Mariam Jaafar
Singapore
“One trusted person who knows their story, who checks in, who believes in them when they do not believe in themselves can make all the difference. As we scale, how do we protect that relational core as numbers grow?”
“I thank Members for the robust debate. I think healthcare is probably one of the most complex Ministries. On behalf of this Health Government Parliamentary Committee, I would like to say thank you to the healthcare family, from everyone at MOH to the frontliners in the hospitals and community. With that, I seek to withdraw my amendment.”
“Every young Malay/Muslim deserves to know: they are seen, they are valued, they are supported – in faith and in life. When our youths are anchored in faith and supported in well-being, our community – and our nation – are stronger. Singapore College of Islamic Studies”
“We must adapt S+3M: financing not only healthcare, but health itself, not by abandoning the principles, but by fulfilling them fully. Shared responsibility must include shared prevention. Personal ownership must empower early action. Equity must recognise cumulative burden. This is not about spending more.”
“Could MOM share the uptake and outcomes so far? And could we expand practical models so seniors can pace themselves while staying engaged? And with the Tripartite Workgroup on senior employment, when can we expect key recommendations and how will success, beyond placements, be tracked?”
“Can we strengthen incentives for FWAs and provide structured coaching at key transition points, so caregivers do not have to choose between career and care. Third, re-entry. Can we create structured return pathways so that stepping up for family does not mean stepping back professionally. Supporting caregivers is not charity.”
The complete record
Every one of 375 lines we hold for Mariam Jaafar, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 8.
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for his explanations. I have a supplementary question related to ICU bed capacity. Sir, the Senior Minister of State gave the data on ICU bed capacity and utilisation for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 beds and clarifying the limiting factor, that is, manpower. I have a question because based on the data provided, we have currently, I think, 382 total ICU beds and he also said that 163 non-COVID-19 ICU beds are running at 80% utilisation today, an increase from 63% pre-COVID-19. So, I think, my supplementary question really is, despite this increase, how do I benchmark 80%? Is it something that we are still being too conservative about and part of the increase to 350 ICU beds will still be able to come from this pool? Or is it really something we should be really quite concerned about, because if my Math serves me right, 63% occupancy of 298 beds in 2019 means a 188 non-COVID-19 ICU beds being occupied versus 130 today that you are saying 80% of 163? Are we just putting less people in ICU today? And is there really no impact or no deterioration on patient outcomes?”
“This will also help to articulate the different skills, knowledge and experience required, thus paving the way for more recognition of these skills and, along with it, an increase in wages and remuneration packages that are more appropriate for security officers. I urge that their accreditation requirements should include professional development. I hope that these moves will open up more opportunities for young and capable Malays to develop their careers in this sector. (In English): Mdm Deputy Speaker, growing up in Singapore, our nation's security is something that is easy for us to take for granted, but there are new threats in the world today and the importance of our nation's security cannot be underestimated. We must have a strong, capable and trusted private security industry working hand in hand with our law enforcement agencies, who have the trust and respect of the public. Notwithstanding the questions above, I support the Bill.”
“First, how will MHA ensure that standards are consistent across players in the industry and ensure that these standards continue to go up? Two, how can MHA encourage the industry to go for accreditation? For example, by requiring accreditation to receive Government grants, or limiting providers for Government contracts to accredited companies or individuals. What will be done to educate or require buyers of security services to require, and thereafter to fairly assess and compensate, security companies to have accredited security consultants where required? Lastly, will there be regular audits on company accreditation course contents as well as industry and company practices, and what will be the role of MHA or other industry associations and bodies? Ultimately, it is important that the general public believes that the SCAP is acting in the interests of the public at large rather than in its own interests or the interests of its peers. Mdm Deputy Speaker, in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The private security industry hires a relatively high share of our Malay community. I welcome the move to better protect security officers from harassment and abuse at work. I also hope that it will signal to the public that they should give the private security profession due respect and the standing it deserves. This is crucial in attracting more capable talent and upgrading the industry. A well-run industry accreditation programme for certain aspects of security services, could allow the industry to be more agile and responsive to changing client needs and demands.”
“On the shift from licensing to industry-led accreditation for security consultants, I believe this could help to make the industry more competitive and grow the pool of competent security consultants. Being industry-led, a well-run accreditation programme would also allow the industry to be more agile and responsive to changing needs and client demands. It can also help to more clearly and objectively articulate the different skills, knowledge and experience required in different situations, paving the way for more recognition of these skills and, along with that, commensurate increase in wages and more sustainable remuneration packages which, again, can help to entice good people into the security industry. At the same time, in an industry that requires a range of services, buyers have the flexibility to opt for higher skills when they need to, while opting for lower-level skills or prices when they do not. However, industry accreditation, without the teeth of licensing, where security consultants are encouraged to get accredited but not required to be accredited, does open up the potential for standards to diverge across security companies, especially when the barriers to entry in the business are not high. The level of understanding and appreciation by buyers of the importance of higher quality services under certain circumstances is also a factor. Faced with tenders going for the lowest bids, security companies may adopt different standards. In an industry like security, standards and adherence to security protocols are so important, and varying practices and standards can be quite visible to the general public, which will only invite comparison. I would, therefore, like to seek a few clarifications from the Minister of State.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, the private security industry plays a vital role in our nation's security, supporting our law enforcement agencies. With increased concerns over the threat of terrorism and social frictions, such as race relations, the demands on our security sector are increasingly complex and challenging. Yet, unfortunately, some negative stereotypes persist about private security officers among sections of our population. Unarmed security officers are often labelled as "old and frail", or as "moonlighters sleeping on the job". Even their cousins, the auxiliary policemen, are derided as merely "acting like policemen" but having no real power to arrest, belying the police powers they are actually vested with. These stereotypes embolden some people, leading them to think they can taunt and even bully our security officers. So, the proposed amendments to protect our security officers from harassment and abuse, with penalties pegged higher than if they were committed against members of the public, are very much welcome. They also signal the standing in which the private security profession ought to be held by the general public, which is crucial in attracting more capable talent, and upgrading and transforming the industry. As Members of Parliament working to help place our residents in jobs, we know that the private security industry is one sector which seems to have a constant demand for manpower. This suggests that the turnover rate is high. I urge MHA to continue to work on initiatives to attract, develop and retain capable young people into the industry and to keep advocating for their career development and empowerment.”
