Sun Xueling
Singapore
“We are deploying electric vehicle (EV) chargers in tandem with growing demand, within the constraints of space and electricity. As EV technology is continuously improving, we are also mindful not to overbuild as chargers can become obsolete quickly.”
“I thank Member Dr Choo Pei Ling for raising feedback from her Tengah residents. Currently, two multi-storey car parks in Tengah have EV chargers, and LTA subsidiary, EV-Electric (EVe) Charging Pte Ltd, is in the process of deploying EV chargers in another eight multi-storey car parks in Tengah.”
“The Government targets to deploy 60,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging points by 2030, which comprise 40,000 in public car parks, and 20,000 in private premises. As of March 2026, there are 30,500 EV charging points deployed in Singapore. We are on track to achieving our 2030 target in tandem with the growing demand for EVs.”
“In 2025, about 30% of Build-To-Order (BTO) blocks were completed earlier than their estimated completion dates at the point of flat booking. On average, these blocks were completed about two months earlier.”
“Yes, thank you. We agree with Dr Neo that it is important to bring together the wider ecosystem and we will consult all stakeholders. The Ministry of Transport's immediate focus is to drive the usage of drones more extensively, especially by the public sector and this is because we already have many potential use cases.”
“I thank the Member for her question. Earlier, I mentioned in my reply that the HDB notifies buyers at three junctures. This is to give buyers adequate time to plan. And that is why it is at the one year before, six months before and three months before.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,352 lines we hold for Sun Xueling, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 28.
“The upcoming Shared Parental Leave scheme will allow eligible parents to receive an additional six weeks of paid parental leave to be shared between both parents from 1 April 2025 and this will be increased to 10 weeks in 2026. Children come from a diverse range of family backgrounds, such as single-parent families. Mr Louis Ng has been advocating for single unwed mothers for several years now. Benefits supporting the growth and development of children are given to all families, regardless of the parents' marital status. The cash component of the Baby Bonus is given to married couples to support them as they start a new family together and that is why it is called a "Baby Bonus Cash Gift". For single unwed mothers facing financial difficulties, support comes through other forms, such as through KidSTART, ComLink+ and also access to rental housing, if that is what they are applying for. And for couples and families facing stressors in their marital or family relationships, they can tap on the Strengthening Families Programme at Family Service Centres (FAM@FSC), for support services. Families in need of financial assistance may also approach Social Service Offices or Family Service Centres for holistic case management. We are doing more to support parents with the costs of child-raising. We empathise with couples who want more children but are concerned about child-raising costs. Through the Large Families Scheme, we will further defray costs for families with three or more children. All parents are also supported through the Child Development Account (CDA), where parents receive the First Step Grant and Government co-matching for deposits.”
“So, we have been listening to caregivers and we want to support them when they care for their loved ones. This approach, through the Home Caregiving Grant, also takes into account the fact that caregiving arrangements can vary from family to family. Besides the Home Caregiving Grant, the Government also multiplies the support that families provide to their caregivers. The Matched Retirement Savings Scheme (MRSS) and the newly announced five-year Matched MediSave Scheme enables families and loved ones to contribute to the retirement and healthcare needs of lower-income seniors, including caregivers. Help for caregivers also come in the form of the Caregivers Training Grant to attend approved courses. Partners, such as CaringSG, also empower caregivers through initiatives which bring peer- and community-based supports closer to home. For caregivers of children, apart from the decade-long push for more accessible, more affordable and quality preschools which I had touched on earlier, we have also announced a new pilot to help parents with infants. 11.45 am Parents with infants can tap on infant care centres or the three-year childminding pilot which was launched last December. This month, we launched childminding services from Tampines East Community Club, with services from Nee Soon East Community Club expected to start later this year. Assoc Prof Razwana asked about support for fathers. We have doubled the Government-Paid Paternity Leave scheme and enhanced employment protection for fathers on paternity leave. FFL also partners the Centre for Fathering to promote active fathering through programmes and peer support groups.”
“In a 2023 MSF survey on families, 86% of families reported moderate to high family resilience scores, meaning that they were generally able to recover from challenges together, and the majority of respondents also reported having close-knit families. Mr Gerald Giam had asked about support for caregivers. We appreciate our caregivers for the pivotal roles that they play in the care for their loved ones, the sacrifices they make, and we want to support them in their care for their families. As the Prime Minister mentioned in his Budget round-up speech, it is difficult to put a monetary value on the love and care that caregivers provide for their loved ones, and we also should not think of family relationships in terms of monetary value. It would be a sad day for family relationships if we need to be paid so that we will be willing to take care of our aged parents, our children or grandparents taking care of their grandchildren. But that said, to support caregivers, the Government provides help to defray the cost of taking care of the loved ones in the family. So, this comes through the form of the enhanced Home Caregiving Grant, which the Government has been increasing. It has been increased for the second time in two years. To recap, the Home Caregiving Grant was introduced in 2019 to improve affordability for long-term care and to support caregivers. I know this because I spoke to caregivers during the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development in 2020. I spoke to caregivers and asked how we can support them. So, we listened. We enhanced the Home Caregiving Grant in 2023. We doubled the amount from $200 to up to $400 a month in 2023; and in this Budget, the Home Caregiving Grant will be further increased to up to $600 a month, from April 2026.”
“The Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC)-Care pilot, introduced in 2024, also equips caregivers with skills to support their child's development at home. Second, we are doing more to journey with families. The Families for Life (FFL) Movement, led by the FFL Council, brings together partners and volunteers to promote a family-friendly society. Couples preparing for marriage, or already-married couples can participate in FFL's marriage preparation and enrichment programmes. We agree with Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim that educators and parents play an important role in building a family-friendly Singapore. Nurturing a positive parent-preschool partnership is a key focus area in ECDA's refreshed "Shape Our Tomorrow" campaign. Under FFL@Community, families can conveniently access programmes and peer support groups to equip them with the skills and confidence to care for their children. The Parenting for Wellness toolbox provides resources on how to deepen parent-child relationships. We will expand FFL@Community to all towns nationwide by end-2025. Many corporates have stepped forward to partner the FFL Council in supporting families. Some have organised FFL parenting talks; others have arranged family days for staff. Many employers also support their employees with caregiving needs by adopting flexible work arrangements (FWAs). We hope more employers can join us to foster a family-friendly workplace culture. Last year's Family trends report showed greater marriage stability in recent cohorts, with falling rates of marriage dissolution before the 10th anniversary.”
