Patrick Tay Teck Guan
Singapore
“Will CPF Board also notify SDS holders with clear anti-scam advisories, whether via SMS or any other means, especially with emerging modus operandi by scammers? This is so that the message reaches them properly and reduces confusion. Mr Speaker, Sir, with these questions, I support the Bill.”
“We are not asking to oppose change but for clarity, contemporaneous communication, equitability and assurance so that impacted workers will not be left behind. In short, a fair and just transition. I hope today's debate helps move us in that right direction. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill.”
“I thank the Minister for sharing the response to the Parliamentary Question by the fellow Member of the House. I was wondering, and I think I have brought this up before on previous occasions, whether we can consider stricter penalties against those who do not comply, with this requirement.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have two questions for the Minister for Health. Firstly, the rise in energy and related costs will impact our public healthcare clusters.”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the response. I have just one supplementary question for the Ministry of Manpower that in the light of these wage levels of our PMEs, in the course of reviewing some of our existing employment labour laws as well as regulations to factor this in, so that such PMEs are adequately represented,…”
“Stable psychiatric patients often remain at IMH simply because there are no community facilities to receive them. My third question is whether there are plans to develop more custodial care and step-down facilities – sheltered homes, supported living – so that IMH’s beds are reserved for those who need its full clinical expertise?”
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“I wish to ask if MCCY would consider upgrading the current "hockey village" in Boon Lay constituency which is owned and operated by SportSG and in quite an old condition. This facility is sited adjacent to our Boon Lay CC and is an excellent extension opportunity, considering the limited space and services we can offer at our CC. I suggest for MCCY to look at three things. One, to renovate and refurbish the village to introduce a variety of sports and facilities to benefit the sporting enthusiasts and residents living in Boon Lay constituency and the vicinity. Two, to integrate the facility with our Boon Lay CC to create a seamless access to both facilities, reduce duplication and synergise our efforts through co-sharing of facilities and programmes to enhance sporting excellence and recreational activities and space for our Boon Lay residents. Three, to create an all-purpose fitness gym which can be accessible by residents for round-the-clock exercise use to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle, as we are short of a gym in Boon Lay CC and there has been strong resident feedback for one. Sports Hub”
“I have a clarification for Senior Minister of State Amy Khor. Following from hon Member Dr Chia Shi-Lu's point on review of social workers' salaries, because we have a big group of medical social workers in our public healthcare institutions, I hope MOH can consider reviewing this as well. I am speaking on behalf of all my sisters and brothers from HSEU.”
“In closing, I thank my fellow Parliamentary colleagues who, together with me, filed 54 cuts and shared their thoughts, views, questions and suggestions. I believe it has thrown greater light on the challenges we face as a country and the right things we must do to better our work, workforce and workplaces amidst the backdrop of digitalisation, disruption and demographic changes. I would like to thank Minister Lim Swee Say, Second Minister Josephine Teo and Minister of State Sam Tan Chin Siong for their comprehensive updates, responses and the slew of new initiatives, policies and programmes which we can look forward to. I would also want to thank Permanent Secretary Aubeck, Deputy Secretaries Augustine and Ping Soon and the MOM team, including the Statutory Boards, for their hard work behind the scenes. Sir, on a personal note, I would like to thank the former Manpower Minister and also the current Ministers of Manpower for realising my dream and wish to not just raise the salary cap, but also to remove it entirely in the Employment Act. With that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.”
“The Labour Movement has carried out a detailed survey last year and the survey revealed that there are, indeed, mismatches of placement, skills and expectations, such as remuneration and job requirement. Of these, the mismatch of expectations between employer and worker is the most common occurrence. By the same token, the type of mismatches differed between different sectors, such as the manufacturing sector and services sector. As the types of mismatches differ, the policy interventions must be customised to the needs of the sector. In addition, the policies need to be dynamic to address the changing and evolving types of mismatches. It is, therefore, imperative to identify which form of mismatch a jobseeker is affected by and address it early lest it develops into another type of mismatch over time. Long-term Unemployment”
“Sir, I wish to ask on the progress of the National Jobs Bank and the online jobs marketplace, which the Minister alluded to last year, and how MOM and Workforce Singapore (WSG) have been making use of the data to extrapolate the job openings and identify the skills gaps to better facilitate job matching and employment, especially for PMEs. Moving ahead, I hope to see even better use of the jobseeker, hirer, jobs and skills data in the Jobs Bank to help minimise both the missed matches and mismatches. PMEs and Long-term Unemployed As shared during my Budget Debate speech, I am particularly concerned about the three challenges of long-term unemployment, structural unemployment and underemployment. It affects PMEs, mature PMEs, older PMEs and, increasingly, rank-and-file workers, too. I wish to ask MOM what has been done in the past three years to address the above challenges and how effective have the schemes been. In particular, I have three suggestions for MOM to overcome some of these challenges. First, eradicate ageism and all hints of it. Till today, I still hear anecdotally of age discrimination amongst employers. We have an imminent ageing workforce. Can we do more to get employers to be open in hiring and redesign their work and workplaces to cater to this group, instead of negating hiring them altogether? Second, expand support for employment facilitation and employment for both PMEs and rank-and-file workers. Our citizen unemployment has crept to about 3.3% in 2017. Can the various schemes, including the Work Trial and Career Trial, be further expanded to cover all groups of workers?”
“Chairman, can I take both cuts together?”
“Sir, on the topic of S Pass, I wish to submit that, despite raising the qualifying salaries for S pass to $2,200 and new quotas, I still hear two kinds of complaints. Firstly, the complaint of creative circumvention of this salary requirement by companies. Secondly, although S Pass is for selective strategic skillsets in specific industries, for example, like healthcare where they are welcomed and needed by fellow workers, there are cases where S Pass is issued to employers for workers doing mere administration or office tasks. Thirdly, the median wages of semi-skilled workers have also gone up in the past years. I wish to ask if there are any safeguards to make sure that Singaporeans are not replaced by many of these younger, better educated S Pass holders. Is the scheme too attractive and flexible such that it will be abused? Finally, should the scheme be reviewed, salary ceiling raised or the scheme be eventually done away with altogether? Training and Upgrading of Foreign Workers”
“Sir, I am aware that the Capability Transfer Programme (CTP) was rolled out late last year. I wish to ask for an update and how successful it has been thus far and how does it benefit our local PMEs. I have received feedback from the professional services industry, including the information and communications technology (ICT) and financial sectors, that the current subvention may not suffice and appear unattractive, considering the wage levels of experts in these sectors. Can MOM consider enhancing this cap on a case-by-case basis based on sector-specific needs?”
