Liang Eng Hwa
Singapore
“Sir, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I would like to thank IMDA for its flexibility in allowing the filming of "Dear You" in the Teochew dialect, and for approving additional screenings to meet public demand.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Sir, we hope that there will be peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict soon and that the Strait of Hormuz will be fully open.”
“Sir, I believe the political office holders have not replied or responded to my cut on traffic congestion, so can I perhaps ask the Minister, whether is it because he disagrees with me that the traffic congestion has worsened or that there is no non-pricing solutions to traffic congestion, which I had asked for.”
“Sir, Minister Chee, in his speech mentioned that this year we will be launching 19,600 new BTO flats. So, I would like to ask, how he sees the trajectory in the next two, three years.”
“Also, flexible work arrangements, through inter-agency coordination, could also help flatten peak demand. Sir, road pricing remains important, of course, but it must be a multi-pronged approach to manage congestions. And all these suggestions that I have made, I hope would also help to reduce congestions.”
“Thank you, Speaker. Sir, there are Singaporeans who felt strongly that the founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew's original wish to have the house demolished should be respected. It is not just because this is his personal wish but also the values that he espouse, which is not to have personal monuments.”
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“There are high expectations for our National Jobs Council chaired by Senior Minister Tharman; not only to implement the Jobs and Skills Package but also bringing to bear the resources of the various stakeholders to produce tangible results. One notable commitment by the Government is the setting up of the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centre at the heartlands. I am very thankful to MOM and WSG for setting up a SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centre at Bukit Panjang Club. Since the opening in August, hundreds of residents have sought jobs and training opportunities at the centre and I have received emails of gratitude from residents who have found employment through the centre. We are, at the grassroots level, stepping up publicity and awareness; including exploring roving centres at different parts of the town or neighbourhood locations just to help as many of our residents as possible. In other words, it makes a great deal of difference to the job seeker, if there is someone to talk to and to hand hold the job seeker through the journey. I remember when I was studying in Australia, I used to visit neighbourhood job centres to look for vacation jobs. The friendly job counsellor were always there to reassure you, to help point out to the opportunities out there and these are all important psychological support as well. So, the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centre is a commendable initiative by MOM and I appeal to the Manpower Minister to continue supporting and resourcing the centres well beyond the crisis. Sir, thirdly, on economic growth. Earlier, I spoke on the huge deficit expected for this FY and possibly next; due to higher spending and reduced revenue projections. Cutting cost to balance the Budget would be a painful option.”
“However, there are sectors and businesses where the pandemic has significantly altered the business propositions or changed the operating landscape permanently. Demand that businesses used to enjoy before COVID-19 may never return. Businesses live and thrive on demand for their goods and services; where they generated revenue to stay profitable, to stay as a going concern. We know that no amount of Government stimulus or support can possibly make up for the lost demand and revenue in a sustained way; or bring back the business viability of the past. As the Government taper down the support and assistances, we can expect the companies to start releasing more workers. Some companies may not survive even with the best of efforts. This is the phase of the crisis where we may see deeper structural adjustments, changes happening to the business eco-system and also inevitably, we will see harsh adjustments to the labour market. Hence, in our next bound of response to the crises, we need to now intensify our efforts to help Singaporeans who are retrenched and unemployed. In particular, greater effort must be channelled to help mid-career PMET jobseekers; as they face the greatest difficulties to find new employment. Making mid-career switches is an uphill task; especially under current circumstances. Job seekers are also often under tremendous pressure to find a new job quickly so that they can continue to support their families. There are also many inherent frictions to content with; such as skills and expectation mismatches, employers’ biasness, individuals’ psychological barriers and many others. We must avoid the situation of structural unemployment from creeping up and taking roots.”
“On the revenue front, the pictures look daunting as well; with latest estimates projecting a drop in operating revenue of $12.3 billion or a 16.1% projected decrease. Even with the NIRC added, the Government is likely to run an overall deficit of $ 74.2 billion; a record number in our history. Sir, I have few questions for the Deputy Prime Minister: Firstly, given the revenue outlook and the likelihood of further COVID-19 support needed, how does he envisage that we could balance the Budget in the next two to three years; and constitutionally we need to balance the Budget for the term of Government? Secondly, while the reallocated unutilised funds can temporarily be used to pay for the continued support measures, this outlay would need to happen as soon as the projects meet its progress payment milestones or are completed. Where would the Government find the funding for this outlay if the revenue situation continues to be weak? Thirdly, some of these projects are actually capability investments for the future, which will enable us to emerge stronger. So, these are necessary spending. Would the Government consider a further draw on the reserves again; considering the magnitude and severity of this crisis and these are essentially also investment items? Sir, I move on to jobs. In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic crisis, the economic knock-on effects impacted all sectors of the economy. The Government’s swift and broad base support to businesses, helped in averting the situation of massive job losses. With gradual opening up, we have seen some of the demand and businesses recovered. Companies have adjusted to the different operating environment and many pivoted into different business models and products.”
“As we have just entered into the new term of Government and in its first year, the Finance Ministry would not have any accumulated surpluses at their disposal to pay for the further spending. We know that the COVID-19 support measures continued to be necessary; although we can now be more targeted in the next phase. The continuation of these support measures would cost the Government a further $8 billion. In his reply to my Parliamentary Question and also in the Ministerial Statement, Deputy Prime Minister Heng has shared that the additional expenditures will be funded by reallocating monies from other areas where projected spendings have either been delayed or reduced due to the pandemic. I noted from the Third Supplementary Estimates that the main reallocations are from the development items such as: MOT $3.6 billion, which is the highest of the reallocated amount; MTI $745 million; MND $615 million; MSE and MOH, I supposed it is related to hospitals and polyclinics, each about $500 million; and the other Ministries like MINDEF, MCCY, MinLaw for their projects, each a couple hundred million dollars. These are developmental expenditures set aside but unutilised at the moment; and this amounted to $6.8 billion. Also, in the Supplementary Main Estimates, we saw that despite having downward adjustments by some Ministries, there is a net increase of $1.7 billion due to increase in spending estimates by the other Ministries. Taken together, it provided MOF with a net freed-up funding of $5.1 billion to pay for the continuation of the COVID-19 support measures (which costs $8 billion). If there are no new revenue sources to offset, there would be a potential deficit contribution of about $2.9 billion; just a few months into this new term of Government.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Deputy Prime Minister and the Finance Minister for the Ministerial Statement that sets out the context for the Third Supplementary Estimates of Expenditures for FY 2020/2021. Given the very extensive set of fiscal measures that were introduced in quick succession over the last eight months, it is most timely that Deputy Prime Minister Heng updated the House again on the Government’s continued response to the on-going pandemic and outlined the next bound of support. While COVID-19 continues to be a threat to our lives and livelihoods, we are today in much different position than we were in, in March. We now know a lot more about this virus and better able to mitigate the risk than six months ago. We have weathered the sharp spike in cases with our concerted response and has help kept the fatality rate at a very low level. There is now much higher public awareness on the virus and Singaporeans have largely adapted to the new normal of wearing masks, distancing, safe-entries and many other precautionary measures. It is therefore timely that the Government signal that we are entering into a new phase of our battle with the pandemic. And importantly, to also set our sights on how we will eventually emerge from the crisis and press on with our longer term strategic priorities. Sir, I will touch on three areas: firstly, fiscal management; secondly, jobs; and thirdly, economic growth. First, fiscal management. Since February this year, the Government has committed a massive $100 billion to help businesses and Singaporeans cope with the pandemic fallout. To fund this gigantic support package, we have used up all of the accumulated surpluses from the last term of Government and also drawn on reserves for an unprecedented amount of $52 billion.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for giving us the indication of the trends of our population. Clearly, the ageing population is expected to accelerate in the next decade. Can I ask the Minister how would that impact the tax burden of the working population then, and more importantly, how do we mitigate that kind of tax burden for that generation working population, going forward?”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for the reply as well as commend MOM for a very good initiative – the traineeship programme. I just want to ask whether we are thinking ahead, now that many of them have secured traineeships; what is the next step for them? Are we also encouraging the companies to convert these traineeships into permanent jobs? Would MOM also do some early survey to find out from companies how many of the trainees would be retained as permanent employees and how many may be released, so that they can better plan the next stage of helping the young graduates?”
