Tan Chuan-Jin
Singapore
“A step-parent who wishes to leave any part of his or her estate to a stepchild is encouraged to make a will. Intestacy law would apply in cases where a person passes on without a will.”
“Last year, we reviewed and extended the Child Development Account, or CDA benefits to children of unwed parents. The Government granted CDA benefits, to children of unwed parents born, or with an estimated date of delivery, from 1 September 2016. It is generally good practice to implement our policies prospectively.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) does not track the number of persons who choose to remain homeless instead of being admitted into shelters. When MSF receives information on persons who may be homeless, we initiate contact with these persons on the ground to offer assistance.”
“Our law places the child's welfare and interests at the heart of an adoption decision. We must not forget that such an adoption is a life-changing event because when an unwed mother adopts her child, the duties, obligations and liabilities of the biological father are terminated.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) works closely with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to plan for preschools in upcoming Build-To-Order (BTO) developments, including Bidadari new town. To better meet the needs of young parents, new preschools will have larger capacities and also be completed earlier where possible.”
“The Silver Support Scheme under the Manpower Ministry provides an income supplement to seniors who had low incomes through life and who now have little or no family support. Beyond ComCare, we are also expanding upstream intervention to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable families and their children to set a good foundation.”
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“No, Minister Shanmugam has something else to raise.”
“Mr Louis Ng, you can take all your cuts together. Promoting the Use of Solar Energy”
“Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 4.05 pm. Sitting accordingly suspended at 3.44 pm until 4.05 pm. Sitting resumed at 4.05 pm. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] PRESIDENT'S SPEECH - ADDRESS OF THANKS [(proc text) Debate resumed. (proc text)]”
“A step-parent who wishes to leave any part of his or her estate to a stepchild is encouraged to make a will. Intestacy law would apply in cases where a person passes on without a will. For cases where the stepchild is an adult and the step-parent is likely a senior, we speak less of rights and responsibilities and more of ensuring that step-parents receive the support they need. The Maintenance of Parents Act allows for a person who meets the criteria in the Act to apply for maintenance from a child, including a stepchild, if the step-parent is unable to maintain himself or herself adequately.”
“The primary responsibility for a child lies with his or her parents, who are collectively responsible for the upbringing and welfare of the child. In a situation where the parents are divorced, major decisions for the child, including the child’s medical and healthcare matters, may be made by the parent who has custody of the child, or by both parents if a joint custody order is made by the Courts. What rights and responsibilities there may be between a step-parent and a stepchild will depend on whether there is a legal relationship between them – that is, whether the step-parent has been conferred legal rights and responsibilities over the stepchildren. Such a relationship could arise through adoption or the assumption of legal guardianship. If a step-parent chooses to adopt, he or she will step into the shoes of the parent and assume all rights and responsibilities that a parent naturally has. Alternatively, a step-parent may choose to apply to Court to be appointed as a legal guardian to his or her stepchild. Under the Women's Charter, any individual who is not the parent of a child but who has accepted a child as a member of his or her family has a duty to maintain that child, so far as the father or mother of that child fails to do so. This would apply to a step-parent who accepts the stepchild as his or her family member. Again, as the primary responsibility towards the child remains with the child’s parents, the person who has accepted the child may recover such maintenance sums from the child's parent as a debt. On estate succession and inheritance, a will generally gives a testator certainty over who the beneficiaries would be, and what each would be entitled to.”
“Today, there are 26 Day Activity Centres (DACs) providing 1,380 places for adults with disabilities. The current average waiting time for admission is about three to six months. We anticipate this to drop with the increase in DAC places. There will be three more centres opening this year, and two more centres by the end of FY18. These new centres, together with expansion of existing centres, will add another 420 places, and we are on track to providing 1,800 places and reducing the waiting time to one to two months by the end of FY18. My Ministry has also embarked on efforts to build the capability of DAC service providers and personnel. For example, personnel at the DACs have been taught how to use a common assessment tool that we developed to assess the daily living, social and community living skills of clients in the various centres. This better enables the personnel to draw up individual care plans with the caregivers for each client. Appropriate intervention programmes and activities supporting the developmental needs and desired outcomes for each client are also monitored and documented to enable the clients to achieve their full potential. MSF has completed a study on the competency and training needs of the care staff in DACs in enabling them to provide better support to the clients and their families. We are also working with agencies, such as the Agency for Integrated Care, Social Service Institute and Workforce Singapore, to draw up a competency framework and training roadmap for DAC staff.”
“Last year, we reviewed and extended the Child Development Account, or CDA benefits to children of unwed parents. The Government granted CDA benefits, to children of unwed parents born, or with an estimated date of delivery, from 1 September 2016. It is generally good practice to implement our policies prospectively. Any extension or enhancement of an existing scheme should thus have its own start date. Unwed parents who may require more support can approach any Social Service Office for financial assistance or Family Service Centre for socio-emotional support.”
