Rachel Ong
Singapore
“Chairman, many PwDs and employers remain unaware of available support for inclusive employment and daily living. A recent Singapore Management University (SMU) survey found that eight in 10 PwDs had never heard of employability training programmes and fewer than half of employers were aware of workplace grants and hiring incentives.”
“Chairman, today, very few counsellors are trained in Singapore Sign Language. Thus, deaf clients often rely on interpreters from an already small community. This often limits privacy and discourage self and help-seeking. One deaf individual received counselling only after a long search.”
“Chairman, the misuse of AI, particularly through sexually exploitative deepfake content, is creating new risks. Children and vulnerable persons, including persons with disabilities, may face impersonation, coercion and greater difficulty reporting harm.”
“Chairman, during an MRT disruption last year, a deaf commuter shared that she felt confused and afraid when passengers began to leave the train as there were no visual or sign language updates explaining what was happening.”
“Chairman, I support the Government's strong investment in AI skills for Singaporeans. Expanding the TeSA programme to help non-tech workers gain practical AI capabilities sends an important signal, that AI is no longer a niche skill, but a foundational one.”
“Chairman, unattended cooking remains one of the leading causes of residential fires in Singapore, according to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Many of these incidents involve our seniors, where distraction, medical conditions, or reduced mobility quickly turn an everyday activity into a serious safety risk.”
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“Apart from the new flats under the Prime Land Housing model, are there plans for MND to regulate the prices of the HDB resale market to make housing more accessible to Singapore Citizens who do not qualify for the BTO market? An example is the non-citizen spouse scheme.”
“Thank you, Chairman. A citizen's contribution to the nation-building effort is not limited by their marital status. Singles and married citizens can both participate in the workforce and serve the community. It may be argued that singles could even expend more time at work and the community than those with family commitments. At the same time, while singles may not have to care for children, many provide essential care for ageing family members, be it physically, through financial support, or both. My residents, who are single, have shared that in the bid to prioritise housing for families, they feel that the housing and home ownership policies are less equitable for singles. Singles can only purchase 2-room Government-subsidised BTO flats which cannot be in mature estates nor prime location public housing. This means that their flats are less easily sold in the market, with relatively lower-value appreciation over time than the bigger flats. Such a housing policy impacts not only space allocation, but cumulative asset value over time for singles. With that said, how can HDB housing subsidies be made more equitable across both single and married Singapore Citizens who contribute to Singapore's nation-building efforts in their different ways? Regulating Prices of HDB Resale Market Despite the cooling measures applied, resale flat prices have continued to climb with first-time home buyers competing with those who are looking for bigger spaces after selling their private condominium units. We have also seen an unprecedented number of million-dollar flats being sold this season. I believe that the mandate to keep our housing affordable to Singapore Citizens extends to all Government-built flats, not only BTOs.”
“Chairman, in my speech supporting the second Parliamentary Motion on Climate Change earlier this January, I highlighted the need for our IHLs to enhance their course offerings in PET to better integrate sustainability-focused and related modules. This is because, with the greening of jobs over time, increasing fields of disciplines will need to embrace sustainability in their practice. 12.00 pm I also shared on the need to better complement PET curricula with CET Sustainability Modules to ensure that, by the time our students graduate, they are equipped with up-to-date skills and knowledge required for their fields. Can the Ministry please share what efforts the IHLs are undertaking to further support the green economy and sustainable living? Green Curriculum and Research”
“Chairman, in my house visits and conversations with residents, I have observed increasing interest amongst private estate residents, specifically condominium residents, in being engaged in sustainability efforts. However, access to recycling bins for different materials is limited in condominium estates. In addition to keeping HDB estates sustainable, with the rising proportion of residents living in condominiums and other apartments over the last decade, it is vital that we also support these residents in Singapore's sustainability efforts. Can the Ministry share future plans to support and encourage recycling efforts in private estates, especially in the condominiums? Improve Equity in Green Space Access A 2018 study by Future Cities Laboratory found that the less-educated and less-wealthy people in Singapore are less actively engaged with urban nature, with potential negative impact for health and well-being. Understandably, expending finances on travel to nature reserves would not be a priority for the lower income. Many lower-income working adults also may have limited time to access nature. For some, the distance between their households and green spaces deters the frequency of their visits. With this in mind, how will the Ministry continue to improve equity in green space access for the lower-income families, especially for our children? Protecting our Green and Blue Spaces”
“Chairman, the Singapore Green Plan 2030 was launched in 2020 with a slew of ambitious targets across the five pillars. More recently, in his Budget 2022 speech, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong committed to raising our goal of achieving net-zero emissions by or around mid-century and increasing our carbon tax rate with a view to reaching $50 to $80 per tonne by 2030. This is most encouraging. May I ask the Government to provide an update on the progress of the Green Plan since 2020? In light of Singapore’s increased ambitions, as announced in Budget 2022, and also inputs from the Members from the two Motions on Sustainability this and last year, whether the Government is making any adjustments to our Green Plan targets to match this increased ambition.”
“Yes. Can MOM update on the plans to better support employees' mental wellbeing at the workplace and to support the employment and recovery of persons with mental health conditions transitioning back to work? Thank you, Chairman. Flexible Workplace Policies”
“When students started getting COVID-19, teachers were tasked to inform parents of the cases and monitor the Antigen Rapid Test (ART) status of students. In addition, with the pandemic's negative impact on the students' well-being, our teachers have also been tasked with needing to check in with students more intentionally and this is despite restricted in-person time allowed outside of class. Additionally, with teachers also falling ill or being on Health Risk Warning (HRW), they cover each other's duties, thus taking on additional load. This is especially significant in our childcare centres. May I thank our educators for the sacrifices that they have made. I know that the well-being of this large population of our workforce would be looked into. There is also a need to continue to destigmatise mental illness at the workplace. While some workplaces offer counselling services as mental health support, many employees do not seek help promptly and hide their illness for fear of being overlooked for a promotion or being treated differently by colleagues. This fear is understandable. The definition of what strong mental health is needs to change. Strong mental health is not about being unaffected by mental strains but knowing when to seek help. Some employers are concerned that those facing depression and other mental disorders result in lower productivity at work but may not realise that those who are seemingly highly productive can actually be mentally strained. Productivity should not be viewed as the key indicator of a person's mental wellness and those who seek help with their stressors should not be viewed as weaker than those who do not.”