“Thank you, Sir. Two questions, the first related to communications. When the tariff announcement was made, the headline that came up was that there was a 9.3% increase for the month of October to December. It came across from almost every media outlet. So, what the Minister just explained gave a lot of context and details that indeed, only a certain percentage of the population is affected – about 53%. So, such headlines do cause anxiety, especially during this period where the environment is really difficult and indeed, residents have consumed more electricity because of working from home, staying at home more often. So, I want to ask the Minister how we can better communicate this, so that we do not cause unnecessary alarm or concern when residents see the headline number of 9.3% increase. The second question is, the Minister mentioned that the tariffs affected 53% of the households and the remaining 47% households are not affected. Given the unsettling effect of price changes quarter-to-quarter, would the Ministry perhaps use this opportunity to encourage more Singaporeans to go on the fixed price plan, so that there is some certainty; whether that can be pushed out to more residents to adopt and to sign up; whether there are other incentives that can encourage our Singaporeans to sign up as well?”
“Sir, I welcome the update and the various announcements by the Minister to open up our borders to resume flights. As I hear him describe some of the things that we need to do – to have the Reciprocal Green Lane, Controlled Itinerary, the various testings, the monitoring and surveillance as well – it gives me a sense that there would be a lot of costs to be added on as well, including for the airlines when they have to fly planes that are not as full, and not to mention that the air tickets that the airlines sell would not be cheap as well, may not be that affordable. So, I want to ask the Minister from a cost-revenue standpoint, does it make sense, does it clear the break-even point for us to resume travel, given this environment? That is my first question. The second question is, during this COVID-19 situation, there were quite a number of airlines that have actually moved out of Singapore. They hub somewhere else or they find a cheaper location. So, I want to ask the Minister whether when we resume, let us say, when the air travel comes back, are we confident of bringing these major airlines back to Singapore, to hub in Singapore again?”
“Thank you, Sir. I noted in the latest Budget Estimates released on 17 August, the projection for revenue continues to come down. If I remember correctly, it is $5.1 billion compared to what was indicated in the Revised Estimates in the Fortitude Budget. So, can I ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister whether there are further scope to reallocate monies from the Development Expenditure to fund further spending for this current FY as well as the spending in the next few years. Also, constitutionally, we need to balance our Budget in each term of Government. So, I would like to ask how would the Government weigh the consideration of reallocating funds set aside for expenditures for Development Expenditures which is investment for the future as well, versus further draw down on the reserves.”
“Let us use the slack in the labour market today as an impetus to help Singaporeans adapt and take on these jobs. Singaporeans, whether they are young graduates or mid-career PMETs, can be up to the task. We just need to equip them, give them the opportunities and importantly, have faith in them. Let us move the needle this time. Sir, I support the Motion.”
“We are reputed for the excellent global connectivity, the depth and liquidity in our capital markets; sound regulation, integrity and enforceability of our judicial system; and also, importantly political and social stability. We must therefore be self-assured that from time to time we would necessarily need some re-calibration to our manpower flows in response to the cycles in the labour markets. More importantly, we need to focus on the outcomes; and that is – have we been able to develop our local workforce to take on those jobs that are available in these sectors? These are the jobs that Singaporeans want to do. How can we more effectively minimise the inherent frictions or the biasness working against achieving these outcomes? We have the data points from our S Passes and EPs – what are the areas of jobs that the companies are asking for EPs and S Passes? These can serve as our "skills demand leading indicator”, where we can plan and curate training programmes and traineeships to target at helping Singaporeans compete and take on those jobs. Of course, just tightening EP and S Pass alone would not be enough. We need other measures such hiring incentives, training allowances, subsidised traineeships to urge companies to hire more locals. Narrowing the gaps of mismatches and reducing the frictions in job transitions are highly difficult undertakings; we know that. Left to the markets, it may not resolve into the outcomes that we want. We therefore need concerted efforts involving a combination of measures and workarounds to achieve this; and importantly, with proactive intervention by the Government. And this is now the task of the National Jobs Council, led by Senior Minister Tharman. Let us not waste this crisis.”
“Hence, I welcome the MOM announcements last week to tighten up our Employment Passes and S Passes, in particular, to step up scrutiny on those employers that have not been responsive to Government efforts to recruit more Singaporean PMETs. This can be a more an effective measure than raising the qualifying salaries. These measures are necessary steps in response to the very weak labour market that we are in today and the likelihood of rising local retrenchments in the months ahead as the Jobs Support Scheme tapers off. But make no mistake about it. Notwithstanding these adjustments, we are still one of the most open economies in the world where cross-border manpower flows are concerned. About one-third of our labour force are foreigners. We have about 194,000 Employment Pass holders and 200,000 S Pass holders working in Singapore, not a small number at all. So, I disagree with The Business Time’s headline last Friday that said MOM's latest announcements may put our financial hub aspirations at risk. Firstly, Singapore will still be among the most open financial centres in the world including in terms of top talent flows and foreign manpower accessibility. Two weeks ago, MAS revealed that non-citizens account for about 30% of our workforce in the financial sector. And for senior management roles, more than half are non-Singaporeans. There are not many major financial centres that allow this level of openness. Global institutions choose to set up presence in Singapore not just because of our foreign manpower policy, but also of our many other very compelling attributes. Among others, Singapore is the few remaining Triple-A rated jurisdictions in the world.”