“In 2026, a dual income family with monthly income of $10,000 will pay $235 per month for full-day childcare in an AOP preschool after subsidies, half of what they would have paid in 2019. Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Mr Melvin Yong asked about further quality improvements in our preschools. With effect from 2025, the Singapore Preschool Accreditation Framework (SPARK) 2.0 supports preschools to further improve their quality and be appraised against higher standards. The new Quality Teaching Tool will also be rolled out in 2025 to guide and hone educators' pedagogical skills. Attracting and retaining good educators is a priority for us. ECDA engaged with preschool teachers, centre leaders and operators, and this led to initiatives to improve retention, such as Saturday closure, designating Teachers' Day and Children's Day as preschool holidays and designating six development days for educators. We have also embarked on an educator-centric review of their teaching experiences. Deepening our understanding of their motivations and challenges will help us do even more to enhance the attraction, retention and experiences of early childhood educators. We will continually review our programmes and initiatives, and work with the sector so that our children can benefit from high-quality early childhood care and education; and parents are assured of high teaching standards; and our educators are motivated and equipped to do well. We have also strengthened support for children with developmental needs by increasing the number of Government-funded places for children requiring medium- to high-levels of early intervention support by almost 80% since 2020.”
“So, the Government has been working hard over the years, and I am glad to share that now, in my position as the Minister of State at MSF, we have managed to see these proposals through. And now, 80% of our preschool children can go to Government-supported preschools. The Government will not stop at this achievement. From 2025 to 2029, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will work with Anchor Operators (AOP) to add almost 40,000 full-day preschool places, of which about 6,000 will cater to infants. Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked about the affordability of preschool services. The Government provides all Singaporean children with basic subsidies of up to $300 each for full-day childcare. There are also additional financial subsidies for eligible families. In 2020, we raised the household income ceiling so that more families can qualify for means-tested additional subsidies. We also enhanced subsidy amounts across all eligible income tiers. Eligible families can now receive means-tested additional subsidies, which range from $80 to $467 for full-day childcare. At the same time, we have been steadily reducing full-day childcare fee caps for AOP and Partner Operators (POP), with a reduction of $40 for monthly fees in 2023, another reduction of $40 at the start of this year in 2025 and an additional $30 reduction in 2026. What this means is that, in 2026, full-day childcare fees will be $610 for AOP and $650 for POP. Compare this to $720 for AOP in 2021 and $760 for POP in 2021. With these fee reductions, we will meet another commitment that this Government made in 2019. That is, that full-day childcare expenses before means-tested subsidies will be similar to what households pay for primary school and after-school care fees combined.”
“Chair, at the heart of the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF's) work is our firm conviction that strong families are the bedrock of our society. We strive to make Singapore the best place for all families to grow and flourish. Today, I will share four areas where MSF supports families. Firstly, how we are giving every child a good start in life. Second, how we are journeying with families through every stage of life. Third, how we are uplifting families with caregiving needs. And fourth, how we are fostering a family-friendly Singapore. Today, around nine in 10 Singaporean children aged three to six are enrolled in preschools. We have enhanced access to affordable and quality preschools, by ramping up the number of preschool places available. In 2015, we had around 120,000 full-day preschool places. We worked hard to increase this number and today, we have around 220,000 full-day preschool places, enough to accommodate every resident child aged three and above. In particular, we increased the number of Government-supported preschool places. During the 2019 National Day Rally, then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced our commitment to provide places for 80% of preschoolers in a Government-supported preschool. I am glad to share that by the end of 2025, we will meet this commitment. That is, we are on target and we will be able to provide places for 80% of preschoolers in a Government-supported preschool. It gives me great satisfaction to say this, because together with fellow women Members of Parliament (MPs), like Ms Rahayu Mahzam, Miss Cheryl Chan, Ms Joan Pereira, together, we had put up a proposal in 2019 then, to the Government to increase the number of Government-supported preschool places and to lower costs.”
“I had said there was a decrease in scam losses on Carousell by about 10% and on Facebook Marketplace by about 60%. I would like to clarify that I had meant that over the course of six months in 2024, the number of e-commerce scams decreased by about 10% on Carousell and by about 60% on Facebook Marketplace. I had actually mentioned the same figures in my COS speech but subsequently, in my response to Mr Vikram Nair, I think I had not been clear enough and I had misspoken. So, I would like to put this on record.”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to clarify a statement I had made in response to the supplementary question raised by Mr Vikram Nair earlier at the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Committee of Supply (COS) proceedings.”
“So, I think we are preserving some options now, thinking through, but if necessary, I think we will consider very serious actions against Telegram to ensure that they do not harm local citizens further. And this is not just in the case of scams, but also when it comes to the sale of drugs, the proliferation of sexually explicit non-consensual content online – I think we will have to consider all these harms that are prevalent on the Telegram channel.”
“] So, we have seen improvements and we are trying to work off that base to expand the pilot to more categories of sellers who post their products and services online, and also, to see whether or not we can work with these platforms to increase the thresholds in what we mark as success – because I had talked about 10% and 60%. We see whether we can push those success rates higher. On the second question as to whether or not we want to consider whether or not these platforms should be made financially liable for losses that are sustained on their platforms, I think this is something that we can consider. But right now, what we are doing is that we are working on a good faith basis with these platforms, to tell them that we think that the measures that we have shared thus far – whether or not it is user verification, or whether or not it is in terms of the takedown timing, and so on and so forth – that these are the targets that we are aiming for, and please comply with these recommendations. If after this initial bout of working collaboratively with them, we see that there is no desire to work collaboratively with us, then I think we have to push what we can do with them one notch further. But right now, we are engaging with them when it comes to these Codes of Practice. With Telegram, unfortunately, it is a different story altogether. There are discussions internally as to what we should do with Telegram. We are not the only country that faces issues with working with Telegram. I had shared that they take anonymity on their platforms as a badge of honour, that works to the detriment of users.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. I had mentioned about the two codes of practices, namely one for the online communication services and the other for e-commerce services. These are both under the Online Criminal Harms Act. What they do, in the instance of online communication services is that they would specify what the platform should do, in the case of quick disruption of malicious accounts, for instance; or the deployment of safeguards, such as reasonable verification measures to prevent the creation and use of inauthentic accounts. In the case of the e-commerce code, I had also mentioned in my main reply that they have recommendations in the sense of subjecting users who advertise or post about the sales of the goods and services, for them to verify against Government-issued records, as well as to provide an option for users when it comes to payment protection mechanisms. These Codes of Practice are actually quite new, since June 2024, last year. And so, right now, between MDDI as well as MHA, we are working with the social media platforms and e-commerce players for them to implement these Codes of Practice. I have also shared that we have seen some early successes with Facebook Marketplace, as well as with Carousell. I have also indicated that we have seen losses in those areas for Carousell coming down by 10%, as well as for Facebook Marketplace coming down by 60%. [Please refer to "Clarification by the Minister of State for Home Affairs", Official Report, 4 March 2025, Vol 95, Issue 157, Clarification section.”