“Protecting women experiencing physical or emotional abuse requires a strong partnership among Government agencies and community partners. My Ministry works closely with the Singapore Police Force, the Singapore Prisons Service, the Family Justice Courts, hospitals and community agencies to offer help to victims through the National Family Violence Networking System (NFVNS). The NFVNS was established more than 20 years ago and enables victims to receive assistance at various touchpoints, including Family Service Centres and Family Violence Specialist Centres. Interventions offered include counselling, group therapy and helping victims work out a suitable safety plan with a view to re-integrate them back to the community. Where necessary, victims will receive temporary accommodation at crisis shelters. If needed, the victim will be referred for financial, housing, employment or childcare assistance. Those who require legal protection from an abusive family member may apply for a Personal Protection Order. The Court may also order the perpetrator and affected family members to receive counselling. Domestic violence is not a private matter. In November 2016, I launched the three-year "Break the Silence | Against Family Violence" campaign to renew and raise awareness of family violence. This campaign involves MSF collaborating with non-government organisations and corporate partners to equip bystanders with resources and skills to safely step in to help victims. This is done through initiatives, such as roving community roadshows and training sessions. No one should endure abuse in silence. All of us, as family members, friends and neighbours, can play a part to report abuse and seek help for those affected by violence.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) does not track the number of persons who choose to remain homeless instead of being admitted into shelters. When MSF receives information on persons who may be homeless, we initiate contact with these persons on the ground to offer assistance. Those assessed to be homeless and in need of immediate shelter are admitted into shelters. They may also be referred to Social Service Offices and Family Service Centres for financial and employment assistance or to address family issues. Some decline assistance or have alternative accommodation options with family and friends. Others may have homes of their own but choose to sleep in public because of family disputes or other considerations. MSF and our partners in the community will continue to identify and provide support to homeless persons where needed.”
“Our law places the child's welfare and interests at the heart of an adoption decision. We must not forget that such an adoption is a life-changing event because when an unwed mother adopts her child, the duties, obligations and liabilities of the biological father are terminated. In other words, there is no longer a parental relationship between the child and his or her biological father. The child would also not be able to seek maintenance from the father under the Women's Charter. An unwed mother who intends to adopt her own child may wish to seek legal advice to fully understand the implications of an adoption order.”
“From 2012 to 2016, my Ministry assessed five applications from unwed mothers to adopt their biological children. One mother subsequently withdrew her application, while the Court granted the adoption order to the remaining four applicants. Unwed mothers do not need to or benefit more from Government policies and schemes if they adopt their own children. Singaporean children have access to a range of Government benefits that support their growth and development, regardless of their parent's marital status. These include the MediSave grant for newborns, infant care and childcare subsidies and the foreign domestic worker levy concession. In addition, all Singaporean children have access to social assistance, education and healthcare subsidies. Last year, we reviewed and extended the Child Development Account, or CDA, benefits to children born from 1 September 2016 to unwed parents. Unwed mothers of children born from 1 January 2017 are also now eligible for Government-Paid Maternity Leave. These benefits will support the child’s developmental needs and the parent’s efforts to care and provide for the child. We also introduced the KidSTART programme last year, which will proactively identify low-income and vulnerable children aged six and below. These may include children of unwed parents. KidSTART will help to provide them with early access to health, learning and development support, and monitor their progress during their early years. Benefits, such as the Baby Bonus cash gift and housing benefits, are meant to encourage parenthood within marriage, which is the desired and prevailing social norm in Singapore. They are not extended even if an unwed mother adopts her own child. Unwed mothers do adopt their own children, but for personal reasons.”
“The proportion of marriages between Singaporean Citizens and Non-Residents declined slightly between 2011 and 2015. Of all marriages involving at least one Singapore Citizen, the proportion of Singaporean Citizens marrying Non-Residents decreased from 30% in 2011 to 27% in 2015. Among these marriages, the proportion of Singaporean men marrying Non-Residents decreased from 80% in 2011 to 75% in 2015, while the proportion of Singaporean women marrying Non-Residents increased from 20% in 2011 to 25% in 2015. My Ministry studies the outcomes of marriages between Singapore Citizens and Non-Residents regularly and reviews our support measures accordingly. We recognise that these marriages create Singaporean families and are part of our society. As some of these marriages may face unique challenges, we have introduced marriage programmes since December 2014. These programmes help couples in such marriages manage cross-cultural differences as they settle down in Singapore, and strengthen their marriages. They include the Marriage Preparation Programme offered before marriage, and the Marriage Support Programme for newly-weds, which provides information on available community resources and assists Non-Resident spouses in adapting to life in Singapore. In addition, the Friendship Programme supports these couples through family bonding activities, support group sessions, and pairing of volunteers to Non-Resident spouses as "buddies".”
“00 pm on weekdays and remain open during lunch, and on Saturdays from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm.”
“In 2013, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) started setting up Social Service Offices (SSOs) in Housing and Development Board (HDB) towns to provide more accessible and coordinated social assistance to Singaporeans in need. The rollout of the full network of 24 SSOs was completed in 2015, and 95% of ComCare beneficiaries now live or work within two kilometres of an SSO. There are no immediate plans to set up more SSOs. Our SSOs have largely been successful in meeting our broad objectives. Physical accessibility and awareness of ComCare have increased because of the SSOs, and this has made it easier for needy families to seek help. Aside from providing ComCare assistance directly, SSOs also do ground-sensing and collaborate with voluntary welfare organisations and community partners to identify needs within each HDB town to provide more holistic support for those in need. We will continue to explore better ways to be more client-centric and improve service delivery. We have established standard operating procedures and guidelines so that there is consistency in service delivery across SSOs. Notwithstanding this, SSO officers are empowered to exercise flexibility for individual cases, such as in the amount and duration of Short-to-Medium Term Assistance provided, so that social assistance is calibrated according to the needs of the household. With regard to operating hours, standalone SSOs are open on weekdays from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm and closed for lunch from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm. The four SSOs which are co-located with Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) Career Centres have adopted the same operating hours as WSG and e2i centres. These SSOs close at 5.”
“The Silver Support Scheme under the Manpower Ministry provides an income supplement to seniors who had low incomes through life and who now have little or no family support. Beyond ComCare, we are also expanding upstream intervention to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable families and their children to set a good foundation. This includes supporting vulnerable children in their early years, encouraging work and helping workers level up their skills. We also recognise the importance of financial planning for the low-income and will continue to review efforts for this group.”
