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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“Mdm Speaker, I share the Member's view that we need to inculcate responsible water usage among our residents. While we have planned ahead to ensure that our water supply is adequate, we need to enhance our resilience against the uncertainties brought about by climate change. Encouraging prudent use of water is an important thrust of our effort. We believe that good habits are best cultivated when young. As such, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) collaborated with five schools to conduct water rationing exercises this year during the Singapore World Water Day celebrations. Our aim is to reinforce the value of water among our students, starting from young, and inculcate the habit of saving water early. We plan to do this again and we encourage more schools and other organisations to join us next year. In addition, PUB has worked with the Ministry of Education to include water conservation topics in the social studies syllabus for Primary 3 students. It also devised a "Time to Save" programme where primary school students learn and practise water conservation. As for the wider community, PUB has been carrying out extensive outreach and educational programmes. We have also mandated water efficiency labelling and minimum standards to help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions and adopt more water-efficient fittings and appliances. Moving forward, PUB will be carrying out studies to gain a deeper understanding of households' water usage patterns so as to better design and implement outreach programmes.”
“Next, on the dengue vaccine, we have been closely tracking the development, MOH particularly. We need to carefully evaluate whether it is safe. This is new, so we do not know yet whether the quality is what they have promised it to be. In any case, the company responsible for this vaccine must submit a proposal to HSA. So, I think if Members are keen to understand better, best to ask HSA about the vaccine.”
“I thank Ms Sylvia Lim for the questions. Firstly, about the haze, about the MOU that had ended. We are as disappointed that we cannot continue with the MOU. So, it is not our move that terminated the MOU. For some reason, within the Indonesian administration, in fact, the last administration terminated that MOU. Now that we want to resume it, they also have different structures, different people. Despite promises that they will want to resume it, we have yet to hear from them when and in what form. 4.15 pm On our part, we are very keen to do this because that will put people on the ground, their people on the ground, to be trained in fire mitigation, in reporting the onset of haze. It will help everybody. And if it works well, together with the possibility of even working with our Malaysian Page: 74 counterpart who has successfully suppressed peatland fires, this can be replicated across Indonesia. It is, indeed, unfortunate that as enthusiastic as we are to help out our friends, we are not being well responded to. On the RAIC, the trial is promising. If it works well, we would be able to deploy it much more widely. I would like to urge property owners to not take this as the solution to solve their problems because many of the designs that I went to see together with my staff require owners to take steps to repair and make good where mosquitoes can breed. And, of course, this may not be able to be seen. Sometimes, we need the RAIC to see them. Just because we can see them and can drop Bti, we should not be doing this every year. We should not be doing this every time, because this, basically, is taxpayers' money. What owners should do is to take ownership of the problem, repair the problem, solve the problem and prevent the mosquitoes from breeding again.”
“I would like to thank the Member for the clarifications. We get the detailed maps currently from different sources, like from World Resource Institute (WRI), but we cannot proceed on these maps alone. We have to ensure that these maps are official and they delineate where these occur and who owns these concessions. In the case of one of the companies that we have given the Notice, Asia Pulp & Paper Company Limited (APPCL) particularly, they have published their maps. Therefore, based on where the hotspots were found, and the plumes we calculated that would have gotten to Singapore, we have served them Notices. And because of that, we are working on them. As for the others, we are still working with the Indonesian authorities to make sure what we see on the map, what we see on the satellite, match well with what they have in their records. Secondly, it does not matter if these companies wrap up and go, because, if they have done something wrong, they will be taken to task. The directors who are named in these companies will be taken to task.”
“I believe that every Singaporean can, and should, step up to do their part to take care of the environment for the future − where our children can lead better lives because of the actions that we take now. (In English): Mdm Chair, in conclusion, I would like to assure Members that my Ministry will strive to uphold the high standards of our environment and water resources we have inherited, even as we face new challenges like climate change. We are doing this not only to benefit Singaporeans now, but also provide a better environment for future generations and the world. For each one of us, this means living out the beliefs and values underpinning our Sustainable Singapore Blueprint: (a) use only what we need and use it well; (b) care for the place we live; (c) Page: 66 leave something good for the future. Mdm Chair, I now hand over to Senior Minister of State Dr Amy Khor to address other environmental issues.”
“We will develop water efficiency benchmarks and good practice guidelines, beginning with these big companies and, later on, we will move to the smaller companies. In addition, PUB has been investing in industrial water solutions, such as used water recycling. Since 2006, we have been working with relevant agencies to promote water-related R&D and develop the water industry under the Research Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) plans. We will continue to leverage Government schemes where possible, including the RIE2020 plan and the newly-announced industry transformation roadmaps, to foster industry innovation and growth. Mdm Chair, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Over the past 50 years, our pioneer leaders have transformed Singapore into one of the most admired cities in the world. However, challenges, such as climate change, mean that what has worked in the past may not be sufficient for the next 50 years. For example, how do we protect our coastal areas in the face of rising sea levels? How do we deal with issues like dengue, which can spread easily in an increasingly hotter climate? Similarly, the issues of flash floods are expected to become more critical, with more intense rainfall expected in the future. We need to constantly assess how new global trends and actions of others will affect us. We cannot go about our daily lives as if it were business as usual. We have to work with our neighbours and international partners in order to address these problems together. Ultimately, all countries in the world have to ensure that development does not occur at the expense of the environment.”
“More importantly, everyone has a role to play in preventing water wastage. Over the years, we have made some progress in water efficiency. In 2014, we used 150 litres per person per day, down from 165 litres in 2003. However, this rebounded to 151 litres last year. As we strive towards the SSB target of 140 litres by 2030, everyone would need to do our part to adopt more water-saving habits and making use of water-efficient technology. Er Dr Lee and Mr Lee Yi Shyan asked about our plan to encourage efficient water use. PUB will push for the use of more efficient fittings and appliances. We will implement two measures in early 2017. First, we will introduce a 4-tick rating for washing machines. Today, washing machines are labelled with two or three ticks. The introduction of the 4-tick machines will enable households to Page: 65 select more water-efficient machines from among the current 3-tick models. Second, we will phase out 0-tick taps and mixers and allow only taps and mixers with 1-tick or more to be sold or supplied. These are part of our plans to eventually phase out less efficient fittings and appliances by 2018. We will be consulting the industry on these plans. Mr Lee also pointed out that we need to help our commercial water users to use water more efficiently. Singapore's water demand is projected to double by 2060 and the non-domestic sector will account for 70% of future water demand. From January 2015, we have mandated the submission of Water Efficiency Management Plans (WEMP) by large water users. I am heartened that more than 600 large water users have submitted their plans to improve water efficiency and reduce water consumption. PUB will study the data collected from WEMP.”
