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 urge SSG and the training providers to work closely with the Labour Movement to raise the standards of WSH training and mobilise more of our working people to adopt safer practices at their workplaces. In the same vein, training providers should leverage technology to ensure greater accessibility to training. This can be done through bite-size modular training which can be completed on the go, such as through e-learning modules, and leverage technology, such as virtual reality, to help learners pick up safety concepts in a safe yet realistic environment. For example, NTUC Learning Hub is looking into training which adopts virtual reality and augmented reality for work-at-heights courses and courses which are scenario-specific to the workers' work environment, for example, shipyards and construction sites. These scenarios can then be easily modified to test the trainees in different environments with varied levels of risk assessment. Mr Speaker, in Chinese. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] This amendment Bill has made improvements in the following three areas to ensure that workplace safety will be more enhanced. The first is to strengthen deterrence by increasing the fines to prevent the recurrence of accidents. The employers and the workers must work together to build a safer workplace. The second is about the learning reports. While we prepare the learning report, safeguards must be in place to ensure that it does not interfere with the investigation of the case. The report will also help us to learn lessons and nip potential accidents in the bud. Third, professional training used to be under the purview of MOM and is now transferred to SSG.”
“Lastly, I would like to ask the Minister what safeguards are in place to ensure that these learning reports will not prejudice the outcomes of official investigations by MOM or the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and other relevant agencies, and to what extent the content in these learning reports would differ from the reports from these official investigations. The last amendment which I would like to address is the removal of the requirement for the Commissioner to accredit WSH training as MOM transfers the accreditation of training to SSG. I agree that having accreditation functions under SSG will enable SSG to have a more holistic view of adult education and training and undertake a more coordinated approach towards audits and quality assurance. However, I would like to ask the Minister whether SSG will continue to work with subject matter experts from MOM to review the curriculum of WSH training to ensure their relevance, or if the subject matter experts will be persons within SSG. I would also like to propose that in forming the curriculum of the training, industry associations, practitioners, unions and our working people should be engaged in the process to ensure that the training delivered is relevant, practical, tailored to the needs of each industry and endorsed by the industry. At the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the WSH Secretariat works with the network of 58 affiliated unions on improving WSH conditions of workers. The secretariat also works with trade associations and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to reach out to workers to raise awareness of the importance of WSH. The Singapore Institute of Safety Officers (SISO) is also one of the Labour Movement's U Associate partners in developing WSH professionals in Singapore.”
“First, I would like to ask the Minister if these learning reports would be made available to the public and on what platforms would these reports be shared. Second, what types of incidents would qualify as a complex and major accident which requires the publishing of this learning report? Third, I would like to ask the Minister what safeguards are in place to ensure that these learning reports will not prejudice the outcomes of subsequent civil or criminal proceedings. While the reports are not admissible as evidence in legal proceedings, the reports may result in preconceived positions or biases in witnesses, and public discussion of these reports may also invariably cause impressions to be formed which may affect the outcome of the proceedings. Fourth, I am concerned that companies, in conducting their internal review of accidents, may rely on these learning reports to take premature action to discipline or dismiss their employees before official investigations are completed. For example, in the tragic train track accident last year, which took the lives of two SMRT trainees, SMRT fired two staff following their internal review of the accident before official investigations were concluded. The union's position is that it is important to allow due process to take its course and for all facts to be revealed through official investigations before drawing any conclusions which impact the livelihood of workers involved.”
“The review of the Act is, therefore, timely as we seek to further enhance workplace safety at our various workplaces. I am supportive of the intent behind the proposed amendments. However, I have a few questions to seek clarification on the proposed amendments. First, strengthening deterrence. One of the ways through which the Bill seeks to reinforce the prevention culture is by increasing the maximum fine that can be prescribed under SL from $20,000 to $50,000. The higher maximum fine is intended for offences which could result in death, serious bodily injury or dangerous occurrence even where harm has not occurred yet. While I agree with the intent of this amendment, I would like to seek clarity from the Minister as to what offences would the increased maximum fine apply to, and to request the Minister to share some examples of incidents where such heightened penalties are required. Second, the Bill provides for the sharing of learning reports with findings on major incidents so that the industry can take corrective steps as soon as possible to prevent complex and major accidents from recurring. It is provided in the Bill that such a learning report would not be admissible as evidence in any civil, criminal, arbitral or disciplinary proceedings before any Court, tribunal or body or proceedings under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA). I see the value of sharing learning expeditiously to prevent recurrence of the accident. However, I have concerns if there are sufficient safeguards in place to ensure that investigations and due process will not be prejudiced. I, therefore, have five questions on this proposed amendment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in October 2015, an explosion at a gas manufacturing factory at Tanjong Kling claimed the life of a 30-year-old chemist. She was a new mom to a six-month-old daughter. It was her first week back at work from maternity leave. She was working in the laboratory when the explosion occurred. Tragically, the emergency response team was unable to locate her and her remains were only discovered after firefighters had put out the fire. The incident hit close to home as the victim was one of our members in the Chemical Industries Employees' Union (CIEU). The loss goes beyond a single fatality. On that fateful day, a husband lost his wife, a child her mother, the parents their daughter. Seven other employees were also injured in the fire, suffering from lacerations, burns and smoke inhalation injuries. We would never wish this upon anyone and the lessons learnt there are just as pertinent today. The WSH Act was enacted in 2006 for the very purpose of preventing such incidents from occurring and is structured based on three key principles. First, reducing risks at source; second, engendering industry ownership of WSH outcomes; and third, preventing workplace accidents through higher penalties for poor safety management. In over a decade, we have made progress based on these key principles in reducing our workplace fatalities from 4.9 per 100,000 workers in 2004, to 2.8 per 100,000 workers in 2008, and further to 1.9 per 100,000 workers in 2016. In the first half of 2017, there have been 19 fatal work accidents, compared to 66 workplace accident fatalities in 2016. By 2018, we are striving to reach our WSH2018 target of 1.8 fatalities per 100,000 workers, and our next target is to go below one fatality per 100,000 workers by 2028.”