“Over the last few years, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has enhanced the coverage and accessibility of ComCare assistance to help households in need. We have set up the network of 24 Social Service Offices (SSOs) island wide. We have also revised the income criteria of our help schemes. With these enhancements, more low-income families have benefited from ComCare assistance. At the same time, the demographic profile in Singapore has been changing, with trends, such as smaller families, rising number of single-person households and ageing population, observed. These factors affect the ability of some families to cope and they may require temporary financial assistance to address their needs. The increasing number of households on ComCare assistance does not necessarily indicate a widening income gap. Over the last five years, the Gini Coefficient has remained relatively stable, at 0.473 in 2011 and 0.458 in 2016. The Government has also provided additional transfers, such as Silver Support and MediShield Life premium subsidies, to help lower-income Singaporeans. This is reflected in the lower Gini coefficient of 0.402 in 2016 after Government taxes and transfers. Our SSOs work closely with Family Service Centres (FSCs), other Government agencies and community partners to provide holistic support. For example, our SSOs partner Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to provide the client with employment assistance to improve his or her employability and secure stable employment. Seniors in need can also benefit from Government-funded social services, such as Senior Activity Centres, befriending and counselling services.”
“MSF and MOH will continue to provide a range of home and community-based social and care support and review services regularly to ensure that seniors with diverse needs are able to age gracefully in familiar surroundings.”
“From 2014 to 2015, the Ministry of Health (MOH) had engaged over 4,000 Singaporeans on their aspirations and ideas on how the Government can help Singaporeans age well to develop the Action Plan for Successful Ageing. Seniors shared that they prefer to age in place in their own homes, surrounded by their loved ones in the community. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has provided more housing options for seniors, such as 2-room flexi flats. MOH complements these housing options by integrating care services with it. In selected new housing estates, MOH is working to co-design and co-locate nursing homes and eldercare facilities within the public housing precinct so that we have a continuum of independent living, assisted and nursing care facilities within the same precinct. We also need to inject services within existing HDB precincts to help seniors age in place. MOH is on track to reach their target of 6,200 day care places and 10,000 home care places by 2020. MOH is also piloting Integrated Home and Day Care packages to allow seniors to benefit from a flexible mix of home and day care services tailored to suit their needs. For vulnerable seniors, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has set up 19 Senior Cluster Networks to coordinate and integrate services. These networks comprise 69 Senior Activity Centres and 19 case management teams across the island to reach out to low-income and vulnerable seniors to stay engaged and prevent social isolation. MSF has also set up Senior Group Homes to support the frail elderly in rental flats to age within the community, as an alternative to living in nursing homes.”
“The number of households with main applicant aged below 35 that received ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance (SMTA) increased from 4,016 in financial year (FY) 2012 to 5,644 in FY2015. As a proportion of households receiving ComCare SMTA, this dipped slightly from 19.5% in FY2012 to 19.1% in FY2015. More households had received assistance due to the revised income criteria. More families can also access assistance through the network of 24 Social Service Offices (SSOs) island wide. Some younger applicants may be temporarily unemployed and searching for a job. Besides providing financial assistance, our SSOs partner Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to provide the client with employment assistance to improve his or her employability and secure stable employment. Other families may have more complex needs, for example, family issues, such as divorce, health issues or incarceration. To address these, our SSOs work with community partners, such as Family Service Centres, to help these families strengthen their family ties and develop resilience. To support the needs of different couples, including young couples, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) partners community agencies to provide marriage preparation and support programmes. MSF also works with other agencies to enhance preventive and upstream strategies for low-income groups, such as financial literacy, employment and housing support. We are also expanding upstream efforts to support vulnerable families and their children. To this end, the Early Childhood Development Agency has piloted the KidSTART programme in July last year to enable children aged six and below from low-income and vulnerable families to have a good start in life.”
“The scheme also supports booking of taxis for ease of pick-up from the homes of the persons with disabilities. TSS is an alternative to owning a vehicle for the purpose of transport. DPS and TSS complement public transport options to facilitate independent travel and living for persons with disabilities. We will continue to work with relevant agencies to enhance accessibility and availability of affordable transport options for persons with disabilities.”
“The Disabled Persons Scheme (DPS) was set up in 1980 when transport options for persons with disabilities were limited. DPS supports Singapore Citizens with permanent disabilities from the lower-income groups who are unable to use public transport, that is, bus and/or Mass Rapid Transit without assistance and require a vehicle to perform their work functions. Eligible drivers with disabilities are exempted from paying premiums for the certificates of entitlement (COE) and the additional registration fees when they purchase a vehicle. It is a means-tested scheme. To qualify for the scheme, persons with disabilities must be certified by a medical doctor from the Tan Tock Seng Rehabilitation Centre to be permanently disabled and incapable of travelling by public transport. They must also be gainfully employed and demonstrate the need for a vehicle in performing their work functions, such as frequent travelling to worksites or to meet clients. Applicants would also need to meet the means-test criteria. In addition to the DPS scheme, persons with disability who wish to own their own vehicle are also supported with loan arrangements. The Monetary Authority of Singapore exempts the physically disabled from the financing restrictions on motor vehicle loans granted by financial institutions, such as the maximum loan-to-value of 50% or 60% of the purchase price, depending on the open market value of the vehicle. There are also other alternatives for travel of persons with permanent disabilities who are medically certified to be unable to take public transport. These individuals can tap on the Taxi Subsidy Scheme (TSS), which provides means-tested taxi subsidies to defray the cost of commute to school or work.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) works closely with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to plan for preschools in upcoming Build-To-Order (BTO) developments, including Bidadari new town. To better meet the needs of young parents, new preschools will have larger capacities and also be completed earlier where possible. ECDA also works with HDB to integrate preschools with the BTO precincts to provide more accessible services to the young families moving into the estate. Centres may also have access to common greens and community facilities, such as playgrounds, which provide opportunities for physical and outdoor activities that enhance children’s well-being and development.”