“This is why we agree with Mr Zhulkarnain and Mr Alex Yam that countering such threats requires a whole-of-society effort. We collaborate with our community partners, which include religious organisations, schools and hospitals, to enhance our ability to prevent, detect and respond to terror attacks. Beyond community engagement, our laws and policies protect our common civic space. The Maintenance of Racial Harmony Bill that was introduced this year clearly defines the boundaries of acceptable conduct in our multiracial society and gives us levers to act to protect our country’s racial harmony when it is threatened. But this will not be enough. We cannot legislate people to get along or integrate with one another. Maintaining our social stability and cohesiveness will require our collective effort. It is about how each of us conducts ourselves in the common space, whether we take the trouble to appreciate and celebrate one another’s differences and recognise the value that we each bring to our society.”
“Under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) and the Penal Code, those who harass or physically abuse our public sector healthcare workers can be imprisoned for up to three years, or fined up to $5,000, or both. We have reviewed this over the years to strengthen our laws on this front. I understand that the Police and IMH are in discussions to better coordinate responses to such incidents. Meanwhile, MOH is working with our public health institutions to put in place measures to safeguard our healthcare workers. Mr Zhulkarnain asked for an update on our efforts to level up the security industry to become more productive and less manpower-intensive. A critical enabler for this is Outcome-Based Contracting (OBC), which allows and incentivises security agencies to innovate and adopt more productive solutions. The Government has been taking the lead in OBC since May 2020. As of 2024, I am pleased to note that all Government procuring entities have either adopted or called tender for at least one OBC at the agency level. We hope this will encourage more of the private sector to follow suit. This will complement other measures, such as subsidising the adoption of technology solutions and raising the competencies of the security agencies. Mr Vikram Nair and Mr Alex Yam asked about the threats to racial and religious harmony in Singapore. As a small, open and globally connected country, we are vulnerable to external influence. Religious extremism and far-right extremist ideologies have inspired some Singaporeans to consider violence and even plan attacks. Foreign events also have the potential to arouse local sentiments and polarise our society along racial and religious lines.”
“This also gives the authorities more time to identify suspicious activities and prevent fraudulent transactions. This is an additional measure to protect bank deposits beyond our basic existing protective measures. These basic measures include the Money Lock, Kill-Switch features and the fraud monitoring system. This can promptly alert scam victims and stop fraudulent transfers. Meanwhile, we are taking strict actions against criminals who misuse local SIM cards for scams. They try to evade the law by claiming that they are unaware of how their SIMs were used, but this excuse will not absolve them of responsibility. Additionally, 660 people have been charged for acting as money mules and scammers. According to the Sentencing Advisory Guidelines, those who negligently surrender the control of their bank accounts to others will face at least a six-month imprisonment. Fighting scams requires collective efforts. People should use existing resources to protect themselves, such as the Money Lock feature, and protect their bank deposits and obtaining anti-scam information through ScamShield. When in doubt, they can also call ScamShield hotline 1799. Let us all work together to prevent scams, protect ourselves and care for our family members. 12.30 pm (In English): Let me now address the queries that Members have raised on matters beyond scams. Mr Patrick Tay asked about additional safeguards in the law to better protect healthcare workers in the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and other mental health facilities. Let me assure him that we take abuse or harassment of our healthcare workers seriously.”
“More than 1,600 subjects involved in scams were investigated and more than 5,100 bank accounts were blocked, resulting in the seizure of more than $54.8 million. In terms of crypto assets, more than $798,000 were seized, arising from the blocking of more than 1,000 crypto accounts. Apart from working through INTERPOL, we have also conducted operations directly with other countries. Asset recovery is also a priority for us. In October 2024, SPF formalised "FRONTIER+", an alliance with the anti-scam units of Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and Maldives, to step up asset recovery efforts collectively. Mr Chairman, I would like to conclude this segment of my speech with some comments in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Last year, investment scams, job scams and Government official impersonation scams were the three types of scams that caused the most significant losses. These scams succeeded primarily because scammers prey on human vulnerabilities, such as the desire for companionship, respect for authority and greed. Some victims are so convinced by the scammers that they refuse to believe that they are being deceived, even after repeated warnings from family members and the Police. As for victims who repeatedly ignored warnings, we introduced the Protection from Scams Bill in January this year, empowering the Police to temporarily restrict their bank transactions at short notice to protect their asset. Additionally, we have worked with banks to implement a “cooling off” period for high-risk transactions, such as the raising transaction limits and changing contact information, giving people an opportunity to pause, reflect and reassess their decisions.”
“MHA is monitoring the situation closely and we will explore further measures to address the scam situation on Telegram, including making use of our legislative levers to ensure compliance. That aside, we continue to track the worrying trend of Government official impersonation scams, including on social media accounts. We have been engaging social media platforms to remove these, including through OCHA take-down directions. But as Mdm Jaafar has highlighted, these scams still persist. Our view is that social media companies can do more to put in place preventive measures. We are studying potential regulatory levers to better safeguard our online space on this front. Meanwhile, we will double down on our efforts to developed AI tech solutions to deal with scams that can be pushed out at speed and scale, as Mr Derrick Goh has pointed out. Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) and the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) have co-developed the Scam Analytics and Tactical Intervention System (SATIS) suite of products, which leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to help the Police detect, assess and disrupt scam websites and accounts swiftly. We are expanding SATIS to disrupt other scam enablers, such as payment channels and mobile numbers. Thus far, I have spoken about the steps we will take to strengthen our defences here in Singapore against scams. Mr Derrick Goh, Mr Vikram Nair and Assoc Prof Razwana have asked how we can better act against scam operators outside of Singapore and improve asset recovery. Singapore works closely with foreign law enforcement agencies on joint operations against scam syndicates. For example, SPF participated in INTERPOL's Operation HAECHI V last year.”