“We can perhaps still go ahead with the new runway but do we need another terminal building? I hope the Government will review the decision because such mega projects also consume high numbers of migrant workers and crowd out the more urgent demands by other construction projects. Mr Speaker, Sir, I will now move on to jobs that Singaporeans want. One of the key hallmarks of Singapore’s economic success is our human resource and the availability of skilled manpower and talents to our businesses. Our approach has always been to maximise the potential and opportunities for our local workforce and complement it by allowing some external manpower to strengthen our competitiveness to the extent that it helps create growth and jobs for Singaporeans. Indeed, Singapore is able to seize additional growth opportunities beyond the size potential of our domestic workforce because we are able to leverage on external manpower resource. This makes good sense, especially when we are in a positive growth cycle where demand for manpower is high and the domestic labour market remains tight. However, in a recessionary economic environment like what we are in today where we are increasingly seeing a slack in the labour market, this lever of external foreign manpower can now be used to manage our domestic unemployment and to nudge employers to hire more locally available workers. We should never feel apologetic about that. We have done that in past economic downturns, such as during the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 and 2009 where we also reduced the Employment Passes and S Passes.”
“It is actually wasteful to demolish a building that is still in good working condition, only to build a replacement one that is quite similar. Besides consuming a significant number of migrant workers, it is also not environmentally friendly from a resource and sustainability standpoint. We should further tighten the criteria for en bloc development and only allow projects to go ahead for buildings that are much older or there are major changes to the land use, such as intensifying its use through the Gross Floor Area (GFA) adjustment. We should also scrutinise carefully our public projects and plan more judiciously. For example, in our neighbourhood, we have a Secondary school that went through a major upgrade, only to announce a few years later that the school would be merged with another one and to be relocated. Sir, COVID-19 has substantially changed the world, our way of life, the way we conduct businesses in the future and rebalancing the risk-reward trade-offs and many others. One sector that has been most impacted is aviation. We expect air travel to be much reduced post-COVID-19 and may never recover to its previous levels. Airlines may consolidate and hub at cheaper locations and we may never be able to bring back again the major airlines that have relocated out of Changi Airport hub during this period. So, under this new operating landscape, should we still go ahead with the massive T5 project? Are our assumptions and parameters still valid in the new permanently changed setting? Are the risks now too high to go ahead with this massive investment? Can we work within our existing four terminals, regenerate new value propositions and optimise what we already have with the terminals and the set-up?”
“Large companies can afford to take a longer term view, but not for smaller companies which are just struggling to make ends meet, given the competitive nature of the business. The market would not be able to sort out itself to work towards productivity. So, again, the Government has to come in. The tender system for public construction projects has to change, with greater scores weightage to tenderers who use more productive construction methods and lesser dependence of migrant workers. These are not new ideas. We have talked about them before. But it has to be well perpetuated and carried out with great insistence to change contractors’ modus operandi. The other possible radical moves are to identify firms that have invested significantly in productivity improvements and invite them early in the projects to work with planners, architects and engineers on more efficient construction processes that can be less labour intensive. It will require a mindset shift in the way we look at contract tenders and how we overcome the value-for-money governance. We can always start something as a pilot, perhaps via a “sandbox” approach and, thereafter, finetune the process for greater implementation. The tender price may well be higher. But we can take this as a price discovery exercise to know how contractors will actually cost a project that involves less migrant labour. On the demand side, we can also do more to reduce the overall demand for migrant labour. We should be more discerning in evaluating if some of our major construction projects should go ahead. Can we do without it? Is it wasteful on resources and materials? What comes to mind are the collective sales or en bloc developments that we always hear about.”
“When I spoke to a number of people in the construction industry to seek views on how we can we reduce our reliance, almost everyone was concerned about what I am about to say or ask the Government to do. For example, would I be asking for a steep cut in the numbers of migrant workers? Well, I am fully cognisant of the realities and that there are no quick fixes. I get it that there is really not much we can do and nothing much can change in the short term. Our industries, especially the construction sector, would not be able to fulfil their contracts if they are unable to get the sufficient workers they need. We continue to need high numbers of migrant labour workers for our current and upcoming projects, such as the MRT, the recently announced RTS, HDB housing projects. Even our climate change mitigation projects will also need workers there to help us build them. So, if we cannot do much in the short term, what can we do in the medium to long term? Let me start with productivity improvements, specifically, the construction sector again. There were a number of attempts in the past to improve productivity. I read the report on construction productivity by the Singapore Contractors Association done in December 2016 which detailed measures to improve productivity performance. In the report, it also highlighted the difficulties for firms to invest long term to enhance productivity, given the nature of the businesses where construction companies would tender competitively for contracts, not knowing whether they would win them. Faced with this unknown of whether they would have work to do ahead of them, contractors would be reluctant to invest in productivity measures in a significant way as they are unsure whether the investment costs can be fully recovered.”
“Many Singaporeans were reminded or some were surprised at the sheer numbers of migrant labour in our workforce. We have, in the past, reviewed our foreign migrant manpower policy on a number of occasions. Besides during the Little India Riot COI, the last major review on the foreign workers policy was in 2010 by the Economic Strategies Committee or ESC. The ESC recommended that we moderate the growth and manage the dependence on the foreign workforce through a phased increase in foreign worker levies and, in tandem, funding support for productivity investments. The rationale for this approach was that foreign labour should not be too accessible to companies as the companies would have little incentive to invest in productivity improvements. The outbreak in the dormitories highlighted further unanticipated costs in our reliance of foreign labour. So, the overall real costs of foreign workers may not be as low as we have earlier envisaged, both financial and social. In addition, the outbreak also reminded us that we need to quickly improve the living condition of the dormitories and, of course, these enhancements will also add further costs to businesses. So, how can we reduce our dependence on foreign labour? What is an acceptable number, both physically and socially? Does the cost-benefit analysis still makes sense to have such large numbers? Do not get me wrong. I am not about say let us just cut migrant worker numbers to a certain lower level. It would have far reaching implications and impact on our businesses and industries and also on our efforts to build capabilities and capacities in both the economic and social infrastructures.”