“In the event where the member decides to procure a personal annuity to be exempted from setting aside the Retirement Sum in his CPF account, does CPF Board offer advisory services to such members to assist them in assessing the difference between the annuities offered by the financial institutions and CPF schemes or is the advising left solely in the hands of the financial planner from the financial institution? I would like to end off by referring to a poll commissioned by the feedback unit Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home (REACH) in June 2014, which found that while eight in 10 Singaporeans have heard of the Minimum Sum and more than six in 10 have heard of CPF LIFE, awareness of policy specifics was relatively lower. As the number of options available to members increase, I urge the Minister to ensure that adequate public education and advisory services are made available to members so that they can make informed choices that would best suit their needs, especially considering the challenges that we will be facing as an ageing population.”
“For a CPF member who has met the FRS with a property pledge or charge and made top-ups to his parents' CPF account, I would like to ask the Minister what would be the impact on the member, if any, in the event that he wishes to sell his property, and what is the subject matter of the property pledge or charge and his ability to use his CPF monies to purchase a new property? Fifth, what other alternatives are there for families of lower-wage earners with insufficient amounts in their CPF accounts and who are unable to utilise this “self-help” option to make the top-ups for their parents or grandparents for their retirement needs? Sixth, would the Minister consider allowing the balance of top-ups in the parent's or grandparent's accounts to be returned to the contributing member’s CPF account with accrued interest when the parent or grandparent whom he has contributed to passes away or that the CPF nomination still prevails? I also have some additional questions on the provision for CPF members to apply for exemption from setting aside the Retirement Sum if they have their own private annuity which provides them with payouts for life. This option has been made available for some years. Could the Minister share the take-up rate for this option? I would also like to ask the Minister what outreach efforts have been in place to educate CPF members and the financial institutions offering personal annuities which qualify for this exemption.”
“In this climate, we are also likely to face challenges to traditional employment models. In view of the above trajectories, I have the following questions on the proposed amendments to the Act. First, the Ministry said that this proposed amendment will give members who are providing for their parents and grandparents more options to strengthen their parents’ and grandparents’ retirement adequacy. I would like to request the Minister to share some of the key statistics of our elderly populace’s retirement adequacy with reference to aggregated CPF data. Second, I would like to request the Minister to provide examples of the types of family units which will benefit most from exercising this option to top up their parents' or grandparents' CPF accounts for their retirement needs, provide specifics on the age, salary and CPF account balances of the CPF members making the top-ups. Third, what safeguards are in place to ensure that the member who is making top-ups of his parents’ or grandparents’ CPF accounts is adequately advised of the impact of his actions on his CPF savings for his own retirement needs? What are the outreach efforts to educate the public about these top-up options? Would CPF Board be offering advisory services to members or to assist them in making informed choices on the various options available to them? Fourth, the CPF member who wishes to top up the CPF account of his parents or grandparents needs to meet the requisite BRS in his/her OA, SA as well as RA and have sufficient property pledge or charge to make up for the requisite FRS.”
“Based on a report by Marsh & McLennan Companies' (MMC's) Asia Pacific Risk Center, the total healthcare costs of the elderly in Singapore are projected to rise tenfold over the next 15 years to US$49 billion annually. Second, women are more vulnerable than men. The WHO report found that in Singapore, women could well expect to live for 86.1 years, while the average male expectancy is 80.1 years. The labour force participation rates of women, although increasing, have always been lower than their male counterparts. Based on age-gender specific resident labour force participation rates in 2016, the participation rate for females peak at 25 to 29 years at 90.6% and declines steadily thereafter to 77.2% by 45 to 49 years of age. In comparison, the participation rate for males peak at 35 to 39 years at 97.8% and holds steady at above 90% to 50 to 54 years. According to the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF's) study on "Family and Work", women are more likely than men to remain outside the labour force for family-related responsibilities, such as housework, childcare and caregiving to families or relatives. Third, the size of our families has been on the decline. With fewer children, the older generation will have less financial support for their retirement from the younger generation and some will have none. Our population has been ageing since 2000, with the number of residents in the older age groups increasing significantly. The median age of the resident population rose from 34 years in 2000 to 40.5 years in 2017. On the economic front, we are also facing uncertainties as we push on with restructuring efforts to stay ahead of the game against global headwinds of market volatility and increased protectionism.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. As a mandatory social security savings scheme funded by contributions from employers and employees, the CPF system is closely tied to employment. This means that there will be certain groups in our populace, such as our elderly who are likely to have little to no CPF savings, who would not be able to benefit directly from the system to meet their retirement, housing and healthcare needs. The move to implement a lower threshold to allow members to make CPF transfers to top up their parents' and grandparents' CPF accounts provides members the option to build up their parents' or grandparents' CPF accounts for their retirement needs. This is in addition to the option of topping up the CPF accounts of their spouses for the same purpose at the same lowered threshold. While providing members with flexibility is good, I remain concerned about the trajectories of various forces which will challenge the robustness of our CPF system to meet the needs of our people's retirement. First, as our life expectancy increases, the gap between our retirement age and life expectancy widens. Our statutory retirement age remains at 62 while our re-employment age has recently been raised to 67. According to the 2017 World Health Statistics report by the World Health Organization (WHO), the average life expectancy in Singapore is 83.1 years. The report also found that Singapore's healthy life expectancy, that is, number of years people live in full health, is 73.9 years. Assuming that one is employed up to age 67, his retirement savings must be sufficient to last him for another 16 years, of which there would likely be increased healthcare expenses for 10 years due to ill health. This is not taking into account rising healthcare costs.”
“I thank the Minister for sharing the very positive labour market statistics, especially in relation to the PMET employment rate. I just have a question to ask or one suggestion to make. Yes, the ITMs have raised quite a few growth sectors, in particular, the five mentioned, but I also notice that for many of these growth sectors, most of these jobs require skills that are pretty specialised and so there are quite a bit of "barriers to entry". Yes, initial efforts have been promising, but I hope the Ministry, together with our tripartite partners, can do even more, in particular, to plug this gap, and make it more pervasive. Also, for the employers, some mindsets have to change. We hope employers will be more open. They will not be able to get "plug-and-play" people, but they can be more open to hiring so that, as what the Minister shared earlier, we can not only make every job a better job and every worker a better worker, but also every employer a better employer.”
