Sharael Taha
Singapore
“L, link regional ecosystems. O, we orchestrate with AI and frontier technologies. And W, we win by creating greater economic value, better jobs and better lives for Singaporeans. For the past 60 years, Singapore mastered the movement of ships. Then we mastered the movement of aircraft. Today, we are mastering the movement of data.”
“This is a test of our social compact, a compact that must now be renewed for a new era where businesses commit to not just profits but to people, where workers commit to not just jobs, but to lifelong growth, and where the Government continues to stand with both, ensuring that no one is left behind.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to thank Minister Tan for sharing the dual fuel nature of our power plants. My supplementary question is how quick is this switching? Can it manage the volatility, especially this unprecedented volatility? And do we need to re-optimise our power plants to manage our energy generation resilience?”
“Thank you, Chairman. Chairman, the Rail Reliability Taskforce has set out clear recommendations – accelerate renewal of ageing core systems, including train signalling and traction power, strengthen backup and resilience measures, improve asset management and spare part planning, deepen workforce capabilities and enhance commuter communic…”
“Thank you, Chairman. I thank the Minister and the political office holders for their comprehensive response. I have a few supplementary questions. I believe the Minister did not get an opportunity to address my cut on the role of NAIC. What precisely is its role?”
“Okay. Mr Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Minister Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How, Minister of State Rahayu, Minister of State Jasmin Lau and the Permanent Secretary of MDDI, and the whole MDDI team for the responses and the great work that they do.”
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Every one of 500 lines we hold for Sharael Taha, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 10.
“Mr Speaker, the Motion under discussion emphasises the critical importance of mental health across health, social and economic domains, advocating for a comprehensive national mental health ecosystem and a collective effort throughout Singapore to bolster mental health and well-being. This has been widely discussed by fellow Parliamentarians today, reflecting a societal shift towards greater openness and our concerted effort and action on this issue. The discussion continues as this will be a work-in-progress as we refine our approach and we come to a collective agreement on what we do about it. Hence, I am glad in October 2023, MOH has taken the lead by launching the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy focusing on four main areas: one, expanding mental health services; two, enhancing early identification and intervention by service providers; three, promoting mental health and well-being; and four, improving mental health in the workplace. I will focus my speech on the call for whole-of-Singapore effort to implement this strategy of promoting the mental health and well-being of two particular groups of people – seniors staying alone and senior caregivers in our community, and on improving workplace mental health and well-being. On promoting the mental health and well-being of seniors staying alone and senior caregivers in the community, we need to work on de-medicalising and normalising conversations surrounding mental health, increase mental health literacy and improve societal attitudes and reduce stigma towards individuals with mental health needs, as mentioned by many of fellow Parliamentarians today.”
“What will be the prerequisites for a Foreign Halal Certification Body to be recognized by MUIS? Will MUIS impose requirements for regular audits to these FHCBs so that their food products continue to be certified as halal in Singapore? If so, how do we prevent this process from being excessively burdensome for MUIS, since this Bill will not involve additional expenditures? How will the proposed legal framework strengthen MUIS' jurisdiction over the FHCBs and ensure that the FHCBs meet MUIS' halal certification standards? How will the standards imposed by MUIS on FHCBs help our halal-certified business and Muslim consumers? (In English): In conclusion, the amendment to the AMLA is substantive, comprehensive and reflects the needs of the community. Notwithstanding the clarifications above, I support the Bill.”
“Our future religious leaders must be adequately equipped to guide the community in navigating complex issues such as meat created in a lab that was recently given a fatwa, stem cells and ongoing social debates on current issues, just to name a few. Hence, I support the amendments to AMLA which will enable MUIS to create wakafs to provide additional sources of funding to meet future needs of the Muslim community in Singapore. An example is the Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura whose donors comprise members of the Muslim community in Singapore, rather than an individual or a family. This means that everyone in the Muslim community can contribute, regardless of the size of contribution, towards the future needs of the community. However, I would like to seek a clarification. While clauses 15 to 18 explain what the wakafs can be used for, and how it can be administered, this Bill does not mention any restriction on donors to the wakafs created by MUIS. Can these wakafs accept contribution from foreign donors? And if so, how do we prevent foreign actors from influencing the intent and direction of the created wakafs to support the medium and long-term needs of the Muslim community in Singapore? Second, on the recognition of Foreign Halal Certification Bodies (FCHBs). Singapore relies heavily on imported food products to meet local demand. From this perspective, it is important for any food seller or food establishments possessing MUIS halal certification to have access to a wide range of halal product supplies that meet MUIS' halal certification standards. Many of such food companies or establishments import products that bear the halal certification logo given by Foreign Halal Certification Bodies (FHCBs).”
“Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, the proposed amendments to AMLA are important. It includes amendments that enable the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) to carry out its role to support the Muslim community more effectively, such as empowering MUIS to create wakafs, recognition of Foreign Halal Certification Bodies, expanding the membership of the Fatwa Committee, introducing a definition of Muslim religious school, and a clarification on unattributable contributions to the Mosque Building and MENDAKI Fund. It also includes amendments to digitalise ROMM and Syariah Court processes, in addition to enhancing provisions to administer these two entities for a more effective outcome. As the Bill covers several important aspects, allow me to focus on two key areas, firstly, providing MUIS with powers to create wakafs, and secondly, the recognition of Foreign Halal Certification Bodies. On empowering MUIS to create wakafs, as shared by the Minister, community funds such as zakat as well as donations to mosques and madrasahs and the Mosque Building and MENDAKI Fund, only supports the day-to-day and short-term needs of the Muslim community, including the cost of operating 72 mosques in Singapore. We must also prepare for the needs of our Muslim community in the medium and long term. This includes making sure that our madrasahs are well funded in a sustainable manner, so that we can continue to provide quality education. Besides providing a good grounding in Islamic education, we must provide multiple development pathways for our asatizah. This will help us nurture future religious leaders who can continue to provide guidance to our community in an increasingly complex global environment.”
“During the period where the offender is released on licence and placed on certain conditions, do we monitor such offenders in terms of their Internet use, keeping in mind online platforms are often gateways to groom and exploit potential victims? For those already sentenced on SEPP and not released on licence, the Bill mentions regular reviews to determine whether the offender can be unconditionally released and the sentence brought to an end. How often will these reviews be? Who will be conducting these reviews and how often can such reviews be appealed? In conclusion, the cases for sexual and violent offenders is a pressing issue that demands urgent attention. The Bill goes a long way in terms of providing legal measures that can help us work towards creating safer communities and protecting the most vulnerable amongst us. We need to also ensure that we use a combination of prevention and rehabilitation programmes to tackle this at the root of the problem. Notwithstanding the clarifications above, I support the Bill.”
