Saktiandi Supaat
Singapore
“I have two supplementary questions. For my Parliamentary Questions that the Senior Minister of State answered earlier, I thank him for answering them because those are questions that my dialect-speaking seniors in Toa Payoh East and their families have raised to me.”
“As the Review Group has recognised, there is no "silver bullet", a holistic ecosystem-wide approach is required. The implementation of these recommendations appears to have been phased, with announcements across February, July and November 2025.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Three questions. First, given that the Section 301 actions can sometimes be broad-based, how is Singapore engaging with our US counterparts to ensure that our firms are not inadvertently affected by measures aimed at other economies?”
“Many of them do not openly express their difficulties. This is why social and emotional support must go beyond the occasional event. It must be sustained, trusted and easily accessible.”
“Would the Government consider developing a National Master Trades Accreditation framework – a national tiered certification that recognises advanced trade mastery, similar to chartered professionals in other sectors and create a new avenue for career switchers and career transition for segments of our workforce?”
“When the scheme is implemented in 2028, how will the Ministry measure success in terms of participation rates, risk-adjusted returns and improvements in retirement adequacy outcomes for CPF members?”
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“Mr Chairman, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Malay/Muslim community has made visible progress in raising its educational level as a whole. The global landscape is evolving swiftly. Rapid technological change and constant geopolitical headwinds means new skillsets are required to take on leadership roles across the private, public and people sectors, which is one of the three key pillars defining the Malay/Muslim Community of Success. How are we supporting Malay/Muslim students amid changes in the education and global economic landscape? One specific focus area is how we are reviewing the syllabus and teaching methodologies at our madrasahs, which offers an alternative pathway to the national education system that most Singapore students go through. Education can vary greatly from madrasah to madrasah. For example, it was reported that Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah was the only madrasah to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma in Singapore. (In English): Mr Chairman, please allow me to continue in English. Another area that I am interested in is how our Malay-Muslim self-help groups, like MENDAKI, can play a greater role in amplifying primary and secondary school education. KelasMateMatika is a successful and well-cited example of how MENDAKI has successfully supported educational efforts at the early childhood stage. My question to the Minister is, what about beyond that stage? How can we empower our Malay/Muslim students to thrive in new learning environments?”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman, I thought I want to let others have the chance. But I have just one quick clarification for Minister Tan. I had filed a cut on the infrastructure for energy source, in terms of energy infrastructure. The Minister shared earlier about the hydrogen strategy and the ammonia strategy. Can Minister share about what our budgeting plans for power sourcing infrastructure in terms of landing points? I know ammonia and hydrogen and nuclear is still at the research phase and we are still investigating on those. But how are our plans of planning or investing on infrastructure for those, including the landing points for imported energy sources?”
“How relevant is LNG for Singapore, in terms of energy security? As for hydrogen, besides the construction of hydrogen-ready power plants, can MTI share what are our hydrogen strategy plans and what are the use cases for Singapore over the next five to 10 years? 6.50 pm”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. Mr Chairman, Singapore has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to between 45 and 50 million tonnes by 2035, which will put it on course to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Can MTI update on its measures to transition to a low carbon economy, including by decarbonising the power sector? Part of our strategy is to increase our clean energy imports from four gigawatts to six gigawatts by 2035, which is projected to meet one-third of our energy needs. Following the award of Conditional Approvals for multiple projects to import low carbon electricity from Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and even Australia , can MTI share what infrastructure is required to ensure imported energy sources are seamlessly fed into the Singapore energy grid in future? We are also exploring the feasibility of alternatives such as nuclear power or hydrogen power plants. Considering the topped-up Future Energy Fund, what is the impact of decarbonisation on Singaporeans from an energy pricing perspective? Liquefied Natural Gas and Hydrogen Strategy Mr Chairman, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydrogen play a big part in our energy future. While we continue on our energy transition to low carbon energy, we must also ensure our energy security in the midst of increasing geopolitical tension and increasing electricity consumption year-on-year – with the exception of 2020 when COVID-19 hit. Presently, natural gas has been powering around 95% of Singapore's electricity supply while coal, petroleum products and other energy products like biomass and solar supplied the rest. Singapore has also established itself as a leading LNG and bunkering hub in Asia, backed by investments including our LNG plant that can store more than 300,000 cubic metres of LNG.”
“Added to this is the uncertainty of how global supply chains are being restructured, as a result of vulnerabilities that had been exposed by COVID-19, geopolitical tensions in specific regions and changes in the national priorities of particular countries. What impact will the Johor-Singapore SEZ and changes to the global supply chains have on the future of Singapore's manufacturing sector and other sectors, and what are MTI's plans to ensure that manufacturing continues to be a key pillar of our economy and also how can we take advantage of opportunities as companies and global companies reallocate their supply chains from other places? Planned Obsolescence and Right to Repair”
“Mr Chairman, since a long time pre-Independence, our geographical centrality has made trade the lifeblood of Singapore's economy. Our 15 bilateral and 12 regional Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are key to our open economy driven by trade in goods and services. But the world's multilateral trading system is coming under real pressure. During President Trump's first presidential term, the United States (US) withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. As Trump 2.0 starts this year, the US has already announced a host of tariffs on imports from China, Canada and Mexico. What are the risks of the imposition of specific and reciprocal tariffs by the US on our major trading partners likely to affect Singapore? In the current backdrop, how is MTI working to strengthen our trade links with the region and the world? Can MTI elaborate on how we intend to diversify our trading partners amidst the trade tensions, and how Singapore companies can benefit from these partnerships? Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and Supply Chain Mr Chairman, the technology and innovation engines mentioned in Budget 2025 hews closely to our manufacturing Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs), namely, for precision engineering, energy and chemicals, marine and offshore, aerospace and electronics. The announcement of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) agreed between Singapore and Malaysia is an exciting prospect. Covering a range of different economic sectors over nine "flagship" areas, the SEZ contemplates centralising manufacturing activities in Pengerang, Pasir Gudang, Tanjung Pelepas, Iskandar Puteri, Sedenak and Senai-Skudai.”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to highlight that I am thankful to all the 19 Members and who have asked questions. We have 55 questions for MOT this year; which is almost 30% to 35% increase from last year. This is a testament to the work that MOT and the One Transport Family has been doing for the past year and going forward as well, given that the work is not just for this year, but also for many decades down the road. So, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Minister Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State, Minister of State, Senior Parliamentary Secretary and, of course, the One Transport Family, all the staff, including those from LTA, MPA, CAAS; and as Minister mentioned, the importance of our tripartite partners to make sure that MOT work and Singapore is well taken care of. On that note, Mr Chairman, I seek leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $2,798,018,900 for Head W ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $12,528,311,800 for Head W ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“My third question, Mr Chairman, is in terms of Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey's speech earlier about medical certification or certificate of needs. I just want to clarify whether the cost will be free. Some of them may already have medical certification before, so, whether there be some leeway in terms of cost issues for them. Because he mentioned that more details will be announced after third quarter, some of them be concerned about how they can expect to apply for this certificate of need and how they will apply for them with the doctors; and whether there are cost issues concerned, whether existing ones can actually travel, can be applied going forward.”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. I have three short clarifications. First of all, I would like to thank Minister for his very detailed speech earlier, indicating about $1 billion to strengthen rail capabilities and skills upgrading. The other good news is about the Seletar Line and Tengah Line going through Singapore. As he mentioned, hopefully, it will through Toa Payoh, and not only Toa Payoh but Toa Payoh East as well. My first question, Mr Chairman, is in regard to Senior Minister of State Amy Khor's speech. She mentioned about the extension of the areas around schools. When it comes around that, in terms of enforcement, will there be enhancement in terms of surveillance and monitoring around the schools because it is now going to be 24/7 around the school and how will you enforce that? Because originally, it was only during school hours. But as you mentioned, the school hours are becoming a bit more adaptable and dynamic, so, whether there will be enhanced cameras, surveillance and monitoring systems, and whether we will be working with other agencies to enhance that. Because the safety of our children and our students is very important, and I am very particular about that. Second, to Minister of State Murali, he mentioned about the public bus safety review. He highlighted, very importantly, that driving a bus is like flying a plane, if I am not mistaken. It is like flying a plane. Pilots do regular health check-ups, on a regular basis. I was intently hearing your explanation earlier, but I could not sort of capture whether there were any enhancements in terms of check-ups for our bus captains on a regular basis and whether there will be improvements or enhancements for bus captains going forward, or is it already in the plan in terms of the review?”