“—while investing in the Singaporean Core. This Motion proposed by the Minister for Finance reiterates this. It is critical we get this balance right. Notwithstanding my suggestions in this speech, I support the Motion. [Applause.]”
“Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister articulated clearly the need for us to remain open—”
“Okay. This granularity will also allow MOM to be more circumspect and discerning when employers come claiming that they cannot find any Singaporeans with the skills and to ensure that reskilling programmes supported by public funds will have a better track record of outplacement. Sir, there are a number of proposals I do have, including extending SkillsFuture Credits to our tertiary students below 25 years old, supporting longer-term reskilling and professional development programmes than the current six to 12 month traineeships, especially for the sandwiched class, and removing frictions for Singaporeans to take on overseas postings.”
“We can do more – the Government and employers. We need to empower Singaporeans to take ownership of their own reskilling and career development by, first, giving them the tools to understand where their skills stand versus their peers, where their skills, or lack thereof, are at risk, and then what they can do to start their reskilling journey or nudge them on the jobs they can put their hands up for. Tertiary institutions can work with industry to curate these courses and boot camps and guide their students on which ones to take for the jobs they want. And Singaporeans must put our hands up. Do not just complain that company job postings or internal job portals are just for show, even if that may be true in some cases. Know the skills, get the skills, send in the applications showing the skills, and MOM will make sure that companies cannot ignore you. To do this, much more granularity is needed on the skills required for each job.”
“It is easy to say Singaporeans are too sheltered, passive and complacent, but I submit it is, in fact, often because they lack awareness and understanding of where and how to start, especially if there are frictions that make it difficult to, such as family commitments or side gigs to augment family incomes.”
“Reskilling is also relevant to two other groups of Singaporeans: first, Singaporeans who have jobs but are at risk either due to sunsetting sectors or their individual skillsets; and, second, our graduates. In my maiden speech, I called on companies to take accountability for their employees' learning. In many organisations, learning and development are still not top of mind. Too often, conversations about skills are associated with performance management rather than professional development. Employers sometimes say that it is difficult to get their employees to go for reskilling, even though failure to reskill will, ultimately, cost them their current jobs and their future prospects. As for our tertiary graduates, more can be done to equip them with industry-relevant skills, knowledge and tools. You may see this as an indictment of our tertiary institutions but that is not entirely fair. It is difficult for professors and curricula to keep up with the pace at which industry is moving, specifically when it comes to the specific tools that are used only in the industry. When companies recruit for backend engineers, they look not only for knowledge of backend programming languages but also knowledge of popular frameworks like Spring Framework, Spring Security or Django used in industry. According to the CEO of a startup which uses big data to understand skills, few young Singaporean graduates have these on their CVs. Interestingly enough, many young graduates in India and Jakarta do, not through their university courses but through boot camps and external short courses they attend. We do not quite have this culture here yet.”
“"I could feel like it was an opportunity taken from me, but you know what? I report to him now and I have learnt a lot from him. I don't begrudge him that role at all because I recognise him as a world-class talent. So, I learn from him and maybe one day I'll get my shot." These are intensely personal stories. But they are real Singaporeans, too. How can we deny these Singaporeans the opportunity to live their dreams? The PSP talks about rebalancing the foreign labour force. Based on the list of concrete proposals on how they seek to achieve that, I can only observe that they seem to be fixated on achieving this rebalancing by taking unilateral actions to reduce the number of foreigners as quickly as possible, as if that is the only way it can be done. It is as if the PSP has no faith in Singaporeans to get there on our own merit without risking our global hub proposition. I beg to differ. We Singaporeans are much more adaptable and resilient than that. So, yes, let us tighten up where we can, let us ferret out instances of discrimination because there is really no place for this. But I say the best way to rebalance is to keep investing in Singaporeans until we are globally competitive. The Government has made significant investments in the Singaporean Core. The number of training and reskilling programmes for the unemployed has been impressive. It is still too early to tell what the overall outcomes will be, but we have some reason to be optimistic. In one of the mid-career reskilling programmes I am familiar with, 40% of the trainees landed a job within a couple of weeks of graduation. We all know of mid-career PMETs who have taken courses and not landed a job, but let us not forget to celebrate those who have and let us keep working on it.”
“For example, at least three parties, including HR, interview every candidate to address the perception that some foreign hiring managers tend to favour people from their own countries. Hiring managers are also asked to consider internal Singaporean applicants first before internal EP holders, before external Singaporean hires and then only external foreign hires, in that order. Similarly, in the tech sector, companies like Google are very deliberate in making sure that locals are represented in the screening and interviewing process and have also created traineeships under schemes like SG United. Google has made a few hires from this programme and has contributed more trained talent to their ecosystem. All these are initiatives that take effort, but they do them. Mr Speaker, at this point, I do want to give a voice to Singaporeans in these sectors who are perhaps heard not as often about, like my friend, Ms M, who joined one of the tech giants when they ramped up their regional operations here. She said, “I love what I do and I enjoy working with the diversity of colleagues. If Singapore were not open and Company X hadn't come here, I would never have had the opportunity to work for this great company." Another friend, who is in one of the digital banks, said, "I get to be involved in creating a new business model. I'm learning every day." Meanwhile, a former colleague who joined one of the unicorns has recently embarked on an exciting adventure to head up their operations as they take bold steps to expand in Brazil. These positive feelings persist even when there are disappointments. Ms L shared with me how she had applied for the position of country manager, which eventually went to a foreigner.”