“Is it applied at the point of sentencing or at the point of release? Will the SEPP be applicable to those already in incarceration? In other words, if there is currently a violent or sexual predator already serving sentence, could the SEPP be applicable to him after it is deemed by MHA that the offender is still a threat to society? If yes, do we have the necessary court resources to assess those that are already in incarceration? If no, how do we prevent the current offenders who have a tendency to recommit crimes be detained for the sake of public safety? Based on the current offenders serving their sentence, what will be the number of offenders that could be placed on SEPP for which indefinite detention could be a possibility? While serving SEPP, does an offender still have opportunities to be rehabilitated and taken off SEPP before the end of his mandatory jail term? Why does there seem to be an increase in number of such crimes in the first place? Are we committing any resources from any Ministry in order to better understand this at the causal level? Should we not be looking into preventing such heinous crimes from happening in the first place? And is there adequate mental health support and rehabilitation services for such offenders who may have underlying mental issues? For the sentencing for SEPP, I understand that it is up to the Courts to decide. The Minister has earlier shared the make-up of the panel in his opening speech. Who will decide who sits on the panel? And during the individual's detention, will the offender be able to appeal against the SEPP sentenced on him? Or will he only be re-assessed at the end of his mandatory detention?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the proposed Criminal Procedure Bill is extensive and covers many facets. One of the substantive amendments include the introduction of the SEPP for which many of the Members here have spoken much about. Over the past few years, there have been many reports of cases involving dangerous offenders. These include serial sex offenders who preyed on children, as well recalcitrant offenders who committed serious sexual or violent offences soon after being released from prison. This is not just a statistic, it is a stark reality that poses an immediate threat to the safety and well-being of our society. We therefore cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this alarming issue. Hence, I am in support of the introduction of SEPP through the Bill as it seeks to better protect the public from dangerous, repeated offenders. However, I should also highlight that it has the challenge of balancing the individual rights of those affected by the wide ranging enhancements placed to protect the public against such dangerous offenders. As the introduction of the SEPP could see the offender jailed indefinitely, beyond the crime he was originally charged for, it is through these lens that I want to seek clarifications so that while we agree that we must better protect the public from such offenders, we also have the civic duty to be fair to such offenders. Clause 45 includes the "Seventh Schedule" for offences of which sentences for SEPP may be imposed. The offences cited include offences under sections 304, 307, 308, 326, 354, 375, 376, just to name a few. This includes violent crimes such as culpable homicide, attempt to murder, voluntarily causing grevious hurt and serious sexual offences. When will the SEPP take into effect?”
“However, some scams are executed without the transactions being authorised. Can we review the approach such that financial institutions bear some consequences for scams by unauthorised transactions? Secondly, given the volume of scam cases, more than 24,000 scam cases from just January to June 2023 alone and the complexity of scams with only 10,000 regular officers, it is understandable that investigations take some time. However, during the investigation, the victims' bank accounts or account, can be frozen. This can be highly challenging for the victims especially if it is the victim's sole account. Can we review the process of freezing bank accounts for the entire duration of the investigation period? In conclusion Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore has stood as a beacon of unity amidst a world experiencing growing division. However, trust remains delicate and will falter if left unnurtured. Leveraging digital advancements responsibly is pivotal in sustaining trust within our communities. Let us collectively strive to build a safe, inclusive and trustworthy digital society where no one gets left behind. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Motion.”
“The winning team comprises pupils from Madrasah Al-Arabiah Al-Islamiah who created a toy helicopter using 3D printing. Another example is the runner-up in the #HashTech competition; a team of three siblings, Nurul Musfirah, Nurul Shahzanie and Nurul Zahirah, who presented an Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform that helps people to better understand the various support schemes currently available in Singapore. Congratulations to all the students and I would like to thank all volunteers from M3@Pasir Ris-Punggol, MENDAKI, MUIS, MAEC, MMiT dan MM in Engineering for giving our students the opportunity to improve their digital skills. A few months ago, in my capacity as a panel member of the 4PM Bestari Award and Resilience Award for our youths studying at the ITE colleges, I was very moved when I saw the determination and resolve of these students in overcoming their challenges. Many of them are also pursuing further studies in various specialised fields, such as Applied AI and cybersecurity. To our students, please carry on pursuing digital knowledge. Our community must continue to encourage our students to explore and enhance their digital skills that are essential in the new economy. (In English): Moving on from digital inclusion to the need to protect Singaporeans against online scams. I would like to thank the officers from the inter-Ministries for their continuous hard work in combatting scams. While many of our fellow Parliamentarians have talked about preventing scams, I will briefly touch on two post-scam recovery efforts. Firstly, can we review the approach of dealing with scams by unauthorised transactions? Many scams originate from transactions which the victims have been misled to authorise.”
“To ease the academic load on our students, I propose that these topics are included into the core curriculum as non-examinable, while we replace topics that may not be as critical in the future economy. Providing a platform to create awareness and knowledge of the skills required in the digital economy, is precisely one of the things M3@PRPG (Pasir Ris-Punggol) hopes to achieve. Through our programs such as M3 goes digital, 3D Makers Workshop, Mentoring Program, Learning Journey and HashTech, M3@PRPG hopes to equip kids, especially those from the lower-income families with the awareness and basic knowledge of these skills and the possible opportunities in the future economy. Without such platforms, how will kids from lower-income families be aware of the skillsets required in the digital economy, let alone be inspired to have a career in these growing industries? Mr Speaker, Sir, in Malay please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] One of M3@Pasir Ris-Punggol’s priorities is to provide opportunities to our students, especially those from low-income families, to learn, try and upgrade their skills in the digital field. It is only through trying that our students can cultivate their interest and aspire to continue doing it as a career. Programmes such as M3 Does Digital and 3D Makers Space, where students learn about 3D printing; the M3 Learning Journey where students visit engineering and technology companies; and the #Hashtech programme where students pick up skills in dashboarding, cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence; all these provide a platform for our students to acquire digital skills. One example is the champion of the 3D Makers Challenge.”
“This is worrying, especially when we consider that these households may likely be from the lower-income families. How do we ensure that all households with school-going children have access to computers? While ensuring connectivity and accessibility to digital devices is an undoubted priority, we must also ensure that our education system provides essential digital skills as early as at primary and secondary school levels. After all, when Singapore pursued compulsory 10 years education, the intent is to ensure that our school-going children has the necessary basic knowledge and skills for their future. Typically, more affluent families send their kids to extra classes on coding, AI, AR and robotics. The access to such expensive extra-curricular activities, especially at a young age, may not be available to the lower-income families who face hurdles in accessing resources as well as being aware of and learning these crucial digital skills. This widens the skill gap between the haves and the have-nots. How do we ensure all our youths have equal opportunities to be exposed to and to develop these digital competencies? Can we identify essential digitals skills such as basic coding, robotics, applied AI, cybersecurity and digital wellness to be included as core curriculum in primary and secondary schools, so that all our students have access and are exposed to these essential digital skills at an early age? I fear if we do not do so, kids from lower-income families are unduly disadvantaged in the future economy. Hence, it was reassuring to hear from Minister Chan Chun Sing yesterday, that MOE is preparing our students to develop the foundational knowledge of AI. And I hope we can have more digital skills taught formally in schools.”
