Pritam Singh
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, I hear what the Minister has said. I am also sure the Minister has understood where the Workers' Party Members of Parliament are coming from. And I also would like to add that as the Opposition, we come to this House to scrutinise Bills and it is our duty to ask those questions.”
“Thank you, Speaker. I am empathetic to the arguments of efficiency and ensuring that patients can see a polyclinic doctor or consultation as quickly as possible. I understand the Senior Minister of State mentioned it is important to try and make a make an appointment so that your waiting time is within a certain period.”
“Thank you, Speaker. Just a question for the Minister of State. Does the Ministry capture the total amount of monies recovered from Singaporeans who are victims of scams?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just a point of order. I believe the Senior Minister of State, in his wrapping-up speech, referred to a speech made by a Member who did not deliver a speech in Parliament on the Bill, that is, hon Member Ms Mariam Jaafar. I would just like to confirm whether that is as per the Standing Orders of Parliament.”
“Much obliged, Mr Deputy Speaker. At the Sitting on 7 April 2026, I rose to seek a clarification on the joint Ministerial Statement on the situation in the Middle East.”
“Thank you, Speaker. The Minister of State mentioned meaningful impact a few times, so I will give an example. The KPI in the Budget Book, "the percentage of patients who waited less than or at least 100 minutes for consultations at polyclinics", for example, for each fiscal year, 2023, 2024, 2025 – the number is 99%.”
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“HDB states that the price-to-income ratio for BTO flats offered in non-mature estates is around five or less, which means the purchase price is around five times one's annual income, or around 25% of one's salary is set aside for mortgage servicing. Why does the Ministry not disclose the corresponding affordability figures for HDB estates which are mature estates.”
“I thank the Minister for answering the question. Let me suggest why, it perhaps could be meaningful. And I will do this by way of two supplementary questions. This is specific to Question No 5. I will come back to Question Nos 3 and 4 in a while. Since the introduction of the Prime Location Housing, or PLH, flats last year, it provides an example of why a detailed publication of HDB subsidies are actually warranted. An HDB PLH flat buyer, upon selling his PLH flat after the 10-year MOP, will have to return the quantum of additional subsidies provided as a percentage of the original assessed market value of the flat; and the subsidy recovery will apply to the resale price that is a reflection of the prevailing market value, regardless of whether the flat is sold at a gain or a loss. Another reason I would suggest to the Minister to publish the dollar value of the subsidy is to scrutinise and track the amount of subsidies being diverted for homeownership purposes. This is, particularly, in view of the MND's 2011 decision to delink BTO prices from the rising resale market then. The median price of a 4-room and larger HDB resale flats has increased 26% between 2017 and 2022, with resale prices reaching record highs today and, therefore, pushing up the market price of land. Increasing the size of the subsidies under the current HDB policy would appear to be the main way through which BTO prices will be kept affordable. In view of these new reasons, what is preventing HDB from publishing the dollar value of HDB subsidies for new BTO flats? The second supplementary question: HDB's index for affordability – the Minister spoke about it in her last reply – only covers non-mature estates.”
“The connection would be that the identity of the individual who was issued the POFMA Correction Direction – I cannot name him by virtue of Standing Orders, but he was the chief economist of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation. So, if the Minister says that this has been known for a long time, one would expect someone of that stature to also not fall afoul of POFMA and be POFMA-ed. But I think the Minister has said that she will answer that question – so, I hope the Minister can answer that question on whether HDB will provide a breakdown of the subsidies.”
“The correlation is the Government's point that flats are generously subsidised before they are sold. That is the correlation. So, the subsidy is applied by HDB and that is why flats can be sold at an affordable price. So, that is the correlation.”
“Mr Speaker, I do not believe Minister has answered Question No 5, whether HDB will be providing a clear breakdown of the costs.”
“Question No 3, please. The Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development (Ms Indranee Rajah) (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, may I take Question Nos 3 and 4 addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, and Question No 5 addressed to the Minister for National Development together, as they relate to the same subject matter, namely, the sale of state land, how the proceeds are treated and the reserves.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Just a minor point to clarify the query the Minister raised about the particular product I was referring to, psyllium husk. I think Minister will understand why I had some trouble when I identify the name it is marketed under because the box says, Telephone Brand (Sat-Isabgol) Psyllium Husk. And so this product is produced in Gujarat, that means, as the Minister said, substantively the same product as Fybogel. And Fybogel, as we know, is commonly prescribed especially after invasive surgical procedures where individuals may suffer from constipation. The point I was making really is in parallel with the point the Minister made about the intersection between Western medicine and alternative medicine. And if we can extract savings from that intersection, I think this will be consistent with watching the fiscal umbers on healthcare going forward.”
“The Ministry will not be starting from ground zero. With decades of regulatory experience and periodic reviews of the TCM landscape undertaken by the TCM Practitioners Board, a dedicated effort must be undertaken, driven by the Ministry to draw on the treasure trove of alternative and complementary medicine that has been relied on by generations of Singaporeans for their well-being. This is an opportunity that should not be missed.”