“Each year, PUB conducts over 400,000 tests to ensure that our water is perfectly safe to drink straight from the tap. You do not need to boil nor filter it. Mdm Chair, on flood management, paradoxically, with weather extremities brought about by climate change, we can expect more frequent but intense rainfall. As Er Dr Lee Bee Wah and Mr Louis Ng pointed out, this will pose challenges to flood management. To prepare for this, PUB has been adopting a holistic "Source-Pathway-Receptor" approach. This addresses flood protection at all parts of the drainage system. We have an ongoing islandwide drainage improvement programme to increase the capacity of our "pathway" drains. There are ongoing projects at 101 locations islandwide to be completed in the next three years; and, this year, we start work at another 30 locations. In addition, PUB requires property developers and owners to implement "source" measures, including detention tanks, to slow down the flow of storm-water run-off into public drains. Developers should also implement "receptor" measures, such as higher platform levels, to protect their developments from flash floods. While PUB continues to find a balance between minimising flood risks and strengthening drought resilience of our water supply in the face of climate change, we must also minimise leaks and manage our water demand sustainably. In response to Mr Gan, we are mindful of leakages in our water infrastructure and are required to report to Cabinet periodically on this. PUB has a comprehensive programme to inspect and promptly fix problematic pipes. Through these efforts, Singapore's unaccounted-for-water is maintained at around 5% and our leak rate is at about six leaks per 100 kilometres each year. Both are among the lowest in the world.”
“PUB, the national water agency, has completed its Water Master Plan 2016 review. Under this Master Plan, PUB will continue to diversify and strengthen our water supply inventory. A second NEWater Factory at Changi will be completed by the end of the year. This will be our fifth NEWater plant and will be able to produce 50 million gallons per day of NEWater. PUB will also be building more desalination plants, on top of the existing two plants. Construction of the third plant in Tuas is underway and will be completed in 2017. The fourth plant is planned for in Marina East and, when completed towards the end of 2019, will also strengthen the supply reliability to the city centre. To further enhance resilience, PUB is exploring the Page: 64 development of a fifth desalination plant on Jurong Island. PUB is also planning to harness more seawater as a resource and will work with companies on Jurong Island to meet cooling demand with seawater instead of freshwater supply. Mr Gan asked about new advances in water treatment technology. This is vital and PUB is working closely with the industry to develop and test low-energy desalination technologies, one of which is a demonstration plant with Evoqua using electrochemical processes to remove salt from water. This technology has the potential to halve the energy requirement for desalination. While we ensure we have enough water, our drinking water must also be clean and wholesome. This is achieved through multiple treatment and control barriers and a source-to-tap water monitoring system, which is supported by a team of 80 water quality professionals trained in disciplines, such as water treatment, microbiology and water chemistry. Three of #myMEWR kakis are shown – Eunice, Yin Mei and Jia Lin.”
“NEA will conduct a small-scale study involving the release of male Wolbachia-Aedes at the end of the year at a few selected sites. This study will help us understand the behaviour of these mosquitoes in local conditions. We are not embarking on this lightly. We have studied this for years and have taken all steps to ensure that public health and safety will not be compromised. Our comprehensive risk assessment has concurred with previous findings on the safety of this technology. The release of male Wolbachia-Aedes will not pose any risk of biting nuisance or disease, because they are male mosquitoes. We will engage residents and stakeholders to provide more information on the technology and the study in due course. Mdm Chair, my personal worry from extreme weather patterns due to climate change is the new challenge it poses to our water sustainability. The drier weather these couple of years saw the water level in Linggiu Reservoir drop to historic lows, from about 80% at the start of 2015 to 36.9% as we speak, and decreasing when there is no rain. This has impacted the reliability of imported water that supplies half our current needs. Fortunately, because we have diversified our water supplies or sources, we have been able to mitigate the impact of the drier weather. But we cannot be complacent. Last month, the MIT published a study, which cited that one billion more people in Asia may experience severe water stress by 2050 due to economic and population growth, on top of climate change. Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Miss Cheng Li Hui have asked about our long-term plans to ensure water sustainability and drought resilience in the face of climate change. We will continue to plan and invest ahead of demand.”
“Similar to past years, cases may increase as we enter the traditional dengue season in June. As Mr Liang Eng Hwa and Ms Sylvia Lim pointed out, unless immediate measures are taken together, the number of cases this year may exceed 30,000, higher than the record of 22,170 cases in 2013. Mr Liang Eng Hwa also mentioned the threat of Zika. We have not seen any cases of Zika so far, but as Singapore is an open and globally connected city, Zika can eventually arrive at our shores. MOH and NEA have introduced additional surveillance measures. Zika, like dengue, is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, so the same control measures that we take for dengue also apply to Zika. Hence, all of us need to step up efforts to eradicate mosquito breeding in our homes and neighbourhoods. Page: 63 I am glad to see the strong community response in the effort against dengue – we have more than 5,800 Dengue Prevention Volunteers. We need more of them and will train 5,000 more volunteers this year. Our 850 dengue inspectors have also been hard at work. I highlighted them in my previous posting in myMEWRkakis. In the first three months this year, they carried out about 350,000 inspections islandwide; just the first three months. 3.30 pm While we step up this effort by engaging another 250 temporary officers this year, we are searching for better ways to tackle dengue. Our trial to pilot Radio-controlled Aerial Inspection Crafts to aid inspections of roof gutters is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2016. In the longer term, we will need new tools. NEA is conducting a feasibility study on the use of Wolbachia-carrying male Aedes mosquitoes to suppress the Aedes mosquito population.”
“The Government is mindful of the potential fiscal costs of implementing climate change measures. Therefore, we are working with the relevant agencies and MOF to determine the required adaptation plans and financing requirements so that we are well-prepared. Currently, where it is practical, we have made hard structures to protect our coastline. We are raising a stretch of Changi Coast Road and Nicoll Drive to guard against sea level rise and we expect this to be completed by mid-2016. These are just some examples of the measures we have taken to safeguard Singapore against rising sea levels. We are confident that Singapore is adequately protected from coastal inundation in the immediate future. To prepare for the longer term, the Building and Construction Authority is conducting a coastal adaptation study which will inform us if additional protection will be needed in the future for our coasts. Mdm Chair, the warmer temperatures are also of concern as they could lead to heat-induced illnesses, among other impacts. Government agencies have SOPs and safety guidelines on how to prevent and mitigate heat injury among vulnerable groups, as well as those involved in outdoor activities. The Government is also undertaking studies to see how we can reduce ambient temperature, whether it is through having more urban greenery, the use of different building materials or the design of developments. As Er Dr Lee Bee Wah mentioned, rising temperatures also pose an increased and significant threat for vector-borne diseases, like dengue and Zika. We have had more than 6,300 cases in the first three months of this year – more than double that for the same period last year. The recent decrease in cases does not mean that we are safe. It is not yet time to celebrate.”
