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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“Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. It may be useful for me to set the context of the figures that he has cited. In December 2023, we launched the refreshed National AI Strategy 2.0, which sets out our vision and plans to achieve AI for the public good for Singapore and the world. To support this ambition, we intend to expand our pool of AI practitioners and uplift our workforce to be confident AI users. AI practitioners, as mentioned by the Member, are fundamental to support AI transformation across the economy. We intend to triple the number of AI practitioners in Singapore from 5,000 to 15,000 in the next three to five years to meet the anticipated demand. We will look to re-skilling and upskilling our locals to take on these roles. To develop the additional 10,000 AI practitioners, we are looking at a few approaches. One is to boost the AI-readiness of existing IDT graduates pipeline, about 5,000. So, these are for pre-employment training, or PET. About 10,000, 5,000 will be through the PET route. The other 5,000, we are looking at getting through the CET route – continuing education and training – mid-career transition, people who are already in the IT or the digital field and looking on to take on new skills to take on AI-related roles. So, that is the context of the figures of 10,000 and 5,000, which the Member cited. On the 5,000 CET number, a recent Estimates Committee report noted that the CCP has, so far, only helped 190 people transit in their new roles. Allow me to set in context the 190 figure that Parliament's Estimates Committee referred to. The 190 was referring to those who have transited through the five Jobs Transformation Map (JTM) training provider programme. What is the JTM programme?”
“Sir, under the Animals and Birds (Licensing of Premises for Pet Shop and other Purposes) Rules, a valid licence is required to breed animals for commercial purposes. Since the licensing conditions for commercial breeding of pet cats were published in July 2023, the National Parks Board (NParks) has licensed three commercial cat breeders. These cat breeders are currently renting units at The Animal Lodge. NParks will continue to monitor the demand for commercial cat breeding and allocate newly available units for cat breeding, where appropriate. NParks investigates reports of the illegal commercial breeding of cats and takes enforcement action against offenders. Between January 2023 and August 2024, NParks investigated 58 cases of illegal cat breeding and seized 91 cats from these illegal breeders. These cats remain under the care of NParks and are regularly assessed by veterinarians. Members of the public who wish to purchase cats should only do so from licensed sources, which are subject to licensing conditions to safeguard animal health and welfare and are regularly inspected by NParks.”
“Sir, we are always sympathetic to the needs of residents, especially those who are more mobility-challenged and those who may need more help. That is why we have CCs and public agency touchpoints in the community. And this is something we will continue to look at as a whole-of-Government movement. Specifically on the Member's question around the ServiceSG Centres, unfortunately, I do not have the answer with me. It is not under my Ministry's remit. So, I would invite the Member to file a PQ to the relevant Ministry.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for the two supplementary questions. Let me take the Member's second question first. I am happy to share with the Member that besides the nearby post office at Clementi West, there are also alternatives within the vicinity for his residents. I mentioned earlier the POPStation located at Clementi Mall, which is the same location as the original Clementi Central Post Office, and at the SAM kiosk located 300 metres away at Block 451 Clementi Avenue 3. SingPost is also looking at third party postal agents, for example, supermarkets and so on, in which these can provide services to the residents in the vicinity. And SingPost continues to look at alternative locations to provide convenient access for its customers and it is something that SingPost has committed to exploring. On the Member's first question that during a crisis period where we tap on private sector organisations or companies to provide essential services, he mentioned about ART kits and COVID-19 test kits, he might remember that during that period of time, actually the Government agencies that were providing that essential service were leveraging multiple touchpoints. We will remember residents going to community centres (CCs) to collect the ART kits or masks and so on? It is not just working through one single channel. So, Government agencies, as part of their operations, do plan for business continuity services during crisis periods. And this is something all Government agencies do, including some services the Member mentioned. And if the Member has specific questions about passport collection, I would invite the Member to file a Parliamentary Question (PQ) to the relevant Ministry.”
“Sir, maybe allow me to set the context in terms of accessibility options for EV owners in terms of charging their EVs. Firstly, as I explained earlier, we are working very closely with our MOT colleagues to make sure that every HDB town is an EV-ready town by 2025. That means that almost 2,000 HDB car parks – that is about nine in 10 HDB car parks – will have EV charging facilities by end of 2025. That is significant. Beyond HDB estates, EV charging operators also deploy charging points at various locations, including offices, shopping malls and petrol stations. Fast chargers will be installed at 38 car parks located within a town and neighbourhood centres. This provides EV drivers with more options for publicly accessible charging points. This is really the context, which I hope Members can appreciate. We are doing as much as we can to provide charging facilities to all EV owners living in HDB estates. We will continue to work closely with our MOT colleagues to see how we can better support our EV owners.”
“Sir, to recap my earlier reply, I appreciate where Mr Chia is coming from. For residents who write in to their Members of Parliament about having access to EV charging at a different car park, we will offer to provide season parking at the other car park at the same season parking rate. Firstly, we have to recognise that the car parks are meant for residents who are living in the area and we have to be fair to those residents who are not EV owners. That is the first point. The second point is about looking at incentives. This is something that Members will have to also help to explain to our residents. While we support the adoption of EVs and incentives are there to support EV owners, we also want to make sure that it is fair and consistent to those who are not having EVs. This is something we will continue to review with our colleagues at the Ministry of Transport (MOT), but I want to just reiterate that the intent is to ensure that HDB car parks serve the residents who live in the area and to be fair to them.”