“Suggestion 4 – Over and above existing requirements under the law, there could be tighter regulation and accreditation of employment and placement agencies to weed out biased and unfair hiring-of-its-own-kind practices and ensure a strong Singaporean Core. By the same token, these agencies, recruitment companies and even company HR departments should not and must not treat the advertising requirement as mere window dressing, and their practices closely monitored. Their frontline and placement staff should undergo mandatory training and accreditation to understand the concept of building the Singaporean Core, FCF and the Jobs Bank. Finally, Suggestion 5 – A Tripartite Capability Development Toolkit can also be developed by TAFEP for companies to address capability gaps within their organisations and put best practices in place to achieve HCP outcomes, such as hiring and developing a strong Singaporean Core. Fair Consideration Framework”
“Has there been an improvement since the last time he shared about this "watchlist" and can he share what kinds of companies, whether MNCs or SMEs, and from what sectors these companies are from? I have five concrete suggestions for MOM in respect of what we can do. Suggestion 1 – At present, you are exempted from the Jobs Bank advertising requirement in any of these cases: (a) your company has 25 or fewer employees; (b) the job position is paying a fixed monthly salary of $12,000 and above; (c) the job is to be filled by an intra-corporate transferee (ICT); and (d) the job is necessary for short-term contingencies, that is, the period of employment in Singapore is not more than one month. Can these areas be reviewed so that one is not easily exempted from the FCF requirements? Suggestion 2 – Besides executive sanctions and measures, I suggest MOM can also recognise and offer "carrots" and recognition to those companies and businesses which demonstrate an exemplary Singaporean Core and a resolute commitment to hire and develop Singaporeans through the Human Capital Partnership programme (HCP). Suggestion 3 – To encourage building a strong Singaporean Core, companies and organisations which outsource some of their services, such as information technology (IT), HR or accounting and even construction projects, can, within the terms of the tender or contract, not buy from these Triple weak companies, or purchase from companies or organisations which have been recognised by the HCP mark. I suggest the public sector, including Government-linked corporations, take the lead and should not procure services or buy from any of these Triple Weak companies.”
“I have been lobbying on strengthening the Singaporean Core, Fair and Progressive Hiring and eradication of nationality bias since 2011. It has been an arduous but positive journey. We have seen the introduction of the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) and the National Jobs Bank in 2014. There are also greater focus and awareness of the move towards not just fair but progressive workplaces and employment practices by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) and our tripartite partners. Anecdotally, the situation has improved when I speak to fellow PMEs. However, I do still hear complaints of two kinds. First, hiring-of-its-own-kind practices and companies advertising in the Jobs Bank for the sake of advertising and treating the FCF and the Jobs Bank as mere window dressing. This happens not just in big multinational corporations (MNCs) but also small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Some also share that employment agencies and placement companies are also where some of these malpractices happen. The general concern is over the glaring disproportionate number of foreign PMEs in certain sectors and companies. In some cases, the nationality biasness results in job losses of local PMEs and hiring of foreign PMEs for jobs which local PMEs can fill. In this regard, I wish to ask MOM to provide an update on how effective FCF has been in the past three years since implementation in levelling the playing field for our local PMEs and in eradicating "nationality bias" discrimination in hiring practices, including by employment and placement agencies. I know the Minister has shared that he has nailed more than 300 companies into what he calls the "watchlist" where he sees the "Triple Weak".”
“In the past few years, the median income has been on the rise, and it applies to PMEs as well. The proportion of PMEs in our workforce has also been increasing. To meet the needs of the future workforce and the requirements of jobs and workplaces in the future, I suggest we amend the EA in the following three areas. First of all, we should remove the salary ceiling to cover all workers, including PMEs with monthly salary exceeding $4,500, so that they will all be protected under EA. Second, with the rise in median salary, the monthly salary cap of non-manual workers covered under Part 4 of the EA should also increase. Third, the current dispute mediation framework should also be enhanced, for example, to allow the ECT to handle unfair dismissal cases. (In English): In summary, these three areas are important areas for review to ensure the EA stays relevant and serves the needs of the future workforce, the future of work and the future of workplaces. However, we must bear in mind that the amendments should not compromise the need to preserve effective collective bargaining and bring more workers within the tripartite relationship. We look forward to work with our unions/union leaders and our tripartite partners closely in the process of review and look forward to positive changes to the labour laws in this direction to better protect workers in Singapore. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Protecting PMEs under the Employment Act”
“As shared earlier, PMEs earning above $4,500 are not protected by provisions in the EA, such as section 14 on wrongful/unfair dismissals. By the same token, the ECT does not have jurisdiction to hear wrongful/unfair dismissal cases under EA. Currently, union members in unionised companies can file a case to the Manpower Minister for such unfair/wrongful dismissal cases. However, as we see more cases of workers, especially PMEs, facing such unfair/wrongful dismissals, it is also imperative that the Employment Claims Act be reviewed and the ECT’s jurisdiction be expanded to cover unfair/wrongful dismissal cases over and above the current salary-related claims. Another area for enhancement and greater clarity would be the very technical and highly moot provision of section 18A of EA. In it, an employer has the right to transfer an employee to another employer if the organisation is being restructured. Section 18A allows for the transfer of employees to a new entity. I suggest we should consider amending section 18A to provide greater clarity. The other alternative would be to issue tripartite guidelines or an explicit articulation on what transfers or transactions fall within or outside of section 18A. This is one area that has constantly been tested and challenged, and greater clarity would be a boon for unions, employers and legal counsel. Mr Chairman, in Mandarin. Workforce Restructuring an Productivity (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Many PMEs have approached us for help. They face a lot of work-related problems, including unfair dismissal and also disputes related to EA. However, as some of these workers' monthly salary is more than $4,500, we are, therefore, unable to assist them.”