“COVID-19 has changed the world. By now, MNCs have gotten good at working in remote teams. It is not inconceivable that banks move some tech and operations roles to India or even Poland and Russia. Indeed, it is already happening, taking along with them jobs held by Singaporeans in those teams. Tech managers echoed these sentiments. "I could try and settle on a lower quality candidate but that really doesn’t sit well with me. I can wait several months but that doesn’t really work in business. Or I can move the role elsewhere. None of these is a great option I really want to do. I hope to not be put in the difficult position of making these kinds of trade-offs between quality, time and location," says a hiring manager in tech. At the same time, many banks and tech companies are heeding the Government's call to invest in the Singaporean Core. At an MNC bank, at the entry level, the directive is now to hire exclusively Singaporean fresh graduates and PMETs who have gone through professional conversion programmes. At the next level, where the jobs require more specialised technical skills, there is a mix of Singaporeans and foreigners and they are trying different things to increase the proportion of Singaporeans. They had tried getting hiring managers to carve out time to develop their local talent, but it did not really work – perhaps an ask too big of busy hiring managers. But they are now looking to start a scheme where local talent can shadow or do projects with the hiring manager one or two days a week. For even more senior roles, they are pushing to give internal Singaporean candidates more opportunities. And at all levels, screening and interviewing practices have been updated to encourage more diversity and Singaporean representation.”
“On compliance in banking, we have a lot of Singaporeans in compliance. But for some, their knowledge is of traditional compliance frameworks while, globally, banks are adopting smart compliance, which is much more agile and aligned to business objectives, and they do not yet have that experience. At the leadership level, we still hear that it is still difficult to find enough Singaporeans with the leadership, communication, change management and influencing skills needed to lead in the complex multi-stakeholder environment common in most MNC organisations. A reason often cited is that many Singaporeans lack international work and management experience. Minister Lawrence Wong and Minister Tan See Leng have shared the changes that have been made over time to our foreign talent policy and guidelines on employment practices. These have been necessary and timely, and the impact is being felt. My banking contacts have shared that getting an EP now takes much longer. EPs that used to get approved in days now take months, even for senior jobs. But, again, does that mean that the roles will go to Singaporeans? The reality is that global banks are unlikely to settle because their own competition is so intense and the pressure to deliver outcomes so strong. So, if getting an EP takes longer and is more uncertain, if they do not see the skillsets immediately available in the local market, they choose to wait or they build in flexibility for themselves, such as by "parking" the staff in London, New York, Hong Kong or Dubai temporarily, but, potentially, permanently. A senior bank HR executive shared that while she is supportive of the move to increase EP salary criteria, if new restrictions go too far, it will force them to reconsider their location strategies.”
“It is dangerous to believe that if we tell our banks and tech firms that we will not approve most of their EP applications and renewals, as I seem to hear the PSP say, that they have to get rid of the foreign talent they already have to meet some concentration ratios that the hard-earned status of being a global financial and tech hub will not be eroded. It is dangerous to believe that it is okay to lose this status because we have many things to fall back on. Because we do not. That is why I cannot accept and why I must reject the Motion standing in the name of Mr Leong Mun Wai. Mr Speaker, the reality is, in both these sectors, we have more jobs than talent. The war for talent is not hyperbole. Talk to people in the industry and they will tell you how tight the labour market is, how hard it is to fill many of the roles. Indeed, as it has become more difficult to bring in new people, I have heard that people already in the market are able to jump to another opening, almost always with a minimum salary bump of 20% to 30% and often also with a jump in role. Part of the reason it is so hard to find people is that technology is changing so rapidly and the depth of domain knowledge or specific technical skills is not yet readily available. We simply do not have enough Singaporeans with these skills. In ICT, we now have lots of well-trained IT project managers. But, for roles like backend developers and data scientists, often, when they put out applications for these roles, many of the Singaporean CVs they receive check off perhaps one or two of the five to six skills involved. And for those who check off more boxes, the competition for those who have all the skills is intense – from the tech giants, Chinese firms, even GovTech – where I have to declare I am on the board.”
“I have spoken to graduates of our tertiary institutions, who find they cannot land the sexier jobs in ICT, which seem to demand experience that they think should only be expected of people with a few years of experience, not a fresh graduate. And I have spoken to residents in their 30s and 50s, who have jobs, but are feeling anxious about which side they will be on in the next round of headcount cuts, or just feel a little stuck. And I empathise. I do not doubt that some of these grievances are real. That is the reason why we have the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) and Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP). So, I was happy to hear of the commitment to ensuring that Singaporeans always get a fair chance, including measures to enshrine TAFEP in legislation in the Prime Minister's National Day Rally speech. The Government must be firm in enforcing this. It also makes sense to increase the EP and S Pass salary criteria because Singaporeans today are different from 20 or five years ago. We are more educated and more skilled. We have more Singaporeans who can do these jobs and companies must recognise that. But it is dangerous to generalise and falsely characterise these issues as more pervasive than they are just to stoke emotions. It is dangerous to believe that if we just had fewer foreigners, all the problems would be solved and Singaporeans would get all the jobs, because there are other issues at play.”
“Or the tireless James Milner, whose minutes get less as he pushes the old age of 36, but only a fool would question his importance to the team, on and off the pitch, for his versatility, his experience and his leadership, to talk to the younger players or in Klopp’s word, to do “his kind of a little bit dirty dressing room talks that I cannot do, these things you say in the dressing room that I am not allowed to say in public. That’s the last kick and that’s nice”. I, for one, would not object if the rumours of a future role in management in Klopp’s team were to come true. And which Liverpool fan can forget when we welcomed God, or Robbie Fowler to the rest of you, back to heaven when Rafa brought him back from Annfield as a backup striker to Owen and Heskey. Mr Speaker, we cannot deny that the fruits of our foreign talent policy have not been shared equally by all. It has made things more competitive for our PMETs, and Members of Parliament from both sides of the House have talked about the anxieties felt by Singaporeans. I have spoken to residents, many in their 40s and 50s, who were retrenched and have yet to find a new job, despite sending out many CVs and making efforts to tap on various reskilling programmes. I have spoken to residents who feel they have been displaced because there was a foreigner willing to work for lower pay. I have spoken to residents who see that the new expat manager is always followed by more of his countrymen. I have spoken to residents who have felt discriminated against at work, passed up for promotions and the plum assignments. I have spoken to residents who question whether their foreign colleagues really have the qualifications claimed.”
