Masagos Zulkifli B M M
Singapore
“Coordination between Early Intervention (EI) centres, families and preschools is important for the continuity of support for children with developmental needs.”
“The Taxi Subsidy Scheme supports persons with disabilities (PwDs) who are unable to take public transport, by providing means-tested subsidies to offset the cost of taxi travel to school, work and employment-related training supported by SG Enable.”
“The Skills and Salary Guidelines published by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) guides social service agencies (SSAs) to pay their employees fair and competitive remuneration and maintain the sector's attractiveness. The Guidelines are adjusted so that salaries remain competitive with comparable roles in competing markets.”
“Staff turnover rates vary across social service agencies (SSAs). An individual's decision to leave an organisation is influenced by a myriad of factors, of which pay is only one.”
“Beyond the requirement of a structured daily programme, community-based SCFA administrators have the flexibility to offer programmes and additional enrichment activities that meet the needs of their students. MSF does not track staff salaries and turnover of SCCs in general nor those that administer SCFA.”
“Male preschool educators comprised about 1% of the early childhood workforce in each of the last five years. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has not issued guidelines pertaining to the rules set by preschool centres specific to the conduct of male preschool educators.”
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“Social Service Agencies (SSAs), including those that run Family Service Centres (FSCs), determine their own staff welfare and leave policies. While MSF and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) do not mandate or monitor the leave policies across SSAs, SSAs generally offer compassionate leave as part of their staff benefits. At the same time, NCSS promulgates best practices related to compensation and staff welfare, as well as offer experts as mentors to Human Resource practitioners in SSAs. We recognise that the nature of work in the social service sector can take its toll and social service professionals may encounter particularly stressful events in the course of their work. To safeguard their mental well-being and to give them an opportunity to recharge, MSF and NCSS has put in place several initiatives, including the National Care Hotline (NCH) and Sabbatical Leave Scheme (SLS). The NCH provides emotional and psychological support to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including professionals working in social services. The SLS is available to individuals with at least five years of direct work experience in their respective professional fields. It offers up to 10 weeks of paid leave so they can recharge themselves, and a Professional Advancement Sponsorship to refresh their professional competencies. MSF and NCSS have also been engaging SSAs to raise awareness on the importance of organisational support for their employees’ mental well-being and to develop a culture of self-care. We have conferred with social work leaders on balancing staff well-being with maintaining service delivery standards, particularly during this period of high workload and uncertainty brought on by the pandemic.”
“Beyond legal protection, social service agencies (SSAs) also provide support to survivors of family violence. For survivors who have experienced breaches of PPOs, SSAs may advise them to lodge a Police report or assist to lodge a report on behalf of their clients. SSAs also work with survivors of family violence on safety plans, to minimise the risk of violence recurring. As part of MSF’s continued efforts to raise awareness on family violence, the "Break the Silence" campaign seeks to educate members of the public on family violence and encourages survivors and those around them to report suspected family violence incidents. MSF also introduced the National Anti-Violence Helpline (NAVH) in February 2021 to make it easier for anyone to seek help or report on violence and abuse concerns. Social service professionals in community agencies including the Family Violence Specialist Centres and Family Service Centres as well as those manning the NAVH can also help guide callers on the PPO process, including breaches of a PPO.”
“Persons who experience family violence may apply to the Family Justice Courts for a PPO under the Women’s Charter. From 2016 to 2020, the Family Justice Courts issued approximately 1,100 PPOs on average each year. From January to November 2021, fewer than 900 PPOs were issued. Under the Women’s Charter, all PPO breaches are arrestable offences. From 2016 to 2020, there was an average of 60 criminal cases per year with at least one charge convicted under the Women’s Charter for the breach of a PPO, Expedited Order or Domestic Exclusion Order. MSF does not have statistics on unreported PPO breaches. Any person who is aware of or suspects someone to have breached a PPO should report the incident to the Police. Depending on the facts and circumstances of the case, the Police may arrest the offender and investigate the case. A breach of a PPO is punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 or by imprisonment of up to six months, or both. A subsequent conviction is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 or by imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both. In line with the recommendations by the Taskforce on Family Violence, MSF will be increasing the maximum penalties for the breach of PPOs under the Women’s Charter. To better ensure the safety of survivors, the Courts will also be empowered to make additional types of orders when granting a PPO under the Women’s Charter. These include orders prohibiting the PPO respondent from visiting or communicating with the PPO applicant, or from entering or remaining in an area outside the applicant’s place of residence or any other place frequented by the PPO applicant. Such orders will further enhance the safety of the person who applied for the PPO, as the respondents who breach such orders will be liable for a criminal offence.”
“In this example, IMDA had consulted MCCY and MUIS if the Islamic content involved was indeed derogatory, insulting and hurtful and they were so. So, we hope that while we are indignant, we know the the content yet to be distributed are hurtful and derogatory to our religion, to our Prophet, I counsel ourselves, my fellow Muslims in my community, to behave and conduct in the most exemplary way.”