“Families may tap on the Baby Bonus Cash Gift to defray their child-raising costs. Parents with a Singapore Citizen child born on or after 1 January 2015 will receive $8,000 for the first and second child, and $10,000 for the third and subsequent child. These amounts include the Baby Bonus Plus of $2,000, which was introduced in 2015. The Baby Bonus Cash Gift is disbursed in five instalments over 18 months following the child’s birth, providing parents with sustained support during the child’s infancy. We acknowledge community efforts, such as the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) FairPrice Foundation-Community Development Council (CDC) Milk Fund, to assist families. Vulnerable, low-income families which face difficulties coping with their daily living expenses can approach their nearest Social Service Office (SSO) to apply for ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance. The SSO will conduct a needs assessment and families may receive a monthly cash grant to assist with their basic needs. The cash assistance will take into account the costs of infant formula milk, in the case of vulnerable families with infants. We will continue to monitor the cost of infant formula milk and review our social assistance schemes as needed.”
“To cater to the needs of working parents, childcare centres are required to operate full-day services from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm on weekdays, and from 7.00 am to 2.00 pm on Saturdays. Around 50 child centres, or about 4% of centres, operate beyond 7.00 pm on weekdays. Currently, childcare centres have the discretion to extend their services beyond the standard operating hours. To require them to do so will add to staffing requirements and result in higher fees to parents. We also do not monitor nor regulate how centres determine additional charges, if any, for late pickups, as these are commercial arrangements between the centres and parents. In any case, if parents are unable to pick up their children on time, many of them arrange for other caregivers, such as grandparents and domestic helpers, to do so. While the Government is committed to enhancing the provision of affordable and quality childcare to support working parents, I would like to encourage parents to find suitable arrangements that help them to balance their work and family responsibilities. For most young children, parents are their first and best teachers. Spending quality time with children is important to provide a good start for their children. In this regard, I am pleased to note that more employers are adopting flexible work arrangements, such as more flexible start and end times, to help their employees better manage their family commitments.”
“The public and community can play a role by approaching persons in need to understand their circumstances and offer help. They can also call the ComCare hotline or approach the nearest Social Service Office or FSC for assistance. MSF and our partners in the community will continue to render assistance where needed.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) works closely with Government and community agencies, such as the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and social service agencies to assist homeless families and individuals in need. Some of them may seek help from the Family Service Centres (FSCs) to identify temporary housing options and address their other needs. Those who have exhausted all means of accommodation and are in need of immediate shelter would be admitted into Transitional Shelters. Case workers at the shelters and social workers at the FSCs will work with these families to improve their family situation, coordinate relevant assistance and secure long-term housing options. In some cases, persons seeking admission into Transitional Shelters have alternative accommodation options with family and friends and are, therefore, not admitted to the shelter. There are also individuals who are not suitable to be admitted into Transitional Shelters due to their physical or mental health conditions. The social service agencies will refer them to the appropriate care facilities. The waiting time for admission to the transitional shelters is typically about three days to a week. The time needed depends on factors, such as whether the social worker is able to contact the client to undertake the assessment. For needy persons who need immediate shelter, the shelter operators will facilitate same-day admissions as far as possible. When same-day admission is not possible, such as during weekends and after office hours, the social worker will work with the person to source for interim accommodation, such as staying with relatives or friends. The women and children of families who cannot find interim accommodation can be admitted temporarily to the crisis shelters.”
“As Dr Aline Wong said in a book entitled "Our Lives to Live", "True equality lies in a woman's ability to realise her full potential and be her true self in whatever she endeavours to achieve." Let us endeavour to make this happen. 5.21 pm”
“Members of this House will be familiar with the Dads for Life movement and the Centre for Fathering. Many have asked me why is there not a Moms for Life movement or a Centre for Mothering. Do they not have a role to play, too? My response is that actually moms are already for life and mothers are already at the centre of everything! Today, the burden is truly uneven. Attitudes are changing and that is encouraging and home responsibilities, unfortunately, are disproportionately borne by women. Playing the roles as we should, as husbands and fathers, will help level the playing field for women in so many ways. Mdm Speaker, even as we push for the elimination of gender biases, I hope we remember that this journey to ensure a level playing field for women in Singapore is really an ongoing one and it builds on the remarkable work done by our Pioneers. The lives of women in Singapore have improved significantly over the years through the various Government policies and initiatives, as well as more enlightened societal perspectives and practices. But our work is not done. We must continue to remove the barriers faced by women in the public sphere. In this regard, we will seriously consider the many useful and insightful recommendations that Members have put forth these two days. However, the fundamental societal change can never be achieved by the Government alone. The change also needs to take place at home, in our workplaces and in our communities. All of us have a stake, whether as employers or colleagues in the workplace, as civil society or as families. We must remove glass ceilings and give Singaporean women − our mothers or sisters, our wives or daughters − the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential.”