“But two major incidents or events have brought into focus our foreign workers policy – how we take care and manage the workers as well as the numbers and our dependence of foreign labour in Singapore. Firstly, of course, is the little India riot on 8 December 2013. In the aftermath, a Committee of Inquiry (COI) was formed and the COI report recommended a series of measures, such as the provision of self-contained dormitories that come with better amenities on site, tighter regulatory framework, among the many measures. The second incident is, of course, the recent major COVID-19 outbreak at the foreign workers’ dormitories. The high transmissibility among the migrant workers at the dormitories led to a massive response and the mobilisation of resources within our system to prevent the further spread of the virus to the rest of the almost 400,000 workers at the dormitories. Many of the workers needed to be decanted from their existing dormitories to provide segregation and to reduce density so as to minimise the risk of further spread. The entire response has taken a heavy toll on our system and, of course, exerted a high price. The steep infection rate at the dormitories once again brought to attention the living conditions of the foreign workers and as well calls for Singapore to rethink its reliance and high dependency on migrant manpower. Following the Little India Riot COI report, there were deliberate efforts to site the purpose-built dormitories away from the residential estates so as to minimise any disamenities to the neighbourhoods. In the process, it has also reduced the visibility of the foreign workers to the public. But the recent COVID-19 outbreak has, once again, brought the issue of migrant workers back into the limelight.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before my speech proper, I would like to declare my interest as I work in the financial sector and I work in a bank that I am proud to say has a strong Singaporean Core. Sir, I would like to speak on our foreign manpower policy, essentially, in two areas: firstly, jobs that Singaporeans do not want; and, secondly, jobs that Singaporeans want. Let me start with jobs that Singaporeans do not want. We have always depended on foreign migrant labour in sectors like construction, manufacturing and services in jobs that Singaporeans would not want to do, either due to the work conditions, low remunerations or others. In particular, in construction sector, we have something like 341,000 foreign workers out of the workforce of 457,000; or 75% of the construction labour force. Similarly, in the cleaning and some manufacturing sectors, there are high numbers of foreign workers. The pleasant reality is that we have always enjoyed very low unemployment in Singapore and that there are always other better jobs available for Singaporeans. Given the limited size of our local workforce and that we are perpetually in a tight labour market situation, especially in the lower wage sectors, companies in these industries would have to look to foreign labour to meet their workforce needed. Our manpower policy facilitated that, but with a series of quotas and foreign workers’ levies to keep demand within tolerable levels, both physically and socially. We have lived with this system for many years and it has helped grow our economy and enabled us to press ahead with the massive infrastructure buildup – the MRT, housing, ports, airports, hospitals, industrial facilities and many others.”
“I work in the financial sector and I have seen firsthand how the Deputy Prime Minister, when he was helming MAS during the Global Financial Crisis, calmly steered Singapore out of the Global Financial Crisis and in the process, strengthened our position as the premier financial hub. Hence, I am most reassured that he is now leading the charge with this comprehensive and bold response to overcome the crisis that we are now facing. Before I end, I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister a question. He mentioned about the $16 billion contingency fund. I would like to ask if he can give us an indication of how the $16 billion contingency fund would be used potentially. What is the scope of the usage of the fund? Sir, with that, I support the Fortitude Budget.”
“There may well be new cases as we open up. But I believe that now, we are much better prepared. Of course, thanks to all our frontline warriors and the Multi-Ministry Task Force. I want to specifically mention those that have worked very hard in the last few months to manage and contain the outbreak at the migrant workers' dormitories. It is a gigantic task to take care of the health and well-being of 400,000 migrant workers – a massive and complex operation that require both scale and speed of response. While we would rather not have so many cases of infections at the dormitories, the expeditious and extensive response by the Government, which includes MOM, SAF, other stakeholders as well as volunteers to stabilise the outbreak demonstrates the strength, the versatility and the tenacity of Team Singapore. In a way, there is now certain comfort that we do have the capability and capacity to cope with a steepened infection curve with very low fatality, although we really hope not to be stress-tested again. So, thank you to our frontline colleagues for persevering and battling on, in the most difficult circumstance and for keeping the workers and Singaporeans safe. Sir, we are facing huge uncertainty ahead of us and not knowing how bad the situation can further develop. It is in this uncertain times and very troubling situation that all the more we need a steady hand to steer the ship and a strong leadership that unite us to overcome and forge forward. I thank the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for his resolute effort and his decisiveness and steady handling and the leadership to help Singapore through this adversity.”
“I salute MCI for setting the ambitious target of reaching out and raising the digital skills of 100,000 seniors by March 2021, in less than one year, through one-on-one efforts. Recently, I organised e-chit chat with my grassroots seniors' group. We set up a call link and invited the seniors to join the video call. They were initially apprehensive and worried that they cannot handle the e-link up. But come the day of the meeting, I was very pleased to see almost everyone in the call. Of course, many have their children and their grandchildren by their side to help them to connect, to mute and unmute when they speak. The seniors told me they thoroughly enjoyed the session as they have not met each other for quite some time and were very glad to see the happy faces around. They were thrilled that they can speak to each other, see each other at their homes, and even took a group picture. Importantly, it helps them to overcome the mental barrier about technology and it is not as difficult as they previously thought. Sir, while the Digital Ambassadors can help seniors overcome the mental barrier, I hope that the Government can also help the seniors lower the cost barrier, such as making available an affordable data plan and the subsidy for the necessary hardware. And this is part of the last 5% that I talked about. Mr Speaker, Singaporeans have been in the lockdown mode for the past two months. It has not been easy for everyone. Many are looking forward to the reopening and exiting the circuit breaker measures in the coming weeks. But we must always bear in mind that the virus is still out there and there is still no vaccine yet to protect ourselves. So, every personal measure that we take to protect ourselves and others must continue.”
“In area of sales and services, those businesses and retailers with online transactional and service capabilities are able to continue doing businesses despite the circuit breaker measures. Those who have yet to adopt digitalisation, now felt more compelled to gear up their capabilities and devise new digital operating models and solutions. So, this is the perfect timing and opportunity to mount a further home-run push for digitalisation for our small businesses. It is a case of all-stars aligned or in Chinese, they called it, 天时，地理，人和, the right time, right place and the right consensus to push for all out digital transformation. Indeed, this what the fourth Budget has also set out to do, such as the $300 per month bonus over five months to encourage stallholders in the neigbourhood to adopt e-payments and to avoid cash handling. There is also the enhancing the SMEs Go Digital package to include a $5,000 Digital Resilience Bonus to help businesses with entry level upgrades, such as payroll, e-invoicing, e-payments and other e-commerce solutions. This digital push should go beyond businesses and into the social spaces like the neighbourhoods, schools, homes and individuals. For digitalisation to be part of our lives, everyone should be digitally enabled so that entire eco-system can realise its full potential and to reap the benefits of scale. Here is a case where we must go down right to the last 5% and get everyone onboard. And I am very glad that MCI is doubling down on these efforts, with the announcement to recruit 1,000 Digital Ambassadors to help seniors and local stallholders be digitally enabled. In particular, the seniors deserved our utmost attention and our concerted effort. Their quality of life can improve if they are also digitally connected.”
