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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“In their investigations, NEA and SCDF did not detect any build-up of harmful gases in the air or find any abnormal factory operations or incidents that could have caused the smells. Despite the increase, the levels of the VOCs detected were also well within international safety guidelines. Once this was established, the public was informed that the air was safe. At the same time, NEA informed its counterparts from the Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE) in Johor of the incident and sought their assistance to locate the possible source of the smell. Following NEA's request for assistance, the DOE in Johor deployed its assets to investigate the incident. The source of the smell was finally traced to a factory in Pasir Gudang. A stop work order was issued against the operator of that facility by DOE and the operator was required to carry out a list of remedial actions. The Malaysia media reported on 6 October 2017 that the stop work order was lifted after the operator had completed the necessary remedial actions. Tracing the source of fugitive smell is not a straight-forward process and requires time and effort. After NEA reached out to DOE, the Malaysians reacted quickly to carry out site investigation, trace the source of the smell and take the necessary actions on the facility to rectify the problem. We appreciate their cooperation. Industrial premises in Singapore must comply with strict regulations and guidelines on the storage and transportation of hazardous materials. For example, the Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA) imposes requirements on the storage, use and transport of hazardous substances. These include putting emergency plans in place and preparing adequate emergency response equipment.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) maintains a network of real-time air quality monitoring stations across Singapore to detect air pollution. A number of these stations can measure low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the air. VOCs are vapours which can come from both man-made and natural sources, and they can cause smells by themselves or when they react with other VOCs. NEA supplements the air monitoring stations by deploying officers to affected areas. These officers are equipped with portable instruments which can measure the levels of chemical compounds in the air. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is also equipped with portable sensors to detect and identify toxic gases, including chemical warfare agents, in the air. In the late afternoon of 25 September 2017, members of the public reported smells in the Punggol and Sengkang areas. Similar reports were received from the northern and central parts of Singapore later in the evening, such as Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh and Bukit Timah. Upon receipt of the public reports, officers from NEA and SCDF were immediately deployed to check that the air at the affected locations was safe. The officers also conducted investigations at nearby housing estates, factories and construction sites. Both the air monitoring sensors and the air samples collected showed an increase in the levels of some VOCs in the evening of 25 September, which likely caused the smell experienced. The smell could also have been intensified by the light wind conditions during the period and only dissipated later that night when winds blowing from the south and southeast picked up strength. While there have been previous smell-related incidents, this episode was more widely spread across the island.”
“Mr Speaker, can I take Question Nos 2 to 5 together, please?”
“We hope to see more businesses implement food waste reduction initiatives and adopt onsite food waste treatment solutions. Businesses interested in installing onsite food waste digesters may also apply to the NEA's Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (3R) Fund for support.”
“In April this year, the National Environment Agency (NEA) launched the "Love Your Food @ Schools" Project to encourage schools to establish a culture of not wasting food. To complement this food waste reduction effort, NEA partnered 10 schools to pilot the use of food waste digesters, and to involve them in a range of activities, such as food waste segregation, educational talks on food waste, and learning journeys for neighbouring schools and community partners. We have seen positive results in participating schools. For example, food waste has been reduced from 18 kilogrammes (kg) to less than 10 kg per day in Greendale Primary School, and from 24 kg to 18 kg per day in Admiralty Primary School. The pilot is expected to last two years. At the end of the pilot, we will evaluate the closed-loop food waste management programme and consider future plans for other schools. My Ministry sees potential for greater use of food waste digesters. They could be deployed in hawker centres and coffee shops as the Member has suggested, or other premises, such as shopping malls. However, we recognise that there are economic and practical constraints, such as the cost of the digesters and availability of space. Currently, we are conducting a pilot at Block 628 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 Market to digest food waste generated by stallholders and patrons onsite. Under the contract for Public Waste Collection in the Pasir Ris-Bedok sector, onsite food waste treatment will be made available at two hawker centres – Block 58 New Upper Changi Road hawker centre and Block 16 Bedok South Road hawker centre. We will deploy food waste digesters at other hawker centres where suitable.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) oversees the cleanliness of public spaces in Singapore. Food left behind from the feeding of stray animals may attract pests, such as cockroaches and rats, and endanger public health. Containers with stagnant water also enable mosquitoes to breed. Members of the public who feed stray animals without clearing the leftover food or food containers may be fined up to $2,000 for the first offence under the Environmental Public Health Act. Over the past three years, the NEA has received about 1,600 cases of feedback on the feeding of stray cats. In most cases, the cat feeders were compliant in clearing any leftover food within two hours. NEA had to proceed with enforcement action in only two cases where the cat feeders refused to comply with NEA's instructions to clean up after the feed. NEA and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) also request Town Councils to dispose of the leftover food and litter to safeguard public hygiene and to put up advisories to remind their residents to clean up after feeding. In addition, both NEA and AVA will continue to work with animal welfare groups, such as the Cat Welfare Society (CWS), to ensure proper stray animal feeding practices. AVA is also working with CWS to produce a community engagement handbook which includes information on responsible feeding practices. The handbook will be distributed to community cat carers and volunteers. Everyone has a part to play in keeping our public spaces clean. We would like to urge all animal feeders to act responsibly and clear any leftover food or containers after feeding stray animals in our public spaces.”
“Bukit Batok is one of the towns identified to have a new hawker centre by 2027. My Ministry is at the early stages of planning for this centre and we will provide more details on the location and timeline when the plans are ready.”
