Mohd Fahmi Aliman
Singapore
“Mdm Chair, for the arts scene in Singapore to thrive, it is essential to cultivate a steady pipeline of artists and practitioners who contribute to the vibrancy and growth of the sector.”
“Mdm Chair, Sports play a crucial role in youth development, offering physical and mental health benefits while also fostering important values, such as discipline, teamwork and leadership. Beyond personal growth, sports provide a platform for social bonding and inclusivity, strengthening relationships among peers and the wider community.”
“Chairman, SSAs, particularly, Family Service Centres, play a critical role in supporting vulnerable families and ensuring they receive the necessary assistance to achieve stability. Strengthening the delivery of family services is essential in addressing complex and evolving needs within the community.”
“Chairman, while Singapore has established strong social safety nets to support vulnerable individuals and families, some low-income households continue to face complex and interlocking challenges in achieving stability, self-reliance and social mobility.”
“Except, of course, Vesak Day, despite being the birthday of Indian prince and ascetic sage, Siddhartha Gautama, is hardly celebrated by the local Indian community in Singapore at all, but more by Buddhists.”
“I thank the Member for the question. It is something that, as what I mentioned, is being highlighted in the Malay/Muslim community because of the current issues. I have got this information through my interactions with some in the Malay/Muslim community, that these issues need to be addressed.”
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“Finally, the last cut for the debate. Mr Chairman, COVID-19 has accelerated the push towards digitalisation within most if not all of our sectors, including the non-profit. Digitalising becomes especially crucial for organisations that now require new safer means of ensuring continued provision of essential social services to those in need of them within the community. Last year, the Commissioner of Charities launched various initiatives to support our charities in accelerating and strengthening their digitalisation process. This includes the VWOs-Charities Capability Fund, known as VCF, that aims to enhance the online management capabilities and operational efficiency of charities. The Charities GoDigital kit was also introduced, acting as a comprehensive guide that encourages and aids the digitisation process. How else are we supporting our non-profit sector, of which include charities, to be digitally ready and to thrive in the new normal?”
“Chairman, one of the ways thus far that MCCY has engaged with our citizens via the Making Stronger Conversations initiative, the platform which operates on a voluntary basis has successfully brought together individuals of diverse backgrounds into conversations to share their ideas and hopes on how to foster a more resilient and inclusive post-COVID-19 society. Given how the pandemic has disrupted social relations, such forms of collaborations among citizens as well as partnership between state and citizen have all become more crucial than ever. How will MCCY continue to provide Singapore from various social groups with not only opportunities to further contribute and develop ideas, but also then translate said ideas into concrete roles and shape the future of Singapore together?”
“It is also important that our local religious communities and asatizah stand firmly against radical ideologies and make clear that any copycat attacks will not find traction or support here in Singapore. Could the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs share how Muis is working with other religious organisations to promote interfaith understanding?”
“Supporting our overseas undergraduates and postgraduates would nurture inspiring religious graduates and reinforce their commitment to constantly upgrade their skills. Thus, Implementing these recommendations put forth by COFA also reaffirms our commitment to build up the asatizah sector, strengthening institutions, and seeing inspirational religious graduates. It is thus imperative that asatizah upskill to address the dynamic challenges of the future. As such, given the ongoing pandemic, what are the plans and programmes available to ensure that our asatizah are equipped with the relevant skills so that they can better serve the community? (In English): Second cut. Promoting Inter-faith Understanding (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In January this year, a 16-year-old Singaporean student was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for planning to attack two mosques and kill congregants in Singapore on March 15 this year – the second anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. This teenager, was who was inspired by “far-right extremist ideology,” served as a reminder to Singaporeans that our religious harmony cannot be taken for granted. In 2019, an Australian gunman released a racist manifesto shortly before opening fire at two mosques in the city of Christchurch in New Zealand. The white supremacist, then 28 years old, stormed the Al Noor mosque armed with semi-automatic guns and shot at Muslims gathered there for Friday prayers, killing 44 people. Given that globalisation has increased our connectedness with foreign cultures and communities, threats to our religious harmony in Singapore will continue to be challenged. It is thus imperative that we strengthen our harmony in Singapore by engendering interfaith understandings.”