“I thank the Second Minister for that reply. For the acknowledgment of the application, I have received feedback, particularly for those who are taking up public sector positions through Careers@Gov and so on, one suggestion would be at least provide acknowledgement that they have received the application of the curriculum vitae. I have been meeting many of these interested Singaporeans who are wanting to take up public sector positions, applying through online platforms, such as Careers@Gov, and they say they do not get a formal reply whether they are even shortlisted for interviews or even rejected. So, I think it would be a good practice for the public sector to take the lead on this.”
“Within the sector we must continue to enhance our efforts to continually upskill our workers and develop abilities to remain agile and adaptable in times of change. FSTC, through FiCAC, has partnered NTUC and e2i to offer Change Ready Programmes to FIs to better prepare their working professionals to be resilient and future-ready. I urge more of our FIs to participate in such programmes. Within, as well as beyond the sector, we need to build stronger ties among our stakeholders and community through communication and collaboration and strengthen our nation's economic defence collectively. While Singapore has not had a bank failure, no one can guarantee that such a situation would never arise. All parties need to be prepared and know what to expect and how to respond when an FI is in distress. To sum up, I believe that strengthened efforts in these two areas, coupled with the implementation of the enhanced framework in the proposed Bill, will better prepare Singapore for any upheavals in our financial system. 4.51 pm”
“When these transfers are made to restore distressed FIs, we must also give due consideration to our workers' interests and ensure that workers are given access to resources to assist them through such challenging times. The Financial Sector Tripartite Committee was set up last year to bring together the tripartite partners to foster a financial workforce that can meet the changing needs and demands of the financial industry through the implementation of various initiatives and programmes. One such initiative, launched in 2016, is the Financial Industry Career Advisory Centre (FiCAC) which provides career guidance on jobs in the financial industry. In the past year, the FSTC and FiCAC have been working with FIs which were managing excess manpower to assist their staff in career transitioning. We will continue to do more and I urge FIs to fully utilise FiCAC as we serve to partner with the FIs to support them in keeping their workforce ready, relevant and resilient. And not just ready, relevant and resilient but be able to move up, move across, move within as well as move into new jobs with digitalisation and disruption at the doorstep. I also urge FIs to keep an open mind when looking at manpower resourcing and to give opportunities for PMEs, including mature PMEs, who are keen to move into the new jobs within the sector a chance and recognise their adjacent skills. Second, while we bolster the Government's ability to respond to challenges to our FIs and system, we ought to also prepare our stakeholders and community for challenges to the stability of our financial system so that we are ready to meet these challenges when they come.”
“First, while the focus is on the restoration of the distressed FI, we also need to ensure that our workers who are affected by these recovery and resolution measures are taken care of. Second, just as we prepare ourselves for a crisis situation with SGSecure, albeit in the context of terror attacks, we need to also build and develop preparedness among our stakeholders and community to face challenges to the stability of our FIs and financial system. I will address each of these points in turn. First, the Recovery and Resolution Plan of a distressed FI may involve the re-deployment, transfer or shedding of manpower. The proposed amendments in the MAS (Amendment) Bill also clarify and enhance MAS' resolution powers to make subsequent adjustments after a compulsory transfer of business, including reversals of transfers of assets and liabilities and onward transfers. In these transfers, workers may be affected. We need to ensure that in the carrying out of these transfers, our workers are treated fairly. In 2016, the financial and insurance services sector saw 2,310 redundancies with 2,090 being Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs). In my work with the Labour Movement, I have seen and heard firsthand the fears and uncertainties of workers in distressed organisations in other sectors. Some organisations, in a bid to restructure, would transfer employees from organisation to organisation, causing distress to workers from being shunted around. I have also come across accounts of workers in the financial sector who have been laid off, especially mature PMEs who have had difficulty in landing their next job after being made redundant.”
“Mdm Speaker, I declare my interest as co-Chair of the Financial Sector Tripartite Committee together with MAS. I rise in support of the proposed amendments to the Monetary Authority of Singapore Act. In our not too distant past, we weathered a global financial crisis where we witnessed the near collapse of large FIs. Highly interconnected financial systems meant that countries not in the epicentre of the crisis were also impacted and losses cascaded across and beyond the financial system. In 2009, Singapore saw a record number of lay-offs − 23,430 to be exact − due to the effects of the Global Financial Crisis. In recent years, the changing world of banking has posed additional challenges to FIs as they rationalise and consolidate their businesses globally to ensure continued growth and profitability. There is also increasing prevalence of cybersecurity threats which may lead to larger scale attacks on our FIs. In such a climate, there is a need for a more robust regulatory approach which allows the Government to intervene early to nip fall-out in the bud. It is laudable that concerted effort has been taken to enhance the framework for the resolution of distressed FIs so that timely intervention can be taken. These enhanced recovery and resolution measures go beyond the mere restoration of an FI. The aim is to reduce the risks posed by the FI to the stability of Singapore's financial system and ensure the continuity of functions critical to the economy, thereby, protecting the livelihoods of each and every Singaporean. As we put this enhanced recovery and resolution framework in place, I would like to highlight two key areas in which we can do more.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for the response and answers. I just have two supplementary questions, as well as clarifications and suggestions. Firstly, it is on the plight of the workers. I am glad to hear that none of the teaching and non-teaching staff would be made redundant and retrenched. However, as we know, because of such rationalisation, there will be transfers of teachers, including non-teaching staff, for example, the administrative staff. I say this because I speak on behalf of the four teachers' unions as well as our public sector unions. There is general concern how they will be helped because different schools have different cultures, geographically as well as whether they are primary and secondary schools, or JCs. It is very different in the way they do things, whether it is IP schools, non-IP schools or other schools. That is one. Secondly, I urge the Ministry, although I know it is a sensitive process, to engage and inform the unions, in the spirit of good labour-management relationship, in advance so that we can prepare beforehand, in case any of these grievances do come to us.”
“Yes. Mr Deputy Speaker, I have two clarification questions for Assoc Prof Daniel Goh. Firstly, on behalf of my brothers and sisters in our unions who have fought very hard for retrenchment benefits, is Assoc Prof Daniel Goh suggesting that employers now need not pay any retrenchment benefits and rely on this redundancy insurance payout instead, since employers will be contributing to the premiums? Would having this suggested insurance not make it even harder for unions to negotiate for better and higher retrenchment packages? Second, Assoc Prof Daniel Goh suggested insurance is for payout during redundancies, and not unemployment. As Director of Legal Services at NTUC, I have come across in these past 15 years, many cases of workers who are unemployed, not just because of redundancy but because of termination, job loss, job fit. And his proposal suggests that all these are excluded.”
