Tan Kiat How
Singapore
“(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Thank you, Mr Speaker. Earlier I spoke about the policy objective of the Speak Mandarin Campaign, and we have remained consistent and united on this objective over the years. The question is our measures – how might we show some flexibility when it comes to movie screenings?”
“Sir, I can take the Member's question first, about the institutional arrangement. IMDA works very closely with different Government agencies including the NHB. In fact, we work closely on films, the classification of films. So, there is no need for an explicit institution arrangement as they are already doing so.”
“These are the primary objectives, but we will continue to see how we can think about meaningful information for family members. I know family members when they put their loved ones in nursing homes, there is a range of factors they consider.”
“These are lessons we have learned and we will make sure that those lessons would be incorporated in our standard operating procedures in our approach next time. Lastly, I just want to thank the Member for coming by at least a few times to my constituency to speak to my merchants, the hawkers, the residents.”
“For example, there are no dialect restrictions for arts performances or content available on the Internet and online streaming services. On free-to-air television and radio, we believe that Mandarin should continue to be the mainstay.”
“If there is more demand, we will discuss it with the film distributor and see how we can provide additional flexibility. But we will take a review as it comes along and it is certainly something for which we will speak to all members, industry partners, community partners about, and take their views on board.”
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“We would like to express our gratitude to the many public officers and private sector partners that had worked tirelessly to set up various COVID-19 facilities at short notice. However, we cannot for a moment believe or assume that we are out of the woods. Therefore, we will continue to remain vigilant to guard against COVID-19 resurgence and ensure that we have the necessary COVID-related facilities in place while regularly adjusting the capacity based on the situation.”
“Mr Chairman, facilities, such as Community Care Facilities, Government Quarantine Facilities, Stay Home Notice Dedicated Facilities and temporary accommodation for migrant workers were set up at very short notice at the start of the COVID-19 crisis. These facilities played a critical role in breaking the infection cycle. At its peak, these facilities could house about 100,000 people. It was a tremendous undertaking by all parties involved. While the number of cases in Singapore has since declined steadily, we are now taking careful steps to allow more social and economic activities to resume, and to re-open our borders. Therefore, in tandem, we have returned various facilities to their pre-COVID uses. However, as shown by experiences elsewhere in the world, we cannot afford to let our guard down. We must assess the risk of each step carefully and ensure that we have sufficient options and buffer capacity to meet various contingency scenarios, including a resurgence of cases. This has always been our approach – looking ahead and putting in place robust plans to deal with contingencies. We have spent about $804 million to-date. The facilities that account for the largest share are hotels for use as GQFs and SDFs, state properties as temporary accommodation for migrant workers, and Singapore Expo for use as CCF. While we do not have the detailed breakdown of the expenditure attributable to migrant workers, we expect that they are likely to form a sizeable proportion, as migrant workers constitute the bulk of the infection cases in Singapore. To conclude, to Mr Leong's questions, COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented public health crisis that has affected Singapore and the world.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we require new foreign construction workers to pass the Skills Evaluation Certificate (Knowledge) test, or SEC(K) trade test, at our overseas testing centres to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary trade knowledge and skills competency before coming to Singapore to work. This way, employers and the workers themselves can be assured that the workers are able to meet the requirements before incurring expenses, such as airfare, to travel to Singapore. For workers that have previously obtained the necessary SEC(K) qualifications in a particular trade, they do not need to retake the SEC(K) test before returning to Singapore to work in the same trade.”
“It is the duty of our generation to do all that we can to make sure that our children and seniors can grow up and grow old in a safe and caring online community, where there is no digital divide, where our people have the confidence and skills to ride the digital wave; where just as they are at ease moving around in the physical neighbourhood, they can have the same peace of mind navigating the digital space. We need to act boldly and decisively now before it is too late. So, let us all step forward, step up and step in to be part of this national movement. [Applause.]”