“Chairman, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] With the disruptions brought about by COVID-19, our religious leadership played an important role in providing religious guidance to the community in getting through the pandemic. Moreover, this pandemic has accelerated the trend of learning new skills to keep up with changing needs, in terms of emerging industries and employment. For example, between July 2019 and June 2020, LinkedIn saw a 300% increase in total hours spent on LinkedIn Learning, compared to the year before. In essence, the pandemic provided many with the opportunity to upskill, acquiring new skills for the changing environment. Given these developments, it is important to equip our asatizah with relevant skills to address complex issues. The Committee on Future Asatizah (COFA) was convened in March 2019 to develop a vision for asatizah of the future. A key theme from the COFA conversations is the strong recognition that asatizah have a critical and essential role which they must continue to play, in guiding the community at all levels, contributing and galvanizing contributions to nation-building and humanity, as inspiring leaders, competent citizens, and effective contributors. There is also a need to strengthen the role of asatizah in nation-building. These can be done by strengthening asatizah’s core roles as religious leaders while leveraging opportunities for them to serve, contribute and develop themselves in adjacent areas, such as the social and education sector. More support and opportunities need to be given to overseas university students to upgrade their existing skill sets during their period of study.”
“Chairman, according to MCCY, our youth volunteerism rate has gone up from 23% in 2008 to 40% in 2018 for youths aged between 15 and 24 years old as well as 13% in 2008 to 27% in 2018 for youths aged between 25 and 34 years old. Moreover, youth participation in social groups has generally gone up from ages between 15 and 34 years old from 2010 to 2016. Besides the increase in youth volunteerism and participation rates, our youth have also made remarkable contribution to our community. In 2018, then Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Minister Grace Fu, underscored the story of Kenneth and Yin Loong who were among the 15 youth who received Meritorious Youth Award at the People's Association Youth Movement Awards and Central Youth Council Installation ceremonies. Both Yin Loong and Kenneth have been volunteering for more than a decade. Through the Day of Giving series, Yin Loong in Kolam Ayer CCYEC organised food ration contributions and movie screenings for the disadvantaged. In 2017, Day of Giving mobilised 200 student volunteers to make 8,000 cupcakes for old folks' homes island-wide. Therefore, besides the increased rates of youth volunteerism and community involvement, our youth have made deep and everlasting impact on our social fabric. In light of heartening trend of youth volunteerism and community development, how have we empowered and supported our youth to build a more resilient and inclusive society together? Pre-school Places”
“Chairman, in 2019, MSF announced that it will be setting up four social service hubs, to be named ComLink, at Jalan Kukoh, Marsiling, Kembangan-Chai Chee and Boon Lay over the next two years. These clusters were selected due to the sizeable number of families and children living in rental flats in those areas. According to MSF, this pilot project announced at Committee Of Supply 2019 provides proactive and integrated support to an estimated 1,000 families living in rental flats to help them achieve sustained stability and social mobility." This includes supporting families with the potential for homeownership. Minister Desmond Lee mentioned in Parliament that, "Most importantly, ComLink will develop a sense of community and mutual help, with neighbours supporting one another in their journeys." Since its inception, has the pilot succeeded in meeting its intended outcomes? Moreover, are there any learning points to be taken away from this pilot project? Also, are there any plans to extend this programme to leverage local community partnerships to support the needs of the families? If so, how will this programme be scalable on a national level in the coming future?”