“He has in-depth knowledge and experience on the economy and the markets and certainly, the strategic wisdom, gravitas and respect to get the system going. So, I am so happy with the choice by the Deputy Prime Minister. Mr Speaker, Sir, although the pandemic has injected unpleasant shocks to our lives and livelihoods, there are, however, a few silver linings that bode well for us post-COVID. Safe distancing measures and minimising of physical contacts has changed our way of life and going forward, will change the way we live, work, learn and socialise. For many years, businesses and governments have been talking about flexi-work arrangements, working from home and BCPs. It has never really gain tractions. Some even said that employers are mostly lip-servicing and the vision can never be realised. However, COVID-19 has game-changed this in one stroke. Organisations are thrown into the deep end as governments introduced lockdowns and restrict human gathering and movements. Businesses are forced to quickly re-configure their operations and workflows and many have to hastily brush up their BCPs so that most of their employees, including management can work from home and alternate sites. Digital connectivity becomes the life blood to keep businesses and operations going. And the good news is, offices and operations continue to function despite the tight circuit breaker measures. By and large, companies and employees have adjusted and adapted to the "new normal" of work. In fact, some companies are now looking to retain many of the telecommute arrangements so that a significant number of their employees can continue to work from home even after COVID-19. So, there are now more legs for an even more extensive flexi-work arrangements going forward.”
“We would need to train and right-skills the workers so as to match to the jobs that are available or in demand. This is, of course, a timing issue and also whether we have the ability anticipate the specific skillsets that are needed and set up the relevant training ahead of time. The other hurdle is work experience. Employers naturally want to hire workers with the relevant experience so that the employees can ideally be productive on day one. Not an easy problem to solve but the workaround here is to offer on-the-job training by way of subsidised traineeships and programmes such as Attach-and-Train. And I am glad the Finance Minister has noted this problem and in the fourth Budget, introduced further support and funding for traineeships and training for both recent graduates and mid-career jobseekers. Of course, this would also require employers to be open-minded about workers with no relevant experience and to take a more enlightened and a bigger picture view in the development of their workforce. There are now a whole range of new and existing schemes helping workers to enhance employment and employability. There are also a series of initiatives for businesses to help train workers, job redesign, improve productivity and so on. For all these efforts yield the right outcomes, the stakeholders need to work well together. whether it is their businesses, unions, Government agencies and others and the work cut across different industry, sectors and ITMs. So, this is clearly a complex and daunting undertaking – enter the National Jobs Council. I cannot think of a better person than Senior Minister Tharman to helm this mammoth task. Senior Miniser Tharman has been instrumental in building up the SkillsFuture movement.”
“Sir, in this very weak economic environment, we have to watch closely the employment and employability of two groups – the mid-career workers and the first-time young job seekers. We have to do whatever it takes to avoid structural unemployment from creeping up and taking root within our economy. Also, we must avoid a situation of a lost generation in the making, where young graduates are unable to find employment or being underemployed at this young age. Hence, we need a whole-of-eco-system effort to create new jobs and opportunities. And I am glad that this fourth Budget further introduced a massive $2 billion SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package where the Government commits to a further stretched target of creating about 100,000 opportunities, 40,000 jobs, 25,000 traineeships and 30,000 skills training. The public sector will lead by example by creating 15,000 new openings and the Government will help businesses create another 25,000 with a series support measures including hiring incentives. Sir, creating jobs is only one side of the equation. The other side is to find workers with the required skills sets that can do the job. Here is where we often run into difficulties, matching jobs to the workers with the required skills, especially for PMETs. During the Unity Budget debate, I spoke about the inherent friction a mid-career jobseeker has to go through to make mid-career job changes. It is often a strenuous journey that comes with lots of pain points. The jobseekers often have to contend with employers' biasness or specific preferences, whether it is experience, age and others. The other more complex challenge is a situation where there is no direct match between the jobs that are presently available versus the skills the workers currently have.”
“This would be an uphill task, given the dire global economic circumstance and that the risk of local infections still restrict the normal function of economic activities. Understandably, businesses will take a cautious stance in new hiring. We can also expect some job loses as more companies run into financial difficulties. The Government responded swiftly and in each of the four Budgets extended timely support and assistances to businesses, in areas of cash flow, credit and cost. The hope is that these relief measures can help buy time for companies and save jobs. And to a very large extent, this has been effective; the situation would have been worst otherwise. Of course, all these measures also come with a very high fiscal price tag and difficult to sustain in the long run. For example, the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) itself alone accounts for about $23.5 billion of the entire $92 billion fiscal package. The JSS incentivises companies to hold on to their employees. In return, they received cash subsidies from the Government for up to 75% of most wages. By receiving direct wage support from the Government, it also obliges the company to do their part to hold on their employees which is the clear intent of the JSS. It is commendable that some companies have come forward to return the JSS back to the Government. Others may use the wage subsidy to hire more manpower, which is also as important as it helps to absorb the excess labour in the market. We hope those companies that can afford to hire, hire more, be it just marginally. All these add up to keep up the overall employment. Already, we have read news of companies committing to hiring more workers, some done out of corporate social responsibility.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Finance Minister, the Government and the President for this fourth Budget in three months as we continue to navigate in unchartered territory. Never in our wildest dream would we imagine the House to scrutinise a Budget that project an overall deficit of $74.3 billion, drawing on our past reserves for a total of $52 billion and utilising almost all our current term's reserves. Given the uncertainties that are still ahead of us, a further additional $13 billion is set aside in the Contingencies Fund. In total, $92.9 billion or almost 20% of our GDP is dedicated to support our people to fight the pandemic. Sir, the pandemic threatened lives and well-being of Singaporeans and has inflicted severe economic damages to businesses and Singaporeans' livelihoods. The global situation remains uncertain and we have to expect further twists and turns. Besides taking care of the health of our people, jobs are our next foremost concerns. We know that the human costs would enormous if there are massive job losses. And having a direct bearing on jobs, are business survivability. We must prevent large number of businesses failing as it can lead to permanent damage to our economic capabilities, which will have longer term ramifications on livelihoods. So, in view of the imperatives to save lives, save jobs and save businesses and to also pivot into seizing new opportunities ahead of us, I support the overall allocation of this fourth Budget. Sir, the distinct focus in this fourth Budget is to shore up employment. Here, we are talking about both saving current jobs as well as creating new jobs and traineeship opportunities.”
“Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his reply and also the Ministry for being proactive in coming up with these very helpful relief measures. Just two quick questions. Firstly, I am really happy with the number of reliefs being sought. I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State – some of which he mentioned were related to leases – whether further assistance would be rendered to those that are not able to achieve a resolution, for example, referring them to ESG to follow up on other measures that can assist businesses. Secondly, would the Ministry step up awareness of these relief measures so that more neighbourhood retailers and so on are aware of these reliefs that they can seek?”
“Sir, one reason often cited by the employers why they need to hire foreign EPs or S Passes is the lack of specific skills, workers that they need. Now that we are in an excess labour market situation, can I ask the Minister if we should now focus our skills upgrading, our traineeships in sectors and in companies that traditionally hire more EPs and S Passes?”
“One of the reasons why the public was concerned about PMDs last year was the sheer number and the high utilisation rate of these devices, increasing the likelihood of accidents. Can I also ask whether LTA will take the delivery companies to task if their delivery people use devices that are not approved? I support the immediate forfeiture of the devices assessed to be dangerous. This can also serve as another deterrence. I support these two amendment Bills.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, Sir, I support these two latest Bills to further strengthen safety in the use of PMDs. We are all concerned about the safety of PMDs. Not only do they compromise the safety on shared paths, they also create fire risks when being charged. The first line of defence is to stem the inflow of non-compliant PMDs into the country. Hence, banning the import of such devices is a concrete step. Last year, after a number of serious accidents involving PMDs occurred on footpaths, I asked for a temporary halt on PMD imports during a Parliamentary Question. Requiring approvals from LTA is a necessary step. However, I will urge LTA to err on the safe side in the approval of the new devices as there will always be new and innovative devices that will be brought to the market; they may seem safe initially but develop unforeseen problems after some usage. We should not take chances on fire safety. Once the public has bought the devices and started using them, it would be very difficult to call back. We also cannot rule out the possibility that some people might do illegal modifications on their devices, compromising the safety. Hence, can I ask the Minister if MOT sees the need to have a validity period for the approved devices, as the functionality and reliability of these devices may deteriorate over time? Is there a need for the devices to undergo inspection after some years of usage to ascertain their safety worthiness? Besides being the approving authority for new devices, LTA can also regulate the number of devices allowed, given our limited pathways. Again, it is always better to be safe and conservative.”
“Sir, with more people working from home, studying from home or even socialising from home, it is even more critical that our network capacity and resilient can cope with the increase in the Internet traffic. I would like to ask the Minister on a particular incident on 15 April, where there were two incidents of network disruptions to Starhub's home broadband services. Can I ask the Minister whether these disruptions were due the operator's capacity not being able to cope with the high network traffic for that particular day, and whether IMDA is now satisfied that the operator has rectified the issues and can prevent recurrence of such incidents again?”
“Thank you, Sir. Two questions. The first if for the Health Minister. In the United States, there has been development on the potential COVID-19 treatment known as the remdesivir. And it has been approved by the US FDA and the company has announced it will donate the first 140,000 doses in May to hospitals in the United States and around the world. Can I ask the Minister what is MOH's position on this new treatment and if MOH is reviewing this as a potential treatment for our patients? My second question is for the Manpower Minister. In Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Singapore is not the only country that has migrant workers. Many countries have a large number of migrant workers to complement their manpower. I would like to ask the Minister, why is it that other countries do not seem to have large scale infection among migrant workers, yet it happened in Singapore?”
“Thank you, Sir. Sir, indeed, the 2020 batch of graduates are an extraordinary cohort, they face challenging and trying circumstances and we should do our very best to help them if we can. So, I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary again, should the COVID-19 situation improves and permits, say one year down the road, and graduates and their families are still keen to have a graduation ceremony, would MOE be prepared to support and importantly, to keep the option open for them?”
“I hope there is also prohibition for late payment interest or charges in this Bill. Sir, in conclusion, this is a necessary measure in this extraordinary times. Kudos to MinLaw, MTI, MOF and the relevant stakeholders for turning this Bill around in such a short time. Sir, I support the Bill. 5.59 pm”
“The various public health measures, border controls, shortage of manpower and supplies can all lead to delays and cost overruns in construction projects. If these delays resulted in hefty penalties, it could put contractors in a tenuous position. In Singapore, due to the intense competition in this sector and the tender system, the terms of most construction contracts tend to favour the developers. Most contracts do not have specific clauses that clearly allow a contractor to seek relief. Whether the impact and disruption from COVID-19 constitute a force majeure situation actually remains to be tested and established. Hence, this Bill which provides reliefs from liability of non-performance is most in need under current circumstances to help especially the smaller construction companies cope with the crisis. Trying to keep up with the servicing of the loans and hire-purchase by banks and finance companies is another stress point companies and self-employed person faced during this period. Here, I declare my interest that I work in a financial institution. I detect the careful calibration of the measures here in the Bill, primarily focusing on financing that are backed with security, such as loans secured against property or plant, machinery and other equipment. These asset-back loans tend to be better credit and hence a lower potential loan loss ratio. Also, there will be follow-on economic ramifications if such assets like machinery and equipment are being seized, as it may result in further disruption to the business ecosystem which works on interdependency. I hope that the Assessors beside determining the relief could also direct a process to restructure the loan that is to mutual benefit of both parties.”
“Also, when the rental arrears begin to pile up, the risk of a bigger rental default by the party seeking the relief would also increase six months down the road. Our economic agencies like ESG may need to consider other assistance measures to help some of these companies including providing financing support schemes for a longer instalment repayment plan, for example. Sir, on events and tourism-related contracts, the additional relief against forfeiture of the deposits for events and tourism-related contracts; if deem just and equitable, would be welcome by wedding couples. I hope that most hotels would agree to the change of dates when requested; even if they have not done it on a goodwill basis. I met a constituent at my Meet-the-People Session last week, who runs an event company. He said that such relief measures would actually put his company and him in a difficult spot. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, there were a number of cancellations of events and he still have his overheads to cover. The deposits that he collected are actually meant to be sort of his safety net but he now may not have them anymore. I have advised him to apply for the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme although he said while he is grateful to the Government for this Scheme is helpful is unlikely to get him out of the dire state. One concern I have is whether this non-forfeiture of deposit will lead to counter actions where service provider now may insist on an upfront payment or price the risk of non-forfeiture of deposit in the fees that they charged. So, we have to be mindful of such counter actions when they come. Sir, the COVID-19 pandemic has a severe impact on the multi-billion construction sector.”