“Sir, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Housing and Development Board (HDB) are deploying electric vehicle (EV) charging points to nearly 2,000 HDB car parks by 2025. This will increase the accessibility of charging facilities for EV owners. To support the charging needs of residents with EVs, HDB allows residents to temporarily transfer their existing season parking to another car park with EV chargers at the same season parking rate. Currently, there are no plans to allow EV owners to hold one season parking ticket that allows season parking at two different car parks. While we support the charging needs of residents with EVs, we also have to be fair to other season parking holders who are not EV owners.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for the further clarification. Just a couple of data points to set in context the Member's question. First, in terms of timeline, applicants will receive their ballot results about two months after the flat application period closes. The booking exercise commences from about four weeks after release of the ballot results. So, it is quite fast. The exercise will take several months to complete because it depends on the flat supply and the take-up rate of other applicants. Applicants would be invited to book a flat based on their balloted queue number and will receive HDB's invitation about two weeks before their booking appointment. So, from HDB's point of view, we do want to facilitate the applicant in booking the flat as soon as possible. The second data point that may be of interest to Ms Lim will be that of the 116 applicants who had been invited to book a flat in two sales exercises, 14 applicants appealed to HDB for a non-selection count waiver, so that they can proceed to select a flat at their second flat booking appointment. HDB took a look at the cases and we tried to understand where they were coming from and we tried to provide flexibility. HDB acceded to five of these appeals, as they were at the tail-end of their selection process and had limited flats to choose from. And as I explained earlier in my reply, we exempt such applicants from incurring a non-selection count. The remaining nine applicants who appealed were rejected. Of these, eight of them proceeded to book a flat at the first flat booking appointment and only one eventually incurred a non-selection count.”
“And I have come across, like Ms Lim, residents who have come to see me saying, "Is it fair? I have got a chance to choose a second flat and I prefer that location. But can I give up my first one and choose the second one?" And I always explain to the residents that we want to be fair to all applicants. Firstly, by allowing those applicants to put in a second application, even while the first application still in process, we are already providing flexibility. And if you allow them to choose between first one or second one, it might be unfair to those who may be waiting in a queue. It may be crowding out others who are waiting for a flat; and that is the rationale. But if Ms Sylvia Lim, or Members in the Chamber, come across residents who really feel that, on a case-by-case basis, on compassionate ground, that there are strong reasons for the appeal, please let us know. We will look at them. But really, it is on the basis of fairness and consistent application of the rules across all applicants, whether they are in the first exercise but rather choose from the second one, or those who are still waiting in a queue for their flats.”
“So, what Ms Sylvia Lim described earlier were applicants who got a queue number in excess of 100% of the flat supply in the first exercise and we allowed them to book for a second flat exercise where their queue number could well be within the flat supply allocation. That is why they are in a situation where they could be invited to apply for a first flat but they prefer to choose from the second flat selection because they have gotten a queue number that is very favourable to them. These are the groups of people that Ms Sylvia Lim pointed out. There were about 116 applicants, about 2% of the total applicants. That is the first point of clarification to set in context why we have this group of people. The second clarification I will make is that Ms Lim talked about expectations, that they can choose both flats. Actually, when they apply for the flats in the first exercise, we do set expectations with them as part of the application that, if they are invited to choose a flat within the first exercise, they would have to give up the queue number in the second exercise. Those expectations are set upfront. But we understand that some of the applicants in the first flat exercises may have very limited choices to choose from, for example, a limited number of flats, say, a small number of remaining flats available. We do not count the non-selection against them if they do not choose. So, it is not a non-selection count. They can then continue to choose in the second flat exercise. That is how we set expectations upfront and we have given flexibility to those applicants who may not have many flat options to choose from in the first place. The third related point to Ms Lim's question is whether we understand their frustration. I empathise and acknowledge that.”
“Sir, I thank Ms Sylvia Lim for the two supplementary questions, which are in a way related. Allow me to set the context of the reply to Mr Pritam Singh's earlier PQ. The context of why we imposed some of these requirements is that, in the past years, about 40% of our BTO applicants who were invited to book a flat did not do so. There are many reasons why applicants who were invited to book a flat did not choose to do so, but the effect of it would be that it crowded out those who are still waiting to get a flat. Because of this, we decided to impose certain requirements to allow those who have genuine needs to get their flats quickly. As part of that, we have tightened the rules for non-selection of flats. Since October last year, applicants in BTO and Sale of Balance Flats exercises who received a queue number within 100% of the flat supply at an earlier exercise are not eligible to apply for a flat in subsequent sale exercises. So, that is to be fair to those who are not yet able to get a chance to book their flats. But HDB gives queue numbers up to 300% of the flat supply. This gives more people a chance to be able to choose a flat, even though the queue number is slightly more than 100% of the flat supply. Those applicants who receive a larger queue number and hence, have a lower chance of securing a flat may be anxious to apply in another sales exercise as soon as possible. That is very understandable. So, you get a queue number that is in excess of 100% of the flat supply, you are anxious to get a flat. So, we allow those applicants who receive a queue number outside 100% of the flat supply to proceed to apply in a second sales exercise, even before their first flat booking appointment.”
“Sir, this question has been addressed in the written reply to a Parliamentary Question (PQ) on multiple flat applications which was issued on 7 August this year.”
“Sir, the majority of submissions are approved by BCA within three working days from when BCA receives a submission from the CP. For CPs who engage DSPs that BCA has not previously engaged, BCA may require these DSPs to present their track records and technical capabilities, and that may take more than three days. So, it really depends on the DSPs that the CP assigns the work to. For HDB Town Councils, actually, the instruction for facade inspection is issued to the Town Council and the Town Council could then decide which CP and DSP to appoint. So far, we have not come across significant issues around permit approvals for most of the cases that we have seen. In Mr Liang's case, if there are specific issues that he or his Town Council has encountered, we will be happy to take it up and look at it.”
“DSPs will also need to obtain the necessary permits from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) prior to using UAS to carry out the inspections. CAAS will assess the safety of the UAS operations and coordinate the airspace for UAS activities. In 2022, CAAS and the relevant Government agencies established a "green lane" approval process for locations with lower risk, where the UAS activity permits are processed within three working days. CAAS also leverages on information technology systems to better track and enhance the efficiency of processing approvals. To keep pace with the application of UAS across more use cases, CAAS will continue to review its regulations and processes with Government agencies to streamline the approval process for UAS activities without compromising aviation and public safety, as well as security.”