“Mdm Speaker, in conclusion, in a data, design and innovation-driven new economy, IP rights are increasingly important business assets. The ability to develop and maintain a robust IP strategy is crucial for businesses and freelancers alike. An efficient and equitable IP system which strikes a balance between the interests of innovators and public interest, not only provides an environment for creativity to flourish but can also be a catalyst for economic development and social and cultural well-being of the nation.”
“This is in alignment with our national industry transformation efforts and the Design 2025 Masterplan to encourage our design firms to internationalise. While efforts have been made to widen the scope of protection under the Bill and to increase access to protection of designs, these efforts will come to naught if the public lacks awareness of these rights. It is notable that out of a total of 4,268 designs filed at the IP Office of Singapore (IPOS) in 2014, only 818 are designs filed by Singapore-based or local applicants. In the review of the Act conducted by MinLaw and IPOS, it was found that the level of awareness on the use and enforcement of design rights in Singapore appeared to be low. I, therefore, urge for more to be done to ensure that SMEs and freelancers in the design industry are aware of the availability of such protection and know when, how and where to seek enforcement of their rights. With the passing of the Bill, education and outreach efforts need to be made to raise awareness of design rights and address overlaps of copyright and trademark protection with the registered designs regime. For example, IPOS can work with our Labour Movement's U SME, U Start-Up, U Creative and the Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit (U FSE) teams to reach out to SMEs, startups, creative professionals and freelancers in the design industry on developing and managing their IP strategy. Enforcement is a critical piece to an effective IP regime. Under the Act, infringement actions must be commenced in the High Court and such legal action may be too costly for small businesses and freelancers to pursue. It is also timely to consider whether a simpler and less costly adjudication regime can be made available to smaller players to protect their registered rights.”
“This amendment will not only align the legal position in Singapore with other jurisdictions, for example, Australia, the European Union (EU), Japan and the United States (US), but is also timely, given the advent of the gig economy. In the recent Graduate Employment Survey released in February 2017, it was found that while the overall employment rate for the Nanyang Technological University's (NTU's) art, design and media graduates has been at about 80% from 2014 to 2016, the full-time permanent employment rate dropped from 68% in 2014 to 46.6% in 2016. With the increase of freelancers in the art, design and creative industries, this amendment can provide freelancers with greater bandwidth to make strategic decisions on the terms of engagement for commissioned work. Third, amendments aimed at reducing the administrative burden and cost of registration, such as through the allowing of the registration of two or more designs in one application and allowing for correction of non-compliance with formal requirements in earlier registration applications, greatly reduce barriers to access IP protection. Ease of registration and more affordable registration processes will benefit small businesses and freelancers working with smaller margins. Allowing for a 12-month period for qualified disclosure of the design prior to registration also takes into consideration the practical needs of the creative industry to test their designs in the market. With these amendments, designers in Singapore can also seek international protection with greater ease. Through the Hague system, designers can register their designs in Singapore and apply for international protection of the design in member countries of the Hague Union.”
“In Singapore, there has also been an observable rise in interest in artisanal work, craftsmanship and the provision of bespoke handcrafted products ranging from furniture, bicycles, stationery, clothes, shoes and bags to jewellery to cater to consumers' pursuit of individualism. The Creative Craftsman Apprenticeship Programme, launched in February 2014 and offered by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) Institute is a Place and Train programme aimed at those who want to pursue a career as a craftsman in the furniture industry. The programme has attracted entrants from various age groups, qualifications and industries wishing to make a career switch into carpentry, and 70 Singaporeans have since graduated from the programme. Businesses and freelancers offering bespoke handcrafted products are usually smaller players in the market who would not have been able to seek protection under the Act as their designs are not applied to articles by industrial process. With the proposed amendments to the Act, designs for handcrafted items can be registered, thereby providing these artisans, craftsmen and small businesses with an avenue for protection of their work. Second, recognising the designer as the owner of the design for commissioned work instead of the commissioner of the work, shifts some amount of bargaining power to the designer when it comes to negotiating the terms of engagement for commissioned work. Based on the current law, designers, especially those from smaller business outfits or freelancers, would find themselves hard pressed to wrangle ownership from the commissioner of the work. Some designers may not even be aware that the position at law is such and omit to negotiate terms of ownership of the commissioned work with the commissioner of the work.”
“Mdm Speaker, I rise in support of the proposed amendments to RDA. This is the first major amendment of the Act since its enactment in 2000. I am glad that the proposed amendments in the Bill are progressive to keep pace with developments in the field of design and to encourage the flourishing of creative works. I believe these changes will reduce barriers for smaller players in the market, such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and freelance professionals in the creative and design fields to seek protection of their IP rights and benefit from their designs. There are three key revisions to the Act. First, the scope of registrable designs under the Act has been broadened. Second, the designer of the registrable design is now the recognised owner instead of the commissioner of the work; and third, the administrative burden and cost of registration will be reduced. I will address each of these key revisions. First, by broadening the scope of protection to include designs of non-physical products and colour as a design feature, designers will be able to register a wide range of designs and, consequently, allow for their exploitation of a greater range of creative expressions. The extension of coverage to include virtual designs or non-physical designs recognises the increasing prevalence of virtual products as we become more immersed in virtual environments. Removing the requirement for application of the design to an article by way of an industrial process is also a boon for designers and small design businesses. In the 2014 National Design Industry Survey, it was found that 86% of design firms in Singapore were micro-SMEs.”
“On behalf of the workers who have benefited immensely from the SkillsFuture Credit and also those who are constantly embracing lifelong learning, I urge the Ministry of Education to consider top-ups every three to five years. I just want to reiterate my call and also the fact that this has benefited quite a number of people who have had to fork out from their pockets in terms of the unfunded portions.”
“In conclusion, a better corporate rehabilitation and insolvency regime is one which facilitates the rehabilitation of distressed companies while providing sufficient safeguards for workers who are the most vulnerable in the process. We can surely do more to protect our workers in this regard.”