“Mr Speaker, Islam puts the love of our Prophet at the highest plane among men. So you would expect Muslims to react when the Prophet's dignity is conned or when he is really ridiculed. Now, when Muslims are rightfully indignant at any derogatory remarks or insults made of the Prophet, but we must nonetheless, be guided by our prophetic principles of compassion, graciousness and magnanimity. I say this because the Prophet himself, faced this when he was alive. In fact, once, when a group of men prayed publicly for death and calamity to befall him, A'ishah, his wife, wanted to do the same thing, to pray for death and calamity for the same people who prayed that on the Prophet. The Prophet stopped her and counselled her that, "Allah, our God, is gentle and he loves gentleness." So, I call upon fellow Muslims to follow what our religion teaches us: To conduct ourselves in the most exemplary way, even when we are rightfully hurt and indignant by the act put against our religion or our Prophet. Let us live by our laws because we can and where they are such literature that incite or endorse ethnic, racial or religious hatred, strife or intolerance, we will prevent them from happening and from such literatures from being published and distributed in Singapore. As mentioned by my colleague, Minister Josephine Teo, members of the public who have concerns on a particular content in publications should inform IMDA, whether it is of one religion to another; persons against another religion; or even within the religion or their community. IMDA will always seek input from the relevant agency before it makes its decision on content regulation.”
“When assessing ComCare applicants’ needs, Social Service Offices (SSOs) will assess the household’s income and expenses, and provide cash assistance to cover the shortfall in income for the household to meet its basic living expenses. Beyond cash assistance, households may also receive assistance for household and medical bills, employment assistance and other Government or community support. We do not track the number of ComCare applications with debt expenses declared as part of living expenses. Debt-related expenses are not regarded as part of basic living expenses in the assessment for ComCare cash assistance. Such expenses vary depending on the household’s financial decisions and use of credit, and may contribute towards the building of personal assets, such as housing. It would not be appropriate for the Government to view these debts as part of basic living expenses and fund their repayment via public resources. Nonetheless, our SSOs will work with relevant agencies to help families manage their debts and arrears where possible. For example, SSO officers may link clients up with Singapore Power services, HDB or Town Councils, to arrange instalment plans for clients to repay their arrears over time. SSOs also refer families which are unable to pay off their unsecured loans and facing other debt issues to Credit Counselling Singapore, which can advise families on debt management. Where relevant, SSOs may refer families to financial literacy programmes, such as those conducted by the Institute of Financial Literacy and other social service agencies, as well.”
“The COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) provides financial assistance to lower- to middle-income resident employees and self-employed persons who, as a result of the economic impact of COVID-19, are: (a) Involuntarily unemployed due to retrenchment or contract termination; (b) Placed on involuntary no-pay leave for at least three consecutive months or; (c) Experiencing monthly salary loss or net trade income loss of at least 50% on average for at least three consecutive months. The CRG assistance provides temporary support while recipients actively search for new job or training opportunities, which is also a criterion to qualify for the grant. While MSF does not track if CRG recipients have obtained a new job at the end of their disbursements, we provide successful CRG applicants with relevant website links to job search and training resources to support their efforts. As of 31 December 2021, about one-fifth of all CRG recipients, or about 5,500 recipients, have received a second tranche of assistance. Returning CRG recipients could be one proxy of who needs further help. We have also worked with NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) to contact and offer job search assistance for those who experience prolonged job or income loss and receive a third tranche of CRG. CRG recipients whose assistance has ended can also approach SSOs, WSG or e2i if they need employment assistance.”
“The data on the number of applications for child access enforcement is not available. However, the number of applications for committal could be used as a proxy as a significant proportion are likely to comprise child access enforcement. A committal application is taken out by a party, with the Court’s permission, to seek the court's finding that the breaching party has been in contempt of court for non-compliance with the court order or judgment and should be penalised. From 2018 to 2020, out of a total of about 14,000 summonses received by the Family Justice Courts for the various types of civil applications, the number of applications specifically filed for committal was 297 (see Table 1 below). The breakdown of the applications by (i) male applicants (ii) female applicants and (iii) cases that have reached an amicable resolution at the mediation stage is not available.”
“From January 2019 to September 2021, there were 317 cases lodged with the Office of the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents (CMP). Of these, 289 cases (91%) were resolved at CMP while the remaining 28 cases (9%) were referred to the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents at the point when conciliation was completed. Out of the 317 cases lodged, 48 cases (15%) were referred for financial assistance. CMP has also referred elderly parents and/or their children for social and emotional support at Family Service Centres (FSCs), counselling and other social support agencies but has not tracked the data before September 2021. From September to December 2021, five cases were referred for counselling services.”
“A more effective solution is to increase the awareness of young people to such dangers, in line with our approach to foster a culture of safety and respect. MOE is already doing so through their refreshed Character and Citizenship curriculum, which inculcates and reinforces the importance of respect and appropriate behaviour, both offline and online. Families and parents also play a critical role to guide their children, and inculcate the right values of respect to women from young. In July 2021, MCI launched the Sunlight Alliance for Action (AfA) to tackle online harms, especially those targeted at women and girls. The Sunlight AfA brings together partners from across the people, public and private (3P) sectors to co-create solutions to address online harms, close the digital safety gap and enable everyone, especially women and girls, to go online with confidence. Fundamentally, we need to reinforce our values of equality and respect. A whole-of-society effort is required – the Government, society, communities and families – to foster respectful relationships between men and women, starting from young with our children and youths.”