“Indeed, the White Paper lists a number of community partners, such as AIC, Sport Singapore, the People's Association (PA) and the National Parks Board (NPB), that will empower residents to chart their own journey towards healthy and active lives. In our journey to live more healthy lives, I would suggest that we should not underestimate the wide reach of the local sinsehs in our neighbourhoods. MOH should tap on them to help share healthy living tips and preventive healthcare strategies, not just to our seniors. And MOH should not rule out subsidising TCM practitioners in this endeavour, subject to their contributions towards objective criteria under Healthier SG. Such an approach would also be consistent with the aim of successive Ministers of Health who had hoped to integrate Western medicine and TCM and alternative medicine as far as practicable, even as both branches of medicine operate in different cultural and professional milieus. While progress in this regard appears to have been fitful so far, Healthier SG provides a new-found opportunity for TCM and alternative medicine to play a more active role in the primary healthcare space and in preventive healthcare. In conclusion, Sir, just like family doctors, many Singaporeans have been going to the same TCM practitioners for decades. For some, the reasons behind this may well be behavioural, peace of mind and more comfort dealing with a TCM practitioner. The Government is on record to say that TCM practitioners are an important stakeholder in Healthier SG. The Ministry should consider concrete plans and strategies to include them in the country's strategic shift towards preventive healthcare as Healthier SG is fleshed out and operationalised in the months and years ahead.”
“Such rehabilitation is not usually just more affordable than physiotherapy sessions at many private and public healthcare facilities, but the convenience of having such options for Singaporeans within one's neighbourhood and perhaps right under one's block can ensure that patients complete their rehabilitation and live healthier and more mobile lives. Suggestion three – leverage on TCM practitioners to achieve Healthier SG. Mr Deputy Speaker, late last year, a Straits Times article reported that the Government's feedback channel, REACH, discovered that many seniors were reluctant to get their COVID-19 vaccines due to and I quote, "advice from their doctors, mostly traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners who are unsure of what advice to give". In response to this, MOH arranged to meet all TCM practitioners to explain why vaccination was critical. Sir, while TCM and other alternative therapies have not been covered in any substantive detail in the White Paper, it is clear that TCM practitioners do not have a small footprint in the mindshare of Singaporeans when it comes to our health, particularly in the heartlands. Like Healthier SG, prevention of long-term diseases is a core belief of TCM and complementary medicine. And this does not start in one's senior years. Their treatment philosophy places an acute focus on prevention before a disease arises. They advance the view that one's lifestyle is intimately related to health, which can be improved through effective mental health management, rest, a good diet and interventions based on a person's specific physical conditions, amongst others. By watching such indicators, one is well on his or her way to good health, regardless which economic strata of society one belongs to.”
“For example, Fybogel, which is commonly dispensed for constipation, can cost around $20 on the shelf without subsidies, whereas psyllium husk, which confers similar, if not identical, benefits, can be purchased from Little India and even NTUC supermarkets at under $3. In 2015, the then Head of the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Branch of the Primary and Community Care Division at MOH confirmed and I quote, "MOH constantly reviews the regulations and policies on TCM, taking into consideration the scientific advancements and rising standards of TCM." In similar vein and with a view to better manage costs, a review of commonly prescribed medicine which substantially produces the same clinical outcomes as complementary medicine should be undertaken on a longer-term basis. It would be useful to understand if the Ministry or a relevant body like the Health Sciences Authority currently carries out such comparisons of clinical outcomes between Western and alternative medicine with the view to lower overall healthcare costs. Separately, I suspect more than a few in this House would have encountered cervical episodes for which traction and other specific thoracic mobility stretches are commonly prescribed through physiotherapy. Similarly, TCM also advances traction and certain stretching and mobility exercises as rehabilitative procedures. In this light, would the Ministry consider whether there is scope for such rehabilitation or physiotherapy to be undertaken at TCM clinics by TCM practitioners?”
“The pilot did not cover acupuncture used to treat other pain indications and other forms of traditional complementary and alternative medicine offered at public healthcare institutions. However, the Ministry stated that it would review the expansion of the pilot to other settings in the longer term, taking into account learnings and data from this pilot. Healthier SG may well provide the opportune platform and impetus to expand this pilot. Suggestion one – extending use of MediSave to more procedures and allow TCM practitioners who offer them. To this end, Sir, my first suggestion is for the Government to consider extending the use of MediSave for more TCM procedures and alternative therapies that have a proven role in the management of one's general health and, more pertinently, in the prevention of chronic diseases. This expansion should also see the inclusion of certified TCM practitioners who can be allowed to offer such approved procedures in their TCM clinics outside public healthcare institutions. In order to prevent abuse, a fixed and audited list of procedures and caps to limit the fees that can be charged for such procedures ought to be considered. Additional subsidies can also be extended to Pioneer and Merdeka card holders for these procedures, many of whom resort to TCM as an important source of primary care. Suggestion two – consider alternative and complementary medicine to lower costs. Second, MOH should look into the cost of alternative medicine that substantively produces the same clinical outcomes as medicines and drugs disbursed by our public healthcare institutions.”