“So, how do we bring all of these different elements together and leverage digitalisation to meet the needs of our future seniors to have meaningful employment with a comfortable work-life balance when they retire, to meet the needs of future retirees to continue to build their retirement nest egg and to meet the manpower needs of our economy? To do so, we must take a structured, whole-of-nation approach to rethink the definition of employment to encourage flexible work arrangements like job sharing, staggered time, part-time work, where possible, to truly unlock the potential of digitally abled young seniors. Moreover, individuals with disabilities and back-to-work moms can stand to benefit too from such arrangements, helping to foster inclusivity while ensuring economic activity continues. Secondly, while our digital connectivity is commendable, we must ensure every school-going child has digital access and digital skillsets required in the future economy. The latest Singapore Digital Society Report indicates that through schemes such as DigitalAccess@Home and NEU PC, Singapore has a 99% internet connectivity rate for all households and 98% of households with school-going children have access to computers. At the grassroots level, we work with community partners to provide lower-income families with digital access. An example is in Pasir Ris East, where we worked with Schneider Electric to distribute 100 laptops to children from lower-income families. However, what I find surprising is that, despite all these programmes only 98% of household with school-going kids have access to computers. This represents two out of every 100 households with kids in school still not having access to computers for whatsoever reason.”
“Firstly, redefining employment. Redefining employment is essential as the employment landscape is evolving. The landscape is multifaceted and dynamic and any business owner in Singapore will tell you that we face challenges in securing the right manpower due to our limited population and an ageing demographic. It has been mentioned repeatedly that by 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be above the age of 60. Currently, jobs for seniors are typically manual in nature, such as cleaners and pump attendants, possibly because of the lack of digital skillset of the current seniors. However, what is different compared to what we are experiencing now is our young seniors now are digitally literate and can continue to contribute to the economy in a different way. At one of my house visits, I met a resident in her early 50s doing accounts for companies. She shared that since COVID-19, she has not been to her office. She hopes that she can continue to do so, well into post-retirement. She wishes to continue working as she enjoys the interaction but wants to spend time with her grandchildren too. COVID-19 has expedited the concept of flexible work arrangements in Singapore. Guidelines on flexible work arrangements have been shared by Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP). Some degree of telecommuting is accepted as the norm at the workplace now. However, job sharing, staggered time, part-time work have yet to be embraced in earnest.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am grateful that in Singapore, we live in a high-trust society where our trust transcends barriers of race, language, religion and differences. It is notable that this trust extends to our institutions. Based on a study by the Edelman Trust in 2023, our Government remains the most trusted institution in Singapore. Only with trust, can we remain united. In a 2022 Pew Research, 75% of Singaporeans polled shared that they felt more united after COVID-19, topping the list of 13 countries. This is remarkable, considering an increasingly divided world where trust for state and government institutions is hard to come by. We have been able to maintain a high degree of trust between people, Government, organisations and businesses through many years of working and facing challenges together. However, this trust is fragile and can erode if our differences are manipulated. Racial or religious tensions, increasing income gaps, fake news, deepfakes, as shared by fellow Parliamentarian Dr Tan, perceived unfairness and unaddressed anxieties can very easily unravel the trust we have meticulously built over the years. In this Motion, our GPC thus calls for the House to reaffirm our commitment to adopt a whole-of-nation approach to sustain trust by building an inclusive and safe digital society. How do we ensure that amidst increased global digitalisation, everyone feels secure and feels part of our society? How do we tackle falsehoods that threaten social cohesion? How do we combat technology-based scams? How can we provide equal and equitable opportunities such that the opportunities do not only benefit the few at the top? I would like to focus on just three critical points to help sustain trust by building a safe and inclusive digital society.”
“With that, I am heartened to hear Minister Maliki answering my Parliamentary Question and reaffirming his continued support for the ETAP Programme to further support the building of the PA capability in which Singapore has allocated S$10 million and has trained more than 600 Palestinian officials. During my meeting with Palestinian officials who went through ETAP training in Singapore before the crisis, they shared that they had positive expectations and expressed appreciation for the support given by Singapore. Third, while the Israel-Hamas conflict creates disunity, in Singapore, we must continue to maintain and uphold our multiracial and multi-religious peace and harmony. We must avoid polarising views on this crisis, especially because we know it has the potential to widen the dividing cracks within our society. Efforts such as fund raising efforts by RLAF and Humanity Matters in which we work together to unite our people will enable us to make a more effective impact in rendering assistance to this humanitarian crisis. (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, when we look at the chaos around us, it is easy to be engulfed by the emotions around it. The situation in Gaza is a humanitarian crisis, first and foremost. The complexity in the situation makes this conflict difficult to resolve. There are ways in which Singapore can assist to alleviate the crisis. We can only do so if we remain united together. Staying together is how we can best assist the situation in Gaza as the world continues to work towards a long-lasting two-state solution. As such, I am in support of the Motion.”
“We hope the UN resolution will be effective in the cessation of hostilities and providing humanitarian assistance. This is only a temporary measure, while a long-term solution is being worked out. Mr Speaker, the conflict in the Middle East has existed for a long time. The fact is that these conflicts have been marred by politics, internal quarrels, past decisions, history, and different and conflicting perspectives. This conflict is very complicated and cannot be simplified as simply differences over religion. Those who died are regardless of age, race or religion. A resident of Pasir Ris, Madam Syaazwani Ahmad, said, "It is clear now that this is an issue of political conflict that have resulted in humanitarian issues." The conflict can only be resolved through a two-state solution. This is the stance that Singapore has always supported and our support for the UN resolution on 27 October reaffirms that stance. While we look forward to the cessation of hostilities, how can we provide support towards a peaceful two-state solution? How can we act on this in a constructive way, in line with our values? First, a resolution can only be reached through a diplomatic solution. Therefore, we must unite the voices to support the resolution at the UN which upholds international law. Just like what we did at the UN resolution on 27 Oct, we had also previously supported the vote against illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as it also violates international law. Second, while we strive for the cessation of hostilities, we must continue to support the capability building efforts of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Singapore has a unique relationship because we have diplomatic relations with Israel and good relations with the PA.”
“Second, to advocate for a "humanitarian truce", and sending humanitarian aid immediately and without any obstacles to Gaza. Third, how can we understand this conflict. Lastly, what we can do, in our own way to contribute towards a lasting solution. Mr Speaker, many of us are dealing with various emotions, such as anger, sadness, confusion and injustice when we see reports and social media broadcasts about Gaza. What more when videos on social media show that many children and families are killed in this humanitarian crisis Over decades, the Palestinians have been living in hardship in the of "occupied Palestinian territory" where their basic rights have been curtailed or neglected. The escalation of conflict since 7 October has worsened the humanitarian crisis. Ever since the terrorist attack, which was condemned globally, killed 1,400 military personnel and civilians, Israel's military response has killed more than 9,000 Palestinians including more than 3,000 children. Many felt that the military response caused excessive collateral damage and was an imbalanced response. This conflict continues to injure and kill civilians regardless of age, race and religion. Therefore, many of our people want the hostilities to stop, so that humanitarian aid can be rendered in Gaza. Therefore, it is important that on 27 October, Singapore took a firm stand and expressed our concern over the situation in Gaza by supporting the UN resolution to condemn all acts of violence to civilians regardless of race, call for an immediate humanitarian truce and cessation of hostilities, ensure the protection of civilians and delivery of humanitarian aid immediately without any hindrance.”