“Mdm Chair, the maritime sector has broken new records again in 2024. The annual vessel arrival tonnage in the port of Singapore reached 3.11 billion gross tonnage, while our container throughput from both PSA terminals and Jurong Port crossed 40 million TEU for the first time. What are the reasons for the record-breaking performance in 2024 and is it projected to continue upwards? Barely two to six years ago, stagnating container traffic suggested that Singapore may have reached its hub potential as competition from nearby ports, like Tanjung Pelepas grew. Our long-time competitor, Port Klang, announced investments to double its capacity in April last year. Emerging ports, such as those in Ho Chi Minh and Hai Phong in Vietnam or Tanjung Priok in Jakarta, are rapidly improving their port infrastructure and capabilities. This has been reflected by the increasing scores of ports in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia on the United Nations Trade and Development's (UNCTAD's) Port Connectivity Index. We cannot afford to sit still. I am heartened to see that we are building on our digitalisation and talent development efforts. But there will also be new challenges as we continue to move all port operations to Tuas by 2027, construct "Long Island" and decarbonise our maritime sector. So, Mdm Chair, I would like to ask, how is the Ministry ensuring that we continue to remain competitive amidst fierce competition in the region and, at the same time, pull in more workers, or our own Singaporeans, to be attracted to the maritime sector as well? Maritime Sector Productivity”
“Madam, our vision is to have 100% of vehicles in Singapore run on cleaner energy by 2040. Before I proceed further, I forgot to mention, I declare my interest as the advisor to Singapore's Transport Association. Bloomberg's energy research service has forecast that 80% of all passenger vehicles in Singapore are expected to be electric by 2040, but similar data for electric heavy vehicles does not seem to be readily available. What is the current state of the electrification of our heavy vehicles? Besides the Heavy Vehicle Zero Emissions Scheme and Electric Heavy Vehicle Charger Grant announced by Prime Minister in Budget 2025, we will need to do more. As our EV Road Map sets out, vehicle taxes and incentives should be complemented by regulations and standards, EV charger deployment and industry partnerships. To improve charger availability for heavy vehicles, is it possible to explore the possibility of centralised heavy vehicle chargers at centralised parking facilities for heavy vehicles that would complement chargers installed within vehicle owners' premises? Electric Vehicles Adoption”
“Mr Chairman, point-to-point (PTP) transport like taxi and ride-hail services provide options for direct journeys. It appears that the LTA's PTP sector review is still ongoing, despite being scheduled to conclude by the second quarter of 2024. The recent market conditions are that driver supply exceeds demand. Therefore, fares and driver earnings have been falling since the start of 2023. It is thus common for drivers to operate using multiple platforms to ensure a steady stream of passengers and boost their earnings – also known as "multi-homing". However, this must be balanced against the risk that PTP drivers have insufficient rest. Following the passing of the Platform Workers Act 2024, tying drivers to a single or primary platform may be necessary for effective regulation. Having regard to the livelihoods of PTP drivers, how can the Ministry ensure that drivers continue to have the ability to choose the platforms that they wish to drive for? Costs of COE”
“Mr Chairman, a series of accidents involving public buses last year spurred the establishment of the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce in July 2024. June alone saw a public bus run over a construction worker and other buses colliding with cars, a lorry and a trailer truck. And it is not just the accidents that we are worried about. A safe bus ride experience is important. The risk of aggressive driving by some bus captains, including rapid acceleration and deceleration as well as swerving between lanes, endangers passengers who are elderly or otherwise less mobile. We must pay attention to how public bus safety has changed amidst increased standing capacity in new bus models over the years, an increasing shortage of bus captains and continued recovery of bus ridership post-COVID-19. Following my Parliamentary Question last November, can the Ministry provide an update on the review of public bus safety by the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce? Is it on course to complete its review by the first half of 2025, and have there been any urgent rectification measures implemented as a result of the feedback and studies so far? Enhance Bus Services”
“Greater transparency on revenue and cost figures could help foster public understanding of this complex equation. The timing of the 2024 disruption during the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) season added another layer of stress for affected students and parents. While such stress is difficult to quantify, it is reassuring that the School Examinations and Assessment Board acted swiftly to accommodate affected students. This reflects the strength of our broader support ecosystem, on top of what Ministry of Transport (MOT) has done, which works alongside transport operators to mitigate the wider impact of service disruptions. As we expand our rail network in the coming decade, a key question remains: what proactive measures are we taking to uphold reliability standards and develop a skilled, future-ready workforce to sustain those efforts? Continued collaboration, innovation and learning from past incidents will be essential in building an even more resilient rail system. Let us use this incident as an opportunity to refine our strategies and reaffirm our commitment to a reliable and commuter-centric public transport network. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Enhancing Rail Reliability”
“Besides ferrying humans by air, how close are we to seeing our goods and food deliveries flown by unmanned drones, like what is already being done in various cities in China? What is the next bound for our transport system beyond SG60 and when do we expect to get there? Sustaining Rail Reliability Mr Chairman, the six-day interruption on the East-West Line (EWL) in late September 2024 brought the issue of rail reliability back into focus. It was an unexpected disruption, especially after several years of steady improvements and minimal incidents since the challenges in 2012. A Straits Times forum letter highlighted the importance of balancing rail reliability with costs, emphasising the severe impact of extreme events on commuters. This is a valid concern and we must always strive to minimise disruptions. However, it is important to recognise that our rail operators are not neglecting maintenance to cut costs or simply meet performance indicators. Beyond their service obligations, operators bear significant expenses for service recovery, bridging bus services and repairs during major disruptions. The EWL incident, while unfortunate, demonstrated the effectiveness of our response system and the adaptability of commuters who navigated the situation with patience and understanding. The Transport Minister has assured us that SMRT has maintained its maintenance spending, even during years without major incidents. While it is natural to question whether more should be spent, we must also consider the financial balance. With the Public Transport Council carefully managing fare adjustments to protect commuters, any additional funding for enhanced maintenance may require increased Government subsidies, a cost ultimately borne by taxpayers.”