“The English Premier League (EPL) has, undoubtedly, become the most successful football league in the world. The EPL does not exist to bring Britons their weekly fix of soccer. The EPL has legions of fans around the world. For two of the past three seasons, the Champions League final has been an all-England affair. For Sunday’s match versus Leeds, the Liverpool starting 11 comprised nine nationalities, with only two Englishmen. But if you want to compete in the Champions League, you need the Messis, the Cristiano Ronaldos and the Mo Salahs. They not only complement the homegrown talent, they improve them. Local boy Trent Alexander Arnold would not be as good a right-back as he is today if he was not pinging in crosses every day to the likes of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, without Allison and Van Dijk yelling instructions to the back four. This openness to talent has allowed Liverpool to bring pure joy to their fans around the world. It allows Liverpool kids to grow up dreaming of being the next Trent Alexandra Arnold or Curtis Jones, both academy lads. It also means that many local lads and academy players never break into the senior team. Just think of Harry Wilson, the 2017/2018 Academy Player of the Year, who recently joined Fulham, unable to break the front three of Salah, Mane and Firmino. They have to ply their trade elsewhere. But with the foundation of a club like Liverpool, it is a soft landing. They can still make a great career for themselves. Just think of Conor Coady who now enjoys an important role at Wolves, and even earned a call-up to the national team for Euro 2020.”
“That explains why we have a lot of foreigners in these sectors and, in particular, a high concentration of Indian nationals, not CECA nor other FTAs.”
“Jobs that a lot of Singaporeans want, not only for the good pay but also for a multinational corporation work environment that is seen to be more progressive, dynamic and diverse. Today, we are, without a doubt, the place to be for financial services in Asia. It is a status that only a few global cities can claim and it is a status we cannot take for granted. While more recently forged, our status as a tech hub is growing by the day, with the FANG (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google) companies, or the global tech giants, ramping up their Asian headquarters here. The Chinese tech giants have also come: the Bytedances, the Alibabas, the Ping Ans, the Tencents. They bring with them high-paying jobs, stock options and a startup culture that attracts some of our brightest young Singaporeans. We have unicorns like Shopee and we are also seeing more and more early stage startups or pre-unicorns. There is also a growing phenomenon of founding teams that comprise both Singaporeans and foreigners, and that diversity is fuelling innovation and entrepreneurship. Both these sectors are important and growing sectors for Singapore. MNCs come for many reasons – our attractive tax laws, our business infrastructure, our skilled workforce and, yes, our open foreign talent policy. They do not only come because of our foreign talent policy, but they will not come if we curtail the flow of talent so much that they no longer feel they have access to a global talent pool. Because they play a global game and a global game requires a global talent pool. Global talent may also not come if they hear from their peers that they will not feel welcome. As the Government has explained many times, it is our choice to play this global game, to be a financial hub, to be a technology hub.”
“Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion standing in the name of the Minister for Finance. In this speech, I would like to focus on two sectors that have drawn some measure of unhappiness and which the hon Member Mr Leong Mun Wai is quite fond of bringing up: financial services and technology/ICT. I think we can safely assume that these are sectors in which he would like to see an urgent “rebalancing of the foreign PMET population” as well as a “review of the provisions in CECA”. At this point, I would like to declare my interest as a managing director and partner of a management consulting firm. I do a good portion of my consulting work with banks and tech companies, and I want to share some perspectives on just how important getting the right balance in this debate around the foreign talent policy is to our competitiveness in these two sectors. These are both people businesses that lend themselves to being natural hubs. Our strategy has been very clear. These sectors do not exist merely to provide services to our domestic market. Our strategy has been, and must unequivocally remain, to be a regional and global hub. And we have done very well. In the financial sector, we have banks of every colour: local banks, regional banks, multinational corporation banks. Today, Chinese banks are actively entering the market; the fintech sector has been growing; and we are seeing the birth of the first digital banks. Wealth management continues to grow strongly, with family offices flocking here, on whose heels highly sophisticated legal practices are also coming. So, many PMET jobs have been created, for locals and foreigners, within the sector and in adjacent sectors.”
“If we work together to put sustainability at the heart of our recovery, our COVID-19 response will be remembered as one that not only overcame a short-term recession and avoided a mid-term recession, but also created meaningful, long-term impact that will benefit us all, in Singapore and the world.”
“For more costly levers and investments, let us accelerate efforts to support the growth of financing that mitigates climate risks, as well as the growth of the market for green bonds for sure and also transition financing and other tools that will be needed to realise the goals of the Paris Agreement. Let us collaborate in ecosystems – companies, investors, Government and Universities and research institutions – to accelerate the speed and scale of change and overcome traditional barriers via collaboration and risk sharing. Whether it is petrochemicals, transport or shipping, an ecosystem approach is necessary, as well as a mindset shift. We need to start looking at companies not only as sources of emissions, but as providers of climate solutions that create business values. The first generation of "green champions", companies like Next Era, Orsted, generated annual total shareholder returns of 30%, on par with big techs, while oil and gas majors had a return of negative 18%. Companies must see the business opportunity in climate action. Otherwise, the time may come when difficult and painful choices will need to be made on the sectors and industries that we can no longer afford in order to meet our sustainability commitments. So, I call on companies to first ensure that their activities do not undermine climate action, then to advocate for stronger policies and promote green growth and jobs, to re-assure the Government that we are on the right track. Mdm Deputy Speaker, Minister Ong Ye Kung yesterday repeated several times how our unique position in the fight against COVID-19 has been due to our unity and trust – how Government, businesses and the people work together.”
