Low Yen Ling
Singapore
“I want to thank Member Cai Yinzhou for the clarification. As far as his historic district is concerned, I want to assure him that the new Place-making Project Office that comes under the Inter-agency Task Force does indeed not only serve Kampong Gelam, Little India, but also Chinatown.”
“A "we first" society needs an active citizenry working together to realise it. When corporates, community groups, and individuals come together, we will be able to create a harmonious, united and progressive home and society that belong to us.”
“I want to thank Member Mr Andre Low. In my earlier speech, I have also responded very succinctly. I want to assure him, as well as Mr Melvin Yong, I think you touch on very similar issues, and you probably heard from the political office holders speaking at the Ministry of Home Affairs COS about their tough stance against scams.”
“Finally, Government agencies, not just MTI, EDB and Enterprise Singapore, under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, will continue to create a pro-business, pro-people environment, building a business environment based on integrity.”
“— family business, as well as the other one on TACs. On family businesses, I want to assure him that earlier on, when we mentioned that we raised the support level for SMEs and non-SMEs and indeed, many of our multi-generational family businesses are in that category.”
“And since the Member asked, price obviously is an important indicator. Another example is if CCS observes the behaviour of the organisations and if we pick up signals that they are coordinating the behaviour to raise prices, to reduce quality, to reduce output, to reduce innovation, CCS will step in.”
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“Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Member Ms Rahayu Mahzam for her supplementary question. I want to reassure her that other than the blacklist that I talked about, currently, there is a mechanism which is the employer reference channel. Which means that if the employer is trying to recruit a prospective FDW that has worked for previous employers, the previous employer can put in reference, which is available to the prospective employer. So, there is a reference channel that the employer can use to contact the FDW's previous bosses, even if the FDW is not under the blacklist. I want to give her that assurance. And I also want to reassure the House that MOM is very mindful of the importance of building a good relationship between the employers and the FDWs. Which is why in October last year, MOM announced a series of measures to ensure better matches between the employers and also FDW in a way to better support the employers to finding the FDW that can fit the needs of the household – whether in terms of care-giving duty or to do the domestic work in the family. There were a few measures and the objective was mainly to make sure that, one, we make available free dispute resolution services for both the employers and also the FDW, through CDE and also through FAST. The second big change that we announced in October last year was to provide more information than we currently do to help the employers and employment agency (EA) find better match in terms of the employers and also FDW. The third one that we announced which will be phased in progressively over the next two years is to ensure that the EA also take greater ownership of the matching outcomes.”
“Moreover, there is a reference channel which employers can use to contact the FDW’s previous bosses to find out more about her past work experience. Furthermore, MOM will not approve work permit applications if the FDW has been blacklisted by the Ministry due to previous offences. We will also send back FDWs who are assessed to be underage. At the Settling-in Programme or SIP, FDWs are also reminded of the penalties should they commit an offence. In particular, we highlight that under the Penal Code, there is an enhanced penalty of up to two times the maximum punishment against individuals who abuse vulnerable victims. It is also important that employers play an active role in the prevention of potential abuse. For instance, when the FDW joins the household, employers can supervise her work closely, take note of her behaviour, and support her in her adjustment to the new environment and work duties. On our part, MOM works closely with stakeholders to help FDWs better adjust and settle in. For instance, we educate FDWs during SIP on how to cope with stress and seek help when needed. Our non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also provide a range of social activities which are important avenues that help FDWs relieve their stress, share about their challenges and join a network of support.”
“Mr Speaker, all FDWs are required to undergo a medical examination and be certified by doctors to be medically fit for employment before MOM will issue their work permits. The examination includes screening for infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, HIV, syphilis and malaria to ensure that the FDWs do not pose a risk to our public health. The health screening costs about $70 and is borne by the employer. While it is possible to add more forms of screening, these will inadvertently increase the employers’ upfront cost of hiring an FDW. The effectiveness of such additional screening is also uncertain. For instance, any evidence of the FDW’s past criminal or bankruptcy records depends largely on information gained from the FDW’s home country. In addition, while employers can send their FDW to the Institute of Mental Health or private specialist clinics for an assessment if they have specific concerns about the state of mental health of their FDW, it cannot be assumed that the mental well-being of the FDW will remain the same as at the time of assessment. Mental health screening tools can be subjective, and are able to only provide a quick snapshot of one’s mental health at that point of time. There are also many factors that could influence or affect the FDW’s mental state as she tries to settle in and adjust to a new work environment. Besides health screening, there are many measures already in place to help employers hire suitable FDWs. First, in selecting an FDW, employers have access to the helper’s biodata provided by employment agencies who also conduct interviews with the FDW. In addition, MOM provides employers with information on the FDW’s employment history, such as the number and period of employment she has had in Singapore.”
“We would then have to work with the teachers who are mothers and are breastfeeding to make sure that they will label the bottles accordingly. The other thing I wish to reassure the Member is, I gave the numbers for Primary schools and Secondary schools. What is very heartening is that to-date, all our IHLs have lactation facilities. In fact, some of the bigger campuses have more than one lactation room. I want to assure the Member that MOE will certainly continue to work with the existing schools to ensure that all schools will have lactation rooms at the nearest feasible date. The target for us, really, is for every school to have lactation facilities within the next three years. I also want to assure the Member that we in MOE appreciate the sacrifices that mothers make for their children and we will wholeheartedly support their breastfeeding journey.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the Member Mr Louis Ng for his care and concern for mothers. As a mother of two kids, and I have breastfed my two kids for slightly over a year, I can understand what it takes to persevere in the breastfeeding journey. For example, the breastfeeding cycle and also the schedule, from expressing and then storing the milk – and the Member asked about the fridge – transporting the precious milk and also all the gadgets that are involved, especially for mothers who need to express milk in their office, workplace and in this case, in the school. For the two questions that the Member has, I want to assure him that MOE has made it a priority to equip our teachers who are mothers and who are breastfeeding with the facility and the support that they need. Let me be clear. Since 2010, the requirement for a lactation room was added to the building specification for Primary schools as part of the PERI upgrading. This is a standard building specification: lactation room in the school. Subsequently, the same building specification for Secondary schools and also Junior Colleges were similarly updated with the same requirement. So, yes. These are lactation rooms, not meant to be multi-purpose for other reasons. Schools that were built or upgraded before 2010 will also be provided with a lactation room as part of their on-going or scheduled PERI upgrading for Primary schools; likewise, for the Secondary schools and the Junior Colleges, when the institutions next undergo rebuilding or major upgrading. For the lactation rooms, we will provide the necessary facilities and also the fridges; if not in the lactation room, then maybe in the Staff Lounge.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, MOE is committed to providing a conducive workplace for nursing mothers. This includes providing schools with lactation facilities, which has become a standard building specification for MOE. Today, about 85% of Primary schools, 65% of Secondary schools and 90% of Junior Colleges/Centralised Institutes have a lactation room. For the remaining schools, MOE will progressively provide lactation facilities where feasible over the next three years. Presently, all Institutes of Higher Learning, which means the Autonomous Universities, Polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) are equipped with lactation facilities.”