“They have generally been responsive to the legal requirements under OCHA. For example, as part of the E-commerce Code, Meta has implemented enhanced verification against Government-issued records for select sellers on Facebook Marketplace and advertisers on Facebook. Carousell has done the same for risky sellers on its platform. This has made it more difficult for scammers to exploit these platforms. For instance, after implementing enhanced verification for six months in 2024, the number of e-commerce scams decreased by about 10% on Carousell, and by about 60% on Facebook Marketplace. We thank Meta and Carousell for working with the Government on this and protecting users. The success of these efforts underscores a simple but powerful truth: robust user verification by online platforms deters online crime as criminals know that they cannot hide behind the cloak of anonymity. We strongly encourage all online platforms, including social media platforms and messaging apps, to put in place robust user verification measures, in particular, checking against Government-issued identity documents. Email addresses and phone numbers are no longer sufficient as verification methods, as they are prone to abuse. One platform we are especially concerned about is Telegram, which has long prioritised, and even prided itself in, the anonymity that it provides its users. This anonymity is exploited by scammers and other criminals. Drugs are being sold on Telegram. Sexually explicit non-consensual videos are being circulated on Telegram. Specifically on scams, the number of reported scams on Telegram close to doubled in 2024. We urge Telegram to take the online safety of its users seriously and adopt stronger user verification measures to prevent scammers from creating scam accounts.”
“Assoc Prof Razwana, Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and Mr Derrick Goh all had ideas on how we can better educate the public to deal with scams. They are useful suggestions and we will consider them. My advice to Singaporeans is to use the ScamShield Suite, which was launched in September last year. It comprises the ScamShield app, a helpline, website, as well as WhatsApp and Telegram alert channels. The public can use these various channels to easily, one, check if something is a scam; two, report scams; and three, stay updated on scam trends. If you are unsure if something is a scam, or you think you are being scammed and want to know what to do, call 1799 which is the ScamShield hotline. Meanwhile, we will alert Singaporeans to high-loss scam types through monthly media campaigns. These campaigns are tailored to the population segments which are most vulnerable to each scam type. There is one critical area which we can do better in and, that is, our online space. Today, 60% of scams occur through messaging apps and social media platforms. We can and we must do much more to prevent such scams from happening. As Mr Derrick Goh and Assoc Prof Razwana pointed out, achieving this will require close collaboration with tech companies. On the Government's part, we have put in place two Codes of Practice under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), the Online Communication Code and E-Commerce Code. These require designated online services, such as messaging apps, social media platforms and e-commerce platforms to implement measures to proactively prevent and disrupt scams. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Mr Keith Chua and Mdm Mariam Jaafar asked if messaging apps and social media platforms have been cooperative.”
“Mr Vikram Nair asked if there is more we can do to better detect money mule activity. For 2025, we will be expanding our efforts on this front. The SPF will expand information sharing with the banks on known mule accounts, to enhance banks' fraud analytics and enable banks to uncover other mule accounts. We will also work with the industry to implement cooling-off measures for certain activities which are tell-tale signs of money mule activity. To those who think that they can make an easy profit by passing on their SIM cards or bank accounts to strangers and turning a blind eye to what they are used for, let me be very clear. This is a crime and there is an imprisonment term for passing on your SIM cards or your bank accounts to facilitate scams. Claiming ignorance does not get you off the hook. Mr Vikram Nair and Dr Tan Wu Meng asked if the penalties for scam-related offences are still too soft, with Dr Tan suggesting that caning should be legislated for egregious offences. I agree with Mr Nair and Dr Tan that we need stiff and deterrent sentences against those who facilitate scams. The Sentencing Advisory Panel (SAP) has recently proposed significant imprisonment terms for offences which facilitate scams. In the cases that have been prosecuted since these guidelines were published, the Courts have generally imposed jail terms, including 19 months' imprisonment, in one case. We will consider Dr Tan's suggestion for caning to be prescribed for certain scam-related offences, recognising the serious harm they can cause. We will do what we can to deter and disrupt scam activity. But at the end of the day, persistent scammers will find a way to reach Singaporeans. So, what Singaporeans want to know is: how can I protect myself?”
“That is why we have been taking measures to tighten the ownership and abuse of local SIM cards. Last year, to strengthen accountability for SIM cards, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) limited the number of post-paid SIM cards that a person can own. From 1 January this year, the Police have operationalised offences, including registering for a SIM card and then selling it for a gain, possessing a large number of unregistered SIM cards for no legitimate reason, and buying or selling SIM cards registered in another person's particulars. We take a very serious view of anyone who assists scam operations in this way. These "SIM-card mules" are not just abetting a crime. They are helping to destroy lives. That is the reason why such offences carry penalties of up to three years' imprisonment or a fine of $10,000 or both. We will not hesitate to use the full range of these penalties against people who abuse SIM cards. This is the same approach we have taken for money mules. We have been clamping down on them, because they are the main way that overseas scammers launder their ill-gotten gains and transfer monies out of Singapore. In 2024, SPF conducted 25 island-wide anti-scam enforcement operations, leading to the investigation of more than 8,000 money mules and scammers. More than 660 have been charged in Court and they face imprisonment if found guilty. In one concluded case, a money mule received RM$1,000 for sharing access to his Internet banking account with another person, without taking reasonable steps to ascertain the purpose of this arrangement. The bank account was then used to launder more than S$160,000 of criminal proceeds. The money mule was convicted and sentenced to six months' imprisonment.”
“I know some people are attracted because they think crypto is an opportunity for them to make a quick buck. They think that so long as they do their own research, they understand the risks, they would not lose money and they would not get scammed. My dear fellow Singaporeans, even crypto-savvy individuals have lost badly by trading in crypto when their values plummet or when they fall prey to scams. The single largest scam that occurred in Singapore last year involving $125 million, just one case, that was a malware-enabled scam that targeted the victim's cryptocurrency wallet. 12.15 pm These sophisticated criminal syndicates are going after both crypto-novice and crypto-savvy investors. They invest in elaborate fake crypto trading interfaces to scam you into thinking that you are profiting from your crypto investments. Some embed malware or phishing links to drain your crypto wallets. Meanwhile, we have seen meme coin prices soar rapidly before crashing in pump-and-dump schemes, leaving consumers with significant losses. So, our advice to the general public is to steer clear of cryptocurrencies. The risk of getting burnt is high and, should you fall victim to a scam, the chances of you getting even a single dollar back is very low. Another common scam modality is scam calls and SMSes, which many of us are familiar with. About 20% of scam cases in 2024 involved victims being contacted in this way. We have been working to suppress scam calls and SMSes for some time. Telcos have allowed subscribers to block calls from international numbers and have pre-emptively blocked international calls with spoofed +65 prefixes. But scammers have pivoted to using local phone numbers to try to catch people unawares.”