“Notwithstanding the attention given to construction sites, many mosquito breeding sites are, in fact, found in homes. It is, therefore, important for everyone, including businesses and home owners, to remain vigilant and play his part to prevent mosquito breeding.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) stipulates maximum permissible noise limits for construction sites. In September 2011, NEA introduced the "no-work rule" whereby work activities are not permitted at construction sites located within 150 metres of residential premises and noise-sensitive premises, such as hospitals and schools, on Sundays and Public Holidays. In January 2017, the "no-work rule" was adjusted to permit a list of quieter works, such as painting and wall plastering, in such sites on Sundays and Public Holidays. Between January 2013 and June 2017, NEA penalised 411 construction companies for exceeding the noise limits at construction sites and 723 companies for breaching the "no-work rule". Of these, about half were repeat offenders. The maximum penalty for violating the construction noise limits or the "no-work rule" is a Court prosecution with a fine not exceeding $40,000. Besides enforcement, NEA has set up a fund to encourage and incentivise the construction industry to control and reduce noise at source. The Quieter Construction Fund provides subsidies to contractors who invest in quieter construction technologies, noise control equipment and other innovative solutions. Construction sites with poor housekeeping are potential grounds for mosquito breeding. Over the last five years, NEA carried out over 45,500 inspections of construction sites and issued more than 4,500 summonses to contractors for mosquito breeding. Over 420 Court prosecutions have also been taken against errant contractors for repeat offences and more than 380 Stop Work Orders have been issued. The majority of these enforcement actions were taken after 2013 as a result of a tightened enforcement regime.”
“Today, funeral wakes in Singapore are mostly held at Housing and Development Board (HDB) void decks and precinct pavilions. A smaller proportion of wakes are held in places of worship, private home compounds and purpose-built funeral parlours. Overall, there are sufficient wake spaces available to those who need them. HDB has traditionally planned and designed new HDB precincts to ensure that they meet the needs of the community. The National Environment Agency also works closely with other Government agencies, such as the Ministry for National Development, the Urban Redevelopment Authority and HDB to ensure the provision of sufficient land for the development of funeral parlours. My Ministry will continue to monitor the demand for funeral spaces and ensure that there are sufficient wake spaces even as Singapore's population grows and ages.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) regularly reviews its licensing regime as part of a continual process to improve the hygiene standards of food and drinks sold in Singapore. We recognise that many Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) shops have been preparing and selling herbal tea within their premises. Such food preparation activities, if not done hygienically, can pose risks to public health, such as giving rise to food poisoning. We have, therefore, engaged the Singapore Chinese Druggist Association and TCM shops on the proposal to license premises with onsite preparation of herbal tea and food so as to ensure the hygienic preparation of these products, strengthen food hygiene standards and give consumers greater assurance when purchasing such products. The details of the enhancements to the food hygiene regime will be released in due course. The implementation date of the enhancements has not been decided and we will continue to engage the industry to ensure that the TCM shops have sufficient lead time to get ready.”
“In addition, NEA has also worked with the People’s Association and CSCDC to assist SRHZ users who wish to operate in flea markets. So far, 27 SRHZ users have taken up stalls at existing flea markets around Singapore. Besides the provision of lock-up stalls at our hawker centres and flea markets, WSG has provided job placement assistance to SRHZ users who wish to seek employment. MSF and CSCDC have also actively helped those who require financial assistance through the ComCare and other schemes. So far, 28 SRHZ users have received either financial or job placement assistance. The Government will continue to keep in contact with those SRHZ users who require assistance but have yet to accept our offers. Meanwhile, we are glad to know that a number of the SRHZ users have already started to operate stalls at trade fairs organised by private operators and that others have ventured into sales through online platforms. We hope the Member and the community will continue to lend their support to the SRHZ users at our lock-up stalls, flea markets, trade fairs or online platforms.”
“Prior to the closure of the Sungei Road Hawking Zone (SRHZ) on 10 July 2017, the National Environment Agency (NEA), Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Central Singapore Community Development Council (CSCDC) had engaged about 200 SRHZ users to offer them assistance so that they can either continue their trade at alternative venues or make a living through other means. To date, close to 80 SRHZ users are now receiving some form of assistance even as they make the necessary adjustments. At the Parliament Sitting on 3 July 2017, my Ministry shared that NEA has set aside more than 40 lock-up stalls at our hawker centres for the SRHZ users who wished to carry on their trade. To date, more than 30 SRHZ users have taken up and commenced business at these lock-up stalls. To help them transit and succeed in their new environment, NEA has provided rental subsidies and facilitated their participation in a course to teach them merchandise display skills and explore a new range of items for sale. NEA has also helped to raise the awareness of the location of their stalls through banners, signages and social media posts. For the 11 original permit holders, NEA has offered them lock-up stalls at our hawker centres at subsidised rental with a full rental waiver for the first year and 50% subsidy off the subsidised rental for the second year. Of the 11 original permit holders, four have taken up the offer to operate a lock-up stall at our hawker centres. So far, of all the users who have taken up stalls from NEA, only one has changed his mind and decided to give up his lock-up stall as he felt that his merchandise might be unsuitable for sale in a hawker centre.”
“The evaluation was based on a matrix of price and qualitative criteria to deliver value to both patrons and hawkers. Among the qualitative evaluation criteria are the costs that potential stallholders will pay as well as the ideas to keep food prices affordable and the productivity measures to help the stallholders manage their manpower costs. The rents of the Yishun Park Hawker Centre are also comparable to other new hawker centres. Timbre will select the stallholders based on a set of evaluation criteria, which are the stall applicant's food type, the food taste and quality, the price of the food and their online presence. The Government will continue to work closely with Timbre to ensure that the Yishun Park Hawker Centre meets the needs of the residents in providing affordable and hygienic food.”