“While the intent of the cap is to strike a balance between the rights of employees and to allow companies to manage their labour obligations and costs, the changing profile of our workforce requires a regular review of the scope of coverage of EA to ensure that these policy tensions are adequately balanced. In fact, whether there is a need to have this "PME versus Rank and File" dichotomy is something we need to review whether now or in the near future. I submit, therefore, we should remove this $4,500 salary cap completely so that all employees in Singapore can enjoy the basic protection under EA. Second, extension. Part IV of the EA is important as it involves the "hours of work" and determines the scope of those who are entitled to overtime payments. The two current categories of workers entitled to overtime payments are, first, employees who are not a workman but who is covered under the EA and earns a monthly basic salary of not more than $2,500; and second, a workman earning a basic monthly salary of not more than $4,500. To keep pace with wage movements, I submit there is a need to review both the $2,500 and $4,500 limits accordingly and raise it to keep pace with rising median wages. Moving ahead, I also see a need to address whether the dichotomy between "workman" and "non-workman" is still tenable and whether it is also appropriate to consider extending the scope of Part IV to PMEs. This may well be needed as the dichotomy between "Rank and File" and "PME" workers becomes increasingly blurred. But it will require a closer and deeper examination as it will have a significant impact to both workers and employers. Third, enhancement.”
“Based on cases our Labour Movement has encountered in the past few years, a changing workforce profile, upward movements of median wages as well as a stronger impetus to ensure our employment laws stay relevant, I hope to see three things. First, expansion of the scope of EA to cover PMEs beyond the current $4,500 limit; second, extension of the Part IV protection to cover non-workmen beyond the current $2,500 limit; and third, enhancements to the existing dispute resolution framework. First, expansion. Despite the last round of EA amendments in April 2014, we have still been receiving feedback/queries from PMEs through various channels, such as through our unions/union leaders, TADM, my Meet-the-People sessions (MPS), our U PME Centres, our National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) LawWorks Legal Clinics, as well as through my social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook, from aggrieved PMEs whom we were unable to assist as they earned more than $4,500 per month. Despite the amendments to the Industrial Relations Act (IRA) in April 2015 to allow collective representation of PMEs by all unions, in some of our unionised companies, management have occasionally attempted to use this "$4,500 limit” in the EA as a proxy to suggest that the union cannot expand its scope of representation beyond those earning more than this sum. Fortunately, such cases are not aplenty. With rising median wages, including that of PMEs, and PMEs gradually forming the majority of the workforce, there is a need to review this $4,500 cap to ensure the EA serves the majority of the working population.”
“Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head S of the Estimates be reduced by $100". The workforce profile in Singapore is changing rapidly. Today, 54% of our resident workforce are professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and 34% are professionals, managers and executives (PMEs). There have been many PMEs approaching the Labour Movement for help via our various workplace advisory platforms with a variety of issues from unfair dismissals to breaches of provisions in the Employment Act (EA). However, PMEs with a monthly basic salary of more than $4,500 are not covered under the Act. Since April 2017, we have the new Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) as well as the Tripartite Alliance for Disputes Management (TADM) to assist PMEs to a speedier resolution of their disputes. The Employment Claims Tribunal, which came into force on 1 April 2017, has already done away with a salary cap for salary-related claims by employees but the ECT is limited to salary-related claims, both contractually and statutorily. The median gross monthly salaries of workers stand at $4,056 in 2016. For PMETs, the gross monthly salaries for P-50 – or at the 50th percentile – for residents stand at $5,910 as at June 2016. Our Labour Movement has also been challenged with difficult questions concerning various parts of the EA the past few years as it also affects our unions and union members amidst a backdrop of a higher number of layoffs in 2016, unfair dismissals, mergers, acquisitions, outsourcing, volatility and interesting new vehicles involving the sale and transfer of companies/staff.”
“I thank Minister Shanmugam for agreeing to my suggestion of raising the SCT claim limits. Can the Minister advise on what the new limits will be, because we know the current limits are $10,000 and $20,000 with mutual consent? Has the Ministry decided on how much the new limits will be?”
“I have spoken on this before and I am raising this again to MinLaw. I hope MinLaw will seriously look into reviewing the jurisdiction of the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT) so that more people can have economical and expedient orders in judgment for their contractual claims. In particular, I know that many professional freelancers who are on a contract for service use the SCT when they are not paid for their work. Raising of the claim limits will be a boon for claimants and freelance workers alike. Extradition”
“Following from the recommendations of the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) as well as the Industry Transformation Map (ITM) for the professional services sector, what are MinLaw's plans to drive the implementation of the plans and how are we steering ourselves to position Singapore's legal services sector for the future? 3.30 pm I have three suggestions on areas for MinLaw to strengthen. First, strengthen Singapore as a hub for growth practice areas through targeted strategic marketing and communications. Second, strengthen support to both law firms and legal practitioners in their journey to embrace digital disruption, harness technology and regionalise. In particular, extra support should be given to small practices, including sole proprietorships, and their staff in their bid to transform. Third, strengthen the inhouse counsel community as they are a growing group wanting to further build and enhance their professionalism, competencies and standards, continuing education and career progression. They will, therefore, require further support from MinLaw in their drive towards this end. I am aware that Singapore Corporate Counsel Association representing the inhouse counsel in Singapore has embarked on and launched their competencies and standards. I urge MinLaw to support and endorse these standards, to carry this forward and across the entire community. Small and Medium Law Practices”
“I am directing this clarification to Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. Earlier on, the Minister mentioned about introduction of personal biometric identifiers. Is there a timeline where this will be rolled out for Singapore?”
