Rahayu Mahzam
Singapore
“We engage the insurance providers quite regularly, but we are very mindful about where we intervene, especially because they need to be competitive and there is a commercial dimension to it, which we feel that we should respect. So, how we intervene is via the conditions that are put in place vis-a-vis the consumers.”
“So, that is not something they can worry about. There is already the S+3M framework that is already in place, so we know that MediShield Life is one, they have their MediSave and if all else fails, there is MediFund.”
“Should there be disputes over specific claims, policyholders can take it to the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC), an independent and impartial institution that assists with insurance-related disputes.”
“It is just a symptom, so the underlying cost pressures still need to be addressed. The description that we had put earlier in the past is that it is a knot that we need to untangle; and that is something we are doing with a multi-pronged, with engagements with different parties and stakeholders.”
“I appreciate the Member's feedback. As I said earlier, this is something that we will continue to consider. But we do also have to appreciate that the information that we get is live, in terms of waiting times and all that.”
“But I do take the point and we are actually reviewing to see what is a meaningful way to put out this information so that the public can understand, so that we can all track properly whether the good health outcomes are a result of the efforts that we are making. I will take the feedback back and we will continue to review this.”
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“I quote, "We recognise that the burden on them is heavy. Having proper caregiver support within the family can be instrumental for the well-being of our frail seniors. We believe that our society have an obligation to do more for the caregivers." Amongst other things, the paper called for a review of policies to strengthen the role that the extended family can play in supporting seniors I believe, and this can include caregiver leave and Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs). I believe these are already being looked at. While the Government has a role in putting in place policies and support structures, I do hope to see families, extended families, stepping up to share the load of caring for their loved ones. We also need support from other people in the community. It is therefore heartening to note that there had been efforts like the projects carried out by the AfA for Caregivers of PwDs to support caregivers. I understand that there is a partnership with CaringSG to work on Project 3i. I would like to declare that I am an advisor of CaringSG and I have been impressed by the efforts of Dr Lim Hong Huay and her board members. I believe ground-up efforts like this should be encouraged. I am therefore interested to hear about the update on the projects of the AfA and would like to know if the efforts can be scaled up to benefit more in the community. I hope this platform is a genesis to the creation of more support options for caregivers, so that they can get the help, the respite and the assurance that they need to continue caring for their loved ones. Alternative Training Pathways for PwDs”
“Those who have children, do not want to burden their children. These are scenarios which are all too familiar to us. 6.00 pm Much has been said about the challenges of caregiving, especially when it relates to a long-term arrangement when the caregiver is the sole or primary caregiver, or where the person being cared for has some disabilities. There are indeed many dimensions of the challenges including physical health and well-being of the caregiver and financial issues. These challenges are compounded further as the caregiver ages. I am grateful for the various existing support that are in place. SG Enable and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) have been very helpful in assisting with various issues that arise. In the first two cases I mentioned above, I reached out to SG Enable and AIC and my residents are in the process of getting the assistance they need. But not all matters can be resolved simply and issues may not always be so straightforward. Some arrangements proposed may not fully suit the preferences of the family. I appreciate that there are limitations and it would not be reasonable or sustainable to expect agencies to provide the panacea to all problems. Yet, the issues remain. Caregivers still need the support. They need the respite so they can continue with their tasks and they need some assurance that they are not trapped in the circumstances alone, having to sacrifice their aspirations or well-being. I believe we need a whole-of-society approach. In 2019, PAP.SG – then under the leadership of you, Chairman – I put up a submission to the Government with proposals on various aspects of ageing. In one segment of the paper, it was noted that society should provide better support to caregivers including those from the extended family members.”
“I note that SG Enable is also already playing a role in being the one-stop spot for PwDs and their families. How has this experience been and are there enhancements we can expect? Lastly, I feel it is imperative to harness the resources and support from the community. I believe the Government can play a role to create the platform or structures to encourage ground-up effort. The formation of the Action for Alliance (AfA) for Caregivers of PwDs, for example, is encouraging. How do we sustain this and provide the necessary platforms for more people to come together? I do hope to see more in our community step up to offer time or resources so that together, we can help to enhance support for PwDs and their families. Ageing Caregivers It is not uncommon for us as Members of Parliament to come across residents seeking assistance on caregiving issues. Just in the recent weeks, I met several residents from Bukit Batok East who had some challenges with caregiving. In one case, a woman brought her sister, who has an intellectual disability. The woman was crying. Both her elderly parents had passed away, one after the other and rather unexpectedly. The late mother was the main caregiver of the sister and my resident was at a loss as to how to now care for her sister. In another case, a gentleman reached out to me for help after his elderly mother, who had been the primary caregiver of his brother with special needs, had to undergo heart surgery. He was the sole breadwinner and had to take time off work to care for his family members. It was not a sustainable solution. During my house visits, I also meet many "aunties" who are caring for their elderly husbands. They do not have helpers and they lament about their challenges as they are not as strong as before.”
“My concern is while the broad efforts go some way to advance the interests of PwDs as a community, we may miss out specific issues that may only affect a particular group. For example, even within persons with intellectual disabilities (PwIDs), there are different levels of abilities. So, when we talk about lifelong learning and preparing them to live independently, could there be a finer resolution that could maximise the potential of each group? I am not expecting the Government to do everything or for things to be done immediately. There needs to be a whole-of-society effort and involvement, a point which I will touch on later, but I believe it would be meaningful for a framework that dives into specifics for different groups, assessing how successful some measures are, addressing what the challenges are and continually developing the infrastructure of support for PwDs and their families. Secondly, I would like to know if there could be more streamlining of some services and support for both PwDs and their family members. Akin to the approach in our child and maternal health and well-being efforts, could we also look at streamlining some services that would make it easier for families to manage the care of PwDs? I had spoken about Dr Chen Shiling in my previous speeches. Dr Chen had developed a holistic healthcare approach for ageing caregivers and their adult children with intellectual disabilities, addressing also social issues and bringing together multidisciplinary stakeholders on the same platform. She has now set up a clinic, IDHealth, that focuses on medical care of not just persons with intellectual disabilities but also their caregivers. Could we take a leaf from this approach and apply it to various other services?”
“Mr Chairman, my son has Down's Syndrome and has been diagnosed to be on the autism spectrum. He will turn six this year. I have a lot to thank my son for – for teaching me patience and resilience, for making me the person I am. He has also opened my eyes to a whole community of people with different abilities and the families who support them. The more I learn about the diverse range of disabilities, the more I realise that there is a lot I do not know. One of the many things I am still learning is the appropriate terminology to use at times and I beg for indulgence. There are some specific needs within each disability group. There is a different range of abilities and therefore differing potential amongst the persons with disabilities (PwDs). There are also different dynamics among the advocates and activists, which may lead to uneven awareness and support structures for different disability groups. I am therefore grateful that the Government has taken the massive effort to put together different pieces and come up with the concept of the Enabling Masterplan. I am heartened with the existing programmes in place to address the various needs of PwDs and their families. It is encouraging to see the developments of the Enabling Masterplan over the years. There are, however, some areas which I would like to find out more about and have some views on. Firstly, in light of the spectrum of disabilities mentioned above, I would like to find out how we could ensure that the needs of the various groups are meaningfully addressed. How are the efforts in addressing needs categorised and organised? Is there some sort of framework to assess if we are adequately filling the gaps?”