“The use of UAS in periodic facade inspections allows inspections to be conducted more quickly while reducing costs incurred by building owners. It also improves workplace safety for facade inspectors as they can now inspect building façades from ground level without the need to work at height. To better equip the industry, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) published two Technical References in 2020 that provide specifications for the industry in using UAS for building facade inspections. In addition, BCA and Enterprise Singapore jointly launched the UAS Accreditation Programme in 2023, which aims to standardise the competencies of service providers and ensure that inspections are carried out by competent drone service providers (DSPs). The Government has also been investing in research and development to advance facade inspection technologies. Beyond facade inspections, the Government is currently exploring how UAS can be used in building maintenance. For example, agencies, such as Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), Housing and Development Board (HDB) and JTC are exploring the potential of using UAS, in tandem with robotics, to undertake the cleaning of building facades. As the use of UAS in building maintenance and repairs is nascent and has not been widely adopted in the industry, BCA will continue to partner the industry and research institutes to explore new use cases for UAS in the sector. On the approvals required to use drones, BCA's approval is required for facade inspections where Competent Persons (CPs) intend to use technology, including the use of UAS. Typically, BCA's approval will be issued within three working days.”
“Yes, Sir, if I could take Question Nos 35 to 37 together?”
“Sir, the Government has been exploring the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to perform facade inspections and maintenance for high-rise buildings.”
“Sir, the short answer to the Member's question is, that HDB will review on case-by-case basis if the applicant has some specific circumstances. The underlying principle is to make sure that whoever is buying a flat, applying for HDB flat, can service the monthly mortgage payments. That is why, there is an income assessment criteria, looking at eligibility of the different incomes – the details are on HDB's website – what form of income will be considered, the IRAS statements and the CPF contributions. These are all taken in totality. So, if the Member comes across cases where the applicant requires certain flexibility or case-by-case review, please flag them to HDB and we will take a look.”
“Sir, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) conducts credit assessments to gauge the financial ability of loan applicants to service monthly mortgage instalments, based on the applicant’s income. The assessment is carried out when the applicant applies for an HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter and is based on the applicant’s average monthly income over a period of 12 months. All applicants, regardless of the nature of their employment, are required to provide their CPF contribution history and latest Notice of Assessment for income tax, through Myinfo. HDB will reach out to applicants if further supporting documents are needed. Unlike employed persons who generally receive monthly CPF contributions from work that can be used to pay mortgage instalments, self-employed persons typically pay their mortgage instalments fully in cash. Hence, they are required to provide their Credit Bureau Report and bank statements for an assessment of their financial position and their ability to pay their mortgage instalments every month.”
“Enforcement actions were taken against offenders, ranging from warnings to prosecution, depending on the severity of the case. For the remaining cases, our investigations showed that most arose from disputes – disamenities caused by pets or community animals, or involved the deaths of community animals which could be due to non-cruelty-related reasons such as accidental fall from heights, fights among community animals or road traffic accidents. The community has a crucial role to play because each case is a case too many. Pet owners can refer to the Code of Animal Welfare for pet owners to learn about the minimal standards expected for animal housing, management and care. We urge anyone with information and/or evidence on suspected animal cruelty cases to promptly share it with AVS via our website or calling our Animal Response Centre at our hotline. The timeliness of information is critical to enable us to establish the cause of death. As I mentioned in my Committee of Supply speech, we are looking at the possibility of strengthening penalties for animal cruelty as part of our ongoing review of the Animals and Birds Act. AVS will continue to work closely with stakeholders such as animal welfare groups to raise public awareness on responsible interactions with animals.”
“Sir, I did not know the Member was keeping track of me! [Laughter.] I did not post about it, but as part of the whole process, I did indeed get my NParks colleagues to bring in a range of electric collars and I tried all of them on myself. On a range for one to 10 in terms of spectrum, I probably got to about seven and it has been very painful. The marks can show on the skin. It is not just the pain, but also the shock of it because the animal or whoever is wearing the electric collar would not know when the shock is applied. So, I can empathise with what the Member is saying and I also shared the position the Government is taking on to look at some of these issues in my reply to his question. So, I must commend the Member for his doggedness. On 4 November 2020 as well as 4 March 2022, I have made some elaborations on our considerations. But more importantly, in the coming months, we will release the guidelines and we will welcome a further conversation among different segments of our community – the dog owners, pet owners, trainers, animal welfare groups and other members of the public. So, we will continue with this conversation; and the guidelines will be out very soon. But more importantly, the point the Member is making is about unnecessary pain and animal cruelty. On this point, I would like to share with the House that from 2019 to 2023, the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) consistently received about 1,250 cases of alleged animal cruelty each year, including feedback from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). Every case undergoes thorough investigation. Between 2019 and 2022, an average of about 60 cases per year, or 5% of the total, were found to be related to animal cruelty.”
“Sir, in 2022, the multi-stakeholder Rehoming and Adoption Workgroup (RAWG), comprising NParks, animal welfare groups, veterinarians and dog trainers, published guidelines to standardise practices in dog rehoming and adoption, as well as dog training and behaviour rehabilitation. As part of the RAWG’s recommendations, the National Parks Board (NParks) further consulted key stakeholders of the animal community and members of the public on the use of electric collars in Singapore. To complement existing guidelines on dog training and behaviour rehabilitation, NParks is currently developing guidelines to highlight the risks of using aversive animal training devices such as electric collars and will share more details when ready. Ultimately, these guidelines recommend good practices to be adopted by the community and are not meant to be legally enforceable. Notwithstanding this, in cases where unnecessary pain or suffering is found to be inflicted on animals, we will not hesitate to investigate and take enforcement action under the Animals and Birds Act.”
