Keith Chua
Singapore
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for the response to suicide prevention. In a PQ I filed last year, the response advised that there is no tracking or cumulative data collated of the number of persons diagnosed with suicidal ideation, whether caused by mental health conditions or other triggers.”
“Enterprise Singapore has a comprehensive set of schemes to help enterprises in their internationalisation efforts. Amid the uncertain global economic environment including emerging protectionism, what are MTI's plans to ensure the schemes remain relevant in supporting local enterprises with the potential and desire to internationalise and…”
“Mr Chairman, MTI and EnterpriseSG launched the Heartland Enterprise Placemaking Grant in 2024. Could MTI provide an update on the response to this grant from the merchants and how many applications have been received and how many have been approved.”
“Mr Chairman, businesses need to continue to manage costs efficiently, especially in a competitive environment. As mentioned by Members previously, can MTI provide an update on the the IMC for Pro-Enterprise Rules Review and the SME Pro-Enterprise Office (PEO). Specifically, what are the key areas that have been most helpful for SMEs?”
“Mr Chairman, the Minister recently announced the establishment of a task force to help sustain and grow heritage businesses. While some heritage businesses continue to flourish, many have decided to exit permanently owing to economic pressures, rising costs, lower consumer demand and also succession issues.”
“Mr Chairman, scams continue to be a pressing concern in our digital age. As technology evolves, so do the tactics of scammers, who increasingly exploit messaging apps and social media to deceive victims. Despite ongoing public awareness efforts and enhanced security measures, scams continue to remain persistent and a costly issue.”
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“Fifty-eight years ago, this nation with began with a group of dedicated leaders who transformed a small country with limited resources to the financial success that we enjoy. This has been a collaborative effort of leaders and people. Today, we find ourselves as stewards of a success story and as Singaporeans, carry this responsibility for the current and future generations. The future will be different, in terms of challenges and aspirations. History, however, has shown us the place and value of collaboration.”
“May I request if the Minister would consider a longer runway to enable our society to achieve an increasingly collaborative model of Singapore philanthropy? The demands of an ageing society, the aspirations for better quality of life for those with specific needs and the vulnerable and the desire that no one gets left behind will need the active participation of both Government and people. Planning and implementing may well take us beyond 2026. For many years, we have been giving beyond our borders. The interest and active initiatives include social entrepreneurs, foundations, religious organisations, educational institutions and volunteers. Many do so quietly and without fanfare. Thus far, all these initiatives have not received tax deduction. It shows us giving goes beyond the material. However, I do agree that giving beyond our borders will be enhanced by the proposed tax incentives for approved beneficiary organisations. I look forward to the continuing development of Singapore as a philanthropy hub and the proposed schemes for donations outside of Singapore. Public consultations have been a method to get feedback and suggestions. Some of the feedback and suggestions are accepted. Those that are not accepted get an explanation. May I request the Minister to consider the approach of co-creation alongside the approach of public consultations? Co-creation potentially enables wider buy-in at the early stages, enabling the voices from both top-down and ground-up to be given opportunity for consideration. Forward Singapore will give us a comprehensive picture of the Singapore that we aspire. Achieving this may require asking difficult questions and to agree to systemic changes where necessary.”
“The teaching of entrepreneurship has been found to help solve challenges creatively, help handle complex situations, look for available resources, network, increase motivation, amongst many, many other positives. In the 10 years since implementation, the sample findings suggest entrepreneurship has been transformative. One major objective is to keep Danish entrepreneurship at the forefront. However, as not everyone becomes an entrepreneur, their evaluation has shown that teaching entrepreneurship has developed a better workforce. The Singapore non-profit sector has benefited from the extremely generous deduction of 2.5 times the amount or value of qualifying donations. Clause 32 extends this through to 31 December 2026. IPCs across the spectrum of social services – medical and health services, education, culture, heritage, arts, sports – have had many years to build up a culture of giving, supported by this generous scheme. The objective is to enable and encourage collaborative philanthropy in the non-profit sectors. Some sectors, as we have heard, seem to have done better than others. The matter of qualifying donations may benefit from a review, to enable access to funding by new initiatives that are charitable in nature, but have not yet achieved IPC status. In a similar way, smaller IPCs may be helped in ways to increase wider awareness of their mission. Mr Speaker, Sir, I believe we are moving toward a society that is ready to give more. This is being done through giving time, giving expertise and giving financially. The Government has laid one foundational piece for the coming years, further extending the 2.5 times deduction. We should not delay demonstrating our collective responsibility to play our part.”
“1 billion Cost-of-Living package to help tide lower- to middle-income families cope with rising costs. Ultimately, we need to try to work toward a model where as many as possible not just survive with support packages but thrive in an environment that provides financial stability, high quality of life and the ability to make choices on what really matters. Bloxhub in Copenhagen is a co-working community space that brings together architects, engineers, startups, policy-makers and academia to drive urban innovation. Creative thinking and collaboration begins at the very earliest stages. Copenhagen, and I am using the figure that was given to us at the presentation, has a population of 600,000 – about a 10th of our population – and yet they have assembled an initiative to plan for a further increase for 100,000 – and this is an urban population – by 2050. In their words, cities are systems, cities are nature, cities are communities. Their continuing mission – to create liveable, resilient cities for the future – but they are planning well in advance. The second observation is the practice of constant and continuing review of systems and processes across all sectors, whether these are social, health, green issues or digital transformation. The Danish Design Center illustrated an example of their current study concerning youth mental health issues – and they start with the difficult questions. For example, is this an issue where youths are surviving in a sick system? They are now undergoing a comprehensive review of whether systemic change will be required to enable youths to thrive and not just survive. The third observation that we could consider is from the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is taught from primary school upwards.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to participate in this debate. I would like to firstly declare my interest in non-profit organisations and social service organisations that benefit from the tax deduction benefits that we have in place. The proposed amendments to this Bill are wide ranging. Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in a study trip to Denmark. Denmark ranks as one of the happiest countries. The Danish welfare state is characterised by an extensive social security system and high-income equality. This has been possible with the Danish society willing to contribute high taxes in return for the system they now collectively enjoy. Their journey took time and is steeped in history. It was not always easy and not without challenges. The word "trust" was frequently used throughout our various interactions, whether this was learning about sustainability at Lego, whether it was about urban innovation and design at Bloxhub, rethinking issues requiring systemic change at the Danish Design Centre or teaching the entrepreneurial mindset, beginning all the way in primary school through to secondary school, at the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship. Mr Speaker, Sir, I believe all participants from our Singapore team brought away many helpful observations that we can consider, from personal to corporate to societal improvement. Allow me to share three helpful lessons and observations from the many that I noted. The first is that of a society that is not just surviving but thriving. As I reflect on the many achievements in Singapore, we are thriving in several areas and surviving in others. In catching up on the news of recent initiatives after coming back, I am encouraged by the new $1.”