“And for projects that have been delayed by COVID-19, these actually give us an opportunity to accelerate some transitions now. Take the delays we have seen in housing projects. Mdm Deputy Speaker, when HIP projects were delayed for some blocks in Woodlands, some of my residents came to me on a particular issue: clothes drying racks (CDRs). You see, a few years ago, in the HIP plan, they were asked to vote on L-shaped CDRs. But in the meantime, newer retractable CDRs came on the market. Since there was a delay, my residents asked, "Why can't we get the latest?" In this case, the answer given to us was that the stock had already been purchased and that was what the residents had voted on. Of course, they had not been offered retractable CDRs to vote on back then. While CDRs may appear trivial for some, there are parallels to climate-change solutions in housing. HDB is already testing and implementing multiple initiatives for more sustainable towns, such as solar and smart LED. More ambitious moves are being implemented, such as the centralised cooling system in Tengah eco-town, where the district level scale gives the required economies of scale. These projects actually put us ahead of many other countries. As we work through the backlog of new builds and improvement projects, I hope we will take the opportunity to consider if some changes ought to be made to the original plans to accelerate the conversion of every town to an eco-town, to leapfrog. And that, as an adviser, I will soon see in the NRP and HIP proposals not just new playgrounds and new toilets, but also new coatings and new energy-efficient kitchens and other appliances offered as options. Done at scale, it could pay for itself. The technologies already exist in housing and in other sectors.”
“Minister Grace Fu has recently detailed plans on how the public sector will lead the way in areas like energy, waste, transport and infrastructure, to reach peak carbon emissions around 2025, five years ahead of the broader economy. All this is very, very, positive. Mdm Deputy Speaker, about 65% of global emission needed to get to net zero can be reduced with existing technologies that are mature or in early adoption. An estimated $100-150 trillion investment over the next 30 years, more than in digital transformation, is needed to reach net zero globally. Alongside commitments and policies, we have the opportunity to stimulate green growth with infrastructure investments and support for climate solution innovations, that is, investment in new technologies and enablement of new business models and markets as core tools. Our strong financial position has always given us an edge. Now, the SINGA bonds give us another powerful tool. As we think about recovery, let us all ask ourselves if we have done all we can to accelerate those areas of climate mitigation that maximise speed and impact, such as the expansion of public transport, deployment of large-scale renewables, such as solar energy, building retrofits, expansion of the energy grid, including EV charging points, incentives for improving industrial efficiency and the scale-up of carbon capture, utilisation and storage. There are many quick wins: reducing emissions through low-cost or mature technologies that typically also generate savings. So, I urge the Government to prioritise and not delay on projects with climate-change impact for want of money or manpower. And, indeed, let us double-down on them.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I start with declaring my interest as a managing director and partner of a consulting firm that does work in the area of climate change consulting. In my Budget Debate speech, I spoke on how Singapore can lead the way in climate change in our own way, taking into account our strengths and our constraints. Since then, the climate change space has only intensified, with companies facing ratcheting pressure not only from climate activists, but also from investors, governments and citizens, especially the youths. In May, the Dutch court made a landmark ruling, ordering Shell to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels. It also deemed Shell responsible for emissions from its customers and suppliers, what we call Scope 3 emissions. The ruling also frames Shell's activities as a violation of the human rights of the citizens of the Netherlands. The ramifications could be far-reaching for the fossil fuel industry, as well as the countries for whom the industry makes up a significant portion of their GDP, including Singapore. It is clear. The time for climate action is now. As we continue to manage COVID-19 as a society, we must fundamentally prioritise climate and sustainability to build back better. The best COVID-19 recovery plans will fight climate change, too. And so, I was glad to hear the Minister reaffirm our commitment to invest in a green and sustainable future even while budgets are reallocated to extend more support measures for Phase Two (Heightened Alert). Singapore has made bold commitments to climate ambitions in Green Plan 2030.”
“Notwithstanding the above clarifications, I support the Bill.”
“Second, the amendment to subsection 1 of section 6 gives LTA the decision rights to set standards for charging devices and equipment in order to protect public safety. But beyond protecting safety, should there also be a clear vision to take a customer-centred approach to make it seamless for the consumers, including ensuring inter-operability, which will require tight mandates and regulations for grid operators and charging point operators as well as back-end systems that allow facilitation of transactions and adjustments between charge point operators (CPOs) and grid operators? Third, subsidies have been used in other markets to promote EVs – both demand and supply side subsidies. Beyond charging infrastructure, investments will also be needed to finance good upgrades as well as land use changes. Can the Ministry elaborate on how subsidies will play a role in the development of the industry here? Four, beyond LTA and EMA, many other Government agencies will be involved – such as HDB, URA, to name a few – as well as the private sector. One area to pay attention to is the use of data to unlock value not only for the EV market and industry development but also for other national development objectives. A robust data framework and a mix of incentives and regulations should also be a key area of focus upfront. Lastly, in recent years, others in the region, like Indonesia and Thailand, have clinched investments from EV automakers and battery makers – so have we with the Hyundai plant. Beyond facilitating the establishment of EV and EV charging infrastructure in Singapore, I would like to ask if there are plans to think about EV as a sector to grow and to develop technology and manufacturing capabilities that can be exported.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, the transition away from internal combustion engine vehicles to EVs is a key initiative under the Singapore Green Plan 2030. If we are honest with ourselves, Singapore is a little slow on the mark with EVs – with adoption rates around 0.2% versus more than 10% in cities like London and Berlin and only some 2,000-plus EV chargers in the market. The EV eco-system is a complex one with multiple stakeholders and EV is also what we call a two-sided platform. There is a need to grow both EVs and charging infrastructure in sync to truly drive adoption. As shown in other cities like Beijing, Berlin and London, the public sector plays a key role to get to the inflexion point where the industry has a minimum viable scale to take off, whether it is in mandating subsidies or actually setting up state-owned entities to coordinate the efforts of built charging infrastructure. There are many strategies but what is clear is that the public sector plays the key role. The amendments proposed in the Bill gives LTA the clear mandate to drive the promotion and regulation of EVs and the development of EV charging infrastructure as well as standards. I support the Bill as I believe it will enable Singapore to accelerate the adoption of EVs and catalyse a vibrant EV eco-system while not losing sight of the bigger ambition of moving to a car-lite society. Notwithstanding, I would like to ask for a few clarifications. First, the proposed subsection 4 in section 6 of the Act defines an EV as a vehicle that is propelled wholly or partly by electricity, whether or not it could be self-driving. As the EV space is still evolving, I would like to ask if this includes plug-in hybrids as well as hydrogen-fuelled vehicles.”
