Raj Joshua Thomas
Singapore
“I hope the Minister will consider eventually extending the obligations and penalties under the Bill to buyers of outsourced services. One way, Sir, that we can immediately deal with this would be to issue tripartite guidelines or amend existing guidelines to specifically proscribe such practices by service buyers.”
“I ask this because there are news reports that the deal is already off. But the reason for today’s Bill is precisely because MAS does not have a basis to reject the deal for reasons other than prudential aspects. I would just like to ask the Minister for clarity on the process.”
“Mr Sapari championed and led the implementation of the earlier PWMs and Ms Lim continues to lead the secretariats. It is without exaggeration to say that these two people are probably the two people, in Singapore who have contributed the most to the success of the PWMs, and through the PWMs, the uplifting of the lives and livelihoods of t…”
“Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister of State how will FWAs interface with the Progressive Wage Model (PWM)? For flexi-load, for example, where a worker in one of these sectors requests to work less days, that may bring his gross wage to below the PWM prescribed wage floor.”
“In this regard, I would like to ask the Minister what efforts MCCY makes and will be making to educate co-op members of their rights under the Act, what they will be doing to educate COM members on their duties, including efforts taken in cooperation with the Singapore National Co-operative Federation.”
“Sir, no, that is not what I was saying. I was, essentially, asking why is it that the Member stopped at a certain point, because in the example that he used, the UK, it was not only Ministers who declared their assets, but all members of parliament had to declare their assets. So, that was the point that I was making.”
The complete record
Every one of 260 lines we hold for Raj Joshua Thomas, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 6.
“Under the current Bill, if a person was reasonably suspected of, say, online harassment, and was given a Direction to stop communication and fails to comply – the putative offence would have the nature of being arrestable and non-bailable – which means that, if charged, the accused person would likely be held in remand until the matter is concluded. I ask specifically about this because for most of the offences in Part 1 of the First Schedule, the online harm is sufficiently heinous for a failure to comply with a Part 2 Direction to be considered a serious crime, whereas for some offences, like those in Part 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act, it may not necessarily be so. It is also important to note that a similar offence like cyberbullying would also not be an arrestable and non-bailable offence. As such, it may be useful for some clarification from the hon Minister that this may be one of the factors that the Court or the Police could take into account when considering whether to offer bail, which despite being non-bailable, may be offered on a case-by-case basis, for a person charged under clause 50 of the Bill, read with clause 55. Sir, notwithstanding my clarifications, I support the Bill.”
“This provision will allow the competent authority to pre-empt potential emerging online harms and to take steps to help prevent them. It also grants the competent authority the ability to set out norms for current and new operators and, in this, it is an important preemptive operation of the Bill. I have one technical clarification to make. Clause 55 of the Bill makes offences under clauses 50, 51 and 52 arrestable and non-bailable. Arrestable and non-bailable offences are offences in which the Police or the Courts would not normally offer bail, and would consider bail only on a case-by-case basis. These conditions are imposed for more serious offences and essentially mean that, after being charged, an accused person would be held in remand in prison while waiting for the final verdict. Clause 50, in particular, criminalises the failure to comply with Orders or Directions made under Part 2 of the Bill. Clause 6(a) in Part 2 empowers a designated officer to make certain directions if he reasonably suspects that a specified offence has been committed and that online activity is in furtherance of the offence. The specific offences are enumerated at Part 1 of the First Schedule. My clarification is as regards offences that are listed in Part 1 of the First Schedule that are not arrestable and non-bailable. For example, number 32 of Part 1 of the First Schedule reads: “Offences under Part 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act”. These offences include causing fear, alarm or distress and are generally bailable offences.”
“Sir, I stand in support of the Online Criminal Harms Bill. Singapore is one of the most Internet-connected countries in the world. Further to this, as the hon Minister said at the Stack 2022 Developer Conference last year, effectively all transactions between citizens and the Government can already be completed digitally end-to-end. Most of our commercial transactions can also be transacted online, including e-shopping and e-banking. Retail payments have also largely gone digital. While this has significantly improved convenience, efficiency and the productivity of Government agencies and commercial entities, it has also increased Singaporeans’ exposure to potential online harms, including scams and other types of criminal activity perpetrated through an online medium. This Bill is, therefore, timely and important to update our laws to deal with new types of criminal offences arising from the online sphere. Two aspects of the Bill are of particular importance. First, the Bill is one of the few laws that will have extraterritorial jurisdiction. This is important, given the transnational nature of the Internet as regards to users as well as service providers. The Bill provides that liability for various offences have extraterritorial jurisdiction and, likewise, that other measures ordered by the competent authority or designated officer may apply to persons who are not in Singapore. Second, the Bill also takes a proactive approach to empower the competent authority to promote or require good practices by designated providers to prevent the commission of various offences. The competent authority may also require designated providers to implement appropriate systems, processes or measures.”
“I would also like to take this opportunity to support our healthcare workers and to thank them for all of the sacrifices that they have made and continue to make every day. Our nurses, doctors, therapists, ah mahs, counsellors, pharmacists and administrators are in vocations that protect what is central to humankind – life and well-being. Theirs are not merely noble professions but the noblest of all professions. Let us therefore ensure that we do our very best to take care of them – that we take care of those who take care of us.”
“I imagine that it will be challenging drafting the guidelines for this as it would have to balance the need to provide medical care to patients while, at the same time, protecting healthcare workers from physical, mental and emotional abuse. Likewise, for caregivers and family members who may be distraught due to a medical emergency or condition of their loved one, there may also be instances where they turn abusive. My view is that while we can be sympathetic to family members in such situations, there should be zero tolerance if they turn verbally or physically abusive or harass healthcare workers. While it is a part of the healthcare worker's role to provide support to these people, there is no overriding obligation of providing medical care to them. As such, the procedures to deal with abusive non-patients should be far stricter than those for abusive patients and should be actively enforced. Supervisors and hospital management must stand by their workers. Our national healthcare groups have already said that they will support and implement the recommendations, including a zero-tolerance policy. I was also heartened that Minister Ong has said that even the Minister will have their back and that healthcare workers should know this. Authorities should also be prepared to prosecute such cases of abuse if they are beyond a certain threshold of severity. I hope that the guidelines that will be issued in the second half of this year will see a sharp reduction in incidence of abuse against our healthcare workers and that it will give them peace of mind as they go to work every day. Sir, I support the Motion raised by my fellow Nominated Members.”
