Tan See Leng
Singapore
“We are aware of the Singapore Workplace Report 2026, produced by the Singapore Institute of Directors and Gallup, and we are studying its findings.”
“The Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation (Taskforce) actively reaches out to all retrenched local employees. In 2025, 77% of Mandatory Retrenchment Notifications (MRNs) were submitted at least seven days ahead of the employee's last working day and 73% of MRNs were submitted at least two weeks ahead.”
“From 2022 to 2025, vacancy rates for technical maintenance roles in the real estate services sector, which includes facilities management, have been lower than the overall job vacancy rate, except in 2025 (see Table 1).”
“The Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) works with sector agencies to determine the courses which are required by the respective industries. The SWDA currently funds more than 100 courses, spanning a wide range of mental health-related fields.”
“In the first quarter of 2026, the profile of retrenched residents aged 50 to 59 was broadly similar to the profile of all retrenched residents, predominantly comprising professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and were mainly from wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, financial and insurance services and profession…”
“In 2025, around 4,200 resident professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) aged 45 to 59 were retrenched, higher than 3,200 in 2024 and 3,500 in 2023. Their six-month re-entry rate remained stable at 48.5% in 2025, compared with 48.9% in 2024 and 50.1% in 2023.”
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“Mr Speaker, the $1,500 threshold for the higher tier of payouts in the Silver Support Scheme refers to the monthly per capita household income (PCHI). This is not the individual's monthly income. I hope that this can be a point of clarification for the Member. This monthly PCHI is computed as the total gross household monthly income, divided by the total number of family members living together in the same household. Our Silver Support Scheme payouts are tiered by flat types – so, a 5-room flat, 4-room flat, 3-room flat, 2-room flat – they are tiered by the different flat types and of course, the monthly PCHI. This is to ensure that the support is targeted most at seniors who now have little or no family support and resources in their retirement. The LQS serves a different purpose. It is to ensure that firms who wish to employ foreign workers also pay their local workers meaningfully, rather than on token salaries. It is not intended as a measure of retirement adequacy or financial need and is therefore not correlated with the Silver Support Scheme's monthly PCHI criteria. As I have earlier on answered Assoc Prof Jamus Lim's Parliamentary Question (PQ) and also responded to the supplementary question by Mr Shawn Loh, we recently enhanced the Silver Support Scheme, just last year, in 2025, and we raised the qualifying monthly PCHI threshold from $1,800 to $2,300. This is approximately a 28% increase. This has enabled more seniors, including those with lower incomes, to qualify for Silver Support payouts. Let me reassure everyone in this House – we will continue to review the Silver Support Scheme periodically.”
“I have not answered the Parliamentary Question yet.”
“Having said that, we share the same view, we share the same end objective, as Mr Shawn Loh and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, because we constantly want to look for ways to continue to uplift each and every Singaporean, way into their golden retirement years.”
“I thank Mr Shawn Loh for his supplementary question. Indeed, we constantly review the frameworks, the criteria, as to how we can better support all of our elderly Singaporeans. Not just all of our elderly Singaporeans, we have also gone upstream to see in their younger working years, through the entire lifespan of their working career, their entire work life journey itself, to see how at different points in time we can provide uplifts to our Singaporeans, fellow citizens. I think this is an important point because we have never, never ever let any difficult spot go unnoticed. I think we need to look and see against the entire fiscal sustainability of what we have as a Government, how can we continue to sustain whatever measures, whatever policies, whatever incentives support schemes that we have given out to all of our Singaporeans, particularly when they are in their golden years. When we balance fiscal sustainability with fiscal prudence, we also – if I may use a medical word – we also immunise and boost some of the savings along the way through top-ups. Over the last two to three years of the previous Government, we have introduced the Majulah Package, we have enhanced this Silver Support Scheme, we have also introduced, at various points, the GST Vouchers, Community Development Council Vouchers, cost-of-living vouchers to support and uplift our elderly Singaporeans. We believe that through a differentiated, a graduated and more targeted series of support, we can better, more adequately and more precisely reach out to each and every one of our elderly Singaporean.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. I do not think it is a like-for-like comparison. You need to look at the Silver Support Scheme in a holistic manner. Because we do have a number of other schemes that has come alongside the Silver Support Scheme to support our elderly. On top of that, there are also significant CPF enhancements that we are doing to support our elderly, the cost-of-living vouchers and the different packages – such as the Pioneer Generation Package to the Merdeka Generation Package to the Majulah Package. They are all aimed at different sectors of uplifting our seniors. So, in addition to the Silver Support Scheme, you need to look at it on a broader, a more comprehensive and a more holistic scale. On top of that, we periodically review the parameters in which the Silver Support Scheme is improved and refined. As I have shared earlier on in 2021, we expanded the coverage from $70,000 TCC over a lifetime, to $140,000. This has resulted in a larger number of elderly Singaporeans becoming eligible. In 2025, just a year ago, we enhanced the quarterly payouts by some 20%. We have also expanded the household per capita income by almost 28%. So, you need to look at it on a very comprehensive, holistic scale, before you make that comparison.”