“I am happy to update the Member that within the school itself, for example, for the SAP Secondary schools – we have 11 of them – seven of them have their own in-house Malay Special Programme. So, seven out of 11 SAP Secondary schools implement their Malay Special Programme within the school. It also allows for social mixing as they learn the Malay language within the same school. Furthermore, we have made Conversational Malay available in almost all SAP schools. This is important because it opens up the ability of our SAP school students to appreciate the Malay language and culture, and then, equips them with the skills to communicate, not just with students within the same school but also with peers from other schools and the community, and also, from the region. I want to assure the Member that the SAP schools will continue to encourage their students to interact with peers within the school and peers from other schools as well as from the community, and give them multiple platforms to learn about and also to interact with other cultures, so that we can forge an inclusive and united Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the Member for his supplementary question. So, he is asking about social mixing within the school and not about across different schools. Mr Speaker, Sir, allow me to reiterate that SAP schools remain relevant and there is a reason why I am explaining this. SAP schools remain relevant from the broader perspective of an evolving multi-cultural Singapore, amidst a changing global dynamic. We all know Asia is the fastest growing region in the world and we all know China is our largest trading partner. We also know that as countries around us catch up in the learning of multiple languages, bilingualism may no longer be a unique advantage that Singaporeans possess. That is why we certainly would want to continue to preserve and improve on the programmes that promote the learning of Mother Tongue Languages as much as possible. I have cited what are the various types of schools in our very diverse education landscape. SAP schools are uniquely positioned to immerse the students in an environment that is rich in Chinese language and culture, with the aim of developing effectively bilingual, bi-cultural talents, given the context that I have explained earlier. But I also want to re-assure the Member, that within the schools, the students do not just learn Chinese language and English language. If they want to learn the Malay language, they would be given as much support to do so. For example, they can learn Malay language or Bahasa Indonesia as a third language at the MOE Language Centre or take up the Malay Special Programme at the Zonal Centre or within the school.”
“At the same time, we ensure that our students get to learn about the languages and cultures of other communities. National programmes, such as Values in Action and the Outward Bound School, offer our students the chance to forge bonds across communities and social groups. Likewise, SAP schools make substantial efforts to encourage and build the students’ understanding of other cultures, through inter-school, cluster-based and community-based activities such as camps, festive celebrations and dialogues. Almost all SAP schools teach their students conversational Malay. All these efforts have an impact. A 2018 study found that there is no difference in the attitudes of Secondary school students in SAP and non-SAP schools towards people from different backgrounds and cultures. MOE will continue our efforts in this area. So, regardless of what school we are from – be it SAP, independent, clan or mission-based – we must do our part to forge a united Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I answer the Member’s Parliamentary Question (PQ), it is useful to remind ourselves about the origins of SAP schools. We are a diverse, immigrant society. In the early years of our Independence, we established English as the common working language for multi-cultural Singapore, as a practical arrangement, to access global economic opportunities and create jobs for Singaporeans. Recognising this, parents started sending their children to English schools and as a result, enrolment for Chinese-medium schools fell drastically in the 1970s and 1980s. Hence, in 1979, the Government established SAP schools, to preserve the ethos of Chinese-medium schools and promote the learning of the language and its culture, while still using English as the primary language of instruction. Mr Speaker, Sir, SAP schools did not start as popular schools. On the contrary, they were established as part of a struggle to preserve the Chinese language and culture. But over the years, with the dedicated efforts of the schools and the support of the community, and helped by the rise of China, they have become more popular. Education in Singapore reflects the diversity of our society. We make bilingualism a cornerstone of our education policy. We offer opportunities for students to pursue MTL at a higher level – not just through SAP schools, but also through the Elective Programme in Malay Language for Secondary Schools (EMAS), Language Elective Programmes for Chinese, Malay and Tamil, and the National Elective Tamil Programme. Government schools, clan-based and religiously-affiliated schools, SAP schools and designated schools like the madrasahs all co-exist in our education landscape.”
“To this end, MOE will continue to work with stakeholders to nurture our youths to become active citizens with a love to Learn for Life, and willing to act for a better Singapore that we collectively own.”
“Also central to holistic education, is the students' participation in co-curricular activities (CCAs), which allow them to discover their interest and talents, forge friendships with peers of diverse backgrounds, as well as develop character and resilience. We are glad that Miss Cheng Li Hui supports our initiative to pilot the removal of CCA selection trials to help our students develop their passions, regardless of their prior experiences and backgrounds. As part of our on-going efforts to redefine CCA experiences, MOE is also exploring how to better promote social mixing and inclusivity through CCAs, as advocated by Ms Cheng. Currently, we are piloting combined teams where two schools run a CCA programme together, and where appropriate, send a combined team to participate in the National School Games (NSG) or Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation. As students work together towards a common purpose, there will be plenty of opportunities for them to learn, to appreciate differences, to pick up skills like relationship management. We are starting this with five pairs of schools. In time to come, we believe our CCA experiences will better support our students' holistic growth. Mr Chairman, to conclude, I recap the educator's quote that I started with, "Our job is not to prepare students for something. Our job is to help students prepare themselves for anything". Yes, we should help our students prepare themselves for anything that may come their way. In so doing, we will raise a generation of Singaporeans with a sense of confidence over their lives and their future, no matter what uncertainties a changing world may hold.”
“As part of the curriculum development process, we also consult MEWR and other relevant authorities to provide our students with the most up-to-date and accurate information on climate change. More importantly, we hone our students' ability in discerning the news and also engage them in inquiry-based learning and discussion so that our students are guided to examine different sources of information critically. Beyond the classroom, many schools have programmes that partner the community to promote environmental causes and give our students the chance to translate their knowledge into action. For instance, students are trained to become "Junior Environmental Ambassadors" in the Green Schools programme by the South West Community Development Council (South West CDC) and NEA. As part of their training, they go through modules on the environment like energy efficiency and climate change, as well as the 4Rs that we are all very familiar with. The 4Rs are to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and most recently, to Refuse. This further instils in our students, green practices and mind-sets like waste minimisation. Many Members are very active on the ground, in the community; you will agree with me that students are our best ambassadors, because when they go back and tell their mummy, daddy or grandparents, "You forgot to switch off the aircon, you forgot to switch off the lights", I think the whole family will remember the green practices. So, we are counting on our students to really spread the word for us. Last year, close to 300 student ambassadors across 49 schools completed their training and went on to champion green initiatives in their schools in the South West district. The other CDCs are also implementing similar green initiatives with the schools in their districts.”