“We must continue to transform the economy, spend on infrastructure, cut waste out of public spending, taking a value-based approach to all that we do. Some might say tapping the reserves and borrowing are really two sides of the same coin. Perhaps, the most noteworthy thing here is really the change to capitalisation of expenditures financed through borrowings under SINGA. Under a strong growth recovery, it should free up more budget for recurrent expenditure, including welfare, healthcare and yes, education and reskilling, for the current generation today, all of which Members from both sides of the House have asked on multiple occasions. Mr Speaker, I feel that the Government has shown its ability to adapt and try new things, such as the SINGA bonds, without losing sight of fiscal prudence, responsibility and fairness. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, there are many factors that give us confidence in this move to borrow to fund nationally significant infrastructure development expenditure, given low interest rates, the likely healthy demand, all the safeguards in place that have been described and the opportunity to develop the market for green financing. Notwithstanding the fact that interest rates could continue to be low for a protracted period of time, the risk remains that rates could move higher in the event of a strong economic recovery or even more importantly, a material rise in inflation. But what is more important than rates per se is perhaps the differential between rates or "r" and growth "g", in other words, "r" minus "g". Stated plainly, what matters is whether you can make more than you pay through borrowing. The infrastructure projects that the SINGA bonds are expected to fund, whether for new rail lines or climate adaptation, will surely boost productivity, growth and the sustainability of our economy over the long term. If we can grow GDP faster, taking on debt to fund public investment in nationally significant infrastructure, under the current low interest rate environment, can in fact lead to lower debt-to-GDP in the long term. The bigger the interest rates-growth differential, the more favourable the debt dynamics. However, IMF studies have shown that marginal borrowing costs often rise abruptly and sharply after long periods of low differentials, and it is marginal borrowing costs which really matters when it comes to refinancing. So, I hope that as we envision a portfolio of tenors, we will pay attention to refinancing risks in particular. So, in the end though, the important thing is, our economy must continue to grow.”
“In particular, can a bigger voice or a greater role be accorded to the internal staff, some of whom I know, have been pushing for change for a long time and love their jobs as SPH journalists in spite of the business uncertainty and in spite of all the accusations that they have partisan motives? They could have really good ideas under bold and inspiring leadership. My second clarification is regarding vernacular newspapers. I would like to know if the preservation of Berita Harian and other vernacular newspapers will be an explicit condition for Government funding? Or if funding is given by other sources, will there be a mechanism to ensure that these vernacular newspapers, so important to our nation building, are explicitly retained? Finally, I just want to say that journalism has always and will continue to benefit from various forms of subsidy, support and benevolence from various actors. Why? Because as Joseph Pulitzer once said, "Our republic and its press will rise or fall together." So, we do need solutions that enable high quality, independent journalism, not least local news and vernacular news, informing the communities about the events and people affecting their lives.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, as a consultant in the area of technology, media and telecommunications, I want to say that the proposed transfer to a non-profit structure for SPH away from the glare of investors' expectations seems to make sense and will give SPH more time to fundamentally transform. But, as said by the Minister, it is no panacea. I have two clarifications to ask of the Minister, building on some of the questions earlier raised by the Member Jessica Tan. First, how will SPH maximise this opportunity for a fresh start? Which means, essentially, answering the question: what can you sell that is insightful, relevant and distinctive and provides an engaging audience experience, to whom and at what price? This will likely have to be consumer paid because advertising is not going to cut it. The fundamental source of competitive advantage here has become distribution and it has moved to the digital giants. And with what technology to support all this? How can you operate at a drastically lower level of cost in order to make money, including, for example, by moving to much more green-field tech platforms? I recognise these are questions for the CLG, but I think what I would like to know is: is there an ambition within the CLG to think of SPH now more as a start-up to benefit from this fresh start, rather than incremental thinking? How will the new entity be able to attract a visionary CEO in addition to talented journalists and editors but also tech people who see the noble mission of providing quality, independent journalism?”
“And for the skeptics, we must continue to demonstrate to our people that our international assistance efforts can make us all better. Secondly, we can encourage more of our people and our businesses to learn expertise and participate in the development and implementation of assistance programmes on the ground, particularly for lower-income countries in the region. This will help our people understand the region better and support our regionalisation and internationalisation efforts, bring us back to where I started, that the world is interconnected. With that, I support the Motion.”