“The Government lets out hawker stalls to interested Singaporeans and Permanent Residents through open tenders. A hawker stall is awarded based on the bid amount and the proposed food to be sold which, in turn, has to comply with the designated trade for that stall as indicated in the tender notice. For example, if a cooked food stall is designated as a "Halal Cooked Food" stall, a bidder who proposes to sell drinks would not be successful, regardless of the bid amount. The amount that an applicant bids for a hawker stall would likely be influenced by factors, such as the location and condition of the hawker centre, stall size, the applicant’s assessment of the potential business volume of the stall as well as previous successful bid amounts at the hawker centre. To moderate stall rents, we have introduced key policy changes since 2012, such as disallowing stall assignment and subletting to prevent stall owners who have no intention of operating the stalls themselves from engaging in rent seeking behaviour. In addition, we removed the concept of reserve rent to allow the rentals to fully reflect the market demand for the stalls. Since the removal of the reserve rent in 2012, about 53% of the tendered cooked food stalls were awarded at below what the reserve rent would have been. On the whole, more than 85% of our hawkers pay less than $1,500 per month in stall rent. This is generally lower than stall rents in coffee shops or food courts in comparable locations. The Yishun Park Hawker Centre is a new hawker centre which will be managed by the Timbre+ Hawkers Pte Ltd on a not-for-profit basis. The managing agent was selected following the evaluation of the proposals received for the management of this centre.”
“Such provisions which are present in countries, such as the United States and Canada, can provide greater clarity to potential donors of excess food. At the same time, my Ministry is mindful of the need to ensure that any food donated is fit for consumption. We thus need to strike a balance to ensure that food donors and food distributors exercise due care and practise good hygiene when distributing donated food. We will continue to work closely with our partner agencies on relevant measures to better manage food waste.”
“Food waste is a waste stream of concern to my Ministry. In 2016, food waste comprised 10% of total waste generated in Singapore. This includes both avoidable and unavoidable food waste, such as peels, bones and shells. My Ministry is studying the various sources of our food waste to get a breakdown of this figure. In 2015, the National Environment Agency (NEA) launched a study on waste disposed of by households to better understand the mix of avoidable and unavoidable food waste. We are currently analysing the data that has been collected. A similar study on waste disposed of at commercial premises, such as food manufacturers, hotels and malls, will commence later this year. One strategy to manage food waste is to encourage the redistribution of surplus food. NEA and the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) launched a guidebook last year to help food retail establishments develop food waste minimisation plans. The guidebook includes guidelines on the proper handling and redistribution of excess food. Similar guidebooks will also be developed for food manufacturing establishments and supermarkets. The private and people sectors have also developed initiatives which complement the Government’s efforts. For example, the "11th Hour" app matches businesses with unsold food with consumers looking for last-minute deals. We are open to other ideas which could address unmet needs. Individuals or organisations with ideas can consider applying for funding under the NEA’s Call for Ideas Fund. My Ministry will study the possibility of Good Samaritan laws in Singapore with relevant agencies, such as the Ministry of National Development and AVA.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) oversees the cleanliness of public areas in Singapore. The frequency of cleaning depends on the cleaning needs of the area. Generally, the public areas, including the roads and highways, are cleaned by NEA’s cleaning contractors at least three times a week. Public areas with high human traffic can be cleaned as frequently as every hour if necessary. All open drains are cleaned at the same frequency as the respective adjoining public areas. NEA has put in place a system of regular audit checks to monitor the performance of the cleaning contractors. Besides physically inspecting the work of the contractors, NEA officers also use technology to assess the performance of the cleaning contractors, such as through sensors or cameras mounted on cleaning vehicles. Where there are service lapses, the cleaning contractors will be issued demerit points that translate into financial penalties. While the Government will continue to ensure the effectiveness of the cleaning services, it is not practical nor sustainable to constantly increase the number of cleaners or the cleaning frequency to keep public places clean. NEA and the Public Hygiene Council, together with partners, such as the Singapore Kindness Movement, have been working closely to encourage everyone to take greater ownership of our environment and establish social norms to keep our public spaces clean. Public cleanliness is a shared responsibility and it is only through our collective efforts that we can have a truly clean Singapore.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) does not have the mandate to enforce against touting in privately-managed food centres, such as Lau Pa Sat, coffeeshops or foodcourts in shopping malls. However, in the 110 hawker centres owned and managed by the Government, touting is expressly disallowed and NEA officers will keep a lookout for touting activities during their inspections. Those hawkers and hawker assistants who are found touting and harassing customers could have their tenancies terminated. Members of the public who want to provide feedback on touting in these centres can do so via NEA's website, the myENV mobile application and NEA's 24-hour Call Centre.”
“Vehicles are one of the key local sources of air pollutants, including Particulate Matter (PM) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), which may cause lung cancer and chronic respiratory symptoms over the longer term. My Ministry commissioned a study last year to identify cleaner vehicular technologies suitable for Singapore, especially as alternatives to diesel vehicles. One of the findings of the study was that electrification was promising for many vehicle types, including buses. However, the study also surfaced the challenges, including higher costs, reduced carrying capacity, long charging times, limited travel range and disposal of used batteries. To assess the feasibility of larger-scale deployment of alternative energy buses in Singapore, the Land Transport Authority will be conducting trials of 50 hybrid and 60 electric buses over the next two years. Meanwhile, my Ministry is studying the feasibility of requiring Government agencies to use greener vehicles for their operations. We are currently evaluating the costs and the environmental impact of the different options available, including that of electric vehicles.”