“Since 2018, the "Perkasa Warisan" camp has brought together community partners, as Miss Cheng Li Hui mentioned earlier, to provide immersive experiences, specifically tied to the language and also the cultural components of the Malay language curriculum, such as activities on the art of Malay gastronomy. Tech-savvy youths from NUS and also the youths from NTU have made learning Tamil fun for Upper Primary students, through a programme called "Artificial Intelligence and Tamil Language". This programme allows our students to learn the language in the context of coding application and software and then apply it in novel and also technological settings. I am confident that the committees will continue to bring together the passion, the creativity and energy of our schools, parents, media and the community to sustain a vibrant eco-system for students to like, to learn and to use their MTL as living languages. Mr Chairman, Sir, apart from reinforcing our bilingual foundations, MOE is also committed to developing the whole child through a broad-based and holistic curriculum. This includes, as Miss Cheng Li Hui suggested, engaging our youths in current issues, like climate change to foster in them traits of active citizenship and a shared concern for Singapore and the world. We currently integrate the topic of climate change across various subjects at different levels of the national curriculum. Secondary school students, for example, will learn in Geography lessons the effects of climate change on our food supply chain and also the forests. In Science, they will investigate how human activities disrupt the carbon cycle, contribute to climate change and threaten our environment.”
“Recently, we introduced a new “Creative” songwriting category where students submit original compositions based on the MTL curriculum taught in secondary school. This was not easy. Instead of just singing a song that is composed by others, students would have to draw inspiration from the textbook and compose a new song. Last year, I attended the finals which lasted for about three hours. It was fascinating and we were deeply impressed by the students’ creativity. Two sisters composed, performed, and produced a music video for a song titled "华佗" (Huatuo), inspired by the tale of a renowned physician in their Chinese textbook. Those of us who read Chinese martial arts novels would be familiar with “Huatuo". The catchy tune and accessible lyrics of the song allow the story to shine through to the youth and enable a better understanding of not only Huatuo, but also traditional Chinese medicine and the essence of Chinese culture. We will release this video in the near future and I encourage all of you to watch it, and share it with your family and friends. There are many wonderful examples that can be drawn from this competition. Like the sisters, many of our students’ work have been reproduced as useful lesson materials for our teachers. We believe that the collective energy and support of schools, families, the media, the entertainment circle, and the larger community, will sustain a vibrant ecosystem to ignite students' interest and love for their MTL, be it Chinese, Tamil, or Malay. (In English): Mr Chairman, Sir, please allow me to also share examples of the work of our Malay and Tamil Language Learning Promotion Committees in making MTL learning relatable, in making MTL learning enjoyable.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, a teacher once told me and, I quote, "Our job is not to prepare students for something. Our job is to help students prepare themselves for anything." And I thought this is really true and this captures the essence of what MOE seeks to do as we enable Singaporeans to "Learn for Life", as what Minister Ong Ye Kung has shared in his speech earlier. Let me give some quick updates on our continual efforts to empower Singaporeans, young and old, with the skills and dispositions to take on the future with confidence. To put Singaporeans in a good stead for the future, like what Minister Ong said earlier, proficiency in Mother Tongue Languages (MTL) is key, as the age of Asia opens door to greater opportunities. Mr Chairman, Sir, please allow me to say a few words in Mandarin. 12.45 pm (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, the learning of our Mother Tongue Languages (MTL) is only natural given our cultural context, and will also help our students grasp the opportunities of a rising Asia. MOE has collaborated with the three Mother Tongue Language Learning Promotion Committees since their formation some 15 years ago. Since then, we have worked closely with the community to encourage the learning of MTL within and beyond schools – be it Chinese, Tamil, or Malay. Over the last few years, there has been a stronger nexus between the work of the Committees and the formal MTL curriculum, and this has led to a mutually reinforcing relationship between schools and the community. Teachers and students are encouraged to apply lessons from the classroom to their daily lives and creations, to support joyful and authentic MTL learning. For instance, Members may be familiar with the annual National School "Xinyao" Festival.”
“Mr Chairman, I want to thank Member Ms Foo Mee Har and also the Women's Wing Members of Parliament for advocating for this FWA issue very passionately over the course of a few years. She is right. It is important that we continue to evangelise, a word the Member used. Minister Josephine Teo, Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad and myself have for the past two years been doing that with the trade associations and chambers, including SBF and SNEF. One important thing we learnt – and I think this is what Ms Foo Mee Har is alluding to and links to the first move that I mentioned – coming up with and developing sector-specific resources. In the past, we had a very generic Tripartite Advisory. We realised that for some sectors, they have certain constraints, especially with work shifts and so on. I highlighted hospitality and healthcare. Another one is food services. We are prepared. Moving forward, we will develop sector-specific resources. What type of resources? It could come in the form of a guide. And that will come about because we have a discussion with the sector and also with some companies in the sector that are more progressive and have been put in place FWA. We will then crystalise that into a guide or even video, which then makes it easier for them to share within a company and with other companies. The short answer is yes, we will do that.”
“For example, one of the interesting things they discussed during their sessions was the right to request for FWA that has been introduced in some countries such as the UK, New Zealand, Canada, Australia. But we have found that in these countries, such legislation, although passed, merely gives the employees the right to ask for FWA. Interestingly, there have been anecdotal evidence saying that the employers can still reject the FWA applications based on a wide range of reasons that seem very reasonable and valid. For example, UK employers have rejected FWA applications on the grounds of additional costs or how it could affect the quality of work. The Citizens Panel is rightly concerned that if we look at legislation as a way to address this issue, it may lead to the unintended impact of eroding the employability for the very people we are trying to protect and whom we are trying to make sure will benefit from FWA.”
“I want to thank the Member, Ms Anthea Ong. As she started off, I thought the clarification was directed at Minister of State. And then, I think it got boomerang back. But I want to thank her for her passion in this area. Earlier on, I did not have the time but allow me to share this. Two years ago, I was involved in Senior Minister of State Mr Edwin Tong's cross agency committee for care-givers. And that Motion was tabled in February 2019. Last year, in September, Minister Josephine Teo sponsored the Citizens' Panel on worklife harmony. Interestingly, both committees came to the same conclusion on their own. For the care-giving committee, they interviewed many care-givers, not just care-givers with aged parents but also care-givers with younger children. They also came up with the original wishlist of legislating the right to request for FWA, legislating more leave and so on. For example, the Citizens' Panel, came to their conclusion that legislation cannot be a silver bullet for every issue. And they recognised that, whether it is FWAs or worklife harmony, everyone has a role to play. And, with that, they shared with us that it is important, in order to achieve broad-based adoption of FWA and then, eventually, worklife harmony, including for persons with mental wellness issues, the important thing is to encourage adoption of FWAs and also greater awareness. 5.45 pm We took their recommendations very seriously. That is why in the past few months, we have been working with them to see how we can distill into very tangible items under "Make It Easy", "Make It Known" and "Make It Accepted".”
“And I am very glad to know that FAST, which stands for Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training, will be launching a new multi-service hub later this year that has a bigger capacity to offer more value-added training and also space to offer recreational activities for FDWs on their rest day. Chairman, much has been done to support our Singapore workforce – from FWAs to safeguarding the employees from unfair treatment. We have also made efforts to developing lasting work relationships between employers and FDWs by enhancing the hiring process. However, there is still more that we can do. Despite the challenges we face today, I believe that our continued efforts will enable us to emerge even stronger. Through the joint efforts of Singaporeans – from employers to employees, from businesses to Government and the tripartite partners and also supporting organisations, everyone plays a part. As long as we are determined to transform, collaborate and work together, we can enhance our workplace and shape a better future together.”