“Since July 2024, the major retail banks in Singapore have progressively phased out the use of SMS One-Time Password (OTP) for account logins by customers who have digital tokens. Digital tokens are more secure against phishing. We are also studying stronger authentication solutions, such as the use of Fast IDentity Online-compliant hardware tokens, otherwise known as FIDO, which need to be in close proximity to the user's device to authenticate the transaction. This will fortify our defences against malware and phishing. As we have strengthened our protection of bank accounts, scammers have pivoted their playbook. They have started asking victims to convert their money to cryptocurrencies prior to performing the transfers, thereby evading our banking safeguards. They have also targeted assets stored in victims' crypto wallets. In 2024, crypto-related scam losses accounted for close to 25% of all scam losses. This was up from less than 10% in 2023. Members will know that cryptocurrency is largely unregulated. In Singapore, MAS has licensed a number of digital payment token service providers with certain regulatory safeguards in place. We will work with these digital payment token service providers to strengthen anti-scam controls and tighten operational links with law enforcement agencies. But there are many other online exchanges and wallet providers which are not regulated and they are outside the reach of our laws because they operate from overseas. Furthermore, the anonymity features of certain cryptocurrency transactions can be exploited by criminals to evade capture. MAS has repeatedly cautioned retail investors against investing in cryptocurrencies. And I want to repeat this appeal today.”
“In some cases, the victims are so convinced by the scammers that they refuse to believe that they are being scammed, despite being repeatedly advised by their loved ones and the Police. By the time they come around, it is oftentimes too late. That is why we introduced the Protection from Scams Bill in January 2025, to empower the SPF to temporarily restrict the banking transactions of an individual who is likely being scammed but refuses to believe it. This is a serious measure. It shows how far the Government is going to tackle the issue of scams involving self-effected transfers. It will only be used as a last resort, after all efforts to convince the individual have failed. We are glad that most members of the public understand this and support it. In addition, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is working with banks to introduce cooling-off periods for high-risk transactions, such as requests to increase transaction limits or to change contact details. These cooling-off periods provide a cognitive break for individuals and give them an opportunity to reassess their actions. The cooling-off period also gives authorities more time to detect if something suspicious is taking place and to stop any scam transactions. These moves build on the suite of anti-scam measures which MAS has been working with the banks to put in place over the years, such as Money Lock, Kill-Switch and enhanced fraud surveillance to alert victims and block scam transfers. Collectively, they underscore the critical role that banks play in our fight against scams. We will continue to proactively strengthen our defences. One priority is to improve the authentication methods that banks use to protect accounts against malware and phishing.”
“Mr Chairman, scams are a huge concern globally, as they are in Singapore. We have been fighting the scourge of scams for several years now. We have progressively strengthened our defences, from enhancing banking apps to be malware-resistant, to blocking calls from known scam numbers and labelling SMSes that are likely to be scams. In 2024 alone, SPF disrupted more than 150,000 scam-related mobile and WhatsApp lines, websites and online accounts. Nonetheless, the total amount lost to scams hit a new high of $1.1 billion last year, a 70% increase from 2023. Many people are rightly very concerned about this and so is the Government. We must and we will redouble our efforts in this fight against scams. We are up against highly organised and sophisticated criminal networks. Most of them are based outside Singapore. They are well-resourced, adept at using technology and constantly evolve their tactics to evade our defences. The Government will continue to respond aggressively to this challenge. The significant majority of scams right now involve self-effected transfers, where victims were manipulated into willingly transferring monies to scammers. This accounts for more than 80% of scam losses last year. In many cases, victims thought they were transferring money to friends, Government officials, e-commerce sellers or for legitimate investment opportunities. Gone are the days when we could easily spot a scam call or email, through heavy foreign accents or bad English. Today, scammers use AI and information about us online, among other capabilities, to make themselves more believable and evade easy detection. Fundamentally, these scams are successful because they prey on universal human emotions, such as a desire for companionship, respect for authority, and greed.”
“On his other proposal regarding whether or not there could be a consolidated fund of some sorts where victims could perhaps through the fund, be able to recover some of their lost amounts, I would like to say that various proposals are being considered to see how best to be able to return recovered scam proceeds to victims… So, I am just trying to share with you that there are various, various difficulties and concerns that we have. But at the end of day, principle-wise, I agree with you that we should do our very best to be able to find some way of recovering proceeds and of course, returning them to victims.”
“On his other proposal regarding whether or not there could be a consolidated fund of some sorts where victims could perhaps through the fund, be able to recover some of their lost amounts, I would like to say that various proposals are being considered to see how best to be able to compensate victims… So, I am just trying to share with you that there are various, various difficulties and concerns that we have. But at the end of day, principle-wise, I agree with you that we should do our very best to be able to find some way of recovering proceeds and of course, compensating victims. [Please refer to "Percentage of Financial Crime Cases with Confiscated Assets Returned to Victims and Forfeited by Government", Official Report, 28 February 2025, Vol 95, Issue 155, Oral Answers to Questions section.] [(proc text) Written statement by Ms Sun Xueling circulated with leave of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5): (proc text)] I wish to make the following factual correction to the reply given for Parliamentary Question No 4 at the Sitting of 28 February 2025. My reply should be read as follows:”
“[Please refer to "Clarification by Minister of State for Home Affairs", Official Report, 28 February 2025, Vol 95, Issue 155, Correction By Written Statement section.]”
“I think people who understand the scam landscape know that this co-mingling and in the cases where cryptocurrency is involved because of the use of cryptocurrency tumblers and mixers, it is often very, very difficult to ascertain for that dollar recovered, from which victim that dollar has actually been scammed from. As a result of that, it is thus going to be very difficult for us to be able to say, when you have a consolidated fund, which victim actually has a right to the monies that have been recovered. The next point I would like to add is that, as you can tell from the latest numbers, total losses are $1.1 billion this year; monies recovered this year are $182 million. It is a fraction of the total amounts of monies lost. So, there are going to be far more claimants for the monies than there are actually proceeds in the monies that are recovered. So, at the end of the day, victims if they ever are to be able to recover some portion of their monies, it is going to be a tiny fraction of what they lost in the first place. The very last point I would like to add is that we should also be concerned about how scammers, if they know that we have such a consolidated fund, how they may try to pivot and see how they could potentially entice other types of mules to participate in scam activities and potentially then, try to "recover" the monies from this scam recovery fund. So, I am just trying to share with you that there are various, various difficulties and concerns that we have. But at the end of the day, principle-wise, I agree with you that we should do our very best to be able to find some way of recovering proceeds and of course, compensating victims.”