“Chairman, while calls to improve mental health awareness in the workplace are not new, the issue has taken on an added urgency in the last two years, with the pandemic creating new stressors in the workforce. May I first speak on the stress impact on two groups of people in our workforce. First, the workforce that works remotely. Second, our educators. Work-from-home and hybrid work arrangements are at an accelerated pace. While this has raised work-home flexibility for some households, this also means the lines between work-life and life become increasingly blurred for some and for others, the lack of suitable workspace in their home can take a further toll on the mental health of many employees. In some nations, the negative impact of remote working on mental health of employees has led to implementations of new labour laws in Europe. Given that hybrid work arrangements are likely to stay and for good reason, I would like to ask if the Government also set in place guidelines and policies that safeguard the mental wellbeing of our workers. Our educators. In a 2021 survey by Singapore Counselling Centre, more than 80% of teachers surveyed say that their mental health has been hurt by the pandemic. From the adjustments to home-based learning in 2020, the stressors our educators in preschool through to Junior College have also evolved over the last two years, with new additional roles, on top of e-learning lesson development. Our teachers took on partial roles as safe management officers, MOH officers and social workers. They are tasked with enforcing evolving safe management measures while finding ways to keep lessons engaging with minimal interaction between students.”
“This also accords a more holistic assessment of the individual and builds their confidence for the job search. One career coachee, a tech support specialist for 23 years in the same company, was informed in November 2020 that his company was closing their operations and that he would be retrenched by the following April. He was turning 50 that year and was the sole breadwinner for his wife and two school-going children. He was very concerned about his employability at the age of 50 and expected not to be employed for a long time after retrenchment. Through the career coaching he received, he was able to discover his skills and recognise areas he could contribute to the current job market and built his LinkedIn profile accordingly. He was headhunted shortly via LinkedIn as an Automation Engineer and was able to start work immediately after retrenchment. His story has encouraged many. I believe that if we were to invest more time helping our workers discover transferable skills and strengths they have for the current job market prior to the start of their mid-career pathway programme, they will see greater opportunities for selecting a pathway programme that they can flourish in. I would like to ask the Government how this programme looks like beyond March 2022 under the new scheme SkillsFuture Transition Programme and what specific updates there would be in the enhanced pre-training and post-training support, especially for the mature worker segment. Business Transformation”
“Chairman, mid-career workers were some of the most affected groups due to the pandemic season. Many experienced loss of jobs and great challenges in being hired over younger workers, despite their wealth of working experience. Some of these mid-career workers are women returning to the workforce after choosing to dedicate their time to the formative years of their children's lives. For these, the pandemic made their re-entry into the workforce more challenging. WSG's SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme introduced in 2020 provides many benefits for the mid-career worker. Apart from learning skills with income supplementation, the attachments and traineeships allow for immersive real-world practice that sets in context their new knowledge. This is particularly valuable for women returning to work in adjusting to the workplace environment that would have changed in their years away from the workforce. However, one key challenge that many of the mid-career individuals face in embarking on this journey is the exploration phase and eventually deciding on the alternative career pathway to choose. We understand from Executive Career Coaching workshops for PMEs that one of the most important attributes to equip our mid-career workers with is in confidence – confidence for the next phase of their lives. 5.00 pm Often, one is unsure of his or her employability in the market, especially if they have only been in one particular role for an extended time. As such, helping mid-career PMEs understand their transferable skills from past experiences, interests, what energises them will allow them to identify their transferable skills and understand the value they bring to their next role.”
“Chairman, the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat held in Bintan on 25 January 2022 brought about significant milestones in the bilateral relations of our countries through an expanded framework of agreements in our Flight Information Regions, Defence Cooperation and the Extradition Treaty. MOUs on Green and Circular Economy Development and an MOU on Energy Cooperation were also signed between the two nations, with impact on green growth opportunities, low-carbon energy infrastructure, and development of new emerging green technology. What are some initiatives we can expect to see rolled out this year following the above two MOUs? And how will Singapore continue to work with Indonesia to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including at the central and regional levels, following the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat held in Bintan on 25 January 2022? Relations with Brunei”
“For some, defence and security matters may seem abstract, but the reality is that all of our lives would be impacted if Singapore's sovereignty and security were undermined. The war in Ukraine is also a stark reminder of the ongoing need to be ready to defend our sovereignty and not to take it for granted. It is thus critical that Singaporeans of all ages see the importance of defence issues and understand the role that each and every person plays in national defence. In light of this, I believe that it is important for MINDEF and the SAF to make a conscious effort to engage Singaporeans in every demographic, from all walks of life and encourage them to learn and care about defence issues, especially during peace time. Last year, Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad spoke about MINDEF's efforts to develop creative ways to engage Singaporeans on defence. An example is the revamped Singapore Discovery Centre. He also shared that MINDEF will take on public suggestions to empower more Singaporeans to learn about defence issues. What are some of these initiatives and how have these outreach efforts progressed? How can we encourage Singaporeans from all walks of life to learn and care about defence issues, and also make these issues more accessible and relatable to the man on the street? Singapore Discovery Centre”
“Thank you. Chairman, one key demographic for outreach efforts on defence and security issues is our younger generation of Singaporeans here. Unlike our Pioneer and Merdeka Generations, our youth today and perhaps even their parents, have not had direct experiences of the Singapore in which insecurity and physical intimidation by external threats were a daily reality. As the future leaders of Singapore, it is important that young people are engaged and understand defence and security issues to gain an appreciation of the potential threats we face, as well as how these issues affect their lives and the lives of their families. Threats are also different now. Many security threats are now more ambiguous, less tangible and more difficult to understand. This may further disconnect defence issues from the day-to-day concerns of young people, especially having grown up in the context of a prospering Singapore. Our youths have also grown up more socially aware than those of earlier generations, and that is something to celebrate. At the same time, this also means there is an exposure to worldviews that may potentially fuel divides in civil society where worldviews may be applied without an in-depth understanding of the socio-historical background and its larger impact on Singapore society. How has MINDEF engaged our young people on defence and security matters? What are some of the initiatives that MINDEF has embarked on to ensure that our next generation remains concerned about Singapore's defence? Learning about Defence Issues Singapore's defence requires not only the effort and the work of MINDEF and the SAF, but the support and involvement of every man and woman in Singapore.”