“Mr Chairman, I move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head W of the Estimates be reduced by $100". This year marks SG60. In the past 60 years, we have developed from Third World to First. Transport has been a critical part of that story. The hot and creaky public buses have been replaced by fully air conditioned ones. We opened our first Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in 1987 and we now have six lines with more than 140 MRT stations. Our airport and seaport are among the best in the world. So, I would like to ask the Ministry to share how it will take Singapore's transport system forward in the next phase? For MRT, we plan decades ahead of time with new technologies. With potential artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous vehicles coming onstream, how is our transport infrastructure going to be enhanced? It was announced mid-last year that up to $900 million will be spent over the next eight years to improve the bus network under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme. Besides more express bus services and bus route adjustments, how else will we reinvent our public bus system? We also have the North-South Corridor (NSC) to look forward to. Conceptualised in 2016, the completed NSC will divert vehicular traffic to the underground expressway tunnel, so the ground-level space can be used for wider footpaths, cycling paths, bus priority lanes and more communal and green spaces. Besides COVID-19, what challenges has the NSC construction encountered and are we on course to achieve completion by 2027 to 2029? However, it was disappointing to see the announcement by Volocopter in November that a lack of local funding partners has forced them to put the launch of air taxi services in Singapore on hold.”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to thank the Minister for his speech earlier. It was quite extensive and detailed, especially on the geopolitical and military front. As an economist, I would like to ask a geopolitical and defence-related question in terms of threat assessment, whether the Minister can share whether Singapore can continue balancing US and China interests, especially within these geopolitical dynamics and what your defence outlook would be? Secondly, is in terms of the wider HADR mission in Myanmar, Australia, Middle East and Afghanistan, that Singapore's military has actually participated in and contributed to, can the Minister share in terms of our costs, what we have spent on those wider HADR missions and given our technical capabilities, and how we have actually contributed to the wider HADR globally?”
“Mr Chairman, besides conventional military threats, there are many other threats and risks that could disrupt our daily life and threaten our way of life in Singapore. Even though five years have passed, we must not forget how quickly the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our daily lives and every sector of our society. Our peace and stability can be fragile and should not be taken for granted. In addition, intense ongoing conflicts and geopolitical tensions persist, not just in far-flung regions but close to home as well. Conflicts far abroad may still cause Singapore to be vulnerable to shocks, such as supply chain disruptions, economic instability and widening socio-political divisions. That is why Total Defence is key in rallying Singaporeans together to combat the challenges ahead as one united people. We just concluded Exercise SG Ready 2025, a two-week exercise where more than 800 organisations, schools and units from different sectors carried out different disruption or preparedness activities to strengthen their contingency plans for power disruptions or phishing attacks. Have there been any findings or analysis on the resilience gaps in our society? It is difficult to predict what the next black swan event that could destabilise Singapore might be, but we must do our best to prepare Singaporeans and build resilience. How relevant is the role of Total Defence in raising the level of civic preparedness among Singaporeans for disruptions to daily life? Update on Exercise SG Ready”
“Chairman, our fiscal headroom will get smaller as Government expenditure is projected to increase while our revenues remain uncertain in light of the status of BEPS 2.0 and heightened geopolitical and trade tensions affecting investment returns. We can afford the projected level of spending up to 2030 thanks to sound and timely fiscal measures made. How is MOF enhancing efficiency, fiscal prudence and responsibility in the Budget process? We are not the only ones feeling this pressure. The United States (US) has created a Department of Government Efficiency headed by Mr Elon Musk to treat government inefficiency. The United Kingdom (UK) Chancellor has announced that the government departments will be asked to identify 5% efficiency savings to crack down on government waste. To what extent does MOF expect all Ministries and Statutory Boards to improve budget efficiency year-on-year? How can MOF ensure more collaborative initiatives across different Ministries to improve the coordinated delivery of Government services? How often does the MOF undertake resource reviews and transformation on a whole-of-Government basis in order to sustain a healthy fiscal position?”
“Madam, with rapid tech changes, shifting geopolitical dynamics and existential challenges, such as climate change and national security, the need for a globally aware and adaptable public sector has never been more critical. For the private sector, the Government has stated that more Singaporeans need overseas exposure to take on leadership roles in global firms. And to achieve that, there are initiatives, such as the Institute of Banking and Finance's International Postings Programme (iPOST) and Workforce Singapore's Overseas Markets Immersion Programme (OMIP) for financial institutions and employers to send their workers for overseas exposure. How is the Public Service enhancing its officers' international exposure, competencies and understanding of global trends? What opportunities exist for officers to gain international experience through overseas postings or exchanges? At the same time, what are the Public Service's strategies to foster engagements and build relationships with international partners? What opportunities are there for regular dialogue and collaboration with foreign public service counterparts, to anticipate global shifts? Better Integrated Public Service”
“— but inflation being impacted by GST, been turbocharged, may not be a fair point in general. Because inflation went up in Singapore, like all other countries, due to other things, like war and supply chain disruptions. Inflation at its peak was not as high in Singapore as compared to many other countries in the region or even globally. In fact, in a PQ on 6 February 2024 which Member Mr Liang Eng Hwa had raised, the response highlighted that GST rate increase is estimated to contribute only slightly less than one percentage point to core inflation. There are other factors, such as high electricity and gas tariffs which are due to increase in oil prices, as well as production costs. So, I just want to highlight that point in general about the impact of GST on inflation, but there are other factors beyond GST and GST impact is quite slight. Mr Speaker, to end off, the world has become more uncertain. It looks to continue down that path. Geopolitical tensions continue to be unresolved. Global supply chains are shifting as countries seek to protect their supply chain resilience as well as their domestic economy and priorities. But despite all that uncertainty, Budget 2025 demonstrates consistency – consistency with past Budgets to continue the good work we have done to bring an unexpected level of growth amid our lowest level of income inequality since the turn of the century; consistency with our ideals as identified in the Forward Singapore exercise to help involuntarily-unemployed jobseekers bounce back stronger, supporting families and seniors, empowering and uplifting those in need; and consistency in our Government philosophy that the long-term interests of Singaporeans must remain the key priority regardless of how the upcoming General Election will turn out.”