“Chairman, the workers in both the pest management and strata management sectors perform integral and important services. Our pest management workers safeguard public health by providing essential services, such as preventing the spread of dengue and rodent and pest infestations, while workers in the strata management sector perform the important and demanding task of managing estates and providing all with a conducive and safe environment for us to work and play. Some work has been done to acknowledge the essential work done in these sectors. The pest management sector was subsumed under the Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map in the hopes of transforming and uplifting the sector to provide good and sustainable jobs to Singaporeans. In addition, the Facilities Management Skills Framework was launched in September of last year to provide the industry with information on the occupations, skills and competencies, and the possible career pathways available. The development of an FMC Accreditation is also underway which will encourage higher management competencies and skillsets for workers in this industry. While this is encouraging, I would like to ask MOM what plans they have for these two sectors in the near future and to consider the implementation of the Progressive Wage Model so that more workers benefit from a clear career progression pathway, coupled with the relevant skills, improved productivity and commensurate wages. Progressive Wage Model for Lift and Escalator Sector”
“Chairman, COVID-19 has had a major impact on the way of life for many of us including that of our foreign workers. During the pandemic, NTUC's Migrant Worker' Centre worked hand-in-hand with our stakeholders on the ground to contain the outbreak in the migrant worker dormitories. This experience had brought to light the problems faced by our migrant workers in their dormitories, and underscored the immediate need for us to improve their living conditions. This includes the need to review how foreign worker dormitories are regulated, and if these regulations should be reviewed. Currently, the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act, or FEDA, ensures that the accommodations of our foreign workers are regulated and must comply with a list of requirements to ensure the health and safety of their residents. However, FEDA only applies to larger dormitories that accommodate 1,000 or more workers. In view of the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, I would like to ask MOM if there are any plans to further regulate the living conditions of foreign workers in dormitories that house lesser than 1,000 workers, such as increasing the scope of FEDA to smaller dormitories. Domitories”
“Mr Chairman, our security environment is becoming increasingly complex. MINDEF and SAF will need to gear itself up to be operationally ready for a wider spectrum of threats. However, at the same time, SAF will be faced with the quantitative challenge of filling manpower due to our declining population growth rate. Going forward, the conundrum of doing more with a leaner SAF is going to be increasingly pressing issue. Nonetheless, this is not an insurmountable challenge. As a small country, Singapore has always been cognisant that manpower is an inherent constraint. We have constantly leveraged technology to supplement our limitations in terms of our manpower. The SAF has done so in the past and will continue to do so. Could the Minister for Defence please update the House on how MINDEF/SAF is preparing itself to deal with the increasing manpower constraint that it will face? Terrorism”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Budget. [Applause.]”
“I would also like to call on the Government to consider transitional support to help service buyers as we adjust workers’ wages to commensurate with the value of their work. I have also asked for the PWM to be expanded to other sectors like the pest management and strata management sectors. In terms of workers’ welfare, I would like to encourage service buyers to set up rest areas for their workers in accordance with the Tripartite Advisory on Provision of Rest Areas for Outsourced Workers, and would also like to take this opportunity to call on the Government to issue a Gross Floor Area waiver for areas stipulated as rest areas to encourage more buildings to set up rest areas. I also spoke about migrant workers and would like to call upon the Government to consider a review of FEDA and increase the scope to dormitories that house lesser than 1,000 workers, to ensure that more or all the foreign workers in Singapore will be housed in accommodations that are regulated and meet the minimal provisions for their health and safety. I also said that mandatory electronic payments for migrant workers will not only make it easier for these workers to manage their finances electronically but also protect migrant workers from being exploited as all salary payments are recorded. (In English): In conclusion, we have come a long way since the first few cases of COVID-19 appeared on our shores. There is still a long way to go and, inevitably, there will be challenges along the way. However, as a country, we have weathered similar storms and emerged stronger. The Government and NTUC are committed to helping workers every step of the way and will continue our fight for a fairer and more progressive society for all because every worker matters.”
“NTUC has long looked after the welfare of our migrant workers. An example is NTUC's MWC working with MOM’s ACE to materialise the Settling-in Programme at the various onboarding centres. While this has been a challenging project, NTUC has stepped up and is ready and willing to work with MOM towards building a robust system for future new entries to protect the workers as well as the greater community. The MWC has also 5,000 ambassadors in the more than 1,000 dormitories in our volunteer network, and we are constantly looking for ways to scale up to support any new initiatives and programmes that can benefit our migrant workers. This network has helped us reach out to our migrant workers and we will continue to work hard so that we can push on in fighting for their rights and welfare. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, please allow me to speak in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In summary, I spoke today about how the Labour Movement has always championed our workers. We have worked even harder for them during the COVID-19 pandemic and we will continue working to overcome this crisis together. I have called for: (a) The Government to consider providing a higher WIS payout to workers in the essential services to acknowledge their social value and the hardship faced in their line of work (b) I have called on Service Buyers and Service Providers to provide ample opportunities for their workers to undergo training in order to enhance their skills. By providing adequate support to our workers, all of us will benefit from a more knowledgeable and professional workforce. As for the PWM, I would like to call upon all stakeholders to consider the value of the jobs and increase the PWM wages so that the lives of all Singaporean workers are uplifted.”