“Happy New Year, Speaker. The Ministry periodically reviews the eligibility criteria for the Silver Support Scheme. In 2021, the total Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution (TCC) threshold, which reflects the income that seniors earned during their working years, was doubled from $70,000 to $140,000. In 2025, we raised the qualifying monthly per capita household income threshold, from $1,800 to $2,300 – this is about an approximate 28% increase. We also increased the quarterly payments by 20%. About 290,000 seniors aged 65 and above currently benefit from the scheme. The Government also provides various forms of support to help Singaporeans, including seniors, to cope with the cost-of-living concerns. This includes the Assurance Package, and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Voucher schemes, which were enhanced in 2025.”
“On average, work injury compensation claims by platform workers are processed within six months from the date of incident report submitted to the Ministry. Under the Work Injury Compensation Regulations, upon the processing of the claim and assuming there are no outstanding notices of objection, the designated insurer must pay out any compensation within 21 days. The main reason for rejection of claims in 2025 was that the injury or disease did not arise out of and in the course of platform work. For example, if the worker was injured while running personal errands in between platform work tasks, this would not be deemed a work injury and would hence be ineligible for claims.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) regularly reviews the Employment Pass (EP) qualifying salary to keep pace with local PMET1 wages and ensure that EP holders are of good calibre. From 2021 to 2025, the EP minimum qualifying salary increased from $5,000 to $6,200 for the financial services sector and from $4,500 to $5,600 for all sectors other than financial services. Over the same period, the median fixed monthly salary of new EP applications2 increased from $13,300 to $15,000 for those in the financial services sector and from $8,000 to $9,200 for those in all sectors excluding financial services. Tables 1 and 2 provide the values for different quartiles. The EP qualifying salary applies to the vast majority of EP holders. MOM works with sector agencies to provide targeted flexibilities in areas that support our economic priorities. Any such flexibility is granted carefully, taking into account a range of factors.”
“Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) guidelines are developed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the WSH Council in consultation with key stakeholders, which include relevant Government agencies. We have also involved the Ministry of Defence, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and their related entities in our reviews of guidelines on heat stress and fatigue management. As the training and operating conditions in the military are unique, MOM and the WSH Council incorporated lessons and practices where relevant to other workplace settings. On heat stress, the SAF's practices have informed enhancements to the guidelines on measures to address heat stress, such as acclimatisation programmes and rest breaks, and recognition of heat illness symptoms. On driving fatigue, the WSH Guidelines on Fatigue Management have incorporated feedback from DSO National Laboratories. The guidelines are applicable to commercial drivers and set out recommended measures, such as fatigue reporting mechanism for employees, sufficient rest periods in the work schedule and identification of fatigue symptoms.”
“Following the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM's) annual “Reporting Saves Lives” campaign launched in 2023, we have seen greater willingness to report unsafe workplace practices. In 2025, there were approximately 1,700 reports of unsafe workplace practices received via SnapSAFE. About 70% of the reports made across 2024 and 2025 led to enforcement actions including the issuance of warnings. The remaining reports either did not contain sufficient information for MOM's follow-up or did not result in the identification of work-related lapses.”
“A breakdown of the number of full-time employed residents by gross monthly income is published on the Ministry of Manpower’s website.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) surveys businesses on the reasons for carrying out retrenchments, with business restructuring being one of the categories. The proportion of retrenchments due to business restructuring has generally ranged from 60% to 70% since 2024. Business restructuring may stem from productivity improvements or work efficiency gains arising from the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) or other technological advances. The Government will continue to study the impact of technological adoption, including AI, on employment trends.”