“Omotenashi provides that good manners and a polite bearing are not just expected in interactions between individuals in social contexts but that they are also indications of respectability and good standing. Principles include humility, patience, a quickness to apologise and an even tone in conversation. To emphasise omotenashi and ensure that this core Japanese characteristic is not lost amidst a modernising society, the Tokyo municipal government launched the Tokyo Good Manners Project in 2016, which is ongoing. MOH Holdings had already announced that it would be launching a national public education campaign to promote positive relationships of trust and respect between healthcare workers, patients and their caregivers. I truly hope that this campaign will be successful in reducing incidents of abuse, giving societal support to our healthcare workers and building our very own omotenashi. Abuse of healthcare workers comes generally from two categories of individuals – patients and caregivers or family members of patients. As regards patients, healthcare professionals may find themselves in a conundrum. Patients who are elderly, have mental health issues or who are in pain may sometimes turn abusive, including physically abusive. In this regard, one of the work group's recommendations was to stipulate clear consequences for perpetrators. For patients who are abusive, warnings may be issued and they may be discharged if they do not require urgent attention. Further to this, healthcare workers may also disengage from abusive patients by refusing unreasonable requests.”
“He said – he said it in Mandarin, which I shall not try to say verbatim, but the translation of it is, "Singapore is so small. Even mouse also can find." This is what I was told the translation is. When it comes down to our workers on the ground, what they are focused on is getting their job done. Technology and processes have made us faster and better but there are also sometimes administrative processes that workers have to follow. For example, the Personal Data Protection Act now imposes certain requirements on data collection and processing that are necessary to protect personally identifying information. Another example is that as our population ages, there will be an increasing need to appoint deputies. There are certain statutory procedures that must be complied with that caregivers may not fully understand. This could lead to frustration with hospital administrators and tempers could flare. As such, a key plank of the effort to prevent abuse and protect our healthcare workers should be to instill in patients, caregivers and members of the public that regardless of their frustration with administrative processes or perceived systematic inefficiencies, it is not acceptable to take out these frustrations on the workers who are merely working within the system that they find themselves. This goes beyond having mere statutory protections and penalties under the law. It requires that we adopt a societal mindset of civility and kindness instead of imperious expectation and entitlement. In fact, this is what the hon Member Dr Wan Rizal said earlier – that we need to have an all-of-society effort. Japan, for example, has a culture of omotenashi, or selfless hospitality, which is seen as a microcosm of the Japanese mindset to be centred on care rather than expectation.”
“The critical question, therefore, is why do these abusers have these expectations and why do they think they think they can resort to shouting, making demeaning remarks or threatening to make complaints? I wonder whether it is precisely because of the fact that our healthcare system is reputed to be one of the best in the world and whether it has something to do with the quintessential Singaporean aspiration towards efficiency and accountability. Has this now become so ingrained in our people that it has become a basic expectation of all services and workers in Singapore? Then, when this expectation is not met, Singaporeans become frustrated as they feel that the system has failed them. In this regard, our success at being efficient and productive may have turned out to be a double-edged sword, because even falling slightly short can lead to backlash. One thing that stood out for me in the report was that one of the more prevalent types of abuse was threatening to file complaints or to take legal action against the worker. Again, this appears to be an aberrant, twisted application of the whistle-blowing process, the desire to improve through feedback as well as the rule of law. Are we becoming more litigious as a society and is it happening because we believe that any perceived slight or inconvenience can be remedied by litigation by complaining or through the courts? All these affect the morale of the healthcare workforce and their ability to carry out their jobs. Just this morning, Dr Tan Yia Swam shared with me an anecdote of how one of her friends in healthcare was so affected by threats that she had resigned. This included the threat from an abusive individual who threatened to look for her outside her workplace.”
“Sir, the Tripartite Workgroup for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment of Healthcare Workers was set up in April 2022 to look at how to address the abuse and harassment of healthcare workers. The work group presented its findings and recommendations in March this year. Their findings on the extent of abuse is troubling. More than two in three healthcare workers had witnesses or experienced abuse or harassment in the past year. A third of all healthcare workers had witnessed or experienced abuse or harassment at least once a week. Healthcare workers are in a particularly vulnerable position. Their job inherently involves interaction with people who are in need of some form of assistance or attention, or whom may even be in distress. Many healthcare workers therefore internalise that some abuse is to be expected as they carry out their jobs and this often leads to under-reporting. The work group found that that frontline healthcare workers like pharmacists, patient service associates and nurses are more likely to face abuse and harassment, with the most common type of abuse being shouting, making demeaning comments and threatening to file complaints or to take legal action against the healthcare workers. In other words, many of these forms of abuse and harassment arise out of an expectation that the patient and/or the caregiver should be treated in a certain way, that they may have some entitlements that they are not getting or that they should have some level of service or timeliness. This prevalence of abuse against frontline service workers has also been found in other sectors.”
“What we should aim to build is an inclusive society where capabilities and hard work in every sector are recognised and rewarded, and where, even when one attains success, he does not feel that he has become superior or be given the right to look down on others but feels responsibility to help others to advance as well. We must also take steps to prevent an entrenched overclass from forming by rich families building wealth over generations and scions benefiting from nothing but the hard work of their forebears. All must feel the need to work hard in Singapore in order to earn our rewards. We must act on this; for if we do not, we risk descending from a meritocracy to an aristocracy and that, Sir, is what we must avoid at all costs.”
“" A large proportion of the wealthy at this point store their wealth in property. And, as a form of investment, it is generally less helpful to society at large than other things of wealth, like capital or shares, which contribute to economic output as well as to employment. Further to this, as for any text, we should also consider whether it would result in onerous administration and whether it is sustainable. Taxes on inherited real property are relatively easy to administer as valuation is straightforward and, in Singapore, transfer processes are transparent. It is therefore the lowest hanging fruit to promote equity and fairness and fair access to opportunities across generations based on merit. Introducing such a tax may have a collateral benefit of lowering property prices by easing house price inflation and properties being put up for sale that may not have otherwise come up on the market. This having been said, there are many serious considerations in whether it is appropriate to implement wealth and inheritance taxes. It is not something that we should rush into because it may itself have unintended consequences. But as the President said, as we prosper as a society, those who have already done well will seek to pass their advantages to their children, and this could lead to advantages and privileges becoming entrenched and persisting over generations. Inheritance taxes are one measure we could consider implementing to battle this. I do not think that we should seek to build a classless society or that children should not be allowed to benefit from their parents' hard work.”