“Therefore, the Meteorological Service Singapore has been building up expertise to understand tropical weather at a higher resolution because Singapore is so small that the results from global models would not be meaningful. We have to pioneer our own studies. I would like to highlight another #myMEWRkakis at work. Mr Raizan Rahmat, a Senior Research Scientist from the Centre for Climate Research Singapore, and his team worked hard for two years to effectively simulate a hundred years of temperature, rainfall, wind and sea-level projections for Singapore and the region. Drawing on a range of disciplines such as physics, climate science and atmospheric dynamics, the team developed climate scenarios that were used Page: 62 by our agencies to conduct impact risk assessments and make more informed decisions on how we can bolster our climate resilience. I wish to share some projections that these studies have made. By the last few decades of this century, the sea level is projected to rise by between 0.25 metres and 0.76 metres; temperatures may increase by 1.4 degree Celsius to 4.6 degree Celsius; and Singapore will experience more intense rainfall. Mr Pritam Singh made a suggestion about the possibility of setting up a Climate Change Fund. The Government is taking concrete action to prepare for climate change. We have set aside funds for various sectors and agencies to build up capabilities in climate resilience and look at how we can develop more cost-effective solutions. For example, the Government issued a call for proposals, under the Land and Liveability National Innovation Challenge, for researchers to propose innovative solutions to reduce the ambient temperature in residential estates by four degree Celsius, and that is not just by air-conditioning.”
“Our delegation, therefore, worked hard to broker consensus on the Paris Agreement so that all countries will take concrete action for it to be effective. Although Singapore only contributes 0.11% of global emissions, we are no less serious and have an ambitious target to reduce emission intensity. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change, under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Teo, is formulating our national response to fight climate change to meet our obligations and prepare for its impact. We have to look systematically at every area while continuing to ensure environmental sustainability, economic competitiveness and energy security. It also means consumers, households and industries, all of us, need to be prepared to make significant adjustments and trade-offs. To reduce emissions, energy efficiency remains our key strategy − we will enhance existing policies and study the introduction of new measures to improve the energy efficiency of industrial equipment and processes, our buildings and transportation. Although Singapore has limited alternative energy options, we can do more in terms of adopting solar energy. We have made progress towards increasing the deployment of solar energy to at least 350 megawatt peak by 2020. This will make up 5% of the projected peak electricity demand. Mdm Chair, climate science is a complex subject that we need to understand more deeply so that we can better prepare ourselves for climate change adequately. We cannot over-build because this will incur cost; nor under-build because this will spell disaster.”
“I hope to see more and stronger ground-up initiatives that demonstrate the business case to embrace sustainability. It is the sum of all these: regional and international agreements and cooperation, bilateral support, bringing errant companies to task, consumer action, including Government procurement, civil society advocacy, green financing. These will help us edge closer to years in the future without haze. We must press on with our efforts, not just during the haze season, but consistently throughout the year because this is a serious environmental disaster with wide-ranging impact for Page: 61 us now and for the future. Irresponsible burning over the years has affected the health of millions of people, impacted regional economies and caused irreversible loss of biodiversity. Singaporeans are, therefore, rightfully outraged because of its health impact; but more than that, the world is rightfully outraged because it also contributes to global warming. As mentioned by Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, based on the Global Fire Emissions Database, the fires in Indonesia produced more emissions per day than the entire US economy. The entire US economy − that is not a small number. This massive amount of emissions from a single source is a huge setback in our global efforts to combat climate change. This is a good juncture to move on to talk about climate change, which Mr Pritam Singh, Mr Louis Ng and Miss Cheng Li Hui have talked about. Indeed, while our pioneers were concerned with the environmental impact of urbanisation and dense population to health and hygiene, we are now faced with the impact of climate change. Climate change will have far-reaching implications on us and future generations. As an island state, we are most vulnerable.”
“Our consumers, and consumers all around the world, are rightfully indignant when companies here and abroad blatantly violate their health and well-being with unsustainable practices. They are sending the right signals. These actions demonstrate the significant power of a collective consumer voice. The Government will do its part as a consumer as well. I am pleased to announce that from third quarter 2016, the Government will take the lead and procure printing paper products that carry the Singapore Green Label, an indication that the supplier practises sustainable forestry management. Similarly, the Government will be taking the lead in fighting climate change and procure only electrical products that have been certified with high-energy efficiency. We will start with four electrical items − air-conditioners, lamps, televisions and refrigerators – and will gradually extend this to more items. A silver lining is that civil society and the private sector have stepped up to raise awareness of the sustainability of agroforestry products. We are heartened that WWF-Singapore, PM.Haze and the Singapore Institute of International Affairs jointly organised the "We Breathe What We Buy" campaign to highlight the link between purchasing products made from palm oil from unsustainable sources and the haze episodes. SEC has also announced the expansion of the coverage of the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme to certify products made using sustainable palm oil. In the financial industry, we saw the Association of Banks in Singapore launching its Responsible Lending Guidelines and the Singapore Exchange moving towards its "Comply or Explain" sustainability reporting regime. These are good steps, some maybe baby steps.”
“NEA is currently reviewing some information received from APPCL. 3.15 pm Of the four companies based in Indonesia that did not respond, NEA has recently served Notices under sections 10 and 11 of the THPA on a foreign Director when he was in Singapore. These Notices require him to provide information and attend an interview in relation to the on-going investigations. In accordance with the law, we will take what steps we can to enforce the THPA, bearing in mind that, outside of Singapore, there are limited possibilities. We will, of course, hold any Singapore-linked persons or entities to account. At the same time, even if the errant company's officers are foreigners, they will have to comply with the laws of the country, including Page: 60 the Notices under the THPA, should they come to Singapore. Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan has also suggested having settlement agreements and engaging the Law Society for future haze episodes. We could consider these suggestions when we next review the THPA with the experience gained in operationalising it, to see how it can be strengthened to hold errant companies to account – so that people take what we are doing seriously. Fourth, as consumers, each one of us can influence the agro-forestry industry through our purchasing decisions. Last October, the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) suspended the Green Label of APP's exclusive distributor in Singapore and partnered with the Consumers Association of Singapore to advocate for sustainable business practices. Consequently, the larger supermarket chains, such as NTUC FairPrice, Sheng Siong and Prime Supermarket, responded by removing all APP products from their shelves, while the Dairy Farm Group stopped the purchase of all APP products.”