“The Government takes a strong stance on the safety and protection of all Singaporeans. We have laws, such as the Women’s Charter and Penal Code, that protect our women from being exploited and abused. During the Conversations on Singapore Women’s Development, protection of women against harms and violence was one of the main feedback areas and participants shared the importance of ensuring that Singapore continues to be a society where women feel safe and respected. We recognise that sexual offences have taken on new forms and can occur on online. We must keep up our efforts to maintain high standards of public safety in Singapore, foster a culture of respect and do our best to protect women and girls from harm. Websites such as Sugarbook commoditise and devalue relationships. Those affected are predominantly women. This goes against the grain of our societal values and shared vision for men and women to partner each other as equals. Such websites may target young people in their late teens and early 20s, who may be more susceptible to exploitation and abuse. We do not track the profile and number of users who subscribe to the Sugarbook website. These websites by themselves are not illegal. The Police will take enforcement action if there is evidence of such sites being used to offer or facilitate the provision of sexual services by a woman or girl to another person in Singapore in exchange for payment or reward. They will also take enforcement action if there is evidence of such sites being used to transmit obscene material. Thus far, there have been no evidence of such nature. Correspondingly, to date, no enforcement action has been taken against such websites for provision of sexual services or transmission of obscene materials.”
“From 1 January 2022, SGX has implemented a new listing rule that requires companies to disclose their policies on board diversity, including gender diversity. This is a significant development that would further encourage greater female representation on boards. Increasing the representation of women on boards requires a multi-stakeholder approach. MSF will continue to work with partners such as the CBD to sustain efforts to reduce barriers and encourage even more women to be appointed to boards so that women who aspire to be leaders in their fields can reach their fullest potential and our society can benefit from their perspectives and even greater contributions as board members.”
“The Government is committed to enable every Singaporean, both men and women, to pursue their ambitions and reach their fullest potential. In conjunction with the Year of Celebrating SG Women, the Government had partnered with community partners to organise the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development. Feedback from the Conversations included supporting women’s career aspirations and seeing greater female representation in leadership roles, including on boards of organisations. Having more women on boards would bring different perspectives which would be useful to these organisations as they navigate today’s complex world. MSF set up the Diversity Action Committee (DAC) in 2014, which was succeeded by the Council for Board Diversity (CBD) in 2019 comprising eminent corporate and public sector leaders as well as professionals. The CBD has been promoting a sustained increase of women on boards of (a) Top 100 listed companies listed on the Singapore Exchange; (b) statutory boards; and (c) Top 100 Institutions of a Public Character in Singapore. As of June 2021, the percentage of women on boards of the Top 100 listed companies is at 18%, more than doubled from 7.5% in 2014 prior to the start of DAC. Based on a 2019 survey conducted by the Singapore Institute of Directors, about 17% of companies used executive search firms to identify potential board directors, while 98% used personal contacts of board members and management1. The CBD continues to expand a pipeline of board-ready women and reaches out to nominating committee chairs and members to recommend suitable female candidates with requisite skills or experience, based on the needs of the respective companies.”
“Over the past year, we extended the S2W Transition Programme from one to two years to provide students with more support as they transition into employment. The Enabling Mark was also launched to benchmark and recognise organisations for their best practices and outcomes in disability-inclusive employment. Three new programmes under the National Jobs Council – Place-and-Train, Attach-and-Train, and Skills Development Programme – were also introduced to provide customised employment, traineeships and skills upgrading opportunities to support persons with disabilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Further initiatives will be implemented progressively over the next few years. The Government will also continue its efforts to support the employment of persons with disabilities in the next Enabling Masterplan 2030, where we will strengthen partnerships across sectors and involve persons with disabilities in co-creating solutions in a range of areas, including employment.”
“Between 2014 and 2020, under the Open Door Programme (ODP), more than 2,500 persons with disabilities received employment-related training and over 3,000 were placed into new jobs, through job placement and job support services. Employers will also receive wage support through the Enabling Employment Credit (EEC). The EEC provides 20% wage support for employees with disabilities earning below $4,000 per month, capped at $400. Employers who hire persons with disabilities who had been out of the labour force for more than six months will receive an additional 10% wage subsidy for the first six months. Since the EEC was introduced in 2021, it has benefited more than 5,200 employers who collectively employed more than 8,600 Singaporeans with disabilities. In response to the impact of the pandemic on the economy, MOM introduced the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) to expand local hiring. The JGI has supported employers to hire more than 2,400 persons with disabilities between September 2020 to May 2021. In September 2021, MOM announced that the JGI will be extended to March 2022. Employers who hire persons with disabilities between October 2021 and March 2022 will receive up to $36,000 in wage support. We recognise that more can be done to support persons with disabilities to find gainful employment. Last year, the Third Enabling Masterplan’s Workgroup on Preparing Persons with Disabilities for the Future Economy released 10 recommendations centred on three themes – improving capabilities at all life stages, creating and sustaining new work opportunities and recognising and incentivising employers to hire persons with disabilities. MSF has been working with its partners to implement the recommendations.”