“For our own peace and security, we must avoid a polarisation of views on this crisis, especially since we know it has the potential to amplify divisive lines within our society. While many societies in the world are wedged by their differences, we must stay united as a society and recognise that this is first and foremost a humanitarian crisis. Lastly, united and together, we can mobilise our community to have a greater impact on this humanitarian crisis. Hence, efforts where our community comes together, regardless of race or religion, like the RLAF donation collection, Red Cross Foundation and efforts by Humanity Matters, where volunteers from different faiths come together to pack medical and relief supplies to be sent to Gaza, represent our united commitment to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. Two weeks ago, in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, we organised our seventh inter-faith charity drive, aptly named, Blessings in Harmony. It brought together the different religious organisations in Punggol such as Al-Islah Mosque, Fo Guang Shan temple, Church of the Transfiguration, amongst many others, and other volunteer organisations to work together for their beneficiaries, regardless of race, language or religion. These are our blessings in harmony. In Singapore, we are indeed blessed with this harmony and we are blessed to live in harmony. It is something that we cannot take for granted. We cannot let external factors divide us. We are unique in this sense. This is how we come together and respond as a united people in any time of need, including when helping others. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, my speech will touch on four points. First, to voice out the community's feelings on the Middle East issue.”
“More recently, on 10 July, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean called on the Palestinian Authority's Prime Minister during his visit to Ramallah, reaffirming the warm ties between Singapore and the Palestinian Authority. We must continue to support capability building for the Palestinians, such as through the $10-million Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP), which has benefited more than 600 Palestinian officials in courses on public administration, technical and vocational education, and training and economic development. This is in addition to the healthcare packages during COVID-19 and customised healthcare courses and postgraduate scholarships aimed at training Palestinian policymakers. We must be ready to provide additional help to assist the Palestinians to support capability building. I met some of the Palestinian officials on ETAP training, together with Habib Hassan, last year. They expressed hope. They are positive about the future and expressed appreciation at the support Singapore provides. Thirdly, while the Israel-Hamas conflict provokes divisive views, in Singapore, as individuals, we must continue to safeguard and uphold our multiracial and multi-religious peace and harmony. The conflict can easily be misconstrued as a religious conflict, which can quickly fan the flames of religious fervour. I would like to urge my fellow Singaporeans to exercise caution. The fact is, as mentioned by many Parliamentarians already, this is a complicated conflict that has been marred by history, politics, infighting, past decisions, political alliances, with many different and divisive perspectives, with different stakeholders safeguarding their own interests.”
“It would be naive of anyone to assume that a solution is easy and Singapore has always supported a two-state solution and our vote on 27 October in the UN resolution reaffirms that stand. While we continue to hope for cessation of hostilities, how do we then provide support towards a two-state solution? What can we do, given our size and geostrategic interests? How can we respond to this in a constructive way consistent with our values? One of our volunteers in Pasir Ris, Mr Martin Modarei asked if countries like us can play a role to help the legitimate Palestinian leaders with capacity-building when the conflict winds down. Firstly, a long-term solution can only be via a diplomatic solution. Hence, at the international level, we need to continue to support the UN in upholding international law, just like what we did on 27 October. Prior to this, we also voted against the illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territory as they contravene international law, too. Additionally, we must keep in mind our unique position. To quote Prime Minister Lee in his speech at the joint press conference for the Singapore-Malaysia Leaders' Retreat at the Istana last Monday, "We have diplomatic relations with Israel but, at the same time, we have friendly relations with the Palestinian Authority. It is in our best interest that a long-term two-state solution be diplomatically negotiated and be upheld by international law." Secondly, while we work towards an immediate humanitarian truce, we must continue to support capability-building for the Palestinian Authority. Singapore has friendly relations with the Palestinian Authority, as evident in Minister Maliki and Minister Vivian's visit to Ramallah in 2022.”
“The conflict had begun even before 7 October, where, for decades, the Palestinians have been subjected to systemic discrimination, abuse, restricted movements and they have endured eviction from their generational homes and witnessed expansion of illegal settlements. The recent escalation of the conflict has no doubt made it even more inhumane for the civilians. With no end in sight, it does not seem far-fetched to fear the worst. As such, Mr Speaker, Sir, I stand in support of the Motion. We must advocate a humanitarian truce and ensure the immediate delivery of aid to the civilian population in Gaza. It was, indeed, imperative that on 27 October, Singapore took an unequivocal stand and expressed its concerns over the situation in Gaza by supporting the UN resolution calling for an immediate and sustained humanitarian truce, emphasising that civilians must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law and the immediate and unhindered provision of essential supplies to civilians in Gaza. Singapore stood firm with many from the rest of the world in favour of a non-binding resolution drafted by the Arab states, even when 44 other countries abstained from voting and 14 voted against it. Singapore has remained consistent throughout the past 50 years on our position in the Middle East with regard to safeguarding humanitarian interests and upholding international law. Mr Speaker, this conflict in the Middle East has long existed and remained unresolved. The conflict draws much regional and international attention, as competing stakeholders safeguard their own interests.”
“How can we watch the death and destruction, tolerate watching women, children and elderly fleeing for their lives, people searching frantically for their families under the rubble and see fellow humans deprive of food, water and medical supplies? Mr Speaker, Sir, we empathise with the plight of innocent victims and civilian casualties as they become collateral damage to the military operations in Gaza. We feel utterly helpless in the face of these atrocities happening daily, as innocent lives bear the burden of collective responsibility for the attacks on 7 October. Let us be clear. Fellow Parliamentarians here have already shared how the attack on 7 October, which killed 1,400 soldiers and many civilians, has been rightfully condemned globally. However, Israel's military response has killed more than 9,000 Palestinians, including children. Humanity group, Save the Children, described the living conditions in Gaza as pure horror. Many have voiced their feelings of helplessness and shared that Israel's response is disproportionate, but let the due process in international law address that, as some of our fellow Parliamentarians have mentioned earlier. What is clear is that many are grappling with the emotions as they feel the injustice and moral indignation, as we witness the asymmetry in military and the widespread suffering in Gaza, which sadly point towards even more deaths for civilians caught in the crossfire. Mr Speaker, Sir, the situation in the conflict has escalated very quickly to the humanitarian crisis that we see today. For decades, the Palestinian people have lived under difficult conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories where their basic rights have been curtailed.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir. I will begin with expressing our condolences to all the innocent victims and civilian casualties in this conflict. My speech will touch on four key points. Firstly, to voice the feelings of the community as we are presented with scenes of the conflict. Secondly, advocating for immediate humanitarian truce and the urgent and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Thirdly, how do we make sense of this conflict? And lastly, what can we do in our own Singaporean way to contribute towards a resolution? Mr Speaker, Sir, what we are seeing in Gaza is difficult to see and we cannot turn a blind eye on. Mass and social media are abuzz daily with scenes of destruction, deaths, despair and hopelessness in Gaza, as the crisis escalates and spirals out of control. I would like to thank many Pasir Ris-Punggol residents for reaching out to share their concerns on this crisis. Many shared that they are grappling with a range of emotions, such as anger, hurt, helplessness, and they shared their struggle to make sense of what is happening. One Pasir Ris resident, Mr Ramos Chua, shared that it was sad and heart-wrenching to see the deaths and destruction in Gaza. Another Pasir Ris resident, Ms Shazwani Ahmad, shared that the content on social media is devastating and it makes social media feel like a dark, black hole we cannot get out of. Many questioned the disproportionate use of force that has led us to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the size and scale of which have left us wondering how could this be happening in this day and age?”