“We will also continue to enhance our strategy to address the issue of vaping, including reviewing legislated penalties, enhancing enforcement, deterrence and education. 4.45 pm Preventive health forms the foundation for better health. The Ministry continues to strengthen upstream preventive health efforts, but Singaporeans must do their part to make healthier choices and lead healthier lifestyles. We are heartened that many have participated in our programmes and made a lasting switch to a healthy lifestyle. Programmes may come with incentives like Healthpoints and that is useful to help us get started. But we must be self-motivated in order to sustain these lifestyle changes. At the end of the day, what we are nudging Singaporeans towards – the real reward that matters – which are the positive health outcomes of embracing a healthy lifestyle. Singaporeans have it within them to take charge of their health and to create the health outcomes they want to have. [Applause.]”
“HSA monitors and targets the illicit sales of e-vaporisers on social media and messaging platforms to curb online access. HSA and the National Environment Agency (NEA) are working together on a cross-enforcement pilot for NEA's enforcement officers to also act against vaping offences. Lastly, HPB has rolled out a digital campaign to raise awareness on the illegality and negative health effects of vaping, as well as how it leads to nicotine addiction. Vaping among youths is a worrying problem. In schools, we are raising awareness among students about the benefits of leading a nicotine-free lifestyle. MOE takes a firm stand against vaping. When students are caught using or possessing e-vaporisers, it will be confiscated and their parents will be informed. School-based disciplinary action is taken, including suspension, or caning for boys. They are referred to counsellors who will guide them through their cessation journey to effect long-term behavioural change. Recalcitrant offenders may be referred to HSA which may issue them a fine. Youths might also have misconceptions about smoking and vaping. It is important that we dispel these misconceptions and equip youths with knowledge and life skills to say no to cigarettes and e-vaporisers. Parents have a part to play as well, and they can refer to relevant information and resources through online articles on Parent Hub. We hope that parents can have a serious conversation with their children about smoking and vaping and to do it soon, before it becomes a life-long habit. We will continue to work towards a nicotine-free Singapore by exploring next-bound efforts of the tobacco control strategy.”
“We are heartened by how these Singaporeans have dedicated their time and skills to improve the health of their community. I would like to encourage members of the public to participate wholeheartedly in our health promotion programmes. Small lifestyle changes can go a long way towards lasting habits and better health outcomes. This is especially true for those with chronic medical conditions like diabetes. To provide diabetes patients with health information to manage their condition, we worked with more than 40 expert members and patient champions to develop Tier 2 of the National Diabetes Reference Materials. This will be published next month. It will contain easy-to-understand information on diabetic care, like reading nutrition labels and monitoring glycaemic index. We hope that this will empower diabetic patients and their caregivers to "be aware, be healthy and be proactive" to manage and live with diabetes. As we talk about healthy lifestyles, a major area of concern is smoking. Tobacco use is the single greatest cause of preventable death globally. Based on the latest National Population Health Survey 2022, the prevalence of daily smoking remains stable at 9.2%. We remain committed to our long-term goal to bring the overall smoking rate to a level that is as low as possible, and ultimately, to pursue a nicotine-free Singapore. Another concern to address is vaping. To answer Mr Ang Wei Neng's question on anti-vaping measures, we take a multi-pronged approach to address the issue of vaping, including enforcement and education measures. At Singapore's borders, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority works with the HSA for detection and enforcement of illegal imports of e-vaporisers.”
“We all have a part to play in nudging family and friends towards adopting a healthy lifestyle. This extends to the Malay/Muslim community as well. If you have a passion for organising healthy lifestyle activities for our community, the carnival will have booths where you can sign up with our M3@ Towns partners. This is a fun opportunity for the community to get together and make the switch to a healthy lifestyle. I hope to see you there. (In English): Mr Chairman, as we embark on the Healthier SG strategy, the public can expect to see more of such programmes for ethnic minority groups, as well as for the rest of Singaporeans. As Mr Xie Yao Quan has pointed out, it is important that we make it easy to join these activities. HPB conducts physical activity programmes, such as weekly exercise sessions and these are accessible, regardless of which neighbourhood you live in. You can sign up conveniently through the Healthy 365 app. Seniors who are unfamiliar with a smartphone can ask their relatives to sign up on their behalf, or simply walk in with their identity card. Community involvement is key to ensuring that health promotion efforts are sustained for the long term. We believe in supporting and encouraging more ground-up initiatives to meet the needs of the community. Last year, I shared that HPB is partnering MCCY to establish a $1.5 million fund, Our Healthy Singapore Fund. This fund empowers community volunteers and organisations to kickstart ground-up health promotion initiatives. I am pleased to share that between April and December last year, we received almost 50 proposals. We are in the midst of evaluation and have awarded seven proposals so far.”
“For people who lead sedentary lifestyles, it can feel challenging to get into the habit of exercising. Luckily, it is never too late to start. Someone who illustrates that perfectly is Mdm Haslina Aziz, who is an active volunteer and leader in Gems Empowering Me Series. Gems is a social enterprise that organises activities for women to lead healthy lifestyles. Since joining Gems almost 10 years ago, Mdm Haslina has participated in activities such as Spartan Races, sea expeditions and dragon boating. She also earned her rock-climbing certification. This is a woman at the peak of her physical prowess, and you might assume I am describing someone in her 20s. In fact, Mdm Haslina is a grandmother of five. She has diabetes but keeps that in check by making a sustained effort to live healthily. She shows us that age and medical conditions should not deter us from pursuing an active lifestyle. We often think that participating in sports activities helps to keep us active and healthy. Let us think of it this way instead: it is by staying active and healthy that we are able to continue enjoying these activities well into our golden years. And that is what makes for a fulfilling life. On that note, I encourage everyone to join us at the Saham Kesihatan Family Festival at Our Tampines Hub next Sunday morning on 12 March. We will be starting at 8.30am with a mass workout, followed by a team telematch with quizzes and physical activities. Afterwards, you can explore the festival to learn about nutrition and health screening. There is also a health zone where residents can learn about the importance of quitting smoking and HPB's "I Quit" programme. If anyone in your family is a smoker, please take this chance to speak to them seriously about quitting smoking.”