“This question for written answer has been addressed by written reply to Question No 28 for written answer in the Order Paper for 6 November 2025. [Please refer to "Publication of Provisional Guidelines for Adequate Support Towards Workers in Pending Cases and/or Claims", Official Report, 6 November 2025, Vol 96, Issue 11, Written Answers to Questions section.]”
“The lower job mobility in recent years, as reflected by the lower rate of job switching reported in the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM's) Labour Force in Singapore 2025 report, is mainly associated with reduced labour turnover. This could be attributed to a decline in resignation rates since 2022 as labour market tightness moderated from its post-pandemic peak and greater worker caution amid external economic uncertainties in 2025. With fewer workers leaving their jobs, fewer replacement vacancies arose, leading to lower recruitment activity and fewer opportunities for job switching. Hiring and job search processes are inherently dynamic and job postings may close without a hire or remain unfilled due to legitimate reasons, such as unexpected changes in business plans or inability to find suitable candidates. There may be a small number of instances where employers post vacancies as a token measure to meet the rules on fair consideration for locals. MOM will investigate such cases upon receiving feedback and take enforcement action against errant employers if the allegations are found to be true to safeguard fair hiring.”
“The Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment encourages employers to implement practices to prevent and deal with harassment cases, including bullying, at the workplace while ensuring that whistle-blowers will not be penalised. Workers who experience retaliation can approach the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices for assistance. When the new Workplace Fairness Act comes into force in end-2027, employers will be required to put in place grievance handling processes for workplace harassment and discrimination and must protect the confidentiality of employees who report grievances to the extent possible. Employers will be prohibited from retaliating against employees and whistle-blowers with genuine grievances and financial penalties can be imposed on those who do so.”
“When a Central Provident Fund (CPF) member sells a property purchased with CPF savings, the net proceeds will be used to return the withdrawn CPF amount, plus accrued interest, back to their CPF accounts. For CPF members aged 55 and above, housing refunds to their CPF accounts will first be used to top up their Retirement Accounts (RA) to meet their Full Retirement Sum. Any remaining balance is credited to their Ordinary Accounts (OA) and can be used for subsequent housing purchases. The different CPF accounts ensure that members' CPF savings are spread out to meet their retirement, housing and healthcare needs. The RA savings are primarily intended to provide members with monthly payouts during their retirement. However, CPF members, including divorcees, can use housing refunds credited to their RA that exceed their Basic Retirement Sum to purchase a 3-room or smaller HDB flat, if qualifying conditions are met. Members can check the amount available for use via their home ownership dashboard on the CPF website. The CPF Board considers appeals, on a case-by-case basis, by members to use more of their RA savings for flat purchases or to buy larger flats, taking into account their financial and household circumstances. When the Board encounters cases with genuine needs, we would work with other relevant agencies to provide tailored assistance. This approach balances housing needs with safeguarding retirement adequacy. Divorcing couples can explore post-divorce housing options through the Housing Options Explorer on the Ministry of Social and Family Development's Family Assist Portal or by approaching the Housing Development Board for advice and assistance.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) adopts a firm position against employers who attempt to circumvent our work pass framework and do not fairly consider local candidates, such as by advertising job vacancies on MyCareersFuture as a token measure or providing false information in their work pass applications. Between 2023 and 2025, MOM took enforcement action against an average of 140 employers each year for not fairly considering local candidates. This includes incidents where employers had submitted fictitious advertisements or provided false information to MOM. Our enforcement actions range from written warnings to debarment from hiring foreign workers for up to 24 months. If foreign hiring managers are found to be complicit in such fraudulent activities, we will also take enforcement action against them. Such actions may include renovation of work passes and debarment from employment in Singapore.”
“After the Platform Workers Act came into effect on 1 January 2025, platform workers born before 1 January 1995 may opt to increase their Central Provident Fund contributions beyond their mandatory MediSave contributions. About 26,500, or 27%, of such platform workers have opted in as of September 2025. Among platform workers who rely on platform work as their primary or sole source of income, the opt-in rate is higher at 32%. Ministry of Manpower does not collect information on the reasons for not opting in. We will continue to work with platform operators and platform work associations to reach out to platform workers to encourage more to opt in.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) shares the Member's concern over the two fatal fall-from-height incidents during the construction of the Jurong Region Line. As investigations are ongoing, we are currently unable to provide further details on both incidents. Work-at-height activities, including those for the Jurong Region Line construction, are subjected to the Workplace Safety and Health (Work at Heights) Regulations, which have in place provisions for control measures. They include physical measures, such as proper guardrails, decking and safe access and egress. Other measures include implementing a fall prevention plan, a permit-to-work system and adequate supervision for work-at-height activities. Contractors are required to comply with these requirements. They may refer to the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for Working Safely at Heights for practical guidance on how to comply with the Regulations. MOM will continue to learn from past construction safety incidents, including from the recent Jurong Regional Line incidents and put in place additional safety measures where required.”
