplemented with learning institutions’ recommendation of courses based on individual interests. This centre can also be a conduit to all relevant services that may be required by the seniors. Some examples include providing awareness of advance care planning, lasting power of attorney (LPA) and understanding of the various Government schemes, such as ElderShield, MediShield and the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS). The current PG Ambassadors can help to support this one-stop service centre for seniors.”
“That means, does it apply to the healthcare sector because it is like quasi-Government?”
“Two clarifications. One, on CTP. Does CTP apply to private and public sector and Government agencies, or is it only for the private sector? The second question is on workplace abuse and harassment. I just wish to know Second Minister Josephine Teo's take on what she feels about having a Tripartite Standard for managing workplace abuse and harassment rather than having it subsumed under the Grievance Handling or Grievance Management Tripartite Standard. This is to give more clarity to employers on how exactly to manage situations like that, rather than making it more a general statement under the Grievance Handling Tripartite Standard.”
“Therefore, I propose to form a mediation body to address such cases efficiently and in a cost-effective manner. This will help to reduce the administrative and financial burden through Court proceedings. It is, indeed, alarming that in recent months, there have been several incidents of online criticism of Public Service sector staff. I am very concerned about the growing trend of such a campaign as it will inevitably lead to cyber-flaming. Without the benefits of complete information, it is nearly impossible to determine the validity of the claim of either party. Affected employees will be subjected to greater distress and psychological trauma as a result, while the perpetrator gets away scot-free. The Act needs to be enhanced to address such threats and to protect employees from not just workplace abuse, but from the cyber realm as well. As we put in measures to deter potential physical abuse, we must also look at measures to protect the cyberspace from unfounded attacks. This would also involve public education and, more importantly, how to provide the relevant psychological support for affected staff at the workplace.”
“Sir, the basic rights of all working people to a safe and healthy work environment are imperative. Workplaces are generally regarded as safe physical environments by most. However, it is increasingly common for employees to be subjected to abuse or harassment. It can be physical, verbal and even via the Internet. Hence, there is a greater need for awareness and protection against all workplace abuse and harassment. I advocate strongly for all organisations to adopt zero tolerance towards abuse and take firm steps to stamp out errant behaviours. All employees must be informed on the reporting and response procedure for workplace abuse and harassment. Workplace harassment includes any conduct or behaviour that violates another person's dignity or create an unfavourable work environment, thereby posing a risk to that person’s safety and health. More can be done to educate employees on how to respond to workplace abuse and harassment. Often, the psychological trauma is neglected, but the long-term effect to overall wellness is no less severe. For a start, an injury or harm as a result of workplace harassment must be treated with the same level of priority as an injury from a work-related accident. I urge the Minister to make the reporting of workplace abuse and harassment mandatory. It is important to understand the scale of the problem. Collating relevant statistics would allow for an in-depth study to identify possible interventions effectively. Under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA), even though a range of civil remedies and criminal sanctions is available to better protect people from harassment and related anti-social behaviour, it may not be sufficient to address individual concerns efficiently and cost effectively.”
“I would like to urge MOM to consider using TS as a set of qualifying criteria for companies to be eligible for various funding supports from MOM. These could include enterprise capability funds and employee support funds, such as WordPro, CSP and PCP and so on. This sends a clear message that the Ministry places strong emphasis on Fair Employment Practices. More should be done to raise public awareness on the TS so that our workforce recognises the TS adoption watermark as quality-assurance of that company. MOM can work with human capital partners, tertiary institutions, trade unions and grassroots organisations to spread the stringent qualifying criteria to be a TS Adopter, and to educate the public on its importance. In conclusion, I am optimistic that employers who adopt TS are also seen as fair and good employers that value every worker. Managing Workplace Harassment”
“Sir, the tripartite partners have recently introduced various Tripartite Standards (TS) for employers to adopt as good employment practices. While 5,219 unique companies have pledged on Fair Employment Practices, only 11.8% have adopted these standards to date. I urge the Ministry to adopt a more targeted approach in identifying the reason behind the low TS adoption rate. With the Government's role as a facilitator and enabler in the Industry Transformation Programme, can MOM tap on this engagement platform to better understand the concerns of companies? This also allows us to gather targeted feedback from the companies to improve the initiative. TS can help address two issues that may arise in any company in today's society – grievance handling and FWAs. Employers need to have established grievance handling procedures to ensure that employee issues are duly addressed and resolved. MOM can work with training providers to implement online resource platforms that allow management, HR and line managers to access the tools on handling employee grievances easily. MOM can also introduce examinable topics that line managers can take periodically to evaluate their standards as a TS adopter. Another challenge is the need for FWAs in the workplace. Successful implementation of FWA can achieve win-win outcomes for both employer and employee. MOM and TAFEP can conduct regular dialogue sessions for companies and employees to share how they have benefited from adopting robust FWA practices. This will encourage more companies to adopt or review their existing FWA practice. Currently, TAFEP focuses on incentivising companies to be TS adopters through positive publicity and added resources.”
“For the 8% who left their jobs after their bonds, what are their reasons? Were we able to keep them in the same industry? Or had they left to return to their previous industry? Would we be able to allow longer trial periods for individuals to ascertain their job fit for some of the professions? Perhaps, a psychometric test could be conducted for some of these professions to evaluate their suitability during the interview phase. Hopefully, this would provide a better return of investment for all parties that have put in efforts and resources to provide training opportunities and for those who had made the job switch. Similarly, we could also examine the causal factor for dropout rates for the ITM sector. The ultimate outcome is to develop skilled and productive workers for employers, a well-paying career for the individual, and, for the Government, one less unemployed worker to provide social support for. I believe PCP and CSP are good steps to build a better skilled and productive workforce. I support this move.”