“Improving productivity, building capability, anchoring quality investments, nurturing and sustaining innovation is our lifeline to stay relevant in the global market. This Bill proposes to enhance and contains new tax deductions on qualifying expenditure through the new EIS to further nurture and sustain innovation in Singapore. While I am fully supportive of its intent, my clarification will focus more on the effectiveness of this Bill to meet the policy intent of encouraging businesses to engage in R&D, innovation and capability development activities. The clarifications that I seek can be summarised as follows; firstly, how effective have tax incentives been in developing new capabilities and R&D; secondly, how do we ensure that investments in skills will give rise to productivity or effective capability development; and thirdly, can we expand the list of partners that qualify for support? (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, I believe the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill has changes that help align it better with policy objectives while improving tax administration. The introduction of the EIS to encourage more businesses to engage in R&D, innovation and capability development is very much welcomed. Notwithstanding the clarifications I have mentioned earlier, I support the Bill. 6.39 pm”
“While I appreciate that it covers individuals deployed under central hiring arrangement or even secondment arrangement, can the Ministry consider having a minimum amount of years that the employee has to serve in the company before his training expenditure can be considered for tax deduction? This is especially important because since we now have the option to convert qualifying training expenditure into cash. This will make it harder for those who intend to abuse the system and send temporary "workers" for training indiscriminately and collect the training expenditure in cash. On my last clarification, Mr Speaker, Sir, the Bill proposes that innovation projects carried out with polytechnics, ITEs and qualified partners may be eligible for tax deductions. Currently, the list of partners includes all the polytechnics, ITEs and partner institutions, such as Aquaculture Innovation Centre, Centre Innovation for Complementary Health Products (Temasek Polytechnic) and Precision Engineering Centre of Innovation (SIMTech). Is there a reason why local universities and their associated centres are not included as partner institutions? Will the Ministry review the list of partner institutions periodically? Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Businesses are currently facing immense challenges from rising costs, a more competitive labour market, difficulties in attracting talent and increasing global competition. While businesses wish to pay their workforce better, this is only sustainable if it is done with a corresponding increase in productivity, and through engaging in higher value-added work and work in industries which provide more value to the world.”
“Another consideration when assessing qualifying training expenditure in relation to delivering intended policy objectives is the assumption that skills learnt in training are applied and delivers a real value to the business. Can I also suggest that to qualify for tax deduction from the training expenditure, a business has to show that the trainee has delivered value to the organisation? For example, in the Lean Six Sigma black belt certification where although the course fee is $9,000, the trainee must show that he is able to apply his skills and deliver cost savings to his organisation before he receives the certification. Similarly, should we get the applying companies to briefly describe how their staff are applying the skillset to drive innovation and productivity in their organisation? While I understand and appreciate that asking for proof of applying the learnt skillset may be challenging to administer, the smaller number of applications from a precise list of courses and the use of possibly AI and machine learning to assess the submissions could help in the administrative process. This will then ensure that businesses intending to claim this tax deduction will think through more thoroughly about how trainees can immediately put their newly acquired skillsets to further develop R&D and capability in the organisation. I have mentioned about narrowing the number of eligible courses to focus more on productivity and innovation. I have also touched on encouraging businesses to then apply the newly acquired skillset. The next important element is then – who is eligible for the tax deduction for training expenditure in the company?”
“Firstly, given that tax deduction on qualifying R&D expenditure, registration of IPs, acquisition and licensing of IP rights and training expenditure has been ongoing and what is currently proposed is an enhancement to it, what is the total amount of tax deduction that has been claimed for these criteria for the past five years? Based on this, granted that it is a lot harder to quantify the benefits, does the Ministry have an estimate of how this has encouraged and enabled more innovation or generated more IPs in Singapore? It will be useful to have an idea if this is an effective lever to drive innovation in Singapore. Secondly, on training expenditure. The tax deduction is applicable to "qualifying training expenditure incurred on courses that are eligible for SkillsFuture funding and aligned with the Skills Framework". Clicking on the link of eligible courses found on go.gov.sg/eis-training leads us to 12,523 course records, listing anything from artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to wine appreciation and 3D jelly art. I believe the qualifying training expenditure on the courses eligible for EIS tax deduction is too broad, given that the policy objective is for EIS to encourage businesses to engage in R&D, innovation and develop deeper capability. To be fair, there are good and relevant courses in the SkillsFuture list, such as "Intellectual Property and Business Model Planning" and "Intellectual Property, Innovations in IoT". Can the Ministry consider narrowing down the number of courses so that businesses can sharpen their thinking when it comes to driving R&D, innovation and developing capability in their organisation?”
“We have the National Productivity Grant, with the additional $4 billion top up mentioned by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. We are investing $24 billion from 2021 to 2025 to catalyse research innovation. We have specific industry transformation maps for 23 industries and many other schemes and policies that are aimed to drive productivity and nurture innovation. This Bill proposes to enhance and have new tax deductions on qualifying expenditure through the new EIS to further nurture and sustain innovation. Today, businesses already enjoy tax deductions of up to 250% of qualifying expenditure on qualifying R&D activities, registration of IP, acquisition and licensing of IP rights and training expenditure. The EIS will enhance the tax deductions of up to 400% of qualifying expenditure on five core activities: qualifying R&D activities, registration of IPs, acquisition and licensing of IP rights, innovation projects carried out by polytechnics, ITEs and qualified partners, and training via courses approved by SkillsFuture. While I am fully supportive of its intent, my clarification will focus more on the effectiveness of this tool and if we need to tweak it to meet the policy intent of encouraging businesses to engage in R&D, innovation and capability development activities. To do so, my clarifications are broadly summarised in the following: firstly, how effective has the tax incentive been in developing new capability and R&D? Secondly, how do we ensure investment into skills give rise to real productivity or capability development in Singapore? Thirdly, can we expand the list of qualified partners for support on innovation projects?”
“Amidst higher prices, including higher conservancy prices, higher water prices and higher transport prices, the additional $1.1 billion Cost-of-Living Support Package for households aims to offset these price increases with the additional S&CC rebate, U-Save rebate and Public Transport Vouchers. In addition to that, all Singaporean households receive $200 of Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers and 2.5 million eligible adult Singaporeans will receive up to $200 cash payment. We see both the headline and core inflation rates slowing down for the past few months with core inflation down to 3.8% year-on-year in July compared to 4.2% in June. While Cost-of-Living packages are rolled out to assist Singaporeans with inflation, businesses are facing immense challenges too. In addition to inflation and rising cost, businesses in Singapore continue to have to contend with rising cost of production, tight labour market, challenges of attracting talent, managing workers expectations in the new norm, increasing global competition, MNEs re-shoring/near-shoring and governments around the world offering more grants, schemes and support to continue to attract investments into their country and giving us a run for our money. While we all want to pay our workforce better, this is only sustainable if it is done with a corresponding increase in productivity and through engaging in high value-added work and work in industries that are higher-valued to the world. Improving productivity, building capability, anchoring quality investments, nurturing and sustaining innovation is our lifeline to remain relevant in the global market. Thankfully, we are not short of tools to encourage companies to deliver what we need.”