“Chairman, National Service is an irreplaceable component for our nation's defence. All men in Singapore commit two years of their youth to safeguard our country as full-time NSmen or NSFs. They set aside work and family obligations, at times, life milestones during their years as reservists. It is important that we ensure that NSmen and their families receive support and are recognised for their sacrifices. In the case of 2020 NS Advocate Award Winner, Mdm Nur Kamilah binte Abdul Rahman, we saw the sacrifice of a wife and mother who chose to find alternatives to nurse a sick child and still care for another while her husband was on reservist, despite his insistence on returning home earlier. Her story is just one of the many sacrifices NSmen and their families have made. We also recognise and are grateful that much has been done over the years to honour our NSmen. With a changing societal landscape, it is timely for us to review the recognition for our NSmen, not only by MINDEF, but also how the whole of society, including our employers, can better support our NSmen. When MINDEF announced the creation of the NS Review Committee in 2020, one of the focus areas announced was "NS Recognition and Engagement". I am encouraged that this was identified as a priority area and would like to ask how can the Government better recognise and support not only our NSFs, but also the NSmen in the SAF and Home Team who have completed their full-time National Service. How can we encourage our employers to better support our NSmen? Review of NS System”
“With oil prices rising, impacting both pump and electric prices, as well as internal combustion engines and EVs, Singapore should consider a third fuel alternative, especially when Neste is producing locally. The second consideration – accelerating the renewables market. The ability to use international carbon credits to offset up to 5% of taxable emissions will support the development of a regulated carbon market in Singapore and the region. I would also like to suggest that Singapore incorporate and consider regulating the use of International Renewable Energy Certificates, also known as IRECs, as an alternative means to carbon credits for corporate compliance in taxable emissions. This can be applied to companies which are large energy consumers, for example, those under GHG Protocol Scope 2, but not the large emitters in Scope 1. The Singapore renewable market is illiquid at the moment, with much demand and insufficient supply. Prices for Singapore RECs have doubled in the last one year, from $35 per megawatt hour (MWh) to $70 per MWh. By encouraging and regulating IRECs as an alternative environmental attribute next to carbon credits, this could provide greater liquidity in the market and also support major developers' pursuit of net-zero carbon developments. Mr Deputy Speaker, though there will always be areas where we can do better, I am fully persuaded that this Budget shows up very meaningfully for our people in such a pivotal time as this. With this, I am grateful and I support the Budget.”
“While we are cognisant of our limited natural resources and the need to balance economic and societal needs, applying such ecological limits may compel all of us – Government, urban planners, corporates and people sectors – to be truly creative in the way we use our resources and overcome limitations. As for the two considerations, here is the first consideration – reducing our direct emissions in tandem with electrification. Soaring electricity prices in recent months have impacted economic recovery for businesses. Even as we move towards electrification for vehicles and land transport, Singapore still has to deal with emissions arising from electricity generated. While Electric Vehicles (EVs) are inherently more sustainable, producing less emissions per kilometre, EVs still have a significant carbon footprint unless the electricity is from a renewable source. One transitional option could be reducing our Scope 1 direct emissions via the use of alternative fuels, such as renewable diesel, also known as RD, which produces only one-tenth of conventional diesel's emissions, for the land transport, logistics and construction sectors. This recommendation follows the encouraging news that our aviation sector will now have access to sustainable aviation fuel. On the land transport front, Singapore has made limited progress, despite the fact that we have Neste, one of the world's leading producers of RD, producing 1.3 million tonnes per year at our doorstep. To date, I understand that none of this diesel is meant for local consumption, since there are no local distributors, and the supplies are currently shipped to Europe and the US where there are government subsidies for RD.”
“As corporates around the world raced to zero in the weeks and months leading up to COP26, one glaring area of needed change to Singapore's efforts was our $5 per tonne carbon tax. With the gradual increase in carbon tax to $50 per tonne and a further $80 per tonne by 2030, this starts to address the need to price in externalities and is a laudable move. My resident and community leader who also serves as the Sustainability Director at Lendlease Singapore shared with me that Lendlease uses a shadow price of US$20 per tonne in 2020, rising to US$100 per tonne in 2030 and US$140 by 2040, which are integrated into Lendlease's investment decisions and prices in financial risks associated with climate change. Singapore should continue to assess our carbon tax on an ongoing basis, aligning with international best practices, to respond to and aid the transition towards a low-carbon economy. This recognises the ecosystem services that our environment provides and in Doughnut Economics Theory, this points to the ecological ceiling by which we should not cross. A greener living environment should also ensure that our buildings and infrastructure are climate-resilient so that our people can be. Flood risk is a significant physical climate risk that low-lying nations must contend with. I understand that at Lendlease, climate change and adaptation plans are integrated in all major developments to ensure the communities served have access to facilities in case of floods. Forward planning by the Government, as well as other private developers, should consider climate risks and ecological limits for Singapore. This goes far beyond carbon emissions to include rising water levels, biodiversity loss, amongst other ecological impacts.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, this is a Budget of hope, social conscientiousness and sustainable growth. Several residents I spoke with shared that Budget 2022 responded to the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans. It tackled some very difficult issues that our people are concerned about and is a big step forward towards a more equitable, harmonious and progressive Singapore. It is also encouraging to note that a large part of the Budget is devoted to social well-being, particularly our seniors, who can retire better with stronger financial support and adequate healthcare. Our less privileged families and children will also not be left behind. Our lower-wage workers will be given a much desired lift through increased Government expenditures in Workfare and subsidies to help employers co-fund progressive wage increases. The other aspect of this year's Budget that struck a chord is the effort to redistribute wealth through progressive taxes on top-tier earners and expenditures, directing these to the uplifting of those most in need. Those in the top income brackets, while being asked to contribute more, are still only taxed moderately, as compared to many first-world countries. It is noteworthy that the top 10% of our income taxpayers contribute to 80% of personal income tax revenue. This is a significantly higher contribution to total income tax revenue than the top 10% of income earners of the US and the UK by at least 10 percentage points. I believe this redistribution of wealth serves well to build up the social foundation by which our people can thrive together. If I may share some observations and two considerations on advancing our green transition. Observations on carbon tax and climate resilience.”
“At the leadership level, green competencies, such as Sustainable Corporate Leadership Programmes that incorporate ESG factors, should be integrated into the "Leadership and People Management Framework". May I close with the following thought, that consumer education is key. In order to create green jobs, there must first be a demand and a market value for such work, and ultimately, for companies, especially for our SMEs. This will be derived from consumer demand. In overseas markets with high green consciousness, consumers proactively look to support firms that have a green agenda when they make purchases or investment decisions. This becomes a strong motivator for companies to include green competencies in their job pool and hence, generate green jobs. Greater engagement with our community groups, grassroots and schools to uncover and overcome obstacles in mindset change, will work well to complement the ongoing good work of Government agencies like NEA. With this, Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Motion.”
“We can imagine that Singapore could one day set up an Institute of Sustainability Leadership for Asia. This institute will house the above Centre of Innovation for Green Technologies, the Singapore Green Finance Centre and other green centres for logistics, buildings and corporate governance in Asia. Suggestion three: complement private-sector efforts in supporting green innovations. It is extremely heartening to see how the private sector had stepped in to support green innovations in recent years. The Liveability Challenge by Temasek Foundation and CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge are annual global competitions that encourage sustainability innovations and support them in another stage of new product development. The Government could perhaps find ways to complement such private sector initiatives through providing business infrastructure support for winning firms, while also exploring traineeship programmes for our workforce. It is a win-win for the firms and our people. Moving to CET, also known as Continuing Education and Training efforts, amongst the non-traditional green sectors in Singapore, we see finance, transport and building sectors hiring sustainability-related positions, with the rest catching up. The greening of sectors will take place only as each gainfully considers incorporating sustainability concepts in their processes. The Government could further enable through studies on how local companies here as well as overseas have incorporated green processes to their work. These practices and related competencies can be incorporated into our SkillsFuture Industry Skills Frameworks.”