“In the schooling years, the curriculum and customised programmes in Special Education (SPED) schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) help to prepare students with special needs for employment. MOE closely partners SPED schools to provide a Vocational Education Curriculum that is kept relevant and is supported by dedicated training facilities and staff such as school-based job coaches who support students to develop skills through work experience in authentic workplaces and internships. For work-capable students with more complex needs, the School-To-Work (S2W) Transition Programme provides customised training pathways and internship opportunities to help work-capable SPED graduates transit into employment. Youths with disabilities in IHLs also have access to internship and mentorship opportunities through the IHL Internship and RISE Mentorship Programme. The former allows participants to acquire first-hand workplace experiences, relevant industry knowledge and skills, while participants of the latter learn from their mentors and receive guidance on how to prepare for future employment. In FY2020 and FY2021, a total budget of around $4.2 million was allocated to the S2W Transition, IHL Internship and RISE Mentorship programmes. In total, about 160 youths and students with disabilities benefited from these three programmes in FY2020. Figures for FY2021 are not yet available. Apart from these schemes which are targeted at youths in schools, SG Enable works with various partners to support the employability and employment of all persons with disabilities.”
“During this period, we have actually auto-extended SMTA a few times. If we need to do so, we will do it again. The period is to ensure that during normal times, we want to check on them that they are actually making effort maybe to look for jobs or have gotten better in their health condition. Therefore, that review period is necessary. However, there are also instances when we do extend it automatically when we need to. And for the last few periods during this COVID-19 crisis, we have been extending it beyond the three months and six months automatically.”
“I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. The period concerned is not critical because it is just a guideline for us to set for our staff in order to qualify and, when they do not qualify, to look at other reasons how to bring them over if they need help from the community or the Government. What is your other question, please? Sorry.”
“Mr Speaker, ComCare provides assistance to low-income households for their basic living expenses. Households that need help to tide over temporary financial difficulty are provided with ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA). While there is an income eligibility criterion for ComCare SMTA, the criterion is not a hard threshold to qualify for assistance. Rather, our SSOs assess the needs of individuals and families holistically and exercise flexibility as needed to provide the necessary financial assistance and community support. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) reviews the ComCare eligibility criteria every two to three years. The last review was conducted in 2019, and we will review the ComCare eligibility criteria sometime this year. Building an inclusive and caring society is a collective effort. The community plays an important role in partnering the Government in helping those in need. If anyone encounters a neighbour, friend or family member who needs support, they can call the ComCare hotline at 1800-222-0000 or refer them to the nearest SSO or Family Service Centre for assistance.”
“Student care centres (SCCs), including those in all Primary schools, provide after-school-hours care and supervision to children from seven to 14 years old. Setting up an SCC does not require a permit from MSF. SCC operators may register with MSF if they wish to administer the Student Care Fee Assistance (SCFA) scheme, which subsidises the student care fees for children from lower-income families. Today, around 400 SCCs are registered with MSF as SCFA administrators. Registered SCCs currently provide around 48,000 student care places. Overall, SCC enrolment is below SCC capacity in all towns, including in Sengkang and Punggol, although there may be a wait list for particular SCCs. We encourage parents to enrol their children in nearby SCCs if they are not able to immediately secure places in particular SCCs. MSF works with MOE to monitor the demand for SCC places and will facilitate the expansion of capacity where necessary.”
“Parents may register interest in a preschool for their infants via the Preschool Search Portal (PSP), ECDA’s online self-help search portal launched in 2019. While we strongly encourage all parents to use PSP, this is voluntary and some parents may also directly contact their chosen preschools. Based on parents who have registered interest on PSP over the past year, the waiting times for infant care places range between a few weeks and a few months. There is a range of factors that affect waiting time. For instance, parents may have to wait longer if they prefer to send their children to specific centres. In addition, parents may register their interest early without an immediate need for places as they have alternative arrangements, such as home-based care. Parents can also register their interest for multiple centres at the same time, regardless of whether their child is currently enrolled in a preschool. Providing access to quality, affordable infant and childcare remains a key priority for the Government. We will continue to increase capacity, where needed, to meet demand for early childhood services. By the end of 2022, ECDA will develop an additional 1,000 infant care places offered by anchor operators, mainly in Planning Areas with upcoming HDB developments for new families. This does not include additional infant care places which may be developed by other preschool operators to meet local demand.”
“Over the past five years, the number of unenrolled children whose parents have registered for interest in an infant or childcare place in Sengkang has decreased by about 60% – from 930 in 2017 to 380 children in 2021, which constitutes less than 2% of all families with infants and children of preschool age in Sengkang. Providing access to quality, affordable infant and childcare remains a key priority for the Government. We will continue to increase capacity, where needed, to meet demand for early childhood services, especially in new estates like Punggol and Sengkang, which tend to have many young families. By the end of 2022, ECDA plans to develop another four preschools in Sengkang, which will provide 60 more infant care places and 400 more childcare places. These preschools will be built in accessible locations, such as in community centres, and in tandem with future new Build-To-Order (BTO) housing developments, so that they can be operational in time to meet parents’ needs. This does not include additional infant care places which may be developed by other preschool operators to meet local demand.”
“Over the last five years, the number of infant care places in Sengkang has grown by over 80% from 570 in 2017 to 1,050 in 2021. Childcare places in Sengkang have grown by nearly 60% from 7,700 in 2017 to 12,200 in 2021. Such growth is significantly higher than the overall increase nationally in infant care places (50%) and childcare places (30%). Between 2017 and 2021, the average enrolment rates for infant and childcare services in Sengkang were about 68% and 83% respectively. This is slightly higher than the national average of about 67% and 77% for infant and childcare services respectively. Parents may register interest in a preschool via the Preschool Search Portal (PSP), ECDA’s online self-help search portal launched in 2019. While we strongly encourage all parents to use the PSP, this is voluntary and some parents may also directly contact their chosen preschools. Based on parents who have registered interest on PSP over the past two years, the waiting times in Sengkang for infant care and childcare places range between a few weeks and a few months. There is a range of factors that affect waiting time. For instance, parents may have to wait longer if they prefer to send their children to specific centres. In addition, parents may register their interest early without an immediate need for places as they have alternative arrangements, such as home-based care. Parents can also register their interest for multiple centres at the same time, regardless of whether their child is currently enrolled in a preschool. That said, the increase in infant and childcare places over the years has helped address families’ preschool needs.”