“Sir, TCM and other alternative treatments such as ayurveda and other alternative therapies have a long tradition of acceptance in various Asian cultures. Singapore is no different with non-Chinese Singaporeans resorting to TCM and alternative medicine as well. To this end, some TCM products have even been halal certified. In fact, as early as 2005, MOH allowed licensed hospitals and nursing homes to have full service TCM clinics, including acupuncture, tuina and herbal medicine services to be co-located on their premises on the condition that the TCM clinic was clearly distinct from conventional medical services. In 2018, an acupuncturist at Khoo Teck Phuat Hospital was quoted in the newspapers as saying that around 40% of her patients who sought acupuncture were non-Chinese and under the age of 25. The Government, for its part, has previously allocated $3 million for the TCM Clinical Research Grant from fiscal years 2013 to 2018 to support research into chronic diseases. A further $10 million in research and development grants was also announced in 2017 as part of efforts to modernise the industry. Then Senior Minister for Health, Mr Chee Hong Tat, was quoted as saying: "After you come out of hospital, how do you help a person to get back as quickly as possible to good health? I think things like therapeutic massage actually play a very useful role." On 29 December 2020, in a significant move, MOH announced that it was extending means-tested subsidies and MediSave coverage under a pilot arrangement to support acupuncture for lower back pain and neck pain at specialist outpatient clinics in public healthcare institutions.”
“However, unlike Western doctors, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners are not tightly regulated by MOH. The standard of care delivery varies widely and we will therefore not be able to take the same approach as we have taken for Western doctors." This reply is nonetheless not inconsistent with the Minister's public comments in December 2021 where Minister was quoted as recognising the benefits of TCM in fighting chronic diseases. In fact, successive health Ministers have raised hopes of alternative approaches to healthcare like TCM, which complement and integrate Western medicine. Some almost 30 years ago, in 1995, the Health Ministry accepted the recommendations of the Committee on Traditional Chinese Medicine and moved to begin regulating TCM. Globally, under the Beijing Declaration adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in November 2008, Traditional Chinese Medicine was recognised as having an important role in the improvement of public health. Acupuncture has in fact, been scientifically proven through trials recognised by WHO to be an effective treatment for more than 20 diseases and disorders. Today, TCM practitioners in Singapore are governed by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Act and physicians are expected to abide by the ethical code and ethical guidelines for TCM practitioners issued by the TCM Practitioners Board which also comes under MOH. In 2019, legislative changes were made to further professionalise the TCM industry. These included the introduction of continuing professional education and raising the maximum fines on errant practitioners from $10,000 to $50,000. This hike in fines brought the TCM Practitioners Board's disciplinary powers in line with those in the dental, pharmaceutical and allied healthcare boards.”
“Sir, the Workers' Party Members of Parliament have raised points which cover the main prongs of the Healthier SG White Paper. These include concerns on capitation funding, manpower issues across the healthcare landscape and the future evolution of the family medicine ecosystem as envisaged, amongst other points. The upcoming changes to the healthcare system underwritten by the White Paper are significant, and in the main, the Workers' Party supports the Government's strategic shift towards preventive healthcare, important aspects of which were pre-emptively raised by Workers' Party Member of Parliament Leon Pereira in his Adjournment Motion on reviewing strategies towards preventive healthcare in February this year. My contribution to this Motion will be short and it covers an important but sometimes understated stakeholder in the public health care ecosystem, and that stakeholder are the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners and others who are practitioners of alternative or complementary medicine. In the course of the debate, I have heard hon Members Ms Joan Pereira, Ms Hany Soh and Mr Yip Hon Weng also speak on TCM and how it interfaces with the Healthier SG White Paper. In my speech today, I will make three suggestions to bridge TCM and complementary or alternative medicine as important community partners of a healthier SG. In July this year, I asked the Minister for Health in a written Parliamentary Question how TCM practitioners would be integrated into the Ministry's Healthier SG plans. Minister Ong replied and I quote: "Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners are important stakeholders, especially given their emphasis on holistic and long-term care.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Just a quick question for the Minister of State. She mentioned earlier that the number has been stable. Can I just enquire from the Minister of State what is that number, particularly, for the last year?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just one question for the Minister. I refer to the Minister's earlier reply, specifically where he mentioned that companies on the FCF have not actually flouted any rules. In view of the Ministry's newly-introduced COMPASS, where diversity is listed as a firm related attribute in considering EP applicants, how significant in the Minister's opinion, would this new criterion be in reducing the number of companies on the FCF watchlist over time?”
“Thank you, Speaker. Just a quick question for the Minister in regard to his original reply where he stated that there were 1,600 SPED teachers, if I heard him correctly. Can I just confirm with the Minister whether that number includes the allied educators, who are an integral part of the SPED system? As the Minister also shared, in certain cases where there is a gap, a cognitive gap for certain children, the allied educator could be as, if not more important than the SPED teacher, depending on where the child is developmentally.”