“If we would like more younger Singaporeans to dare to venture abroad to build Singapore's competitiveness in the longer term, we should extend the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support to cover the more than 200,000 overseas Singaporeans. This will provide them with the protection we think Singaporeans deserve in the event of overseas layoffs. My final point, Mr Speaker, before I end, is on the point of inflation and the cost of living. And I have highlighted this in same part as social equity and being equitable across all groups. Earlier, Members have highlighted and many of those outside this Chamber have also raised the point about inflation and the cost of living. And I think some Members here today have highlighted that as well about inflation being turbocharged due to GST and the question is whether that has actually raised concerns about whether that will continue to have an impact on the cost of living. I do note that point. The cost of living is a major concern —”
“Besides tracking the number of ex-offenders who have benefited from the uplifting employment credit, do we also track how long each individual manages to stay in employment? In assessing the success of the scheme, we should also consider how many of these individuals managed to progress in their employment, securing higher roles and even better jobs. What else can we do to help ex-offenders secure good and suitable jobs beyond the Yellow Ribbon Project's employment assistance? And since I am on the topic of leaving no one behind, there is one other group which is not mentioned as often, that is, Singaporeans working and living abroad. They are Singaporeans as much as you and me and, this year, being election year, essentially, many of them will travel distances and even across states to exercise their Citizens' right to vote. Whereas many of us here would just need to cross the road from our home to a nearby school or HDB block to do so, but because they might not have an address in Singapore, they may not be able to get many of the vouchers, rebates and other benefits that are given to Singaporeans in Budget 2025. One avenue where we can include them is to extend the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme to Singaporeans working overseas. A resident has recently informed me that Workforce Singapore had told him that overseas Singaporeans will not be eligible for monetary help under the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme because one of the requirements is that you had to be previously employed in Singapore for at least six of the past 12 months.”
“I have received feedback asking why this is being given to all Singaporeans and not just the less well-to-do, like in previous Budgets. Members in the first few earlier speeches, including the Leader of the Opposition, mentioned this. The suggestion seems to be that we are taking a step backward in making Singapore a more equal society. But we must not forget that costs are rising for everyone, not just lower-income groups. Middle-income households also need help. Ultimately, it is not a zero-sum game. It is not true that every dollar that we take from upper- or middle-income households will, otherwise, have automatically gone to a lower-income household. That is too simplistic. We also should not ignore all other programmes that are aimed at helping lower-income groups. Just in Budget 2025 alone, there is the tiered U-Save utility support as well as the Progressive Wage Credit scheme that we are enhancing. There is also ComCare, for which I thank the Prime Minister for raising the financial assistance amounts from April 2025. Anyone who has been involved in constituency or community work would know the important role that ComCare plays in taking care of those in need around us. So, may I ask how often are the financial assistance amounts reviewed and how is the quantum of the upcoming increase determined? For ex-offenders, another area that the Prime Minister mentioned in his speech, who are another group of Singaporeans that Budget 2025 seeks to uplift, the extension of the uplifting employment credit to end-2028 is a welcome announcement. I thank the Prime Minister for that and look forward to hearing more about our plans at MOM's COS. How much has the Uplifting Employment Credit been tapped on since it was introduced in Budget 2023?”
“Given the long-term inflation outlook and the fact that market interest rates continue to be above 2%, how can we enhance the CPF LIFE Escalating Plan, which increases payouts by 2% annually? At the same time, we must continue encouraging and facilitating seniors to stay employed longer. This requires a change in mindset. Instead of looking forward to retiring at 55 years old, Singaporeans will need to see the value of staying active and be a contributing member of society, amid increased life expectancies of 80.7 years old for men and 85.2 years old for women. The Senior Employment Credit and the increased senior worker CPF contribution rates will help. But as I had suggested during the debate of the Workplace Fairness Bill last month, we must go beyond anti-age discrimination to provide positive reasons for employers to employ seniors. What is being done on this front in engaging employers or otherwise? May I also ask whether there are any concrete timelines for the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment, which Annex D-3 to the Budget speech says, “MOM will convene later this year”? When will the workgroup be expected to come back with their recommendations and when will public consultations be held? Are there general time periods where we can expect such progress? (In English): So, I mentioned earlier about the retirement adequacy in Malay, but I think it is a very important topic for Singaporeans at large going forward, especially with the rising cost and also the longer age that we might achieve because of health improvements. A final point I just want to highlight is to address social equity and social mobility and on the cost-of-living support in Budget 2025.”
“It is the third consecutive Budget debate in which I focus on this issue, given the extraordinary inflationary environment in recent years, which has diluted Singapore's nest eggs and I have been hearing concerns. So, Mr Speaker, I will do this in Malay and not English. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] With an ageing population, it is important that our workers today are able to take care of themselves when they eventually retire. We try to achieve this aim through the CPF system, which is recognised as one of the top pension systems in the world. In recent years, there has been increasing concerns over whether our retirement savings will be enough. The pandemic and other global issues are causing our daily costs to keep rising. A mee soto that cost $2.50 just five years ago, costs $4.00 today. So, we must protect ourselves against more inflationary pressures ahead. Last year’s Budget contained several measures to boost our seniors’ CPF savings. We enhanced the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme (MRSS) for Singaporeans aged 55 and above. The Government also provided bonuses through the Majulah Package. How effective have these measures been in ensuring that our seniors’ long-term needs are taken care of? What criteria was used to assess the state of retirement adequacy of each senior, and of our society as a whole? For example, it may be useful to find out if the MRSS’ utilisation rate has improved and whether more families are taking advantage of such dollar-for-dollar Government support. In contrast, Budget 2025 does not seem to announce any specific measure to boost the CPF or retirement funds of seniors. But I am also looking forward to the discussions during COS debates, for instance, for MOM.”