“The Minister has also emphasised in the Second Reading speech that the new laws do not absolve or remove contractual obligations but merely suspend them for a prescribed period so that more time can be given to both contracting parties to work on a resolution. While clause 5(3) of the Act set out the list of prohibited actions, can I ask the Minister if the Act also prohibit the other party from imposing interest or late penalty fee for non-payment of rents during this relief period? Sir, notwithstanding this new law, we should encourage contracting parties to work amicably and sensibly to resolve the challenges faced and work on joint mitigating measures. In the event of disputes, I understand that the Law Minister have appointed a pool of 100 Assessors to assess and determine disputes in a fair and objective manner; with no recourse for appeal. Parties are also not allowed to engage lawyers. The Assessors are pivotal here. They are a very important neutral party and have the final say in their ruling. Given the powers accorded by this Law, can I ask the Minister who are these Assessors and what are their credentials? How do we choose those Assessors? Everyone is impacted by COVID-19 one way or another. When one party gets the relief or protection, the other party’s financial or cash flow situation could become more dire because of the non-collection rental from tenants, for example. We could potentially see a chain effect if each party seeks the relief upstream; although the overall impact across the economy would be limited as this relief measures only apply to a specific period of non-performance after 1 February 2020 and does not apply to contracts entered on or after 25 March 2020.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I commend MinLaw for expeditiously introducing this emergency Bill to offer further temporary reliefs to businesses and individuals impacted by COVID-19. In particular, this Bill specifically helps those who may be unable to meet their contractual obligations due to COVID-19 as well as the related public health measures imposed in Singapore and around the world. This legislative measure not only helps provide temporary cash-flow relief to businesses and individuals, it also avoids the problematic situations of damages claims, forfeiture of deposits, costly litigation actions, premature insolvency proceeding, termination of leases; among others. In this very difficult time, the last thing we want is to be embroiled in legal tussles. With the stepped-up circuit breaker measures being introduced this week and further impact to businesses, these relief measures would now be even more needed. In many other jurisdictions such as US, UK, Australia and Germany, similar temporary measures have also been implemented in various forms due to COVID-19; such as moratorium on evictions, quasi force majeure. In some jurisdictions, it is by way of Executive Order. Sir, I will comment on a few aspects of the Bill. Firstly, the relief measures are temporary. The key word in this Bill is that the protection and relief from legal actions in those areas prescribed are temporary in nature. The Bill mentioned the relief tenure as six months in the first instance; which can be extended by the Minister. And there is also sunset clause that the Bill will cease to have effect after one year. This is an important fundamental feature. We still want to uphold the sanctity of contracts.”
“Therefore, it is also important in this debate that we articulate and establish the basis and the justification of our strong actions and also the proportionality of it. So, I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he can set out the basis and rationale for our fiscal responses so far, and how is this crisis different from past crises? The Government has implemented a series of measures since January and many Singaporeans are trying hard to adapt, to adjust to the new restrictions and measures. There are still plenty of uncertainties ahead. The outbreak may actually get worse before it gets better. And there is no certainty how long this will take. Financial assistance aside, how could we help Singaporeans cope with this crisis better, especially with the circuit breaker we put in place and enforced? How can we help Singapore cope and respond better to this crisis? We now have the Unity Budget, the Resilient Budget and the Solidarity Budget. There may well be further Budget packages depending on how the COVID-19 situation develops, but I believe we will eventually have a Victory Budget in time to come where we position ourselves for a strong recovery and to emerge stronger. So, I would like to hear from the Deputy Prime Minister how he sees Singapore emerging from this crisis once the storm passes. Sir, with that, I support all three Budgets. 2.51 pm”
“Sir, to help businesses overcome the immediate challenges, all three Budget packages address the three concerns foremost in the minds – cash flow, costs and credit. In particular, cash flow is the most critical and immediate concern. The various cash flow support assistance whether is via the JSS, Wage Credit Scheme or the deferment of income tax payments can help ease the pain. I appreciate that MOF is now doing their best to flow the payouts to companies sooner, as soon as in the month of April. I hope the MOF can also fast-track the later tranches of the JSS earlier, if possible to July and August instead of paying the final tranches in October. The sectors that are severely affected like aviation and tourism would badly need the cash assistance sooner rather later. Sir, on the availability of credit, the Finance Minister also enhanced the various financing schemes as well as introduced the new Temporary Bridging Loan Programme for companies in the tourism sector. Of significance is also the $20 billion loan capital set aside to catalyse the private sector loan capital to support promising companies with strong capabilities. Such public-private partnership to avail credit can have a multiplying effect and move the needle in providing risk capital which can be used to develop opportunistic and new-to-economy capabilities. Having such forward-looking investments, even during a crisis, bodes well when the recovery does come. I hope more details can be shared. I will conclude with a few questions for the Deputy Prime Minister. Firstly, we have taken extraordinary measures to deal with the extraordinary crisis, in the process setting new precedence, new benchmarks for references.”
“Just at my Community Centre alone, we have received more than 1,500 TRF applications in the last one week. Many of residents have been badly impacted by the crisis in the last two months and are in need of immediate relief. Sir, with the recessionary environment that we are in now, it is unlikely that we can see net positive job creation from the business sectors in the coming months. Therefore, the visible hand of the Government or G will have to come in again, and I am glad we are committing to creating 10,000 jobs, primarily in the public sector over the next one year under the SGUnited Jobs Initiative. With most workplaces shut down and distancing measures in place, I hope that the job placement efforts would not be severely curtailed and I hope that the agencies continue to work on helping workers find jobs. I am also glad that the Government has not forgotten the self-employed Singaporeans who are also badly affected by the crisis and has extended assistance them, and as of today, we have extended the package as well. The Self-Employment Person Income Relief Scheme is a good start. It is always difficult to devise a new scheme from scratch and all in a short span of time. Self-employed persons come from a wide range of circumstances, and hence whatever is the criteria set, there will be some who do not meet the criteria or fall through the gaps. I must say I received the most queries on this scheme from my residents since the scheme was announcement on 26 March. While I am glad the scheme has been further improved and enhanced, I hope that MOF and MOM can continue to fine-tune this scheme with the aim to include more self-employed Singaporeans who are in need of the assistance.”