“While many changes have been made to make the dormitories safer and safe-distancing measures have been put in place, there remains a need for us at this time to review how foreign worker dormitories are regulated, and if these regulations should be enhanced. The Foreign Employee Dormitories Act or FEDA ensures that the accommodations of our foreign workers are regulated and must comply with a list of requirements to ensure the health and safety of their residents. However, FEDA only applies to larger dormitories that accommodate 1,000 or more workers. I would like to call upon the Government to consider a review of this policy and increase the scope to dormitories that house lesser than 1,000 workers. This move would ensure that more or all the foreign workers in Singapore will be housed in accommodations that are regulated and meet the minimal provisions for their health and safety. During the lockdown, it was also brought to NTUC’s attention that many foreign workers faced difficulties in remitting money to continue to support their families back home, many of whom were in more dire straits due to the global pandemic. This was a distressing problem for our migrant brothers, despite the simple solution by ensuring that all migrant workers are paid electronically. This is not a novel solution. Employers of S Pass holders, for example, are required to pay salaries electronically, start the electronic payments within three months of the issue of the S Pass and maintain a record of salary payments. Extending this requirement to migrant workers would not only make it easier for these workers to manage their finances electronically, but also protect these workers from being exploited as all salary payments are recorded.”
“While we look at wages and work prospects, the welfare of our workers is equally as important. I would like to encourage service buyers to set up proper rest areas for their outsourced workers in accordance with the Tripartite Advisory on Provision of Rest Areas for Outsourced Workers that was released in 2019. Outsourced workers should have access to proper and reasonable rest areas for their well-being. Services buyers will also benefit from well-rested workers who would be productive. I would also like to take this opportunity to call on the Government to issue a Gross Floor Area waiver for areas stipulated as rest areas to encourage more landlords to adopt the tripartite guidelines. Another hard but necessary conversation that COVID-19 has sprung upon us is regarding our migrant workers. I will not be the first to thank our migrant workers for their hard work and their contributions to our country, all while working in difficult conditions far from their homes and loved ones. In working towards a more progressive and moral society, we must not forget our vulnerable brothers and sisters who have come here to do hard work so that we can continue to move forward. Via the Migrant Workers' Centre, NTUC mobilised together with our other stakeholders during the lockdowns at the dormitories to ensure that the migrant workers continued to have the necessities they needed and also reassured them that they had the full support of Singaporeans in tiding through the crisis. One of the issues that the crisis brought to light was the immediate need to improve the living conditions of our migrant workers.”
“In 2019, the Facilities Management Implementation Committee was formed, comprising tripartite representatives to develop and implement strategies to create a more dynamic and professional industry. The Facilities Management Skills Framework was launched in September of last year to provide the industry with information on the occupations, skills and competencies, and the possible career pathways available. The development of an FMC Accreditation is also underway, which will encourage higher management competencies and skillsets for workers in the industry. The introduction of a PWM can uplift these sectors and their workers with a clear career progression pathway, coupled with the relevant skills, improved productivity and the commensurate wages. NTUC will continue to lobby for the expansion of the PWM into other sectors and will work with the relevant stakeholders to make this a reality for more workers. One clear step is to procure and support companies that have progressive practices. This admittedly may mean paying more, but we can and should be mindful of unethical companies who choose to undercut to win contracts at the expense of their workers. Workers in these situations can suffer by having their wages reset or their benefits cut at the onset of their employer taking on a new contract. Service buyers should also adopt outcome-based contracts or OBCs as a complement to PWM. OBCs prioritise the outcomes rather than simply warm bodies which allows service providers to use technology to make work safer and more efficient for workers. Besides, OBCs should incorporate clauses to minimise wages and benefit resets and abide by the principle of proportionality where liquidated damages should be proportionate to non-delivery of services.”