“Sir, for the first question that Mr Giam had about whether the social media influencer needs to put up that he is sponsored by someone, can I refer him to my reply to his former colleague, Mr Leon Perera, at the Committee of Supply last year, as well as to his Workers' Party's colleague, Ms He Ting Ru? The answers are in the Hansard. He was specifically referring to paid partnerships. I told the House that the influencer that he mentioned has also put the "sponsorship" or "paid by" logo. So, that has been answered. The second question is about whether it applies to election campaigning. I think this is slightly different from the question that he has filed under the Ministry of Communications and Information. My proposal is for Mr Giam to file it with the right Ministry.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary question. Basically, he is asking, can we give less CPF Housing Grant if less COV is paid and perhaps even consider vice versa. As I shared earlier in my main reply, the COV is determined between a willing buyer and a willing seller, and arises when the transacted price is above the valuation. Because it is a willing buyer-willing seller agreement, there is a high chance of it being hard to enforce because the buyer and seller could collude to circumvent the restrictions. That is the first point. The second point is, as I said, it is a willing buyer-willing seller agreement. Between the two, there are many considerations at play. Potentially, it could be the attributes of the flat, the location possibly. I have residents telling me, first-timer residents telling me they chose certain locations because of certain needs, for example, caregiving needs to family members living in the same block or nearby. I think it is sensible to not over-complicate the scheme and overly intervene in such decisions.”
“On 14 Februay 2023, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Housing Grant would be increased to provide more support for First-Timer Singaporeans seeking a resale flat. Eligible First-Timer families buying a 2-room to 4-room resale flat can receive $80,000 in CPF Housing Grant, up from $50,000 previously, while those buying a 5-room or larger resale flat can receive $50,000 in CPF Housing Grant, up from $40,000 previously. Eligible First-Timer singles buying a 2-room to 4-room resale flat can similarly receive an increased CPF Housing Grant of $40,000, up from $25,000 previously; while those buying a 5-room resale flat can receive $25,000, up from $20,000 previously. Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale flat transactions are conducted on a "willing buyer-willing seller" basis, with prices negotiated and mutually agreed upon between flat sellers and buyers. Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) arises when the resale price is higher than the market valuation of the flat. After the CPF Housing Grant was enhanced in February 2023, about 18% resale flat buyers paid COV. This is a noticeable reduction from about 29% in 2022 and 36% in 2021. The majority of resale flat buyers did not have to pay any COV and the median COV across all buyers has remained at $0. The CPF Housing Grant is targeted at first-timer buyers who meet income criteria and other eligibility conditions, limiting its impact on the overall resale market. COV restrictions would be challenging to enforce, as buyers and sellers could collude to circumvent the restrictions. The Government will continue to keep a close watch on the affordability of flats on the resale market.”
“This year, we will open the revamped Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden. Last year, we launched five therapeutic gardens, bringing the total to 14. We have also established over 380 kilometres of park connectors. These efforts bring us closer to nature and strengthen our ecological resilience. At the same time, to ensure that Singaporeans can safely enjoy our green spaces, we take a proactive, comprehensive and science-based approach to managing wildlife populations. We work closely with stakeholders to promote safe and responsible human-wildlife encounters. We also recognise the interconnectedness of human and animal health. Diseases can be transmitted between animals and humans. Biosurveillance is a critical line of defence against zoonotic disease outbreaks. Through a new $15 million Biosurveillance Research Programme, we will step up research in this field. This programme will enhance our understanding of the key drivers of zoonotic disease transmission in Singapore and help us to develop more effective upstream mitigation strategies for our urban context. (In English): In conclusion, in transforming Singapore into a City in Nature, partnerships are key. This will help us to better manage human-wildlife interactions and strengthen safeguards on public and animal health. We have made good progress, but there is more to be done. As we press on with our efforts, we will continue to collaborate with stakeholders and the wider community. Together, we can shape a green, vibrant and resilient Singapore that we are all proud to call home.”
“As announced last October, we will be establishing a Veterinary Council to regulate professional standards and practices in the local vet sector. Mr Louis Ng has asked about our approach to tackling animal cruelty. We take a serious view of all acts of animal cruelty. The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) investigates all feedback and will take appropriate enforcement action. We are looking at the possibility of enhancing penalties for animal cruelty. as part of our ongoing review of the Animals and Birds Act. The review spans a range of areas, from enhancing protections for animal health and welfare, to strengthening safeguards on public health and safety. As such, we will need time to formulate the proposals, and to consult the public and relevant stakeholders. We will share more details when ready. Importantly, we must start upstream. We will continue to work closely with animal welfare groups to promote responsible interactions with animals, through platforms such as Pets' Day Out events, school plays and webinars. Last December, I shared our proposed cat management framework. A key proposal was to license and microchip pet cats and to allow up to two cats per HDB household. We closed our public survey on the proposed framework last month. We received a broad spectrum of views. For example, some called for mandatory pet cat sterilisation, while others did not support this. We are studying the responses carefully and will share more details when ready. Sir, let me say a few words in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] We have made good progress towards our goal of transforming Singapore into a City in Nature. Last year, we completed Lakeside Garden within Jurong Lake Gardens.”
“Some ideas we are looking at include detailed guidelines on effective pigeon removal operations and conducting site-specific assessments and interventions to reduce food sources. We will share more details when ready. We are also keenly aware of the interlinkages between human and animal health. Animals can carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans and vice versa. Bio-surveillance is a crucial line of defence against zoonotic disease outbreaks. NParks has been partnering fellow One Health agencies – MOH, NEA, SFA and PUB – on a range of efforts. This includes the monitoring and analysis of animal health data and environmental indicators so that we can swiftly detect and respond to diseases, avert potential outbreaks, and safeguard both public and animal health. We are also integrating our training and capacity building efforts and work closely together to investigate and manage disease outbreaks. We will be stepping up research through a new $15-million Biosurveillance Research Programme. The programme will harness expertise and emerging technologies across multiple disciplines, such as genomics, disease modelling and vector biology, to improve our understanding of the key drivers of zoonotic disease transmission in Singapore. This will help us to develop more effective upstream mitigation strategies, including a more effective system to monitor and detect animal diseases. The research findings will also provide industry stakeholders and the wider public, including pet owners, with valuable insights on best practices for preventing zoonotic diseases. Researchers can look forward to grant calls later this year. Sir, we are also raising standards for animal health and welfare.”