“In 2020, MSF conducted a Study on Co-Parenting Styles (Co-Parenting Study), which found that the cooperative co-parenting style is associated with positive child outcomes, such as fewer child behavioural and emotional problems and better school learning behaviour, compared to parallel co-parenting and single parenting. The Co-Parenting Study did not cover whether it is easier to practise cooperative co-parenting with sole or shared care and control. However, the study found that among those who practise the cooperative co-parenting style, 80% were awarded sole care and control and 19% were awarded shared care and control. There are no conclusive findings on the benefits of shared care and control both locally and overseas. Hence, MSF does not intend to conduct a study specifically on whether cooperative co-parenting is easier with sole or shared care and control. Instead, MSF will continue to support all divorced parents to practise cooperative co-parenting in the best interests of their children, regardless of whether they were awarded sole or shared care and control.”
“The Syariah Court’s mission is to save marriages, settle divorces amicably and deliver just outcomes. The Syariah Court has support services for divorcing couples and their minor children. These support services, such as the Marriage Counselling Programme, are premised on taking a child-centric approach towards handling divorce cases to safeguard the paramount interest and well-being of children affected by divorce and encourage co-parenting, regardless of which parent has the care and control of the child. Today, the information on shared care and control for Muslim divorces is captured under individual Court orders and will take time to manually collate. Nonetheless, the Syariah Court is embarking on efforts to digitalise its processes and, over time, such data will be captured in digital form, making it easier to generate statistics.”
“MSF does not track the incidence or prevalence of parental alienation due to the lack of a specific definition or classification. Parents who believe that they are victims of parental alienation are encouraged to seek counselling or mediation to resolve the dispute and reach an amicable solution. If such methods fail, parents may consider legal recourse. If there is an existing Court order on child access, they may seek legal advice on available options if the order has been breached. If there is no existing Court order, they may apply for interim child access. In either case, the Court may also order the child to attend the Supervised Exchange or Supervised Visitation Programme at an appointed Strengthening Families Programme @ Family Service Centre, or FAM@FSC. The programme facilitates families to work towards independent child access through effective co-parenting. Parents who require support can approach the FAM@FSCs or the Divorce Support Specialist Agencies. These agencies provide counselling services and programmes for divorcing and divorced families, including programmes on co-parenting, in the best interests of their children.”
“MSF will continue to work closely with MHA and CRA to minimise the risks of problem gambling and gambling-related social harms.”
“The casino exclusion regime under the Casino Control Act comprises Self-Exclusion, Family Exclusion, Third Party Exclusion and Exclusion by Law. The exclusion regime is a key social safeguard for gambling. Three out of these four types of exclusions, namely, (a) Family Exclusion; (b) Third Party Exclusion; and (c) Exclusion by Law, bar individuals under the respective Exclusion Orders from fruit machine rooms at private clubs and placing bets online with Singapore Pools. Fruit machine gambling is similar to casino gambling while online betting with Singapore Pools enables continuous play, so they pose higher risks to affected individuals when there is excessive gambling. Currently, the exclusion from fruit machine rooms and Singapore Pools online betting is imposed via the conditions for operating the gambling services. The Government intends to formalise this in the new Gambling Bill. Self-Exclusion is voluntary and individuals can apply to be excluded from casinos, fruit machine rooms and/or online betting with Singapore Pools. This aims to help individuals regulate their own gambling behaviour. The exclusion regime does not apply to Singapore Pools’ physical outlets. Punters need to make their way to the outlets to place bets. The opening hours of these outlets are also limited. There are also other social safeguards in place to mitigate the risks of problem gambling. For example, the use of credit is prohibited and there are restrictions on advertising and promotion. Another consideration is that exclusion from Singapore Pools’ physical outlets may drive more gambling underground. Illegal gambling can pose a greater social harm to the individuals and their families, as well as law and order concerns.”
“The Courage Fund (TCF) scheme for lower-income households assists lower-income households which experienced protracted income loss due to COVID-19. Under the current eligibility criteria, individuals who are self-isolated after receiving a positive Antigen Rapid Test (ART) result but are not subjected to an Isolation Order (IO), Quarantine Order (QO), mandatory Leave of Absence (LOA), Stay-Home Notice (SHN) or hospitalisation due to contracting COVID-19, are not eligible for assistance. Based on the current COVID-19 protocols, these individuals are required to self-isolate for at least 72 hours and can leave their homes once they have a negative ART result. They are not eligible for assistance under TCF as their self-isolation period is likely to be short and they are unlikely to experience protracted income loss, which the TCF is intended to provide assistance for. On the other hand, individuals who have contracted COVID-19 and are placed on the Home Recovery Programme or brought to a care facility will be eligible for assistance under TCF. These individuals need to serve a mandatory isolation period of 10 or 14 days under an IO, which could affect their income more. We understand that there may be households who are unable to qualify for TCF assistance under the current eligibility criteria but are in need of financial support. These groups can reach out to us via the ComCare hotline at 1800-222-0000 or approach our Social Service Offices for assistance.”