“Sir, first, recognition of skills and competencies in the Civil Service. I wish to ask for a progress update on the Civil Service's efforts on not focusing on paper qualifications alone but instead on the applicants' and staff's relevant skills and competencies. This is with respect to new entrants, mid-career and older workers in areas of recruitment, selection, salaries, promotion, re-employment and career progression. I am particularly concerned in light of the number of mature and re-employed workers in the Civil Service as well as the focus on paper qualifications in the hiring of many of these entry level positions at Career@GOV. 1.45 pm Productive and Engaged Public Service Given technological disruptions, many organisations both within the public and private sectors have gone digital and their workplaces have been transformed. We must be prepared for these changes, given that the Public Service is the largest single employer in Singapore and should thus set a good example for other employers. The way we serve citizens would also need to change to keep up with the times. We see a few good initiatives, for example, parking.sg, self-help e-services from various major agencies. All these changes would mean that the internal working environment within the agencies will need to change. We cannot work in silos and there must be greater collaboration across agencies and the eradication of duplication. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister in charge of the Civil Service how the Public Service could ensure that all officers, especially those who are more experienced and perhaps more used to the way things were, will remain effective in their roles and remain fully engaged.”
“But I think it is important to work together as Tripartite Partners and also on all fronts to make sure that, not just pay and wages but also their interests, are not just fair and responsible but also progressive. I also want to express a bit of my concern over Assoc Prof Daniel Goh's various suggestions to raise wages, Silver support, healthcare spending. He has made many suggestions on increasing our country's spending but did not really talk about where the money should come from and whether it will be sustainable. I think that is something very important ‒ it must be sustainable. It is this very reason that we want to ensure our healthcare workers are looked after and our healthcare costs are managed that we have this year's Budget. We are concerned and we do not want anyone ‒ whether young or old, male or female ‒ to be left behind. This Budget 2018 is very imperative and its focus is to help each and every one of our Singaporeans navigate a path and be future-ready, and to build up our resources and stay focused. On that note, I support Budget 2018. 2.00 pm”
“We have reviewed salary scales on several occasions and had many heated negotiations and collective bargaining with our employers and have done a lot of work to raise wages as well as salaries and improving career conditions and career progression for healthcare workers, both nursing and non-nursing. In fact, we have set up a Tripartite Committee and they have been looking at this issue for the past decade, working very closely with the major employers, including MOH, in particular, looking at how we can upskill and raise the career prospects to attract more into this sector where we are in need of workers. Their collective agreements are publicly available documents which Members can refer to. We have since negotiated increases in salary scales and made good progress in terms of annual increments and bonuses. So, it is not right to say that their futures and their careers have not been looked after, or neglected. Since a decade ago, from job redesign, then to a one-race to the top, and then now to the Industry Transformation Maps, we have been working very closely with Tripartite Partners, we have made significant headway. If you speak to any healthcare worker in the public healthcare institutions, they can share with you some of the initiatives and programmes that they have done and embarked very tenaciously on. In Singapore, more than two decades ago, we have adopted, at a Tripartite level, a very flexible wage system and a competency-based hiring and progression structure and framework. Therefore, I am surprised to hear that, with these structures and systems in place, some people are short-changed. But I think it is a journey. Yes, maybe perhaps there may be some form of discrimination here and there in small pockets. Yes, we do encounter some of them.”
“To proactively and pre-emptively identify the jobs at risk in their organisations and help their employees, our working people, to stay Ready, Relevant and Resilient – Ready with the new skills, Relevant for the new jobs and also Resilient to the new changes. Our workforce has to be Able and equipped with the skills to take on these new jobs, Agile to move across sectors and Adaptable to change. This reminds me of the Wallet Ninja, I have it here. It is a multi-purpose pocket multi-tool, it reminds me of the importance of multi-skilling and making our skills work for us in a variety of scenarios and conditions as and when the situation and need arises. It is also made of four times' treated steel, to remind us to steel ourselves for changes ahead. In conclusion, we have a Budget which values every worker but done by keeping our feet on the ground and staying ready, relevant and resilient. Putting our hand on heart and communicating the jobs and skills at risk. Focusing our eyes on the future by helping the unemployed land into future jobs. We can never change the direction of the wind but we can adjust our sails to always reach the destination. Before I end my speech, I wanted to respond to what hon Member Assoc Prof Daniel Goh spoke on earlier. He spoke about the future of women, plight of nurses, caregivers and seniors. He suggested we spend more and more to help them. I was Executive Secretary and Advisor of the Healthcare Service Union since 2006, more than a decade ago. For the past decade, the Union has been collectively bargaining on behalf of all healthcare workers whether they are workers in the nursing as well in the non-nursing areas in our various healthcare clusters.”
“Besides our Tripartite Partners, the Labour Movement has started working with industry partners, training providers and IHL, for example, the Labour Movement’s Multi-Union, Multi-U Associate alliance to uplift standards and improve the employability of workers in the OPEC industries by uplifting standards of process technicians and engineers. By doing so, this will create accreditation of the process technicians' trade and raise the standards whilst boosting transferability of their skillsets. The Labour Movement is also partnering the Institute of Engineers, Singapore, to raise engineering and technical competencies in the profession. The 23 Industry Transformation Maps are developed by the sector, but they are merely blueprints. More importantly, the Industry Transformation Maps must be operationalised to benefit the workers on the ground, and stakeholders must join hands to make this happen. In this rapidly changing landscape, transformation is critical and requires strong partnerships between unions, our working people, enterprises, education and training providers, professional guilds and the Government to enable meaningful and mutually-reinforcing transformation for the benefit of all stakeholders and our economy. In engagements with various stakeholders, we found that one of the underlying factors impeding future-skilling and job mismatches was information asymmetry. It is important to align all stakeholders and identify what the future jobs and skills are and communicate effectively to all. Besides just looking at job losses and gains, concerted action needs to be taken to identify jobs at-risk of displacement. This is what I urge every sector and every company to do.”
“The better employees become at their jobs, the easier it is for organisations to attain the level of productivity projected. Employers, when hiring, need to do skills-based interviews to assess skills, experiences and fit with organisation's culture and values and not just look at paper qualifications and age. Be open to hiring mature and older workers. Our Labour Movement's recent research reveal that employers prefer to hire skilled, trained and experienced staff instead of training their existing staff for these new jobs or hiring someone untrained and train him up. In short, they want "plug and play" employees. We have a tight labour market and an ageing workforce. Employers will find it tough to find the perfect match. I, therefore, urge employers to change their mindsets on "plug and play" and adopt a "hire then train" approach. Best of all, re-train, up-skill and multi-skill their existing workers so that they, too, can take on these new roles. We have started this in the financial sector, with the three local banks embarking on training more than 1,000 of their local workers through the in-house professional conversion programme (PCP) as part of the industry transformation and Tripartite efforts of the financial sector. Lastly, the responsibility for skills development and acquisition does not reside solely with the employer nor the Government. Individuals must have a learning mindset in the course of their careers so as to remain able, agile and adaptable. We need to bring people together sector by sector to collaborate, transform our companies and then take proactive and concrete steps to train, re-skill and up-skill employees to match the in-demand skills and competencies.”