“NTUC had lobbied hard for the expansion into this sector and had engaged the associations and the relevant Government bodies to make this happen. This is an important step in recognising the efforts of around 3,000 unsung heroes and as the Chair of the Tripartite Cluster for Waste Management, I look forward to continuing with stakeholders to deliberate a PWM for this sector. NTUC is also constantly looking at other sectors to cover more workers under the PWM. In 2019, it was announced that the pest management sector will be subsumed under the Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map in the hopes of transforming and uplifting the sector to provide good and sustainable jobs to Singaporeans. This marked a step in the right direction in acknowledging the integral role pest management plays in safeguarding public health in providing essential services such as preventing the spread of dengue, rodent and pest infestations. Despite this, more needs to be done as the sector is faced with many of the same challenges as that of other outsourced sectors such as stagnating wages, lack of manpower and poor public perceptions. For the industry to meet the rising demand and expectation of service standards for services, there is a need to build a strong and skilled professional local workforce. In the Labour Movement’s interactions on the ground, we have also found that the workers in the Strata Management Sector take on the important and demanding task of managing estates and providing all with a conducive and safe environment for us to work and play, and their duties include the control, administration, maintenance and management of common property for the benefit of all.”
“With it, workers have a clear sense of the skills needed to do their jobs and the skills they should attain to move up the career ladder. Companies have also benefited from better trained and skilled workers while service buyers benefit from a more professional workforce. Despite this, we must acknowledge that the wages in these PWM sectors need to commiserate with the skills and the essential services provided by our workers. I applaud the announcement made by our Deputy Prime Minister recently to enhance the wages of our nurses and other healthcare workers such as the support care staff. This move is to be commended and underlines the important work of our healthcare workers. On this note, I would like to call upon all the stakeholders involved in the PWM to take a hard look on the value of the jobs provided by our essential service workers and consequently increase PWM wages, so that all Singaporean workers are uplifted. The reality is that in increasing the wages of our essential workers, consumers may have to pay more for their services. This is never an easy call to make but it is an important step towards a fairer and more enlightened society, where we ensure that all workers can live with dignity. To ease the initial transition, I would like to call on the Government to consider a form of transitional support to help service buyers in the interim as we adjust the wages of our essential workers to adequately acknowledge the value of their work to our society. It is also timely that we look into other sectors where the PWM could benefit our workers. Just last month, it was announced that the PWM has been expanded to the Waste Management sector.”
“Representatives from various stakeholder groups have come together in the tripartite workgroup in recognition of the importance of uplifting our lower wage workers, and NTUC will continue to contribute significantly to this conversation and champion our lower wage workers as it has always done. The Labour Movement is sensitive to the concerns of these workers. We are cognisant, for example, that workers, especially those who earn lower wages, are concerned about their cash in hand to meet their daily needs. The Workfare Income Supplement or WIS has been a welcomed step, but I would like to once again call for the Government to consider providing a higher WIS payout to workers in the essential services to acknowledge their social value and the hardship faced in their line of work. NTUC is also acutely aware from our interactions with essential service workers that many of them face barriers when it comes to training. This could be due to factors such as time constraints, lack of support from employers and even language barriers. As part of the tripartite workgroup, NTUC is committed to finding ways for workers to overcome these barriers and look forward to working with our partners to ensure that any worker who wants to upgrade their skillsets to remain relevant will be able to do easily. I would like to call on service buyers and service providers to provide ample opportunities for their workers to go for further training and upskilling. By providing adequate support to our workers, all of us will benefit from a more knowledgeable and professional workforce. We have seen and heard how the Progressive Wage Models or PWMs have proved successful in uplifting around 80,000 workers in the Cleaning, Landscape Maintenance and Security sectors with its holistic approach.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this has traditionally been a time when as a country we outlined our direction and aspirations for the year ahead. It is especially poignant when the world is still dealing with the effects of COVID-19. I am encouraged by the "Emerging Stronger Together" Budget and I am certain that I speak for both myself as well as my colleagues in the Labour Movement in supporting the response of the Government in helping all sectors of society. As mentioned by our Deputy Secretary-General of NTUC Dr Koh Poh Koon, over the last one year, NTUC's key priority was on protecting our workers' livelihoods. Having said that, "Emerging Stronger Together" also means being aware of those with additional challenges, such as our lower wage essential workers and our foreign workers, and making sure they have the help they need so that we move together in unison. COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed how we live and work, and it has prompted us to question the norms that we have become used to. One of these norms in question is the value our society have placed on the work of our brothers and sisters in essential services such as cleaning and security. As we adjusted to our new normal, these everyday heroes stepped up despite the risks to their health and took on extra duties such as the additional sanitisation of high-touched surfaces and temperature screening, so that we can safely continue with our lives. The formation of the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower Wage Workers is a step in the right direction in acknowledging their contributions to our country.”