“We appreciate that Members of this House have raised various questions on this important issue. As shared by Minister Ong earlier, we have completed the first phase of our work. We will share more details of the Workgroup's engagement findings and a progress update on MOH's plans later this month. I would like to talk about healthier living through increased physical activity and balanced diets. Last year, I spoke about our efforts to reach out to ethnic minority groups, including the formation of the Malay Community Outreach, or MCO, Workgroup. I also shared on HPB's efforts to use culturally significant events for public education on healthier lifestyles. We have kept up the momentum of these efforts. In the past year or so, over 29,000 Malay residents and over 32,000 Indian residents have participated in healthy living programmes, like exercise and mental well-being workshops. To engage the Indian community, we promoted healthy eating messages during Deepavali, such as the need to reduce sugar consumption in desserts. The public may have seen last year's Deepavali music video with Mediacorp's Vasantham. HPB also held exercise sessions and health screenings in places of worship, such as the Central Sikh Temple. Mr Chairman, please allow me to say a few words in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] To encourage people to take charge of their own health, we are making it easier for the community to organise and run their own programmes. One example is a new initiative by the MCO Workgroup, called Saham Kesihatan (Healthy Investment), which was piloted at M3@Towns at Tampines and Jurong. It is aimed at nurturing a group of peer leaders in the community who organise community-led interest groups for Malay/Muslim residents to live healthily.”
“Healthcare workers have also covered for each other occasionally where there is an operational need. In addition, Singaporeans can show their support by lightening the load on healthcare workers. Each of us can avoid bogging nurses down with administrative and basic tasks that do not require nursing expertise to address. We seek the public's understanding on this. Family members can do their part in assisting their loved ones in the hospitals with basic care, such as feeding and moving around. It is also reassuring for patients to be attended to by their loved ones. Your support in such activities will allow nurses to focus on complex care tasks, such as medication administration and wound care. We are grateful to those who already do their best to support healthcare workers. Last year, the Ministry announced that we were forming a Tripartite Workgroup to look into the rising number of cases where healthcare workers had been abused and harassed. Since then, we have extensively engaged healthcare workers and members of the public on this issue. Based on our findings, abuse has become a more common occurrence that healthcare workers face. Almost one in three healthcare workers have witnessed or experienced abuse at least once a week. We need to take decisive steps to ensure the safety and well-being of our healthcare workers. This includes enhancing protection for healthcare workers by improving and standardising how public healthcare institutions deal with abuse and harassment. We need to have a clear and common definition of abuse across healthcare workers and members of the public. It also means taking steps to prevent potentially abusive situations, as well as promoting trust and respect between patients, caregivers and healthcare workers.”
“Last but certainly not least, we will continue to ensure the well-being of our healthcare workers and that starts with a healthy working culture and environment. I thank several Members and Nominated Members who have spoken up on this, such as Mr Abdul Samad, Dr Tan Yia Swam, Ms Ng Ling Ling and Mr Louis Ng. Those who have worked in a healthcare institution will know that many of our healthcare workers work beyond their call of duty, skip meals and forego rest time. Their strong sense of duty keeps them going, but it is neither sustainable nor fair that they constantly sacrifice their well-being. In a profession where people come first, there must be more we can do to ensure their welfare. We work closely with public healthcare clusters on this. In recent years, the public healthcare clusters have appointed Chief Wellness Officers to develop system changes to improve staff well-being and also support measures like counselling and peer support networks. The clusters also regularly survey staff on whether they feel able to cope with the demands at work and whether they know how to seek help when faced with stress or workplace bullying. To ensure healthcare workers have enough rest between and during shifts, the clusters regularly review administrative processes and remove them if not needed. We are also reviewing the working hours of junior doctors, but it is a complex issue that will take time to work out. At present, the hospitals use methods like electronic logging and surveys to monitor junior doctors' working hours and well-beings. That said, hospitals are operational environments which have to address patient needs on a day-to-day basis. When planning rosters, hospitals take into account the skill mix of staff on each shift and each staff's preferred shift pattern.”
“We are glad that Members share these concerns, such as Ms Sylvia Lim, who asked about our measures to retain experienced foreign staff. Some of these foreign healthcare workers may grow to become valued members of our healthcare community and demonstrate their commitment to Singapore. We should be prepared to grant them PR status, because it means retaining a pool of manpower that is of critical value to Singapore. 4.30 pm So, I hope all Members of this House will support our efforts to expand the manpower of the healthcare sector, including recruitment of foreign manpower. This allows us to deliver quality healthcare and safeguard the welfare of our healthcare workers. After recruiting them, it is equally important that we retain the healthcare workers we have. To answer Mr Gerald Giam's question, we review salaries regularly to ensure that healthcare workers are paid competitively. Last year, we announced an enhanced special payment package for nurses in both the public and community care sectors. Among the public healthcare institutions, they will also refresh and update pay components, such as allowances for shifts and for work duties beyond regular hours. As Dr Tan Wu Meng has pointed out, other measures, such as flexible work arrangements can help retain staff who might leave otherwise. For those who leave the sector, our healthcare institutions maintain contact to encourage them to return. Every year, over the past five years, about 750 non-practising nurses return to practice, joining some 2,400 new nurses. In comparison, about 1,300 nurses do not renew their practicing certificates each year. We will continue with our efforts to retain the nursing workforce.”
“I want to assure all students that while there are entry criteria, no student from any particular educational pathway is denied eligibility. Healthcare staff are also encouraged to continue upgrading their skills and practise at the top of their licence. Healthcare is a multidisciplinary team effort. Our nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals work closely with doctors to step up to lead care initiatives in the community. By expanding and advancing their skillset, they can look forward to a long and fulfilling career in healthcare. However, the most important and urgent step we need to take is to beef up nursing manpower. In recent years, the global competition for healthcare workers has intensified, especially for nurses. The attrition rate for local nurses has remained stable over 2019 to 2022, but, for foreign nurses, this has spiked from 9.5% to 14.5% over the same period. The loss of both local and foreign nurses to our competitor countries is a key reason for the stress and high workload for our nurses. We need to replace the manpower lost to other countries, safeguard the welfare of nurses and meet increasing needs. Therefore, as Ms Mariam Jaafar has rightly pointed out, the most critical and practical thing to do is to increase manpower. To this end, we are ramping up recruitment of foreign nurses. We will go through a period of increased inflow of foreign nurses because of their higher attrition in recent years. Looking forward, we will continue to need foreign nurses to complement our local core. Because if our population has more and more seniors and fewer young graduates joining the workforce, the numbers will not add up and local nurses alone cannot meet our healthcare needs.”
“Mr Chairman, my colleagues have spoken at length about the upcoming initiatives in healthcare. In order for those to bear fruit, it is essential that we grow and retain our healthcare workforce. We often say that healthcare workers are the backbone or the lifeblood of the healthcare sector. These medical metaphors are correct because if the healthcare system were a body, none of it would function without healthcare workers. It is, therefore, important that we continue to recruit healthcare workers from diverse sources and ensure that the sector remains an attractive one. Our manpower policies are designed to meet present and future needs. We regularly update our projections to ensure that we plan this well. We have increased local intakes of students over time to ensure a stable supply of healthcare professionals. This increase will materialise in the workforce in the coming years. For example, the first batch of 230 allied health graduates from the Singapore Institute of Technology entered the workforce in 2020. After increasing the intake by around 85%, about 430 students from the 2022 batch will enter the workforce in 2026. As the demand for healthcare services grows and our care model evolves, we will continue to work with schools to review our intakes. We want to attract students from all pathways into suitable healthcare programmes. Take, for example, the Diploma in Nursing offered by polytechnics. Besides "N" Level, "O" Level and "A" Level pathways, students can also join from the Integrated and International Baccalaureate Programmes, whether at the fourth or sixth year of study. The other nursing schools like ITE and NUS also offer multiple admission pathways. We are working towards making the entry criteria for each pathway more transparent.”