“The roles impacted in GXS's recent retrenchment exercise were technical roles supporting completed IT projects, which differed from the intended GRIT roles. Even though GXS' retrenchment exercise does not automatically disqualify it from the GRIT programme, GXS has withdrawn from the GRIT programme. The Workforce Singapore remains committed to work with leading companies to provide meaningful opportunities to trainees.”
“Flexible work arrangements (FWAs) include flexi-place, flexi-time and flexi-load arrangements. Under the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (TG-FWAR) implemented in December 2024, employees may formally request for FWAs, and employers should consider such requests based on business needs. This also applies to employees in firms where the default work arrangement is to be on-site. Employees who feel that their FWA requests are not properly considered may approach the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) for assistance, and TAFEP will assess the case. If employers are found not to have assessed the FWA request properly, TAFEP will guide the employer to comply with the TG-FWAR.”
“From 2023 to 2025, we received an average of 11,300 appeals each year on the Silver Support Scheme, representing an average of around 4% of all recipients. Silver Support is designed such that seniors automatically qualify if they pass the annual eligibility assessment. The most common appeals come from seniors following changes in their circumstances, such as a change in residence or per capita household income. Seniors who inform the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board of their updated circumstances will have their eligibility reassessed. All eligible seniors receive a letter every December from the CPF Board and Ministry of Manpower in English and vernacular languages. To raise public awareness of the scheme, we also disseminate information on the Silver Support Scheme through Community Centres and Silver Generation Ambassadors. Seniors who need further assistance, such as to check their eligibility status or payouts, or to access scheme information, may also visit the CPF Board's webpage on the Silver Support Scheme, call the CPF Board hotline or visit a CPF service centre.”
“The Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) awards bonus points to companies that undertake ambitious investments, innovation and internationalisation activities or work with the Labour Movement on company and workforce transformation activities. To earn Strategic Economic Priorities (SEP) bonus points, companies must participate in one or more eligible programmes supported by Government agencies or the Labour Movement. These include programmes, such as EnterpriseSG's Singapore Global Executive Programme, which supports the deployment of local executives on overseas work stints; or the Singapore Tourism Board's Training Industry Professionals in Tourism – Leadership Development Grant, which supports leadership development of local executives. Companies working with the National Trades Unions Congress to form Company Training Committees to strengthen local workforce development are also eligible for the SEP bonus points.”
“The Primary Care Plan (PCP) was implemented in 2022 by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to provide migrant workers (MWs) with accessible primary healthcare, including setting up MW medical centres near dormitories, to strengthen public health resilience. There are currently no plans to extend PCP to migrant domestic workers (MDWs). Employers of MDWs who prefer cost predictability for primary care may consider purchasing more comprehensive insurance plans with outpatient coverage, on a voluntary basis.”
“The Ministry of Manpower does not impose additional regulations on the maximum permissible work hours a day or overtime compensation for employees who are not covered under Part 4 of the Employment Act. These employees remain covered by other Parts of the Employment Act, including Part 10 on holiday, annual leave and sick leave entitlements. Security agencies (SAs) must comply with licensing conditions imposed by the Singapore Police Force, which state that the SAs must not deploy their security officers to work for more than 72 extra hours per month. SAs can also refer to the Workplace Safety and Health Guidelines on Fatigue Management for recommended measures in areas such as providing rest breaks and limiting the duration of shift work.”
“In 2023 and 2024, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) did not receive any complaints related to safety, fraud or negligence involving confinement nannies. MOM regulates the employment of foreigners in Singapore through the issuance of Work Passes, including Work Permits, to allow foreigners to work in various sectors, subject to labour laws and conditions of the Work Passes as well as any prevailing standards or licensing requirements set by the relevant authorities overseeing such sectors.”