“The scheme provides co-funding of up to 90% (capped at $2,000 per SSA) for SSAs to offer professional counselling services to their staff. To date, 63 SSAs, which employ over 12,000 professionals, are on board the scheme.”
“We have conferred with social work leaders on balancing staff well-being with maintaining service delivery standards, particularly during this period of high workload and uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. SSAs are mindful of the need to support their employees’ mental well-being and have undertaken various initiatives. For example, during the start of the circuit breaker, AWWA established a care team of social workers and psychologists, for their staff to dial in to and seek support from. The Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) also conducted mindfulness and counselling programmes for their employees, to provide advice, resources and training to improve their mental well-being. In addition, social service professionals can access self-care and coping strategies, through subsidised courses offered by the Social Service Institute (SSI) under NCSS. NCSS also offers a range of schemes and initiatives that SSAs can tap on to strengthen their human resource practices and capabilities. These include the People Practice Consultancy (PPC), Organisation Development Journey (ODJ) and the Transformation Support Scheme (TSS). Apart from these schemes, SSAs can tap on various other grants under the VWOs-Charities Capability Fund (VCF). The Community Capability Trust (CCT) will open for applications from April 2022 and will build upon our existing efforts to further support SSAs to achieve organisational excellence. Furthermore, to complement the staff welfare benefits offered by SSAs and to emphasise the importance of the well-being of our social service practitioners, NCSS launched the Caring for Social Service Professionals Scheme in May 2021.”
“The Member has also filed a question on the availability of compassionate leave for social workers who have encountered particularly stressful events in the course of their casework for a subsequent Sitting. I will address both questions in this reply. Social Service Agencies (SSAs), including those that run Family Service Centres (FSCs), determine their own staff welfare and leave policies. While MSF and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) do not mandate or monitor the leave policies across SSAs, SSAs, generally, offer compassionate leave as part of their staff benefits. At the same time, NCSS promulgates best practices related to compensation and staff welfare, as well as offer experts as mentors to human resource practitioners in SSAs. We recognise that the nature of work in the social service sector can take its toll and social service professionals may encounter particularly stressful events in the course of their work. To safeguard their mental well-being and give them an opportunity to recharge, MSF and NCSS have put in place several initiatives, including the National Care Hotline (NCH) and Sabbatical Leave Scheme (SLS). The NCH provides emotional and psychological support to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including professionals working in social services. The SLS is available to individuals with at least five years of direct work experience in their respective professional fields. It offers up to 10 weeks of paid leave so that they can recharge themselves, and a Professional Advancement Sponsorship to refresh their professional competencies. MSF and NCSS have also been engaging SSAs to raise awareness on the importance of organisational support for their employees’ mental well-being and to develop a culture of self-care.”
“The subsidised hawker meals provided to recipients who show their Public Assistance/Special Grant Card1 are community-led initiatives. MSF does not have data on these initiatives. The Government supports households who require assistance with food-related needs in a number of ways. For instance, ComCare beneficiaries receive comprehensive support that includes cash assistance for food expenses. As part of the support to households affected by COVID-19, the Government2 issued grocery vouchers to eligible households to defray living expenses. The community plays a strong complementary role with various initiatives. Through the cross-sector Charity Food Workgroup, the Government, community partners and corporates work together to enhance food support and coordination on the ground.”
“The National Anti-Violence Helpline (NAVH) was officially launched in February 2021, although it had begun operations earlier on 18 January 2021. Since the start of the Helpline until end-September 2021, the NAVH has received 6,300 calls. Some of these were multiple calls concerning the same cases. About 30% of the calls were general enquiries, such as requests for information on services available or what constituted family violence. The remaining 70% of the calls were reports of alleged violence. Almost all the calls involved violence in a family setting. Calls relating to violence in non-family settings, including between unmarried intimate partners, constituted less than 1% of the calls. The NAVH does not record administrative information of the callers, such as their age and gender, as the focus of the Helpline is to expeditiously attend to reports of violence, and provide advice or referral to relevant help services.”
“Our social assistance schemes therefore prioritise support for daily living expenses instead. Nonetheless we understand the pressures that families with debts face, and our SSOs will support ComCare beneficiaries with outstanding loans or instalment payments to take steps towards regaining financial stability. For instance, we will refer families with debts to relevant debt advisory services like Credit Counselling Singapore, where personal financial counsellors will guide them on the possible courses of action to manage and reduce their debts. Depending on their circumstances, the families may also receive further assistance to negotiate and/or restructure unsecured loans, so that they can make monthly repayments at reduced interest rates which they can afford. The families will also have access to financial literacy classes to equip themselves with financial planning skills such as budgeting, and support groups where they can seek peer advice. The Government will continue to regularly review the coverage and support quantum of our various measures, to ensure that Singaporeans are supported in meeting their needs.”