“Chairman, in Singapore, hawker centres have been and will continue to serve the diverse needs of communities in residential, recreational, and work districts. Being a social space that embraces people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, hawker centres play a crucial role in enhancing community interactions and strengthening the social fabric. It is heartening to hear of the initiatives and grants made available to hawkers. We have the Hawkers’ Productivity Grant subsidising automation equipment and technological solutions for individual hawkers; the Hawkers’ Development Programme complementing classroom training with an apprenticeship stint with a veteran hawker; the Incubation Stall Programme offering subsidised rentals to new entrants; we also have the Hawkers Succession Scheme facilitating the transfer of hawker stalls and recipes from retiring veterans to aspiring hawkers. I am encouraged to hear that the Ministry has been doing much over the years to not only keep the barriers to entry low, through keeping rents reasonable and by not requiring minimum bids during monthly stall tender exercises, but also to attract new talent and nurture the next generations of hawkers. Chairman, in 2020, Singapore’s Hawker Culture is inscribed onto the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is imperative that we continue to support our hawkers and Singaporean hawker culture. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister about the progress and take-up rate of the Productive Hawker Centres Programme, launched in 2017, as well as whether NEA is considering additional measures to continue to futureproof our hawker centres. Hawker Centres”
“I thank the Member for the question. Indeed, that is the main issue about making sure that there is meaningful enforcement, in light of the increasing rates that we are seeing. Part of the intent of the cross-enforcement pilot is to look into that and how we can synergise resources to be able to delegate the work and address the growing concern in the community.”
“Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Health (MOH) takes a multi-pronged approach to address the issue of vaping, including working with our partner agencies to strengthen enforcement measures and public education efforts. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and National Environment Agency (NEA) are working together on a cross-enforcement pilot for NEA’s enforcement officers to also enforce against vaping offences.”
“As explained in my answer earlier, there is already a framework in place, which is the MLA, to regulate the practice of moneylending. So, if they do not comply, then, they would be in breach and that would be non-licensed, and there would be penalties that will be attracted. In respect of programmes like these that have been put out by Grab, these are in a special category and they have to apply for exemptions. As I mentioned, there are rigorous criteria that we look through before that exemption is granted. The conditions are attached to the exemption and there is monitoring as to whether there is compliance and whether it is within a certain timeframe, after which they are either extended, with or without conditions, or not given further. I trust that addresses the Member's questions.”
“Should MinLaw receive other similar exemption applications in future, the same framework in which we assessed GFin’s application will be applied to these applications.”
“The factors considered include the profile of the applicant, the purpose of the proposed lending model, the prudency of the lending practices adopted, whether there are safeguards in place to protect potential borrowers and the economic or social benefits arising from the lending model. For each exemption granted, the key features of the proposed lending model, including the charges on loans, are incorporated as conditions to the exemption, which the exemptee is expected to comply with. In addition, exempt moneylenders, like licensed moneylenders, are required to observe borrowing cost restrictions, to prevent them from extending loans with exploitative interest rates. An exemption can be revoked for non-compliance with its conditions. In this regard, GFin, a subsidiary of Grab, intended to implement its “Partner Cash Advance” programme for Grab drivers and delivery partners. As these persons are not employees of GFin, GFin could not be considered an excluded moneylender. Hence, GFin had to apply for an exemption to implement the programme. In granting the exemption to GFin, MinLaw assessed that its proposed programme provided an alternative source of safe and sustainable credit to their partners who might not qualify for other forms of credit or who may be charged high interest rates due to their irregular incomes. Furthermore, GFin had incorporated sufficient safeguards in the programme such as developing an internal credit scoring system to assess the maximum amount of loan a partner could take and had put in place various initiatives to provide support for partners who face challenges in making repayments. Having weighed these considerations, MinLaw granted GFin an exemption in August 2022 for a period of three years.”
“Mr Speaker, at the outset, it is important to set out the framework that applies to the regulation of moneylenders in Singapore, as this is necessary to answer the Member’s question. The Moneylenders Act 2008, or MLA, prohibits persons from carrying on the business of moneylending unless they (a) are authorised to do so by licence, (b) have been granted an exemption, or (c) are excluded moneylenders. Moneylenders that are licensed can lawfully lend money to the public at large and must comply with the MLA and its subsidiary legislation. An “excluded moneylender” is a person falling within a list of definitions in the MLA and includes any person that lends solely to that person’s employees as an employment benefit. The provisions in the MLA and its subsidiary legislation do not apply to excluded moneylenders. The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) does not regulate excluded moneylenders and does not maintain figures on the number of such moneylenders. An “exempt moneylender” refers to any person that has been granted an exemption by MinLaw from complying with various provisions of the MLA and its subsidiary legislation, including the requirement for a licence to lend money. Exempt moneylenders can only engage in a limited scope of moneylending activities, such as lending to specific borrowers or for specific purposes. Lending by exempt moneylenders must be assessed to have potential benefits, such as providing an avenue of safe credit to meet a specific need, while also having sufficient safeguards in place to protect borrowers. There are currently 31 exempt moneylenders. Before granting any exemption to any applicant, MinLaw carefully examines the proposed lending model to ensure borrowers get safe access to credit with adequate protection.”
“With the increasing awareness and more people coming forward to be part of this cause, I believe it is a good opportunity for us rethink our efforts in enhancing the education for our children with SEN and ensure they are able to integrate with the larger community. During one of a meeting I attended, Ms Denise Phua said something that stuck with me. I am paraphrasing a little but she said, “let us ensure that as we are developing our plans in preparing our workforce and our people for the future economy and future challenges, we think about those with special needs and they are not just a footnote or an after thought”. I acknowledge that work ahead is not easy but it is important and needs to be done. I have been encouraged by the efforts of the Ministry and other agencies and I hope that we can continue on the vision of preparing all our children for what is to come and moulding the future of our nation. Students with Special Educational Needs”
“Additionally, do we also have a plan as to which sectors in the future students with SEN could possibly enter and excel in? Are we looking at the current jobs that the different groups of SEN students are landing and their career progression? I am hoping with these insights, we could then better develop our curriculum to ensure our SEN students can be channeled into meaningful sectors where they can grow and contribute like everyone else. Lastly, I would like to revisit a point I made in Parliament previously. An integral part of all the efforts in integration, in building appropriate skills is the special needs educators. We need to ensure we have professional, good and skilled teachers in schools specialising in special educational needs so that we can translate the vision into reality. I have met many special needs educators who are deeply committed to their work, go the extra mile to lookout for the students under their care and most importantly, they have a very big heart for the children. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute and say a big thank you to all the teachers and staff in the special education sector. I hope the Ministry continues to help enhance this profession by developing progression pathways and improving remuneration of the teachers in the special needs sector. This will encourage more individuals to come forward to be part of the workforce and hopefully, create a larger pool of capable educators who can look into more specific issues and enhance the support for our students with special educational needs. The points I have raised above are not new.”