“What are the types of cases or scenarios this Bill conceives of where the authorised officer would need to decide for or against the taking of DNA information from an individual and what is the basis of those decisions? What consistency will be applied for the purposes of the proposed section 10 vis-a-vis eligible crimes? Fourth and finally, Mr Speaker, as is routine in every Bill that comes before this House, the explanatory note contains a section titled "Expenditure of Public Money". The note states that this Bill will involve the Government in extra financial expenditure, the exact amount of which cannot at present be ascertained. This is understandable because, for example, the exact number of DNA samples to be collected and processed for eligible crimes cannot be known at this time. However, it should be possible to know the cost of taking individual samples, if not a broad estimate based on crime statistics over the last five to 10 years. Specifically, I would like to ask how much the taking of each DNA sample from an accused or convicted person costs the taxpayer today. Ms Sylvia Lim will speak on other matters for the Minister's clarification.”
“Paragraphs (b) to (g) of the proposed section 32 aim to narrow the remit of the use of DNA information solely for criminal analysis and investigations. However, the proposed section 32(h) is a catch-all clause that states that DNA information can be used for any purpose that may be prescribed. This greatly expands the use of DNA information. Can I invite the Minister to clarify what other uses of DNA information are being contemplated under paragraph 32(h)? For example, and this is certainly not exhaustive, it is not beyond imagination that this clause could be relied on to use the DNA database for purposes of profiling and to draw inferences about groups of people as being a relatively greater public order threat compared to others, as alluded to earlier. If there is no such intention, can the Minister clarify the ambit of paragraph (h) for the record? It must be the Government's position that it would return to this House should the DNA database be used for any other purpose other than Police investigation into specific cases. Can the Minister confirm this to be so? Let me move on to my third clarification. Sir, under the proposed section 10, an authorised officer "may" take DNA information and therefore may not be required by law to do. Can the Minister clarify what is the thinking behind not mandating the taking of DNA information but instead giving an option to the authorised officer? This is especially relevant since the public statements of the Ministry in justifying this Bill – I beg your pardon – in tabling this Bill have thus far alluded to expanding the DNA database.”
“In this era of big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning, the purposes for which the DNA information is collected becomes exceedingly important, something Parliament must scrupulously guard. Seen in this context, the Bill envisages the surrender of private information for which the highest levels of security and access must be assured by the Government. Just a few years ago, in 2018, the personal information of some 1.5 million Singaporeans was hacked in the SingHealth cybersecurity breach, the worst publicly known cybersecurity incident in Singapore's history. The Ministry's press release on the First Reading of this Bill dated 1 August states that all persons accessing the DNA database will have to be screened and authorised by the Police with all access logged and recorded, in addition to a tamper proof audit trail to detect data modification. Officers who misuse their powers will be dealt with severely. With reference to the proposed section 49(1A), can the Minister confirm if the DNA database would be stored in a standalone computer or in systems that are linked to the Internet and therefore susceptible to cyber-attack? How wide is the access to the DNA database? Finally, have there been any cases within the Police Force where existing DNA data on the database has been wrongfully accessed and misused? What was the range of punishments that have been meted out to such officers? And what recovery procedures and remedies can citizens whose DNA information has been compromised or used in a way not sanctioned by legislation avail themselves to? My second clarification is on the further uses of the DNA database. With such depth of personal information extractable from DNA data, Parliament should be apprised of the limits on the use of such data.”
“Could the Minister clarify whether the Government intends or foresees the use of DNA information for purposes other than for Police investigations into specific cases. And if not, will the Government undertake to return to this House to seek Parliamentary approval if the DNA database is to be used for non-investigation related purposes? Third, could the Minister clarify what factors authorised officers would take into account in deciding whether to take DNA samples from those convicted of eligible crimes? Fourth, could the Minister tell us the cost of taking a DNA sample of an accused person or convicted individual. Let me elaborate. First, the security of the DNA database. Sir, at its core, the surrender of personal DNA is significant. DNA data is not akin to non-DNA identifying information like fingerprints. For example, it is possible to use DNA information to create a profile of an individual by comparing their DNA data to a larger DNA sample size. This cannot be achieved with an existing register of fingerprints. Our DNA can tell a story or highlight predispositions that most people would not know about themselves. For example, certain versions of a gene on the X chromosome that codes for monoamine oxidase enzyme (MAO) are associated with sensation-seeking and impulsive tendencies. Another example is the Per2 Gene which has been linked with advanced sleep phase syndrome that informs which individual is more predisposed to going to bed early and rising early, while Per3 is found in night owls. Both these data points taken to the extreme can indicate the likelihood of possible criminal tendencies.”