“I have three suggestions on how we can support these green tech innovations amongst our fresh graduates. Suggestion one is the Green Immersion Programmes. Green Immersion Programmes, a concept similar to the NUS Overseas College internship programmes, will place our undergraduates with specific firms and countries that excel in the green space. Sending our students from multi-disciplinary backgrounds to be immersed in cultures supporting entrepreneurial spirit in green spaces, will not only support the growth of green startups, but also the greening of our jobs in various sectors. Suggestion two: green start-up and innovation accelerators. The Innovation Centre for Applied Sustainable Technologies also known as iCAST in the UK, is a research centre birthed from the collaboration of university researchers, the government, investors and local enterprises. iCAST provides industry accessibility to R&D and investors, and helps players expedite the product to market process. Industry players may include MNCs who are exploring new product offerings or new startups. With the concentration of academia in research and real-time input from industry on challenges faced, as well as funding from private investors, iCAST serves as a perfect incubator for accelerated growth in sustainable technologies. Aligning to our local context, iCAST is the expanded version of NTU and Enterprise Singapore's EcoLabs Centre of Innovation for Energy, but includes sectors beyond energy. An expanded Singapore version of such a centre, which I will coin as Centre of Innovation for Green Technologies for now, could be formed in partnership with other nations with advanced green technology, with Singapore’s value-add in contextualising application of GreenTech with and for our regional counterparts.”
“Since 2014, the Oxford University Business School and Rotterdam School of Management have collaborated with Roche separately to set up research and education centres of EoM. These centres uncover best practices and case studies for businesses and SMEs, and develop teaching curricula. As we transit into a low-carbon economy, a business model of sustainability like the EoM could be taught at both PET and CET levels. Growing collaborations with industry partners in developing new PET programmes ensure relevance to our markets and workforce. Two examples of such public-private sector collaborations are the ITE-Sembcorp Centre for Sustainable Solutions and the Singapore Green Finance Centre. I look forward to more such industry collaborations supporting green jobs in our PET centres. Third, complement PET curricula with CET sustainability modules. As new skills and technology in sustainability are still evolving and being identified, it may be challenging for IHLs to react fast enough to meet the current and evolving needs of companies. IHLs could consider supplementing curricula with updated modules offered in our CET institutions. This allows our fresh graduates to also be equipped with current and up to date skills. These CET modules can continually be updated with industry consultation and be the agile portion of the curricula for our students. Fourth, supporting green technology innovations. The partnership with the private sector in building green skill sets should extend beyond established firms, to include cutting-edge green startups with new green tech innovations in Europe, UK and the US. This allows for better understanding of trends, evolving skills and technology.”
“Looking forward, curriculum for up and coming green sectors can be further enhanced in our IHLs with consultation of industry players. These sectors include environmental logistics, environmental health, architecture and sustainable design, environmental economics amongst others. Some of them are presently offered as electives or post-graduate courses but need to be integrated into the core curriculum of their respective undergraduate schools. The greening of jobs also means that sustainability-related topics should be extended to many more course offerings in our IHLs. University of California (UC), Berkeley's sustainability-focused or related course offerings make up almost 50% of all undergraduate courses, with 20% fully focused on sustainability. They come from 115 different departments out of 129, ranging from ecologically conscious art, architecture, film, design and urban planning. Our IHLs can do more to integrate sustainability-focused or related courses across schools. After all, the work of stewarding our climate in the present goes beyond conservation, but requires challenging our current attitudes, lifestyles and livelihoods. On that note, I would like to suggest for our business schools' adoption, the study of the Economics of Mutuality, also known as EoM. EoM is a new business innovation model founded by Bruno Roche, the former Chief Economist of Mars Inc. This concept advocates that business can deliver superior financial performance precisely because it mobilises and generates human, social and natural capital along with financial capital. This provides a new lens through which companies look at their business model for a low-carbon economy.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, my speech will centre on how our Government can better collaborate with the private sector, academia and community in preparing our workforce for the low-carbon economy, via our pre-employment training (PET) as well as continuing education and training (CET) efforts. Under pre-employment training efforts, also known as PET, may I share the following four points. First, closing current employability gaps of our undergraduates. Over the last decade, our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL) have also introduced and strengthened curriculum that supports growth in the green sectors though the full-time graduate employment rates in these courses have not been too encouraging. In the 2020 Graduate Employment Survey, two of our largest IHLs, NUS and NTU, saw full-time employment rates of 63.2% and 58.5% respectively, for environmental engineering, one of the lowest rates amongst engineering graduates. This lower employment rate of environmental engineers amongst engineering graduates is fairly consistent also in the years 2019 and 2018. While environmental engineering is not the only sustainability-linked course, it is one of the core offerings. This posits the need for us to work with the private sector and our IHLs, to better understand the possible causes behind the lagging employment rates of our students in a course directly linked to the green sector. Whether it is a skills gap, mismatch of skills or a lack of job opportunities for environmental engineers in Singapore, the employability gaps of our current undergraduates need to be studied so that corrective interventions can be made to boost employment rates of our graduates committed to the green sector. Second, enhanced course offerings in PETs.”
“Singaporeans enjoy hawker food. Many of us celebrated when our hawker culture was recognised by UNESCO in December 2020. The Ministry had previously announced that 20 new hawker centres will be built. Seven centres have been completed and the remainder 13 are to follow. We understand that the key reason we engage operators through the Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centre (SEHC) model was to leverage their private sector experience so as to better improve the management of hawker centres and meet our community needs. The initial implementation saw resistance from hawkers due to higher cost and inflexible contract conditions that had to be worked out. Since then, the Government has announced that the remaining 13 centres will be run under the SEHC model. How will NEA continue to work with social enterprise operators to ensure that the success of these new hawker centres while also factoring in the earlier feedback from hawkers relating to the challenges they face under the SEHC model? Promoting Singapore's Hawker Culture”
“Thank you, Madam. My first cut relates to fostering individual ownership for a clean Singapore. Good personal and public hygiene are our first two lines of defence against diseases. Last year, the pandemic had catapulted to public attention new standards of hygiene required in the fight against public health threats. It was timely that MSE launched the SG Clean movement in February 2020 to galvanise a whole-of-nation effort to strengthen cleanliness and public hygiene in Singapore. Over the years, the Ministry has rolled out different initiatives to raise cleanliness and hygiene standards in public spaces and promote positive social norms, such as the SG Clean Quality Mark. Sustained collective action will be imperative to inculcate a sense of personal and social responsibility in the community. Could a Ministry share more on its efforts and progress of the various initiatives to soster individual and social responsibility? Transformation of Environmental Services My second cut relates to the transformation of our Environmental Services industry, specifically Pest Management. The Pest Management industry plays a critical role in securing premises against vectors and vector-borne diseases in Singapore and in safeguarding our public health. In 2019, the Ministry announced that the Pest Management sector will be integrated with the Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map. Many regard this to be timely as this will also accord opportunities for our local enterprises and provide meaningful jobs for Singaporeans. I would like to ask the Ministry for an update on its efforts in supporting the industry in the transformation in light of the new challenges. Sustaining the Hawker Industry My third cut relates to sustaining the hawker culture.”