“For example, in what Prime Minister Lee termed "Vaccine Multilateralism", leading to COVID-19 vaccines being developed in record time. So it is important to rebuild and recommit to multilateralism. Sir, I support MAS' intent to respond to IMF's call to support the most vulnerable low-income countries impacted by COVID-19. I am also heartened by two aspects of the proposed support. Firstly, that the grants will go towards not only immediate relief to fight COVID-19, but investments in healthcare systems and crisis capability development that will strengthen preparedness for future epidemics and crises. Secondly, that the assistance goes beyond debt and debt suspension to grants and clearing arrears where a country's debt level is no longer tenable. I hope that the IMF will also be flexible and responsive in the detailed design and implementation to address any potential stakeholder concerns and maintain support for the grants from member countries and recipients. And just as Prime Minister Lee's call helped to shape the global conversation around equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, that the voices of our leaders such as Senior Minister Tharman, will help shape how the world helps low-income countries. Beyond increasing our development assistance though, I would like to propose two strategies to go in parallel. The first is to increase awareness and appreciation of our international assistance efforts among our people. Our youths have grown up in a connected world. They understand intuitively the imperative for us to do more to assist the most vulnerable. So, we must show the next generation that we are listening and that we have heard them.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing global economic slowdown has made clear just how connected we are and that no one can overcome this disease or its impact alone. Just has been the case domestically, COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable countries internationally. The impact on health, education, food security, and livelihoods is staggering. And these are cascading outcomes. Millions of children are at risk as routine vaccination programmes have had to be deprioritized and more children are also dropping out of school, especially girls. Decades of progress reversed. So, protecting the vulnerable is needed to fight this global pandemic, fuel global economic recovery and growth, and to maintain social stability and peace. The successful and inclusive response now can set us all up for a better future. So, there is, as my colleagues have said, a clear, moral and economic imperative for private, public and social sectors to work together. Yet, we have seen the continued rise of nationalism and protectionism, and multilateralism continues to weaken. Declining levels of official development assistance and rising levels of debt are also impeding the world's ability to pay for efforts to realise global sustainable development goals. The poorest countries hardest hit by COVID-19 will also face a debt crisis. Singapore is acutely aware of the connectedness and the importance of multilateral efforts. Multilateral cooperation and multilateral institutions like the IMF remain the best way to tackle global challenges, whether it is COVID-19, future pandemics, economic slowdown or climate change. So, their success is vital to us. We have also seen what remarkable things can be achieved when the world does come together.”
“Given our limited resources, how can M3 grow and strengthen its partnerships with other agencies, such as grassroots organisations, non-profit organisations and other organisations, both Malay/Muslim and non-Malay/Muslim, that can help us reach and help the members of the community who need us the most. Chairman, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Malay community has made a lot of progress. We only have to look at the roaring business done at the many halal cafes at Kampung Glam. Our middle- and high-income Malays have enjoyed good income growth. However, for some low-income Malays, relative social mobility (in other words, those who were initially at the bottom of the socio-economic spectrum, and successfully climbed the ladder of success and reached the top) is a real struggle. They feel stuck. Sir, the Malay community has always been and remains a close-knit community. United we stand. But when people feel left out, our sense of togetherness is affected and weakened. We do not want to we start creating divisions in our own community. How can M3 be the glue to strengthen back that sense of togetherness of our community? By bringing professionals to the ground? By involving our asatizah more closely? Because our community's uniqueness is that we are taught from young to prepare for this world and the hereafter.”
“It has been two years since M3 was established. Since then, the M3 agencies have deepened their support for the community by collaborating with each other as well as the M3@Towns, and the programmes such as FITRAH, "Bersamamu" and the Youth Mentoring Office. 11.15 am Our M3@Towns and professional groups have launched their own signature initiatives, such as our lawyer groups organising Legal Power of Attorney (LPA) sessions and setting up their own websites offering Pro-Bono legal services. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen M3 further work together and with other community partners like AMP, the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SMCCI) and the Singapore Muslim Women's Association to quickly lend support to the community during this challenging time. During this time, we have also expanded the M3@Towns network with the recently launched M3@Geylang Serai and M3@Jalan Besar. Yet, we must do even more to uplift our community if we are to close the gap on other communities but more importantly, to meet the aspirations of our own community. There are also some in the community who do not yet know what M3 even stands for. So, we must continue to find out new ways to be relevant, new ways to find out what is needed an what works, new ways of engaging. Like any other organisation in today's world, M3 must continue to evolve its way of working. Two necessary pillars must be one, digital and data and analytics, and two, partnerships. How can M3 leverage digital and data to increase the effectiveness and impact of its initiatives?”
“Chairman, it may be difficult for some people to understand just exactly how it feels for some of us, to look around this gallery and see so many women in Parliament. In the private sector, organisations like DBS Bank, have led the way with several women in leadership positions. But we are still far away from translating gender equality in our schools to gender equality at the leadership levels, both senior management and Board. And it is not just a matter of time, I have done the research. Around the world, this gap has persisted for a long time, long after we have achieved gender equality in schools. Even in leading organisations, more can be done to push the envelope, for example ensuring that more women are in leadership positions in revenue functions, in addition to non-revenue, as well as technology functions. Mr Chairman, it is proven that gender diversity drives performance. Our companies will do better with more women in leadership positions. In addition, women leaders are important because they are role models who inspire the future generation. So, out of the Conversations on Women's development, what are the emerging ideas for what more can be done to really move the needle on getting more women in leadership positions?”
“I would like to ask the Ministry what is being done to enable and empower our GPs and nurses to further deliver care in the community.”
“Similarly, our private general practitioners (GPs), who play a critical role in MOH's thrust to shift healthcare beyond hospital to community as part of the goal to provide accessible, affordable and best care for all, I am heartened that we continue to build primary care capacity and strengthen primary care networks, including for mental health. But, of course, it is not just about expanding capacity, alignment of interests, incentives and processes is also key. Having GPs and community nurses with special interests and training, giving GPs and nurses direct access to specialist advice and closer teaming and better communication with doctors, which I know some private doctors do really effectively over email and WhatsApp, giving GPs and nurses access to a broader range of diagnostic tests are proven levers to transfer care to the community and, at the same time, reducing overall demand through direct demand management at the GP level and continued education efforts to make informed patients.”
“My next cut. Private Sector Partnerships The COVID-19 pandemic showed the necessity of a whole system approach in addressing a national crisis. Many doctors and nurses in private practice stepped forward as volunteers and private hospitals took in recovering COVID-19 patients at subsidised rates to free up capacity in public facilities. Such partnerships between public and private facilities also exist outside of a crisis environment. I have had residents who are public patients telling me they were referred to Raffles Hospital for their x-rays and much to my relief at whether they were making the right decision, I learned that they were going to be offered a subsidised rate. As a result, they were able to get their x-rays done earlier than the queues at the public hospital would otherwise have allowed. Mr Chairman, the private hospital sector is an important part of the healthcare eco-system. As the pandemic plays out, we may see some shifts in demand, for example, with more private sector patients opting to public care if they lose their jobs and their insurance and, of course, if there are changes to their Integrated Shield Plan (IP). I would like to ask the Ministry if there is opportunity to optimise the current balance of healthcare in public versus private facilities and better leverage private sector partnerships to provide care for public sector patients, in particular, our subsidised patients, which of course would require the right incentives across the delivery chain.”