“But besides financial support, perhaps one area that the Government can facilitate more is in creating a family-friendly environment at work and, like I mentioned earlier, the feedback from the Budget dialogue last year, could we, perhaps, look at increasing parental leave and family care leave for working, adult caregivers? As our Baby Boomers age and health issues emerge, working children and caregivers would need more family care leave to send their elderly parents for medical visits, health checkups and emergency health needs. So, I understand that policies for additional parental leave to care for children who are not newly-born can vary greatly from company to company, but such parental leave will not only allow for working parents to bring their children to the doctors when they are sick, but it can also provide time for working parents to attend at preschool events and celebrations, or just to spend meaningful time with their children or parents during official school holidays and for emergency needs, for example. Another area which will alleviate the burden on working caregivers is flexible work arrangements (FWAs). So, since the Tripartite Guidelines on FWA Requests were launched in April 2024, how many complaints has the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) received regarding employers who are not complying with the guidelines? What is the next step for us to strengthen the regime and set some standards on flexi-time, flexi-load or flexi-place arrangements that employers must offer? Mr Speaker, my third area would be to touch on retirement adequacy, and I have raised this for the past four Budget speeches that I have highlighted.”
“At a Budget dialogue I attended last year, interestingly, there were a number of questions and feedback requesting for help for working adult children taking care of their elderly parents and whether more help can be done to help them – the sandwich class, middle-class, who are also living with their parents. So, Budget 2025 provides support for families and even more for vulnerable families, and I am very thankful for that. I share the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) and Minister Indranee’s hope that the Large Families Scheme will encourage more Singaporeans to have three or more children and bring our Total Fertility Rate up from 0.97. My three children are way older than six years old now, but even without enjoying the Large Families Scheme benefits, the joy and fulfilment brought by my kids to my life have been immeasurable and irreplaceable. But I have also heard from some parents with young kids who have expressed some disappointment because they were expecting more help. While I would explain that the Government cannot cover all child-raising expenses, and that there are more affordable children's programmes compared to others, I do see their point in the message that we are sending across. Do we risk looking out of touch for thinking that amounts newly offered would be sufficient to move the needle or are we interested in getting only the married couples who would like, but cannot afford, to have a third child to do so? Ultimately, as this House has heard in a Motion filed by my fellow PAP colleagues, Ms Hany Soh and Mr Zhulkarnain, promoting parenthood is a multifaceted endeavour. We should, therefore, work continuously to address the various issues that are currently discouraging our people from having children or from having more children.”
“In response to a PQ last month, Minister Chan Chun Sing shared that only about 26% of eligible Singaporeans have used their one-off SkillsFuture Credit top-up of $500, even though the top-up was given in 2020 and expires by the end of this year. Have any surveys been done to study why Singaporeans are not utilising these training benefits which the Government has given to them? Mr Speaker, the second part of my speech is on helping families with dependents, such as elderly parents. And I would like to thank the Prime Minister and MOF for the Budget measures to help families in general. But in particular, families, middle-income families with dependents, such as elderly parents. Families are the building blocks of our society as well as an individual's closest support net. Based on the Department of Statistics' 2024 data, at least 51.7% of resident households comprise children staying together with their parents or parent. This does not include "other" household living arrangements, such as a divorcee living with elderly parents only. When I was preparing this speech, it was also difficult to find the number of households with other dependents, such a person with special needs. Based on the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore's (IRAS') data on dependent reliefs claimed, how many resident households have dependents, such as elderly parents, minor children and persons with special needs? These are important, as if there are a significant number of families with these dependents, the increasing need for financial help to them might be important. As they do their best to support their family members, it is only right that we provide them with whatever support that we can.”
“But I use these examples because I believe they are horizontals which have the potential to shake up different industries with their development and deployment. What concrete programmes or schemes are we going to push out to further the 15 Actions and 10 Enablers in our National AI Strategy 2.0? What is the Government's assessment of our businesses' uptake of AI presently, especially our SMEs? And whether the Government play a greater role in facilitating our Singaporean businesses' AI transformation, as I believe it would be a massive gamechanger in the years ahead. I am sure the Prime Minister cannot mention all of that in his Budget Statement and I look forward to the COS debate from the different Ministries on this. Fourth, the continued emphasis on worker upskilling and reskilling will certainly boost our attractiveness as a hub to do business. There are some concerns in this House whether the OECD's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) flagged a significant decline in literacy after the age of 35, from the Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who were surveyed. It is a good idea to redesign the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit to operate like an online wallet, so that companies can use the credits to immediately offset staff training costs rather than do so on a reimbursement basis. While not exactly similar, I think of this like the LifeSG credits, which can now be used through PayNow to shops and vendors directly. Is there scope to do something similar to make it even easier for individual Singaporeans to utilise their SkillsFuture credits?”
“We should take the chance to learn what did not go well, what we can do better and whether there will be further opportunities to collaborate again in the future. Second, besides doing reflections after the fact, we should also think forward and rationalise our existing investment attraction toolkit. I had raised this when we debated the Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) (Amendment) Bill in November 2024. The Minister of State Mr Alvin Tan responded that both the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and MOF have been continuously refreshing our incentive toolkits to ensure relevance and competitiveness, and updating legislation under their purview as required. On top of incrementally adding, tweaking and removing specific incentive schemes, is it time for a holistic rethink of our investment attraction toolkit and how they fit together to achieve our strategic objectives and which Ministry should take the lead in such an effort? This is all the more the case when we have recently passed relevant measures that are based on OECD's BEPS 2.0 rules. In light of President Donald Trump's Executive Order on 20 January 2025 withdrawing the US from the BEPS 2.0 consensus, how will Singapore respond? In view of our recent moves to implement BEPS 2.0, the 50% corporate income tax rebate announced by the Prime Minister is a positive surprise. Nonetheless, would such rebates be BEPS 2.0-compliant? If not, I would have thought that corporates in Singapore should be conditioned to accept and understand that large corporate tax breaks are a thing of the past. Third, I was hoping to see plans to accelerate novel growth pillars in Budget 2025, such as cybersecurity or AI, and possibly, these might be discussed during the COS debate.”