“The Employment Pass (EP) qualifying salary is benchmarked to the top one-third of resident Professional, Manager, Executive and Technician wages, inclusive of Central Provident Fund contributions. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) regularly reviews the EP qualifying salary, taking into account changes to total resident wages, rather than focusing on any specific wage component. MOM has recently increased the EP qualifying salary in January 2025. We will continue to monitor and update the qualifying salary based on local wage trends to maintain a level playing field for locals. As with past announcements, MOM will also continue to ensure sufficient time for employers to adjust where there are revisions.”
“The Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations stipulates that employers are responsible for the upkeep of Work Permit holders who are awaiting resolution and payment of any statutory claims. This includes the provision of acceptable accommodation and food. The Ministry of Manpower takes a proactive approach of checking with these Work Permit holders to ensure they have adequate food and acceptable accommodation throughout their claims process. Errant employers may face financial penalties of up to $10,000.”
“The Silver Support Scheme is targeted at seniors who had lower incomes during their working years and now have little or no family support and resources in their retirement. The household monthly income per person is indicative of the level of household support and remains a relevant consideration in ensuring the Silver Support Scheme is targeted at seniors with less means. However, we understand that individual circumstances may vary. For example, despite residing together, some seniors may be estranged from their working children and therefore not receive financial support from them. Seniors facing unique situations such as this can appeal to the Central Provident Fund Board. Each appeal will be reviewed holistically on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the circumstances of the senior. We also enhanced Silver Support this year and raised the qualifying per capita household income threshold from $1,800 to $2,300. This enabled more seniors, some of whom do live together with their children, to qualify for Silver Support. We will continue to review Silver Support periodically so that it targets seniors who need it most.”
“The unemployment rates for residents aged 15 to 24 and 25 to 34 have moved in tandem with economic cycles from 2000 to 2024, rising during recessions and easing thereafter. The relationship between the two age groups has remained broadly unchanged, with rates in 2024 at 6.8% and 3.3% respectively, comparable to the levels in 2000 [Chart 1]. As in most countries, unemployment among youths aged 15 to 24 is higher than that of older age groups due to greater job search activity among new entrants. Nevertheless, Singapore's rates remain among the lowest internationally, ranking sixth lowest among OECD countries for youths and third lowest for those aged 25 to 34.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) regularly reviews the Dependency Ratio Ceilings (DRCs) in line with Singapore's economic needs, local workforce outcomes and infrastructure and social constraints. As a general principle, we leverage on the DRCs to nudge firms to raise productivity and create jobs that are attractive to locals by allocating quota to such firms. Nonetheless, MOM recognises that the Services sector covers a broad range of sub-sectors with differing manpower needs, which could include essential roles that are difficult to automate and recruit locals for. MOM has thus been working with sector agencies to provide targeted flexibilities, such as for landscaping and conservancy. We will continue to review our Work Permit framework to drive transformation and productivity growth while calibrating it to support the needs of businesses.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) recognises the vital role of leaders and managers in shaping a workplace culture that supports mental well-being. MOM has worked with the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council to develop and promote initiatives that are targeted at building workplace leaders' competencies in supporting their own mental well-being, and that of their organisations and teams. One such initiative is the Handbook on Supporting Employees' Mental Health. Launched recently by the WSH Council, the Handbook includes guidance for senior management and supervisors to undergo training to strengthen their competencies in areas, such as increasing mental health awareness and practising self-care. Another initiative is the Well-Being Champions Network, a community of practice for workplace leaders to share ideas on mental health awareness and management, which has grown from 54 founding member organisations in 2023 to 800 today. The WSH Council's outreach to industry, together with that of tripartite partners, has helped to encourage employers' adoption of these initiatives. MOM and the WSH Council will continue to encourage employers to participate in relevant programmes for workplace leaders and managers.”
“Under the Employment Act, employees are entitled to a minimum of seven days of annual leave in their first year of service. This increases by one day per year of service with the employer up to a minimum entitlement of 14 days. Employers may provide more annual leave days to their employees than statutorily required. In 2024, over 90% of full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64 had more than seven days of annual leave, and 68.2% had 15 days or more of annual leave. Annual leave entitlements must be seen alongside other entitlements that similarly support employees in balancing their work and personal needs. These include paid public holidays, sick leave and parental leave. Besides employees' needs, reviews of leave entitlements must also take into account the impact on business costs. As part of the ongoing review of the Employment Act, tripartite partners will consider the statutory employment provisions holistically to strike the right balance between protections for workers and costs for businesses.”