“I thank the Member for his follow-up questions. Specifically, on the $3 billion case, as it is specific to that case, could I invite the Member to file a separate Parliamentary Question, because it is quite case-specific? On his other proposal regarding whether or not there could be a consolidated fund of some sorts where victims could perhaps through the fund, be able to recover some of their lost amounts, I would like to say that various proposals are being considered to see how best to be able to compensate victims. But what I would like to add is the operational challenges that I had shared earlier in my main reply, which is that often times, the monies that are recovered by the Anti-Scam Centre, through the course of investigations, we are not able to ascertain specifically that all the monies recovered actually all pertain to scams. Because often times, the syndicates that run these scams operate a lot of various other crime business lines as well. I had mentioned illegal moneylending, for instance. So, the proceeds which are recovered by the Anti-Scam Centre are not just scam proceeds. There could be other proceeds that pertain to other forms of crime and therefore, there are other victims who may also similarly feel that they have a claim to those proceeds. So, that is the first point I would like to make. The second point I would like to make is that it is often very difficult to be able to track whether this dollar that is part of the proceeds and monies recovered actually is that dollar which was lost to one particular victim. And that is because of the co-mingling of funds.”
“When investigating financial crime cases, the Police would freeze bank accounts and seize any assets suspected to be proceeds of crime or which constitute evidence. The Police do their best to ascertain the ownership of the seized property by examining bank transaction records. The seized property may often be needed for continuing investigations or subsequent court proceedings. If they are not so needed, the Police would apply to the Court for the property to be returned to the rightful owners. Where the persons entitled to the seized property cannot be ascertained or found, the Police would publish a notice in the Government Gazette to request for persons to establish their claim to the property within six months. The seized property would only be forfeited to the state if no one establishes a claim after the six-month notice period. It is operationally challenging to apportion and thus track the amount of scam proceeds returned to victims or forfeited to the state. This is because seized proceeds could be co-mingled with other non-scam-related activities, such as cases involving unlicensed moneylending proceeds. Seized proceeds may also not be directly correlated to crime committed in that same year. It would also be resource-intensive, given the high volume of scam cases. The Ministry of Home Affairs will explore the feasibility of tracking these amounts in the longer term.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. Coming back to the example that he had shared where there was a merchandise that was advertised as genuine but was subsequently found to be counterfeit, there could be an instance whereby the seller either knew in the first place whether the merchandise was genuine or not. So, through Police investigations, if it was found that the seller did not know that the merchandise was actually counterfeit, then, a cheating offence may not be the means in which to charge the individual. If, however, the individual knew it was counterfeit – and this is found out through the course of Police investigations – but the seller still chooses to advertise the merchandise as a genuine product, then, this would be a case under both the Trade Marks Act as well as classified as cheating under section 420 of the Penal Code. The Member had shared that his resident has faced difficulties seeking remedy through CASE. I would like to reiterate what I shared earlier: the victim can still file a law suit to recover damages under the civil remedies route. If the victim, his resident, find difficulties with the legal fees, she can approach Legal Aid to explore the options.”
“The Police assess whether any criminal offence is disclosed by looking at the full facts and circumstances of each case. For example, the import, sale, or distribution of goods with falsely applied trademarks for the purpose of trade is an offence under the Trade Marks Act 1998. Where deception is involved, the case may also be classified as "cheating" under section 420 of the Penal Code 1871. Buyers who encounter allegedly counterfeit merchandise can file a Police report. Regardless of whether a criminal offence is disclosed, buyers can seek recourse by lodging a complaint with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), filing a claim in the Small Claims Tribunal, or commencing civil proceedings in the Singapore Courts. The Police do not track the data requested by the Member.”
“These include aligning security standards across healthcare institutions and conducting regular readiness exercises with the Police and SCDF for public acute hospitals, where they are assessed on their measures to secure their facilities while responding to a mass casualty incident. MOH maintains close communication with healthcare institutions to uphold security postures and implement security enhancement programmes in partnership with the Police. When there is a heightened security situation, the Police will step up security measures, such as increasing the frequency of patrols. They will also engage the relevant stakeholders to step up security measures. At some point, I hope never, but we have to be prepared that an attack will succeed. And when it does, it is important that, as a community, we remain resilient and united. This requires us to be physically and psychologically prepared. Through the SGSecure movement, MHA will continue to work with religious organisations, public institutions and the community at large to strengthen our readiness to terror attacks.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been collaborating with community partners, which includes religious organisations, schools and hospitals, to enhance our ability to prevent, detect and respond to terror attacks. For more information on the efforts that we have made to enhance safety at places of worship and to engage the public, Members may refer to MHA’s responses to similar Parliamentary Questions on 7 January 2025. Then, I had shared that MHA works closely with community and religious organisations, including places of worship, through the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth’s (MCCY's) Crisis Preparedness for Religious Organisations programme, where religious organisations participate in security self-assessments, develop contingency plans and attend counter-terrorism seminars to understand the threat better. MHA also works closely with the Ministry of Education (MOE) on crisis preparedness in schools. All schools have a School Emergency Structure, helmed by the Principal, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), to help staff and students deal with, respond to and recover from emergencies, including a terror attack. MOE regularly reviews and updates the SOPs. Besides annual lockdown drills, schools also conduct regular exercises involving the Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Such exercises and drills familiarise school staff and students with emergency situations and facilitate collaboration between the schools and emergency responders during a crisis. The Ministry of Health (MOH) continually enhances the security resilience of the healthcare sector through various measures.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, I would like to take Parliamentary Question Nos 3 and 4 together?”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. For Sengkang, specifically, infant care and childcare utilisation rates are at 74% and 83% respectively. This is higher than the national level infant care and childcare utilisation rates of around 70% and 77% respectively, which I had mentioned in my main reply. Therefore, it is important, when it comes to building the infant care and childcare centres, that there are early discussions between the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to understand where are the new estates that are coming up. These discussions have been taking place. ECDA would assess the sites that are available. HDB gives them a heads-up so that they are able to assess the void deck space that is available or where there are adjacent places available, to be able to construct a space that can be used for infant care and childcare centres. There will be a tender process for operators to come in to operate these centres. That also takes place in advance so that by the time residents move in to these new estates and they have started renovating, this would be in tandem with when the renovations for these infant care and childcare centres take place, so that when the residents come in and they have young children, that these infant care and childcare centres can be used.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. Indeed, the Police are assessing a range of sites. This can include open fields, stadiums and schools.”