“By the same token, there should also be an exception to allow unions to refer their industrial disputes to the Industrial Arbitration Court during the moratorium without the need of leave of Court nor the judicial manager's consent. Second, MOM could set up a fund to provide relief to workers who have not been paid their wages while the employer is undergoing rehabilitation or due to the employer's insolvency. Previously, Minister Lim had announced that a short-term relief fund would be set up to help local vulnerable workers where companies are not able to pay up on claims heard by the Employment Claims Tribunal and this is a step in the right direction. In the UK, employees can tap on the National Insurance Fund while, in Australia, employees can seek relief under the Fair Entitlements Guarantee (FEG) scheme when the employer is in liquidation, subject to eligibility requirements. Third, priority of payment of outstanding salary in the event of winding up could be reviewed or a process for expedited payment of outstanding salary could be put in place. In Canada, the Wage Earner Protection Program Act allows expedited payment of wages and benefits, up to an annual cap, owed to workers whose employer has become insolvent. Once the worker is paid, the Government assumes the worker's place as a creditor in the insolvency, as well as the risk of recovering the amounts paid. Fourth, with an increasing share of professionals, managers, executives and technicians among employed residents, about 55% in 2016, and median gross monthly income from work, including employer CPF contributions, of full-time employed residents at $4,056 in 2016, it may be timely for a review of the cap of $12,500 under section 328 of the Companies Act.”
“In the ILRC's Report 2013, the committee opined that one of the impediments to the judicial management regime being an effective rehabilitative regime is its inability to ensure that key management and employees will continue to work for the company. This makes it more difficult for the judicial manager to maintain continuity in the company's business or operations. Without sufficient safeguards of workers' interests, there is little assurance to workers to stay on with the company as it undergoes rehabilitation. Some may argue that workers who have been owed wages should be treated like any other creditor of the company and that existing preferential status in the event of winding up is sufficient. In response to that, I wish to highlight that workers and trade creditors differ in bargaining status vis-a-vis the company. For workers, their wages are usually their only source of income, whereas trade creditors have other revenue streams to rely on in the event of default. When entering into employment contracts, workers also do not have the means to factor in the risk of their employers' inability to pay them, unlike trade creditors who can factor such defaults into their pricing or lending rates. For these reasons, I propose that we look further into safeguarding workers' interests by considering the implementation of some of the following measures. First, an exception to the statutory moratorium could be made for MOM to be allowed to investigate and take action against companies for unlawful labour practices under the Employment Act while the moratorium is in place without having to seek the consent of the judicial manager or leave of Court.”
“Under section 328 of the Companies Act, outstanding salary claims are ranked second in the list of preferred creditors, subject to a cap of five months' salary or S$12,500, whichever is less, while outstanding contributions to provident funds rank fifth. Workers owed wages due to their employers experiencing financial difficulty and insolvency are a real issue which needs to be addressed. Last year, we heard of the case of Mr Islam Rafiqul, a construction worker, who was owed over $7,000 in wages. Although the Labour Court had ruled in his favour, he was not able to seek any recourse as his employer, a sole proprietor, refused to comply with the order, citing financial difficulties. According to MOM, of an approximated 450 unresolved salary-related claims before the Labour Court last year, a vast majority of the claims were unresolved because the employers, 199 out of 208, had either stopped operations or faced impending shutdown of business due to financial troubles. Viewed collectively, and given the unknown probability of success of rehabilitation, a worker who stays on with a company while it undergoes rehabilitation may become worse off than another worker who had chosen to cut his losses and leave his company earlier. While the proposed amendments seek to facilitate rehabilitation and raise success rates of corporate rescue by expanding the scope of the moratorium for schemes of arrangement and making it easier for companies to apply for a judicial management order, we must be careful that we do not inadvertently transfer the risk of rehabilitation to the workers who choose to stay with the company while it undergoes rehabilitation.”
“These workers have no recourse except to await distribution of Karhoo's assets following the closure of its operations in Singapore. While it is not refuted that workers benefit from successful rehabilitation of companies in distress, more can be done to ensure that workers' interests are protected whilst the company undergoes rehabilitation. Companies need workers in order to rehabilitate. Workers should not be bearing the manpower cost of the rehabilitation efforts of the company. Second, winding up and impact on workers' salary claims. This leads me to my second area of concern, that is, the impact on workers' salary claims when rehabilitation efforts fail and the company is wound up. For every successful rehabilitation, there will be other attempts at rehabilitation which meet with no success. In a review conducted by ILRC in 2013, it was found that between 1996 and 2000 and between 2001 and 2010, there were only 52 successful judicial management cases out of 194 cases, or 26.8% reviewed. In unsuccessful cases, the companies would be wound up and the workers would be left with little or no recourse for outstanding salaries except to await distribution of the assets of the company. Depending on the assets available for distribution, they may receive a few cents for each dollar owed, or nothing at all if the assets were secured assets. Under the law, secured creditors are paid first out of the assets that comprise their securities, and the remainder of the assets, if any, will be distributed among the preferred creditors in the priority set out in the Companies Act and, any balance remaining, to unsecured creditors.”
“In the media, we have also seen reported cases of workers in similar situations. In November 2016, British taxi-hailing app service, Karhoo, abruptly shut its offices around the world just a year into commencing business and was put into administration in the UK. In a bid to turn the business around, employees had reportedly been working unpaid for six weeks but were left in the lurch by its sudden closure. In addition to unpaid salaries, Singapore employees were also owed Central Provident Fund (CPF) payments. In another case, when Vela Diagnostics came under judicial management in Singapore in February 2015, staff were informed that they could not be paid until new funding from investors was secured. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) had stated that they were unable to assist employees of a firm under judicial management as MOM was not able to inquire into salary claims of employees covered under the Employment Act while the statutory moratorium was in force, except with the consent of the judicial manager or with the leave of the High Court. One former employee, owed about $13,000, resigned in April 2015 to start a new job because he could not afford to keep waiting for his salary to come in. Others struggled in their financial commitments while staying with the company in the hope that investors could be secured. Vela Diagnostics was eventually brought out of judicial management in September 2015 and thereafter settled all salary claims. By this time, the workers who had stayed on with the company would have worked for almost six months without pay. Well, not all cases get resolved in the same way or end happily. While Karhoo has been brought out of administration in the UK by foreign investors, monies owed to former Singapore employees were not repaid immediately.”