“This can shorten the development phase of training substantially as the company knows what skills it wants its workers to be trained in and can mobilise the workers to take up the training. The need to continually upskill applies to both employees and freelancers – all working people should take personal responsibility to prepare and upskill in relevant areas for future jobs. It is imperative that freelancers take on the responsibility to keep their skillsets relevant, too. Increasingly, it is not just a question of encouraging people to learn new skills, but of finding new ways to help them acquire the skills they will need. The biggest challenges involve the creation of ways to help people learn new skills and then rethinking how the labour market operates to enable employers and employees to move in more agile ways to fill up new positions. We have $500 of SkillsFuture credit for individuals to encourage individual-initiated training. Why not take the employer-supported training funding formula, like giving the employers a similar SkillsFuture credit, for them to send their workers for training and skills upgrading? In this respect, I have three suggestions on what employers and employees need to do. I call it the three Cs ─ Change Mindsets, Communicate and Collaborate. Mindset change is crucial. Employers' mindsets have to change. Employers tend to fear that the benefits of investing in training are lost when employees leave. It is a valid, albeit myopic, concern. Instead of viewing training as a short-term cost, employee development should be regarded as a long-term investment that allows staff to add value to their roles and take up expanded job scopes.”
“The adult learning model thus has to be reworked to enable working people to upskill and remain marketable and relevant and enhance their opportunities for career progression. We need to re-tool at a faster rate. That is why, in NTUC, we are reworking the entire adult learning model. We want to develop modules which are bite-sized and just-in-time for continuous learning. The speed of demand for new skills is faster than the speed of supply of new skills. For every company which has lost out in the digital race, such as Kodak and Borders, there are new companies which are flourishing, such as Carousell and Airbnb. There is a need to make available bite-sized and just-in-time training so that our working people can keep abreast of the latest developments in their work domains. For example, a cybersecurity practitioner needs to keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats and such training should be delivered within 24 hours through bite-sized two-to three-minute updates on-the-go. In the same manner, a safety professional in the construction industry would need to keep abreast of industrial accidents so that they can learn quickly from them and apply the learning at their workplaces. This is a challenge that the world is facing and if Singapore gets this right, our workers can be one step ahead. The traditional mode of curriculum development in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) is a long one. IHLs have to take time to figure out the market demand, design the curriculum and mobilise workers to be trained. To shorten the development phase, the way forward is to work with companies to design bespoke training to be conducted in-company to upskill their workers.”
“With adoption of technology, the process of consolidating and making sense of information will be made easier. Employees will need to possess broader skills in areas of understanding technology. An example is a Tax Technologist who must also understand fraud detection systems. The audit role has to shift to one which helps the client to manage the risk and compliance issues of the business. If it is of any relief, many jobs will continue to require uniquely human skills that artificial intelligence and machines cannot replicate, such as creativity, collaboration, abstract and systems thinking, complex communication and the ability to work in diverse environments. The companies that fare best in this new disruptive era will be those that embrace these changes rapidly and effectively. Put simply, new jobs and economic growth will accrue to those who embrace technology, not those who resist it. Second, skills at risk. Are there skills at risk? At risk of becoming obsolete? At risk of not becoming acquired fast enough? My short answer is yes. The half-life of skills is about five years. We need to not just skill our workers to be great at their jobs today but also skilled so as to be prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. Our working people typically take about 15 years to prepare themselves for their first job with the expectation to progress to more challenging and better paying jobs thereafter. Paradoxically, people generally spend less time and effort to prepare and upskill themselves for their next job. Given the time pressures, financial and family commitments, it would not be practical to set aside another 15 years to upskill working people for their next job.”
“In the new normal, skills acquisition will have to increase in frequency, while working people will progressively experience more transitions in their employment life-cycles. A working person may be in a multi-national corporation today, a small and medium enterprise tomorrow, and possibly opt to freelance in the near future. The future of work, workers and workplaces will transform. In the Labour Movement, we value every worker and we are, therefore, concerned about employment and employability of all, especially the PMEs. First, jobs at risk. Are there jobs at risk? During our Labour Movement’s recent Future Jobs, Skills and Training Forum last month, Citibank shared that four years ago, they set up their first smart banking branch and started eliminating jobs. There was no longer a need for bank tellers, greeters, cash officers and service bankers in the branches. In their place were 130 multi-skilled, universal service bankers. Job roles requiring a single skill were eliminated. The new job role consolidated adjacent skills and role requirements into one role. In two years' time, the Universal Service Bankers' role will also evolve and may also not exist as more digitisation and digitalisation are adopted. Sales jobs have also been impacted as people prefer to procure services via the Internet or through mobile apps. For example, chatbots are likely to eliminate telephone marketing and support jobs as people prefer not to wait to talk to a person when they have a query; they want to have their query keyed in online and receive an immediate response in their digital environment of choice, for example, in Facebook. In the accountancy sector, the traditional maker and checker roles to assess compliance in assurance, audit and tax will be transformed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of this year's Budget. If you ask me how I would describe this year's Budget, I would say it is a Budget with its "Feet on the ground, hand on the heart and eyes to the future”. "Feet on the ground" because we ground ourselves on solid footing and fundamentals. We ensure our businesses and enterprises do well, so that our workers benefit through better jobs and pay, and stay employed and employable. "Hand on the heart" because of it having the courage to confront the difficult fiscal challenges, share the fruits and to ensure no one is left behind. "Eyes to the future" because of the clarity of focus to build our country, the curiosity to test new ideas and innovations and the conviction to stay the course and prepare for the future. I am worried for a group of workers. My fellow Labour Member of Parliament, Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How mentioned it earlier – it is the double-middle group. They are our Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs) or what we often call the "sandwiched class". Why am I worried? The latest labour market report, as well as the labour market trends, do not auger well for them. Seventy percent of those laid off in 2016 and 2017 were PMETs. The trend is that the more degrees you have and the older you are, the more difficult for you to find employment after you have been laid off, are terminated from or leave your employment. Structural unemployment, under-employment and unemployment are three challenges which confront our workers in Singapore, especially PMEs. The three "Ds" – Digitalisation, Disruption and Demographics will transform or make redundant traditional jobs, while creating new specialised jobs.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. I would like to ask if the Government would consider doing an overall national detailed study on the potential impact of AI and technology to get the conversations going and also pave the way for the ethical developments of technology. This is because there are growing concerns on various issues, such as liability, privacy, consent, safety, security, diversity as well as transparency.”