“There should also be provision for beneficiaries to be able to pay the tax by instalments over a period of time. Some would argue that some beneficiaries may not be able to afford the tax despite having inherited a multimillion-dollar property. My view is that they should sell the property to make payment of their dues to the Government. There are also mechanisms that an individual may take up, for example, life insurance that can cover any taxes that beneficiaries may have to pay after that individual has passed. Why do I suggest an inheritance tax on property? Inheritance taxes are different from estate duties. Estate duties tax the estate of a deceased person and, in my view, this could be seen as a form of double taxation because the deceased had already paid taxes while alive. In this regard, inheritance is anyway not treated as a gift under the law. It should be treated as a form of income received by the beneficiary and like all income, it should be taxed. The basic principle, Sir, of meritocracy is that one should be rewarded for his capabilities and hard work. Inheritance provides rewards that are not pursuant to capability or hard work. They are unmeritorious rewards that one is entitled to only by virtue of birth and/or bequeathment. It does not stimulate innovation, entrepreneurship or industry. In fact, it entrenches entitlement and it promotes indolence. Although it may be the impulse of parents to wish to provide for their children and to leave a legacy, inheritance, in my view, is a very antithesis of meritocracy. As a Scottish American industrialist, Andrew Carnegie said, "The parent who leaves his son enormous wealth generally deadens the talents and energies of the son and tempts him to lead a less worthy life than he otherwise would have.”
“The raison d'etre for this is that the rich presumably benefit more from state resources and also because progressive taxes act as a means to redistribute resources in society. In principle, I do not think that many would dispute the principles behind wealth taxes. However, we must be careful when designing and implementing any form of wealth tax so that we do not undo the features that underpin Singapore's success and prosperity in the first place. We must avoid becoming unattractive as a destination for foreign investment or to disincentivise our people from working hard and aspiring to grow their wealth. In other words, wealth taxes should not diminish the value of merit and should not affect our overall attractiveness as a business hub. Currently, inherited residential property is not taxed and does not even attract stamp duty. The Government can consider introducing a tax based on the percentage of the value of the property and the percentage of tax should be higher the more expensive the property inherited is. The minimum could begin from, say, a property value of S$5 million and gradated upwards from there. Inheritance tax in OECD countries can go as high as 40%. But I would suggest more modest rates, perhaps in line with the additional buyers' stamp duties, that can go up to 25% for Singapore Citizens and 35% for foreigners. The tax regime should be able to take into consideration the personal circumstances of beneficiaries and provide appropriate exemptions. There should, for example, be exemptions for beneficiaries with special needs and HDB flats should also be exempted from inheritance taxes – and hopefully, they will not reach that limit of S$5 million anyway!”
“This will help to improve our workers not only in terms of what they earn but also redesign their jobs from being largely manual to being higher skilled, uplifting how their jobs are perceived, as well as how they themselves feel about their professions. Next, we can foster changes in mindset towards the practical professions by choosing our nomenclature carefully. Instead of referring to these sectors as low-wage sectors, perhaps, we could consider referring to them as maybe emerging wage sectors or emerging wage workers. The whole purpose of the PWM is to get these workers out of being low-wage earners. But, if on the journey there, we keep referring to them as low-wage workers, we may unwittingly create a stigma that will stick even after we have lifted them from being low wage. Second, I would like to propose that we also create opportunities in our education system for students to be exposed to the practical professions so that they can see and experience the work done by these sectors and learn to appreciate that all work is good work. Perhaps, one day, we will see our students seeking internships or apprenticeships as technicians, arborists or waiters, and not just in law firms and banks. Finally, Sir, as raised by the President, there is a need to address intergenerational wealth accumulation and the formation of a permanent overclass. I would like to suggest that the Government consider introducing a limited inheritance tax by way of a stamp duty tax on inherited real property. Inheritance tax is a form of wealth tax and can be gradated so that it is progressive in nature; that is, the wealthier will be taxed more and would pay more.”
“In this regard, I would like to encourage the Government, unions and industry to consider accelerating the wage increases of our PWM workers. Raising wages will help to effect the shift in our definition of merit by showing that the work done by these workers, even if not generally considered work of the mind, is also important and will of the reward. For example, cleaners ensure the cleanliness of Singapore which is a distinctively Singaporean characteristic that contributes to our comfort and health and the aesthetics of our country. It is important work and it is often backbreaking work. It is physically intensive. There is no reason why such work should be considered lesser than other work and less deserving of high reward. We should also accelerate job redesign by incentivising employers. One way would be to modify the wage rungs in the existing PWMs such that each has a basic and an enhanced sub-realm. In order to qualify for the enhanced sub-realm, workers must be trained in specific skills, for example, the use of technology. In return, they will be entitled to a higher wage floor within that PWM realm. Employers who hire more of these workers and pay at the higher rates could receive a progressive wage and hence, rung incentive. This will encourage more employers to transform their businesses to upskill their workers and to offer more sophisticated services to their clients. There is already a Progressive Wage Credit Scheme but this payout is across the board for all wage increases. Could we consider tweaking it so that it does not support all wage increases in the PWM sectors equally, but provides more support for the right types of wage increases?”
“Sir, meritocracy is part of the Singapore ethos and is one of the key contributors to our success. It may be defined as a system, organisation or society in which people are chosen for or occupy positions of success, wealth, power and influence on the basis of demonstrated ability and hard work. In other words, it is a system in which there is a promise of reward in recognition of talent and industry. This promise of reward has encouraged many Singaporeans to set ambitious targets for themselves to achieve as best they can in business as well as in the Public Service. This has driven our economy and has also attracted global talent to Singapore who have contributed tremendously to us becoming an international business hub. Meritocracy continues to be relevant, and we should maintain it as Singapore's key societal organising principle. However, our form of meritocracy has also led to unintended consequences. First, professions of the mind have been over-prioritised over professions of the hands and has led to significant differences in renumeration. Second, intergenerational transfers of wealth threaten to create a permanent over-class which gives rise to inequity in access to opportunities. I thank the President for having raised these concerns in her speech. I would like to make some suggestions as to how we could tackle these challenges. First, we should look at recognising the value of the work done by workers who work with their hands or who are in the practical professions. The President specifically raised this. I submit that we should leverage heavily on the existing and any upcoming Progressive Wage Model (PWM) sectors to achieve this. How can this be done? Primarily, the PWM is a wage ladder.”
“This ensures that the Government will be able to focus on dealing with the critical and urgent issues in the crisis, without being distracted by political challenges and considerations. It will also help to bring our people together instead of sowing division. The Workers' Party's stance on this is patently responsible and it is the type of politics that we want to see in Singapore. This is a position that Mr Pritam Singh had expressed at the start of the pandemic and I am heartened that he has repeated it in this debate. It gives me confidence, Sir, and it should give all Singaporeans confidence that, in times of crisis, we will unite as a country, as a society and as a polity.”