“This system will need to be supported by effective information exchange among governments. We will continue to participate actively in ASEAN initiatives to address transboundary haze and urge all member countries to implement their national action plans and work towards realising the Haze Monitoring System. Second, we will continue to support Indonesia's efforts to tackle haze. Since 2005, we have been offering them assistance to fight fires and will continue to do so. We had also worked with the Muaro-Jambi Regency in Jambi Province on capacity building projects to deal with land and forest fires from 2007 to 2011. We have since offered to renew this collaboration under a proposed Memorandum of Understanding and are awaiting Indonesia's response. Third, we are addressing the commercial roots of transboundary haze by pursuing errant companies and encouraging the agro-forestry industry to adopt more sustainable practices. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Assoc Prof Faishal and Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan have asked about the steps being taken under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) and other measures to deter errant companies. Arising from the 2015 haze episodes, NEA sent Preventive Measures Notices under section 9 of the THPA to six companies based in Indonesia, requesting that they take immediate measures to mitigate fires and develop plans to prevent their recurrence. Two of them have responded so far. NEA is corresponding with them and verifying the information provided. In addition, NEA served a Notice under section 10 of the THPA on Asia Pulp & Paper Company Ltd (APPCL)'s office in Singapore to seek information on its subsidiaries in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as measures taken by its Indonesian suppliers to put out fires in their concessions.”
“Mr Heng Jiarui, a scientific officer, and Ms Fareena Abdul Rahim, a chemical engineer, are both officers in the Pollution Control Department who work closely with their teams to continuously monitor criteria air pollutants from some 22 ambient air quality stations islandwide. They also monitor 200 sources of industrial emissions for different types of toxic discharges and gases. If unusual emissions or discharges occur, a response team will have to investigate and stop the discharge. We can sleep easy at night knowing that these dedicated officers are watching our backs. Page: 59 While we are on the topic of air quality and PSI, I thought it would be a good moment to talk about the haze. Unfortunately, we are increasingly affected by transboundary haze pollution, as Mr Louis Ng and several Members have highlighted. Last year, we experienced one of the longest haze episodes. There is no easy solution to this complex issue. We need concerted action by all stakeholders to overcome this problem. On the part of the Government, we actively work with our neighbours bilaterally and regionally. Let me give you an update. First, we will actively promote regional cooperation because haze is a multilateral issue. As the haze is largely due to peatland fires, Singapore has facilitated the development of the ASEAN Guidelines on Peatland Fire Management with contributions from all member states. We also host the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre, which helps to monitor the fire and hotspot situation in the region. Singapore has led the development of the ASEAN Sub-Regional Haze Monitoring System which aims to increase transparency and accountability of errant companies responsible for the fires.”
“We are taking a step further. Motorcycles are significant contributors to carbon monoxide and ozone. We need to raise their emission standards in step with improvements in technology. We will, therefore, be tightening the emission standards for new motorcycles to the latest Euro IV standards. This will be done in phases: for large motorcycles above 200 cc from 1 January 2018, and for small motorcycles of 200 cc and below from 1 January 2020. We are also concerned about emissions from diesel vehicles. Amid their increasing popularity worldwide, there are increasing concerns about their health and environmental impact. In the wake of the recent Volkswagen scandal, regulators around the world are looking closely at the real world emissions of diesel vehicles, which have been shown to deviate significantly from what is measured in laboratory tests. We have to re-look at the widespread use of diesel technology carefully and minimise the public's exposure to risks in the future. To do this, we will conduct a study of pollution from diesel vehicles in Singapore. The results of this study will aid in the review of future vehicular emission policies. Most Singaporeans are only concerned with air quality during haze episodes, especially the PSI shown on their phone apps or on television screens. There is actually a whole team of NEA officers working behind the scenes to keep tabs on the air we breathe in every day. Those of you who follow my Facebook page would know that since the start of this year, I have been featuring MEWR-family staff under #myMEWRkakis to highlight the work of staff and to show my appreciation to them. Allow me to highlight two more officers here.”
“When asked what were the top environmental challenges in Singapore, respondents identified air pollution, cleanliness of public areas and vector-borne diseases as the top three, understandably. As you can see, almost three-quarters of the Page: 58 respondents considered air pollution as a top challenge. That is what I will deal with first. My Ministry, together with the Ministry of National Development, launched the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015 with a holistic vision of a Liveable and Endearing Home, a Vibrant and Sustainable City, and an Active and Gracious Community. It brings together all the things we need to do, so that all of us, whether we are Government, business or people, can work together as one towards a Sustainable Singapore. Under SSB 2015, we have set air quality targets for 2020 and, as Assoc Prof Faishal pointed out, we need to press on with our efforts to reduce local sources of air pollution, as well as carbon, if we are to fulfil our local and international obligations. Studies by the World Health Organization and others have confirmed the harm that air pollution does to our health. Therefore, we have systematically introduced policies to reduce air pollution from industries and vehicles. Last year, we tightened standards for emissions from industries and extended the Early Turnover Scheme to include Euro II and Euro III diesel commercial vehicles to incentivise the replacement of older and more pollutive commercial vehicles sooner. Emission standards for new motor vehicles are also being tightened – all new petrol motor vehicles will have to be Euro VI – compliant from September 2017 and all new diesel motor vehicles from January 2018. These are the latest international emission standards for petrol and diesel vehicles.”
“Mdm Chair, I have asked the Clerk to place an infographic for MEWR COS 2016 on the seats for the sake of Members. Last year, we celebrated SG50 to reflect on our achievements of the past 50 years. Even in our early years, Mr Lee Kuan Yew was already clear that we needed to address poor sanitation, clean our dirty streets, detoxify our polluted rivers. His vision was of a clean and green Singapore. It was because of this drive that Singapore became one of the earliest countries in the world to set up a Ministry dedicated to the environment in 1972. Mr Lim Kim San, the first Minister for the Environment summed up our environmental challenges well. He said: "Singapore is getting so urbanised that if we don't take action now to keep our environment clean, it will be too late." So, he got to work, and he and the others that came after him, helped to build our City in a Garden that we see today. My Ministry conducted a survey in December last year to better understand Singaporeans' perceptions of environmental issues. The survey shows, among other things, that most respondents continue to recognise that it is everyone's responsibility to deal with the environment and that most view aspects of the environment as important parts of Singapore life. That is heartening. Mdm Chair, with your permission, I would like to show some slides, please.”