“The Government has introduced various measures to help Singaporeans cope with the impact of COVID-19. To protect workers and save jobs, we introduced the Jobs Support Scheme and Jobs Growth Incentive to help firms retain and hire Singaporeans, and the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package to help them access job and training opportunities. In addition, the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) supports lower- to middle-income resident employees and self-employed persons who, as a result of the economic impact of COVID-19, are involuntarily unemployed, or are experiencing involuntary no-pay leave or significant income loss for at least three consecutive months. The CRG assistance provides temporary support while these individuals actively search for new job or training opportunities. Households facing financial difficulties can approach our Social Service Offices (SSOs), who will assess their needs and circumstances, and provide ComCare assistance if they meet the criteria. ComCare beneficiaries receive comprehensive support that includes cash assistance to help the family meet the income shortfall for their daily living expenses on basic needs, such as food, transport, and communications. Depending on the household’s needs, they may also receive free medical treatment at public healthcare institutions and be referred to relevant government agencies or our community partners for further support. However, the ComCare cash assistance provided does not cover loans or instalment payments, which will vary depending on the household’s financial decisions and use of credit. Such payments also generally contribute towards the building of personal assets, which would not be appropriate for the Government to fund via public resources.”
“In line with the improving economic and labour market situation, the ComCare data for the first six months of FY2021 show that the number of beneficiaries has steadily decreased since FY2020. We do not expect the number of ComCare beneficiaries or quantum disbursed in FY2021 to remain at the FY2020 levels, although it may still be higher than pre-COVID-19 levels in FY2019. MSF will continue to work closely with other Government agencies and our community partners to provide support and assistance to individuals and families in need. We welcome everyone to step forward and volunteer with us in various initiatives as well. They can register their interest through www.volunteer.gov.sg. If anyone encounters a neighbour, friend or family member who needs support, they can call the ComCare hotline at 1800-222-0000 or refer them to the nearest Social Service Office or Family Service Centre for assistance.”
“Mr Speaker, in FY2020, MSF disbursed $236 million in ComCare assistance, a 56% increase from FY2019’s $151 million. The number of individuals who benefited from ComCare schemes also increased by 22% over the same period, to around 96,000 individuals in FY2020. These increases were largely due to the larger number of ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) beneficiaries in FY2020 and reflected the economic impact of COVID-19 as well as the additional flexibility that Social Service Offices (SSOs) exercised during the pandemic to provide ComCare support. For instance, MSF automatically extended the duration of support of existing ComCare beneficiaries whose assistance ended between May and October 2020 by a further six months, to provide them with a longer runway to stabilise their circumstances. Most new ComCare beneficiaries assisted between April and December 2020 also received at least six months of assistance. SMTA supports low-income and vulnerable individuals and families who may be looking for work, are temporarily unable to work or are earning a low income and require financial assistance. SMTA beneficiaries receive comprehensive support, which may include cash assistance for their basic living expenses, and assistance with their household and medical bills. They may also receive employment assistance such as job search and/or training and be assisted through referrals to other government agencies and community partners for casework and counselling. These help the families to tide over their temporary financial difficulty and support them in their journey to regain stability and self-reliance.”
“The Health Promotion Board holds mental well-being roadshows and workshops to provide stress management tips and techniques to employees. The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) has also been working with partners to address the issue of stigma and promote help-seeking behaviours through the "Beyond the Label" campaign. Community organisations play an important role in bolstering mental health support for the community. For example, the Singapore Muslim Women’s Association (PPIS) set up the SYM Academy to provide mental health support to Muslim women in Singapore. Many Malay/Muslim organisations also joined hands in 2020 to form the SGTeguhBersatu ("Resilient in Unity") Taskforce, to provide a psycho-social resilience framework and an e-info toolkit to help individuals and families cope with stress and challenges during this pandemic.”
“National programmes on mental health are available to all Singaporeans. The Government adopts a comprehensive and multi-pronged approach towards mental health promotion and suicide prevention. The key strategies are: (a) building mental resilience; (b) encouraging help seeking and early identification; (c) supporting at-risk groups; and (d) providing crisis support. For our children and youths, MOE has enhanced mental health education through the refreshed Character and Citizenship Education curriculum in schools, and mental resilience and well-being programmes in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). Within madrasahs, community partners like Club HEAL, which offers professional counselling support, partner national programmes to support the well-being of madrasah students. Teachers and academic staff are trained to identify students experiencing distress, provide timely support and refer students to counsellors or mental health professionals for further interventions when necessary. In addition, all schools, including madrasahs, will have a peer support structure in place by 2022. In the community, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) has been working with Social Service Agencies (SSAs) to provide persons at risk of mental health conditions with related information and basic emotional support, and link them to community resources and social assistance, where required. Persons with mental health needs can access mental health services at the polyclinics and partner General Practitioner (GP) clinics or seek support from 24-hour hotlines by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS). SOS has a text-based service to provide an alternative help-seeking platform for youths in crisis.”
“Any Government agency or organ of state that wishes to seek MUIS’ opinion on matters with implications on how the Muslim community practises Islam in Singapore may approach MUIS to issue a ruling on any point of Muslim law. Such requests are addressed by the Legal (Fatwa) Committee, which is chaired by the Mufti, and consists of four other members who are religious scholars and trained in the Syariah and Islamic sciences. The Fatwa Committee is further assisted by a total of 19 asatizah, including the two deputy Muftis.”
“The Department of Statistics (DOS) has provided the following estimates based on the Comprehensive Labour Force Surveys 2016 to 2019 and the Census of Population 2020. The mean and median numbers of children in the bottom 20th percentile category of households with children, including those without working members, are 1.7 and 1 respectively for the last five years.”