“The policy intent behind the institution of the statutory moratorium makes good sense and many jurisdictions have in place similar regimes. It allows the company to continue its business with reprieve from creditors while it attempts to nurse itself back to financial health or to achieve a more advantageous realisation of the company's assets than would be effected on a winding up. The statutory moratorium is clearly geared to the interest of the company in distress and the ambit of the moratorium has been interpreted in a purposive manner to include processes initiated whether in Court or by way of arbitration or a step in such a process. This would presumably extend to criminal proceedings and quasi-legal proceedings, such as the bringing of trade disputes to the Industrial Arbitration Court. 1.00 pm In the course of my interactions with workers from unionised and non-unionised companies, I have come across cases where workers ended up at the receiving end of such statutory protection. In one particular case, workers of a company placed under judicial management had not been paid their salary for more than six months. The judicial manager was silent when asked of his plans for the workers. Some of the workers left the company while others continued to turn up at work out of loyalty and in the hope that the company would turn around. The workers could not take legal action against the company to recover their unpaid wages as the moratorium was in force. In order to do so, consent of the judicial manager or leave of Court was required. Leave of Court is sought by filing an originating summons in the High Court and workers who were already in financially dire situations lacked resources to do so.”
“Mdm Speaker, I rise in support of the proposed amendments to the Companies Act to adopt the recommendations in the report of ILRC and the report of the Committee to Strengthen Singapore as an International Centre for Debt. In the current landscape, it is, indeed, timely to enhance the robustness of our corporate rehabilitation regimes to facilitate and raise the success rates of corporate rescues. However, while we endeavour to make these corporate rehabilitation regimes more accessible to companies, let us not forget to ensure that our workers, the lifeblood of companies, are taken care of as well. When the survival of the company hangs in the balance, workers face many unknowns. Will the company be able to pay them their salaries? Should they continue to work for the company? What happens when they are not paid while the company is undergoing rehabilitation? Would they be able to provide for their families and meet their personal financial obligations? What happens when rehabilitation efforts fail? I will focus on two pressing concerns. First, when workers are not paid their salaries while the company undergoes rehabilitation; and second, the impact on workers' salary claims when rehabilitation efforts fail and the company is wound up. First, statutory moratoriums and impact on workers' salary claims. In our existing judicial management regime, the making of the judicial management order brings into force a statutory moratorium. While the statutory moratorium is in force, no other proceedings or legal process shall be commenced or continued against the company except with the consent of the judicial manager or with leave of the Court.”
“With more than 30,000 jobs in the healthcare sector, the sector is poised to absorb many more workers, especially mid-career PMEs and workers who may be displaced or looking for an alternative career. This includes women who are keen to return to work after having left the workforce to look after their children or care for the elderly. PMEs who visit our NTUC U PME Centre lament to me that most of the PCP places for the healthcare sector have been taken up. I, therefore, urge MOH to work with e2i and Workforce Singapore (WSG) to come up with new PCPs in more areas than the current offering and even more PCP places in view of the strong manpower demand. On another note, I am excited to hear of the various expansion plans and new public healthcare institutions coming up. However, I am very concerned about how we can find the necessary manpower needed to staff these institutions, with the many productivity and technological interventions already in place. 1.15 pm Allied Health Employment Opportunities”
“In closing, I thank my fellow Parliamentary colleagues who filed their cuts and shared their thoughts, views and suggestions. I believe we have thrown greater light on the challenges we face as a country and the right things we must do to transform and grow and adapt and grow. 4.00 pm I would like to thank Minister Lim Swee Say and Ministers of State Sam Tan and Teo Ser Luck for their comprehensive responses and the slew of new initiatives, measures, policies and programmes which we can look forward to. I also want to thank the Permanent Secretary, Deputy Secretaries and the MOM team, Workforce Singapore, CPF Board as well as SLF for their hard work behind the scenes. Thank you very much. With that, Madam, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $1,706,720,800 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $20,899,800 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“I just have a couple of questions for the Minister on the newly-announced Attach-and-Train programme. Just several questions. Firstly, will there be an employment relationship between those on attachment and the company? That is one. Second, if there are any training courses or programmes which the person on attachment is going through, or will be required to go through, will that training or course be fully paid or fully subsidised? Third, the Minister mentioned earlier that the target group of this scheme are PMETs. So, are we also opening it to all workers of all ages as well as including the rank-and-file workers? Fourth, will the company then be obliged to hire these workers after the attachment? Fifth, as we roll out this scheme, I hope employers as well as MOM will watch over these people on attachment because I am just concerned that they are not treated fairly and are being used as cheap labour.”
“Fourth, a comprehensive big data analytics module can also be incorporated into the Jobs Bank to educate jobseekers with the trends and types of in-demand skills that employers desire. Finally, to imbue greater confidence on employers as well as jobseekers, WSG can share placement rates and, if not, explicitly feature the testimonies of employers and employees of successful cases of placements via the Jobs Bank. Strengthening Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices”
“The National Jobs Bank was started as part of the Fair Consideration Framework's mandatory advertising requirement. I feel that the Jobs Bank has an important role to play in minimising the mismatches and missed matches. Moving forward, I have five new suggestions for MOM and WSG to consider. First, applications through the Jobs Bank are without acknowledgement. Some question whether employers are just paying lip service by posting job advertisements merely to fulfil the mandatory requirement for EP applications. Is there a way we can make the employing company at least acknowledge the receipt of the job application and update whether the vacancy has been filled or that the applicant is unsuccessful? As highlighted previously, there should be some way to confirm or audit the Jobs Bank to confirm the veracity and validity of the job openings as some businesses may post non-existent job ads to boost up investor relations and confidence. Second, the Jobs Bank gives people the impression that the jobs posted there are not for higher paying jobs, since mandatory advertising are for jobs below $12,000 monthly salary. For higher paid jobseekers, they will go to the executive search firms and headhunters. Maybe an awareness campaign can be run to improve the public's perception of the Jobs Bank and promote the universal adoption of the Jobs Bank by all employers and businesses so that all will use it to post all their job vacancies. Third, beyond job advertisements and to help narrow the skills gap, the Jobs Bank can be enhanced with a skills gap analysis feature by comparing the applicants' curriculum vitae (CV) with the desired job's requirement.”