“We understand that ExxonMobil has also proactively engaged the ExxonMobil Singapore Employees' Union and is committed to working closely with them to support affected workers throughout the restructuring process. The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme will also provide temporary financial support of up to $6,000 over six months to eligible retrenched individuals to support them in finding a job that makes better use of their skills and experience. The Government will continue to work closely with companies to support workers in the transition to a low-carbon future.”
“The Member may be referring to ExxonMobil's restructuring announcement on 1 October 2025, where the company said that it would be retrenching up to 500 workers in Singapore by end-2027. The Energy and Chemicals sector is a global industry, and Singapore is subject to global developments in demand and supply. With any mature industry in transition, we also expect to see some churn as companies transform their operations. However, there will be opportunities for re-investment and renewal. For example, as we transition to a low-carbon future, there will be new job opportunities for locals in growth areas, such as specialty chemicals and bio-chemicals. Since 2021, there were over 30 new specialty chemical projects across manufacturing and research and development (R&D) from global companies, such as Arkema, Cariflex and Kuraray. When fully realised, these investments are expected to create more than 1,000 jobs, across roles in manufacturing operations, R&D and innovation, process engineering, sustainability and corporate functions. Should retrenchments occur, the Government's priority is to support affected workers with employment facilitation. The Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Manpower, Workforce Singapore, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute, Economic Development Board and Enterprise Singapore, proactively reaches out to retrenching companies once notified of a retrenchment. For ExxonMobil, the Taskforce has offered career matching services and referrals to career switch programmes if workers wish to move into other growth areas. These include the Career Conversion Programmes and Mid-Career Pathways Programme.”
“Between 2022 and 2024, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) handled an annual average of 19 substantiated cases of unpaid medical bills incurred by Work Permit and S Pass holders. The average unpaid medical bills across the same period was about $12,000. For such cases, we will typically remind employers of their obligations to bear the full cost of their workers' medical treatment. Most employers pay up after the reminder and enforcement actions will be taken against those who fail to do so. MOM regularly reviews the mandatory medical insurance (MI) coverage to protect employers from large hospital bills. Since 1 July 2023, the minimum annual MI coverage per worker was increased from $15,000 to $60,000, which will cover approximately 99% of inpatient and day surgery bills incurred by Work Permit and S Pass holders. Employers are also encouraged to assess their needs and consider purchasing additional coverage beyond the minimum MI coverage, to safeguard against higher medical expenses. For insurance policies starting from 1 July 2025, insurers are required to make direct payments to the hospitals upon the admissibility of the medical claims. This is to remove the need for employers to make upfront payment and seek reimbursement from insurers thereafter.”
“About eight in 10 eligible employees received salaries which met the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) and Occupational Progressive Wages' requirements. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not track training or working hours requirements by the respective PWM sectors. MOM will continue to conduct targeted inspections in sectors with lower compliance rates and work with tripartite partners and PWM sectoral leads to educate and help employers meet their PWM requirements.”
“The nuclear talent that the Member was alluding to, from now to the time, if ultimately, we should choose to deploy, the deployment part would take a different level of talent versus those with regard to just making sure that we have a safe environment, we take the necessary precautions, should our neighbours decide to deploy. So, we are really talking about different scenarios. Having said that, we have made some plans to start to train our own core group. We have got nuclear trained scientists, both on EMA, as well as within the NEA's perspective, and also in academia. And we will continue to work with international bodies. I have also made the announcement that we recently signed the US 123 Agreement with the United States. We are working, stepping up engagements with the French and learning from the Idaho National Labs, learning from the different institutes in France, even working with the United Kingdom. That would allow us to train to provide that runway, to train the type of talent that we would need. I hope that gives the Member that reassurance.”
“I thank Prof Lim for his supplementary question. First and foremost, the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI) was incorporated sometime back. I do not have the date off-hand with me. This year it was upgraded. It used to be SNRSI – the "I" was for "Initiative". But what the agencies have recognised is that because of the enhanced interest in advanced nuclear technology, they have decided to upgrade it from an "Initiative" into an "Institute". So, it resides within NUS. It is an independent body and it does all of the simulation framework, it does a lot of the public education and it continues to be so. For the type of technologies that would be suitable for Singapore, we have concluded as a result of that pre-feasibility study in 2012, that conventional nuclear technologies would not be possible for us, nor is it even practical, nor feasible – because the emergency safety zones means that there is nowhere in Singapore we can site it. However, the way the newer types of nuclear energy development that we have seen, offers promise, because that buffer zone is significantly reduced; and some of these small modular reactors allow for the potential and the possibility of it stacking. So, to that end, we look at it with a lot of interest, because it could offer, potentially, if we make that decision – and it would take us some years to come to that decision. For us, it is one way of diversifying our energy mix and at the same time, it offers us security. Security in terms of supplies. And to your colleague, Mr Kenneth Tiong's earlier point about thorium, we also need to think about the supply chain, because today, that concentration risk is very, very high. So, these are all the factors that we have taken into consideration.”