“The number of divorces filed since the end of the circuit breaker has remained relatively stable, averaging 542 cases per month. Please see Table 1 below. We would like to clarify that parties were able to file for divorce during the circuit breaker period.”
“Instead, research shows that cooperative co-parenting is associated with better outcomes for children and MSF will continue to support and encourage divorced parents to practise cooperative co-parenting to serve the best interests of their children.”
“Lastly, the appropriateness of shared-time arrangements for infants and young children remains highly contested2. An earlier study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies in 2009 showed that children in shared-time arrangements fared slightly better than those who were mainly in the care of one parent and spent some time with the non-resident parent on some measures, but the differences were small and largely disappeared after controlling for demographics and other characteristics3. In terms of local studies, MSF’s 2020 Study on Co-Parenting Styles ("Co-Parenting Study") found that the cooperative co-parenting style is associated with positive child outcomes, such as less child behavioural and emotional problems and better school learning behaviour, compared to parallel co-parenting and single parenting. Cooperative co-parenting is characterised by parents who communicate frequently and collaborate with each other regarding their children’s matters and make major decisions about their children together. Parallel co-parenting is characterised by parents who tend not to communicate with each other and seldom make major decisions about their children together, but both continue to be involved in their children’s lives. Lastly, single parenting is characterised by parents who do not communicate with each other and only one parent is heavily involved in their children’s lives. Our finding corroborates those from overseas which show that children who experienced cooperative co-parenting exhibit fewer behavioural problems. The cooperative co-parenting style was, however, independent of whether there was sole or shared care and control. Hence, there are no conclusive findings on the benefits of shared care and control both locally and overseas.”
“Over the past five years, there has been an increase in the number of civil divorce cases where shared care and control was awarded, from 161 cases in 2016 to 256 cases in 2020. This translates to an increase in the proportion of civil divorces with shared care and control orders made, from 5.6% in 2016 to 9.5% in 2020. Regarding studies on shared care and control, an overseas scan of Western jurisdictions that have considered or legislated shared care and control, also referred to as "shared parenting time", found that there is no consensus on whether such an arrangement benefits the child. For example, in 2018, a study by Elizabeth Keogh, Bruce Smythe and Alexander Masardo found that in Australia, which legislated default "shared parenting time" since 2006, shared-time arrangements may work well for children where separated parents are able to cooperate and communicate in ways that avoid or contain conflict. This increases the longevity and quality of the relationship between the child and both parents, encouraging parents to maintain or establish a meaningful relationship in all aspects of the child’s life1. However, the same study found there are also risks arising from shared-time arrangements, especially where (i) there are high levels of entrenched interparental conflict; (ii) where a parent has safety concerns; or (iii) where the child is an infant or very young. Where there are high levels of ongoing conflict, shared-time arrangements may be more damaging because children are likely to be “caught and used” in conflicts. Where there are safety concerns arising from issues, such as family violence, mental health, alcohol or substance abuse, child well-being could also be negatively affected in a shared-time arrangement.”
“The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) takes reference from the medical advisory considered by the Multi-Ministry Taskforce on capacity limits for worship services and safe management measures (SMM) to be implemented for religious activities. The Friday prayer capacity at mosques have gradually increased from 6,400 places in June 2020 to about 40,500 places currently. More worshippers are also able to walk-in to the mosques now to perform their individual and congregational daily prayers. MUIS will continue to ensure a safe environment for religious activities during this pandemic, especially for our seniors who also attend services at the mosques, by adjusting to the relevant national guidelines.”
“On 9 November 2020, the Straits Times reported the case of an individual who allegedly promulgated deviant teachings. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) and its Fatwa Committee then reopened this case for investigation as there was new information reported. The Fatwa Committee has concluded its internal investigations on this case and lodged a police report. MUIS is unable to provide further details as the matter is currently under Police investigation. The authorities will make its findings public once investigations are completed.”
“MSF does not have data on the number of family violence cases arising from underlying mental health issues due to COVID-19 uncertainties. It is challenging to collect such data, as perpetrators and survivors of family violence may not be forthcoming with MSF or community agencies regarding information on their mental health concerns. Some may also not be willing to be assessed for mental health conditions. Notwithstanding the above, MSF and the National Council of Social Service’s Intergenerational Transmission of Criminality and Other Social Disadvantages study found that about 14% of persons in Singapore who applied for personal protection orders (PPOs) or who had PPO applications made against them had diagnosed mental health conditions prior to their first PPO episode. While international literature suggests that symptoms related to a perpetrator’s mental condition may result in family violence, mental health conditions, on their own, do not necessarily cause family violence. Also, a majority of persons experiencing mental health concerns do not experience or perpetrate family violence. There are guidelines and protocols for our frontline professionals in MSF’s Adult and Child Protective Services and our partner community agencies, including those that deal with family violence, to guide them in referring clients suspected of having mental health concerns to the Institute of Mental Health or local restructured hospitals for further assessment and treatment. It is important for individuals with suspected or diagnosed mental health issues to seek assessment and treatment early, and for persons around them to encourage them to do so.”
“There is no specific definition or classification of parental alienation. Thus, the Social Service Agencies that work with families do not collect such data and the Ministry is unable to provide the number of such cases in the past three years.”