“During the Committee of Supply debate a few weeks ago, Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo announced that, from July this year, public servants will get an additional four weeks of unpaid infantcare leave per parent, as part of a three-year pilot. This is available to both mothers and fathers. Please use it. Mdm Speaker, the Government can legislate these leave provisions to encourage shared parental responsibility and for fathers to play a more active role in their children's lives. But only families can decide what steps to take. We cannot walk that last mile for them. A 2013 survey on Social Attitudes of Singaporeans indicated that men are changing their attitudes. Fifty-eight percent of men in 2013, compared to 44% in 2009, said that their work demands ate into their family time more than they liked. The point that more men are identifying a conflict between work and family commitments is also highlighted in the 2014 Employer Alliance survey, where men indicated an increasing desire to have flexible work arrangements so they can help out with the children and domestic responsibilities. So, that is a good indicator. Businesses must, therefore, realise that employees, including men, do not perform their best when they feel conflicted and are unable to juggle career and home demands. Enlightened businesses know that when they help both fathers and mothers manage their work-life balance, they are the ones that will succeed in retaining talent and recruiting new talent. Of the 500 bosses polled, over 80% said they felt work-life initiatives are important to improve employee satisfaction, raise productivity and retain talent. So, again, the survey looks positive but we need to really begin to walk the talk, across the board.”
“The 2012 Marriage and Parenthood study showed 99% of respondents, both men and women, either strongly agreed or agreed that "Fathers and mothers are equally important as caregivers for children." However, in terms of division of labour within the household, day-to-day chores and childcare responsibilities mostly still fall on the women's shoulders. Only 13% of the respondents said that the role of cooking was shared equally between spouses, while only 23% said that this role of feeding young children was undertaken equally by both parents. We really need to begin walking the talk. Marriage is an equal partnership. As husbands and fathers, it is important for us to share the household and parenting responsibilities with our wives. This would provide working women with the necessary support to alleviate the work-life conflict that they face. Research also shows that this brings about stronger and happier marriages, as both parties better understand and feel supported in managing day-to-day chores and concerns. This means stronger families. Stronger families mean a much better environment for our children to grow up in. Studies have also shown that children with active fathers have better social skills, they do better academically and have less behavioural problems. Fathers, themselves, are more fulfilled as they are no longer the distant breadwinner and they are able to develop close bonds and ties with their children. So, as much as is possible, we should start bonding with our children from birth. So, I urge fathers, please use the two weeks of paternity leave which have been made mandatory from this year and be present in the lives of your children. Fathers can also tap on four weeks of shared parental leave, with effect from July this year.”
“The first line of support must surely be the family and that is something that cannot be mandated, that is something that all of us can play a part. Dr Intan Azura, Mr Louis Ng, Mr Leon Perera, Mr Darryl David and Ms Tin Pei Ling reminded us we need to have a cultural shift and a mindset change, especially about the share of care responsibilities. Mr Kok Heng Leun also reminded us that eliminating gender stereotypes starts from young. What we do at home as mothers and fathers, husbands and wives is extremely powerful. By our example, we socialise our daughters and sons into their future roles when they set up their own homes. We can either help them move with the times and evolve more appropriate interpretations, or we can unnecessarily confine and restrict their understanding of the roles and duties of mothers and fathers, and of husbands and wives. Even today, while women in Singapore enjoy equality in many aspects of society, including education and employment, the greater responsibility of caregiving within the family continues to fall on women. We need to change the paradigm relating to the roles men and women play. As husbands, fathers, brothers and sons, we should step up to play our part at home. Parenting responsibilities can and should be shared with our wives. Household chores should not be seen as only the purview of female family members, including the domestic helpers. Otherwise, how can our society progress? If the women around us continue to bear the disproportionate burden of family and caregiving responsibilities, it is less likely that they can achieve all that they are capable of. 5.15 pm Mdm Speaker, gender roles are certainly evolving.”
“Ms Joan Pereira appealed to treat a single mother and her children as a "family nucleus" in HDB applications. It is very clear to us that housing is an important institution for children's well-being and development. Our housing policies aim to address the needs of the vulnerable without, at the same time, trying to undermine self-reliance, family support and parity with other families. I would like to assure Ms Joan Pereira that single unwed parents are not without housing options. Depending on their age, they may apply for HDB flats themselves, or jointly with their parents. Let me state this again quite categorically. On a case-by-case basis, HDB makes exceptions to help single parents, whether divorcees or otherwise, with their housing. Do surface their cases to us and we will look at them. While I specifically mentioned the Women's Charter earlier, something we often overlook is how our laws have also made Singapore a safer place for women. This is something we should not take for granted. It is not something that women in other countries necessarily have. At the same time, we need to make sure that we have to shape society's ideas about what is not acceptable. Violence against women is unequivocally wrong. Although married persons have conjugal rights over each other, such rights should be exercised within reasonable behaviour. Married women should have the same access to protection as unmarried women. We are thus actively reviewing the issue of marital immunity for rape and will give an update once the review is completed. Mdm Speaker, let me turn to the home front. I believe that this is an important area where we can provide support for women to achieve their true potential. I think it is important for us to remember.”
“While women sitting on the boards of these charities make up about 31%, 13% of the charities still have no female representation. My Ministry and the National Council of Social Service will look into this. I believe we can improve on this figure. While we provide support for women to balance their work-family commitments and excel in the business and non-profit sectors, we must not forget that there are also vulnerable groups of women who require more support. We must also help them to overcome particular barriers so that they, too, can realise their potential. One such group is single mothers, which has been raised by Miss Cheryl Chan, Mr Leon Perera, Mr Faisal Manap and Ms Joan Pereira. Some talked about singles, referred to divorcees, to unwed mothers. For us, we continue to support parenthood within marriage but, whatever the circumstances, we remain child-centric. It is important for us to do that. Single parents' children get the same health and education benefits as any other citizen's child. We have also made policy changes in recent years to provide more support for parents to support their children. For example, we have recently extended the full 16-week maternity leave to unwed mothers and their children are now eligible for a Child Development Account (CDA). I have also highlighted several times in this House about KidSTART which will help parents who need support for the development of their children. This is an extensive effort that will not just focus on the children but also link families with community resources if they have other social and financial needs. This programme precisely focuses on the groups that many of us here are concerned about. I believe it will make a significant amount of difference.”