“MOM will be providing a briefing to EAs on the new features of this enhanced directory to help them adjust to the changes. However, we know that getting a good match at the hiring stage is not enough. To build and maintain a healthy and strong working relationship between employers and FDWs, the employers and FDWs have to be understanding to each other. And they have also to be fair in their everyday interactions with each other. To help the first-time FDWs and employers adjust to their new roles, MOM require them to attend the FDW Settling-in Programme (SIP) and the Employers' Orientation Programme (EOP) respectively. At the SIP, we encourage the FDWs to maintain open communication with the employers and to perform their work duties responsibly. At the EOP, we inform the employers of their legal obligations, to help them understand their FDWs' culture differences and also encourage the employers to look out for the needs of their helpers especially in the initial period of employment. MOM also works with the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) to interview first-time FDWs in their first few months of employment. The interview is important, because the interview helps detect any settling in issues so that the FDWs and the employers can work together to resolve them early. In this year, in 2020, CDE will be stepping up their interviews to cover more first-time FDWs. In addition to these initiatives, MOM continually work with different stakeholders to support both FDWs and employers. Such efforts include providing meaningful social infrastructure for our FDWs during their rest day.”
“During second quarter of this year, MOM will launch an enhanced online Employment Agency (EA) directory to boost the employers' FDW search and give the employers greater clarity in their selection of EAs for their hiring needs. Besides showing the EAs' FDW retention rates, this directory will also feature several other enhancements. Firstly, it will allow prospective employers to view customer ratings of an EA's services. For instance, find out the EA's ability to match a suitable FDW and if past clients would recommend the EA. Secondly, the directory will show the EAs' policies on FDW replacement and the refund of placement loans. This is important because this will enable prospective employers to more easily compare service offerings from the different EAs and identify one that fits their hiring needs. Third, the improved directory will enable EAs to showcase their niche services, such as providing FDWs trained in care-giving skills, or FDWs who can be swiftly deployed under the Advance Placement Scheme (APS). So, Mr Chairman, with greater transparency of information, prospective employers can now make better informed decisions, as well as differentiate the EAs based on their policies and also their performance and track record; and thereby, improving the chance of a more suitable FDW match. We are strongly encouraging the employers to use the online EA directory to assess and search for a suitable EA before engaging one to hire an FDW. These enhancements are a result of close consultations with employers through focused group discussions and also the EAs, as MOM seeks to improve the search experience for employers, while enabling the EAs to profile themselves fairly.”
“Through the strategies of "make it easy", "make it known", we want to enable businesses to adopt FWA easily and effectively, so that more employers will come on board to retain their employees and co-create a sustainable future. (In English): Mr Chairman, as MOM continually strives to improve working conditions for Singapore workers, we need to make it a point to enhance processes to address workplace harassment. We agree with Ms Yip Pin Xiu that employers play an important role in managing workplace harassment. We want to assure her and the House that, firstly, TAFEP guides our employers to put in place proper grievance handling process through resources like the tripartite advisory on managing workplace harassment. Secondly, when TAFEP receives a complaint of an employer's improper handling of a case, TAFEP engages the employer to educate them and to ensure that they implement the advisory's measures. So far, all employers that TAFEP has engaged with have been cooperative and receptive. Thirdly, if the employers fail to provide a safe environment for their employees, or they refuse to heed TAFEP's advice, we will take action against them, including curtailing their work passes. Last, not but least, Mr Chairman, allow me to briefly touch on how MOM is improving the employment of FDWs in Singapore. MOM had announced a series of measures in October last year to enable better matches between our employers and FDWs. We are rolling out these measures progressively over the next two years to allow all parties to adjust to the changes. It is in the interest of both parties to have a lasting employment relationship – employers want minimal disruption to their households and FDWs want a stable income to support their families back home.”
“They would rather have the flexibility and ability to take some time off when the need arises, rather than have a few more days of leave. Mr Chairman, please allow me to say a few words in Mandarin. 5.30 pm (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] To overcome the challenges posed by an ageing population and job changes, MOM has been promoting flexible work arrangements or FWAs over the years. This will allow more employees to look after their families while working and achieve work-life harmony , which can improve employee loyalty and productivity. We will adopt the two-pronged approach that I mentioned previously, which is to "make it easy" and "make it known", so that our businesses can implement FWAs in a sustainable and efficient manner. First, we have to ensure ease of adoption to enable businesses to adopt FWAs easily. As each industry has different human resource needs, we will recommend feasible sector-specific FWA implementation guides. Second, we must do more to promote FWAs, to create greater awareness of the benefits of FWAs amongst businesses and employers. Some businesses have committed to implement FWAs but are unsure about how to implement these arrangements. We would like to introduce a Human Capital Diagnostic Tool to help companies make better judgments and decisions. NTUC and the Singapore National Employers' Federation will also appoint union leaders and employer representatives as work-life champions to raise awareness among Singaporeans about the importance of FWAs in terms of career development and business sustainability. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, many enterprises now agree that this kind of flexible arrangement is beneficial and is a win-win solution for both employers and employees.”
“And that is why a more practical approach is to provide the employers' support and the flexibility of various types of FWAs which they can choose from that best suit theirs as well as their employees’ needs. To sum up, Mr Chairman, we are already working to implement, over the next 12 months, the recommendations which I had just highlighted. "Make It Easy"; "Make It Known". And the "Make It Easy"; "Make It Known" complement the "Make It Accepted" move that was announced by Minister Josephine Teo last week during the PMO COS. Now, with this, we are confident that this collective move for FWAs by the Citizens’ Panel and our tripartite partners will help to make FWAs the norm and also make positive shifts in our workplace culture, like what Ms Jessica Tan has described and with that, to further improve the WLH in Singapore. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] Mr Chen Show Mao had enquired about paid eldercare leave and Mr Louis Ng asked about legislating parent care leave. I want to assure both Members that the needs of working Singaporeans who are also care-givers are utmost on our minds. In 2018, Senior Minister of State for MOH Edwin Tong led an across-agency review, which I am also part of, to better understand the care-givers' need. Compared to family care leave, the working care-givers interviewed, they similarly had the same conclusion as the Citizens' Panel. They felt that FWAs are a more sustainable, a more preferred means to meet their care-giving needs. Why? Because they told us they preferred to have the flexibility and the ability to take some time off when their parents need to go to hospital for appointment or their special needs kids need to go for EIPIC intervention and so on.”