“This appears to be a broader position than the one proposed under this Bill, as the meaning of a recordable offence is very wide and it may include offences not punishable by imprisonment. In Japan, there is no specific statute governing from whom and under what circumstances DNA may be collected. But the Japanese authorities have adopted an approach to DNA collection that is one of the most aggressive in the world. By late 2019, the police in Japan had collected close to 1.3 million DNA samples, which covers about one in 100 of the Japanese population. Data released under Japanese information disclosure laws in late 2019 showed that those alleged to have committed serious crimes, such as murder, burglary and rape, accounted for only 4.8% of the DNA database. By contrast, DNA was collected for 210,000 persons suspected of violating the Road Traffic Law, the Swords and Firearm Law, the Immigration Control Law and the Minor Offence Law. This accounted for about 16% of the entire database. I should add that every DNA sample was collected only after the suspects gave consent to register their DNA information in the national police agency database. Our review of other jurisdictions shows that there is no consensus as to the boundaries and ambit of DNA collection. But we can certainly pick out some useful points. For Singapore, we need to ensure that our Bill suits our circumstances and protects our citizens. To that end, Sir, I seek four specific clarifications on the Bill. I will list them and then elaborate on each of them. First, could the Minister elaborate how the secrecy of the DNA database will be ensured? Second, the proposed section 32(h) allows any information in the DNA database to be used for such purposes as may be prescribed.”
“Mr Speaker, this Bill seeks to enlarge the DNA database at the disposal of the Police by including less serious crimes under its ambit. Individuals under investigation for both registrable and less serious eligible crimes are expected to surrender their DNA to the Police. To the extent that this Bill is aimed at cracking cases and bringing criminals to justice, the Workers' Party supports the Bill. Apart from widening the scope of crimes that requires the surrender of one's DNA, the Bill also introduces procedures to allow for the removal of DNA information from the Police's DNA database and strengthens the protection of DNA and non-DNA identifying records. We also support these procedures. However, I have concerns about the Bill and will seek clarifications later in my speech. In scrutinising the Bill, the Workers' Party reviewed the situation in other jurisdictions to better understand how DNA information is collected and utilised. In South Australia, for example, the offences covered under the Criminal Law Forensics Procedures Act 2007 includes all offences punishable by imprisonment, not dissimilar to our position but technically broader than the position taken in today's Bill, which excludes some offences punishable by imprisonment. In the United Kingdom, under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, blood and other intimate samples, or what this Bill refers to as invasive samples, can only be taken with written consent without exception. This is a position that is less intrusive upon the rights of the individual than the one proposed by this Bill. However, non-intimate samples, which includes hair and swabs that would allow the collection of DNA, can be taken in the UK without consent if the person is under investigation for what is called a recordable offence.”
“Second supplementary question, MOM's press release on the ONE Pass states that there are a few routes to apply for it, and it covered two in the main text of the press release and three at the Annex. The Annex also stated that more details on the eligibility for new applications and renewals would be published. Can the Minister confirm if there are any other eligibility criteria for the ONE Pass that have not been published thus far?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Sir, the Sunday Times yesterday carried a two-page story on the new ONE Pass. It quoted a sustainability recruiter, one Greg Brittain, as saying and I quote, "The solution is not simply to import more talent. It needs to be a combination of upscaling and developing local talent, alongside bridging in talent to support the building of capacity within Singapore." Another individual, a Mr Dimitri Volkov of a cyber security company, remarked that only local experts can effectively identify, monitor and respond to threats and his firm contributes to the ecosystem by exposing local talent to real cyber threats. Sir, these individuals understand that skills transfer to Singaporean workers must be at the centre of our foreign manpower policies to ensure that Singaporeans can avail themselves to good job opportunities, from management to staffing positions. I have two supplementary questions for the Minister. First, at last year's Parliamentary debate on the motion on securing Singaporeans' jobs and livelihoods, and the foreign talent policy, the Workers' Party raised several alternative proposals to alleviate the concerns of Singaporeans' at the workplace and to ensure that the local foreign employment divide does not become a permanent fault line. With the introduction of the ONE Pass and several changes to the Employment Pass (EP) framework, as announced by Minister, how does the Ministry intend to promote and track the transfer of skills to Singaporeans by EP holders, such as the ONE Pass? In view of the Ministerial Statement, has the Minister ruled out fixed term employment passes or other schemes that incentivise such skills transfer to Singaporeans to address skills related underemployment, amongst other things?”
“For the Singapore Armed Forces and Other Matters Bill, we will support the Bill, but cannot support clause 6, which is specifically related to the President's discretionary powers. However, since the substantive change is located in the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill, we will support the Singapore Armed Forces and Other Matters Bill as our position is clarified by voting against the constitutional amendment.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I note both Bills, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill and the Singapore Armed Forces and Other Matters Bill are being read at the same time. My speech is restricted to the Constitution (Amendment) Bill. Mdm Deputy Speaker, clause 2 of the Bill amends Article 22 of the Constitution, to extend the President's discretionary powers of appointment to include the office of the newly created Chief of the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). This Bill enjoins the Chief of the DIS to the list of key public sector appointments that must be agreed to, by the President. The President can veto the appointment. As established by my colleagues, Mr Gerald Giam and Mr Dennis Tan, the Workers' Party has no fundamental objection to this newly established appointment and substantively support the Singapore Armed Forces and Other Matters Bill. Mdm Deputy Speaker, the Workers' Party is on record in Parliament, with regard to the prospect of a gridlock if any elected President withholds nominations to key appointments, particularly in the context of a new Government, which defeats the PAP at the General Elections. Most recently, at the Parliamentary debate on the Menon Constitutional Commission's report in 2016, the Workers' Party advocated returning to the elected presidency, to its original form to an appointed office without blocking powers. This will enable the President to focus on being a unifying figure for the nation, rather than having any confrontational role vis-à-vis the elected Government. In view of the Workers' Party's position on the elected presidency, we will vote against the Constitution (Amendment) Bill as a matter of principle.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Just one question for the Minister. In 2014, I asked a Parliamentary Question with regard to non-performance by SHPL. This was on the back of the Brazil-Japan football game when there were concerns about pitch quality and so forth. The then-Minister for MCCY confirmed that there was a provision for deductions in the event of non-performance or non-availability for use. Can I just confirm that from 2014 to date, how much has the Government, by way of liquidated damages or whatever the clause in the PPP contract states, charged SHPL for non-performance?”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Just a quick question. When the Senior Minister of State announced the formation of the Advisory Committee last September to look at savings of gig workers and the injury framework, the Senior Minister of State, I believe, also announced that the report of the committee would be ready in the second half of this year. Is the committee on track to release its report shortly?”