“I thank Dr Lim Wee Kiak for his question regarding the crocodile sightings in Sembawang. PUB was first alerted to a crocodile sighting in Sungei Sembawang on 10 March 2017. Follow-up inspections at the reported location were conducted, together with AVA, to confirm the sightings. However, during the joint-inspections, AVA and PUB did not spot any crocodile in the area. There are safety railings and "do-not-enter" warning signs installed along Sungei Sembawang to deter people from entering the waterway. As an additional precaution, PUB is installing wire mesh at the lower rungs of the railings at the reported location to act as a physical barrier between the water and the footpath. This will be completed by end August. Before this recent spate of sightings at Sungei Sembawang, there have been four confirmed sightings in our reservoirs over the past five years. Currently, the crocodile has stayed within the waterway. Nevertheless, we are monitoring the situation with AVA and we will take steps to trap and relocate it, should the reptile venture outside its inland habitat. Notwithstanding this, should members of the public encounter a crocodile, they should remain calm and keep a safe distance away from it. The public are reminded to not approach, provoke or feed the animal. They should also not enter the waterways at all times.”
“Therefore, we seek residents' understanding and tolerance, should they find these harmless mayflies in their homes.”
“Mayflies are a type of small flying insects that are found in freshwater streams, rivers and reservoirs. They are not vectors, that is, they neither bite nor transmit diseases. In fact, mayflies are universally recognised as indicators of good water quality. They are also key for a balanced ecosystem as they are food for a variety of animals who live in our reservoirs. Mayfly larvae can only live in clean and clear water and they emerge from the water when they are adults to mate for a very short period of time. While mayflies can be found in all our reservoirs, they have been particularly abundant in Lower Seletar Reservoir. PUB receives a handful of feedback through the year – December-March and July-September – on the emergence of mayflies around the HDB blocks in Nee Soon South near Lower Seletar Reservoir. Their emergence is seasonal and lasts for a short period of time, about one to two weeks, as each adult can only live for a few days. While mayflies may be an occasional nuisance, they are harmless insects that occur naturally in areas around our reservoirs. PUB has provided advice to residents who wish to take measures to prevent mayflies from entering their homes. These include switching off their lights when not in use as mayflies are attracted to light, installing insect screens at their windows or drawing their curtains, if needed. PUB has been carrying out regular checks around Lower Seletar Reservoir to monitor the counts of mayflies. Routine fogging for general pest control and mosquito control are carried out around the reservoir grounds and this routine fogging will also kill mayflies. I would like to once again assure members and residents of Nee Soon South that mayflies are harmless insects and an essential part of our natural aquatic ecosystem.”
“My Ministry's long-term goal is to prohibit smoking in all public areas except at designated smoking areas to protect non-smokers from the harmful health effects of second-hand tobacco smoke. Over the years, my Ministry has progressively extended the smoking prohibition to more public areas. In 2013, the smoking prohibition was extended to the common areas in residential buildings, including common corridors, covered walkways, lift lobbies and stairwells. Our regulatory ambit does not extend to prohibiting smoking within one’s own residential property. At the Parliament sitting in August last year, we had informed the Member that smoking within one's residential property, which is a private space, is not prohibited and beyond the Government's jurisdiction. The Government has no plans to mandate the provision of closed smoking rooms in residential properties. In this respect, we encourage smokers to be socially responsible and considerate when smoking so that their neighbours living in close proximity would not be affected by the wafting of second-hand smoke. Residents who are affected by the wafting of second-hand tobacco smoke from their neighbour's residences should try to reach out to them to resolve the issues amicably. Residents can also approach the Community Mediation Centre for assistance.”
“The original intent of the Street Hawking Scheme is to help needy Singaporeans and Permanent Residents tide over their financial difficulties. Under this scheme, licensed street hawkers are allowed to sell only certain goods, including newspapers, ice-cream, canned drinks, costume jewellery and phone cards, at specific, fixed locations in public spaces. These specific, fixed locations are designated by the Town Council or relevant land agency in order to minimise the disamenities to residents as well as unfair competition to the businesses and other stakeholders in the vicinity. Since 2011, we have received about 200 applications from Singaporeans to sell tissue paper under the Street Hawking Scheme. Of these, 24 were successful. The others were rejected mostly because the applicants had failed to show that they had financial difficulties or they wanted to operate at multiple locations which is not allowed under the Street Hawking Scheme. Street hawking is not a permanent solution for someone trying to make a living. Those experiencing financial hardship can and are being assisted by the Government through the various help and job placement schemes as well as training programmes for those who wish to pick up new skills and seek more stable forms of employment.”
“Vector control operators are regulated by the National Environment Agency (NEA) under the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act (CVPA). All personnel involved in vector control work have to undergo mandatory training in the safe handling and use of pesticides before they are licensed or certified by NEA. For instance, vector control personnel are trained to only dispense rat bait in rat burrows or in tamper-proof bait stations which other animals cannot easily access. Apart from regulating vector control operators, NEA also regulates the use of pesticides to ensure that they do not pose any public health concerns. NEA's evaluation of pesticides is done in accordance with the World Health Organization Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES) and only pesticides that are approved for use by NEA can be sold in Singapore after they are registered, labelled and classified properly. My Ministry takes a serious view of the indiscriminate use of pesticides and will take enforcement action against any vector control operator and vector control personnel who infringe the regulations. Any person caught conducting vector control work without a licence shall be liable to a Court fine of up to $20,000, or imprisonment for up to three months, or both. NEA may also suspend or cancel the registration of any vector control operator or the licence of any vector control personnel in cases where there are serious breaches of its licensing conditions. These penalties have proven to be a sufficient deterrence. Over the past five years, there have only been six incidents that required enforcement actions to be taken against vector control operators or personnel. Hence, there is no need to put in place stiffer penalties to prevent the indiscriminate use of pesticides.”