“Those of them who have not yet fully adopted the Tripartite Standard on FWAs, for this group of employers we want to "Make It Easy" for them and "Make It Known" so we will introduce a basic FWA workshop. This workshop will teach our employers how to start offering FWAs. In fact, this will then help place them on a new Provisional Tripartite Standard on FWAs and that will recognise their efforts in taking the first step. The first step is always the most important. And companies that are more progressive can adopt the new Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony, which goes beyond FWAs and touches on additional programmes that improves employees’ WLH. We have now three types: one is the Provisional Tripartite Standard on FWA and the current existing Tripartite Standard on FWA and for the more progressive, we have the Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony. So, a stepped approach for companies of varying preparedness. Now, within the report are other suggestions considered by the Panel, such as the right-to-request for reduced hours. FWA legislation was also an aspect that was brought up by Ms Anthea Ong and Mr Chen Show Mao. Though made with good intention, such legislation may lead to unintended consequences. For example, it could lead to unintended impact of making it unattractive for employers to consider employing those who are likely to exercise the right, such as jobseekers who are care-givers, parents or seniors. These are told to us by the Citizens' Panel that they would prefer that we have a broad-based adoption of FWAs instead of legislation because they know that legislation is not the silver bullet to solve this issue.”
“The fourth one – under "Make It Easy", to facilitate the implementation of FWAs, we will develop an online free-to-use employment contract builder to help the employers include clauses on FWAs in their employees’ contracts. Those four modes come under "Make It Easy". The second one, we will "Make It Known" by raising awareness of FWAs – not just FWAs but also WLH initiatives. Firstly, we will promote greater awareness of progressive practices through tools such as the national Human Capital Diagnostic Tool (HCDT). The HCDT helps companies to better understand their current HR processes better and identify areas for improvement. For instance, this could include appropriate job sizing that is necessary for WLH. So, they want to provide WLH, they do not quite know how to job size it so this actually could help them have a better sense on curating the job sizing. So, HCDT will be offered free to companies which have demonstrated firm commitment to improving WLH. Next, we will also raise awareness on FWAs and the benefits of WLH initiatives. To this end, TAFEP has started to grow a community of Work-Life Ambassadors to spread the word within and beyond the workplace. We are grateful to the Labour Members of Parliament and also to Secretary-General in NTUC and we know they will continue to support union workers as they actively advocate and promote WLH, and also appreciation to SNEF for encouraging employers to appoint champions for WLH. In addition to that, we will expand our recognition of employers who are committed to WLH. For example, employers who have just started on their FWA journey, it can be quite daunting because they do not quite know where to start.”
“Firstly, we will "Make It Easy", make it easy for companies to offer FWAs and WLH initiatives. There are four parts to this "Make It Easy" pillar. The first one: some sectors have unique characteristics which will lead to challenges in adopting FWAs. For instance, we all know employees in hospitality and healthcare sectors are required to work shifts, and may not have access to FWAs or even access to staggered hours. We acknowledge these hurdles, and we will develop sector-specific resources to facilitate the implementation of FWAs. Ms Jessica Tan earlier had asked about how businesses may leverage new trends and transform their HR practices to encourage greater participation in the workforce. Indeed, there are companies and businesses that are at the forefront of such progressive practices and those that have moved ahead faster, for instance, in implementing FWAs, we encourage them to share their experiences with others. So, through the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP), we will pilot sector-specific employer support groups, called Communities of Practice, for FWAs. The HR professionals, the senior managers from companies that have made FWAs work well for them can share their best practices with the fellow professionals in the sector or even across different sectors. That is the second one. The third one – under "Make It Easy", we will make it easier for companies to access the myriad of resources on FWAs. We want to simplify things. So, we will revamp TAFEP’s website to be the one-stop resource for everything to do with FWAs, for instance, consolidating all implementation guides so as to make it easy for the companies to adopt.”
“Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar will be pleased to know that more employers than before are offering FWAs. In 2018, more than nine in 10 of employees work in companies that provide some form of work flexibility. This is up from eight in 10, in Year 2013. Another important data – in Year 2018, more than eight in 10 employees who required FWAs had access to the FWA that they needed – and this is also an increase from seven in 10 in Year 2016. Together, with enlightened employers and employees, we are confident that we will emerge stronger from this COVID-19 episode. Singaporeans have given a resounding support to improving access and availability of FWAs. MOM is committed to do even more to promote adoption and access to FWAs. As Minister Josephine Teo had highlighted in her recent COS speech, the Citizens' Panel, as part of the SG Together movement, which was launched by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat gave strong support to strengthening worklife harmony (WLH) in Singapore, and recognised the important role that FWAs play in this respect. This Citizens' Panel, comprising 55 Singaporeans from all walks of life, recommended a greater push for FWAs. They had exchanged diverse views and weighed the trade-offs before putting together their comprehensive report. Once again, Minister Josephine Teo, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Faishal Ibrahim and I would like to say a big thank you to this Citizens' Panel. Fifty-five Singaporeans who came together over four full weekends from September all the way to November to deliberate about this important issue, Work-Life Harmony (WLH). The Government, NTUC and SNEF greatly appreciate their feedback and are in total agreement to intensify our efforts to spur the adoption of FWAs. How do we intend to do so?”
“In 2018, one in four employees required formal or ad hoc telecommuting, of which seven in 10 had access to it. I want to assure Prof Lim Sun Sun that MOM will continue to monitor such data. This data is important to us. We will continue to monitor it as FWAs have proven to be useful for both employers and employees, especially in business continuity planning when threats like COVID-19 strike. Companies like Kone that I have mentioned earlier, which had FWAs in place before COVID-19, realised that they are much better placed to respond to the crisis and could safeguard their business functions and continuity. So, Mr Chairman, FWAs are not simply HR measures. In fact, when implemented well, FWAs have the power to enhance the companies’ agility, to enhance the companies' ability to meet changes and to address business need as well as to attract and retain talent. We hope that during this COVID-19 episode, more companies will adopt FWAs and recognise the advantages that such arrangements bring to their business and also their employees. As Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat pointed out, every effort to ride out this storm makes a difference because when we combine everyone’s effort, when we aggregate everyone's effort, we have a force that is amplified many times over. And we are certain that FWAs have already begun to make a positive impact in such a time as this, and the mindset and attitudes of employers towards FWA adoption will gain greater traction and also resonance. Employers are already recognising that FWAs are beneficial to their business. I think everyone would have read the two-page coverage in The Straits Times on Sunday. They tell us – employers tell us – that FWAs have the greatest positive impact on staff retention and recruitment.”
“We encourage more companies, especially our SMEs, or even micro-enterprises to step forward and benefit from this Work-life Grant to put in place FWAs in their workplace. More importantly, companies that have put in place FWAs have been better positioned to implement flexible work arrangement very quickly, especially in a time of crisis. Like many Members have said earlier, when COVID-19 emerged in January, companies that have already adopted FWAs earlier, already had or could quickly put in place measures, whether it is flexi-time, flexi-place, flexi-load, telecommuting, staggered hours or shared job functions. They could quickly put that in place and this allowed them to minimise disruptions to their business as well as to minimise the team's exposure to the virus. So, I want to assure Miss Cheng Li Hui and also Assoc Prof Daniel Goh and Mr Douglas Foo that more companies are now realising the value and also expediency that FWAs can bring to their employees and also the operations. FWA can be win-win for the companies and also the employees. For example, this company Kone Private Limited which is a lift and escalator maintenance company. They have a "Flexi-place" arrangement which allows their employees to telecommute and the company could continue their business operations without affecting the productivity. Even prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, its Senior Sales Engineer, Ms Jasmine Tan, she is a mother of two young children, she was already enjoying the ease of juggling her work and her family needs through telecommuting, and this has improved her work productivity, as well as job satisfaction. Earlier on, Members talked about the importance of telecommuting. It is, indeed, catching on.”