“From implementing the Jobs Support Scheme, which dispersed almost $30 billion to tens of thousands of businesses; to more targeted schemes, like the Hawkers and Heartlands Go Digital programmes and the Food Delivery Booster Package; or efforts to help SMEs with their leases – behind all these initiatives are our public servants, who had to conceptualise these schemes, think about the details and what they were trying to address; how to execute them and then actually executing them and adjusting accordingly – of course, under the able leadership of the MTF. This would have taken tremendous hard work under trying and urgent conditions. Let us also not forget our diplomats overseas, many of whom were stationed in countries where the pandemic situation was far worse than in Singapore. They remained in these foreign countries to provide assistance to Singaporeans and to help them get back home. Sir, there are not many countries that can so quickly roll out so many schemes so effectively and have the ability to adjust and change, as required. I am strongly of the view, Sir, that one of the things that we should take back from our COVID-19 pandemic experience is the robustness of our Public Service and confidence in its ability to respond and serve in any future crisis. In this regard, I would like to express my gratitude to all our public servants who worked hard and were instrumental in getting us through the pandemic. Sir, finally, I would also like to commend the hon Leader of the Opposition and the Workers' Party for its position that, in a crisis, it would seek unity of purpose and support the Government of the day's efforts to deal with the crisis, instead of opportunistically seeking political mileage.”
“Both MHA and Enterprise Singapore also assured us that security officers could still be deployed, while MHA and Enterprise Singapore worked with MTI on the headcount approvals. All this, Sir, was done on a Sunday – specifically, 3 May 2020. Eventually, my TAC worked with MHA and MTI, even down to the headcounts for individual employers. These, Sir, are examples of precisely the shifting and adjusting that were being done by our public servants as the situation unfolded, as feedback was coming in and as it became apparent that changes had to be made to some of the Government's requirements. The security industry, because we have seen the successful effects of our feedback, and I, personally, come out of this pandemic experience with a greater appreciation and respect for our public servants. Public servants, like Mr Dhruv Ang from Enterprise Singapore, who actively reached out and acted as a coordinator for us across various Government agencies. Mr Jonathan Mark Capel from MHA, who swiftly and tirelessly supported our companies and their operational needs. Mr Albert Tsui and Mr Robbie Poo from MTI, who worked with us on the headcount quotas. Sir, I named these officers who helped us to get through the pandemic, because we often look at our Public Service as a faceless, nameless, monolithic organisation. But, Sir, it is made up of individuals, many of whom have contributed so much to the pandemic response effort and who have made a real difference. The hon Member Liang Eng Hwa mentioned yesterday and commended the considerable effort by Government officers to secure vaccines and masks. If we look at the sheer scale of Government intervention, including for businesses and jobs, the effort put in by our Public Service must have been herculean.”
“This meant that these companies did not have approval for the headcount they needed to carry out the very measures that had been rolled out and that were required by the Government and what their clients had engaged them for. Of course, I understood that this portal and the system had been rolled out for all Singapore companies. But for employers on the ground, receiving such a reduced quota was extremely frustrating and shocking. What made it more difficult was that helplines could not give them a definitive solution as to how to increase the allocated headcount, other than to submit an appeal through the GoBusiness platform. Because these quotas were given on a daily basis, employers had literally no time to react or to wait for appeal results. Even worse, some of these appeals resulted in less headcount being approved or just a marginal increase. To add to these troubles, MOM also rolled out an SGWorkPass app for foreign workers at the same time. Many workers who were approved on the MTI platform appeared not to be approved in the SGWorkPass app at the same time. We raised these issues with MHA and Enterprise Singapore and asked for them to urgently look into it. The consequence of complying with these quotas was that many sites would be left with no security and many measures, like temperature taking and access control, would not have been fulfilled because the vendors that were supposed to carry these out, simply did not have the required number of approved headcount. Very quickly, MHA informed us, and we subsequently informed our members, that security officers who were not yet approved on the SGWorkPass app could continue to be deployed while MHA sorted out the backend approvals with MOM.”
“These communications involved not only information on the measures to be taken on the ground but also schemes that were concurrently being rolled out, like the enterprise financing schemes and support for digital solutions by IMDA. Second, the officers whom I was liaising with were very responsive. The White Paper mentioned that Enterprise Singapore received over 200,000 calls in 2020 alone. I understand that Enterprise Singapore officers from all departments and at all seniorities were roped in to man the lines. I will confess, Sir, that probably not an insignificant number of these calls were made by my own TAC staff. The officers I was liaising with were also easily contactable by phone, WhatsApp messages and Zoom. Furthermore, they were also contactable and working day and night, weekday and weekend. My third observation was that not only were they contactable, but that they were also working actively to address our concerns and many accommodations were made on the fly. I mentioned earlier, one of the more administratively onerous requirements during the circuit breaker the employers faced – the need to seek approval from MTI for the headcount quotas of on-site workers. Employers had urgently approached my TAC that they had received approvals for headcounts far less than what they had requested for. For example, an employer providing security services and access control at Government quarantine facilities and dormitories, had requested for a headcount of 580 but was only granted approval for 268. Another employer that was providing services to foreign embassies' data centres and dormitories, requested for a quota of 729 but was granted approval for only 409.”
“There were significant measures imposed on these workers as well as their employers, who had to ensure that the proper procedures were implemented on the ground; that PPE was made available; and that they complied with administrative requirements imposed by the Government. For example, during the circuit breaker, employers had to seek approval from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) for quotas for the number of workers who could be deployed on site. These had to be sought and updated on a daily basis, with the names of the workers on site provided. It proved to be an administratively onerous and unwieldy system. This and other impositions, presented an administrative burden on employers who had to juggle manpower constraints and day-to-day operations that had changed rapidly due to new requirements in access control, like temperature taking, with a genuine desire to protect their workers and to comply with Government regulations. The agencies I worked with, in particular, were Enterprise Singapore, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and MTI, and at varying levels of staff seniority. I have several observations working with these Government bodies in respect of an essential service industry deploying a large manpower base. First, I found that these agencies made considerable effort to reach out to explain the new measures, to provide updates and, where necessary, to carry out Zoom briefings. During the circuit breaker, I received updates almost on a daily basis. As a result of all the information coming to my TAC, we were empowered to ourselves send daily updates to our members.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the pandemic response was a massive effort by all quarters of Singapore society. Many Members have expressed appreciation to various segments, including our healthcare workers, our private and people sectors, our own citizens doing their part in their own way. In my speech, Sir, I would like to express gratitude to our public servants. It has often been mentioned in this debate that, with hindsight, everything is clear. With hindsight, it is easy to criticise. And criticism, taken correctly, including self-criticism, lends itself to identifying weaknesses, improving capabilities and doing better in the future. This is what the White Paper does. But as the hon Minister of State Sun Xueling said yesterday, it is the actions of the man in the arena, when he is in the arena with dust, sweat and blood on his face, that determines the outcome of the battle. Furthermore, in this battle, the gladiator was blindfolded because we were dealing with an enemy of which little was known. So, it should not be unexpected that there was a good amount of shifting and adjusting as we understood more and even some backtracking in some cases. I thought I should share my experience as a trade associations and chambers (TAC) representative of an essential service during the pandemic, who worked with various Government bodies. The security industry operated throughout the pandemic, with officers being deployed on-site even during the circuit breaker. Our numbers were fairly large, with over 40,000 workers going to their workplace every day.”