“However, in integrating students with SEN with the rest of the community, we should do some calibration as there may be a tension between creating the common spaces and learning opportunities while at the same time paying sufficient attention to the additional support and teaching that needs to happen to build the skills of those with SEN. There may be a great desire to be inclusive but this may bring SEN students into a setting that does not necessarily empower them or equip them with the skills or address their needs. They may be put in the same classroom and there may be some additional support to help them with that particular assignment or activity. But is the curriculum for them robust enough to build their own skills to be independent? How are they interacting with other students and how are other students interacting with them? How are we assessing their abilities to subsequently navigate living in the larger community? How do we ensure that we are adequately stretching them to reach their full potential? These are some considerations that I hope that the Ministry is looking into and could give some insights on. Secondly, on a related point, I would like to understand what is in the horizons for students with SEN. For the larger community, there is always a forward-looking agenda, one that looks at growth sectors and economic opportunities and a curation of existing educational or skill-building pathways that prepares us for the future. There should be a similar approach for our students with SEN. I appreciate that there are diverse needs among students with SEN. At the basic level, we need to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary skills to be able to live as independently as possible and navigate through life. This is crucial.”
“I have shared my experiences and journey with my son, Ayden, several times in Parliament. My family and I have been truly blessed with the support of many people in the ecosystem. We have also learnt a lot from the people who have walked the journey before us. Their experiences and feedback over the years have helped create awareness and shape the support structure that we now have for our children with special needs. In particular, within the school setting, there have been meaningful developments in identifying needs, making the appropriate referrals and providing support to students with special educational needs within the mainstream schools and the special education schools. This will of course always have to be a work-in-progress. There should be continuous efforts to enhance the support in the ecosystem. I would like to take this opportunity today to share some of my own personal perspectives as well as insights I have gleaned from my interactions with many different stakeholders in the community, in the hope that we can continue to build a better education landscape for students with special education needs (SEN) and achieve better outcomes. It is imperative that our education system adequately equips all our children, including those with SEN, with the necessary life skills and prepare them for future challenges. Firstly, I feel it is important for us to think about the current efforts to integrate students with SEN with other children. Integration is an important element as we should teach our children to learn and interact with people with different abilities. All our children are unique and they should grow up appreciating and respecting each other’s strengths and value they bring to society.”
“The Digital for Life movement is a great effort and platform that can bring Singaporeans from all ages and all walks of life to embrace digital learning as a lifelong pursuit. 3.15 pm I would therefore like to ask about the progress of the DfL movement so far. What is next and what can we look forward to in doing more so that no one is left behind?”
“There is also value in thinking about good and thoughtful design of digital changes that allows for meaningful transition in a way that does not overwhelm those who are not digitally savvy. Former Nominated Member of Parliament, Prof Lim Sun Sun, shared her views in an article in The Straits Times last year about the lessons we could take from the design of the CDC vouchers. She mentioned the principle of skeuomorphism, where functions or objects in digital interfaces resemble their physical counterparts. This makes the digital interfaces more familiar to users, and to some extent more intuitive. She lauded the design of the denominations of the vouchers and the consideration for the digitally less adept. In fact, she said the thoughtful design may also help ease later adopters into accepting more advanced modes of digital payment. Indeed, the roll-out of the CDC vouchers was an opportunity for me to engage many of the elderly residents as well as the heartland shop owners on digital capability. Some of my elderly Bukit Batok East (BBE) residents would come to my community club office to get the print-out of the CDC vouchers but there were also some who sought to learn how to download the vouchers and use their phones to pay for their purchases We will continue to slowly build capability at different levels so that people do not feel left out and can also grow in this digitalisation process. This journey needs to continue, not just for Bukit Batok East (BBE) but also the whole nation. There is a lot more that we can do to ensure efforts are inclusive to address different needs and different capabilities.”
“Mr Chairman, I have had the good fortune of working with the teams at MCI and IMDA in the past as they developed the Digital for Life efforts, including the DfL Festival. I can attest to the creativity and dedication of the teams in creating various meaningful platforms and opportunities for learning and collaboration, as we work to enhance digital literacy and capabilities within the community. One of the beautiful things about the DfL effort is the community of partners that have been rallied to support digital empowerment. I brought my grassroots leaders to the DfL Festival at Heartbeat@Bedok last year and they were inspired by the array of programmes available for the community. They made friends with a few DfL partners and have since brought back ideas to Bukit Batok East (BBE) and worked with some partners. I had received a kind donation of laptops from Tian Kong and Kancanarama Buddhist Temple and we worked with Byte, a DfL partner, to organise a Byte Void-Deck Technology Lab (VDTL) Coding Programme for young children at Bukit Batok East (BBE). My grassroot leaders also organised an Inclusive Family Carnival and brought in IMDA so that seniors and those in the special needs community could get access to mobile data plans as part of the Data for All initiative. I must also mention that the digital ambassadors had joined us for many community programmes, creating awareness and providing support in digital empowerment for my residents at Bukit Batok East (BBE). In observing the engagements, I note that there is a need to use different modalities for different demographics and to tier the empowerment strategies to fit the various levels of capabilities.”
“I thank the Member for the question. I want to clarify on the point of the timing for the maintenance. Actually, it is four hours for the weekly maintenance and 10 hours for the monthly one, which are done during times when the Courts are not in operation. That takes about 328 hours of downtime, out of a total of 8,760 hours in a year. So, it is about only 3.7% of the hours in a year. In a way, it is a small number. The second point I want to mention is the fact that we note some of the feedback given by the lawyers. I know that it was largely coming out from the article, so I am not sure if it is necessarily representative. But that is something we can look into and I take the feedback back. I think it is something that we want to continually improve on. There are suggestions made on the integration of the Criminal Case Management System (CCMS). That is something we can take back and look into.”