“This is something that Singapore corporates should not ignore anymore. I appreciate the other joint recommendation by PAP Women's Wing and BoardAgender. Minister Grace Fu recently announced a declared ambition for at least 20% of directorships on SGX-listed companies to be held by qualified women by 2020. This is timely and I support this target. In fact, DAC discussed the same issue at its recent meeting in February 2017. For SGX-listed companies, DAC is suggesting a multi-tiered target: 20% by 2020, 25% by 2025 and 30% by 2030 because getting women on boards is a journey and not a destination. DAC will share more details separately. I want to see more women breaking the "glass ceilings" in the next few years. Beyond business, it is also very important for us to look at the non-profit sector. The Centre for Non-Profit Leadership and the Charities Unit have carried out an inaugural study on non-profit board leadership. The study shows that more women are represented on the boards of charities, compared with businesses. Helen Keller once said, "Life is an exciting business and most exciting when it is lived for others". We have many women who exemplify this. One sterling example is Mrs Leaena Tambyah, who retired as senior adviser to the Asian Women's Welfare Association (AWWA) in 2013 after many years of devoting her time and effort helping others, especially children with special needs. Another example, is Mrs Thung Syn Neo, a social work pioneer, whose key contribution is the concept of the Family Service Centres that we have today. Women leaders in the non-profit sector have shown that a combination of "heart and mind" can go a long way in building up our social capital and help us to become a more caring and inclusive society.”
“9% as of December 2016, which is really less than half the representation rate in these countries. To address this, my Ministry set up a Diversity Action Committee (DAC) in August 2014 to build up women's representation on boards of companies listed on the Singapore Exchange and to expand the pool of board-ready women. It comprises respected business leaders from the private sector like Singtel, CDL, Shell and IBM; entrepreneurial and professional firms; as well as representatives from the people and public sectors. DAC has recommended that we enhance the Code of Corporate Governance (CG Code) to require listed companies to disclose their board diversity policy, including gender, and their progress towards achieving these objectives. PAP Women's Wing and BoardAgender have made a similar joint recommendation to revise the CG Code to require companies to disclose their board diversity, including gender, in their annual reports, on a "comply or explain" basis. BoardAgender is an initiative under the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations, which aims to facilitate greater awareness of the benefits of gender balanced business, as well as the advancement of women into senior leadership positions and the boardroom. MAS has formed a Corporate Governance Council to review the CG Code and we look forward to developments on this front. I dislike the fact that Singapore ranks near the bottom behind other key developed markets like Australia and the UK in terms of women on boards, in fact, even behind our neighbouring countries. Other countries are progressing at a much faster rate. Globally, shareholders and institutional investors increasingly view women on boards as being important for board effectiveness.”
“Some parents work shifts and may require childcare services in line with their working hours. Ms Tin Pei Ling and Ms Sun Xueling suggested extending the operating hours of childcare centres. Currently, they are required to operate full-day services from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm daily on weekdays to cater to the needs of most working parents. Some centres have chosen to extend their operating hours to better cater to parents' schedules. Currently, there are already 52 centres offering extended operating hours island-wide. Miss Cheryl Chan, Ms Joan Pereira and Ms Tin Pei Ling gave several thoughtful recommendations to better support those who are caring for their elderly family members. Minister of State Lam Pin Min addressed some of these recommendations yesterday. Caring for our elderly is a key focus of MOH in the years to come as we address the issue of ageing in Singapore. Thirdly, how do we facilitate women in terms of leadership positions in industries? Much of the effort I have addressed and elaborated on so far deals with the career progression of our women. However, this is not enough. As a country, and as an economy, we must not under-estimate the contributions that women can make at the apex of our corporates. Mr Louis Ng, Mr Leon Perera, Mr Vikram Nair, Ms Jessica Tan and Ms Tin Pei Ling agree that having women in corporate leadership makes good sense for businesses and the economy. This is not about women's rights. Today, our women are well-educated and contribute actively to our economy. The proportion of women in senior management roles in Singapore is about 21% − similar to other countries like Australia, the US and the UK. Yet, women's representation on our boards is about 9.”
“Indeed, a more user-centric approach would be useful. We will see how to do that better. Working couples who have just started a family may also need support in caring for their young children. On this front, as Members are aware, the Government has endeavoured to improve the quality, accessibility and affordability of preschool services. To increase accessibility, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has increased the number of childcare places island-wide, especially in estates with more young families. We work closely with HDB on that. Since 2012, the number of childcare places has increased by more than 40% to about 140,000 places. We will add another 10,000 childcare places by early next year. To support parents with childcare and infant care expenses and ensure affordability, all parents receive subsidies. Additional subsidies are also available to the broad majority of lower and middle income families. For non-working mothers who are retrenched, looking for jobs or undergoing training, we will consider their issues on a case-by-case basis, so that these subsidies are available to them as well. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah mentioned that working parents prefer to be near their young children during the work day. To address this, Ms Tin Pei Ling suggested having more care facilities near workplaces. You will be pleased to know that ECDA has worked with URA to set up childcare centres in commercial developments under the Community and Sports Facilities Scheme. Under this Scheme, the developers for selected Government Land Sale sites are also required to provide space for childcare centres. Last year, there were 450 childcare centres located in or near commercial and Government buildings − that is about one-third of all childcare centres.”