“The global momentum on climate change has accelerated significantly with many countries increasing that climate ambitions. As a responsible global citizen, we are doing our part to fight against climate change and commit to fulfilling our pledge. The targets of the Singapore Green Plan 2030 includes lowered carbon emissions, creating green spaces and investment in green technology. Embarking on these initiatives will require several trade-offs. For example, setting space for solar panels might limit space for other activities. As Singapore works towards achieving our climate targets, what are the other anticipated trade-offs and how are we addressing them? Impact of Increasing Carbon Tax”
“It is important that any increase in costs is not passed on to the already low-wage migrant workers. As suggested by some industry caterers, would it be possible for a part of the workers' levy to go into the provision of safe and nutritious lunch for the worker? Access to safe food is a human right, not a privilege. I would like to ask the Ministry how might we better protect our migrant workers' rights to safe and nutritious meals without passing on further costs to them. Underpayment of Foreign Workers”
“These kitchen spaces must be regulated to meet basic hygiene standards. The second area for consideration is the persons-to-stove ratio. Each day, migrant workers return from work in large numbers because of the long wait to cook. Some go to bed hungry as they would rather rest. A sensible ratio of pax-to-stove will allow for better access for food preparation. For many, being able to prepare their own food is not just a matter of saving money but a small piece of comfort from home they taste at the end of a long day. I would like to ask MOM about the approach to improve and regulate living conditions in the FCDs moving forward. Safe Food Access for Migrant Workers My second cut is on ensuring safe food access for our migrant workers. Many workers stay in dormitories without cooking facilities and purchase food from caterers at their own cost, ranging from $120 to $150 a month. These meal packages include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Caterers deliver their lunch together with breakfast in the morning, some as early as 5 am, which means that lunch is prepared way in advance. The earliest preparation time we understand is at 5 pm the day before. Thus, our workers eat their lunch long after NEA's recommended time of four hours after food preparation. At the worksite, lunch packages are often left in open spaces or under the hot sun because of the lack of food storage areas. When it rains or when stray animals get to them, the food is inedible and they go hungry. Other times, they have hard, cold rice and sour vegetables to eat. Such treatment of our migrant workers cannot and must not be tolerated in Singapore. For one, could we have employers provide lunch at the worksite?”
“Thank you, Chairman. I would like to take my two cuts together. I would like to extend my appreciation for our FAST and ACE teams in MOM who have worked tirelessly to care for our migrant workers. I wish to encourage our team with a story. At the peak of the pandemic, this volunteer asked a migrant worker who had been quarantined, if he had updated his family about his situation. He said no, he did not want his family to worry about him and added "because I'm in Singapore, I know I would definitely come out of this alive." To our MOM and MOH teams, thank you. At the same time, the pandemic has revealed gaps in the living conditions of many of our migrant workers. There is more we must do for our migrant workers, not just in the interest of public health, but because it is the right thing to do for our fellow men. My first cut relates to the regulation of living conditions in the Factory Converted Dormitories known as FCDs. These dormitories are regulated by the Foreign Employee Dormitory Act, or FEDA, which cares for the health and safety of our migrant workers. However, FEDA presently covers only dormitories that house 1,000 workers and above. Extending FEDA regulations to the smaller FCDs will impact over a 100,000 more workers. I would like to highlight two areas for FCDs with cooking spaces to be regulated in. First, hygiene. A visit to some kitchens in FCDs will reveal the presence of stray animals that roam freely as well as unclean food preparation and disposal areas. 7.15 pm I would like to highlight two areas for FCDs with cooking spaces to be regulated in, first, hygiene. A visit to some kitchens in FCDs will reveal the presence of stray animals that roam freely as well as unclean food preparation and disposal areas.”
“We have a deep and multi-faceted relationship that is rooted in mutually beneficial cooperation across multiple sectors. Similarly, our regular physical exchanges have been disrupted by COVID-19. It is essential that we maintain the close linkages between Singapore and Indonesia, so that we are ready to emerge stronger from the pandemic, which has impacted both our economies. Singapore's economy, contracted by 5.08% in 2020, while Indonesia's contracted by 2.07%. Nonetheless, Singapore remained Indonesia's largest foreign investor in 2020. We also rank among each other's largest trading partners, with Indonesia ranking number 6 amongst Singapore's top trading partners in 2020 and a merchandise value of $48.8 billion. It is encouraging to know we continue to collaborate on key economic projects such as the Industry 4.0 Programme. May I ask how the Ministry has sought to build on the Singapore-Indonesia relationship over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic? How will our two nations work together to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19, and maintain essential connections and economic links? Relations with Malaysia and Brunei”
“First, some bilateral relations with Malaysia. Singapore shares strong ties with Malaysia beyond economic, defence and trade to our people-to-people interactions and social relations. Our interdependencies in the areas of jobs, food and water supply, transport links, tourism and trade, have only been further magnified in the last year from border restrictions arising from the pandemic. There are two concerns I would like to raise. The first, re-opening of borders with Johor. Prior to the pandemic, travelers using the Causeway between Johor and Singapore averaged over 300,000 per day, with over a third being Malaysians who commute daily for work and study. Since the Movement Control Order in March and the suspension of the Reciprocal Green Lane, movement has been reduced to travel under the PCA and commercial vehicles. This has a multi-fold impact on trade, tourism and also social ties between Singaporeans and Malaysians with family members across the border. With the roll out of the vaccination programs in Johor and Singapore, I would like to ask the Ministry if there are upcoming plans to reopen borders with Johor? The second is the high-level interactions with Malaysia. Regular and active exchange of visits between our political leaders have, in the past, helped our leadership on both sides develop relations and better understand each other. These exchanges are important to set the tone and overall direction for our bilateral relationships. The COVID-19 pandemic and border restrictions have effectively put a halt to these physical interactions. How have these impacted our high-level interactions with Malaysia? Bilateral Relations with Indonesia May I continue with my second cut on bilateral relations with Indonesia. Indonesia is one of our closest neighbours.”