“As part of the maintenance of hawker centres, cyclical repairs and redecorations works, including the repainting of the centre and replacement of fixtures, are carried out by the National Environment Agency or the respective Town Councils every five to seven years. Over a longer term, major works, such as the replacement of plumbing, sanitary systems, electrical rewiring, exhaust motors, lifts and escalators, as well as re-roofing, may also be carried out. Stallholders who are directly affected by these works and who are unable to operate their stalls due to the closure of the centres may be given rental remission for the duration of the works. My Ministry will take into consideration the suggestion to facilitate the hawkers attending relevant training during the closure period.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) oversees the cleanliness of public areas in Singapore. Private estates are cleaned at least three times every week by NEA and its cleaning contractors. The actual frequencies of cleaning depend on the ground conditions, such as human traffic and natural vegetation. NEA has put in place a system of regular audit checks to monitor the performance level of these cleaning contractors. Besides physically inspecting the maintenance work, NEA officers also assess the progress and outcome of cleaning works through sensors and mobile cameras. Where there are service lapses, the cleaning contractors will be given default points which translate into financial penalties. While the Government will continue to ensure the effectiveness of such cleaning services, we should not rely on cleaners to clean up after us. I would like to urge everyone to take ownership of the environment to keep it clean. It is only through our collective efforts that we can have a truly clean Singapore.”
“Under the cleaning licensing regime, cleaning businesses are required to pay resident cleaners according to the wage levels specified in the Order by the Commissioner of Labour. The Order currently adopts the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for cleaners, which was determined through tripartite negotiations by the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners (TCC) to provide a pathway for cleaners’ wages to progress with training and improvements in productivity and standards. The PWM is reviewed periodically by the TCC in consultation with various stakeholders including the industry and unions, and takes into consideration the National Wage Council’s (NWC) recommendations. We will work with the Ministry of Manpower to raise the Member's suggestion of payment of Annual Wage Supplement and annual increment as a licensing condition for deliberation by the TCC.”
“After running this programme for two to three years, and looking at and assessing outcomes, we are now doing a little bit more than what we have done in the past which was to merely educate, confine it to just some organisations and not expand it to everybody. The process of allowing volunteers to follow NEA officers has already taken place and that is why we are implementing what we are implementing today. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M]. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee. (proc text)] [Mdm Speaker in the Chair]”
“Certainly, we expect our Chief Executive of NEA to be a responsible officer, not to just do whatever he thinks he can do because the Act empowers him. There will be processes and procedures that he has to comply with and be answerable to the Minister. Let me give you an example of what kind of process he has to go through to ensure that he can empower this person. The volunteer must first be appointed by NEA under section 16A as an auxiliary officer. Once appointed, the officer would then need to be authorised by the CEO to exercise the specific enforcement powers under the EPHA and that would depend on what the Ministry wants to enforce or deploy the volunteers for. Lastly, the Director-General needs to appoint the individuals as authorised officers under EPHA before the individuals can exercise the powers granted. So, there are at least two levels: the CEO and the Director-General. And then, later on, deployment with the NEA officers to ensure that after they are trained, they are deployed properly. The CEO does not give a blanket power to every auxiliary officer to perform the duties that they want. He will be ascribed to particular areas that we want them to be effective in, in protecting our environment.”
“I thank Mr Pritam for the question. That, indeed, will be how we will do it initially. When we deploy the volunteers, especially when they are new, we will deploy them in groups, in bright spots, not everywhere, not anywhere, not anytime, to make sure they are focusing on a particular area that they are trying to own and be part of it. Over time, after being observed and observing the NEA officers, on assessment of the supervisors, people who are experienced, who assess that, yes, this group of people can be left on their own, over time, we will let them do it on their own.”
“We have been consulting our volunteers on the ground. They tell us that, apart from just being volunteers being deployed, being good citizens, it will be useful, in fact, it would be effective, if they do have those powers. But we are concerned too that they may abuse their powers and, therefore, the synergy between the NEA enforcement officers and these volunteers is going to be key. As what we are doing today, we have to train them, we have to monitor them, we have to supervise them, to make sure that they are reporting properly, filling up forms as officers should be doing, to ensure that at the end of the day, these powers are there for them to be able to use but not for them to abuse.”
“You can ask Parliamentary Questions; you can file a cut; you can move a Motion. Then, we will divulge every incident that may be in question and be accountable for the act that we have done. Members have asked how many volunteers we have in mind. We want as many as possible. We want them everywhere, particularly in areas where we want to convert to Bright Spots places where people usually litter or commit environmental offences. We want to put CVs there and make them a common presence for people to be noticed. When we deploy these volunteers, we will not just be working with organisations. We will be deploying them as individuals who want to work together and be managed by NEA. NEA officers will be around to make sure that initially they are guided, they know their duties, they learn how to be deployed properly and, over time, with experience, we can leave them on their own.”
“We have been working with MOE to inculcate in our young a sense of responsibility and good habits. We are working with MOE to ensure that by end-2016, daily cleaning by students would be introduced in all our schools, from primary schools to junior colleges. This is one of the things that we are doing in addition to enlarging the space for people to volunteer and encourage people to keep the environment clean because it is their environment and it is their space. Mdm Speaker, Mr Pritam has asked some questions which I will try to respond to now. What criteria will new organisations need to fulfil? This Act is not about organisations anymore; it is about individuals. We will enrol individuals who want to participate in this scheme. We will interview and screen them and deploy them in groups at Bright Spots so that they can own the space and it may not be where they live. If there are places where we do not have enough volunteers, we will deploy them there, initially paired together with NEA officers to teach them the ropes and over time make their presence felt by the public, so that they too, are a familiar face amongst the community living there and not just a mere face of enforcement out there to make good or issue tickets to people who have committed offences. Indeed, volunteers, if not managed, may abuse their powers, if not trained, if not supervised, may commit such offences. Therefore, it is important for us to embrace them to make sure they are part of a strong team that can do this work well and pursue their interests in becoming environmental champions. Can these powers be conferred to the CEO of NEA? I say yes. Because, ultimately, if we have done it wrong, we have to be accountable to Parliament.”
“In addition, all CVs must be Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents and at least 18 years old. Er Dr Lee and Mr Gan have also mentioned about equipping body-worn cameras to protect our CVs. NEA has been progressively equipping our officers with body-worn cameras since 2015. These have helped to prevent abuse by offenders, protect our officers from allegations of unprofessional conduct, as well as remind our officers to abide by our operational protocol. Let me mention again that the main role of the CV is to educate offenders, and the feedback received from our current CVs reflect that majority of the offenders are indeed cooperative; they are our fellow Singaporeans and not criminals. They may have done something wrong, maybe in a momentary lapse of judgement, they may have littered. When someone, a fellow citizen, comes and tells them, "please bin the litter", majority of them will pick it up and do exactly what they have been told. Notwithstanding this, our CVs will be considered as public servants for the purposes of the Penal Code and exercising the power of enforcement and will be protected under the Protection from Harassment Act from any indecent, threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour or words when they are executing their duties, as I mentioned just now. Er Dr Lee, Mr Gan, Mr Louis, Assoc Prof Daniel, Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Png all mentioned about cultivating a sense of responsibility for the environment. I agree that the cleaning profession is tough and our cleaners face an uphill task in cleaning after us every day. We must have that respect for our cleaners and inculcate a sense of responsibility towards the environment and we, indeed, must begin this from young.”