“Today, this provision can already be exercised where bird feeders throw food from high-rise windows, as such acts are considered high-rise littering. However, this provision is contingent on the ability to pinpoint the wrongdoing to a specific unit, that is registered to a specific individual or individuals. As a large majority of illegal wildlife feeding cases take place in outdoor public areas, such a provision would not be applicable. Instead, as the main challenge in such cases is obtaining clear evidence that pinpoints the wrongdoer, evidence gathering remains key. To this end, NParks will step up surveillance at identified feeding hotspots. We understand the disamenities to residents from pigeons, such as the soiling of public spaces and laundry. Tackling this issue requires a multi-pronged, multi-stakeholder effort. NParks, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and National Environment Agency (NEA) have been consistently supporting Town Councils on their pigeon management efforts. For example, NParks has been advising Town Councils on best practices for pigeon removal operations and has leaned forward to conduct live demonstrations. That said, we need to tackle the issue at its root, by reducing human-generated food sources in our estates. In addition to discouraging and enforcing against illegal bird feeding, agencies have been working with Town Councils to improve food waste management, such as by encouraging the prompt clearance of leftover food from food centre tables and the proper closure of bins. In the coming months, we will step up our effort for Town Councils to better manage the pigeon population, especially in certain hotspots.”
“We partner the nature community to engage the public on how to responsibly interact with and appreciate nature through platforms, such as school assemblies, HDB's MyNiceHome roadshows and the Nature Kakis Network. NParks adopts a range of targeted measures to manage different wildlife species, from pest birds, long-tailed macaques, otters, wild boars to crocodiles, as each species has its unique characteristics. There is no one-size-fits-all silver bullet. The range of measures includes habitat modification to reduce food sources, the translocation of animals away from urban areas and direct population control where necessary to protect public safety and/or reduce disamenities. We continually refine our approach based on ongoing research and international best practices. NParks also conducts surveillance and enforcement against the illegal feeding of wildlife, such as pest birds, which Mr Lim Biow Chuan has asked about. For example, NParks deploys CCTV cameras and enforcement personnel at known feeding hotspots. With evidence, NParks will take enforcement action against the feeder. In each of the past three years, NParks has taken action against more than 170 cases of bird feeding, with actions ranging from warnings to prosecution, depending on the severity of the case. Mr Louis Ng has asked if we will introduce a statutory presumption provision for wildlife feeding, similar to that for high-rise littering. Under NEA's presumption provision for high-rise littering, if there is clear evidence that an act of littering has been committed from a particular residential flat, the registered owners or tenants of the flat will be presumed to have committed the offence.”
“Today, environmental considerations are already taken into account upstream in the land-use planning process. Environmental studies are required for developments, which may cause significant environmental impact, and appropriate mitigation measures will be put in place and closely monitored. We have been strengthening the EIA process over the years. For example, we have published detailed guidelines for biodiversity impact assessments and we are piloting the centralised management of EIA consultancy services under NParks. Let us monitor the effect of these changes, before we decide whether we need to take any further steps to enhance our EIA framework. 2.00 pm Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin has also asked how we will involve even more members of the community in our efforts. The community's support is crucial to realise our City in Nature vision. As part of the OneMillionTrees movement, more than 100,000 members of the community have joined us in planting over 640,000 trees. Under the Nature Kakis Network, 140 passionate grassroots volunteers across 16 chapters and counting have been driving ground-up initiatives. We have also nurtured around 350 youth stewards through the Youth Stewards for Nature programme since 2021. Through such efforts, NParks aims to grow its volunteer base from 48,000 to 70,000 by 2030. Sir, now, allow me to respond to Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin on our wildlife management efforts. Public safety is our priority. As a densely populated city-state, we are very mindful that we need to carefully manage human-wildlife encounters to ensure that Singaporeans feel safe in and around our green spaces. That is why we take a proactive, comprehensive and science-based approach in managing wildlife populations.”
“Last year alone, Singapore added almost 40 hectares of skyrise greenery. This brings us to 190 hectares across the island – the equivalent of over 270 football fields. We are close to achieving our target of 200 hectares by 2030, and we have restored and enhanced over 40 hectares of forest, coastal and marine habitats since 2020. With this, we are halfway to meet our enhanced target of 80 hectares by 2030. We have also been enhancing the Sisters' Islands Marine Park and we look forward to reopening Big Sister's Island to the public this year. Highlights will include a new coastal forest trail, tidal lagoon and specially designed subtidal biodiversity panels along the floating boardwalk. These will allow visitors to observe marine life up-close with minimal impact on the ecosystem. Mr Louis Ng mentioned a target, adopted at the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, to conserve 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2030. Like the other targets under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, this is a global rather than a national target. Countries are expected to contribute according to their national circumstances, priorities and capabilities. Singapore is contributing through our efforts under our National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, taking into account our unique circumstances as a small, densely populated city-state. To Mr Ng and Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin's question on additional marine parks, we will continue to carefully balance the different needs in planning for our sea spaces, such as recreation, shipping and aquaculture – with conservation, under the Draft Master Plan 2025. Mr Ng has also asked if we will consider enacting a new EIA law.”
“Mr Chairman, greening has been a national priority since Independence in 1965. In our next bound of greening, we aim to make Singapore a City in Nature. Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked for updates on our progress. First, we are establishing more green spaces and enhancing existing ones. Last year, we completed Lakeside Garden within Jurong Lake Gardens. This year, we will open the revamped Chinese and Japanese Gardens, thereby completing Jurong Lake Gardens. We also opened a new section of Pasir Panjang Park. This is one of the 13 parks along the Southern Ridges and West Coast that we will rejuvenate and link up with curated trails. We are also making our green spaces more accessible and inclusive. Last year, we launched five therapeutic gardens in our parks. These gardens are more natural in design, bringing about greater sensory experiences that improve the well-being of visitors. We now have a total of 14 therapeutic gardens and are on track to achieve our goal of 30 such gardens by 2030. Second, we are strengthening the connectivity between our green spaces. To date, we have established around 210 kilometres of Nature Ways and over 380 kilometres of park connectors, including the first phase of the Round Island Route. These efforts bring us closer to nature and strengthen our ecological resilience, by facilitating the movement of native fauna between habitats. We are also curating other island-wide recreation routes, such as the Rail Corridor, Central Corridor and Coast-to-Coast trails. Just last month, we completed the Eastern Corridor. Singaporeans can now enjoy 18 kilometres of scenic land and waterscapes, as you walk, jog or cycle from Pasir Ris Park to East Coast Park. Third, we are restoring nature into our urban fabric and safeguarding our rich biodiversity.”