“Sir, heritage and the arts play an important role in our national identity and help build unity and social resilience. We have always had a diverse societyand shared heritage provides that common space for all of us, regardless of race, language or religion. For new citizens, heritage, culture and the arts can help to anchor them to Singapore and to adopt our national identity. Could the Minister elaborate on MCCY's vision and plans over the next five years for the development of Singapore arts and culture? What are MCCY's plans to build on its current arts and culture programmes to develop even more vibrant and inclusive spaces in which people from diverse backgrounds, including new citizens and permanent residents can interact? Could the Minister elaborate on MCCY programmes that leverage on these spaces to, on the one hand, encourage interaction between our diverse communities and new citizens and PRs to build understanding amongst each other and social harmony; and on the other hand, to build a sense of rootedness to Singapore? Use of Chinese Dialects”
“Sir, integrated and aggregated facility management – IFM and AFM – will help achieve synergies and cost savings in the built environment sector, consisting of managing agents, security, cleaning, landscaping, waste management, pest control, elevator and escalator maintenance, and repair works. These industries also form a cluster under the Future Economy Council. Could the Minister elaborate on efforts being made to encourage these sectors to come together to bid for IFM and AFM contracts. Separately, how can we encourage buyers who are accustomed to tendering for these services separately to start tendering for IFM and AFM contracts instead? And is it possible to introduce incentives to help them craft such tenders? Built Environment Sustainability”
“Could the Minister also elaborate on how we can facilitate knowledge and skills transfer from foreign talents to Singaporeans so that we can level up Singaporeans in key areas that would be important in the future? 1.30 pm Finally, Sir, I would also like to follow up on a question I asked in my Budget debate speech, that is whether the Ministry could consider a role for trade associations and chambers (TACs) to play in employment disputes – not as representatives, but as experts on each industry’s unique situation that could assist in resolving such disputes. Mediating and settling such disputes early can help harmonious labour relations, which contributes to workforce resilience. Grow Jobs, Grow Skills, Grow Value”
“Sir, an article in Entrepreneur India last year pointed out that almost all of India's unicorns originated from India's Tier 1 cities and attributed this to the fact that the majority of top talent from across India moves to these cities to work, leading them to become concentrations of talent. Singapore is just a city and has no greater hinterland from which we could draw talent. As such, we can rely only on our people as the primary fuel for our continued success. Trending suggestions like a shorter work week or a right to disconnect – which, honestly, to me, Sir, as a lawyer, is an entirely foreign concept – are being echoed in Singapore. The gist of these trends is for employees to turn inwards, to prioritise personal comforts over career ambition. These trends are also a particular phenomenon of advanced economies that enjoy some level of comfort. Our Government has prudently started looking at these matters, ranging from mental health concerns to flexible working hours. I would like to ask the Minister to share his views and the Ministry's views on how these trends may affect the resilience and productivity of our workforce and how, even as we look to tackling real issues of stress, burnout and work-life harmony, we can maintain the resilience and competitiveness of our workforce and its productivity. At the same time, we must be realistic that not all of our Singaporeans are or can become top global-level talent. I am glad that MOM has introduced schemes in the past year to attract global talent to Singapore, which bolsters the resilience of our workforce. Could the Minister elaborate on the future plans to continue to attract top talent to Singapore as well as how we will ensure that these talents are complementary with the Singapore workforce?”
“Even if a distinction could be made that SNEF represents labour concerns and SBF represents commercial interests, I would submit this is an entirely artificial distinction, simply because labour and manpower considerations are one of the most important commercial consideration of any business, and often, it is also the largest item of expenditure. Hence, is there a need for two apex TACs? In this regard, I would like to ask if the Ministry would consider merging SBF and SNEF in order to have a unitary national-level body representing businesses at tripartite and other forums. 12.15 pm Strengthening Trade Associations and Chambers”
“Sir, I declare my interest a trade associations and chambers (TAC) president. Strong TACs can act as force multipliers for their respective Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs), helping to communicate their objectives to businesses in their sector and to understand and encourage participation in the various schemes under the ITMs. However, not all TACs are the same. Some TACs are more able to play this role, while others, to be honest, are simply social clubs or talk shops, and yet others are plagued by internal politics and personal agendas and do not have much in terms of services to their members. Would the Ministry consider introducing independent standards certification for TACs, perhaps based on the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI)'s Growth and Competency Framework that was launched last year? This could achieve two objectives: first to encourage TACs to level up in a structured manner and second, to help the other tripartite partners identify TACs that can play a bigger role in industry transformation. These certified TACs could then be engaged by the Government to carry out such roles as administering industry-specific schemes and grants, and/or taking the lead in certain appropriate initiatives. My second question, Sir, is a follow-up to a point I made in my Budget debate speech. The key tripartite partner at the national level representing businesses is the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF). On the MTI's pro-enterprise panel and other initiatives, the key business representative is the Singapore Business Federation (SBF).”
“The EDG currently supports the planning, assessment or potential mergers and acquisitions and post-M&A integration. However, the biggest cost in M&A is in the actual work done to close and effect the M&A, including drafting the M&A contract – but this is specifically not allowed under EDG. Would the Ministry consider extending EDG to support this as well. 11.45 am”
“Sir, the 23 Industry Transformation Maps outline ambitious but achievable targets to ensure our business sectors remain competitive. These are now undergoing a refresh and complementary industries have also been clustered to encourage synergies between them. Could the Minister provide an update on when the remaining refreshed ITMs will be launched? Enterprise Singapore administers the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) to, amongst other things, assist companies with transformation. Would the Minister be able to share some insights into the effectiveness of the EDG in supporting businesses' transformation? Separately, while it is important for the Government to support businesses as they transform, it is also important to ensure that they do not become reliant on Government support. The Government had put in significant resources to ensure that companies remain afloat during the pandemic, like the Job Support Scheme and Jobs Growth Initiative. These schemes have since tapered off, but other schemes continue to provide funding to companies. I would like to ask if the Ministry is aware of the number of unprofitable businesses that rely on Government funding schemes to stay in business and whether there are any plans to deal with this. When such businesses eventually face the risks of going under as Government schemes ceases or are tightened, there is a risk that the directors of these companies who had guaranteed loans may become personally liable and face bankruptcy. Will the Ministry consider measures to assist such individuals, as they are also victims of the pandemic, albeit belatedly suffering the effects. As businesses transform, there may arise a need or opportunities for mergers and acquisitions (M&A).”