“Mr Speaker, the State Courts' Integrated Case Management System (ICMS) was officially launched in 2015. The State Courts decide on matters relating to their case management systems, such as procurement and maintenance. The following is based on information received from the State Courts. The ICMS is used to manage all criminal cases in the State Courts. Judges and litigants may use ICMS to access case records, schedule hearings, upload documents, file applications and generate Court orders. An average of around 184,000 criminal cases were filed each year from 2018 to 2022 on ICMS. The ICMS currently undergoes scheduled weekly and monthly maintenance, which takes about four or 10 hours, respectively. Scheduled maintenance is carried out after Court operating hours to minimise disruptions to users. After the disruption to ICMS happened, the State Courts activated their business continuity plans to ensure that Court hearings could proceed despite the disruption. This included printing hard copy documents, where appropriate, for parties to refer to and Judges recording their notes on Microsoft Word. As a result, the vast majority of criminal cases were not affected. The average time to manage these cases manually on 7 and 8 February 2023, as compared to the average time if the cases had been managed under ICMS, was not specifically tracked. Only 16 of the 2,037 criminal cases scheduled on 7 and 8 February 2023, that is, less than 1% of the scheduled cases, had to be adjourned. Minimal disruption was caused to these adjourned cases.”
“Thank you, Dr Tan, for raising that point. I can appreciate that that is of concern to that generation. But as I mentioned earlier, there are actually many different avenues of support. Not only are they online, they are also available at the Courts and also in the vernacular – that may be something that is better for the elderly. We also have the support available to give legal advice and assistance, also, within the community. So, I hope that people in the community can leverage on those services as well.”
“Thank you, Ms Nadia Samdin. At this juncture, we are balancing the needs and if there are any further developments, we will make the announcement accordingly. But I would like to assure you that even as we are rolling out new plans, we are very conscious of taking necessary measures to make sure that we are protecting the environment. This includes safeguarding areas for conservation and research activities, like the Small Sister's Island; and areas for public recreation, such as lodges, campsites and beaches at St John's Island, Lazarus Island and Pulau Hantu.”
“Yes. In conclusion, whilst we have a diverse slate of initiatives, these are united by the thread of bettering the lives of people in Singapore and advancing our economy and society through laws and policies. Thank you, Madam.”
“This year, SLA will continue to rejuvenate State-owned properties. Let me address some of the comments made by Mr Christopher de Souza, Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin and Mr Lim Biow Chuan. First, SLA has identified the former Kampong Eunos Community Centre at 10 Kampong Eunos to be repurposed as a creative accelerator and innovation studio for the youth community. SLA will work with VIVITA Singapore, a social impact organisation that seeks to empower children and youths to be changemakers for the future. Through SLA's sustained efforts over the years, we have developed the Dempsey cluster into a lifestyle destination and a place for communities to gather. And to retain its attractiveness, SLA improved the infrastructure to make it better. SLA and Sport Singapore launched a tender for a playfield to offer more spaces for the community to bond through sports. SLA will continue to enhance Dempsey and expand it into a sustainable lifestyle destination that has many offerings. Innovative concepts and sustainability initiatives will be introduced to complement the current diverse mix of lifestyle activities. Even as SLA rolls out new plans, we must balance the impact on nature and the environment – a point raised by Ms Nadia Samdin. SLA is cognisant of the need for this balance and has upheld the rustic nature of the Southern Islands and, in general, only low-intensity development has been carried out. SLA works with various agencies, including National Parks Board (NParks), to safeguard the biodiversity and heritage of the lands even as interest and the number of visitors grows.”
“Geospatial technology has transformative potential on the way we live, work and play. This can unlock opportunities to benefit businesses and citizens and enable sustainability efforts. Prof Koh Lian Pin will be happy to hear that SLA has been actively engaging the industry, institutions and community to mainstream the use of geospatial capabilities, promote greater awareness and understanding of their potential. Last year, SLA signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with key real estate and industry players, such as the Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore, Singapore Business Federation and real estate agencies. Through these MOUs, geospatial data and platforms, including OneMap, will be leveraged to benefit their members and customers. These include enhancing building design, operations and maintenance. In the science and environment community, SLA started partnerships with various agencies to deepen the use of geospatial data for weather monitoring, coastal protection, flood mitigation, carbon-sink estimation and climate studies. SLA will also be exploring how geospatial elements can be introduced in the education curriculum. One such initiative is the Global Navigation Satellite Systems Innovation Challenge. With our limited land, it is integral that we continue to find creative ways to optimise our space in a sustainable manner to meet the needs of our community and economic demand. We thank Mr Cheng Hsing Yao for suggesting an overarching plan for the interim use of state land. We will explore this with relevant agencies. For 2022, we partnered with stakeholders and the public to enhance various State lands and properties, such as the rejuvenation of Gillman Barracks and the development of a new three-generation park at Yarrow Gardens.”
“Given the high value nature of property transactions, this serves as a safeguard of the individual's interests. Nevertheless, such digitalisation projects will naturally, over time, result in less emphasis being placed on certain processes or skillsets. The development brings value to the larger community by making processes simpler and faster. Hence, we encourage conveyancing practices to adapt to, innovate and leverage on the DCP to deliver better service to their clients. Mdm Chairperson, I see that I am running out of time. I have a last section and would gratefully request for your indulgence for a bit more.”
“Many of us would have probably experienced the conveyancing process, which currently takes a rather manual approach. This will soon be a thing of the past as the SLA brings to fruition its vision of the DCP as a fully integrated, secure, efficient, transparent and paperless process. The DCP will include the facilitation of e-payments and digital signing of documents. Users will also be able to retrieve details and check for updates with greater ease. Mr Lim Biow Chuan has raised the point on potential fraud. This is something that SLA will consider in its design and implementation of the DCP. In terms of security, SLA will put in place robust data and cybersecurity measures, including data encryption and active monitoring of data access to detect any suspicious online activity. Besides benefiting buyers and sellers, the DCP will make it more efficient for those involved in the conveyancing process. This will be a tool that assists lawyers, financial institutions, real estate agents and developers. Responding to Mr Zhulkarnain, SLA had extensively engaged stakeholders since 2019 and will continue to do so at each stage of the DCP's development to ensure that the end product meets the needs of all parties. SLA will continue to raise awareness on the use and benefits of the DCP through these engagements. We announced in January that we have appointed the vendor for the development of the DCP. We target to implement the first phase, which will comprise the Option to Purchase stage for developer sale, resale and sub-sale transactions, by 2024. We are working towards full implementation by 2026. Mr Lim and Mr Zhulkarnain asked about the DCP's potential impact on jobs. We expect most individuals will continue to engage lawyers.”
“This proposal was not adopted because while it may provide short-term relief to workers, it may lead to a bigger systemic problem in the long term by causing market distortion and more defaults on salary payments, in the expectation of public funds being deployed. That said, lower wage workers with unpaid salaries may receive financial assistance from the Short-term Relief Fund and the Migrant Workers' Assistance Fund. Such assistance is also available where companies are not insolvent. Finally, judicial managers must deal with multiple considerations and balance competing interests. Marshalling and allocating resources, including to employees to keep the business going, would depend very much on the specific facts and circumstances. Mr Pillai asked about Singapore's planned accession to the Hague Service Convention. I am pleased to update that we have been actively working on amendments to the relevant pieces of legislation to give effect to our obligations under the Convention. We aim to introduce the amendments by the fourth quarter this year, at the same time when the Convention enters into force for Singapore. 7.15 pm Lastly, I move to our initiatives to optimise land use and related matters. At the outset, we are focused on helping Singapore and its people. With our limited land, we need to constantly innovate. This is not innovating for its own sake, but with the goal of improving the quality of lives and building vibrant spaces and communities. We are, thus, pressing ahead on the digitalisation of the conveyancing process, evolution and mainstreaming of geospatial technologies, and rejuvenation of state lands. We have embarked on, in my view, an exciting project – the Digital Conveyancing Portal, or DCP.”