“The Police aim to designate two rally sites for each Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and one rally site for each Single Member Constituency (SMC). One rally site will also be designated for lunchtime rallies. The list of rally sites will be made available at the end of nomination proceedings on Nomination Day. This is consistent with the approach taken for the Parliamentary General Elections with physical rallies held in 2011 and 2015.”
“The Police do not track cases of anti-social behaviour. Depending on the nature of the conduct, such cases may be investigated by the relevant agencies. For example, for cases of public urination, in the absence of factors indicating criminal conduct, the National Environment Agency (NEA) will investigate and take action. Offenders are liable under the Environmental Public Health (Public Cleansing) Regulations to a maximum fine of $1,000 for the first conviction. The Police may investigate such cases if a criminal offence is disclosed. This requires a case-by-case assessment of the nature and circumstances of the conduct in question. For example, an offence of Public Nuisance may be made out if the offender's act causes any injury, danger or annoyance to the public. Deterring anti-social behaviour requires a whole-of-society approach, with the Government playing a part through education and enforcement. In the case of public urination, NEA adopts a firm enforcement approach and also works with stakeholders such as community leaders, Town Councils and schools to foster social responsibility towards keeping public spaces clean.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir. I just wanted to highlight another dimension to marriage and parenthood. And I would like to cite a survey that was conducted by the National Youth Council together with the IPS, which was published in August 2024, where 3,000 young people had been surveyed. They were aged between 17 and 24 years old. And in their list of priorities, I am reading from the survey here, they had prioritised their top life goals for the next five years: the first was being in good health; the second was having a good career; the third is having lots of money; the fourth is having financial security; only at number six is getting married; and having children is actually further down the list. I am sharing this survey because it is published data. It is factual data. It is from a survey of young persons and it is just to reinforce the point that Minister Indranee made, which is that when it comes to matters as personal as getting married and having children, it is not just like we snap our fingers and we say, "We want TFR to be this", that we can somehow command young people to go forth, get married and have children. We have to recognise that they have their own aspirations. I think the survey results that we have shown here is not unique to Singapore. All across the world, when you look at published data, when you look at interviews with young people, the aspirations of young people have changed. I think we have to recognise that.”
“During this term of Government, we have increased efforts to help married couples own their homes, enabling them to start new lives and build family together. Specific measures include significantly increasing public housing supply, reducing waiting time, and enhancing housing grants and subsidies to ensure that public housing prices remain affordable. By addressing the practical challenges that young parents may face, we hope to provide better support for them to start a family with greater peace of mind, based on their individual circumstances, needs and preferences. (In English): The Government remains committed to supporting Singaporean families across different needs, from building strong family relationships and managing child-raising costs, to uplifting those who require additional support. We will continue to review our policies and programmes to ensure that they remain relevant in supporting our families.”
“Empathising with the people, the Government must take public sentiment into consideration and strive to reduce the cost of raising children for families. In this regard, we have enhanced the Baby Bonus Scheme to help alleviate various childcare expenses. Each child can receive up to $38,000 in Baby Bonus Cash Gift and MediSave Grant for Newborns. We also provide substantial subsidies for children's education from preschool to secondary school. Each child will receive over $200,000 in education subsidies, with even larger sums for tertiary education. Considering the Government's investments in early childhood development and the upcoming enhancement to parental leave, we expect Government spending on marriage and parenthood packages to approach $7 billion in fiscal year 2026, a significant increase from the $4 billion in 2020. As mentioned by the Prime Minister at last year's National Day Rally, we will introduce a new scheme for larger families. Specific details will be announced in this year's Budget. Some Members have suggested FWAs and support for working parents. The Government has recently introduced a new initiative addressing these issues. With the upcoming additional two weeks of mandatory Government-Paid Paternity Leave and the new Shared Parental Leave, parents will be able to enjoy up to 30 weeks of paid leave to care for their newborns. In December last year, the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests also came into effect. We urge companies to empathise with employees and provide more FWAs for those with family care needs, helping them to achieve the dual goal of pursuing career aspirations and spending quality time with their family. Members have suggested reducing housing cost.”
“Minister of State Gan Siow Huang will share more about support for families via employment and workplace practices. Mr Yip Hon Weng suggested promoting activities that unite families. Last year, the Families for Life Council expanded the annual National Family Week into a month-long National Family Festival for the first time. The festival not only celebrates families and reinforces their importance but also brings together more than 200 partners from the public, private, and community sectors together to rally around this cause. Besides the National Family Festival, the Families for Life Council also organises activities to encourage family bonding and promote family values throughout the year. Mr Speaker, Sir, a few words in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] A declining TFR is not unique to Singapore. TFR of the 38 OECD countries has decreased from 3.3 children per woman in 1960, to 1.5 in 2022. As a small country, TFR is even more of a survival challenge in Singapore. Human resources have always been our most important and cherished asset. Supporting Singaporeans to build and raise family is a critical national task. A "Singapore Made for Families" is the Government's initiative to mobilise society-wide efforts to support families. Creating a truly family-friendly environment in Singapore is not just the Government's responsibility. We also need support from all sectors of society, including employers, businesses and community partners. Through frequent communication with Singaporeans, I understand that many are pondering how to balance work and life, and how to manage the cost of raising children.”
“Our efforts to support families would not be possible without the contributions of various agencies, stakeholders and volunteers. It takes a collective, whole-of-society effort to make Singapore a place where all families can grow and thrive. In workplaces, we have been working with tripartite partners and community partners such as Families for Life Council to encourage employers to foster family-friendly practices. For instance, we work closely with CapitaLand to support its commitment to foster work-life balance and strengthen family bonding, such as offering Families for Life lunchtime talks and organising family days for its employees. Mr Zhulkarnain has suggested launching campaigns to normalise fathers' involvement and challenge stereotypes. Assoc Prof Razwana Begum also suggested having programmes that challenge and shift traditional gender norms. To this end, we work closely with our partners such as the Centre for Fathering, who runs an annual "Great Companies for Dads Award" which engages and recognises organisations that nurture a family-friendly work culture through policies and initiatives that support fathers. Ms Joan Pereira suggested instituting guidelines on the extension of childcare service hours to accommodate working parents. Under ECDA’s Code of Practice, childcare centres must operate from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm on weekdays, which are typical work hours. Many childcare educators are parents themselves and they also need to go home on time to be with their families. Employers should play their part to support parents who have school-going children, by providing a family-friendly work environment that supports employees in managing work and caregiving responsibilities.”