“I think that this is important. The direct cash wage subsidies are still the most practical way to save jobs and to help companies with their cash flow problems. It has worked for us before during the financial crisis and helped us save jobs. Given the deteriorating situation, the timeliness of the assistance packages and the measures becomes more crucial. We need to have it sooner rather than later, as has been expressed in the Resilience Budget as well as today's Solidarity Budget. The substantially increased support to the most badly affected sectors like aviation and tourism in the Resilience Package are most necessary to help save jobs as they are really being directly hit by the impact of COVID-19. Although, very sadly, some workers may inevitably be laid off or see their incomes significantly reduced. To help those who lost their jobs or have seen significant drops in income due to COVID-19, the COVID-19 Support Grant (CSG) is introduced. The CSG provides cash grant of $800 a month for three months for lower and middle income Singaporeans who lost their jobs due to the virus. As the scheme can only be ready for application from May 2020 onwards, those who need immediate assistance in April can apply for the Temporary Relief Fund (TRF). Kudos to the Government for going that extra mile to ensure that assistance is paid out in the month of April. I have been following Minister Desmond Lee's Facebook page very closely in the last one week. He has given very reassuring and timely updates on how Singaporeans can apply for the TRF and thereafter, the COVID-19 Support Grant, among the many schemes. I am also heartened that MSF has agreed to be flexible and to be sympathetic in approving the applications and also to expedite the $500 payout, such as by using PayNow.”
“The reason I choose to serve in this GPC is because I truly believe that financial prudence and discipline will safeguard Singapore, and I want to do my part in Parliament to uphold this key foundational principle. The GPC for Finance must be the guardian of financial prudence and discipline. To me, financial prudence and discipline are not just ideological beliefs but real and necessary adherence so as to ensure our continuing existence as a country. Over the years of Budget debates and speaking about financial prudence in this House, I often do get critiques or even ridicules from some quarters that say that I am too conservative in my views and that the Government is already building too much buffer in our financial management. I actually think it is always good to err on the safe side when it comes to the country's finances. Even if we did indeed over-save, the investment returns of our excess savings will still be ploughed back to fund the current Budget through our Net Investment Returns Contribution (NIRC). In Singapore's context, we actually need a higher factor of safety financially, so to speak, just so that we have the financial capacity to rebuild and restore our entire economy again should a catastrophic event happen in Singapore. Sir, the three Budget Packages, though announced in short successions, mirrored the fast escalating COVID-19 situation that we face. Of course, the key focus must be still to save livelihoods and to support businesses. I am very glad that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance has further expanded the Job Support Scheme to cover 75% of all workers in Singapore for the first $4,600 of their monthly salary and the payout will be made in April – as soon as next week, if they have PayNow and Giro.”
“Given the still deteriorating situation, the unprecedented restrictive measures as well as uncertainties ahead, we can expect consumption, investments and exports to decrease sharply, contracting the overall GDP. This is a given. The only component that can shore up the economy now is G – Government spending. And since February, we have seen the Government introducing three heavy doses of Budget support measures, including today's announcement of further expansions of measures to prop up the GDP. We have to utilise a combination of both the current reserves from this term of Government and a draw from the past reserves to fund the various packages. Having this financial strength and capacity to inject massive spending into the economy in this time of need, yet without straining our fiscal balance sheet, is most reassuring. It instills confidence and puts us in good stead to continue attracting investments and trade. It also reassures Singaporeans that the Government has the financial capacity to fight the COVID outbreak and take care of Singaporeans so that our people are not in a state of fear, which could otherwise result in further cut back in consumption and other social consequences. Also, importantly, our strong accumulated past reserves guarantee us the resource to stabilise and rebuild our economy and thereafter, engineer new growth areas again when the crisis is over. Thanks to the decades of careful financial management, today, we are able to deal with this crisis in a position of financial strength. I have been in the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Finance and Trade and Industry since I became a Member of Parliament in 2006.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it has been more than two months since the first case of COVID-19 hit Singapore. Since then, almost on a daily basis, we hear of grim updates of worsening situations about the number of cases spiking up, more lockdowns and restrictions around us, around the world, and economies and markets in a near meltdown state. More than one million people around the world have now been infected with the virus. In Singapore, we have progressively stepped up measures – restricting travels, raised to DORSCON Orange, working from home, safety distancing and others – the latest being the stepped-up measures to apply a one-month circuit breaker to quell the recent sharp rises in cases. The next one month will be critical in our fight. The health and well-being of Singaporeans must come first. Hence, the necessary and painful further measures added on, which would understandably impact our lives and also further disrupt businesses. Sir, our economy is being hit on both ends – external and the domestic front, and also in both the supply and the demand side of the value chain. I fear the worst is yet to come, with more businesses at risk of failing and more jobs at risk of being lost. We must do our best to stem this economic contraction, if not, slow that economic shrinkage. The latest MTI forecast downgraded Singapore's GDP growth to -4% to -1%. In other words, 2020 will be a year of recession. GDP growth essentially is computed by aggregating the outputs in consumption or C, I for investment or I, the trade export less import or X minus I, and finally, Government spending or G.”
“Hence, our strategy has very much been focused on vector control, in essence, to prevent Aedes mosquito from breeding as far as possible. This is a long-drawn battle and it requires constant vigilance on the part of everyone. Our environmental condition, especially our warm weather, also makes it conducive for such transmission. Singapore has seen warmer weathers in recent years, especially in 2019. It was, I understand, 0.9°C higher than the past average. Could the relatively warmer weather be the possible reasons for the surge in dengue cases in recent years? And if that is the case, how will the impact of climate change affect our management of dengue prevention? Recently, Project Wolbachia was rolled out to help reduce the dengue mosquito population. I commend the NEA for pushing the envelope and leveraging new technologies to tackle this serious threat to our public health. Having been a dengue patient myself last year, I know how it is like to live through the illness and, of course, the concern about fatality. We should spare no effort to minimise the cases of dengue in Singapore, not any less than how we manage COVID-19, and continue to seek new strategies to fight this virus. Hawker Rental Rebates”
“Sir, the decision by the Government to resume building hawker centres is perhaps the most tangible boost to safeguard our hawker food culture and a game-changing move to keep community dining affordable. These new hawker centres have operated under the Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centre (SEHC) model since 2015. This is a new approach and, understandably, the model would require continual adjustments and evolve into a viable and sustainable model. I must credit the Ministry and NEA for daring to try a new approach and taking the earlier criticisms of the model in stride, although not all are really fair criticisms. The model was reviewed in 2018 and there has been a number of finetuning and improvements since taking in the feedback from stakeholders and the public. From my recent conversations with some of the stallholders at Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre and the residents there that patronised the hawker centre, most had given me positive reviews for the new food centre. I am sure we can continually improve and finesse the model so that it can better serve the stallholders and residents. As NEA is now building a second hawker in Bukit Panjang town and within my constituency, I would like to seek an update whether there has been further review of the model and what are the further refinements that we can expect. Also, MEWR has set up two hawker workgroups last year. I would be interested to know what are their thoughts and recommendations so far. On vector control, last year, dengue cases in Singapore surged beyond 16,000. I was one of those infected as well. There were also 20 deaths, unfortunately. Dengue is endemic in Singapore because of the presence of Aedes mosquitoes, which are the vectors for dengue virus transmission.”