“Chairman, may I have permission to take both my cuts together?”
“The healthcare sector is undergoing rapid digital transformation, from tele-medicine, the use of virtual reality in treatment, to wearable medical devices in preventive medicine. In the Senior Minister of State for Defence, Mr Heng Chee How’s speech at the COS debate last year, Senior Minister of State Heng highlighted that the SAF’s Virtual Care initiative as an example of how the SAF was leveraging technology to better serve our National Servicemen. This included the use of video conferencing tools to diagnose and prescribe treatment for common ailments remotely. May I request an update on this initiative and how else MINDEF would be leveraging digitalisation to enhance medical support for our soldiers beyond Virtual Care? Recognising Our Men and Women in the SAF”
“In order to keep Singapore secure, it is critical to ensure that a leaner SAF can continue to maintain its capability edge and operational readiness, by maximising the use of its available manpower, while keeping ahead of our evolving landscape. Here are two considerations. First, as I understand, the current reservist system places our NSmen in their original units which they began as NSFs. However, some of our NSFs pick up new capabilities and competencies along their professional work life, some of which could be meaningfully leveraged by SAF in its move towards digital transformation, green technology and new capabilities. I would like to ask the Ministry whether there are plans to recognise the competencies of our servicemen in their civilian work and in their subsequent deployment in SAF. The second consideration is to review the physical fitness criteria in the deployment of our NSFs and NSmen for new, evolving roles in SAF in digital, cyber and non-operational competencies. The level of physical fitness required in these roles differs from those in operational ones. A review in criteria may open up a larger talent pool for SAF to tap on these roles. Could the Minister provide an update on the initiatives that the NSRC has been working on to better deploy our servicemen based on their civilian expertise to match with SAF’s ever evolving needs?”
“Mr Chairman, Happy Founders Day! May I have your permission to take both my cuts together? First, on Work-study Diploma. Singaporeans serving National Service Full-time, or NSFs, spend around two years in the SAF at a formative period in their lives. In this regard, it is important to provide support for our NSFs to contribute meaningfully during their service to our nation. At the same time, amidst a challenging economic context and tight labour market, it is also increasingly important to train and develop our NSFs, as young adults entering the workforce. I was encouraged to learn that in September last year, MINDEF introduced the Work-Study Diploma, also known as WSD, for NSFs to be trained as certified Army and Air Force Technicians while serving their NS. This is an important initiative that would further harness the potential of our NSFs and also prepare a long, strong talent pipeline for specific industries. Could the House be given an update on the WSD programme? In addition, would we consider more of such schemes for Servicemen who may be interested to explore other careers? Many of our NSFs also take on other part-time courses on their own accord. To build on the current WSD programme, and possibly streamline NSFs personal learning efforts aligning with SAF’s needs, are there any plans for MINDEF to launch similar programmes for other vocations? May I continue with my second cut? Expertise-based Deployment A strong SAF capable of deterring potential adversaries is a key pillar of Singapore’s defence. However, Singapore’s birth rate has seen a steady decline, seeing a 28% drop in live resident births from 1990 to 2019. This matter of falling manpower is an issue that SAF has had to grapple with.”
“Our youth must be empowered, not be afraid to hope, and be unhindered by socio-economic backgrounds. Let us extend equitable access beyond finance and education to include the social and emotional support they need. May we see every youth a success story as they author our Singapore Story for the generations to come. On this note, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I affirm my support for the Budget.”
“One of the largest hindrances in the healthy development of our young people we note is learned disempowering beliefs about themselves and their future due to limited access to good counsel, financial and community resources. Mentors can show them a different way to live, and challenge them to remove self-limiting beliefs so that they not only have the best possibilities in life, but be motivated to choose wisely. Such intervention takes time as these beliefs are often deep-seated. I am fully persuaded that lasting, sustainable change for our disadvantaged young will take place if we invest in long-term mentoring programmes for them. My hope is that, through ComLink, long-term mentoring will be of easy access for our 10- to 16-year-olds to effect mindset growth and a healthier worldview. I will now move to the second initiative aligning to ComLink for our young friends, and this will be very brief, which is to facilitate personal saving habits. In 2015, POSB re-introduced the “National School Savings Campaign” to great response and participation by schools. This programme currently requires the parents to set up the bank account for their children and to monitor it. I wish to raise for MSF’s consideration the possibility of making enrolment to this programme automatic for our children in low-income families. This will also see to creating a corresponding personal savings account for them, ideally complemented by other initiatives to encourage saving. Facilitating the process or simplifying it will be of great value to the already time-stretched parents. This will jumpstart our children in the positive habits of saving and grow a sense of self-efficacy for a fruitful life.”
“The strengths and passions of our children and youth can sometimes be overshadowed by family circumstance. Long-term mentorship provides an avenue to help them discover and more accurately identify what they are. Abandoned by his parents when he was seven years old, Ken was raised by his grandfather. Due to limited supervision, he lacked motivation to do well in school and eventually fell into bad company and vice. Things started to turn around when he said yes to mentoring four years ago. Ken grew to discover and appreciate his personal strengths and passion. He is now looking to pursue a stable career in engineering while freelancing as a barber. What is even more wonderful is that Ken has since reconciled with his family. As our young friends discover their innate value as individuals through mentorship, they grow to become contributing members of their families, their community and the society at large. The third benefit of long-term mentorship is the ability to break out of self-limiting habits and beliefs. A volunteer at a CDAC programme for low-income children once asked an 11-year-old which school she hoped to go to after PSLE. This sweet girl then said, matter-of-factly, “Oh, can pass, can already.” The volunteer then asked “What do you want to do when you grow up?” Without missing a beat, she replied “Just help my father in his store, lor.” For this 11-year-old, her response came not from excitement to support and eventually take over her father’s business, but as her only perceived vocational option available to her, which eventually discouraged further efforts in her education.”