“For example, tech companies and social media companies can study how to provide safer online services and products, and work with the government to promote cyber security awareness. Parents, on the other hand, can pick up relevant knowledge and provide a safe space at home, so that children can seek advice and help when they need it. Finally, we must mobilise the entire nation to create a safe and kind cyberspace. We can each do our part too, for example, helping to promote cyber security awareness, lending a listening ear to friends when they are troubled, providing them with guidance, or encouraging them to turn to existing channels for help. Technology is a double-edged sword. We cannot shy away from the internet just because there are risks. Instead, we should learn how to make good and full use of it while protecting ourselves. Everyone needs to take responsibility to protect ourselves in cybersecurity. (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, Mdm President spoke about the need to build a fair and just society. As our world becomes increasingly digitalised, we must also pay special attention to how the most vulnerable amongst us not just access, but also navigate the digital space. My wife and I just had our baby. Isaac will be turning a month old this weekend. He and other children of his generation will grow up in a very different world from all of us, where they will spend a large part of their lives in cyberspace.”
“They even came up with a card game to encourage conversations amongst friends! The Government can support this national movement by convening platforms to bring together such like-minded parties and amplify these ground-up efforts through funding and mentoring support. Another insight the NTU team shared with me was the importance of peer support, friends looking out for one another. Each of us can step in and be part of this movement. We can spread awareness, offer a listening ear to our friends or direct those in need to avenues for help and support. We can also learn how to speak about such issues in a supportive way – to push back against stigmatising such issues and provide a safe space for victims to come forward. Ultimately, kindness starts with each one of us. Put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, think before we click. Mr Speaker, Sir, before I concluded, please allow me to say a few words in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Technologies have brought a lot of convenience to the lives of Singaporeans, but we must also be wary of the dangers that comes with technologies. Cyber bullying, cyber grooming and online fraud can cause long-term damage to the physical, mental and financial health of the victims and their families. We must take immediate actions to create a safe and kind cyber space for all, especially the young and the elderly. First, we need a government agency to coordinate and bring together the various government policies and efforts. The agency can appoint a panel that comprises professionals and for the panel to study the issue in a holistic manner and make relevant recommendations to the government. Second, we need the full support of different stakeholders groups in society.”
“I spoke about how the Government can step forward and how key stakeholder groups can step up. Finally, we need everyone to step in and be part of a national movement to build a safer and kinder online community. We must foster a culture of inclusiveness where we make technology accessible. We must foster a culture of kindness where we respect each other like we do in real life and a culture of safety so that our seniors and children can learn and enjoy the Internet without fear. The Singapore Kindness Movement started in 1997, building on the National Courtesy Campaign. Many of us, even young kids I spoke to, fondly recall the iconic "Singa the Lion", the face of this campaign since 1982. Perhaps, it is timely for us to have a new national movement under SG Together for the online space. A new movement to rally passionate individuals and groups, and channel their energy and enthusiasm into taking action that would make a difference for society. A good example is “Flag, You’re It!”, an initiative by a group of NTU students to campaign against cyber grooming. The campaign encourages youths to flag out uncomfortable or predatory online conversations and to have candid conversations on such experiences with their loved ones. They ran a powerful, immersive exhibition at the National Library called “45 minutes in the PreyGround”, P-R-E-Y, PreyGound, where visitors were led to step into the shoes of victims to understand their experiences of being preyed upon online. I went through exhibition. It was enlightening and very moving. And I reconnected with them recently. Because of COVID, they have focused their advocacy effort on Instagram, sharing stories of victims and bite-sized infographics and videos. They have reached nearly 40,000 individuals online.”
“Nip the issue early in the bud, before irreparable harm is done. Platforms such as Instagram and Twitter have existing functions for reporting content, comments, or accounts. They can work with the appointed Government agency on how we can better use these tools to combat cyber bullying and cyber grooming. Facebook has also piloted programmes with TOUCH Cyber Wellness in schools, to equip seniors to use technology safely, or conduct workshops with school counsellors on how to talk about cyber bullying in the classroom. Singapore has a stellar reputation for trust globally. It is a win-win outcome for us and the social media platforms if they can do more in Singapore and set the benchmark for the rest of the world. To parents, my appeal to all of us – since I was recently promoted to that stature – would be, “Staying safe online starts at home.” This was the advice that a group of Secondary school girls that initiated "Project Bluetic"’ shared with me. The team started off with a simple objective to raise awareness amongst their peers and encourage them to "bluetick" uncomfortable online messages – "bluetick", which is to read the message, get the "bluetick", ignore these messages and report the user. However, they soon realised that the key group that needed education were the parents. One parent signed up for the cyber grooming workshop, thinking it was online courses on how to improve the kid's appearance! The girls shared with me how important it was for parents to provide a safe space at home, where children can seek advice or help without fear of being judged. So, to all parents, I humbly call upon all of us to step up to better understand the dangers of online harm and to create such an environment where we and our children can speak freely, heart-to-heart.”