“Since August 2024, close to 1,500 ComLink+ families and their children have been placed on this package. While still in its early days, we hope that the Package will also contribute to an improvement in preschool enrolment and attendance rates for these families. Finally, we have implemented priority enrolment for children from lower-income families at Anchor Operator preschools. With the above moves, we hope that lower-income families will have greater assurance that they can secure a preschool place and can afford to send their children to preschool. Mr Xie Yao Quan asked whether it is possible to make student care more affordable for lower-income families, by enhancing and streamlining the Student Care Fee Assistance scheme. The Student Care Fee Assistance is a tiered subsidy scheme, which provides monthly subsidies of up to 98% of student care fees, up to a maximum amount of $290 a month. The scheme is designed such that families will co-pay a reasonable amount according to their means, should they require the use of student care centres as a caregiving option after school hours. The median fee at student care centres has been stable at around $295 a month over the past few years. Based on this median fee, post-subsidy, a family who has a monthly household income of less than $3,000 may incur a cost of less than 1% to around 4% of household income per child, while a family with a monthly household income of $3,001 to $4,500 may incur a cost of up to 6% of household income, per child. We will consider the Member's suggestions as we review the Student Care Fee Assistance to ensure that student care prices remain reasonable for lower-income families.”
“This is why, from July 2024, we had mandated that all divorcing couples with minor children must attend the Mandatory Co-Parenting Programme (CPP), including those who are filing for divorce on the simplified track. The CPP encourages cooperative co-parenting post-divorce and supports parents to make informed decisions that prioritise the well-being of their children. For lower-income families, we have moved in recent years to empower them, over and above continuing our support via ComCare. As Mr Melvin Yong has observed, the preschool participation rate of children aged three to four years from lower-income families is lower than the national average. We have taken steps to close this gap by addressing the practical barriers that these families face. First, we have removed the affordability barrier. As of December 2024, all families with a monthly income of $6,000 and below qualify for the maximum childcare subsidies for their income tier, regardless of the parents' employment status. This means that lower-income families can pay as low as $3 per month for full-day childcare in an Anchor Operator preschool. Second, we have proactively reached out to lower-income families and incentivised them to enrol their children into preschool in a timely manner. We expanded the Preschool Outreach Programme to more lower-income families to encourage and facilitate their children's enrolment in preschool by age three. The ComLink+ Progress Package for Preschool encourages preschool enrolment and attendance by providing families with a $500 payout into their child's CDA if their child is enrolled in preschool in the year they turn three, and a further $200 payout for each quarter of good attendance.”
“While still a relatively new initiative, we have been encouraged by the interest and take-up rate thus far. At the same time, we are exploring innovative new ways to better cater to the differing caregiving needs of parents. In December 2024, ECDA launched a new childminding pilot for infants. Under this pilot, parents can engage childminders to look after their infants in the childminders' homes or in a community setting. With subsidies, parents using these services full-time will pay around $700 a month, lower than the cost of most childminding services today. While the pilot is still in the early stages of ramping up, we are encouraged by the signs of interest from parents thus far. Other parents who may prefer more personalised attention and greater flexibility in their infant care arrangements can consider tapping on this option. As we strengthen our support for families, we recognise that certain groups face unique challenges and we have provided additional upstream support for them. Dr Syed Harun mentioned the need to support single-parent families, such as those who have undergone marital separation, as well as children in these families. For married couples facing relationship challenges, the Strengthening Families Programme @ Family Service Centre (FAM@FSC) provides a continuum of support that begins even before they reach the point of divorce. For example, through the provision of family counselling and related resources on the Family Assist portal, we hope to help families overcome their differences and remain intact as a unit. Nonetheless, we understand that there will be cases where some familial relationships cannot be repaired. In such instances, the well-being of the children is a paramount consideration.”
“The preschool landscape as a whole has changed significantly since ECDA was set up about a decade ago. In particular, we set our ambitions high and made a decisive move to expand Government-supported preschool places. Back in 2019, then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong committed at the National Day Rally that 80% of preschoolers can have a place in Government-supported preschools by around 2025. In just a short span of six years, from 2019 to 2024, we have increased Government-supported preschools to cater from just over 50% of preschoolers in 2019 to 70% today. By the end of this year, 2025, we will achieve our commitment to provide enough Government-supported preschool places to cater to 80% of preschoolers, allowing the vast majority of Singaporean families to benefit from accessible, affordable and quality preschools. To support the aggressive expansion of preschool capacity, we have also made moves to attract, retain and develop early childhood educators. Mr Melvin Yong suggested increasing staff-child ratios in preschools to support the well-being of educators. The staff-child ratio requirements are minimum requirements to ensure the safety and well-being of children, though in practice, preschools can and do operate with more staff than required. ECDA has made concrete moves to improve the career proposition and working conditions of preschool educators. This includes salary enhancements and the removal of the requirement for childcare centres to operate on Saturdays from this year. In October 2024, we also appointed relief staff service providers for the sector to have access to a pool of affordable short-term manpower. This is to allow educators to take time off for their personal or professional needs.”
“With the enhancements to the CDA and First Step Grant since February 2023, middle-income households with their child enrolled in Anchor Operator preschools can tap on CDA monies to fully cover four years of childcare expenses if they save up to the co-matching cap. As I announced last year, we will make a final reduction for childcare fee caps in 2026 such that families enrolled in full-day childcare in Anchor Operator preschools will pay similar expenses to that of primary school and after-school student care, before means-tested subsidies. We have also significantly increased infant care and childcare capacity and built them in areas where families with young children are concentrated. Mr Melvin Yong and Ms Hany Soh spoke about the challenges that parents with young children face in securing preschool places. To plan for new preschool places, ECDA analyses the demographics, projected resident birth cohort, enrolment trends and existing supply in each planning area, especially in BTO developments, to meet projected demand. To ensure that these preschools are operational when residents move in, ECDA facilitates Anchor Operators' early access to technical plans and arranges site visits so that renovations can commence once the keys are handed over. ECDA further supports Anchor Operators by providing infrastructure and manpower recruitment funding in advance, to prepare centres to receive children promptly. We have also grown full-day infant care places nearly threefold over the past 10 years, from around 6,000 places in 2015 to around 16,000 places in 2024. Full-day childcare places, on the other hand, have significantly increased over the past 10 years, from around 115,000 places in 2015 to around 200,000 places in 2024.”