“Back-to-work women who need career assistance can visit WSG's Careers Connect and NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute's, in short, NTUC-e2i's, career centres. In addition, as Minister Josephine Teo highlighted last week, during the Prime Minister's Office Committee of Supply (PMO COS), mothers can now enroll their children in affordable and also good quality preschools more easily. We share Ms Yip Pin Xiu's view that childcare is a shared responsibility between the mum and the dad – between both parents. The recent increase in shared parental leave supports this, and we hope that the move towards more FWAs will enable fathers as well as mothers to share care-giving responsibilities. Mr Deputy Chairman, as our population greys and as the world of work evolves, we have made continual progress to improve our employees’ access to FWAs – not just for women but for all workers. Men can benefit. Older workers can benefit as they would want to adjust their intensity when they reach a certain age when the grandchildren come along. So, all workers – men and women, young and old – can benefit from FWA, like what Mr Patrick Tay and also Ms Jessica Tan rightly mentioned. 5.15 pm In July last year, the Government more than tripled the Work-Life Grant budget from $30 million to $100 million to encourage more companies to provide FWAs. So far, the Work-Life Grant’s take-up rate has been promising. Since its enhancement as of 1 July 2018, over 1,120 companies have come on board Work-Life Grant as at end December 2019. And four in five of this company are SMEs. That means 80% of the Work-Life Grant recipients are SMEs. I think this is a really good sign.”
“As women tend to be primary care-givers for families, some may stop work to better care for their families, for their ageing parents, parents-in-law, even aunties and uncles, or for their young children or children with special needs. Prof Lim Sun Sun spoke very passionately and asked about the support for mothers to transition back to work. In this respect, the Government helps in many ways, from matching mothers with options to full-time work with flexible work arrangements (FWAs) or part-time work, to providing greater access to childcare support, and promoting FWAs. We recognise that women who have left the workforce for longer periods of time may need additional help, additional support, to find jobs, including part-time work. The Adapt and Grow (A&G) initiative offers employment facilitation services and also re-skilling as well as professional conversion programmes to help jobseekers enter and transit into new jobs. One of these programmes is Career Trial, which provides opportunities for jobseekers and also employers to try each other out over a period of time and assess the job fit – the suitability to the job and also the suitability of the employer to the job, and also whether can the employee work with the people in the organisation and the employer. During the trial, which can be up to three months, jobseekers receive a training allowance from the Government. Last year, in May 2019, Career Trial was expanded to include part-time jobs to cater for those who prefer part-time work. There are currently over 500 part-time vacancies available for our Career Trial. We encourage care-givers to step forward if they are keen to try out part-time positions while balancing their family or balancing their care-giving responsibilities.”
“Mr Chairman, Minister Josephine Teo and Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad have spoken much on the fair opportunities. Earlier on, Members have been given a brochure. I think it is good to highlight the brochure again. Whatever was covered in the earlier speeches have been very well encapsulated in this very colourful brochure – from providing fair opportunities to ensuring fair hiring, to ensuring fair competition and providing fair support. I also want to add on and say that MOM is also striving to improve work opportunities and progress for our women – many Members have advocated very passionately about that – as well as for care-givers, and also enhance the hiring process of foreign domestic workers (FDWs). Women in Singapore have made remarkable progress in terms of education, employment and earnings. Our female resident employment rate for those aged 25 to 64 has improved significantly over the past decade, rising from 64% in 2009 to 73% in 2019. More than half of females aged 25 to 64 now have at least tertiary-level education, rising from 37% in 2009 to 55% in 2019. With improvements in employment rate and education profile, the share of women has risen across broad occupational groups. More women are in PMET jobs, rising from 49% to 57% of women over the decade. Their earnings have also increased, as median income of full-time employed females rose from about $2,800 in 2009 to $4,300 in 2019. We will build on the progress achieved to make our workplaces fairer and even more progressive for women. Many women juggle multiple roles, like many hon Members have said earlier. Many women juggle multiple roles at work and also at home, juggling our work, our family aspirations and also our personal aspirations.”
“Earlier on, I did mention that from time to time, we will look at re-shaping our teaching workforce, including the AEDs. And moving forward, we are looking at ramping up the recruitment of School Counsellors, Student Welfare Officers and AEDs(LBS). For existing AEDs(T&L) who are keen to make the transition or career switch to any of these three roles or even other roles in the teaching force, we will support the AEDs(T&L) in doing so with the necessary sponsorship or diploma courses in NIE or even very specialised courses to support them, so that they can continue to support students – whether it is students with special educational needs or students who need counselling and so on. In the next few days, during the MOE Committee of Supply (COS), we will share more details about how we are boosting the professional development of our teaching workforce, including supporting teachers to better support students with special educational needs.”
“From time to time, MOE will review the profile of our teaching force, including the AEDs. We do need to re-shape the profile of our teaching force, including the AEDs, to be able to better support the changing needs of our students. For example, with smaller student enrolment and with a healthy teaching force, in general, our teacher-to-student ratio has come down, has improved, which also means that now, the teachers rely slightly less on the AEDs(T&L) to provide generic classroom support, than many, many years ago. In order to future-proof our AED(T&L), to better support them in terms of career development, career advancement, we also are facilitating them in terms of taking up the training or even sponsoring them in relevant diplomas, so that they can also take on specialised roles. We are happy to see that in the past few years, AEDs(T&L) have successfully transited to AEDs(LBS). They have done well, also because of their previous experience supporting the teachers in the classrooms. I want to give the assurance that we remain committed to the professional development of our AEDs, including the AEDs(T&L).”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the Member for his supplementary question and I also want to assure him that the AEDs form an integral part of our teaching force, to guide the growth and development of our students, especially students with special educational needs. MOE remains committed to deepen and also to expand our mainstream schools' capacity to support our students with special educational needs. On the Member's specific supplementary question on AED(T&L), earlier on, I cited the four types of AEDs. Let me briefly explain the differing job roles and responsibilities. There are four types of AEDs in our schools. First, the School Counsellor provides counselling services to meet the social-emotional and also the mental health needs of our students. The second type is the Student Welfare Officer, who supports students with long-term absenteeism issues and sometimes, is involved in managing their family-related issues as well. The third is the AED(LBS) who provides learning and behavioural support for students with special educational needs, mainly students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), mild ASD, ADHD and dyslexia. The fourth type – the one that the Member specifically highlighted – is the AED(T&L) who provides teaching and learning support for our students in and outside of the classroom. Within the AED pool, we are committed to grow the number of School Counsellors, Student Welfare Officers and also AED(LBS) because we see that they are well-positioned to support the changing profile and the new and growing needs of our students, especially students with special educational needs. The number has grown for these three types of AEDs – it has grown by more than 30% and we are still recruiting.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, MOE currently employs around 2,000 Allied Educators (AEDs) in our mainstream schools. They comprise School Counsellors, Student Welfare Officers, AEDs in Learning and Behavioural Support (AEDs(LBS)), and AEDs in Teaching and Learning (AEDs(T&L)). Each school is typically resourced with one to two School Counsellors to support the social-emotional and mental health needs of our students, and one to two AEDs(LBS) to provide structured intervention support to students with Special Educational Needs. Some schools also have a Student Welfare Officer to support our students who struggle with attendance issues. Over the last five years, we have grown the number of School Counsellors, Student Welfare Officers and AEDs(LBS) by over 30%, and we intend to expand this further to meet the growing needs of our students. For the existing AEDs(T&L), we are encouraging and also facilitating them to still remain as allied educators, but in the other specialised roles. For example, over the last two years, we have sponsored around 100 AEDs(T&L) to a 10-month full-time Diploma in Special Education (DISE) at the National Institute of Education (NIE) and plan to train another 100 this year. MOE will continue to review our AED numbers and workforce profile to ensure that we respond effectively to students’ needs.”