“Over the past 19 years, I have had the joy of volunteering at Trybe, a social service agency that works with youths facing adversities. Our interventions to reduce offences and their recidivism rates are multi-fold, but one specific intervention has proven to be most effective in turning lives around, that is, long-term mentorship, mentorship that is consistent for at least a year. I believe that this intervention is not only effective for our youths at risk, but for all youths facing challenging home circumstances. May I share life stories to illustrate three key benefits long-term mentorship provides for our young? The first benefit is a safe space to process pain. Long-term mentorship provides our young an assurance that they are not alone in the challenges they face on a daily basis. Kai, a masked name, was raised in a violent home environment. He often fought in school and found himself expelled from both Secondary and tertiary schools as he could not rid himself of his aggression. Over the two years of mentoring, Kai was able to then reflect on the consequences of his aggression, subsequently shifting his focus to working out his life goals. As Kai’s mentor created time and space for him to feel understood, Kai sought help for his anger issue and is now meaningfully engaged in work. His friends have also noticed that he is experiencing better mental well-being. In the midst of sometimes unpredictable or painful circumstances, the consistency of the mentor’s presence provides a safe environment and space for our young to process their feelings and thoughts for a more productive outcome in life. The second benefit of a consistent and long-term mentorship is the ability to help our young recognise his or her innate value beyond circumstance.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I am grateful that this year’s Budget has incorporated a very sizeable investment in our social capital and our environment, this in view of our long-term growth as a nation. I also wish to thank our Deputy Prime Minister, as well as the Ministries and agencies which have worked tirelessly behind the scenes all through the Chinese New Year holidays to put forward this year’s Budget. This year’s Budget allows for MSF to expand the Community Link, or ComLink programme, designed to support low-income families with children, from the current 1,000 families to 14,000 in the next two years. Thank you. I am very inspired by that! To this topic, my speech will focus on what we can do to further invest into the lives of our children from low-income families. I wish to propose two initiatives for our young friends for MSF’s consideration. These initiatives may not be new to some of us, but I am convinced that when applied intentionally to our young, they will strengthen their access to a fuller range of positive life choices. The first initiative is a consistent long-term mentoring programme, and the second initiative is to facilitate personal saving habits. Please allow me to first share on the Consistent Long-Term Mentoring Programme. Last month, the Telok Blangah Community Development Welfare Fund awarded bursaries to 188 children across 118 households ranging from K2 to pre-tertiary students. While this bursary is important, and helps alleviate some financial burden, it struck me that the additional funds will not change the lives of our young. Because of the complexity they face today in the ever-evolving environment, each child will require deeper interventions to access opportunities which are readily available to others.”
“Our natural capital, little as it may be, must be carefully invested-in even if the bulk of the benefits may only be reaped by generations to come. I appeal to this House to accelerate investment in our natural capital by creating a conducive environment for Singaporeans and for our companies to do so. In summary, for the purpose of mitigating Singapore's carbon emissions, I propose that Singapore further lower our 2030 targets for carbon emissions, not only by deployment of technology, but also by preserving the forests we have, especially re-zoning Clementi and Ulu Pandan Forests as nature reserves while exploring other land space for our housing and industrial needs. Secondly, I also propose raising environment consciousness in our populace through an early nature immersion for our children in education and for us to increase the amount of green space per capita. This will support long-term sustainability efforts in Singapore. Building a sustainable Singapore is a responsibility shared by each of us. As individuals, we can all do more in Singapore's fight against climate change. The recent petition for Ulu Pandan Forest has brought to national attention this needful conversation on Singapore's commitment to steward nature and fight climate change. Many residents and I are grateful for Mr Sydney Cheong, not because he started the petition but because of his genuine care for our nature, lived out day to day. My hope is that the conversations started will continue to extend to a larger national conversation on eco-friendly habits we intentionally adopt as individuals to make Singapore both a City in Nature and a sustainable home for all generations. With this, Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.”
“We should seize this opportunity to inform and interest our people on the bio-diversity in our midst. At the same time, cultivating love for nature and bio-diversity can start earlier through active education in our schools. This should go beyond the occasional excursions to nature reserves or classroom lessons, but rather, regular, immersive experiences in nature similar to the curricula we see in forest schools in Europe, US and more recently in Singapore. An intentional and focused curricula on nature is no longer a good-to-have, but a necessity as we raise our next generation to be better stewards of our environment as Singaporeans and global citizens. Such education should not be limited only to those who can afford private schools or enrichment programmes. May our children's first immersion to our tropical nature not be in the form of military service, but through a growing curriculum of nature as their living classrooms. The second way to raise public appreciation and accessibility to nature and bio-diversity is through per capita access to nature. Singapore has set a goal to raise our green space per capita to eight square metres by 2030, just shy of the WHO's recommended minimum of nine square metres per capita, and far from the ideal 50 square metres. It is time to review this target and clarify "green spaces" as forests, nature parks and reserves, if we are to build an urban population that is not only healthy, but also increasingly environmentally conscious. In light of the climate risks we now face in Singapore, I support the proposing team's proposal of the seventh pillar of Total Defence – which I had also prepared for this speech, but named it "Ecological Defence". Singapore owns capital not limited to the human and financial.”
“May I clarify that this does not mean that every plot of land that has existing vegetation and trees must never be used for development, but rather, I urge us to make deeper efforts as a nation to find ecologically better alternatives that also factor in and measure carbon sequestration of our land and other ecological measures as part of our decision-making. Some may think that we are over-stating the value of forests and biodiversity to our future generations, and this brings me to my second point, that is, to increase public appreciation and accessibility to nature and biodiversity. Studies have shown a positive correlation of exposure to nature to environmentally conscious behaviour. However, the amount of exposure Singaporeans have to biodiversity is limited as urban dwellers. We tend to have limited experience with nature around us beyond the roadside trees and carefully manicured parks. The impact on our population's environment comes as no surprise. A young volunteer at my constituency commented that his first memory of close encounters with Singapore nature was the one during his NS days and that it was not too pleasant. Much more can be done to instill appreciation and wonder for nature within Singapore in our schools and community. Some may be aware that Singapore holds species that can only be found in our country; the Johnson's freshwater crab, which thankfully is an unlikely candidate for Chili Crab, and a Tyrannomyrmex Rex is not the dinosaur, but a rare ant species named for its resemblance to the dinosaur. I propose two ways to raise public appreciation and accessibility to nature and bio-diversity: first, through enhanced education. One benefit of the pandemic has been an increased awakening to our local nature reserves and parks.”
“We can both plant new trees and retain the forested areas we have. We can complement our technological climate solutions with natural ones and support our remaining forests to do what they do best naturally to reduce Singapore's carbon emissions. The tension between conservation and development is real in our land-scarce nation. Yet both are now equally essential for Singapore's growth. For this to happen, nature must be integrated as living infrastructure vital to our development as a sustainable city state. Singapore should continue to explore other means such as upgrading older estates, redeveloping or innovating current parcels of land for new use. Incentives can be given for current and new infrastructure to be re-designed or designed for multiple benefits and use, such as mixes of commercial uses with community farms, community centres and schools. On our forests: the Clementi Forest covers 85 hectares and Ulu Pandan Forest, 33 hectares. It would be ecologically responsible of us to consider utilising portions of the 1,500 hectares across 17 golf courses, before reaching into our forest land. I am encouraged to hear from Minister Desmond Lee earlier today that by 2030, 400 hectares of golf course land will be taken back for redevelopment. While future generations can choose to rebuild golf courses, forests that are removed now will take decades to grow and the connected biodiversity that we lose now, may never return. Given the forests' cumulative benefits of stabilising carbon emissions over time, we must consider our forests as our last resort.”