“They should adopt the concept of “Safety by Design” and embed safety features from the outset as part of the design process. Today, cars and consumer appliances need to meet safety standards before they are allowed into the market. Similarly, we should consider ways on how we can give users a sense of assurance in the online space. There are some early efforts and areas we can further explore in Singapore. For example, banks exploring monitoring elderly customers’ accounts to spot irregular transactions so that they can be alerted in time. Seniors may be also given the option to disallow cross-border remittances made through their e-banking service. Caller ID can be a first line of defence for many seniors to spot scam calls. For instance, the plus sign is now prefixed to all incoming international calls, to combat spoof calls from overseas. This is a good step and more can be done. Perhaps telcos can consider maintaining a common database of blacklisted numbers and block incoming calls from these numbers, and also consider making many of these functions easily accessible for all seniors. In fact just this morning, there was a Forum Letter on this very issue in The Straits Times. E-commerce platforms can also better safeguard its customers by implementing measures such as an escrow account to reduce e-commerce scams. Keeping customers safe online should not be an afterthought or treated as the customer help desk’s problem. Management needs to take ownership and I commend many responsible companies that are adopting such a mindset. I encourage many more to do so too. It is the right thing to do and it makes business sense. Second, social media platforms can step up to detect and resolve online harm issues early, as well as raise awareness on these issues.”
“We need a Government agency to step forward, take charge and develop a citizen-centric perspective on this issue. Like its overseas counterparts, this agency should champion and coordinate the Government’s effort in this area and take the lead in assembling a multi-stakeholder response. This agency should work with a panel of experts so that we can think about this matter holistically, ensure that we keep abreast of global developments, and stay on top of this issue. Mental health professionals and academics can help us make sense of the social and psychological dynamics of the online space. Community partners can help us understand the impact on vulnerable groups, and the support they need. Educators and pedagogy experts can study and share best practices on how schools can facilitate learning on these topics. Industry representatives can advocate for the role of the private sector in working with us to build a safer and kinder online space. This panel can be empowered to make recommendations on how to prevent these harms and provide timely help to the victims. This could include proposals to strengthen current legislative and enforcement levers, or even establish new ones. But the Government’s role is only one part of the solution, which brings me to my next point. We need every stakeholder group to step up and take action. To the private sector, my appeal to you is “Starting safe is half the battle won”. It is in your firm's interest to do so – a safe customer is a loyal customer and I will touch on two aspects of how corporates can contribute. First, companies that deliver digital services should be more thoughtful in the design of their products.”
“The National Crime Prevention Council raises awareness on online scams through a WhatsApp broadcast channel and they run an anti-scam helpline. Yet despite these efforts, we are often only playing catch up. Four reasons. First, cyberspace evolves rapidly. A few days ago, Ms Tin Pei Ling spoke about the immense popularity of the TikTok video sharing platform. Each emergent platform – be it Instagram or TikTok – brings with it new challenges. This requires us to be nimble and adaptable. Legislation and Government efforts by themselves are insufficient. Multiple stakeholders need to be involved and each given a stake in this effort. The Government can set out the broad approach to regulations, code of practices and norms, but we need ground-up initiatives to experiment with various approaches to meet the needs of our citizens. If they are successful, we can scale up these initiatives. With these considerations in mind, let me propose three steps how we can achieve this – how we can Step Forward, Step Up and Step In. First on Stepping Forward. The Government plays a critical role in this multi-stakeholder approach. It sets the tone and brings the right parties together. Today, no single agency bears the responsibility of preventing and mitigating online harm. Correspondingly, different Government agencies grasp different aspects of the issue: MOE for cyberwellness education in schools; MCI for digital literacy for seniors and media literacy for young adults; MSF for counselling and support for victims through voluntary welfare organisations; and MCCY for youth mental well-being. Consequently, we do not fully understand the shape of the elephant, much less tame the beast. This approach must change, so that we can adapt to the growing complexity of the problem.”