“Ms Tin Pei Ling, Mr Alex Yam, Miss Cheryl Chan, Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Mr Louis Ng, Ms Sun Xueling, Ms K Thanaletchmi, Mr Leon Perera and Mr Desmond Choo pointed out that flexible work arrangements are vital. I totally agree. Minister Lim Swee Say has shared the range of efforts. The Government has promoted and implemented flexible work arrangements and progressive work practices over the years and we must continue to keep up these efforts. So, your suggestions and ideas are certainly valuable. This also includes the Tripartite Standards on Flexible Arrangements which MOM has introduced. We want employers to offer these options to their employees. It is not good enough to present them and have them available but they must offer them to employees. Secondly, we need to build capacity to support our women and men. Ms Tin Pei Ling argued for building capacity to help women juggle work and family priorities. Women who have taken a break from work to focus on their families may wish to return to the workforce after their children have grown up. Yet, they may find it difficult to start working again because, sometimes, after they exit the workforce, their skills may have "expired", especially at the rate at which technology is changing; some of us may become irrelevant. Ms Tin Pei Ling, Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Miss Cheryl Chan, Mr Darryl David and Ms Rahayu Mahzam suggested having a customised SkillsFuture package to help these women update their skills to facilitate their return to the workforce. Minister Ong Ye Kung explained how we can and should offer guidance and support to help all the different groups to sieve out the relevant modules that are available. We need to create more modules that may be applicable to the different segments of society.”
“So, it is important to remember that it is not just on the economic front and the economic value that we are looking at women. There is also a broader value that women provide, along with men. As a nation, we would be foolish not to value and to nurture them. Second, we need to make changes on the domestic front, in keeping with the changing realities of our modern times, to recognise the evolving roles for both men and women at home and in their personal relationships. Firstly, realising women's full potential in the public sphere. How do we provide more options for our women and, also, men? Like men, women are not a homogenous population with uniform preferences. Some prefer to focus on work, while others prefer to focus on family. Some want to do both. There will always be trade-offs. Our job is to respect these choices and work them within the larger collective aspiration. We aim to put in place an environment that supports our women and men to be able to make these choices. I emphasise that we must never trivialise choices made by fathers and mothers to spend more time with their children. It is invaluable both for the family and for society. For women, the need to balance career and familial commitments is usually more intense because of the way we view them. Some face discrimination in their jobs. Others take a less linear career path to focus on their family. They exit the workforce, they come back again. In doing so, they may find it difficult to return to the workforce. All these are real challenges, especially when you add on the economic uncertainties that we are facing today.”
“In 1961, we passed the Women's Charter' a seminal legislation to protect and advance the rights of women and girls. Many of you would be familiar with this Charter as I had recently tabled amendments to it. Many of us actually take it for granted. What we enjoy today, we forget where we came from. It was never quite like that. But the Women's Charter was a powerful signal on how we viewed women in Singapore and how we were going to recognise and support them. We have also made significant progress on the health and employment front. In a recent dialogue with Chinese journalist Yang Lan in February, I highlighted that our literacy rate for women is 95.4%. Our full-time employment rate for women aged 25 to 64 has increased from 63% 10 years ago to 72% last year. This brings us from number 23 previously to number 12 now, compared to other OECD countries. Our infant and maternal mortality rates are among the lowest in the world. Our women also live longer. Life expectancy at birth for females is 84.9 years − more than men. In terms of gender equality, the latest UN 2016 Human Development Report ranked Singapore 11th out of 159 countries on the UN Gender Inequality Index. Mdm Speaker, we are not there yet, but it is not bad and we have come a long way. We have established strong foundations but we must build further on them. More can and certainly must be done. I would like to highlight the changes we need on two fronts. First, we must eliminate barriers in the public sphere, be they in the workplace or in the community, to ensure that women reach their full potential. Women have made and can make significant contributions to not only the economy, but also our society at large.”
“My colleagues from MOM, MOE and MOH have also shared in greater detail the efforts being undertaken in their respective Ministries. We believe in helping every woman fulfil her potential and aspirations. To do so, we must ensure that the playing field is even and opportunities are fair between men and women. At the same time, we must also ensure that women have the right to choose and that we should respect those choices. How do we translate this vision into reality? Well, we must, first, believe in the worth and potential of our people − both women and men. Let us start at the beginning more than 50 years ago, when we laid the foundation for our women to progress. The PAP's first election manifesto, "The Tasks Ahead", not only outlined its promises to build homes and schools, to reorganise the Civil Service and build a strong and united trade union movement, it also put across its policy on women's rights. There was a strong desire to uplift our womenfolk in our society. Five women were fielded in that election. Two of them, Chan Choy Siong and Ho Puay Choo, founded the PAP Women's League, the forerunner of today's PAP Women's Wing which is tabling the Motion today. As Mdm Er's story shows, education was a fundamental driver of change. Mr Lee Kuan Yew said, and I quote, "The key is education. Old-fashioned attitudes of teaching women enough to be literate and useful wives have undergone profound changes in the last 20 years. Societies which do not educate and use half their potential because they are women are those which will be worse off." So, we embarked on universal education for all children, regardless of gender. Today, half of our graduates are women.”