“At this juncture, I will share our intention to make clear that legal acts and instruments, such as statutory declarations and notarisations, can be done remotely through video-conferencing and electronic signing. We will introduce legislation, in due course. This will provide greater convenience to lawyers and their clients. Lastly, I would like to address two points. Mr Patrick Tay touched on workers of insolvent companies. This issue has been addressed on numerous occasions in this House. Exposure to business risks is something all companies face. When these risks eventuate and a company gets into trouble, a restructuring aims to provide the company space to recover. The Court supervises the restructuring process to balance the interests of the various stakeholders, including employees. If the company is successfully rehabilitated, workers are more likely to hold on to their jobs. If the restructuring is unsuccessful and the company enters into insolvent winding up, section 203 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act gives priority to certain claims. Out of the nine categories of claims under section 203, five categories give priority to workers. The only categories with priority over worker claims are the costs and expenses of winding up. These are necessary for the winding up to proceed smoothly. In fact, worker claims rank above claims by the Government, in respect of tax assessed and goods and services tax due. Mr Tay highlights insolvent companies having insufficient assets to pay workers even with the statutory priority scheme, and difficulties faced by workers in dealing with judicial managers. Mr Tay has previously suggested that MOM could advance monies to workers and, thereafter, stand in their place as a preferred creditor.”
“As mentioned by Mr Pillai and Mr Derrick Goh, MinLaw has been studying possible reforms to the civil enforcement framework. MinLaw's project focuses on making enforcement cheaper and easier, so that those who have succeeded in their claims, are not denied their fruits simply because they feel enforcement is too complex or expensive. Possible changes include: (a) giving the Court more powers to identify the assets and means of a non-compliant judgement debtor – with more information, the successful party can better decide whether and how to enforce the judgement; and (b) introducing new powers to deter and punish non-compliance with Court orders. This will go some way towards alleviating the difficulties faced by judgement creditors today. More broadly, these reforms will ensure Singapore's legal system remains robust, efficient and business-friendly. This will, in turn, help to preserve Singapore's status as a dispute resolution hub, a point raised by Mr Goh. The proposed reforms, which affect enforcement of all civil judgements, are complex and may have far-reaching changes that have to be studied carefully. We have been working closely, over the past year, with the Judiciary and other stakeholders to refine the proposals. More details will be announced in due course. I would highlight technology is an integral aspect in many of our initiatives, as it strengthens access to the legal system – a perspective mentioned by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim. We are taking steps in this direction. I will, in a short while, mention how we are using technology to optimise state land.”
“For claims filed through simplified proceedings, the PHC has powers to make such orders and directions as it thinks fit for the just, expeditious and economic disposal of a case. The PHC therefore may, notwithstanding that the proceedings were already simplified, deal with a case which is frivolous, vexatious, or otherwise an abuse of process in an expedited way. For claims filed through standard proceedings, the normal procedures in the Rules of Court, such as striking out, are available. Further, the PHC can award costs and disbursements against a claimant who brings a frivolous or vexatious case. This should deter any litigant who thinks they can misuse the PHC's simplified processes. Finally, the General Division of the High Court is empowered to make a restraint order against a claimant, who has repeatedly commenced actions totally without merit. This prevents such a claimant from commencing actions or applications. Various stakeholders, including the Judiciary, are pulling in the same direction to enhance access to justice. The Judiciary is setting up an Access to Justice Programme Office. This will provide an even greater emphasis and focus on access to justice from a Whole-of-Judiciary perspective. The Office will coordinate access to justice efforts across the Courts, review existing citizen-facing services and processes, and embark on new projects to improve the experience of Court users. For a start, some areas of focus will include enhancing accessibility to information, integrating services for the greater convenience of Court users, and improving the overall end-to-end service experience. I turn to upcoming changes to strengthen Singapore's legal system.”
“From 2021 to 2022, there were 924 PO applications filed – 866 applications were filed from the operationalisation of the PHC on 1 June 2021 to 31 December 2022. Out of the 924 PO applications, 302 POs were ordered, 413 PO applications were withdrawn. Applications may be withdrawn because parties reached an out-of-Court resolution, or the claimant decided there is no longer a need for a PO. The remaining 209 PO applications are either pending resolution or were dismissed. Where urgent relief is sought, the PHC generally hears the application within two to three working days from the date of application. Mr Tay asked for a breakdown of the types of cases. Members should note that one case may involve more than one type of harassment. Out of the 866 PO applications filed from 1 June 2021 to 31 December 2022, 304 cases involved cyberbullying; 295 cases involved doxxing; 203 cases involved workplace harassment; 103 cases involved sexual harassment; and 75 cases involved harassment by debt collectors, moneylenders or creditors. Mr Pillai resurfaced his proposal from last year to amend the PHC rules to summarily determine and dispose of frivolous and vexatious claims, without notifying the respondent. As explained in a written reply to Mr Pillai's question in Parliament previously, as part of due process, the Courts will usually require the respondent's side of the story to determine whether the claim is indeed frivolous or vexatious. We should also be mindful that many claimants in the PHC are SRPs, so the bar cannot be placed too high. Otherwise, this could inadvertently prevent access to justice for them. On the other hand, the PHC has powers to deal with frivolous or vexatious cases.”
“Upon divorce, the ex-husband was ordered to make monthly maintenance payments to Ms B for the two children. After a few months, the ex-husband began missing payments. At one point, he had failed to make payment for more than five months. The situation caused Ms B great distress – she had to cover the substantial costs of the children's school fees, transport and daily necessities. In less than a year, Ms B filed two applications to enforce the maintenance order. She had to spend considerable time and was unable to afford a lawyer to aid her in the proceedings, given her financial responsibilities to her children. The proposed reforms will make the enforcement of maintenance orders simpler and more efficient. For example, in the current process, parties have to make several trips to court. The reforms aim to streamline proceedings and reduce the number of trips that parties make to Court. This will reduce the burden on those without lawyers. We will provide more details in due course. Next, the Protection from Harassment Court (PHC) was established to provide simplified, expedited processes to enhance access to justice for harassment victims. Responding to Mr Patrick Tay, the data is encouraging. Since its operationalisation on 1 June 2021, more than 90% of the Protection Order (PO) and False Statement Order applications filed were on the simplified track. Anecdotally, the majority of cases are handled by the litigants, without the need for legal representation. There has been a significant increase in the number of PO applications, as well as orders granted. From 2019 to 2020, 319 PO applications were filed; 146 POs were granted in that period.”