“Sir, I have two questions for the Minister for Finance. First, an article in The Business Times in May this year, citing Singapore's Department of Statistics data, confirmed that the Government's tax collections for fiscal year 2021 was $74.76 billion, a 10.5%-increase compared to the pre-COVID-19 fiscal year 2019, of about $67 billion. The same article notes that stamp duty collection was 61% higher over the same period, hitting $6.7 billion for fiscal year 2021, ending March this year. In light of this information, can I understand what is the Minister's assessment of the Government's current fiscal position and how much fiscal room it has to introduce more cost of living support measures for the lower- and middle-income end of Singapore, particularly families and small businesses? Secondly and connected to the first question, in light of elevated fuel prices, has the Government considered the prospect of a more acutely targeted and temporary road tax rebate, similar to that introduced in 2015 and 2021, to assist Singaporean households, that for various reasons, need a vehicle for family use and due to historically high COE prices, as an example, cannot make the green transition to less pollutive electric vehicles (EVs) at this point in time. I understand the previous policy explanation for road tax rebate was to offset the Government's decision to raise fuel taxes. However, in view of high pump prices today, would the Government consider some targeted financial relief for those who drive cars and motorcycles below a certain engine capacity and whose assessable income is below the median salary range, for example, because of inflation today?”
“I thank the Minister for Finance for answering the question. Sir, as the Minister Teo Chee Hean has alluded to, last July, Senior Minister mentioned that there were particularly severe challenges for the Government and there were many valuable lessons to be learnt from COVID-19. Likewise, only a few weeks ago, at the Administrative Service Appointment and Promotion ceremony, the Prime Minister said we will be throwing away valuable lessons for which we have paid dearly. Sir, the public has a limited to unknown perspective on the short-comings or lessons that were paid for dearly during COVID-19 and how we can be better ready as a country, both physically and psychologically, when another pathogen or emergency hits our shores. I thank the Minister for confirming that an AAR, led by a former Head of Civil Service, is going to be conducted. Can he also share how many participants are envisaged to participate in this AAR, will it be a whole-of-Government exercise? Secondly, would this exercise also include reviewing emergency preparedness scenarios for the country and other scenarios, such as building up indigenous manufacturing capability in critical areas, for example?”
“Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Minister. I think this is a subject I spoke about in my Budget speech last year as well, seeking details on the number of individual Singaporeans who have benefited from CTP. In view of the revision or the review of the ITMs towards ITM 2025, does CTP feature very prominently in the review? Because as I mentioned last year, my view is it can be an important conduit through which locals upskill effectively with new skills that have a direct knock-on effect on their companies and, of course, on enterprise, in general. My second question is specifically on the 990 locals and the 140 companies that the Minister spoke of earlier. How many of them received the highest cap of funding at 90%?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just a quick question for the Minister. I understand this is a review that is in progress and full details of the proposals are not before the House. For current offenders who are incarcerated – because they have committed serious sexual crimes, in the course of their custodial sentence – are there constant reviews done as to their re-integration later into the public after they have served their sentences? Is that being done currently? And in terms of the numbers of individuals that we are looking at who are currently serving sentences, how many people would the Minister estimate to come under the regime, based on whatever existing data the Government has?”
“I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State if he has any recent data on how many of these platform workers actually make CPF contributions on their own accord.”
“I had made a request for Ms He Ting Ru to make her clarification before the next Bill is debated.”
“The third question: Minister covered the legislation that will be excluded. I think the Minister mentioned nine pieces of legislation will not be under the remit of this department. The Minister covered three and I am inquiring what the others are.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just a few questions to the Minister in response to his Ministerial Statement. In view of his concluding remarks as to when PDO will be established, which is towards the end of the year, can I inquire how much funding the office is likely to require? Of course, this is provided that the Bill goes through, but I am quite certain the Ministry would have done some calculation. The second question is the number of staff PDO intends to raise to begin operations and, eventually, what is the number of staff that will be hired or appointed for the purposes outlined? The third question relates to the exclusions. The Minister covered, generally, three types of legislation: gambling, organised crime and terrorism. What other legislation will be excluded for consideration in the event a member of the public seeks assistance from the PDO? Finally, can the Minister please explain the relationship between cases that will be taken up by PDO and CLAS? Will there be fundamental differences which would result in a case being handled by one entity as opposed to the other?”
“Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak. I do not think there is anything wrong with seeking a clarification by Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon. The question is, is the Member apprised that this clarification is coming up so that she can prepare for her response? Because if it comes up just like that, I am not sure if she is still holding on to her Budget speech.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Just one question for the Minister for Manpower. In view of the steep rise in the price of petrol and diesel, is the Government looking at the prospect of a support package for private hire drivers, taxi drivers, private hire bus drivers, not too dissimilar from the aviation support package announced at this year's Budget to alleviate the cost of work for them?”
“In January, the MSF announced an expansion of the Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) as well as the Assistive Technology Fund (ATF). Amongst others, the existing schemes will be extended to support seniors and the disabled over a longer period of time and to cover a wider range of assistive devices. What new assistive devices has the Ministry noted a high demand for and that were not covered under the previous regime? Separately, which top five items does it project to have high subsidy utilisation up to 2030 under both SMF and ATF? In 2019, the Minister for Social and Family Development shared that 2,037 persons with disabilities had benefited from ATF, a steady increase from 2016 and 2017. Since then, over the last three years, how many individuals have sought assistance at each subsidy tier? The new items covered under the enhanced scheme have not been fully stated in the January announcement. There are common examples, but I ask that MSF consider the release of the full range of items that are eligible for subsidised purchase under the new scheme for better public utilisation of both funds. Annex B of the MSF January press release contains a noteworthy footnote. It says that the enhancements to ATF will only apply the Singapore Citizens while there will be no changes to benefits for PRs. There does not seem to be any publicly available information on the dollar amount of subsidies provided to Singaporeans and PRs respectively under ATF before the latest update to the scheme. Would the Ministry be able to provide a breakdown between Singaporeans and PRs from SMF and ATF utilisation, in dollar terms, since each fund was launched? Adult Disability Care”
“With so many different options, are seniors made sufficiently aware of the range of support that they can access, or is there some scope for a rationalisation exercise without drop in the quality of care? Does the Government envisage expanding Careline and rolling it out to more seniors? Our Seniors' Health and Well-being”
“In 2016, MOH rolled out the senior support call centre service, Careline. It was targeted at seniors living alone who could enrol in the service and receive support, medication reminders and tele-befriending, if needed. The Minister for Health last year noted that Careline has supported around 10,000 seniors. I would like to ask how many Singaporeans have signed up and of which, what has been the proportion of seniors who have had their needs met through Careline. Has the number of sign-ups remained promising after four years? We also know that language barriers tend to be a challenge in bringing care to our seniors. Has there been feedback on whether this was also an obstacle in Careline and what steps have been taken to bridge that? I gather that how Careline works is not necessarily by sending someone down to the senior who calls but also by linking them up with relevant agencies and community partners to provide more well-rounded support. It is hard to quantify the success of holistic support though. Perhaps, one way to measure efficacy would be to think of how Careline has helped expedite seniors' access to emergency responses. How many Careline calls in 2019, 2020 and 2021 have been referred to emergency services? Which brings me to Careline's specific role. It is but one among a buffet of tele-medical services that seniors and other vulnerable citizens can choose from when they are in distress. Other 24-hour hotlines like the IMH's Mental Health Helpline. Eldercare centres also conduct check-in calls to seniors in need of support, as does the Silver Generation Office, albeit with a more targeted approach. There are also support hotlines operated by independent counselling centres and the National Care Hotline offering pandemic-related psychological support.”
“I asked the Senior Minister of State at the same Sitting in a supplementary question what were the recruitment rates of healthcare manpower over the same period; what efforts, if any, were taken in the middle of last year in step with the transition to COVID-19 endemicity, to recruit foreign manpower on an exceptional or an urgent basis. Even if, for example, the training of new foreign manpower to complement local healthcare workers would take some time, it would, nonetheless, have played an important part in reducing the load on our healthcare workers in time. More generally, a labour shortfall in the public healthcare sector also appears to persist in recent weeks. The stresses on our healthcare workers have been well-publicised online with anecdotes of longer working hours and lesser staff looking after patients' needs. As a percentage today, what is the manning situation in our public hospitals? Are we at 80% or 90%? And at what percentage must manning levels not fall below to ensure an optimal level of healthcare is rendered to patients? It would be important for the Government to lay out its short- or medium-term solution to this. I asked the Ministry to share its manpower recruitment plans and the additional doctors, nurses and allied health workers required, in view of our COVID-19 endemic strategy. The number must also accommodate the prospect of other future contingencies including any Disease X which is likely to overwhelm our medical services. In view of Omicron, future potential variants and surges, what is the recruitment plan for medical manpower that can sustain us through COVID-19 and, more generally, for the longer term? Has MOH develop a roadmap or a plan with public healthcare institutions to make up for the attrition in healthcare workers?”