“Under the Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA), no one is allowed to stage any temporary fair without first obtaining a permit from the National Environment Agency (NEA). This is to ensure that all fair operators put in place measures to address potential public disamenities and public health concerns, such as cleanliness, food hygiene and waste management. For example, fair operators must have contracts with a licensed cleaning contractor to clean the fair site and a licensed waste collector to ensure adequate waste collection arrangements, while proper supporting facilities, such as washing facilities, must be provided for food stalls. The fair operator is also required to obtain written approvals from the relevant Government agencies and landowners. In addition, the fair operator is responsible for ensuring that the fair operates within the period that it is licensed and that the set-up of the stalls within the fair is in accordance with the approved layout. Besides issuing permits to the fair operators, NEA licenses the individual operators of the food stalls in temporary fairs to ensure that the food sold is prepared hygienically and safe for consumption. All food handlers need to be registered with NEA and pass the mandatory Basic Food Hygiene Course. NEA will take firm enforcement action, including the cancellation of food stall licences, against anyone found in violation of EPHA. Our schemes and policies are regularly reviewed to ensure their relevance. I would like to assure the Member that we monitor the situation closely and will introduce regulatory changes, if need be, to safeguard the environment and ensure public health.”
“Under the National Recycling Programme (NRP), public waste collectors (PWCs) are required to provide a blue co-mingled recycling bin at every Housing and Development Board (HDB) block and landed residential property. The PWCs are contractually required by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to ensure that the recyclables in the blue bins are properly collected and sent for recycling. These requirements include the use of dedicated trucks to collect recyclables, separately from general waste, and marking these trucks accordingly. NEA monitors the recycling trucks to ensure that collected recyclables are sent to Materials Recovery Facilities, which sort the co-mingled recyclables for further processing. Each truck is equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS), and Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is used to record collection from individual bins. As a further safeguard, these recycling trucks are prohibited from entering the incineration plants, where general refuse is disposed of. NEA imposes financial penalties on the PWCs if they fail to meet contractual requirements, including failing to collect recyclables according to schedule and failing to collect recyclables using a separate dedicated vehicle.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) awarded the study on how different types of disposable food packaging materials compare in terms of cost and environmental impact in September 2016. The study is expected to conclude in the second half of 2017. Between 2014 and 2016, the amount of domestic waste disposed of in Singapore was around 1.7 million tonnes per year, of which about one-third was packaging waste. Packaging waste includes disposable food packaging. Though the amount of packaging waste disposed of has remained fairly constant over the past few years, the amount may increase with population and economic growth. My Ministry manages the impact of plastic packaging on the environment through the safe incineration of waste rather than direct landfilling. However, it is important that we also continue to make progress on measures to reduce packaging waste. While my Ministry recognises that plastic bags and disposable takeaway containers are frequently used out of convenience, we strongly encourage businesses to reduce excessive usage, and consumers to use their own reusable bags and takeaway food carriers. Doing so would help conserve valuable resources and reduce the overall waste volume. We will continue to work with manufacturers, retailers and environmental groups to encourage consumers to reduce the use of disposable food packaging. More recently, for new hawker centres, such as at Our Tampines Hub, Pasir Ris and Yishun, we have taken the additional step of disallowing the use of disposables for dining in at these hawker centres. We will look into more ways to reduce the use of disposable food packaging based on the results of the ongoing study.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) does not set specific requirements for the cleaning of compactors at bin centres. However, our public waste collectors send the compactors to their depots for maintenance and cleaning once a month to ensure that the equipment is in good working condition and maintained in a clean and presentable state. In addition to the monthly cleaning of the compactors by the public waste collectors, all premises owners are responsible under the Environmental Public Health (Public Cleansing) Regulations for ensuring that their refuse bin centres are kept in a clean and sanitary condition and in good repair. For example, most Town Council cleaners practise daily cleaning of the external surfaces of the compactors. In addition, the cleaning contractors of all hawker centres owned by my Ministry are contractually required to clean the refuse bin centres daily. Similar arrangements are also adopted by the Town Councils for hawker centres owned by the Housing and Development Board. To ensure better management of the hygiene of bin centres, NEA is working with the cleaning industry to encourage greater use of technology to enhance the productivity and effectiveness of cleaners.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) conducts daily enforcement operations against smoky vehicles at both the Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints, as well as along major roads in Singapore. In 2015 and 2016, a total of 16,755 smoky vehicles were fined. Out of these, 6,339 smoky vehicles were foreign-registered. Smoky foreign vehicles spotted entering Singapore will be stopped for a "free acceleration" smoke test. Drivers of diesel vehicles that emit smoke exceeding 40 Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU) and petrol vehicles with visible exhaust will be fined. Beyond the fine, diesel vehicles that emit excessive smoke exceeding 70 HSU will be turned back. In 2015 and 2016, 390 smoky foreign vehicles were turned back at the Checkpoints. Members of the public who spot smoky vehicles are encouraged to inform NEA via their hotline (1800-2255-632), online feedback form at the NEA website or the "myEnv" mobile application.”
“I would like to urge all smokers to be considerate when smoking in public places and to smoke only in permitted areas so as not to cause disamenities to others.”
“My Ministry's long-term goal is to prohibit smoking in all public places except at designated smoking areas. This is to protect non-smokers from the harmful health effects of second-hand tobacco smoke. In 2013, the smoking prohibition was extended to sheltered walkways and linkways and common areas within any residential premises or buildings, including common corridors, staircases and stairwells of Housing and Development Board and private residential buildings. Last year, the smoking prohibition was extended to neighbourhood parks within residential estates and those under the purview of the Jurong Town Corporation. Those who are caught smoking in areas where smoking is prohibited are liable to a maximum Court fine of $1,000. The National Environment Agency (NEA) conducts inspections and patrols to ensure compliance with the smoking prohibition. From 2013 to 2016, NEA issued over 62,000 tickets for violations of the smoking prohibition at all prohibited places, with more than twice as many tickets issued in 2016 compared to 2013. My Ministry will continue to take enforcement actions against those who are caught smoking in smoking prohibited areas. However, as smoking is currently prohibited in more than 32,000 premises, it is not possible for NEA to watch over every location where smoking is prohibited. It is also unrealistic for NEA to respond immediately to a reported incident of smoking in a prohibited place, for example, before the smoker finishes his cigarette. Operators and managers of premises are required to do their part to stop patrons from smoking in smoking prohibited areas and request patrons who smoke to leave the premises.”