“Where more explanation is needed, SRPs can seek help from the Community Justice Centre (CJC) located within the premises of the State Courts and FJC. Second, there are online tools and resources that SRPs may find useful. Besides Divorce AIDE that I mentioned earlier, the Legal Aid Bureau's iLAB chatbot provides tailored legal information on divorce, family violence, and issues related to employment. It is also able to generate simple legal documents. In the past year, information on civil cases was added to iLAB. Currently, there are 10 topics in iLAB. Responding to Mr Murali Pillai, iLAB is useful for users who have little to no legal knowledge. Users have also given feedback that iLAB saves time and is convenient to use. We will continue collating feedback to improve iLAB. The efforts to enhance access to justice in family proceedings is a continuing one. MinLaw has been working with MSF and FJC on a Bill to effect the remaining recommendations of the Committee to Review and Enhance Reforms in the Family Justice System. The proposed changes aim to build on our efforts to reduce acrimony in family proceedings and ensure a fair outcome without undue complexity and costs for the parties. This increases access to justice for litigants, especially those who cannot afford legal representation. An area of attention is the current challenges in enforcing maintenance orders, a point mentioned by Mr Murali Pillai. Non-compliance with maintenance orders has an adverse impact on those who are relying on the maintenance payments to go about their daily lives. Unresolved disputes over maintenance also hinder the parties from moving forward with their lives. I would like to share the story of Ms B, a divorced working mother with two young children.”
“For other applications, the CrimsonLogic Service Bureau has been re-sited from Chinatown Point to the one-stop service hubs in the Supreme Court and State Courts. SRPs can file applications via the Service Bureau, access case management systems from self-help terminals, and carry out related Court processes from a single location. A similar service hub will be set up in FJC when it moves to its new location in 2024. As for putting up security for costs, FJC has published an online guide on the procedure for doing so and VITAL's contact information. Furthermore, VITAL has allowed SRPs to make e-payments since 2020. Dr Tan Wu Meng raised the issues of delays in VITAL processing payments. I would like to inform Dr Tan that as part of the Court's efforts to streamline processes for Court users, today, an appellant can file an appeal, as long as he or she is able to produce a signed declaration and evidence of a bank transfer. This ensures that any delay in processing the payment or issuing the receipt does not result in an appellant missing out on the filing deadlines. Besides these enhancements, there are two further areas that we have worked on, to make family justice more accessible to SRPs. First, we try to ensure information on Court processes and procedures is readily available. The Courts publish on their website comprehensive information about Court processes and procedures. FJC also published a case management guidebook which guides SRPs through the divorce process and a guidebook on common family Court orders. For those not fluent in English, digital and physical brochures on family law and Court processes in vernacular languages are available at the Judiciary's website and at FJC.”
“There are various forms of support for self-represented persons (SRPs) who commence, or wish to commence, proceedings. Dr Tan Wu Meng shared how his resident, an SRP, had to approach CrimsonLogic and VITAL. He asked about the role of these intermediaries, and if they complicate the process for SRPs. Let me explain. First, the Judiciary's case filing system, eLitigation, enables lawyers with a subscription to e-file documents and pay filing fees. SRPs can approach the CrimsonLogic Service Bureau, who will assist them with their e-filing and collect the filing fees. Second, SRPs generally do not interact with VITAL. SRPs only interact with VITAL when a Court deposit is required. For example, when an SRP files an appeal, he or she is required to provide security for costs. SRPs would have to deposit the security with the Accountant-General, with VITAL acting as its collecting agent. To make these processes more convenient for SRPs, several initiatives have been rolled out, and others are in the pipeline. In 2022, the Family Justice Courts (FJC) introduced an e-service that allows SRPs to e-file for simplified divorce, without having to go to the CrimsonLogic Service Bureau. It was designed with SRPs in mind. Amongst other things, the e-service uses guided questions to assist applicants in filling up Court forms. It is also integrated with MyInfo, which allows an applicant's particulars to be automatically populated. Further, as Mr Murali Pillai alluded to, a similar e-service for straightforward probate applications is targeted to be introduced by 2023. This will be applicable to the large majority of uncontested probate cases, such as those involving a single executor and with lesser quantum of assets.”
“Its algorithm provides an indication of a reasonable range that parties can receive from the pool of matrimonial assets, post-divorce. Parties can use this to consider whether to settle the division of matrimonial assets amicably. On Mr Murali Pillai's query as to whether the needs of the children are taken into account by the algorithm, this will have to be separately considered when negotiating a settlement. Children's needs are particular to each family and cannot be easily reduced to an algorithm. For instance, if there are children with special needs, parties may consider not dividing the insurance policies and setting them aside for the children's benefit. If the children need to stay near their schools, selling the matrimonial flat may not be the most viable option. Moreover, on the day-to-day needs, their monthly expenses would be more appropriately dealt with by fixing child maintenance, as opposed to assets division. 7.00 pm Divorce AIDE has received positive feedback from social workers, Judges and our partners. For example, feedback from the Community Justice Centre (CJC) noted it is "very easy to use"; "helpful in explaining and answering my questions on divorce"; and "an outstanding tool that litigants-in-person will find useful". We will refine Divorce AIDE in the upcoming year, a point mentioned by Mr Nair. Our efforts are two-fold. First, we will collect more feedback to see how the tool has been useful and how it can be further improved. Second, we are exploring possible integration with MyInfo. If successful, this will provide a more seamless experience, as users' Central Provident Fund (CPF) and HDB information may be extracted directly.”
“With the increase in coverage, we expect that volunteer lawyers will continue to play a role in ensuring justice is accessible to all segments of society. The Government's partnership with CLAS will help to preserve the pro bono spirit of the legal fraternity, which remains a key pillar of legal aid. We will conduct a review of the criminal defence aid system at an appropriate juncture to determine how to leverage the strengths of CLAS and the PDO in the long term. As it has only been three months since its establishment, we will continue to monitor the caseload of the PDO closely to see that there is adequate staffing and capacity. To Mr Nair's query, the criminal defence aid means test threshold is pegged at PCHI of $1,500, or the 35th percentile of households by income, while the civil defence aid means test is pegged at PCHI $950, or the 25th percentile of households by income. We had increased the criminal defence aid income threshold, as a study conducted by MinLaw showed that households around the 35th percentile will find it challenging to afford legal representation before the Courts, even for plead guilty cases. On the civil legal aid means test criteria, we had recently revised the criteria in end-2019. We will review the civil legal aid means test criteria in due course. I turn to family justice, an area that has a deep impact on the lives of individuals. The Divorce Assets Informative Division Estimator (Divorce AIDE) was launched in September 2022. It is an online tool aimed at improving access to legal services. Divorce AIDE educates users on how matrimonial assets are generally divided upon divorce, and the estimated share and amount they are likely to receive from the matrimonial assets.”