“Many are doing it for the flexibility of time and space, while some are doing it to expand the market for their skills, so that they can be engaged by overseas companies paying a better price. But this also makes them more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, especially since they will not be able to lodge claims and obtain assistance through the usual channels. The last issue I would like to highlight is that in this category of young PMEs are many young mothers who would like to return to work after a period of leaving the workforce to care for infants. There was a well-attended career fair organised by social enterprises last year that for the first time catered to women returning to work. I hope Workforce Singapore could look into career services targeting this special group of young PMEs. Helping Middle-aged and Older Workers”
“It is with this in mind that I hope the Government can look into helping PMEs transit into second careers more seamlessly by exploring the adjacency of jobs and the adjacency of skills so that these PMEs can move into, move across or move up into new roles which capitalise on their acquired skills and knowledge so that they can even enter mid-career and be given credits for their experience. Third, mindsets have to change, not just employees but employers as well. Employees must stay able, agile and adaptable. Ability is vital because we need skills for current and future jobs. Agility is not just about being able to change but change quickly and flexibly. Adaptability is crucial with shorter economic cycles, job obsolescence, new forms of work and new work streams. We need a new work mindset to embrace change before change embraces us. Employers, too, must play their part not to discriminate against mature PMEs and redesign jobs to embrace the tight, shrinking and ageing workforce. Young PMEs Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong (Non-Constituency Member): Madam, the Government has rightly been doing more for senior PMEs, as they bear the brunt of retrenchments and the effect of restructuring. But we must not forget the younger PMEs, who have their own unique problems as a sizeable segment in the workforce. Moreover, young PMEs are now also facing substantial risks of being laid off and affected by restructuring. I would like to reiterate my call for the Ministry to allow all retrenched PMEs aged below 40 to qualify for CSP without the condition of having to be unemployed for six months. Another issue is that many young PMEs have been switching to contracts for service.”
“Although we have a relatively low resident unemployment rate of 3.1%, my biggest worry will be for those who are long-term unemployed, especially the PMEs. Since we started in April 2014 until last month, NTUC's U PME centre has assisted more than 2,500 PMEs, out of which 1,350 are for placement assistance. About 70% of them are PMEs aged 40 and above. Some take six to nine months while others take longer to find suitable employment. Older PMEs have it tougher in terms of re-entry. Those in their 30s are also not spared. I have three points to put forward to MOM. I call it the "3Ms" of Mentoring and Case Management, Mid-Career Entry and Mindsets. First, helping the long-term unemployed requires a case management approach. We need to adopt a one-to-one or one-to-few approach and not a one-to-many approach, unlike traditional job placements and career fairs. These long-term unemployed require more than just counselling or being notified of career fairs or job openings. They require peer support, mentoring and coaching. NTUC's U PME Centre started our Career Activation Programme 18 months ago to do just that and we have achieved positive feedback and steady progress by getting about 20 out of the 100 on our programme employed. We intend to expand this, moving forward. Second, one particular observation I have with the PCP is that when PMEs move into a new sector or totally new job, he/she enters at the entry point of that new sector or job. I find this unsatisfactory considering mature PMEs have accumulated decades of work experience and skill. There is strong inertia from many PMEs to explore new industries due to the high opportunity cost.”
“Since the implementation of the Fair Consideration Framework, I wish to ask MOM how successful have we been in the drive towards hiring and developing a strong Singaporean Core. Can MOM provide an update on their additional scrutiny efforts, engagement with "double weak" and "triple weak" companies and the punitive actions on those on the "red lane"? In particular, can MOM share whether information and communications technology (ICT), financial sector and professional services continue to be among the top few industries where most of the watchlist companies are and whether we will impose even more punitive sanctions against those recalcitrant companies? I also urge MOM to pay attention to employment agencies as, anecdotally, I hear from fellow PMETs that they are culprits of "hiring of their own kind" practices. Singaporean Core Workforce”
“In light of an expected growth of freelance workers or what many call the "gig economy" in the next five to 10 years, the Labour Movement hopes more can become union members and enjoy the plethora of membership privileges the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and our unions offer. At present, the Trade Unions Act requires a person to be in a "contract of service" to join a trade union. Freelancers who are in a "contract for service" may not be full-fledged union members per se. As such, I suggest MOM form a workgroup to study this carefully and remove or relax the prohibition and explore ways to allow freelancers to be union members without compromising or contravening traditional collective bargaining and representation. The above are my thoughts and suggestions based on the issues that confront us currently and which we need to address to ensure our labour laws are not just relevant but future-ready. The review cannot be done in silos and, in the spirit of tripartism, I ask for our tripartite partners to review and examine carefully and further strengthen our tripartite relationship in the course of doing so by bringing even more workers and companies within our fold. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]”
“Other than having to formally apply for a leave of Court, there is limited scope for us to enforce a collective agreement or have recourse in the event of any non-compliance of the CA. I opine that the CA should continue to apply so as to protect the workers and there must also be an avenue for the union to enforce the CA during this moratorium in an economical yet expeditious manner. Second, expanding tripartite mediation framework. Tripartite mediation is a very useful tripartite mechanism for alternative dispute resolution. It is also tightly linked to ECT as claims limits are raised if one goes via the tripartite mediation route. Although there is no salary cap, PMEs in certain categories where they are in management roles or where there may be conflict of interests as provided in the Act are excluded from utilising tripartite mediation. I submit we should review this prohibition. We should also explore extending tripartite mediation to cover unfair dismissals of those outside the scope of EA. Third, ECA. I am delighted that the ECT will come into operation next month. The ECA currently covers all workers in an employment relationship but limited to 18 contractual and 43 statutory types of salary-related claims. With greater complexity in the terms and conditions of work as well as cases of unfair termination of contract where workers, especially PMEs, are just given notice pay and told to leave the company, I hope the Act can keep pace with the developments and address some of these issues which may not be salary-related. Fourth, the Trade Unions Act.”