“It is my hope that more SMEs will benefit, receive one-stop services, improve their productivity and internationalise.”
“Given that Enterprise Singapore will be a one-stop support for SMEs, it may be timely to review the grants and schemes available and assess if it would be useful to tier them to cater to the different developmental needs and stages of the SMEs. Lastly, with the coming together of SPRING Singapore and IE Singapore, Enterprise Singapore will be connected to a larger pool of SMEs. Are there plans to leverage this expanded network of SMEs to build stronger interlinks within our SME community? For example, in the first half of 2017, IE Singapore helped 24,000 enterprises with overseas expansion. The success stories of these SMEs can serve as guides for smaller SMEs to emulate. Through this network, smaller SMEs can also build business links with the larger SMEs to create mutual business value by leveraging each other’s strengths and value propositions. I also urge Enterprise Singapore to work closely with our Labour Movement’s U SME to address the issues and challenges faced by our SMEs and make every SME workplace a better workplace, every SME job a better job, and every SME worker a better worker. Mr Deputy Speaker, shortly, in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Regarding the merger of the two agencies, I have three questions. Firstly, in the course of merging, staff from both agencies will be affected. Their job scope may change or expand, and the corporate culture may also be different. What kind of support will they receive so as to build a new corporate culture? Are there measures to ensure a smooth transition? Secondly, will the schemes currently offered to SMEs be affected? Thirdly, the economic network will be expanded after the merger.”
“First, in view of the merger, staff from both SPRING Singapore and IE Singapore will have to take on new roles and expanded job scopes. A total of 960 employees will be affected. SPRING Singapore has about 500 employees while IE Singapore has about 450. The staff in Enterprise Singapore must be familiar with both the mandates, schemes and grants of SPRING Singapore and IE Singapore in order to provide SMEs with the one-stop advisory and support envisioned. How are staff being prepared for this expanded job scope? Would there be any support provided to them during this transitioning period? On a related note, CCS will be taking over SPRING Singapore’s oversight of consumer protection. Will existing staff in SPRING Singapore in charge of this area of work be transferred to CCS or will staff at CCS be taking on these new responsibilities? If so, how are the staff at CCS being prepared for this expanded job scope? Second, in every merger, the challenge lies in integrating the cultures of the merging organisations and co-creating the new culture of the merged organisation. What efforts are being undertaken to smoothen this transitional phase for the employees of Enterprise Singapore? Third, how will SMEs which are currently being supported by SPRING Singapore and/or IE Singapore be affected by the consolidation? Will these SMEs be assigned with new staff due to the consolidation? Fourth, with the consolidation of SPRING Singapore and IE Singapore, will there be a streamlining of grants and schemes currently offered by the two sector agencies? There are many grants and schemes offered by both SPRING Singapore and IE Singapore respectively and, currently, SMEs already require assistance in identifying which grants and schemes are more suitable for them.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of this Bill. Our SMEs make up the majority of our enterprises, employ two-thirds of our workforce and contribute to about half of Singapore’s GDP. As we embark on transforming our economy via our ITMs, a key pillar of transformation lies in the internationalisation of our enterprises. Given the small domestic market in Singapore, internationalisation is the key engine of growth and transformation for Singapore companies and our economy. Expanding our SMEs overseas will also give our working people more opportunities to gain international work experience and enhance job mobility. It is, therefore, timely that SPRING Singapore and IE Singapore consolidate to provide one-stop support to our SMEs for their growth, development and internationalisation needs. This will give our efforts to transform our economy a concerted push forward. In the past, an SME would have to go to SPRING Singapore to address their capability development needs and then to IE Singapore if they needed support in internationalising their business. The SME would have to submit documents to both agencies and maintain relations with officers from each agency. With the merger, the SME need only approach Enterprise Singapore for support for both their capability development and internationalisation needs. This will not only reduce the administrative burden on the SME but also allow the officer-in-charge to have a more holistic overview of the strategic direction and growth trajectory of the SME to better enable the provision of more efficient and effective support as the SME evolves. This is a positive change. However, I have some questions on the details of this consolidation.”
“] I support this Bill but I would like to raise three points here. First, I am worried about the additional compliance cost. Are there any grants to help SMEs cope with this extra cost? I am also concerned that the cost will be passed on to the consumers. Second, will the new Act curtail innovation from the companies? Third, as the cybersecurity scene changes every day, individuals and companies must upgrade and keep abreast with the latest developments. Hence, I hope that the industry can develop a continuing education framework. Cybersecurity is the responsibility of every individual. Therefore, I urge the Government, companies and our citizens to stay alert and be prepared. (In English): With that, I support the Bill.”
“In the recent Petya ransomware attack in mid-2017, a number of companies under the global marketing services group WPP were affected by Petya. Singapore employees of a company under WPP were reported to be scrambling to follow instructions on how to deal with Petya after the attack. They were told to log off from the office wi-fi network or servers, and made arrangements to work remotely. Some worked from home using their personal computers, while other teams met in public spaces, such as cafes. Are our enterprises equipped to take steps to prevent cyber incidents from occurring? Are there response and business continuity plans in place which they can implement if they are subject to a cyberattack? Next, individuals. To raise our people’s awareness of cybersecurity, will there be a pervasive rollout of cybersecurity messaging and e-learning to individuals so that they are equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills to prevent cyber incidents and know what to do when faced with one, as has been done for SG Secure? Are there plans to develop cybersecurity tools that all individuals can use to safeguard their devices against cyberattacks? There could be publicly available online quizzes to understand cybersecurity and prevention tips. These tools could perhaps be developed by trainees undergoing training to be cybersecurity professionals who are placed with cybersecurity enterprises or startups in the business of developing these tools. We can even provide free-to-use anti-virus software available for all households to utilise, especially since we are moving towards a Smart Nation and we are all so virtually connected. Mr Speaker, just a short one in Chinese. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.”