“For enterprises who want to do more, we are supporting them through our Advanced Digital Solutions (ADS) scheme, which brings together the technology ecosystem to curate solutions for key problems identified by the sector leads. We also launched two new schemes for enterprises to gain experience using GenAI.”
“For enterprises who want to do more, we are supporting them through our Advanced Digital Solutions (ADS) scheme, which brings together the technology ecosystem to curate solutions for key problems identified by the sector leads. We launched two new schemes under the ADS for enterprises to gain experience using GenAI. [Please refer to "Committee of Supply – Head Q (Ministry of Communications and Information)", Official Report, 1 March 2024, Vol 95, Issue 128, Budget section.] [(proc text) Written statement by Mr Tan Kiat How 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 my speech given during the Sitting of 1 March 2024. My statement should read as follows:”
“Therefore, the Government will assist businesses, especially the SMEs and their employees, to harness AI for their benefit. So far, IMDA has collaborated across various sectors to launch 22 Industry Digital Plans (IDPs). In the upcoming updates of these IDPs, the authority will also incorporate sections on AI. Furthermore, under the SME Go Digital Programme, the IMDA will collaborate with the tech industry to incorporate AI technologies into the pre-approved digital solutions. Presently, 20% of digital solutions are driven by AI, benefitting over 3,000 SMEs. More importantly, we will collaborate with various industries to plan relevant training courses and assist workers in mastering skills, staying updated and seizing the new opportunities brought by AI. (In English): Sir, Singapore does not have the natural advantages of many other economies. We do not have a sizeable domestic market, large local workforce to tap on, natural resources. But we can well punch above our weight by being agile and making full use of technological enablers like digital and now AI, to continue enlarging market opportunities for enterprises and creating good and exciting jobs for Singaporeans and we are building on a very strong foundation. The Government will be a steadfast partner for enterprises and workers in the next phase of our digitalisation journey to uplift enterprises and workers in the age of AI. It will be an exciting journey. So, I welcome more like-minded partners to work together with us and invite all our enterprises and workers to join us on this exciting journey ahead.”
“Accenture is another company that has adopted skills-based hiring. They adopted a rigorous multi-stage assessment, focusing on skills, competencies and growth potential which proved to reduce time to hire by 75% and increased quality talent pipelines by 40%. The skills-based hiring approach aligns with the shifts that we are making as part of Forward SG to embrace learning beyond grades and create diverse pathways. Schools are playing their part. For instance, in respond to industry feedback, the Information and Digital Technologies (IDT) schools in our ITE and polytechnics have lengthened internship durations from six to 12 months. Last year, more than 400 of such polytechnic and ITE students undertook year-long internships to gain greater industry experience. I have met many of them. We will support companies which provide these year-long internships, by providing co-funding to cover the cost of training. Ms Queenie Ng is a beneficiary of this programme. While at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, she embarked on a year-long internship with OCBC as a full stack developer, working on dashboards and architecture projects to improve operational efficiency. Queenie found the scale of the projects to be an eye-opener. In contrast to the smaller-scale school projects, the internship exposed her to more complex systems and their interconnections. This experience expanded her understanding of the dynamic tech industry and the many exciting career options it has to offer. Sir, let me speak a few words in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Sir, AI is taking us further down the digitalisation path. Besides bringing competitive advantages to our businesses, it also enhances the productivity of our workforce.”
“Minister Josephine spoke earlier about our efforts to develop a pipeline of AI talent and AI-equipped workforce, including efforts to enhance the existing TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) initiative which, to date, has placed more than 17,000 locals into tech jobs and upskilled and reskilled more than 231,000 professionals. We are also working hard to strengthen Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and polytechnic graduates' employment outcomes in tech and provide more development pathways for them throughout their careers. We set up TeSA for ITE and Polytechnics Alliance (TIP Alliance) in 2022 to bring together like-minded partners – school leadership, tech industry associations and leading employers of tech manpower like NCS, Accenture and ST Engineering – to come together to drive change. I am heartened that employers are changing their mindset and human resource (HR) practices. Instead of just looking at academic qualifications, employers are giving sufficient weight to the applicants' skills and capabilities to assess their suitability. To push for change across the industry, IMDA and the TIP Alliance launched the Skills-Based Hiring Movement, together with a handbook providing practical guidance for firms to attract, assess and develop tech talent based on competencies. Within three months, I am glad to share that the number of companies pledging their support for skills-based hiring has doubled from 100 to 200. Oracle is an example of a company that has pledged its support for skills-based hiring and has been recruiting based on skills for their openings. As part of their commitment, their recruitment team has chosen not to highlight the education requirements in their job postings for all technical roles in Singapore.”
“Understandably, there have been concerns about prospects in the technology sector, given the layoffs by technology companies, as mentioned by Ms Tin. Technology companies across the world have been right-siting and right-sizing their operations to prioritise new areas of growth, amidst a more challenging economic climate. Unfortunately, this sometimes results in layoffs which can be very painful and distressing for those involved. Singapore is no exception and has similarly seen some layoffs by technology companies which have largely impacted those in non-technology roles. Fortunately, Singapore remains a key node in many of these technology companies' global strategies. As they deepen and expand their involvement in the region, demand for technology talent in Singapore will continue to grow. Currently, the demand for technology talent remains strong with technology jobs across the economy account for a rising share of total employment: from 4.5% in 2018 to 5.2% in 2023. This was driven by demand from both the information and communication sector and non-information and communication sectors, with the latter accounting for around 57% of technology jobs in 2023. As more companies adopt digital, including using more advanced digital solutions like AI, we expect that this will also fuel demand for tech talent. And these are good jobs for Singaporeans. A case in point, university graduates of information and digital technology courses continue to take home the highest median monthly starting pay at $5,500 a month. 6.00 pm Ms Jessica Tan, Ms Tin Pei Ling, Mr Alex Yam and Mr Sharael Taha have asked about how we will ensure a steady pipeline of tech talent.”