“Mr Speaker, I welcome the amendments to the Bill. Key amendments, such as tax gains from the sale of foreign assets that are received in Singapore by businesses without economic substance in Singapore and mandating the submission of income information by intermediaries by SEPs better improve tax administration and policy objectives. The PTIS for family offices strengthens Singapore's position as a regional philanthropy hub and encourages family offices to anchor their operations in Singapore. And the EIS enhances the already available tax incentives and aims to encourage more businesses to engage in R&D, innovation and capability development. Mr Speaker, Sir, in Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's Budget speech in February this year, he shared that amidst a very challenging external backdrop, our economy grew 3.6% in 2022 and our unemployment rate at 2.8% in December last year is below pre-pandemic levels. It was described that 2022 was a year of "brutal inflation" worldwide where global inflation was around 9% and inflation reached historic levels in many advanced economies, such as the United States and Germany. To battle this inflation, MAS had tightened our monetary policy five times since October 2021. While this has eased the pressure on headline inflation, inflation rates are still higher than what Singaporeans are used to. Hence, up to February this year, we have rolled out three packages to address cost-of-living concerns totalling more than $3.5 billion. And just last week, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced another $1.1 billion Cost-of-Living Support Package to help Singaporeans cope with higher inflation and cost-of-living challenges.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank Minister of State Sun for the clarification. For some of those affected, the bank accounts could be their only bank account and investigations may take many months and, in the particular case I have, it has taken more than six months. Would the Ministry consider at least providing the information to the affected individuals that they can apply for exemption or at least the release of some funds so that they can continue with their day-to-day living, please?”
“Mr Speaker, Question No 59? Sorry, Mr Speaker, can I take both Question Nos 59 and 60. I think you may want the Ministry of National Development (MND) questions to be moved first? Speaker, there is Question No 53 that you may want to call on first, maybe? But I am okay if you want to do Question No 59.”
“Beyond the emerging priorities of learnings from the pandemic and greater economic resilience seen in 2023 during the Budget debates, are the ITM and Job transformation Map (JTM) considering the impact of generative AI? Can I also request that the JTM and ITM refresh consider strongly promoting job redesign for the soon-to-be seniors, so that future seniors who are now digitally literate and exposed to digital technologies will have the opportunity for other job roles in the future which are beyond the manual labour-intensive jobs, such as cleaning? Mr Speaker, Sir, notwithstanding the clarification above, I stand in support of the Bill.”
“In 2020, Ng Cheow Chai, who runs two machinery companies, helped 83 businesses submit fraudulent claims to the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) scheme seeking payouts of $2.7 million between March 2013 and July 2016. He pleaded guilty to 57 income tax charges involving more than $1.4 million in cash payouts and bonuses. In 2018, S Chandran admitted to submitting $1 million in fake PIC claims. These three cases are just some of the cases involving fraudulent claims drawing down from the NPF. While we want to make it easy for businesses to utilise NPF to improve their productivity and remain competitive, we must also ensure that the system is robust and cannot be abused by unscrupulous individuals. As we top up our NPF with an additional $4 billion dollars, how do we also ensure that we have a robust system that balances the pace required to fund innovation and not stifle it while ensuring good governance? During the Committee of Supply debate in 2023, Minister Gan Kim Yong highlighted notable progress within the 23 ITM sectors, showcasing a 3.5% annual growth in value added (VA) from 2016 to 2019, surpassing the overall economy's 3.1% average. Moreover, these sectors demonstrated enhanced productivity, growing by 4% annually between 2016 and 2022, compared to the economy's 3.5%. Minister Gan also discussed the impending ITM 2025 refresh, designed to incorporate pandemic-induced lessons and address emergent priorities like sustainability and economic resilience. I would like to ask the Minister for an update on the ITM 2025 refresh and how the additional $4 billion top-up will assist in expediting the implementation of the ITM refresh.”
“On 2 March 2023, Minister of State Low Yen Ling mentioned that over the last five years, Singapore’s NPF has disbursed more than S$1 billion across 47 Government projects related to productivity improvements and continuing education and training (CET) and about half was spent on productivity projects and the other half on CET programmes. With the $4 billion top-up to the NPF, what is the expected duration that the fund will last for and what are the specific targets that we want to achieve for these funds? Which brings me to my second point. The example on the funding support from Germany for Intel’s new factory shows that our NPF resource is quite limited when compared to others. As we expand the scope of the NPF to anchor more quality investments in Singapore, how do we ensure that the funds are effectively used by businesses to drive real productivity, productivity improvements that will lower the cost of doing business in Singapore? How do we ensure that the funds drive a real reduction in the operating cost of businesses so that we can remain globally competitive? How can we link funding support for businesses with tangible, proven improvement to business performance? With our limited funds, we must ensure that every single dollar is effectively used at driving transformation for our businesses. While we ensure the NPF is effectively used, we must also ensure that it is not abused. In March 2022, Lim Chit Foo was sentenced to nine years and four months' jail for cheating the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) into disbursing more than $11.8 million in productivity funds. Lim made 400 fraudulent claims involving fictitious purchases of software made by the applicant companies from a pool of six shell vendor companies.”
“Allow me to elaborate more on the first point. The NPF was established in 2010 to support a wide range of measures for businesses to improve productivity and continue to educate and train workers. Now, NPF’s scope is expanded to include investment promotion. The amendment allows the fund to be used for grants to enterprises for Singapore investments and economic activities which are aimed to develop the economy. I would like to seek clarification on what are the types of investments that meet the criteria for NPF funding. Are there specific industries or critical or novel technology strands that we are targeting? The reason for the question is because while $4 billion is a large sum of money, it pales in comparison with the resources other countries have and, hence, we must be selective and be very clear on the capabilities that we want to develop which leverage on our infrastructure, geopolitical positioning and, most importantly, the capabilities of our workforce and the added capabilities that we want to develop for our workforce. If we were to compare with other state support abroad, Intel has sealed an agreement to build a new $33 billion semiconductor plant in Magdeburg, Germany, with US$11 billion in subsidies from Germany. That investment promotion alone is 2.5 times the size of our NPF top-up! As NPF is also used to continue to educate and train our workers, how do we ensure the NPF is utilised and distributed fairly across educating and training workers to improving productivity and investment promotion? How do we find the right balance so that we do not overinvest in one at the expense of others?”