“Even when I was not a Member of Parliament, I could talk about this. I remember in 2002 – please look up the reports – when I was involved in discussions with the Government on a similar issue about uniforms in schools. What did I say? What did I do? I have a platform. Yes, I do. Did I have to go out and go and try and create havoc? No, I did not. I did not. This is exactly the spirit we want. We do not need a place in Parliament to voice things out when we know that it is sensitive. I engaged the Government quietly. I met Ministers, Senior Ministers of State ─ at that time, it was Dr Aline Wong ─ to discuss the issue quietly. We had an agreement that there are things that we discuss here openly and do not share out there because there may be things that may be misunderstood and we have to move on. Finally, the outcome of that particular episode was one where the Mufti, knowing very well what is the priority of our community, made a statement to tell us knowledge is more important for us to pursue, not just the covering of our heads. The community moved on. But why did the community move on? Because after that, the community leaders came together to calm the situation down and got everybody to move on. I would bet you, a similar situation elsewhere will not happen. It will continue to rile the community. It will continue to make the community upset because nobody will cede what they think is their right.”
“And, therefore, as responsible Members of this House, I hope the Member just does not do this as a matter of course because it is a responsibility to do so, even if it is your right to do so, but do this responsibly because we have a context, we have a very precious social fabric to preserve. I ask the Workers' Party and everybody here, respect that, preserve that. Because this is something we can leave for our children. [Applause.]”
“If I have not heard the Member, the Member also has not heard me. The Government does not address this in public forums, in debates, in places like this where sensitive matters can be discussed out of context, emotionally and, sometimes, because they are not easy to resolve, because they cannot be quickly resolved, leaves a lingering, unhappy feeling in a community. It may not be our community, it can be any community. Therefore, the approach of the Government is to address this within closed doors, with the community leaders and people who are responsible to carry the message for us and with us. Like I mentioned to Mr Faisal Manap, what is worrying me is not so much about whether he intends to sow discord. The imam did not intend to say anything to hurt the Christians or the Jews. But the Christians and the Jews, now that it is out in the open, do feel insulted. It is not only our intention that matters. It is our action and how people interpret it. I met some students in Mecca at Medina very recently and they were unhappy. They were concerned that many people think people who study in Mecca, Medina would have what they call Salafi thinking, not moderate, very extreme. And they say, "We do not do all these things. We say all the good things. We tell people to do only the right things as a Muslim." But I asked them, "Have you ever checked what people think and what people do after what you said and what you teach them? Have you ever gone to the ground to check the impact of what you teach them?" As an example, I told them there was a divorce that happened after they got the wife to become very religiously observant. The wife, because the husband is not so religiously observant, divorced the husband. And what were they doing? Only telling good things.”
“The Member does not need to intend to sow discord. But the practice of subtly and frequently bringing issues that are sensitive to the community, knowing that these are not easy to resolve and cleverly turning it into a state-versus-religion issue. These are all very dangerous moves. I actually wonder whether the Workers' Party and its leadership are committed to the racial and religious harmony which underpins the security of this country. Do we want to go back to the politics of race and religion of the 1960s, the politics we wanted to avoid when we left Malaysia? If we do not want that, why do we let a Member constantly raise these issues to stir the community, to tell them "you are different", to subtly suggest to them "we are not able to address your issues now because the Government won't do it"?”
“This calm that we have today is not, I believe, the level-headedness of Singaporeans. Yes, it is in a way, but it is because we have tended to our racial and religious harmony fastidiously. And, therefore, I will not take Mr Faisal Manap's tactic lightly and let him needle the community's sensitivity subtly and frequently. It leaves a lingering feeling of unsolved, unsolvable and impatience that, one day, I believe, will explode. Is that what Mr Faisal Manap wants?”
“In Singapore, we have allowed large doses of freedom in our religious practices, especially those that do not impinge on others. But when we have to do something that is in the common spaces when we are working together, what we do as what we call our religious rights sometimes have push backs, uncomfortable feelings about what we do, by other communities, and we must recognise this. Indeed, if each community pushes its own claims aggressively, there will be pushback, there will be animosity. Can we imagine that here we are campaigning for our Muslim ladies to put on their tudung, what are employers thinking? Do we also compromise the equal opportunity that these employers would have employed them on the basis of their competence, on the basis of their ability, and now they have to also consider whether they should be allowed other religious rights that they claim to be theirs? Thankfully, all of us, most of us, are patient and rational voices and, unlike Mr Faisal Manap, I do not believe things like this should be discussed openly, publicly and then left hanging without answers. I believe that we should call for constructive engagements like he said. But we must not do it at a place that upsets social harmony. We must not do it among people who have other agendas who we may not be able to control and then may have consequences we never thought about. Mdm Speaker, yesterday, like I mentioned, the imam was found guilty by the Court, two other fellows were given stern warnings but, today, there is calm in Singapore. I think if we put diary entries today, we would say "nothing of import happened today". But not so in 1950 when the Court awarded custody of Maria Hertogh against the wishes of the Muslims who consequently rioted.”