“I agree though with the Members that good volunteers do not come on their own; we need to manage them, we need to affirm their contribution to the cause. Therefore, training and monitoring will all be part of what we do with the volunteers. It is not just giving them a badge, giving them the powers to do whatever they want and then they start issuing tickets to their neighbours and friends. That is just an imagination of what could go wrong, but I do not believe Singaporeans would do that kind of thing. We will make a lot of efforts to recognise our CVs. We will show them up in our media, feature them, the good things that they have been doing, For example, in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015, we have been highlighting the contributions of our CVs. But we must explore more ways to make sure that their work is affirmed, valued and recognised by our community. Er Dr Lee and Mr Gan also mentioned that there should be stringent screening criteria. Indeed, we will do that. We must ensure that we choose suitable individuals who have the right public spirit, good communication skills, as Assoc Prof Daniel Goh has mentioned, to ensure that the work they do is not the same work that our enforcement officers do, just to enforce. They must be able to engage, to communicate and ensure that at the end of the day, they do this because together they can ensure everyone love the environment deeply. Prior to joining the CV programme, we will properly screen and interview each individual to assess his interest and maturity towards environmental activities. We will monitor what they do; if they have the propensity to issue summons almost every hour, certainly this is not the right kind of person that we should be deploying.”
“For a start, what we want to do is to scope it to make sure that when we get newly recruited CVs, we will get them to adopt Bright Spots and then work with the local community to adopt and clean and improve the cleanliness and hygiene of the area through advocacy, outreach and educational activities. That is how they would start; it is not about teaching them to enforce, getting them to enforce, getting them to issue summons and so forth. As the CVs mature in their volunteering journey, the more experienced ones may even organise their own environmental activities and include enforcement patrols beyond Bright Spots, but this will take time. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah also mentioned the idea of empowering civilians with enforcement powers. This is certainly not unique to Singapore; it has been done in many countries. Indeed, in Singapore, Mr Pritam would also know that we have volunteer Police with enforcement powers. So far, they have carried out their duties very well; they are as good as our policemen; they are dressed like our policemen; they carry out police duties; they do not abuse their powers. Why is that so? Because, to the volunteers, it is important for them to uphold their duties, also as Singaporeans, in the intent of the act of the law. But, unlike the Police Community Support Officers in the UK cited by Er Dr Lee, our CVs are not paid. I know the new version of Police Community Support Officers will also not be paid and that is a great change in the way they are doing things. Our CVs, so far, are those who are passionate about the environment and are willing to step forward to take ownership of the environment. So, volunteering must come from the heart.”
“Mdm Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank the Members for their interest in the Bill, some are in total support of the Bill. Some are not in total support of the Bill. Allow me to respond to the points raised by them and for those that I cannot, I will do it during the clarification time. I would like to thank Mr Gan and Mr Png for asking whether the Community Volunteer (CV) programme is meant to save NEA's resources. It is not. The expanded CV programme is to allow more members of the public to participate and take greater ownership in the care of the environment. It is not to supplement NEA's enforcement headcount. It would not help NEA save resources. As I have mentioned just now, the primary role of the CV is to educate environmental offenders so that they are responsible for binning their trash. That would be our primary goal where littering is concerned. We want to help them perform this role effectively and therefore we need to train our CVs; we need to give them certain powers so that they can perform their duties as volunteers as effectively as possible. Today, CVs do have to provide NEA with the details of offenders for enforcement. The experience of our volunteers under the existing CV programme found that the majority of litterbugs will comply when approached to pick up their litter without any need for further enforcement action. So, it is already working. Indeed, when we need to enforce, the numbers are very small. Such engagement and education have been effective so far and we will carry on this mode of deployment. The amended Bill will allow the CV programme to be expanded to allow individuals to join the programme, not just organisations.”
“However, I feel that to maintain the passion of these volunteers is not easy. Contributions from Community Volunteers are not as noticeable as volunteers who help the vulnerable. The authority should explore how to increase environment awareness in the society and encourage the community to express gratitude towards these volunteers. I hope the employers, bosses, CEOs and community leaders can set an example and encourage their subordinates to care for the environment. Ultimately, I hope that everyone in our society can do his or her part for the environment and reduce our reliance on cleaners. I support this Bill. 3.28 pm”
“But for littering and smoking causes, often people cannot visualise the impact they are contributing to the environment. Many think that this is not their job. And some even labelled their friends or volunteers, "They are kaypoh." The inclination is to shower less admiration for their work done. Perhaps, employers should pay more attention to job applicants who are volunteering for good causes. Bosses, top management, CEOs and community leaders should lead by example. Generating more public awareness will not only help to promote the importance of environmental volunteerism, but also give them the recognition they truly deserve. The eventual goal of expanding the CV scheme should lead to long-term plans to further this to the masses. Ultimately, this scheme will, hopefully, pave the path to two goals: a society that supports volunteering and civic engagement and a nation where the general public feels motivated to fight for their rights to a healthy, clean and green living environment and not depend on a large army of cleaners. When I mentioned "large army of cleaners", in Taipei, there are three million people and they have 5,000 cleaners. In Singapore, we have five million people. You know how many cleaners we have? By proportion, it is many, many times. We have 70,000 cleaners. Three million in Taipei, 5,000 cleaners. We have five million people in Singapore; we have 70,000 cleaners. I hope to see this number reduced in due course. Mdm Speaker, please allow me to give a brief summary in Chinese. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Ministry of Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) proposed that we should train more volunteers so that they can enforce the law to deal with litterbugs. I strongly support this.”
“I believe there would be stringent screening of those who want to volunteer under this scheme so that what attracts them is their passion to serve and not the appetite for authority or power. Next, we have to think of how to protect these volunteers. I fully support the use of body-worn cameras and, besides that, tough punishment have to be meted out for those who abuse the law enforcement officers. Mdm Speaker, despite the possible challenges of engaging and empowering volunteers, it is undeniable that we need to integrate volunteerism into our community. But like any work, be it full-time or voluntary, people must be properly motivated and managed. Early this year, there have been some opinion pieces in the TODAY newspaper discussing the act of incentivising volunteers. I think volunteer management is something we need to consider very carefully in our long-term plan to recruit and empower more volunteers. How do we maintain the motivation in our volunteers? How do we keep that flame alive year after year? Job satisfaction, the feeling of being wanted, the thought of having made a difference, their love for environment are powerful emotions that spur the volunteers. Volunteers need to feel appreciated to continue their work or they will move on to other causes. One thing can be for sure, we should never reduce volunteerism to just a dollar value. However, I certainly believe that more can be done to raise the social profile of volunteers. When we hear someone say they are volunteering for the United Nations, or the SPCA, or a nursing home or orphanage, our first reaction is often to express admiration for the person. Why? Because we feel that he or she is directly contributing to the cause of improving and helping the less fortunate.”