“In healthcare for example, CSA worked with the Ministry of Health to develop cybersecurity guidelines to improve the cybersecurity posture amongst healthcare providers. So, Mr Chairman, I spoke briefly about the three thrusts of the Digital Enterprise Blueprint to uplift enterprises and workers in the Age of AI by being smarter, scale faster and becoming safer. Let me now turn to how we are developing tech capabilities within our workforce. At the broader workforce level, more of us will need to be equipped with the right skills to effectively use digital tools in our work. With more rapid technological changes, we need to see reskilling and upskilling as part of our workplace culture and see this as a continual investment in ourselves. Employers must also view the reskilling and upskilling of their employees as investments, so as to fully benefit from the digital systems that have been put in place. An analogy would be like having a very powerful car but not being able to go beyond the first gear. We need to upskill our employees, so that we can make full use of that more powerful engine. That is why each IDP does not only include a suite of curated digital solutions for enterprises, but also comes with a comprehensive list of relevant training courses for these digital tools. For example, the retail IDP includes courses for employees to learn how to make good use of social commerce solutions to generate more sales – including how to sell items on livestreams. IMDA has also worked with SkillsFuture Singapore to provide funding support for many of these courses. So, I encourage employers and workers to make full use of these schemes. Sufficient quality and quantity of tech talent is also crucial to realising our ambitions.”
“The same survey found that over eight in 10 enterprises in Singapore encountered at least one cybersecurity incident in a year and almost all of them suffered negative business impact. CSA also found that only one in three organisations implemented more than half of the five categories of cybersecurity measures under CSA's Cyber Essentials Certification Scheme. Lack of knowledge on how to implement cybersecurity solutions, was commonly cited as a challenge. Ms Tin and Mr Xie asked how are we helping SMEs to then improve their cyber resilience. While we will flesh this out in the Digital Enterprise Blueprint, let me give Members a broad sense of our three-tier approach. First, we will support SMEs in taking steps to improve their cyber hygiene. We will launch a cybersecurity health check tool for enterprises so that they can assess their cyber hygiene, benchmark themselves against their industry peers and access resources for them to plug the gaps. Those who require more support can tap on the CISO-as-a-Service scheme to engage cybersecurity consultants to develop tailored cybersecurity health plans. Enterprises that are eligible can receive co-funding support to defray the cost for this service. Thus far, 55 SMEs have benefited from this scheme. Second, we will go upstream and raise the cybersecurity standards of the digital systems used by our enterprises. This will especially benefit SMEs with no inhouse cybersecurity resources. We will start with the pre-approved digital solutions under IMDA's SMEs Go Digital programme. Third, we will also work with sector leads to develop industry-specific guidelines for cybersecurity.”
“Such stove-piped solutions also prevent enterprises from harnessing the full potential of digital, including deriving business insights from data analytics. So, we will step up our effort to: (a) include more integrated digital solutions under the SMEs Go Digital programme; (b) stipulate interoperability requirements where possible for these solutions; and (c) encourage more of these solutions to be cloud-native for greater scalability. Where integrated solutions are not available in the market, we will curate such solutions through the ADS scheme. One example is the Connected Business Suite solution available to Food Services SMEs. It enabled these SMEs to operate their frontend and backend functions in an integrated manner. With this integrated solution, Bread Createur, which I mentioned earlier, can easily track all their sales and transactions across different sales channels, including from third-party orders that are routed directly to the kitchen. Going forward, we will work closely with sector leads and associations to introduce more pre-approved integrated digital solutions and cloud-based solutions to support our enterprises to scale quickly as they grow. Sir, at this juncture, I must stress that technology is not the silver bullet, as mentioned by others earlier. And integrated and scalable digital solutions would also require the sectors and enterprises to redesign their processes and operations. Let me now move on to the third thrust of keeping our enterprises safer. I am heartened to see that in CSA's latest cybersecurity survey findings, 75% of organisations were aware of the importance of cybersecurity. However, while enterprises are taking steps to improve their cyber hygiene, there is still much room for improvement.”
“We launched two new schemes under the ADS for enterprises to gain experience using GenAI. [Please refer to "Clarification by Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information", Official Report, 1 March 2024, Vol 95, Issue 128, Correction By Written Statement section.] The first scheme is a programme by IMDA and EnterpriseSG to provide a pilot group of SMEs with access to 13 specially curated GenAI solutions for common business functions like marketing and sales. If these GenAI solutions prove useful, we will include them in the SMEs Go Digital pre-approved list of digital solutions to benefit others. And for the second scheme, it is for larger and more digitally-mature enterprises who are looking to develop and deploy their own GenAI digital solutions in their businesses. IMDA is launching a new initiative called Generative AI for Digital Leaders, where tech partners, including tech giants, will work with participating enterprises to help them develop and implement innovative GenAI solutions. We are heartened to see early interest from enterprises and we welcome more to sign-up for these initiatives. Sir, let me move on to the second thrust of supporting our enterprises to scale faster. In our consultations, SMEs shared that as they started to grow, they realised that they were constrained by lack of interoperability and scalability of their digital solutions. For example, Bread Createur, a food services SME, had adopted various sales channels and delivery platforms over time. However, they found themselves unable to collate orders automatically and track sales figures across their third-party delivery platforms and sales channels. What was an inconvenience for a small operation, quickly turned into a showstopper when they grew.”