“Mdm Speaker, Mr Faisal Manap is not repentant nor apologetic. He insists his strident approach is the correct way to do what he wants to do, he needs to do. Perhaps, it is the spirit of the first world Parliament. I put to Mr Faisal Manap that his strident approach is putting Singapore's multi-racial harmony at risk. What we say about our religious rights, what we say is our right to do things in this multi-racial context may appease a part of our community, maybe it is even because we have to carry it out as a religious responsibility to voice it out. But remember others are listening, too. They are watching us. The Member may have spoken in Malay but everyone else understands the translated version, Members in this House and, later on, maybe he is posting to say that "I spoke about this". Yesterday, the imam who made offensive remarks about Christians and Jews was found guilty by the Court and fined for the offensive remarks. Two others who traded barbs over the new media were given stern warnings. But I want to quote what the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore told TODAY newspaper. He said, "Religious teachers must be aware that they are not just addressing their believers but also the world as well, and what they say can be heard by others, so they must be more cautious not to be seen as slighting other religions." This may not be about slighting religions but it also stirs emotions within our community and other communities who also have things and rites and rituals that they may want to do but may not be able to do because we value our common space. So, I believe this applies to all of us, all political leaders, when we raise issues on religion or race or language.”
“One such example is Mdm Zuraidah Bte Abdullah, who is the Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police, the highest-ranking Senior Officer in the Police; Chairperson of the Malay Heritage Foundation and a member of the National Library Board. She is the Commander of the Training Command. Another is Ms Rahayu Binte Buang, CEO of MENDAKI. Prior to this, she served as the Director in the Family Education and Support Division and Office for Women's Development, also took care of probation, family issues before she joined MENDAKI. Yet another is our colleague, Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef, a Senior Consultant at SGH Emergency Medicine. And let me not forget to mention yourself, Speaker, who has done so well. We are very proud of you, the community is very proud of you. You also led NTUC as the Deputy Secretary-General. Mdm Speaker, in conclusion, I wish to once again thank Ms Tin Pei Ling and all the women present here moving this Motion which, I hope, will help women, regardless of their race, religious beliefs or practices, make a mark in our society. [Applause.]”
“Mdm Speaker, we are fortunate because, by far, we have many among us who are clearly level-headed. Many of us, I understand and I believe, do not support the strident way to solve our problems. Indeed, even on the Internet, I have read about people who criticise Mr Faisal Manap for the way he has taken matters forward. However, there are people who support Mr Faisal Manap. I saw a posting where he was posing at the "Wear White" campaign with Mr Zulfikar Shariff, who was arrested for his views and support for the ISIS terrorists in 2016, I think, for the "Wear White" campaign. It makes us wonder if Mr Faisal Manap is supporting Mr Zulfikar or is Mr Zulfikar supporting Mr Faisal Manap, or are they in together because of a common cause? But, indeed, are there common causes they are in together? I would like to bring the discussion back to the core of the Motion. Many Members have spoken on this Motion and focused on how well we have done. Our women have achieved aspirations in education, supporting women at work and taking care of their families. These are things the Government will consider carefully, seriously. And these are matters all of us must work very hard on. Indeed, many of these policies have helped Malay families tangibly. We are putting our efforts in education, raising the levels of achievement, helping to retrain and reskill older Malays, and getting Malay families living in rental flats to own them. There is a lot of work to be done but we have made steady progress. Let me end by highlighting the great strides that Singapore Malay/Muslim women have made in a society that allows people of all races, all religions to make progress.”
“We do this in the spirit of mutual respect, recognising that other communities, too, come with their own perspectives on how they want to live in these common spaces. And this will take time to accept. There is a right time, a right place and a right way to discuss this. This approach has achieved for the community progress in recent years, which includes the extension of Edusave to madrasah students in 2013, waiving national examination fees for secular subjects taken by madrasah students in 2015 and better supporting madrasah teachers who teach secular subjects from this year. Likewise, the community can trust the Government and Muslim leaders to work together on the matter of the tudung. The community and its religious leaders know that this is a religious matter best resolved and progressed naturally with the acceptance of our larger society. Our religious leaders do not choose to be strident on this matter. I wonder why the Member chooses to be so. Mdm Speaker, the fundamental priority of this Government is to build harmony and trust among the races and religions and to protect this progress we have made so far. The issues of Malays in the SAF, tudung, even halal kitchen that the Member has talked about, are not issues of religion only. Even if they are put up that way, they are difficult issues to resolve. But, clearly, the way to make progress is gradually and quietly, working under the radar, to strengthen mutual trust and understanding among Singaporeans, so that we can move forward step by step. Indeed, that is how we have got here. Championing them in a high-profile way, which the Member does once in a while, using them to score political points, will not strengthen trust. It will only raise the temperature and actually make the problems harder to solve.”
“Mr Faisal Manap spent some time on these issues but he does not fail to leave behind a semblance, trails of these divisive issues relating to the community, everything from halal kitchens on ships to the issue of Palestine. He leaves behind to linger in the minds of our community not only to make them feel different, even to make them feel unjustifiably treated unequally. The Government has responded to Mr Faisal Manap's queries on the tudung issue and other issues, and I will not elaborate today, except to emphasise that we are a multiracial society. And we all have a role to play to enlarge our common space. This is not to say that religious aspirations are not important. In fact, they must never be set aside. Religion is, indeed, important to many of us. I assure Members that I, too, want to see progress on the tudung issue and religious matters that are dear to Muslims. I am also a father of a daughter. I am also a husband of my wife. That is why Government leaders and community leaders of all races and religions have been actively discussing such sensitive and deeply emotive matters in a number of closed-door platforms. It is not easily resolved, considering all the moving parts on this matter, but I am glad it continues to be under review. The process entails understanding workplace requirements and operational needs in the wider scheme of things. I caution the Member against making this a state-versus-religion issue. All these years, our approach has been to win people over slowly but surely, through mutual exchange and meaningful interaction to help Singaporeans understand one another, to understand every community's aspirations.”