“This one-stop centre provides counselling services, liaises with websites to delete harmful content and refers victims to pro-bono legal services. Importantly, victims and their loved ones know they are not alone in their darkest hour of need. Each society has an obligation to protect its citizens. We too have a duty to keep Singaporeans safe from online harm. Singaporeans are proud that we have one of the safest streets in the world. We let our children and loved ones walk freely around the neighbourhood and we trust they have pleasant interactions. Likewise, we must also strive to build a safe and kind online space – one marked with care and respect, where everyone including our children and our seniors can interact freely without constantly looking over their shoulders, looking for perpetrators and predators. A few days ago in this House, Mdm Rahayu spoke passionately about building a kind and compassionate society, both offline and online. This is a worhthy goal. We must act now and decisively, and not wait till it is too late. We are building on a good foundation. Our content classification regime protects our young from harmful or unsuitable materials, while ensuring the rest of us access the whole wide range of content. The recently formed Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams coordinates efforts across the Government to tackle scams. The Protection from Harassment Act or POHA was enhanced in 2019 to allow authorities to better respond to emerging online trends, such as by criminalising the act of doxxing. We also educate Singaporeans on online harms. MOE’s Cyber Wellness education teaches students to recognise risks in the digital space, identify negative influences and navigate online spaces safely.”
“Though police reports were made, the social media platform was slow to respond, and the photos stayed online. His daughter was traumatised and even contemplated suicide. The family felt extremely helpless, not knowing what to do and who to turn to. These stories are not isolated cases. A 2018 survey commissioned by Mediacorp’s Talking Point showed that three out of four youths between the ages of 13 and 19 have been bullied online. Very few told their parents. Based on a study by Microsoft in 2019, two in three Singapore youths between the ages of 13 and 17 have encountered at least one form of online risk, including exposure to unwanted sexual content. Online scams doubled in the first half of 2020, compared to the same period last year. There were almost 8,000 scams, with a staggering $103 million cheated. Seniors are vulnerable, with those aged 55 and above, making up of almost half of all victims of inheritance scams and tech support scams in this same period. This is not unique to Singapore. Countries around the world are also grappling with these challenges. New Zealand criminalised serious instances of online bullying, and harassment and appointed an organisation "NetSafe" to act as the first port of call to investigate and resolve complaints on online harm. For example, NetSafe liaises with website hosts and Internet service providers to take down harmful content through persuasion and mediation. Australia set up an Office of the eSafety Commissioner, a dedicated agency that was empowered to investigate and take action against perpetrators, by issuing warnings, requesting websites to remove harmful material, or seeking a civil penalty order in Court. In South Korea, the government itself operates a "Digital Sexual Crime Victim Support Centre".”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion. Many Members in this House have spoken about the importance of seizing opportunities in the digital age and the tremendous positive benefits that it brings. Even as we ride the wave of digital revolution, we need to bear in mind that technology is a double-edged sword. There can also be significant negative consequences. I will speak today on how we can minimise the downside while we seek and strive to maximise the upside – how we can safely navigate cyberspace when there is danger lurking at every corner; how we can come together to build a safer, kinder, more caring online community for all. Let me first share a few stories. Names have been changed to protect their identity. Mdm Tan, who is in her 70s, recounted to a Digital Ambassador in my constituency that she had received a seemingly legitimate SMS asking for her bank details urgently, threatening to freeze her bank account otherwise. Fearful of the consequences, she hurriedly replied. Just like that, she was scammed of more than $10,000, a substantial part of her life savings. Seniors are not the only victims. Fifteen-year old Joyce had what she thought was an innocent online friendship with a supposedly 18-year-old boy. This turned into one of manipulation, where he threatened to harm himself unless Joyce fulfilled his requests – even for nude photos. Though the relationship has since ended, the episode left her struggling to trust the people around her. Mr Speaker, the impact on the physical, mental and financial well-being of victims and their loved ones are real and lasting. Mr Ong, another East Coast resident, shared with me a harrowing experience. Inappropriate photos of his daughter were downloaded from her phone without her consent and circulated online.”