“As global supply chains shift in the wake of the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, we are also seeing de-globalisation as countries seek to secure their resources and protect domestic jobs. With that backdrop, countries are competing more aggressively to attract investments and multinational companies (MNCs) to set up operations and bases. We cannot afford to lose ground. According to the Economic Development Board's Year-in-Review 2024 statistics on commitments to invest into Singapore, we are seeing falls across the projected contribution of value-added per annum, the number of jobs expected to be created and total business expenditure per annum. While Amazon Web Services and pharma giant AstraZeneca have announced major investment commitments into Singapore, other MNCs, like Dyson, Samsung Electronics, Shein and Electrolux, have either scaled down or shut down their Singapore operations. Given the evolving changes in the global economic, business and political environment, the question I have is whether we have performed an in-depth study of the impact of specific factors on a company's decision to reduce or completely remove its presence in Singapore. This falls back to the volatility of corporate tax revenue going forward as well. So, the general points are well-known and often repeated – that Singapore cannot afford to compete on cost, that we need to focus on value-add and that our attractiveness lies in our political stability and the rule of law. But from industry-to-industry or company-to-company, do we have the mechanisms to study the particular factors that are causing a company to "offshore" its functions from Singapore to another country? The risk is always there. Think of it as an "exit interview" for a departing employee.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support Budget 2025 that is a Budget for all Singaporeans and a Budget for the future. Since last week, after the Prime Minister delivered the Budget Speech, I have heard and seen many Singaporeans comment that it is "more of the same" – distributing more vouchers, investing in research and development (R&D) and upskilling our workforce. In some ways, I beg to differ. I think Member Liang Eng Hwa has laid out in detail earlier, measures and efforts, which are extensive in this current Budget and not to forget past Budgets which are still ongoing, in helping our residents and helping Singaporeans. But "more of the same" is not a bad thing. It means our Government is not going to take short-term and populist stances just for special events happening this year. More importantly, it means our approach is working and achieving its aims. Income inequality is at its lowest since 2000 and we achieved better-than-expected economic growth of 4.4% last year. But one thing that is clear is that the global environment is different and fast-changing. Trump 2.0 has just kicked off and many asset managers and funds are already predicting more volatility and turbulence ahead. The first area, Mr Speaker, I would like to speak on is attracting investments and good jobs to Singapore. This is key to a small and resource-lite country that we are. Even as we debated our unexpectedly high corporate income tax collections on several occasions last year, and I am sure this year, some Members will raise this, there is little disagreement that we cannot take it for granted that corporates will always choose to stay in Singapore and not move somewhere else.”
“Mr Speaker, thank you. I thank the Minister of State for his answer. I have a few supplementary questions. First, in relation to the Parliamentary Question that I had filed, I would still like to get the Minister of State's response whether the Government is concerned that some specific sectors will be adversely affected, whether certain investments or companies and firms will likely relocate to the JS-SEZ as a result of the JS-SEZ, and whether there are any projections of job creation numbers that the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has in relation to the JS-SEZ within the first phase and future phases. Second, the Minister of State mentioned about Malaysia introducing some incentives. I have read that the Malaysian Investment Development Authority's incentives cover sectors such as manufacturing, chemicals, global services hub, integrated tourism projects and smart logistics. These are also some projects that Singapore wants to cover. There are also incentives for knowledge workers. Will there be mitigation measures to make sure that some of the investments that were intended to come into Singapore will not be affected. Lastly, I have got some feedback about concerns from some sectors including the transport association where I am an advisor to. These are concerns about whether there is some impact on the transport and logistics sectors and how they might be affected by Malaysian logistics coming into Singapore.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I just have two supplementary questions. One is with regard to Minister's answer earlier, about the collaboration with NEA. Can the Minister share how the Ministry intends to collaborate with other agencies to ensure a coordinated flood response in the future, if it gets too extreme, that sort of scenario? Second is, I think, the Minister shared earlier about flood mitigation measures for housing and corporates or individuals. Can the Minister share whether it is possible to have financial or logistical support available for residents and businesses affected by the floods and whether there can be budget allocation for future flood mitigation?”
“Mr Speaker, I have just two short clarifications to the Minister. First of all, I would like to thank the Minister and his team in MOM for setting this landmark Bill forward. The first question is in terms of timeline, when will this Bill be implemented? I am not sure whether I missed the exact date in his speech. But can the Minister share when the implementation would be? I am aware that there is going to be another Bill with regard to the ECT. Second is, in terms of, I heard the word TAFEP mentioned many times in this Bill and me being in the TAFEP Committee – and I have seen the TAFEP staff and resource constraints there and how much good work they have done. Can the Minister share, in terms of budget and in terms of resources, going forward, after the implementation, whether there will be more resources for TAFEP?”
“As I had mentioned in this House back in 2018, I have heard from employees who have given up on legal action against employers because it is too expensive and troublesome. Before I end, Mr Speaker, being on the TAFEP Committee, I would like to find out from MOM, given the extensive coverage on workplace fairness that will be ongoing if this Bill is passed, may I ask the Minister the extent of support for related agencies, especially TAFEP, in terms of manpower and other resources going forward, if this Bill is passed. Mr Speaker, Sir, notwithstanding the clarifications sought, I fully support the Bill as a significant milestone to build a diverse and dynamic workforce that is treated fairly and equitably. But this Bill must be seen as a building block, rather than an end in itself. We must continue to bear the principles underlying the Bill and go above and beyond the minimum legal obligations imposed, as our unique tripartite system is used to doing.”
“One area that we can focus on more strongly is how we encourage and track the transfer of capabilities from foreign talent to local workers. Having run programmes like the Capability Transfer Programme, can the Ministry shed some light on how have we gone about assessing the success of onshoring capabilities? One final area that will be key in determining the success of this Workplace Fairness Legislation (WFL) is whether there is adequate avenue for recourse and relief for aggrieved employees. Under the proposed Bill, an employer who breaches the anti-discrimination provisions may be liable to pay an administrative penalty to the Consolidated Fund and be issued directions to end, remedy or mitigate the contravention. Can an employer be directed to pay compensation to victimised employees? Compensation for victimised employees is already available for successful wrongful dismissal cases raised with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM). There is no reason, in principle, why it should not be extended to other forms of discriminatory employment decisions whether at the pre-employment or employment stages. In fact, compensation may sometimes be the only effective relief if the relationship between the employer and the employee has broken down to such an extent that the employee cannot reasonably be expected to work for that employer again. I am conscious that the detailed procedure for employees to make private claims will be addressed in a separate Bill to be tabled later in 2025. But I would flag that the procedure should be as simplified as possible so that an aggrieved employee can navigate it without having to engage a lawyer.”