“(In English): In conclusion, as Deputy Prime Minister Heng mentioned, we are currently in the “test of a generation”. I echo his sentiments that there is light at the end of the tunnel for us as a country to emerge not only stronger and more united, but also emerge as a society with more empathy who believe in creating a fair society for future generations. But we are not out of the woods as yet and we must remember not to leave behind those who are most vulnerable in our society. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Ministerial Statement.”
“] Another way to keep supporting our workers is for the Government to consider extending the Jobs Support Scheme or JSS. The JSS has helped businesses and companies to retain local workers during this economic downturn and its impact should not be underestimated. As mentioned previously, more than half of the jobs that were saved are due to the JSS alone. While this should be commended, the Government should consider extending the JSS beyond March 2021 especially in industries where the impact of COVID-19 is more keenly felt. A large number of these industries are industries with a large proportion of low-wage workers such as the retail sector, or the food and beverage sector. This measure can help us save jobs for our local workers, while we are slowly and cautiously rebuilding the economy. As I mentioned earlier, the WIS has supported many low-wage workers by providing additional income to them. I urge the Government to continue looking at how the scheme can benefit more workers, such as through higher WIS payouts to workers in essential services, as an acknowledgement of the hardship faced in their line of work, especially during this COVID-19 period. The Government may also wish to reconsider the assumption that younger workers should get lower WIS payouts as they are more likely to get wage increments. In addition, I am very much encouraged by the PWM Mark so that companies that pay progressive and fair wages to their workers will be recognised. Workers, employers, Government and the community are all playing a part in creating a better environment for our vulnerable workers. I would like to encourage more companies to participate once the scheme is ready.”
“The Government must study if this assumption still holds and consider lowering the age eligibility to 30 years old for workers to qualify for WIS. While I do not discount that we should support our older workers, it does stand to reason that our younger workers may have dependants, such as elderly parents or young children, which can be a strain not only financially but also mentally. Any extra income that these workers receive from the WIS can make a difference to many families and workers with young children. Another improvement to WIS is for the Government to consider having the payout to be the same across different age groups, based on the worker’s income, meaning that a 35- or 65-year-old worker earning the same salary, will receive the same payout quantum. Mr Deputy Speaker, last month, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo had announced the PWM Mark to recognise companies which voluntarily pay their workers progressive and fair wages with good job advancement pathways. This is a step in the right direction in recognising that all of us, be it workers, employers, the Government and the greater community, have a part to play in creating an environment conducive to improve their work prospects. The creation and implementation of the PWM Mark should involve unions, employers and the Government to ensure that the PWM Mark will take into consideration the specific circumstances of each occupation and industry. More importantly, each stakeholder should lead by example to be the first movers. Only then can we see PWM Mark gaining traction on the ground. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, please allow me to speak in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, today, I would like to affirm my support for the Supplementary Supply Bill while speaking on how we can and must continue to support and uplift our low-wage workers. During Budget 2020, it was announced that Singaporeans who had been receiving the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) payments for work done in 2019 will receive a Workfare Special Payment (WSP) of $3,000 in 2020, with the second tranche being paid out this month. This has been much welcomed by the WIS recipients. Since the implementation of WIS in 2007, Singaporeans aged 35 and above in the bottom 20th-30th percentile of the workforce has received over $5.5 billion in support. This is an effort to be applauded, but we must continue to see how the scheme can better benefit our citizens and uplift the workers who need it the most. I previously called for the Government to consider providing a higher WIS payout to workers in the essential services to acknowledge their actual social value and the hardship faced in their line of work. This has been even more prevalent in the last few months, where many of our essential service workers have stepped up to become our "everyday heroes", continuing to keep Singapore clean, green and safe. Perhaps, the Government can reconsider this suggestion with a view of giving these workers greater recognition. Under the current structure, the WIS payout is dependent on the age and income of the worker. In general, this means that older workers and those with lower incomes will receive higher payouts. This differentiation assumes that younger workers have greater potential to move up the career ladder and, with that, move up the wage ladder.”
“Mr Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to make my maiden speech as a Parliamentarian. I am honoured to be here today and I am humbled to be allowed to serve my country and my community in these challenging times. The spread of COVID-19 around the world has affected all of us in one way or another. The economy has also been affected, and the impact will be a lasting one.”