“(In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, although the months ahead may hold uncertainties, we can be sure that, on the ground, the five CDCs are fortifying the network of support across the heartlands and strengthening our local businesses, our vulnerable families and Singaporean workers. With concerted and specific measures as well as fresh resources, we are closing ranks with fellow Singaporeans and heartland enterprises as well as local businesses. As we fight back, as we steady our ship, as we hold our ground, we can get through this together. For no matter what the odds may be, we stand as one – SG United – overcomers, to emerge even stronger. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support Budget 2020. [Applause.]”
“6-billion-dollar Care and Support Package, the Government will also set aside $20 million for ComCare schemes under the CDCs. This will allow CDCs to work with neighbourhood merchants to help low-income families through their individual platforms. At the same time, this will help to boost residents’ spending at neighbourhood shops and coffee shops. More details will be revealed by the five CDCs soon. The mission of the five CDCs is to build a caring and cohesive society, and many assistance schemes by the CDCs are people-centred. In 2019, we implemented 111 measures that helped more than 150,000 beneficiaries. To better assist our neighbourhood shops in achieving success, the CDCs, Enterprise Singapore, trade associations and merchant associations have banded together to set up SME centres to provide advisory services for heartland merchants. In 2019, about 6,800 shops have made use of this advisory service. Another 2,400 small and micro businesses have also participated in workshops to improve their operations, management and promotion strategies. Although large merchants have the advantage of providing new and diversified offerings, neighbourhood merchants have the advantage of providing personalised services, as well as friendships and mutual understanding with customers built over the years. This is extremely valuable. People say that there will be business for shops as long as the community is vibrant. One crucial factor is taking proactive measures to drive customer traffic in the neighbourhood. It is the shared responsibility of everyone to ensure that the community and neighbourhood remain vibrant, to build a pro-people, pro-business and friendly neighbourhood.”
“All five CDCs will intensify our momentum to help Singaporeans, especially mid-career and also mature workers, to be better equipped and resourced to cope with the impact that COVID-19 may have on their careers. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, please allow me to continue in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Neighbourhood shops and micro businesses in the heartlands are important members of our community and are important to the larger community as well. Over time, many residents and shopkeepers have become friends, and the entire neighbourhood feels like a close-knit family. The merchants' associations are important organisations that represent merchants and they exist in many constituencies. Grassroots organisations, CDCs and various merchant associations have always been in close communication, working together to organise various activities and events to inject vibrancy into the neighbourhoods, boosting pedestrian traffic to bring in more business. Here, I will share an example. In the Bukit Gombak constituency where I serve, a Chinese New Year (CNY) event that is similar to the River Hongbao is organised every year. Businesses in the neighbourhood would participate in the CNY bazaar, and there would be large lantern displays and Getai to attract residents to the town centre to shop, eat and enjoy Getai performances. Both residents and neighbourhood merchants benefit from this win-win event, and I know that many constituencies have similar CNY bazaars. From this example, we can see that maintaining the vibrancy of communities and neighbourhoods can help to ensure a sustainable business environment for heartland merchants. In terms of funding, besides the $1.”
“Since 2013, seven years ago, CDCs have partnered Enterprise Singapore, key trade associations and business chambers to each set up an SME Centre in each of the five CDCs. The SME Centres reach out to heartland enterprises and support them through capability workshops, Government schemes, advisory services and help them improve productivity. Last year, 6,800 SMEs benefited from the business advisory sessions from the SME@CDC centres and another 2,400 companies took part in 60 capability workshops to enhance their brand, productivity and marketing. The CDCs will continue to do more for our SMEs as they face the need to constantly evolve to stay relevant in today’s disruptive climate. From training and talent development to business advice and community partnerships, we will continue to deepen our efforts with heartland businesses to energise their growth and survival as SMEs provide the majority of jobs in Singapore. Apart from working alongside SMEs, the CDCs are dedicated to improving the future and prospects of Singaporean workers. In 2017, we started SkillsFuture Advice to help Singaporeans navigate their lifelong learning journey and capture opportunities to skill up with courses that they can attend with their SkillsFuture Credits. The CDCs have since surpassed the initial outreach target of 80,000 individuals in three years. By 2019, more than 100,000 Singaporeans have participated in over 3,700 SkillsFuture Workshops in the heartlands, in the community. Building on this strong foundation, the five CDCs look forward to closer collaborations with SkillsFuture Singapore, Workforce Singapore and the National Trades Union Congress' Employment and Employability Institute to expand our SkillsFuture Advice outreach.”
“For example, the ability to have a simple breakfast of kaya toast and eggs – whether with Milo for the kids and Kopi-O for the parents – as a family can start the day right, and put parents and kids in a better mood to bond, talk and share. These kinds of moments can often be elusive for those preoccupied in making ends meet. So, it is even more important for them to receive greater help in this area. Taking a ground-up approach, the CDCs will work closely with partners in the community, merchant associations, F&B outlets, self-help groups, Social Service Organisations, grassroots leaders and volunteers to form a cohesive network of support to shore up the nutritional, physical and psychological needs of this group of Singaporeans. This win-win solution not only provides businesses with additional revenue during uncertain times, it serves the families in need and brings the community closer together in mutual support. This type of collaboration benefits the community at large and the CDCs have often involved volunteers and organisations who reach out to those in need. For instance, we have had the Central Singapore Milk fund for children; we have the NorthEast Community Vouchers; we have the NorthWest Food Aid Fund that provides food vouchers, cooked meals and food rations; we have the SouthEast Roxy Family Fund for daily expenses like diapers, food or medicine; and we have Food Connect@SouthWest and Meal Service@SouthWest. In the coming months, we will see the CDCs widening our outreach and deepening our engagement with partners as we work together to beat the COVID-19 storm. SMEs form the lifeblood in our economy. SMEs make up 99% of our enterprises and SMEs hire close to 70% of employees in Singapore.”