“Furthermore, additional headwinds, such as the impending increase in carbon tax and the implementation of the BEPS 2.0 initiative, may add even more costs to doing business in Singapore, something which Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat mentioned earlier, too. The US and other countries are rolling out aggressive tax breaks and subsidies to attract investments, such as the CHIPS and Science Act in the US, to build up their industries and revitalise their domestic manufacturing, competing with Singapore. Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat mentions that other countries like India are also intensifying their investment promotion. BEPS2.0 tax equalisation reduces Singapore’s investment attraction capabilities. However, the best way to deal with the geopolitical uncertainty, the increased competition and the cost pressures is for Singapore to continue to be a trusted investment destination, to remain open and to boost the long-term productivity and global competitiveness of our enterprises. In his 2023 Budget speech, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s announcement of the $4 billion top up to our NPF and the expansion of the scope of NPF to include investment promotion was very much welcomed. Hence, I am in support of the amendments to the NPF Bill. However, I have three points of clarification to make. Firstly, what are the types of investments that meet the criteria for NPF investment support? Secondly, how do we ensure that funds are effectively used to drive real productivity so that the improvements can help lower the cost of doing business in Singapore? And how do we prevent it from being abused? Thirdly, given that the Industry Transformation Map (ITM) is funded through NPF, what is the status and progress of ITM 2.0 or the ITM refresh?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I begin, I would like to congratulate you on your recent election as Speaker of Parliament. Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore’s stable and trusted policy environment and access to global talent have attracted many MNEs in sectors like oil, finance, electronics and pharmaceuticals. However, geopolitical and economic rivalry between the United States and China – two of the world’s largest economies and Singapore’s top trading partners – may threaten this investment trend. In Deputy Prime Minister Wong’s Budget speech earlier in February this year, he mentioned that "The geopolitical context has shifted greatly. Great power contestation has intensified, most notably between the US and China." Due to this, MNEs are reconfiguring supply chains, at times, moving away from the most cost-efficient configurations to a more robust supply chain that takes these geopolitical risks into serious consideration. There is a trend of MNEs relocating to safer locations to avoid geopolitical conflicts. He mentioned, "All this is setting off a dangerous dynamic towards greater economic nationalism and protectionism around the world. Governments are stumping out more aggressive support, in the form of tax breaks and subsidies, to anchor strategic industries." In addition to the increased economic nationalism and protectionism around the world, the higher inflation rates, higher interest rates, higher borrowing cost and cost-of-capital, the manpower crunch, our higher wages and even higher dormitory cost and rental market continue to increase the cost of doing business in Singapore. Our strong currency also means Singapore-based businesses are finding it harder to compete through cost in the global market.”
“Sorry, just a quick clarification to Ms Hazel Poa. So, she thanked the hon Mr Murali for sharing his experience and I also thank Mr Murali for sharing his experience. But she mentioned that it may not matter because he won anyway. I just wanted some clarification. Does that imply that she is asking minority candidates and future minority candidates to accept such racial abuse, because it may not matter and because he may win in elections, rather than having a system that prevents or at least reduces the probability of the minority candidate from being subjected to such abuse and yet, at the same time, allows the minority representation in Parliament, because we show up together as a multiracial team?”
“I would like to thank the Minister for his reply. I would like to declare my interests one of the 22,000 employees in the aerospace industry. I acknowledge that the NTS occupational list includes occupations across several Industries, including F&B and manufacturing. However, the list does not include support workers in the aerospace industry. The aerospace industry is recovering and ramping up again after three years of very challenging times during the pandemic years. The industry has already focused on automation, lean management and invested heavily in R&D to enhance productivity. While the industry has also worked very closely with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and agencies like Workforce Singapore (WSG) to redesign jobs to attract locals to the industry, however, the aerospace industry is still facing difficulties in finding manpower to support its recovery and growth, particularly in supporting roles that complement the value-added jobs that our Singaporean local workforce is already doing. While efforts are made to redesign jobs for locals to focus on the value-added roles such as inspectors, lead technicians, technical specialists, there is still a need for more workers in supporting and complementary roles such as machinists, blasting or chemical line operators or fitters. Can MOM consider such specific supporting and complementary roles in the aerospace industry to be placed in the NTS occupation list, especially at the time when the industry is trying to recover and grow in a competitive global maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) market amidst a tight labour market?”
“(In English): Mdm Deputy Speaker, with all the scam cases that are happening around us, it is unnerving to hear that between 2020 and 2022, more than 19,000 money mules were investigated by the Police, but only fewer than 250 cases were eventually prosecuted. Hence, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to see how our agencies are working together to strengthen our collective defence against scams with the amendments to the Bills. Notwithstanding the clarifications above, I stand in support the Bills.”
“How can our Police force be equipped with the right technology like generative AI to help "patrol" the digital space and investigate such crimes? Mdm Deputy Speaker, in Malay please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The rise in scam cases continues to be a worrying trend. The number of cases and amount lost to scams continue to increase. Over the past two years between 2021 and 2022, about $1.3 billion of workers' hard-earned money has been lost due to scams. The modus operandi of scammers changes frequently, and our agencies are working together to strengthen our collective defence against scams. However, I have three points of clarification for the Minister. The first point seeks clarification on some clauses in the amendments, namely, to ensure that this Bill covers all forms of payment, not just bank accounts, but also e-wallets, such as Google Pay or Apple Pay. In addition, while the amendments mean that account holders will be responsible if there are fraudulent transactions going through their account, we must ensure that we set the threshold so that we do not make it even harder for scam victims who have already lost their money. My second point is about educating the public on scam prevention. It is not only the elderly that fall prey to scams, and in fact, 53% of scam victims are between 20 to 39 years old. So, we must continue to stay vigilant and further enhance our capabilities to work together to prevent and stop these scams. Finally, I would like to see more focus on improving the success rate of recovering monies that have been lost to scams.”
“These individuals are digital natives, indicating a need for targeted education efforts that debunk misconceptions about scam victims and cater to the unique challenges faced by the younger generations too. Lastly, while the amendments to the two Bills strengthen our collective defence against scams, for most scam victims, recovery of the monies lost to a scam is just as important as apprehending the scammers, if not more so. I am pleased to see in the report that over $200 million has been recovered by Anti-Scam Centre since its inception in 2019 to 2022. How has this improved since then? How do we stop money from quickly exiting the accounts of the victims to multiple banks and then quickly channelled outside of our jurisdiction? How do we balance between the efficiency of money transfers through banks versus providing adequate protection for victims of scams? Is there a fail-safe system to immediately stop fraudulent transactions from crossing our boundaries? How much responsibility is placed on the banks to ensure that it is not easy for the scammers or money launderers to move money quickly around? How are we using technology tools such as blockchain and AI to detect and prevent such fraudulent transactions? To elaborate more on my last point, the continuous rise in the number of scam cases is deeply concerning. In fact, the number of scam cases reported in 2022 at 31,728 cases is far higher, almost 50% more than the number of cases of physical crimes. As our hon colleague Mr Murali earlier mentioned, the number of scam cases has reached an industrial scale. Do we have enough resources and capability along with the correct organisational structure within our Police force to take on this changing nature of crimes effectively?”