“Sir, one of the hallmarks of Pro Bono SG was that the criminal cases were taken on by volunteer lawyers. Could the Government elaborate on how the PDO will continue to engage volunteer lawyers to ensure that the spirit of giving back continues to thrive in the industry, in particular as regards criminal aid? Law Firms of the Future Madam, the traditional business of law firms is being disrupted. Law firms of the future will be driven by technology, innovation and efficiency. Could the Minister elaborate on the progress of the Professional Services Industry Transformation Map (ITM) with particular focus on initiatives taken for the legal industry and whether there are plans for a refresh of the ITM? How do our firms stand with regards to new areas of practice, like digital tokens and currencies, as well as rapidly evolving areas like intellectual property and data privacy. Will the Ministry also consider a review of the Bar exam syllabus to incorporate how lawyers can use technology, such that it becomes native to lawyers right from the start, that lawyering requires knowledge of the technology-powered tools and applications. Such education should also include the correct ways that such technology should be harnessed. For example, Chat GPT has many possible uses for lawyers, both good and bad. Looking at the technologies currently available, I do not think lawyers will be replaced by them, but those that do not start using them eventually will be replaced by those who can. Hence, I would also like to ask the Minister for an update on the Legal Tech Platform. Manpower and Legal Technology”
“Thank you, Madam. Parliament passed the Public Defenders Act and the PDO was set up last year. Could the Minister provide an update of the plans for the PDO this year, in terms of the number of staff it will hire and its expected caseload? The Government had been funding the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, now Pro Bono SG, for some years. As the PDO is taking on some functions of Pro Bono SG, could the Minister elaborate on whether the Ministry expects that it will continue funding Pro Bono SG in the long term and, if so, how it will ensure that it is not providing double funding to a Government body and an external private organisation carrying out similar functions? Last month, I attended the launch of Pro Bono SG's Community Law Centre (CLC) in Hougang. Two lawyers are stationed full-time at CLC who are able to provide legal assistance to walk-ins on any legal matter, not just criminal matters. Importantly, CLC also works with a myriad of community organisations that they may refer these walk-ins to, in the event that the remedy may not be a legal one. 6.00 pm This, Sir, is an important and valuable initiative that brings accessibility to legal advice, and ultimately to justice, right into the communities that may need it most, and not just on criminal matters – because people may face legal hurdles in many other areas of life, from family matters to harassment, and they may not know how to go about dealing with them. I am told by Pro Bono SG that they have seen people coming to see them from as far away as Boon Lay. I hope the Government could consider continuing to provide funding to Pro Bono SG for more such initiatives. I hope to see more CLCs open up in more neighbourhoods in Singapore.”
“Thank you, Mdm Chair. I thank the Minister of State for her response on my question of regularising security officers' working hours. And I understand her response is that the Government has implemented security outcome-based contracts for all of their security contracts. My clarification is whether, in precisely these security outcome-based contracts, whether the Government can implement higher weightage for bid proposals that propose shorter working hours for security officers for these two reasons: first, it has been shown that when security officers work shorter hours, they are operationally more effective, which is an outcome in and of itself; and the second is to support the overall effort to better the working conditions of our outsourced workers.”
“Sir, security officer working hours in both private and Government contracts are typically 12-hours a day, six days a week. Such working hours are unreasonable and unsustainable. I would like to ask if the Government will take the lead to regularise working hours for security officers in Government security contracts, including to give more weightage at the evaluation stage of outcome-based security contracts, to tender bids that propose shorter working hours for security officers. Let us ensure that our security officers are not left behind in all this talk of work-life balance.”
“I would also like to ask, Sir, how does YRSG actively reach out and provide support to families of offenders and ex-offenders, and could the Minister elaborate on YRSG's plans for this year in this area? Drug laws, Sir, has been liberalised in many countries, including neighbouring countries. Could I ask the Minister, how would the Government ameliorate the effect of a stepped-up anti-drug campaign on ex-offenders, such that we do not see a resurgence of stigmatisation? Recidivism and Reintegration”
“Sir, the SPS recently released statistics of the drug offences recidivism rates. Both the two-year recidivism rate at 26.1% and the five-year recidivism rate at 45.2%, were up. Separately, the consistently higher five-year rates point to the fact that, over the longer term, the chances of re-offending are higher. This could be because former offenders are more likely to fall in with bad company and into their old ways once Government support tapers off. Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG) looks at rebuilding the lives of former inmates and ex-offenders through skills and career development. There are excellent programmes, like training even before an inmate is released and career coaching. Could the Minister elaborate on MHA and YRSG's plans in the coming year for programmes specifically targeting the two- to five-year period after an ex-offender for drug offences has been released? It appears from the statistics that this is an important period to have ongoing programmes. Furthermore, recidivism should be tackled not only through helping ex-offenders get jobs, but through community support as well. I would like to ask whether the Ministry will consider expanding the role of YRSG to cover holistic rehabilitation of ex-offenders beyond skills and career development, and that will empower YRSG to also be somewhat of a coordinating body, for all the various efforts by various Government bodies to tackle recidivism, including community efforts and long-term programmes up to, and even beyond, five years. YRSG held its second CARE Network Summit in 2022. Could I ask the Minister to elaborate on what outcomes from that summit will be implemented by YRSG this year, or that YRSG is considering? How will community groups and employers be involved?”
“Chairman, Non-Resident Ambassadors (NRAs) are a unique part of Singapore's diplomacy. The scheme widens the MFA's reach beyond countries in which we have a permanent mission and helps to build personal diplomatic relations with a larger number of countries. I would like to ask the Minister: how does the Ministry tracks the performance of NRAs and the effectiveness of their representation, and the frequency of such assessments. Further, could I also enquire on the resources that are made available to enable them to carry out their duties? I have also noticed that most of the NRAs have private emails, some even Gmail accounts listed on the Singapore Government directory online and on MFA's website. I would like to enquire whether NRAs are given official MFA email addresses and whether it is prudent to allow them to use private email addresses in correspondence with foreign officials? Finally, I would like to ask whether the Ministry has any plans to increase the number of NRA representations and to which regions or countries?”
“In conclusion, Sir, the Budget seeks to ensure Singapore's continued economic success by strengthening our businesses and equipping our workers. The Budget Statement has also set out a very realistic assessment of the rapidly changing external environment in the new era and the urgency with which we need to build our resilience to deal with it. Tripartism is a key pillar of our economic and social resilience. I have made some suggestions as to how we can strengthen our tripartism and how we can get trade associations involved in a bigger way. With businesses and unions working together, with the leadership of an actively involved Government and Government agencies, I am confident that we will be able to meet the headwinds coming our way with confidence, and that Singapore will thrive in the new era. Sir, I support he Budget. [Applause.]”