“Mdm Speaker, let me tell the story of 69-year-old Mdm Er Teck Gin who had been described as a woman born at the right time. When Mdm Er reached school-going age, Mr Lee Kuan Yew emerged as the leader of a fledgling nation, then still seeking its independence from the British. He called on families to send their children − both boys and girls − to school, to forge the foundation of an educated and effective workforce. So, unlike her older sister, Mdm Er and her younger sisters went to school with their brothers. It changed the course of their lives. In fact, she is a fine example of lifelong learning because she kept attending classes to improve herself. She got better and better jobs over the years. She was a cold chef preparing non-cooked food in Raffles Hotel and, later, was an executive chef with Singapore Food Industries. Mdm Er shared, and I quote, "I was always financially independent. With my extra money, I could give my four children a comfortable life." Was life easy? I am sure it was not, but she worked hard with the opportunities afforded to her. Mdm Speaker, at the heart of all we have done and have been discussing in this session, it is really about building a fairer and more equal society. Men and women may have different perspectives, insights and instincts, but there is one clear constant. Whatever the differences, we are equal. But, Madam, the fact that we have this Motion in the first place says something. This equality is still work-in-progress, but, thankfully, a work that remains very much alive and that builds on the achievements of our Pioneers. This is a unique opportunity for us to also present an overview of how the Singapore Government values women in our society.”
“Companies must adopt best practices for board nomination and appointments, and also proactively incorporate board training in their talent development programmes. Private sector leaders should volunteer to mentor and sponsor aspiring women leaders, who should be encouraged to step up and take up available board positions. The Government and private sector have to work hand in hand with DAC to build up women’s representation on the boards of Singapore companies.”
“In recent years, many people have spoken about the importance and benefits of having more women on boards and in senior management. They include key private sector players, regulators, as well as senior Government leaders like Madam Speaker, Minister Grace Fu and Minister Shanmugam. Indeed, it is already widely known that having more women on boards adds to the board’s diversity in skillsets, experiences and perspectives, leading to better decisions. However, while there has been some progress on this front, more needs to be done to quicken the pace of change. I would thus like to thank Ms Sun Xueling for her timely question on how the Government can better support the work of the Diversity Action Committee (DAC). The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) set up DAC in August 2014 to build up women's representation on boards of companies in Singapore. It comprises illustrious business leaders and professionals from the private, people and public sectors. I received DAC's end-of-term report and next step recommendations in October last year. One of the recommendations was to strengthen the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS') Code of Corporate Governance (CG Code) to require listed companies to disclose their diversity policy, including gender, and their progress towards achieving the objectives. MAS has formed a Corporate Governance Council to review the CG Code. The Council will consider DAC's recommendation as part of its review. While the Government continues to encourage the inclusion of qualified women in executive development pipelines, companies have an equally important role to play. We urge companies to rely less on personal networks when searching for board candidates and look at widening their board search criteria.”
“From 2014 to 2016, 23 to 26 applications for the enforcement of maintenance orders were filed annually through video-conferencing at the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations’ Maintenance Support Central (SCWO-MSC), Tampines Family Service Centre (FSC) and at HELP FSC1, one of the Divorce Support Specialist Agencies, as shown in Table 1 below. The cases comprised around 1% of the total number of enforcement applications annually from 2014 to 2016, which was around 2,600 to 3,000. The Ministry has been working closely with the Family Justice Courts (FJC) to simplify and increase accessibility of the enforcement process. Apart from video-conferencing and assistance with applications, SCWO-MSC and HELP FSC provide a more comprehensive suite of services to parties seeking enforcement of maintenance, including credit bureau reporting and counselling. The Ministry will continue to work with the FJC and the service centres to raise awareness of the services provided at the centres.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2017/2018, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Sir, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow? [(proc text) Resolved, "That progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow." − [Mr Tan Chuan-Jin]. (proc text)] [(proc text) Thereupon Mr Deputy Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]”
“Different social workers may pick up different issues but, collectively, when we put them all together, some semblance of the truth might emerge and we have better clarity. That is something that we are doing and we are unfolding on the ground. Strengthening of processes goes beyond technology. I would suggest a very big part of it is the relationships. The more the different stakeholders get together to know one another, the more they are prepared to share information and a lot of this is tacit information and makes a lot of difference. We are embarking on the journey and I think we can do better.”
“Sir, with regard to the last point, it has been done via sharing in the community of practices. We have gatherings of the leaders and the various VWOs coming together; sometimes,there are focus areas of discussion. I have participated in some of these and they have been quite energising sessions. It serves to re-motivate many of them as well. They establish relationships and friendships, renew them and establish new ones which are very important in terms of collaboration work and, importantly, the exchange of good practices. We can do more and we aim to work with the social work fraternity to grow this. Secondly, in terms of shared services, we definitely would like to support this. You have many, many different VWOs. Some are very small. So, the scale is really not quite so ideal in terms of your own resourcing, in terms of your HR system, financial system. We are supportive of them trying to develop more shared services. That is the direction that we would like to see it going so that some of these services can, indeed, be shared and allow the social workers and the set-ups to really focus on the social work. The first question on how integrated we are. Well, SS Net, which I have mentioned, and some Members will be familiar with, is a database that we have made available not just for SSOs but, eventually, to push down to the Family Service Centres as well. What it means is that the social workers can also tap onto the same base where we look at the individual. It is not just the SSO. We are not only linking up at the backend but at the front end as well so that at least there is a common database. As I have mentioned earlier, they do not need to repeat the same story again.”
“Your KPI cannot be just about people coming in, helping you and, therefore, doing the thing that you need to do to service your clients and to look after those you are looking after. But your responsibility is also to make sure that every volunteer that joins you believes in your cause and wants to come back. So, you pay attention to the volunteer journey as well. I would say that this is something that we can do better and we are working with the schools on this. MOE is supportive. They do very much believe that values can be inculcated. The very term "Values-in-Action", I think it is a very apt term for the programme because values are realised in action. We are working with them to see how to curate some of these experiences. We know some schools have done a fantastic job − very good outcomes – and we would like to see more of this happening. But I would also suggest that not just for schools but even corporates and even other organisations that are looking at volunteering, I think we can pay attention to their journey as well.”