“First, on the problem of age discrimination, clause 21 of the Bill provides that it will not be discrimination for an employer to prefer workers older than a prescribed age. Based on the final set of recommendations by the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness, the prescribed age would appear to be 55 years old. What is the unemployment rate for persons that are 55 years old and above, compared to the unemployment rate for adults under that age? Why is this age not pegged to our minimum retirement and re-employment ages, which have been adjusted upwards over the years? More fundamentally, is it not too blunt to prescribe a single age threshold to encourage the employment of older workers? In particular industries, a 55-year-old might be deemed old and ordinarily less preferable than a younger worker. In other industries however, a 55-year-old might still be in his or her prime and the exception should really apply to encourage the employment of even older workers. Second, on efforts to localise jobs, clause 22 of the Bill provides that it is not discrimination for an employer to favour a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident (PR). But what incentives are there for employers to do so and how do we measure the success of such each incentive in promoting a Singaporean Core? In the more than 10 years that the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) has been in force, how have we measured the success of the FCF in achieving its objectives? What are the gaps that have been detected in the operation of FCF and how does the present workplace fairness reforms seek to fix that? As a small population, we will require foreign manpower to augment and complement the local workforce, but not to substitute it.”
“It was prepared to offer the role to the jobseeker and allow her to wear the tudung at work. However, the jobseeker had already found another job opportunity by then. So TAFEP separately identified gaps in the employer's hiring processes and worked with the employer to improve them. This includes training interviewers to ask only job-related questions. These issues need to be managed even beyond the bill itself. Regarding the Bill, I would like to understand the process if I am an affected employee. Is the burden of proof on the employee? Would we need to wear a body camera, for example, to provide evidence? I hope this legislation will simplify the process for legitimately affected employees to easily raise cases and will have adequate recourse and won't be deterred from coming forward. So, it is important to clarify when a job "cannot be reasonably performed", because job descriptions can sometimes be cleverly drafted to achieve a particular objective. During my Meet-the-People sessions over the years, I have encountered many individuals who felt that the jobs they were applying for, contained such bespoke or complicated prerequisites which suggested that the employer had already considered reserving the job for a particular foreign worker. What is the trend of such complaints over the past five years since COVID-19 struck? Could the Ministry of Manpower share some examples of how it “saw through” such patronising attempts to first advertise the job to locals? (In English): Mr Speaker, since I am on the topic of exceptions, I am glad to see that express exceptions have been created for the two areas which I had focused on in my 2019 Adjournment Motion on tackling workplace and job discrimination.”
“What about an individual applying for a sales representative role focused on the Indonesian market, for instance, who does not read or speak Bahasa Indonesia but is willing to learn it? May I enquire about the proportion of racial, ethnic or religious discrimination as a percentage of total discrimination cases over the past 20 years, and whether there is an increasing trend? As a Member of Parliament in Toa Payoh East, I have encountered residents providing feedback about experiencing or perceiving discrimination at work or during job applications due to their race, wearing a tudung or needing to attend Friday prayers. In such cases, I typically refer them to TAFEP or advise them to contact TAFEP directly. These are highly sensitive and important issues for the Malay/Muslim community. Our handling of such issues is critical in maintaining multiracial and multi-religious harmony in Singapore. In my capacity as a TAFEP committee member, I have observed how TAFEP manages such cases. It often comes down to open and sensitive communication between employers and employees, applicable not only to Malay/Muslim issues but also to other situations where employees and employers have differing needs and expectations. If both parties cannot reach a resolution, the employee can approach TAFEP. TAFEP will hear them out and help both parties better understand each other's perspectives, working towards a solution that meets both the employee's needs and the employer's business requirements. For instance, I understand there was a case where an interviewer asked a jobseeker if she was willing to remove her tudung for work. TAFEP intervened in this case, and the employer clarified that it had no such requirement.”
“If we want these anti-discrimination laws to have practical application for aggrieved employees, we ought to pay particular attention to the burden and standard of proof required to establish discrimination. I noted, in my 2018 speech, that proving discrimination is "challenging". It is often difficult for employees to show that an adverse decision made against them, is due protected characteristics that they have, because any documentary records are usually kept by the employer organisation and such organisations will likely be advised by in-house counsel or external lawyers. Is this a justifiable case for us to reverse the burden of proof, through a presumption that the adverse decision is linked to the employee's protected characteristic, unless the employer can establish otherwise? Frivolous claims can be deterred by granting authorities the power to summarily strike out manifestly unmeritorious claims and requiring frivolous claimants to pay the costs of their dismissed action, in line with a tripartite committee's recommendation accepted by the Government. Undoubtedly, the employer bears the burden of proving that a protected characteristic is a genuine job requirement, if it wishes to rely on the "genuine business need" exception. The provision states that a protected characteristic is a genuine job requirement if, among other things, the job "cannot be reasonably performed" by an individual, unless they possess or lack the protected characteristic. Consider the example of a hearing impaired individual and an audio production manager role - would the threshold be regarded as an impossibility?”
“From the numerous provisions to protect complainants from retaliation, breach of professional conduct rules or ethics as well as civil and criminal liability, am I correct to understand that the authorities will generally rely on aggrieved employees to file a claim and pursue it through the prescribed process? Would the authorities also be conducting active investigation and enforcement if it catches wind of potential infringements of anti-discrimination laws? Especially for errant employers where the aggrieved employees find it futile to come forward? If so, I hope the Commissioner for Workplace Fairness can be granted meaningful powers to conduct investigations and obtain documents on its own initiative, even outside the formal workplace discrimination claim, in the second piece of legislation that is expected to cover the procedural rights and processes. As I mentioned in my maiden speech in Parliament back in 2016, what is also key is to debunk any perception that the available opportunities are unequal and there is discrimination. Yet there is bound to be some black sheep, even as many employers are committed to fair employment practices even without the need for legislation. Would the Ministry be open to systematically publishing enforcement decisions, like what is done by the Personal Data Protection Commission? This enables the public to see that employers have been taken to task, what actions they have been penalised for. It can also serve to guide the behaviour of other employers going forward. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Proof of discrimination.”