“Third, with an increasing number of mergers and acquisitions and organisational restructuring and reorganisation these days, we often face the challenge of whether a transfer falls squarely within the provisions of section 18A of the EA which allows for transfer of employees to a new entity without the need to pay retrenchment benefits. I suggest we further improve section 18A to provide more clarity. In particular, an inclusionary approach, such as a clearer and narrower definition of what situations are covered under section18A, would be a boon as the current provision is too broad and ambiguous. The scope should be limited to a sale of business. We should clarify that outsourcing is not covered. By the same token, transfers involving companies under receivership or judicial management should also be covered. Furthermore, a minimum notice period, of at least one month, should be stipulated and the notice should be in writing. To prevent multiple transfers, we should prohibit the transfer of the same group of employees for a period of one year after the first or subsequent transfers. Higher penalties specific to section 18A should be introduced and the union should be entitled to continue providing limited representation for up to two years so that PMEs do not lose protection. Second, IRA. In the course of representing unions and union members in the Industrial Arbitration Court and advising unions on industrial relations issues, I have come across a number of situations in which the IRA does not envisage nor clearly address certain issues. I will just confine them to two areas for now. First, the status of Collective Agreement (CA) during a Judicial Management/ Receivership.”
“With globalisation, Uberisation, digitisation, robotisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the future jobs, workforce, skills, training, labour market and the future of work are rapidly evolving and transforming. The new nature of the employment relationship, rising median wages, workforce profile change and diversity of work will require us to review our labour legislation to keep pace with the changes and the uncertain global outlook. I am, therefore, suggesting for MOM and our tripartite partners to continue its good work to carry out a review of the labour laws of Singapore − the EA, IRA, Employment Claims Act (ECA) and Trade Unions Act − to keep pace with the changes. First, EA. There are several provisions which I believe can be further enhanced and improved in the EA and which the tripartite partners should examine to be relevant and inclusive. First is whether there is a need to restrict the scope of EA to those earning less than $4,500 as well as exclude civil servants from the ambit of the Act. Second, an oddly drafted section 45 of the EA which sets out eligibility for retrenchment benefits, but it is phrased as a negative eligibility clause. The section can be appropriately worded to give more certainty to the payment of retrenchment benefits and leaving the quantum to be negotiated, just as it is being done with collective bargaining. The tripartite partners can also explore removing the two-year time bar, as shorter employment terms are more common now. If removal is not possible, another possibility is to move this provision out of Part IV to the main body of the Act to be more inclusive since Part IV's application is limited.”
“Mdm Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allotted for head S of the Estimates be reduced by $100." Together with our tripartite partners, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has made major headways the past five years from amending the Employment Act (EA) and Industrial Relations Act (IRA) to cater to the growing professionals, managers and executives (PME) workforce to introducing the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) next month to provide adjudication for all workers for their salary-related employment claims. At the policy front, the Fair Consideration Framework and raising of Employment Pass (EP) salary criteria and other foreign manpower tightening measures have helped level the playing field for the local workforce. Enhancements to the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) and Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA) have also been instituted to keep pace with wage changes and workplace accidents. From a manpower perspective, there are several challenges for us, with the first being rising structural forces and unemployment. What has been a worrying trend is that the layoffs especially affect professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) and the slower rate of re-entry into the workforce for this category of workers, especially those who are older in age. This is largely due to what I have previously identified as the "three mismatches of skills, expectations and jobs". By the same token, we face a long-term challenge to sustain inclusive quality growth, bearing in mind we have an ageing workforce, relatively flat productivity the past five years and a much slower employment growth.”
“I just want to ask the Senior Minister of State, earlier on, on the POHA claims, since its inception in November 2014, how many of these that are filed involved harassment in workplaces?”
“Protection from Harassment Act Since coming in force in November 2014, can MinLaw provide an update on the number of cases filed and mediated? Among all the Prevention of Harassment Act cases filed, what is the breakdown on the types, that is, how many involve community and neighbours, and how many are online, sexual and workplace harassment cases?”
“However, if the Government is serious about developing the talent pool for in-house legal counsel in Singapore, then the Competency Framework needs to be mandatory at some point of time. Singapore is one of the few countries in which in-house counsel are not required to meet any form of professional standards or any form of continuing education. This will come as a surprise to many a person in the boardroom, despite the fact that in-house legal advice privilege has been granted via statute. A mandatory Competency Framework will compel in-house counsel in Singapore to acquire baseline knowledge that is relevant to his or her role, which constitutes a form of quality assurance to all who set up regional legal functions in Singapore. This will improve the quality of the legal talent pool in Singapore. Some quarters may say these mandatory standards and continuing education may translate into costs. I submit that even the in-house community needs to embrace Continuing Education and Training (CET), deep-skilling and SkillsFuture to stay ready, relevant and resilient. Small Claims Tribunal I have spoken on this before and am raising it again to the Minister. I hope MinLaw will seriously look into reviewing the jurisdictional limits of the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT) so that more people can have economical and expedient orders and judgment to their contractual claims. In particular, I know many professional freelancers who are on a contract for service use SCT when they are not paid for their work rendered. In this regard, I propose to raise the jurisdictional limit of SCT to clear claims of up to $20,000 and up to $30,000 with the consent of both parties to the SCT claim. Raising the claim limits will be a boon to claimants and freelance workers alike.”
“My first cut is on the career pathway for in-house counseI. I declare my interest as a corporate member of the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association (SCCA) and also a member of their Advisory Board. Singapore should aim to be, and is certainly capable of becoming, the Asian hub for in-house legal capability. This will help attract multinational corporations (MNCs), whether Western or Asian, to invest or continue to invest, here. It will also feed the ambitions of SIAC, SIMC and SICC. In-house legal capability is highly exportable and it is not limited to the practice of Singapore law. To be truly regional, the capability should not be limited to Singapore law or English law. We should seek to build expertise in the laws of the various countries in the region. Furthermore, the competencies of a regional legal counsel go beyond black letter law as they must encompass business management skills and ethical conduct. To that end, SCCA has, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, developed a Competency Framework for three different seniorities of in-house counsel across three categories of competencies: legal, business and conduct. SCCA wants to encourage recruiters, employers and in-house counsel to use the framework as a reference guide to hiring, training and career development. The Competency Framework will be reviewed regularly to keep up to date with the market. 4.00 pm As SCCA is our National Trades Union Congress' U-Associate partner, we have studied this initiative and believe it to be useful for the reasons above. Hence, we will support and partner SCCA in the launch of this Competency Framework as a national standard for the in-house industry this year.”