“To this end, the five CDCs have been working together to launch an island-wide initiative to provide meals in the heartlands for vulnerable families. This effort not only complements the Care and Support package to help Singaporeans who need extra support with the cost of living, it will also bring business to many heartland food joints and coffee shops which are feeling the effects of the slowdown due to COVID-19. Yesterday, Member Mr Png Eng Huat had suggested that the grocery vouchers for low-income families be extended for use in small retail shops. In the past few years, our local constituencies have been working with heartland retailers and businesses to meet the nutritional needs of low-income families. The mayors and the CDCs welcome the timely $20 million injection of funds which will provide additional resources for us to scale up these efforts across the nation and reach out to more of those in need, as well as boost the support for local businesses and heartland enterprises. The upcoming Free Meals and Drinks scheme will be redeemable at participating coffee shops, participating food courts and participating heartland enterprises. Details are currently being worked out and will be released in due course. The $20 million Meals in the Heartlands initiative is expected to benefit some 100,000 vulnerable families and each CDC will administer the scheme accordingly to meet the needs of its residents. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, being able to have a decent meal is a form of security and support key to boosting the resilience of families in need. Earlier, Prof Lim Sun Sun also talked about the importance of nutritional meals. These are important for the kids to start the day right.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, the emergence of COVID-19 has in recent months placed several threats in our horizon near and far. However, we take heart that since SARS, we have built up our defences and are better prepared to deal with this virus outbreak today. We are deeply thankful to our healthcare workers, Government agencies, cleaners and many frontline personnel who have put their duties first, to protect us. Apart from these, we have a strong foundation of community help and network to respond to challenges that come our way. Since its formation, the Community Development Councils (CDCs) have played a critical role in partnering the community to strengthen bonds and help vulnerable groups. We have the “ABC" mission – A stands for Assist the Needy, B stands for Bond the People, C stands for Connect the Community. The mission is even more crucial than ever in a time like this. Each of the five CDCs – Central Singapore CDC led by Mayor Denise Phua; Northeast CDC led by Mayor Desmond Choo; Northwest CDC led by Mayor Teo Ho Pin; Southeast CDC led by Mayor Maliki Osman; and Southwest CDC helmed by myself – has its own set of local assistance schemes to meet local needs, as well as programmes to foster community development and ownership. A diverse range of partners from the community contribute to improving the welfare of the community and those in need. For example, in 2019, the CDCs rolled out 111 local assistance schemes that benefited close to 156,000 beneficiaries. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat has, in this year’s Budget, provided $20 million for the CDCs to better meet the needs of their residents through local initiatives.”
“At the same time, he also announced that more middle-income families will benefit from additional preschool subsidies with the increase of the income ceiling from $7,500 to $12,000. I am saying that when young couples consider having children or more children, an FDW could be one of the considerations. But more often than not, a preschool is also a key consideration. And to help families with young children financially, the Government provides many forms of support. I mentioned them earlier. In addition to those that I have mentioned, the Government also provides support, such as primary and secondary school subsidies as well as parental tax rebates and reliefs. A child entering primary school in 2018 would have received more than $130,000 in education subsidies by the time he or she finishes secondary school. And bigger families with more children will also receive more help from the Baby Bonus scheme as well as higher tax rebates.”
“Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Member Mr Ong Teng Koon for his supplementary question and to assure him that families with caregiving needs, including parents of young children, will continue to enjoy the FDW concessionary levy. Some of these parents with young children are also staying with their grandparents, so inter-generational households. In fact, inter-generational households may hire more than two FDWs with levy concessions, just to give an example. For example, a couple with two young children under the age of 16 can hire two FDWs at the concessionary levy. And if their parents are staying with them and the parents are above 67, because that sometimes is the preferred arrangement – extended family – they will be entitled to hire an FDW at the concessionary levy. So, in this example, the household would be able to hire three FDWs to help the parents, especially when they have young children, whether two, three or more. Allow me to share a number. Over the last three years, in fact, the majority of our FDW employers, that is, about 80% of our FDW employers enjoy the concessionary levy of $60 a month, which translates into a saving of $240 a month per FDW. If Mr Ong Teng Koon would allow me to elaborate, the Government has committed additional resources and investments in preschool education to give our young the best start in life. If Members remember, a few months ago, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, during the National Day Rally, announced a series of measures to further boost preschool education, for example, to increase the total number of Government-supported preschools from the current 50% to 80% over time.”
“Mr Speaker, the number of foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Singapore has increased substantially by about 40% in the last 10 years. In 2018, there were over 250,000 FDWs in Singapore. It is not sustainable for the population of FDWs to grow unchecked. To moderate the demand for FDWs in Singapore, a levy has been payable by employers since April 1982. The levy is regularly reviewed and was last adjusted in April 2019 to $300 a month for employers without caregiving needs. However, families with caregiving needs continue to enjoy the FDW concessionary levy rate of $60 a month. This measure strikes a good balance between managing FDW demand and the need for continuing support for Singaporean households with children, seniors and persons with disabilities. Currently, there are no plans to further reduce the FDW concessionary levy. The Government also provides other forms of support for families with children, some of which offer even more assistance to larger families. For example, the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, Child Development Account and MediSave Grant for Newborns provide parents with up to $18,000 per child for their first and second child and up to $26,000 per child for their third and fourth child and up to $32,000 per child for their fifth and subsequent child. Parents with more children are also eligible for higher tax rebates and reliefs. As was announced recently during the National Day Rally, preschool subsidies will also be substantially enhanced.”
“So, I want to assure the Member that MOE will continue to look at how we can improve our systems and measures to make sure that we provide a safe, secure and conducive learning environment for all our students.”
“The counsellors, where relevant, will also share suggestions to help the parents to talk to and also better support their children. So, I want to assure the Member that MOE, our schools and PSEIs are committed to very high standards of discipline and we have put in place systems and a series of measures to create a safe, secure and conducive learning environment for our students. Teachers are given very extensive training. For example, teachers are trained to handle bullying. Teachers are also equipped with the strategies to address actions that are mean or hurtful. They are also trained to manage behaviours, such as those targeting gender identity or sexual orientation. The teachers are also taught in the National Institute of Education (NIE) how to foster a positive classroom culture without imposing their own prejudice. Such training is actually core in all the teachers' preparation programme in NIE. Furthermore, the teachers are also supported in student management matters by senior school staff and also very experienced educators. For example, the Year Head will facilitate holistic development and also encourage peer support amongst students. In the PSEIs and schools, we have now percolated the Peer Support Group because, sometimes, it takes the best friend or close friend to approach the teacher and share observations that their friend is suffering, not behaving in a normal way and may need some help. In so doing, the teacher will make sure they protect the identity of the student who came forward to share the information. MOE also provides schools and teachers with resources and information on how to instil good character and discipline.”