“I hope that, eventually, it will be progressed, like what is happening in Japan and Taiwan, where every student not just clean their own classroom, they clean the school compound, they wash the toilets, they sort out the litter and they do not have cleaners in the schools. Mdm Speaker, the idea of empowering regular civilians to enforce offences is, in fact, not a foreign concept. This not only helps to save resources and generate more efficiency, but as a ground-up initiative, it will have more social impact. It will foster social norm and I hope that it will remind would-be litterbugs that there are eyes around them; there are people who care and love the environment watching them all the time. Since 2002, the UK has roped in volunteers to become Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), who help support front line officers by dealing with minor offences and anti-social behaviour, including littering. They play a crucial role in neighbourhood and police work, freeing up time and resources for the police to focus on other more crucial crimes. They are paid a token salary; however, there are now plans to engage unpaid volunteers. In Mumbai, volunteers could fine litterbugs, a move welcomed by the volunteers who bemoaned apathetic litterbugs that refused to heed warnings. These volunteers are armed with ID cards and arm bands as identification proof. But as with all "super volunteers", the greatest challenge remains in finding volunteers with the relevant skills, commitment and integrity to carry out their duties. Passion is important, but it does not necessarily equate suitability. Adequate training and resources will have to be invested in this programme.”
“To address the littering problem, my grassroots team and I have been organising monthly litter-picking exercises. These involve residents and students in our neighbourhood estates. When I mooted this monthly litter-picking in 2012, there was a lot of initial scepticism. I was asked, "Bee Wah, are you sure or not? What if you go and pick litter, no one follow you?" I am glad that every month there are about 100 to 200 residents, students, nurses from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Lions members, as well as residents beyond Nee Soon South, those who care about environment, come and join us. I deeply appreciate their contributions and I am sure some of these residents will be keen to volunteer under the CV scheme. Litter has been a constant thorn faced by many developed countries and densely populated cities. A great number of annual anti-litter picking campaigns are held worldwide: Clean Up the World, Don't Mess with Texas, Keep Britain Tidy, Keep Australia Beautiful, Hong Kong is The Face of Litter. These are just a few memorable ones out of the many national and localised campaigns held in countries across the global map. In Singapore, we have our very own Keep Singapore Clean campaign. And in Nee Soon South we have our own HABIT. There are numerous NGOs world-wide supporting community clean-up efforts. These campaigns certainly bear some weight in keeping the littering problem at bay. However, we will have to look further for more comprehensive solutions. Education, coupled with efficient and effective enforcement, is the way forward. That is why I am very happy to hear the Education Minister announce last week that school students will do the daily cleaning and it will be implemented in all schools by the end of 2016. Certainly, this is a very good start.”
“NEA will take action against irresponsible environmental offenders and ensure high cleaning standards but keeping Singapore clean requires everyone to play an active role. This Bill will allow passionate individuals to take greater community ownership of our environment and better complement NEA's enforcement efforts. Mdm Speaker, I beg to move. Question proposed. 3.16 pm Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, volunteers have always been valuable resources to any community, whether it is to help out in a civil disaster, provide companionship at a nursing home or even a neighbourhood clean-up programme. Undoubtedly, without volunteers, many projects and plans would not be able to achieve the desired results. The volunteers are a unique group of people who are always on the ground, doing their part for the community without much fanfare. Most importantly, they are a positive influence on the people around them to volunteer for the good of the community. I am delighted to note that the amendment to the existing NEA Act is looking towards expanding the Community Volunteer scheme. This has been a good scheme to encourage responsibility and ownership for the environment. However, under the existing scheme, only members of selected environmental-related societies or councils could be appointed as Community Volunteers (CVs). To my understanding, the number of these groups currently stands at four. In Singapore, we have at least 44 registered environmental-related NGOs. Singaporeans are a more civic-minded lot and I believe there is a lot of potential in the CV scheme. Certainly, I pledge my full support to expand the CV scheme so that individuals too can be appointed as CVs. Personally, I am a great believer of community volunteerism.”
“Under the Police Force Act, an auxiliary police officer (APO) can assist a Government department or statutory body with the enforcement of certain offences. NEA currently engages APOs appointed under the Police Force Act to enforce certain environmental offences such as spitting and littering. Clauses 2(b) and 4(b) will amend the EPHA and CVPA to enable these APOs to be appointed as "authorised officers" for the administration of the EPHA and CVPA. This aligns the position under the EPHA and CVPA on the appointment of APOs as authorised officers with the corresponding positions under certain other Acts administered by NEA, such as the EPMA and the Energy Conservation Act. Mdm Speaker, NEA has been progressively equipping officers with body-worn cameras since 2015. These cameras help to deter abusive behaviour by offenders towards NEA officers, protect them against allegations of unprofessional conduct, as well as remind them to abide by the relevant operational protocol in the execution of their duties. Clause 5(d) to 5(g) amends section 42 of the NEA Act mainly to make it clear that an NEA officer can photograph or record the scene of an offence under the NEA Act or any environmental written laws administered by NEA. I would like to assure Members of the House that NEA will address privacy concerns by ensuring that the photographs and recordings can be accessed only by authorised personnel for authorised purposes, such as when investigating allegations against our enforcement officers. Madam, we all want Singapore to be a clean and liveable society, where the people have a stronger sense of community ownership of our environment.”
“Clause 5(h) inserts a new section 42A into the NEA Act to specifically empower the Chief Executive of NEA to authorise, in writing, an auxiliary officer to exercise all or any of the powers of enforcement conferred on an officer or employee of NEA by the NEA Act or any environmental written law, in relation to an offence under the NEA Act or that environmental written law. Clause 5(b) defines "environmental written law" to mean any written law administered by NEA, the Director-General of Environmental Protection or the Director-General of Public Health. Clauses 2, 3 and 4 make consequential amendments to the CVPA, EPMA and EPHA in order to allow an auxiliary officer to be appointed as an "authorised officer" for those Acts, and thereby exercise the powers of enforcement conferred on authorised officers under those Acts. As auxiliary officers may obtain sensitive information in the course of their duties, clause 5(i) amends section 47(1)(a) of the NEA Act to prohibit an auxiliary officer from disclosing certain information obtained in the course of his or her duties, except in certain circumstances, such as when he or she is lawfully required to do so. I would like to inform Members of the House that as an auxiliary officer is deemed, under the new section 42A(5) of the NEA Act, to be a public servant for the purposes of the Penal Code when exercising a power of enforcement, the auxiliary officer will be protected under section 6 of the Protection from Harassment Act from any indecent, threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour or words towards the auxiliary officer in relation to the execution of the auxiliary officer's duty. Next, enabling auxiliary police officers to exercise powers of enforcement in relation to environmental offences.”