“Today, we have 22 IDPs for various sectors, including sectors like wholesale, construction, retail and food services, and these IDPs cover a broad swathe of our economy. IMDA will refresh the IDPs to incorporate AI-enabled solutions that would be relevant to meet the needs of the enterprises in that sector. We have started doing so in the four IDPs that we either launched or refreshed last year, namely legal, tourism, retail and security sectors. One good example, I met a company, Ghows LLC. It is a law firm that has been using an AI-enabled proofreading tool to help check their draft contracts for conflicts and inconsistencies. I understand from lawyers that this process used to be done manually and was tedious, time-consuming and error-prone. After adopting this AI-enabled tool, Ghows saw a 50% productivity improvement and less errors. We will progressively refresh all IDPs to include sector-specific AI solutions so that enterprises can benefit from these useful solutions. Ms Tin asked about the CTO-as-a-Service, over 92,000 users have accessed resources from the CTO-as-a-Service platform and over 1,600 SMEs have benefited from the digital consultancy services. One example is food services company, Xi Men Jie (西门街). The company was overwhelmed by the numerous technology solutions in the market. The team turned to a digital consultant under the CTO-as-a-Service scheme for help to integrate their digital systems. The company achieved 15% in both manpower savings and sales growth. So, I encourage all SMEs to tap on these schemes. For enterprises who want to do more, we are supporting them through our Advanced Digital Solutions (ADS) scheme, which brings together the technology ecosystem to curate solutions for key problems identified by the sector leads.”
“We will do this through three thrusts: first, we will empower enterprises to be smarter through using AI-powered digital solutions; second, we will support our enterprises to scale faster through adoption of integrated digital solutions; third, we will equip enterprises to be safer by improving their cyber resilience. So, smarter, scale faster, safer. The Digital Enterprise Blueprint is a live document, which will be continually updated. Hence, we have started to implement some "no regrets" moves that received broad support. Let me elaborate. Ms Jessica Tan, Ms Tin Pei Ling, Mr Sharael Taha and Mr Mark Lee and others asked how we are supporting SMEs to benefit from AI. We will help enterprises and workers access benefits from AI capabilities through IMDA's SMEs Go Digital programme. First, for the vast majority of SMEs, IMDA curates a list of pre-approved digital solutions suitable for broad-based adoption. We have started working with the technology industry to incorporate AI capabilities in their digital solutions. I am glad to share that as of today, around 20% of these pre-approved solutions are already AI-enabled. For example, AI capabilities are integrated seamlessly into customer relationship management solutions which help enterprises analyse customer interactions and data to suggest personalised marketing campaigns for customers. In 2023, over 3,000 SMEs have adopted and benefited from these AI-enabled pre-approved solutions. So, that is for the broad base of SMEs. Second, at the sector level, IMDA has worked with sector leads to co-develop industry digital plans (IDPs) which serve as roadmaps for enterprises, highlighting solutions which meet specific needs of the sector. We started with five IDPs in 2018.”
“Mr Chairman, we have made good progress in digitalising our economy. Singapore's digital economy generated value added of $106 billion in 2022, or about 17% of our nominal GDP; up from $58 billion or 13% of our GDP in 2017. More enterprises are going digital. For example, more than nine in 10 enterprises are using e-payment today, compared to just six in 10 in 2018. Enterprises are also deploying more advanced digital solutions, such as cloud computing and data analytics. Importantly, I am heartened that our SMEs are doing so too. In 2023, 95% of SMEs adopted digital solutions, compared to 74% in 2018. Even hawkers are coming onboard. As of November last year, 60% of our hawkers accept SGQR digital payments. The platform has facilitated an average of 5.1 million transactions or $42 million per month. 5.45 pm IMDA's programmes like SMEs Go Digital and Hawkers Go Digital have moved the needle. At the same time, the pace of technological advancements, especially in AI, is picking up pace. We want to equip our enterprises and workers with the capabilities to ride this new wave. We are developing a Digital Enterprise Blueprint to chart the next bound of our effort, which Mr Xie Yao Quan has asked about. We have been consulting extensively with sector partners and industry. We are refining the Blueprint, based on their feedback, and will put out a consultation paper in the coming months to seek views from the wider industry and from the public. But let me take the opportunity to outline the broad contours of the Blueprint. The Digital Enterprise Blueprint aims to "Uplift our enterprises and workers in the Age of AI".”
“Sir, I wish to apologise for not being in Chambers earlier during Question Time to answer Member Mr Louis Ng's Parliamentary Question. I got the Order Paper and timing mixed up, and hence, was at another work meeting when the Parliamentary Question came up. I had apologised to Mr Ng, invited him to file additional Parliamentary Questions if his question is not fully answered in the written reply.”
“As I mentioned earlier my main reply, commercial advertising in Singapore, like the one that Ms Yeo had referred to, is regulated by the ASAS and the ASAS is established under the Consumer Association of Singapore. At the heart of matter that Ms Yeo had raised is whether the advertisement meets the threshold or stipulation that is legal, decent, honest and truthful, and whether the parties like the marketeers, the advertisers and the media involved in displaying, presenting or putting in place the advertisements, meet the standards of ethical behaviour, ethical conduct. These are all the guidelines stimulated by the advertising council. So, what is the recourse if somebody believes that an advertisement breaches some of these stipulations or code of ethical conduct? ASAS takes a complaints approach. When ASAS receives the complaint, it will first advise the advertiser to amend the advertisement. There are direct financial costs to such amendments. Sometimes, they are reputational costs because of the publicity given to the advertisement. Therefore, making a false or misleading claim about products and services may also constitute an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, or CPFTA. Recalcitrant companies could be referred to the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore, or CCCS, for investigation. And errant companies may be issued injunction orders by the Court. If a company under injunction does not comply with the injunction order, CCCS can take the advertiser to court for contempt of court, which is a criminal offence that could result in a fine or imprisonment.”
“In particular, together with preceding schemes like NEU PC Plus, we have supported a total of 26,000 households with school-going children with access to digital devices from 2020 to 2023.”
“In particular, together with preceding schemes like NEU PC Plus, we have supported a total of 26,000 households with school-going children with access to digital devices over the last three years. [Please refer to "Building an Inclusive and Safe Digital Society", Official Report, 10 January 2024, Vol 95, Issue 119, Motions section.] [(proc text) Written statement by Mr Tan Kiat How 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 my speech given during the Sitting of 10 January 2024. My statement should read as follows:”