“In light of this development, it is pertinent to inquire as to the current prevalence of such incidents and the total number of such cases reported to the Police. The proposed penalty for obtaining or dealing with Singpass credentials is a maximum penalty of a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both, for a first offence. For a second or subsequent offence, the maximum penalty will be a fine of up to $20,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both. This seems similar to the penalty for theft. However, given that in Singapore, an individual's Singpass account provides access to many other facilities and has bigger implications if abused as compared to physical theft, the proposed penalties for obtaining or dealing with Singpass credentials should serve as an adequate deterrent. How do we ensure that this is enough of a deterrent to prevent the illegal sale and theft of Singpass account access? This brings me to my second point of whether individuals who had sold or inadvertently divulged their Singpass details to scammers were cognisant of the potential ramifications of such actions. How do we continue to educate people on the importance of keeping this information private and not sharing it with others? How effective has our outreach been? How do we continue to better educate people in ensuring that they always remain curious and enquire about sources and the destination of transactions and not just trust others openly? Educating the public about scams is crucial for prevention. It is a misconception that only the old and the digitally illiterate gets scammed. Contrary to popular belief, more than 53% of scam victims were between the ages of 20 and 39 years old.”
“In considering requests by others to use their payment accounts to receive and transfer monies, owners are always expected to find out more about the other party, to verify the other party's identity and to understand the origin or destination of the monies. Can I confirm with the Second Minister that payment accounts include other types of platforms beyond banks or Singpass accounts, such as e-wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Grab Pay, Google Pay and We Chat Pay? In the amendments, when an account owner receives money from or transfers money to another person, he must also take reasonable steps to enquire and identify the source or destination of the money. He would be deemed to have acted rashly if he proceeded to carry out transactions while he had suspicions, but did not make further enquiries to address those suspicions. Furthermore, he would be deemed to have acted negligently if he continues with a transaction despite the presence of "red flags" that are noticeable by an ordinary, responsible person. Given that scammers will often impersonate officials, trusted entities and even family members, what is the threshold required to prove that the account owner has acted negligently or recklessly? Very often we hear of how victims were completely convinced that the scammers were from trusted sources. The burden of proof has shifted and we must be careful how we manage this threshold, so as not to make it even more challenging for victims who have already lost their money and compound their predicament by holding them responsible for allowing money to be transacted out of their account. The proposed amendments to the CMA were prompted by instances of Singpass account being sold by individuals, which is a worrisome occurrence.”
“Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. The number of reported scams and the amount lost to scams are steadily increasing, with significant impact on individuals and their hard-earned money. In 2022, there were 31,728 scam cases reported in Singapore, a 32.6% increase from 2021, and victims lost a staggering $660.7 million in 2022 alone, up from $632 million in 2021. Hence, in the last two years, $1.3 billion had been lost through scams and some of these are the retirement funds of many of our residents. During my Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) at Pasir Ris, one of my residents, who is a professional, came up to me, sharing that he had lost more than $200,000 to a scam and that the majority of the money lost was his mother's retirement savings. It is essential to address this issue promptly and effectively. Whilst scammers continue to change their modus operandi, our agencies are diligently working to catch up with them. It is encouraging to witness the collaboration between the MHA and the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office as they work closely together to strengthen our collective defence against scams. However, I have three points of clarification for the Minister. My first point will be on clarifying some of the clauses in the amendments. My second point will focus on how we continue to educate the general public effectively on scams. And my third and last point will be focusing on how we improve the recovery of the monies lost to scams. The proposed amendments in the Bills stipulate that the payment account owners, including bank accounts, must exercise responsible conduct in the utilisation of the said account. They will be held accountable for any transaction that takes place through their accounts.”
“While we shape our social compact, it is important to avoid creating a culture of dependence on the Government and, instead, we work collaboratively as we tackle the challenges ahead. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Motion.”
“They also conducted a Back-To-School programme where around 160 children from underprivileged families have been given bags, stationery and joined Mathematics classes and the Mendaki Tuition Scheme. M3@Pasir Ris-Punggol also held a Learning Journey series to encourage youths to explore careers in the engineering and 3D-printing industries, as well as the #HashTech hackathon, where students had the opportunity to enhance digital and cybersecurity skills from tech professionals. These programmes were implemented with the support of volunteers, agencies like Majilis Ugama Islam Singapore (MUIS), Malay Activity Executive Committees Councils (MESRA) and Mendaki, as well as industry partners. Our social compact is about society understanding how we communicate and support each other. It reflects our values where it is not only about self-interest but also about the interests of the community. I urge individuals who have made it to give back to the community so that we can further uplift our community especially those less fortunate. (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, the past three years have taught us the importance of staying united, trusting one another regardless of differences, and working together as a society to overcome challenges, no matter how hard it can be. We have seen how in other countries issues can be divisive and societies fall apart with deep divides that will take generations to mend. We have learnt that by staying united, trusting one another, we are able to overcome challenges and emerge strongly as a more closely-knit society having gone through adversity together. Our social compact is our collective responsibility. Our shared understanding of how we relate to and support one another will be critical in shaping our future.”
“How do we then design jobs and leverage on remote working so that our future senior workers will have even more opportunities? Similarly, how do we redesign jobs and leverage on remote and flexible work arrangements so that we can provide opportunities for persons with disabilities, caregivers and back-to-work mothers? While there are grants and schemes to assist with their employment such as Senior Employment Credit, Part-Time Re-Employment Grant and Uplifting Employment Credit, what is the percentage of companies that have taken up these grants? Have we done enough, given that by 2030, 900,000 or one in four of our Singaporeans will be above the age of 65 and 3.4% of our resident population has some form of disability? While we have grants and schemes to help nudge behaviours and attitudes, we must substantially move the needle and provide equal opportunities for all. It is our collective societal responsibility to ensure that designing jobs for seniors, persons with disabilities, and special needs workers is our national priority. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The COVID-19 experience has taught us the importance of staying united, believing in one another regardless of differences and working together as a community to overcome challenges. Over the past two years, at M3@Pasir Ris-Punggol, our volunteers have conducted many programmes such as Get-Together at Pasir Ris-Punggol where more than 1,000 families participated in a children's games festival, and among others, held the KelasMatematika programme to help preschool children by developing their basic mathematical skills. Each month, the M3@Pasir Ris-Punggol volunteers also distributed care packs to underprivileged families.”
“Providing multiple pathways to success will be key to fulfilling every citizen's potential and moving away from an education arms race. Let us value pursuits beyond paper qualifications and ease the pressure and stress on our young. We have started on a journey of creating equal opportunities long ago and though there is much more that we can do, we have made significant progress in gender equality. We have also begun to pursuit at pace on equality and addressing discrimination at the workplace through our Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) guidelines. They are all works in progress. However, we have not been as successful in providing equal opportunities for seniors, persons with disabilities, special needs workers, caregivers and back-to-work mothers. We need to do more to support these individuals and ensure that they have access to opportunities to fully participate in society and contribute to the economy. Our seniors, persons with disabilities and special needs workers still face an uphill task in finding meaningful employment and opportunities to contribute to the economy. We have heard much anecdotal evidence – stories shared by our residents – that the opportunity a senior felt that they have was in the conservancy or cleaning industry, which requires long hours on their feet and physical work, is to their disadvantage. This could possibly be due to several limiting factors such as literacy and digital literacy among our current senior workers. However, our next generation of seniors in the next 10 years will be more literate and more digitally capable. We need to prepare them for future reemployment.”