“In late June 2021, the Multi-Ministry Task Force (MTF) announced plans to transition to COVID-19 endemicity. While the Minister for Health announced that we would be ready with 1,000 ICU beds, a figure that was subsequently clarified, it remained unclear what the plan was to ramp up ICU bed capacity without the degradation in the standard of care, in preparation for an endemic COVID-19. I asked a Parliamentary Question on ICU bed capacity last year and the response received was that we should avoid getting near or needing 1,000 beds and to focus on stabilising COVID-19 case counts. I note the points made subsequently about the trade-offs in the standard of care if a large number of ICU beds have to be stood up. But this still does not get to the meat of the matter. To this end, what specific preparations were made for the recruitment of healthcare manpower in step with preparations for endemicity, as announced by the MTF in late June 2021? In November 2021, Senior Minister of State Janil reported to the House that about 1,500 healthcare workers had resigned in the first half of 2021, compared to about 2,000 annually pre-pandemic. Foreign healthcare workers also resigned in bigger numbers especially as they were unable to travel to see their family back home. Close to 500 doctors and nurses, healthcare workers, resigned in the first half of 2021 as compared to around 500 in the whole of 2020 and around 600 in 2019, about double the usual rate.”
“I will, Chairman. Thank you. I did not intend to rise, but I had to, after the Minister for Transport stood up and spoke of "intellectually rigorous". I think he was going to say "intellectually honest" but he stopped himself and said "intellectually rigorous alternative proposals". Indeed, as part of this Budget debate, the Workers' Party has put up four alternate levers. It is not as if the money is going to come from an unknown source. So, I just wanted to clarify that point, that the party put up four different levers to consider where additional revenues can come from to address some of the issues we have raised, not just here by Member Jamus Lim, but also in our manifesto. I think it is important for me to put that out.”
“I would like to thank the Minister for sharing that. With respect to my last point about eligibility for singles, I take the Minister's point that there are zero-sum realities to think about here. But I also wish to come back to the point that the Minister made earlier about the number of flats that HDB is prepared to construct from 2021 to 2025. I think the number was up to 100,000. In view of what I shared in my cut about the latest population census and the number of singles that has gone up from the age groups 25 to 29 and 30 to 34, has that information prompted a change in HDB's thinking about its options for singles – which I acknowledge there were not any previously, and these have now been introduced – but in view of new information that is coming online, through the census as I explained, is there some scope to include the building of more flats for singles, for example, within that timeline the Minister has shared?”
“Actually, I had asked a written question in July about how many times HDB had purchased an EIP-constrained flat and the reply actually was specific to voluntarily surrendered flats. That was the reply that the Ministry gave. So, I am not sure whether it was an answer to the same thing, whether the flat was actually purchased by HDB in the first instance, as HDB would have committed to do if there were EIP-related constraints, or whether it had not purchased any EIP-affected flat previously. So, has this actually been done before, because the policy was already announced earlier? My third point relates to EIP data. I acknowledge the Minister's point about the difficulty in coming up with a map which is consistent over time. I asked the question because of the previous EIP-related question I filed. The Ministry actually provided the five-yearly interval data. So, naturally, I asked whether that data could be further clarified in those five-yearly intervals, but I note the Minister's point. Finally, I believe my cut on singles and whether HDB would consider reducing the eligibility age for singles to buy a 2-room BTO Flexi Flat or a resale flat could be reconsidered.”
“Thank you, Chairman. I thank the Minister for responding to some of my cuts. Just a few clarifications. First on the priority schemes. I note that the current information provided by HDB does not detail whether the respective priority schemes have been fully allocated for a typical BTO exercise. And to that extent, for example, it is difficult to assess whether the current 30% threshold of priority for married couples with children is at the appropriate level, particularly given the recent demand in public housing. Can the Minister share, for example, for marriage or priority scheme, whether HDB believes that threshold can be raised? But more importantly, does it suggest from HDB's data that, for the more recent BTO exercises, this rise is actually warranted? We recently heard feedback from residents, as I am sure Minister would also have received from newly married couples and couples with children that they are repeatedly unsuccessful in their BTO applications. So, I think that clarity would be quite helpful. The second clarification pertains to EIP. I welcome the announcement of the buyback option for EIP-constrained households, so as to make things fairer for Singaporeans. But I note that this position that was announced today was actually the original last resort solution that was put out by then MND Minister, Mr S Dhanabalan, when he introduced the policy in the late 1980s. Can I confirm if HDB had applied this last resort earlier and, if not, why had it not applied it earlier, because the Minister in the late 1980s already said that this was a last resort option to buy the property from the affected EIP household?”
“In September last year, I asked the Minister for National Development a written Parliamentary Question for data on each of the respective five-yearly intervals from December 1990 to December 2020 to detail, amongst other things, the names of the EIP-affected neighbourhoods where at least one EIP limit was reached and the total number of HDB units in each of these aforesaid neighbourhoods. The Ministry only provided data for 1990 and 2020, even though it was able to provide information at five-yearly intervals for the EIP-related question earlier. Why was it unable to provide the information as requested? Ethnic Integration Policy Refinements”