“These are essentially shared spaces adopted by stakeholders who take ownership of the area's cleanliness and hygiene conditions and lead by example to promote good social norms. Since the launch of NEA's Community Volunteer (CV) programme in 2013, NEA's CV programme has been successful in attracting more than 340 passionate individuals from various non-Government organisations to step forward as CVs to help us educate others about public cleanliness and nudge those observed littering to bin their litter instead. To date, our CVs have collectively engaged more than 2,500 litterbugs. I understand that the public has shown an interest in playing a more active role in keeping our environment clean. Last year, my Ministry announced during the Committee of Supply debate that we will expand the CV programme so as to allow members of the public to take greater ownership of the environment. Specifically, we will allow individuals to join the expanded CV programme without having to be affiliated to a recognised environmental group and empower them to engage offenders for a wider range of offences beyond littering. This will broaden the pool who can be tapped on to join the programme. In addition, we will allow CVs to have the option of participating in advocacy, outreach and educational activities. Through the expanded CV programme, we hope to see more CVs taking ownership of the cleanliness and hygiene conditions of existing Bright Spots numbering more than 520 and lead by example to promote good social norms. To this end, clause 5(c) of the Bill inserts a new section 16A into the NEA Act to allow any individual, including volunteers, to be appointed as an auxiliary officer to assist NEA in performing its functions.”
“Over the years, the Government has stepped up enforcement against littering. Last year, NEA issued more than 26,000 tickets to littering offenders, 32% more than previous years and the highest in six years. We have also taken a tougher stance towards littering by imposing stiffer penalties for recalcitrant offenders. In addition, we are expending significant resources to keep public areas clean – as much as $120 million each year is spent on cleaning public areas with some hotspots cleaned every two hours. Ultimately, public cleanliness should be the outcome of the intrinsic values and habits of our people and not just the result of cleaning services and enforcing rules. Indeed, it is not even related to the number of waste bins we provide for the convenience of the public. Members who have been to Japan would agree that the level of public cleanliness there is much higher than Singapore. The public areas in Japan are cleaner not because there is a large army of cleaners, but because of the Japanese people's habits and social norms. Indeed, in many public places, bins are scarce in Japan. This is something that we can strive to emulate, by creating a culture of community ownership so that everyone takes responsibility in maintaining high standards of public cleanliness and hygiene and treat public places like their own homes. We have started this journey with a good number of volunteers who are passionate about the cleanliness of our public spaces and are active in helping us keep them clean. As part of the Keep Singapore Clean movement, the Public Hygiene Council partnered residents, schools, businesses and community groups to turn our community spaces into "Bright Spots".”
“Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." This Bill seeks to amend the National Environment Agency Act (NEAA), the Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA), the Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA) and the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act (CVPA) to enable us to better address our goal for a clean and liveable environment. Allow me to explain the main amendments and new provisions of this Bill. First, expanding the Community Volunteer programme. One growing area of concern of my Ministry is with the state of public cleanliness in Singapore. Over the years, Singapore has earned a reputation as a clean city. This is something that many Singaporeans are proud of and many of us view a clean environment as an important part of the Singapore identity, as reflected in some of the polls that have been conducted. However, maintaining a clean Singapore cannot be left to cleaners alone. Members would have read in the news of how festival-goers of Laneway Music Festival in 2015 and 2016 left the venue littered with trash despite the fervent efforts of volunteers from the Traceless Movement who went around the event venue to pick up trash strewn on the floor. Just a few weeks ago, members would have read in the news about the large amount of litter that was left behind after the countdown to 2016 at Marina Bay. The organiser subsequently mobilised 300 cleaners to ensure that 30,000 kilogrammes worth of trash was cleared up. Many concerned members of public have also provided feedback on how to improve the situation. During a recent radio discussion, some callers pressed for harsher penalties while many more said that there should be a focus of creating a culture of community ownership.”
“Under Regulation 21 of the Environmental Protection and Management Regulations, it is an offence for any driver to leave the engine of a motor vehicle idling when the vehicle is stationary for reasons other than traffic conditions, or the working of on-board machinery for some ancillary purposes. The offence carries the following Court penalty: a maximum fine of $2,000 for the first offence, a maximum fine of $5,000 for the second and subsequent offence. There are provisions under the regulations to compound the offence and the quantum of the compound fine is currently fixed at $70. We will look at whether we need to review this for the future.”
“Indeed, it is an area of concern. The numbers have increased largely because we have enforced more and there have been more complaints from the public. It is useful also for people who drive to know that, today, modern technology does not require you to warm up your engine before you drive. Sometimes, there is this misperception that you have to continue keeping your engine warm so that you can get better fuel efficiency or make the engine last longer. In reality today, vehicle manufacturers we have consulted say that engines warm up faster to reach the optimal temperature when the vehicle is driven at moderate speeds upon starting. So, that is the new technology. It is what we have today. So, I hope people will move away from the old habits. With old engines, yes, they need to be warmed up before the vehicles move. But we need new habits, because engines today do not have to warm up.”
“Under the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations, it is an offence to leave the engine of a motor vehicle running when it is stationary for reasons other than traffic conditions. Leaving the engine running when the vehicle is stationary, results in fuel wastage and unnecessary environmental pollution. While there is no grace period allowed for the idling of vehicle engine in the Regulations, NEA officers will exercise judgement on the ground before errant motorists are booked. Over the past three years, NEA has booked more than 12,000 motorists for idling their vehicles. As part of its outreach programmes, NEA works closely with stakeholders such as the authorised vehicle inspection centres, private and public transport operators and schools to disseminate educational pamphlets and decals so as to raise awareness of the regulation and forewarn motorists not to leave their vehicle engines idling. To promote greater awareness, NEA has also installed anti-vehicle idling signage at places where vehicles frequently congregate, such as carparks, loading/unloading bays and along the roadside near schools. Everyone has a part to play in safeguarding our environment and public health. Members of the public who spot idling vehicles are encouraged to report them to NEA via their hotline or the myENV app.”
“Mdm Speaker, I assure the Member that if it is a drainage problem, we will fix it.”