“As the daughter of a former nurse, I literally applauded at my seat when the Deputy Prime Minister announced the increase in healthcare workers' salaries. It is long overdue. Besides being a welcomed signal of the increasing recognition of the need to recognise the value of healthcare workers and the work that they do, one hopes that this will go some way to addressing the shortage of nurses and other healthcare workers today as our population ages. I would like to know if the Government has any expectations or targets for how much we can close the gap in demand with this move to increase compensation and, if a gap yet remains, what more we can do to meet the demand for healthcare workers and where the biggest obstacles are – from the life cycle of recruitment, to advancement, to retention. On recruitment, I would like to ask about the adequacy of spaces in our nursing programmes in our tertiary institutions as well as any data on leakage of students in nursing programmes who do not go on to become nurses, and why? I would also like to know the success rate at hiring people from other backgrounds into nursing – we heard some of that, I think, earlier in the debate – as well as the success rate of getting back former nurses and other women returning to work after some time off. On advancement, I would like to know what is being done to enhance the career paths for healthcare workers. On retention, I would like to know the top reasons why healthcare workers quit and what is being done to address each of these drivers, including a review of shift structures – both working and off-work schedules because a lot of research shows that the impact of shifts is more about off-work schedules and not actually the working schedules – and the support resources available to nurses.”
“Mr Chairman, may I have permission to take both cuts together?”
“As many of my colleagues have stated, the importance of starting this in our schools to propagate the knowledge on sustainable development concepts as well as the science, in particular, material science, so that we will have an informed and empowered citizenry well before the green economy is truly upon us. Environment, Social and Governance Accreditation Mark for Green Plan”
“Madam, in my Budget debate speech I shared how proud I am of the intent clearly articulated in the Green Plan 2030 to forget a brave new green economy that will bring a host of new green jobs in green technology, in certain economies but also in green financing and common services. I also spoke at length about how we can push on technological and business model innovation and collaborations so that we might lead the world, including by becoming the world's most sustainable hub for specific sectors for which we have a competitive advantage such as petrochemicals and shipping, as well as pushing forward on international and regional engagement, coordination and leadership, in particular, leading a collective ASEAN 2 degree path. The Green Plan and Budget also outline other areas, including energy efficient materials and the built environment. To that, I also shared my optimism that given our development history in areas like engineering and process control, this time with some training and reskilling, our local workforce and can be the ones who benefit the most from this transition. This will help make climate change relevant and relevant to the broader community, not just a fortunate few and rally them to join in the conversation and more important action. That that end, I would like to ask if a strategic review of the jobs and skills that will be in demand in the green economy has or will be done along with a review of the jobs, particularly local jobs that will be impacted directly or indirectly by the transition to the green economy. And let us put a plan against it and get ahead of the curve.”
“But we have adapted and we have learnt that we can still deliver projects and deliver great value – staff teams in any of the countries from regions around the world – with technology. The Government has recently strengthened the enterprise pillar of the skills eco-system with many exciting reskilling programmes driven by Queen Bee global companies, many of which provide support to place graduates of the programmes into local positions within Singapore firms in their eco-system. At this point, I should declare that I work for one of such companies. Can we lean in on the Queen Bee global companies that we are partnering with in our various skills programmes to provide opportunities for our students in schools and our trainees in our skills programmes to gain exposure and experience working on projects and internships with teams outside of Singapore, while remaining in Singapore, as the world continues to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, and perhaps even be considered for employment with companies overseas today, and even more after we are all vaccinated and the opportunities of the world are open for us again? Next Bound of SkillsFuture”
“The work-from-home trend driven by COVID-19 has accelerated the realisation that work can be done from anywhere in the world. While this is often couched in terms of a warning to workers in terms of higher competition for jobs in our market that could be done from outside Singapore, it is, in fact, also an opportunity, for our workers to take on jobs anywhere in the world. An unfortunate casualty of COVID-19 is that the pace at which we can pursue learning and growth opportunities in the region has decreased, as borders remain closed. Schools have had to cancel overseas learning trips and exchange programmes and some companies have scaled back on their regionalisation and internationalisation ambitions. Chairman, I am grateful for many things in my life but one of the things I am most grateful for is to have had the opportunity to study and work in the US and, for the past few more years, just spend most of my time working with clients in the region. Besides gaining an understanding of the market and the ability to work on different types of projects, overseas work experience has many other benefits, including learning to work with diverse teams, cultivating an open mind, enhancing independence and adaptability, and gaining a sense of perspective, empathy, humility and gratitude. While the benefits are clearly greater when teams are co-located in the market, there is still a lot to be gained from working with virtual teams in another market and I have lived this on my own. As a consultant, I used to spend 45 days a year away from home and the circuit breaker seemed like the end of the world.”
“Polytechnics and ITEs are a critical part of our education system. Not only must the curriculum be dynamic and able to prepare graduates for the future economy, they must also appeal to the diverse learning interests and needs of our students and inspire them to seek out challenging opportunities for them to always learn and grow. As our education system moves to novel approaches like subject-based banding in our schools and dual majors in our Universities, let us not neglect to consider similar approaches for our Polytechnics and ITEs, including the potential to accelerate progression based on performance or dual diplomas. I would like to ask MOE to provide an update on Polytechnic and ITE employment outcomes respectively, including full time, contract, part time employment; as well as statistics on graduates who go on to jobs unrelated to their course of study; and salary levels within and outside of course of study. The latter point is particularly pertinent to ITE, where there remains a perception, that a not insignificant number of graduates find it more lucrative to take on delivery jobs. I would also like to ask MOE, as the Member before me, to provide an update on the pathways, progression and curriculum in Polytechnics and ITEs, and how success will be measured.”