“I would like to start by applauding the unity of the women in our Parliament in coming together to move the Motion on Aspirations of Singapore Women. This is important because only in unity do we find strength. I am heartened that our men, too, have stood up to help lend their voice in support of this Motion, which is a positive and forward-looking Motion. The speeches affirm the importance of the role of women in our multi-racial society and our economy. It is a far, far different cry from what we have heard maybe 50 years ago. They gave many practical suggestions to the Government on how to support all women in Singapore comprehensively: in leadership and social impact, employment and entrepreneurship, family and caregiving and financial well-being. However, I find the approach of Mr Faisal Manap worrisome. He has used this Motion, which is focused on the aspirations of all women in Singapore, to raise again the issue of the tudung, to focus on differences instead of rallying people to be united. He dwells on issues that can injure or hurt the feelings of the community rather than to inspire them. In fact, Mr Faisal Manap has used many occasions to raise potentially discordant issues in this House. I sat listening to him many times, championing divisive issues many times, like the need for halal kitchens in our naval ships and his perceived discrimination of the Malays in the army. Is it his or his party's position that these issues are the top concerns of the community? There are real socio-economic problems we have to deal with in our community − education, housing, jobs.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) takes into account several factors in the siting of new hawker centres and markets, such as the location of existing facilities, the availability of suitable land for new sites, and the population of the town. There are currently eating establishments and commercial facilities in the vicinity of Upper Serangoon Crescent. In particular, there are wet markets in Rivervale Plaza and market produce shops in Hougang Central. There are also two hawker centres with wet markets located at Block 209 Hougang Street 21 (Kovan Market and Food Centre), and Block 105 Hougang Avenue 1, as well as a hawker centre located at 51 Hougang Avenue 9 (Ci Yuan Hawker Centre) which was opened in 2015. There are no plans to build a hawker centre nor wet market in Upper Serangoon Crescent. Notwithstanding this, we review the need for new hawker centres to serve new housing developments regularly.”
“To further enhance the recycling infrastructure, all new HDB Build-to-Order flats launched since 2014 are installed with dual chutes for refuse and recyclables. As announced earlier, the provision of recycling chutes will be extended to private residential developments. Buildings taller than four storeys in all new non-landed private residential developments will be required to install dual chutes for refuse and recyclables from 1 April 2018. This will make recycling as convenient as refuse disposal for households. However, infrastructure provision alone is not enough, and we need everyone to make recycling a habit. To raise awareness on recycling, NEA provides information on proper recycling habits on its website and the myENV mobile app. A 3R video for households is also available on YouTube. NEA also works with schools and other community partners on public education programmes to promote recycling habits in households.”
“The recycling performance of the domestic and non-domestic sectors are key indicators which are tracked by my Ministry. In 2016, the non-domestic sector, comprising industrial and commercial premises, recycled 76% of its waste while the domestic sector, comprising households and trade premises, recycled 21% of its waste. We have set ambitious recycling targets to be achieved by 2030. In addition to an overall recycling rate of 70%, we aim to reach a non-domestic recycling rate of 81% and a domestic recycling rate of 30%. The non-domestic sector has shown consistently higher recycling rates. The National Environment Agency (NEA) works closely with companies to implement waste reduction and recycling programmes. For example, under the mandatory waste reporting initiative, large hotels with more than 200 rooms, and shopping malls with net lettable areas of more than 50,000 square feet are required to submit annual waste data and waste reduction plans. Based on the reports received, NEA engages the building managers of these premises on how to better manage their waste streams. NEA also works with stakeholders to develop and update Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (3R) guidebooks for different industry sectors. These step-by-step guidebooks are accessible on the NEA website. Regular engagement is also done with the industry to promote adoption of 3R practices. Our domestic recycling rate has remained at around 20% in the last few years. Our approach to improve the recycling rate for households is to make recycling more convenient and to raise awareness on recycling. Currently, every Housing and Development Board (HDB) block and private landed property is provided with a recycling bin while condominiums are mandated to provide recycling receptacles.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) regulates noise emission standards for new and existing vehicles. These standards are internationally benchmarked and are regularly reviewed. Vehicles to be registered for use on roads in Singapore are required to comply with the noise emission standards prescribed in the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations. Existing vehicles undergo mandatory periodic inspections, which include ensuring that the vehicles comply with the in-use noise emission standards. Passing the periodic inspection is needed for the renewal of the road tax. NEA and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) conduct joint enforcement blitzes against noisy vehicles. LTA takes action against the owners of motorcycles with illegal exhaust modifications, which are one of the main causes of excessive noise emissions. Since the beginning of 2016, 38 foreign motorcycles have been stopped by LTA for suspected illegal exhaust modifications. The owners of such foreign vehicles are referred to the Department of Environment in Malaysia, which will then notify them to send their vehicles for inspection and to rectify any illegal modifications before they are allowed to use their vehicles on the road. NEA and LTA take into account public feedback when deciding on the locations for enforcement blitzes, and they will look into the areas suggested by the Member.”
“All pet owners should clean up after their pets in public places. Members of the public who fail to clean up after their pets defecate in public areas can be fined up to $1,000 for the first offence under the Environmental Public Health (Public Cleansing) Regulations. Over the past three years, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has received more than 1,300 cases of feedback concerning faeces from pet dogs and stray dogs in public areas. As enforcement is challenging due to the transient nature of the offence, actions were only taken in four cases. NEA, together with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, have been working with the Town Councils to undertake road shows and community events as well as distribute educational materials to educate pet owners to clean up after their pets. Standees are also placed at prominent locations where animal waste is an issue. Not cleaning up after one's pet is irresponsible behaviour that dirties our environment. I urge all pet owners to be considerate and play their part in keeping Singapore clean.”