“Fourth, with this Bill and our Industry Transformation efforts across several sectors, I look forward to more job opportunities for those with cybersecurity skills. This will avail new entrants as well as those already within the profession to upgrade and keep abreast with the latest developments. Although there were reservations by practitioners during the public consultation to license practitioners in this field, I submit that it is still good to align and benchmark the skills and competencies of cybersecurity professionals locally and with global accreditations and provide more platforms for continuing education and professional development to ensure they stay relevant and current within the practice of cybersecurity. To this end, the Labour Movement hopes to partner the various associations in this sector and the cybersecurity professionals in this journey to provide continuous learning, growth and career progression opportunities. Fifth, recognising that cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility, are there plans to ensure that the wider community, our enterprises and individuals, are prepared for cyber contingencies and know what to do to prevent one, or, when faced with one, what to do to mitigate its impact? NTUC and ISOC.SG are supportive of continuing efforts, as every Singaporean is online to some degree and a stakeholder in the security of the Internet, to avail users to tools and resources and building cybersecurity awareness to help enhance cybersecurity and build trust online. By inculcating that cybersecurity DNA or genetic code into all Singaporeans, we will also create a world-class future-ready workforce that can differentiate itself to employers. For example, enterprises.”
“Having such a mechanism would allow organisations to definitively determine if they are a CII so that they can better plan for their operational costs and resource requirements in order to comply with the requirements of CIIs under the Bill. Second, for organisations which have been notified that they are a CII, are there any support programmes in place which they can tap on to tide them through the implementation of processes and infrastructure to enable compliance with the requirements of CIIs under the Bill? By the same token, are there any measures in place to ensure that the cost of compliance as CIIs do not trickle down extensively to the consumer? Third, CSA is given broad investigative powers under the Bill. These powers should be exercised with care to ensure that innovation is not curtailed. As part of its educational outreach in the NTUC's U Associate’s network, The Internet Society, Singapore Chapter (ISOC.SG) collected feedback from stakeholders on this Bill. ISOC.SG found that the general thrust of the Bill was widely accepted although there was concern that overly broad investigative powers would curtail innovation and the technology industry. A balance, without compromising cybersecurity, must be found. An example is allowing investigation and removal of anything, servers and data included, at any time. Although powers are used to combat security threats, too much data could be taken or disruptive actions could result if powers are poorly exercised. With possible implications on our status/efforts to become a data hub, the reasonable use of powers, perhaps with a chance to challenge a decision, makes sense. As a general point, overly broad powers usually affect innovation because of fear and less risk-taking.”
“Mr Speaker, in 2017, Singapore came in as the top launchpad for global cyberattacks in cyber security firm Check Point's Threat Map, ahead of China, Russia and the US. According to the Check Point report, Singapore was likely used as a gateway for attacks based elsewhere. In another study by CyberInt, a cybersecurity threat monitor, Singapore ranked as the fifth biggest global target for phishing attacks, after the US, Britain, the Philippines and Russia. In recent years, we have also witnessed a surge in spates of cyber incidents on a global scale, some of which have hit home. As Singapore develops into a highly-interconnected Smart Nation, we will become an increasingly attractive target for cybercriminals. As more aspects of our lives go digital, fallout from such attacks will become even more extensive and breakdowns in provision of essential services could result in loss of property, sensitive data and even lives not only on a national scale but on a global scale. It is, therefore, timely that we put in place robust regulatory infrastructure to govern cybersecurity matters in Singapore and maintain high cybersecurity standards to protect critical systems and data. While I am supportive of the Bill, I do have some questions and suggestions which I would like to raise. I classify them into what I call the 5Cs: (a) Classification, (b) Compliance Costs, (c) Compromises and Concerns, (d) Continuing Education and (e) Contingency Planning. First, is there a mechanism in place to allow organisations to check with CSA if they are classified to be an owner of a CII?”
“I thank the Minister for the answer. Just two supplementary questions. Firstly, from my knowledge of the CSP, I think there is still quite a number of SMEs as well as human resources (HR) staff and employers in those SMEs who are not aware of the CSP. Just two suggestions. Firstly, can MOM strengthen its outreach, particularly for all SMEs in Singapore, through various collaterals where MOM or other public agencies interface with these SMEs? Secondly, will the Ministry consider, instead of having the employers tap on the CSP prior to hiring the person or before they are allowed to claim the funding, whether it can be made automatic, in the sense that you can detect whether they do hire people who are earning $3,600 and above, and who are above or under 40, and who are unemployed and retrenched?”
“Would the salaries of ICA officers be adjusted to take into account the additional duties that they are expected to perform?”