“Courts frequently allow for expert evidence and there are many cases in which judges have expressed, in their written grounds, appreciation for the expert's insights into the particular matter. For the avoidance of doubt, my suggestion extends to conciliation, mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution, and only where deemed appropriate and useful by the adjudicator. My suggestion does not extend to the Employment Claims Tribunal. Another way to deal with such disputes is for the union to get the sectoral trade association involved from the very start, of course informally. This would be especially effective if the offending company is a member of that trade association. Where there are errant practices, it is often easier for a peer to point it out and to encourage one to do the right thing. This builds and leverages on the existing tripartite relationship and can help to defuse tensions before parties start taking adversarial positions. Of course, if the offending company still does not take the necessary corrective actions to the union and the employee's satisfaction, then there are procedures and processes that the aggrieved party can avail of. As our industries transform, more of such cases will arise. It is the union's duty and I know that it is one that it takes very seriously, to protect workers and to champion their rights. And of course, this is very important, and upcoming legislation like the fair consideration law will ensure further protection for our workers. But at the same time, we do not want to stifle industry transformation or to give mixed messages that would be counterproductive to the efforts of the ITMs.”
“The matter has now gone to MOM conciliation. This, in fact, is hot off the press – it is just from, I think, maybe two or so hours ago, an announcement, a statement from the Union of Security Employees and the company involved. It said that conciliation had resulted in a positive outcome and that the union understands it was the intent to right-size its workforce and to recognise the management's efforts to do so fairly. This definitely is a good outcome, but we are still left with many questions. Business owners have come to me. I do not have the details either. But the question still continues to be out there as to whether there were forced demotions, or whether there were not. What was the result of the conciliation? Of course, conciliation is confidential. Whether these demotions allowed under the PWM? Whether there were increases in working hours; and again, were these allowed? So, we have to find some ways, Sir, to harmonise the public messaging to businesses so that while they are engaged in the process of transformation, of changing how their business operates, they are not getting mixed messages and they can figure out how they can move forward. My other suggestion, Sir, is, for precisely these types of dispute resolution, whether we could introduce a mechanism in which TAC representatives could be invited, where appropriate, as experts, to explain the situation in the industry or to perhaps provide more context and hue, to what are the considerations of companies in that sector. This will ensure that a cookie-cutter approach is not adopted in adjudicating employment disputes in the first instance. These experts are not supposed to advocate on behalf of the company, but to give industry-specific insights to the adjudicator and to the party on the other side.”
“So, when I looked at the incident involving the security agency, my first reaction was: okay, maybe forcing a change in employment terms may not have been the best approach, but at least the agency is trying to retain its workers. This is surely preferable to simply firing all of them in a retrenchment exercise. Further to that, the agency was also taking proactive steps to prepare for a very significant change to the security PWM coming up next year – a change that is precisely designed to allow more flexibility for employers and employees to negotiate working hours. So, my first impression, of course, was that it was the correct intention, the correct objectives, but perhaps not the best execution. But execution, of course, can be adjusted and can be changed to become kosher. On the other hand, it is trite that employment terms should be varied by mutual agreement and should not be forced on employees. In this regard, I can understand NTUC's position – surely if there is an arising possibility of a forced demotion or increase in working hours of a large number of workers, the union must jump, as it did. And the NTUC was actually very kind in that it raised the issue but did not name the company. The company outed itself. However, as quickly as this came out in public, it fizzled out in the news as quickly leaving many in the industry somewhat bedazzled and confused as to what actually happened. Business owners in the sector are now worried that the very industry transformation we had encouraged them to embark on, the very flexibility that we had told them would arise from the changes in the PWM in 2024, which would necessitate new types of employment contracts and new types of employment relationships, could now get them in trouble.”
“Third, Sir, I would like to suggest allowing TAC involvement in employment dispute resolution processes where appropriate. This is in particular because of the changing nature of the employer-employee relationship and the fact that many businesses are in the process of transforming, and where the manner of transformation is unique to each industry. Businesses are trying their best to deal with a challenging environment, but importantly, many businesses are also trying to transform. This transformation invariably affects their workers: how they employ them, on what terms and how or whether to maintain their employment. A recent case in point was that of a security agency being called out by the NTUC for "egregious behaviour". The agency had sought to increase the working hours of its staff with a concomitant increase in salary. It had prior to this sought to demote some of its officers, based on the Security Officer PWM ranks, which, according to the agency, was in order to right-size its workforce. Sir, it is quite apparent that many businesses are right-sizing to deal with current realities. This is also to be expected as we continue to push for industry transformation, greater productivity and job re-design. Some industries will feel this more acutely, like the tech and manufacturing industries, but also the PWM sectors because wage increases are artificially created by Government policies – artificially but necessarily created by Government policies, let me add. Businesses must be nimble and flexible to be able to deal with these changing externalities.”
“Of course, this support should not be as of right – one way to administer such support would be to ask TACs to submit their plans for the coming year and how these would meet certain objectives and their funding plan, and then, it would be for the administering authority to decide based on these submissions the headcount it would support, if any. Such a scheme could be dovetailed with other workforce priorities, for example, extending the headcount support grant to only mature workers. TACs could also be strengthened by the Government appointing them as programme partners to administer certain schemes or grants. One such possible programme could be the Jobs-Skills Integrators initiative announced in this Budget. In fact, Sir, I have instructed my own secretariat to look into how we could possibly play that role regardless of Government funding because I do see much value in this function. This, of course again, should be offered only to trusted TACs that the Government has confidence in, in terms of being able to deliver as programme partner. If we are able to support more secretariat-capability initiatives and funding, then we are more likely to see more TACs that will be able to step up to play this partnership role. This having been said, I am also cognisant that we do not want TACs to be overly dependent on Government funding. Amongst other things, this could call into question their independence as tripartite partners. As such, TACs should also look at how to diversify their sources of revenue so that they are able to independently build their secretariat's capabilities and stand on their own feet. Government funding, if made available, should only be seen as a catalyst and not a crutch.”
“And we are working very closely with the hon Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How and with our sister trade associations in the facility management sector to achieve, amongst other things, the elusive integrated and aggregated facility management. We are developing an online outcome-based tender generator that can be used by all the industries in the sector. We are cognisant that our seat was granted on request, not ex-officio. So, we take it upon ourselves therefore to show why we deserve to sit at the table and we will earn our seat with our effort. Sir, even as I call for the sectoral trade associations to have a seat at the table, the reality is that most trade associations have very limited resources, relying primarily on membership dues as their source of revenue. The Government already has a very excellent Local Enterprise and Association Development (LEAD) Programme that funds projects undertaken by trade associations and chambers (TACs), that have certain objectives. Funding is higher if the project involves more than one TAC, which I think is a very good arrangement because it encourages TACs to work together to enjoy economies of scale and to ensure a larger reach for each project. However, the funding available is typically on a project basis. I would like to suggest that the Government consider rolling out more organic support, in particular, for secretariat headcount. A TAC, Sir, is only as good as its secretariat, simply because the executive committee members are all running their own businesses and their involvement in the TAC is essentially a co-curricular activity (CCA).”