“In our unique system emphasising tripartism and harmonious labour relations, I am sure many would agree that employers should, nevertheless, pay careful attention to these potential fault lines even if they are not covered by the anti-discrimination laws in this Bill. Second, the Bill sets a relatively low bar of merely preventing discrimination, which is defined as making an employment decision which adversely affects an individual. This is in contrast to equality legislation in the UK and Australia, which mandates an employer's duty to make reasonable adjustments for persons with disabilities (PwDs). If a business chooses to move its office premises from a wheelchair-accessible building to the upper floors of a shophouse without lift access, would it have discriminated against its wheelchair-bound employee under the proposed Bill? Under the UK regime, the employer would quite certainly be obliged to consider if that employee's job function can be performed remotely from outside the office, under its legal duty to make reasonable adjustments. Mr Speaker, the proposed Bill certainly answers the calls from myself and other Members of Parliament over the years to give more teeth to TAFEP. Employers who are found to discriminate on the basis of one or more protected characteristics can be subject to administrative penalties at the first instance. May I ask, also, would the administrative penalty for each type of contravention described in clause 31 be a standard $5,000 and $10,000 for a second or subsequent occasion, or would it be differentiated? If the latter, how would they be differentiated and structured? However, the practical bite of the anti-discrimination laws will depend largely how they are enforced and investigated.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first, I would like to declare that I am a member of the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) Committee. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak in support of this Workplace Fairness Bill today. It is a significant milestone for a cause that is close to my heart. Not only did I address this issue of fair employment practices in my maiden speech in Parliament nine years ago, I have raised two related Adjournment Motions on the topic. This Bill should be celebrated because, like the United Kingdom (UK), the Equality Act 2010, which I referenced in my 2021 Adjournment Motion speech on the "Strengthening the Singapore Core", this Bill centralises anti-discrimination laws in a single Act and will make the law easier to understand while strengthening protection in some situations. While this Bill will generally prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics, such as sex, caregiving responsibilities, disability and mental health conditions, we must be clear that it prescribes minimum standards and not exhaustive benchmarks. We should and must go beyond these minimum standards in order to promote a diverse workforce that is fairly treated. For one, I noted that the current prescribed list of protected characteristics account for more than 95% of the discrimination complaints received by TAFEP and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). For the other roughly 5% of the complaint cases, may I ask: what is the employee characteristic that is allegedly discriminated against, which has not been covered by the proposed Bill?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister of State for his answers. I am particularly interested in this Parliamentary Question (PQ) because of the bus safety issues, following the previous PQs I had asked before, especially the ones a few years ago on the accident near the bus interchange. May I ask the Minister of State whether he can share any preliminary findings from whatever has been achieved so far since October, since the last round of consultations? And what other new consultations or engagements does he plan to make over the next few months, before the findings are released next year?”
“Would a grassroots advisor or MP be "a person exercising a public official function", who can issue the notice or advisory to remove or dispose of clutter? Is there any form or template that the notice or advisory should be in? For the resident alleged to be hoarding, what recourse does he or she have when confronted with a CRU application for a CDRT order to declutter his or her unit? For example, the resident may take the view that certain items are not "of low or no value or utility", which is a precondition for a CDRT order under the new section 11A. Mr Speaker, ultimately, we must all recognise that the enhanced powers in this Bill should really be the last resort when it comes to cultivating and maintaining harmonious neighbourly relations. The first step should always be to proactively build neighbourly ties and encourage consideration for one another, by encouraging residents to step out of their homes to personally befriend others that share the residential estate and space. When disputes occur and they are unavoidable from time to time, especially when staying in an HDB flat and you are too close to one another, dialogue and engagement on all sides should be facilitated. And I am most grateful for the People's Association staff and volunteers for facilitating that all these years, in Toa Payoh East and in other constituencies, even without the enhanced community dispute resolution powers in this Bill. Mr Speaker, Sir, notwithstanding the clarifications sought, I support the Bill and I look forward to the CRU being implemented across-the-board.”
“As the new section 13F provides that CROs and ACROs will be considered “public servants” under the Penal Code, it is necessary to properly educate them on the offences under sections 161 to 165 of the Penal Code so that they do not inadvertently commit an offence by accepting any gift or token of appreciation from grateful residents after helping to resolve any community dispute. Finally, I welcome, Mr Speaker, the amendments that would allow the CRU to apply to the CDRT for a court order to address hoarding. In my Toa Payoh East constituency, there are a good number of older HDB blocks that have smaller flat types, narrower corridors and stairwells. From time to time, my grassroots leaders and I have had to visit some residents who have accumulated stuff to fill their entire unit and the adjoining common areas, usually upon feedback provided by other neighbouring residents. I think some instances are similar to Member Mr Lim Biow Chuan's case where they are not sure how they can enter the unit. Often, we would find that the affected resident cannot help but fall back into his or her hoarding habits, even after we have assisted with clearing up some of the stuff along with the Town Council. Would it also be possible for such a person to be directed to undergo psychiatric treatment? The new section 11A does not seem to provide for that. With the new section 11A, the CRU can apply for a CDRT order to declutter a residential unit where the resident is unwilling or unable to do so despite a notice or advisory by a CRO, a public officer, an officer or employee of a Statutory Board or a person exercising a public official function.”
“Mr Speaker, the Bill will also establish a CRU, I think some Members have already mentioned, comprising of CROs and ACROs. I think some Members have already asked when will the year-long pilot in Tampines commence? I will reiterate the same points again, whether other areas can be covered? The question is, whether it can be covered concurrently? I know that the Senior Minister of State has mentioned that it would start as soon as second quarter of 2025. I think I will reiterate those points again and I think the Senior Minister of State is probably going to hear this from the next few Members. For the pilot programme, may I ask the Minister, how many CROs and ACROs will be appointed? Is that calculated by a percentage of the resident population and by local area divisions, and what would be their terms of appointment? In particular, would the appointment be for a fixed duration and would the CROs and ACROs receive additional remuneration or allowance for taking on this new appointment on top of their current job scopes? While CROs will either be police officers, public officers or statutory body employees, ACROs may be an auxiliary police officer or an individual who has “suitable training” to properly exercise the powers of an ACRO. What would such “suitable training” entail? Who will conduct such training? Importantly, may I clarify if the Minister contemplates the appointment of grassroots leaders as ACROs at some future time?”
“I have cases ongoing in Toa Payoh East, with long-standing nature of dispute that lasts 10 years and ineffectiveness of previous mediation attempts, unwillingness of both parties to compromise have led to such long instances. More recently, in Toa Payoh, we have quite a number of seniors staying alone, and some have come to me to seek help because of noise disturbances, and despite their efforts to talk to their neighbours, it has gone on for quite a while and it has affected their sleep and health. I think some Members have mentioned this as well. The question is the fact that some of them have come to me to seek help to move house despite staying in Toa Payoh for so long. So, such efforts of mediation, I think, is very important. This same discretion that CDRT already has today after a claim has been commenced is actually something that I ought to mention. Minister Shanmugam previously shared in 2019 that the CDRT has made a mandatory mediation order in 25% of the cases. Is this not a very small proportion? In my view, parties should generally be compelled to attempt mediation unless there is a very good reason not to. Further, I have read that less than 30% of the total cases registered at the CMC proceed to mediation. What are the reasons for the more than 70% of cases which fails to proceed? As I mentioned earlier, the amendments also make it necessary for a party to obtain either a certificate of mediation to show that he or she has attempted mediation, or a certificate of waiver of mediation showing that mediation is unsuitable, before he or she can start a claim for unreasonable interference with the CDRT. Who can issue the certificate to certify that mediation is unsuitable for a particular case?”