“With ICA officers taking on duties of the Police, how would this impact the lines of responsibility across the various elements of the Home Team in carrying out their work at our checkpoints? Second, ICA officers are already dealing with large numbers of travellers daily while under expectations from travellers for timely clearance at checkpoints. Would arrangements be made to ease ICA officers into their new duties so that the additional duties are not too onerous? Third, a Direct-Entry Sergeant in ICA would have undergone a 16-week non-residential ICA Basic Course (Sergeant) at the Home Team Academy while a Direct-Entry Sergeant in the Police Force would have undergone six months of residential training, including lessons in criminal law, physical training, community policing, as well as leadership development. Males are required to be Physical Employment Standard (PES) A or PES B1L1 in order to qualify as a Direct-Entry Sergeant in the Police Force whereas only a PES A or B grade is required for ICA officers. What measures are being taken to better prepare our ICA officers so that they are able to carry out their new functions under the Bill? Lastly, the starting salary range for a Direct-Entry Sergeant in ICA is lower than the starting salary range for a Direct-Entry Sergeant in the Police Force. The starting monthly salary for a Higher National Institute of Technical Education Certificate (NITEC)/NITEC/GCE "O" level qualified Direct-Entry Sergeant in ICA is between $1,670 to $1,880 per month, while the starting monthly salary for a Higher NITEC/NITEC/GCE "O" level qualified Direct-Entry Sergeant in the Police Force is between $1,820 and $2,170 per month.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill and agree that there is a need for security incidents to be dealt with promptly at our borders, given that we are living in a highly globalised world with more people moving in and out of Singapore’s borders and in the face of threats of terrorism. Under the Bill, ICA officers will have the authority to perform security screenings, carry out search and seizure duties and arrest suspects within and in the vicinity of immigration checkpoints. They would also be able to respond to incidents, conduct preliminary investigations and take steps to contain the situation when Police Officers are not yet at the scene. The Bill will also allow ICA officers to collect personal identifiers, such as photographs, passport details and fingerprints. While the intent is to enable the Home Team to deal with security incidents at the checkpoints more promptly by having ICA officers perform protective security functions in support of Police Officers, I have some questions on the expansion of the role of ICA officers and how they are being prepared to take on these additional duties. This is given that the ICA officers are empowered under this Bill to carry out search and seizure duties and arrest suspects for offences under any written law. First, the ICC policy was launched in 2015 to achieve greater operational coordination and provide clearer lines of responsibility and command for the officers from ICA, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) working together at the checkpoints, for example, faster operational responses and more successful interceptions of persons and vehicles of interest.”
“The automated system promised to be more accurate than the manual matching process and would improve the capability for the identification and recovery of debt owed to taxpayers while avoiding mistakes that would adversely affect the recipient’s payments. While the system resulted in thousands of debt recovery notices, in a significant portion of cases, there was no debt or the amount had been over-estimated and thousands of clients had to spend many hours and days disputing debts they did not actually owe. As clients were only given a three-week deadline to repay the debt, some were forced to repay debt they did not believe they owed because they could not successfully dispute the debt before the deadline. Service delivery was worsened and this impacted people’s trust in the government organisation. Following a probe into the system, the Commonwealth Ombudsman found that the implementation problems could have been mitigated through better project planning and risk management at the onset. This includes more rigorous user testing with customers and service delivery staff, a more incremental rollout and better communication to staff and stakeholders. The Ombudsman’s report stated that a key lesson for agencies and policymakers when proposing to roll out large-scale measures which require people to engage in a new way with new digital channels, is for agencies to engage with stakeholders and provide resources for manual support during transition periods. This is a key lesson which we can take reference from as new or enhanced public initiatives are launched further to this Bill.”
“Second, under the Bill, data sharing includes the sharing of information or re-identification of anonymised information under the control of the sector agency. Under what circumstances would a re-identification of anonymised information be required? Third, are there guidelines in place to ensure that the collection, transfer and handling of data are secure, bearing in mind that the public sector is exempted from the provisions of the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)? For example, data could be categorised by different levels of sensitivity and different guidelines on collecting, transferring and handling of data would apply to the different categories. Also, what safeguards are in place to ensure these guidelines are complied with? As we embark on developing data-centric digital solutions to enhance service delivery by sector agencies, I would also like to ask the Minister if there is a framework in place to evaluate the costs, benefits and risk of data sharing projects envisioned under this Bill. What audit processes are in place to ensure that any automated processing of information and algorithms are soundly evaluated to minimise bias and error? Are there are any guidelines for sector agencies to comply with in the implementation of initiatives which require people to engage in a new way with new digital channels? Take for example, the recent Centrelink debacle in Australia. Centrelink is an Australian government organisation responsible for administering welfare services. Centrelink had launched an automated debt recovery system which used data supplied by organisations, such as the Australian Tax Office, to match information recipients gave to Centrelink.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of this Bill. It is laudable that efforts have been made to establish a consistent system of governance across public bodies in Singapore as well as to enable a whole-of-Government approach to make policy planning and service delivery more efficient via this Bill. Under the Bill, the Minister may give sector agencies directives to share information under the control of the sector agency with another sector agency to improve, whether directly or indirectly, the efficiency or effectiveness of policies, programme management or service planning and delivery by public sector agencies, whether by carrying out data analytics work or otherwise. This is a step in the right direction, especially as we develop Singapore into a data-centric Smart Nation. Corporations are leveraging big data insights to improve their processes and bottom lines and spark innovation, the public sector can also tap on data to identify valuable insights which can be used to develop and enhance initiatives for public good. As we recognise data as a valuable strategic asset, we have to ensure that data is not subject to abuse as the data residing in public sector agencies are personal data of our fellow Singaporeans. Data security must be a priority. I have a few questions arising from these concerns. First, could the Minister share some examples of data sharing projects which are envisioned in the promulgation of this Bill, such as which sector agencies are involved in these data sharing projects, what are the objectives of these projects and the types of data that are being shared. I really hope provision of data and information can be one-stop so that we do not to provide the same piece of information or document to many different Government agencies.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Minister for the answer and response. The Minister agrees that because of the large amount of public funds involved, we need measures to prevent such occurrences from happening in the future. Will the Ministry consider raising the bar or, in fact, having greater sanctions and harsher penalties in the review for the SDF Levy Act as well as related legislation involving public funds?”
“I hope that SSG will work with the industry associations, unions, employers and employees on training curriculum and standards. Finally, I would like to urge the employers and workers to raise the awareness of WSH, change their mindset and set right the attitude to stay relevant. (In English): At the end of the day, top-down enforcement and enhancing legislation can only go so far. Everyone along the value chain has a part to play. Leaders of organisations need to take ownership of safety as a core business value. Supervisors need to lead by example and workers on the ground cannot be complacent. We must be proactive in ensuring that our work environment is safe. The tripartite partners and industry stakeholders, including training providers, have to take concerted effort collectively to go beyond compliance to build a culture of safety which will result in a true win-win-win for all stakeholders so that every workplace is a safer workplace, every worker a safer worker and every employer, a safer employer.”