“Singapore has made great efforts and progress to reduce production of new carbon emissions, an essential mitigating strategy to climate change. They range from the Green Mark Scheme for sustainable building design, exploring renewable energy for transport and industry, extending research for new carbon capture and storage technologies, amongst many other initiatives. I also want to applaud MOT's target to switch entirely to low emissions vehicles by 2040 or earlier. And we should not miss out on strategies to remove carbon emissions by using natural carbon sinks that already exist in Singapore – our forests. Forests, wetlands and soils are some of the most effective natural carbon sinks. While Singapore has made concerted efforts to retain carbon sinks in our current marine and nature conservation areas, we should leverage to our advantage the remaining forests that make up approximately 23% of our land. Our 1 Million Trees Movement is an excellent initiative to increase our green cover and help keep temperatures cool in Singapore. However, not all green cover is equal in their ability to sequester or absorb carbon. A 2015 study with Singapore shows that older trees sequester a significantly larger amount of carbon than younger trees we plant in new parks or sidewalks. Additionally, it is the production of biomass in foliage, woods, roots and the soils that store the most carbon, all of which are found in abundance in forests and limited in other urban green spaces. Afforestation and reforestation are great measures, but retaining what forests we have, even secondary ones, and allowing them to grow to their full ecological potential will allow far more effective carbon sequestering than planting new ones.”
“All the above are not isolated, curious incidents, but are sure signs of the tangible negative impact climate change has on Singapore, as pointed out by other Members earlier. Singapore is now almost one degree Celsius hotter than our pre-industrial 1950s and heating up twice as fast as the rest of the world. Without further intervention, Singapore may see our temperature increase from 1950s, hit 1.5 degrees Celsius within the next 20 years. Today, Singapore remains in the top 30 nations in carbon emissions per capita out of 142, standing at 8.45 tonnes per capita. For this reason and as party to the Paris Climate Agreement, we have set a target to peak at 65 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030, a target I urge this House to review. Even at a previously projected population size of 6.9 million by 2030, which the Government has clarified we are unlikely to reach, we are looking at a production of 9.4 tonnes per capita of carbon dioxide, an increase rather than a decrease of where we are currently. I urge our Government to take even more determined measures to lower our per capita carbon emissions and to do so sooner, instead of waiting till 2050 to half this target. To maintain global temperature rise to under 1.5 degree Celsius, every year and every decade counts. There are two mitigating strategies to a sustainable Singapore I would like to focus on. First, reducing our carbon dioxide emissions target. Second, increasing public appreciation and accessibility to nature and biodiversity. First, reducing our carbon emissions. This can happen in two ways. The first, reducing production of new carbon emissions; and second, removing carbon emissions in the atmosphere.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity. Mr Speaker, I would like to start my speech conveying my appreciation to the proposing team of this Motion and to our many Government agencies who have long started the good work to support Singapore in mitigating and adapting to climate change, especially our teams at NEA, NParks, MSS and PUB. Also, many thanks to Minister Grace Fu for sharing Singapore's multiple efforts and achievements to-date in mitigating climate change. One distinguishing mark in Singapore's policy-making approach is our ability to think generations when designing policies. At the price of popular vote, the Government of today has often bitten the bullet, knowing that some benefits will only be reaped by our future generations. Today's topic on deepening Singapore’s efforts against climate change is one such Think-Generations policy. The trade-offs on current economic growth are real and tangible especially in light of the heavy blow the pandemic has dealt to our economy. Yet, to safeguard Singapore's long-term well-being in ways that even the deepest financial reserves cannot, we must act today. The start of 2021 saw several remarkable natural phenomena in Singapore, beginning with the non-stop rain that led to one of the highest recorded rainfalls in the past 39 years. We then saw mudslides and flooding in various parts of Singapore and temperatures dipped to a low of 21.1 degrees Celsius. These unpredictable weather patterns have increased in frequency the last decade in Singapore. Later in the month, we then saw pink-purple algae bloom in Sentosa Waterways. The bloom is then believed to have caused the death of various fish and marine life in the waterway, a consistent consequence of similar blooms in the Mediterranean Sea.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to start my speech conveying appreciation to the proposing team of this Motion, and to our many Government agencies who have long started the good work to support Singapore in mitigating and adapting to climate change, especially our teams at NEA, NParks, MSS and PUB. Also, many thanks to Minister Grace Fu for sharing Singapore's multiple efforts and achievements to-date in mitigating climate change. One distinguishing mark in Singapore’s policy-making approach is our ability to think generations when designing policies. At the price of popular vote, the Government of today has often bitten the bullet, knowing that some benefits will only be reaped by our future generations. Today’s topic on deepening Singapore’s efforts against climate change is one such Think-Generations policy. The trade-offs on current economic growth are real and tangible especially in light of the heavy pandemic that has cost to our economy. Yet, to safeguard Singapore’s long-term well-being in the ways that even the deepest financial reserves cannot, we must act today. The start of 2021 saw several remarkable natural phenomena in Singapore, beginning with the non-stop rain that has led to one of the highest recorded rainfall in the past 39 years. We then saw mudslides and flooding in various parts of Singapore and temperatures dipped to a low of 21.1 degrees celsius. These unpredictable weather patterns have increased in frequency the last decade in Singapore. Later in the month, we then saw pink-purple algae bloom in Singapore Waterways — Mr Speaker, I am so sorry, my document has some mix-up. May I request for a minute?”
“But the opposite is also true, that if we do not tap into the creative capacities of our people, it will diminish and we will miss out on the multi-fold possibilities for our people and our nation. Together with our people, we can build a workforce that not only takes up jobs in the new economy, but also creates jobs in economies yet to exist. We can and should be intentional to complement training critical thinking skills with creative thinking ones. These will have broad implications on not just the "what" of education and training, but the "how" of doing so, requiring intentional shifts in our PET and CET approaches. Mr Speaker, may I summarise the three ways to empower our people to live a life by design. First, we can support our people to identify possibilities at every age. Second, provide time, space and resource to explore them. And third, nurture creativity to form new possibilities for Singapore. I am fully persuaded that if our people live a life by design, we will uncover a new strength of Singapore yet to be seen before. Our workforce will be increasingly versatile, our families and communities will flourish. May we continue the legacy of our forefathers to be a nation by design, transform from the inside out. With this, Mr Speaker, I support the Motion. [Applause.] 4.10 pm”