“In this regard, where there are sectoral issues to be discussed under a tripartite framework, SNEF should not replace the sectoral trade association and must not be seen by Government bodies as being able to speak on behalf of individual industries. This is especially so when we look at clustering where we now have many industries at the table and some industries may have an adverse position, vis-à-vis other industries. And this is not hypothetical. This is something that that has actually happened. In such circumstance, where will SNEF stand? Can SNEF truly be an advocate for several industries on the same table? I confess that I do not know if SAS' experience is widespread or common or whether we are a unique case. But writ large, our tripartism will be strengthened if we include the sectoral trade associations as real partners with real participation at the table. Separately, given how ubiquitous SNEF is, I think that SNEF has more engagement with the sectoral trade associations in order to be an effective tripartite partner. This is something that I will take up with SNEF directly. On the Government's part, it should expect this of its tripartite partner and should query when SNEF makes representations on behalf of specific industries as to whether it had consulted with the relevant trade associations. Sir, let me just assure everyone that I do not have anything against SNEF. In fact, SAS is a member of SNEF and SNEF plays a very important role. But I do have a question as to whether SBF could also play a great role in the tripartite process. But of course, to sit at the seat, to sit at the table, does not mean that one just becomes happy about it and twiddles their thumbs. So, I am happy to report, Sir, that as regards SAS' involvement, we are very active.”
“Part of the ITM Refresh has been the move to cluster industries that are part of a broader industry sector and/or that have synergies with each other. There are seven clusters. I think this is an excellent development with regard to the ITMs because it will encourage pollination across industries, that can result in higher productivity and new business opportunities. I would like to share a personal experience that I had as regards tripartite representation. The security industry comes under the Built Environment Cluster. Curiously, when a major committee for this cluster was convened, my association, the Security Association Singapore (SAS), the lead trade association for the security sector, was invited to attend not as a member but merely as an observer. A SNEF representative was appointed, instead, to represent our industry, together with a Government official. In other words, our intended role was not to participate, but to merely to spectate. We found this very odd. So, we wrote in a strongly-worded letter to try to understand why the composition of the committee was as such. After some ding-donging, we were granted a seat at the table. This, Sir, is not a matter of just being FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out. Okay, maybe it was partly so. But of course, we would not want to miss out on the opportunity to get our industry involved in the larger transformation effort and to represent our industry because we are well-placed to do so. But why did we have to fight for this seat in the first place when we are the lead trade association in our sector? SNEF, Sir, is the key tripartite partner at the national level, representing employers and businesses. But the sectoral trade associations have our ear on the ground and know the unique situations that our businesses face.”
“For example, the hon Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat had launched the refreshed ITM for five advanced manufacturing and trade clusters, that has as its aim uplifting companies and creating at least 13,400 new jobs in October last year. In my view, the most important characteristic of the ITMs is something that has underpinned Singapore’s economic success and labour relations for decades. This is our unique tripartism: Government, labour and business at the same table, trashing things out and coming to mutually-satisfactory policies and plans for the good of each industry and its workers. As a trade association president, I have been involved in the process. And the process works but it works best only insofar as parties come to the table understanding that this is an exercise in negotiation. In the words of Mr Lim Swee Say, its objective is to achieve harmony, not just compromise. Sometimes, interests align completely and it is easy to come to a landing point. Most of the time there are protracted negotiations, seeking to reconcile polar positions. But it is precisely because each party has its own way of looking at things and its own considerations – all of course legitimate – that this tripartite process has its value. To me, our tripartism is a pillar of economic resilience and it is a force that will position us well in the new era. How can we strengthen this? I would like to make some observations and suggestions. First, we should strengthen sectoral trade association involvement on tripartite platforms, even as we have the Singapore National Employer’s Federation (SNEF) as the overall key tripartite partner representing businesses.”
“Sir, I declare my interest as the president of a trade association, the Security Association Singapore. I also declare, Sir, my speech today will be heavily informed by my experience as a trade association president. I will be speaking on strengthening tripartism as a pillar of economic resilience in the new era. Sir, in his Budget Statement, the hon Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance outlined not only the Government’s spending priorities for the coming year, but also elaborated on the larger economic and geopolitical environment that we are entering into. As a global city that built our fortune on trade, Singapore is particularly susceptible to global and regional developments. The hon Deputy Prime Minister’s observations include that we have now entered into an era of zero-sum thinking with countries turning inward, looking at national gain and security rather than inter-dependence. Importantly, the hon Deputy Prime Minister observed that this is a system that is less hospitable to small, and may I add outward-oriented, economies like Singapore and that we thus cannot assume that we will continue to be successful by simply doing the things we had in the past. We therefore need to build our national resilience on several fronts. But with regard to positioning our economy and businesses, this process had in fact started much earlier. Industry Transformation Maps had been introduced in 2016 covering 23 industries to look at what these industries needed to do to promote growth, remain competitive and seize future opportunities. Several years have passed since then and the ITMs are now going through a review, and the refreshed ITMs that take into consideration current realities are being launched.”
“Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thought I will just respond and clarify with Mr Leong why I said his previous proposals as regarding "taking out the cost of land from the pricing of HDB" and why his current proposals are different. Just to give the background as how I came to that conclusion and to clarify. On a 8 December Facebook post, Mr Leong said, "in my opinion, the pricing of HDB flats should only account for construction costs and price differences between locations." He then said, "land cost should be taken out of the picture because much of the land use for building HDB flats were surrendered by the Pioneer Generation to the Government etc." On the 20 January, Mr Leong wrote again on Facebook, "it should be quite evident to Singaporeans that I am arguing for land cost to be taken out of the pricing of HDB flats", but in the current Affordable Homes Scheme that Mr Leong is proposing, the cost of land would be recorded and interests applied. And, that it would eventually have to be paid back to the past reserves. Whether it is now or whether it is later, it is still part. The land cost is still now part of the pricing of the HDB flat. And when a person purchases flat, surely, they will look at what this land cost is and consider it because it is a future liability. So, the cost of the land is in fact, not out of the picture in this new proposal. It is, in fact, now in the picture, squarely in the picture, although it maybe in the background. So, this is the reason why I came to the conclusion that there were actually differences in what he had proposed earlier and what he is proposing now because it has quite obviously changed.”