“We have heard anecdotal announcements that there could be potential need for sitings 500 kilometres south of us. There are also need for more remote areas for small modular reactors, for instance, in Kalimantan, or even over in the eastern part of Indonesia. We cannot confirm what is the state or the level of maturity in terms of their thinking or their discussions. Suffice to say, we work very closely with international agencies, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for instance; together with the IAEA. And with that, we understand from the data and we try to triangulate, but these are very early stages. Hence, that is why I said that we will try our best to answer, but a lot of that information is just not out there.”
“Having said that, within the countries in the region, many of them actually have already developed and they have planted research reactors within their respective countries. I do not have the total numbers of the research reactors. I suppose there are some in Indonesia, in Malaysia, I believe in Vietnam, possibly even in the Philippines as well. For us, what is important to note is that, as I have said earlier on in my reply to the other Members in the House: today, the physics work, the engineering works. I think the last big step is whether it can be commercially viable, because the physics, the engineering can work, but if the costs are so high, are so prohibitive, then it really would not be pragmatic, feasible, nor would it be practical for us to deploy here. Hence that comparison and the undertaking of that feasibility study today by Mott MacDonald, it is out there to assess this. Having said this, what we know today is that, the advanced nuclear technology is significantly safer than the conventional ones, because a lot of the safety systems are passive and they are inherent. They do not need an external active operator to go in and intervene. The public – myself included, in the early stages of my entry into Government – was also pretty much affected by what we read about in Fukushima, in Chernobyl. But those systems were the first and second generation ones. They were built many, many decades ago. I think that engineering, the safety design has significantly improved since then. That is why we are undertaking this feasibility study. So, I beg your indulgence. For some of the questions Members asked pertaining to our neighbours, it would be very difficult for us to comment on what they are doing.”
“I thank Mr Singh for his supplementary questions. It has flowed into a trend of thought, so I would try to follow according to the same wavelength and frequency. But in event that I drop a few beats, please give feedback on some of the points that the Member is raising. First and foremost, perhaps, I can provide a glimpse as to what the Government is thinking of, in terms of the set-up. There are two teams today: a team at the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and one team at the National Environment Agency (NEA). EMA's Nuclear Energy Office falls under my portfolio of coverage within the Ministry of Trade and Industry family. The EMA's Nuclear Energy Office will primarily assess the feasibility of deploying advanced nuclear energy technologies for power generation in Singapore. NEA's Nuclear Safety Division will focus on nuclear safety and safeguards for potential deployments in Singapore, as well as in the region. And I note that there is a lot of interest surrounding the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, in terms of their deployment. I cannot commit for sure as to their timelines, although what we have gleaned are from official, public newspaper reports out there. There have been some exhortations by our neighbours that they want to develop it in 10 years, some 15, some 20 years. They have not stated what type of technologies they are going to deploy, whether it is conventional ones or whether it is going to be the advanced nuclear energy technologies. If it is the advanced nuclear technology type, the newer types like the SMRs, the Gen IV, then I think pretty much the assessment level, the readiness level, we are probably on par.”
“So, once that is done, we would have another 50% increase; not just in throughput, but also in storage, building up our SLNG capabilities. As far as tariffs is concerned, it is spread across all the different sectors and the prices, like I said, because of our very diversified portfolio that we will be starting from 2026 onwards, we believe that we will be able to manage the volatility in terms of pricing. I hope that gives you the reassurance.”
“I thank the Member for his two supplementary questions. Actually, I think, there are three. GasCo's core business activity is to build a secure, reliable and diverse portfolio of natural gas contracts at stable and competitive prices. GasCo's Board will enable, because they are experienced members who have come from a very diverse range of companies, with many of them having many years of experience in gas procurement companies. So, it would provide oversight of GasCo's hedging strategies through its risk management committee. As I have said earlier on, the GasCo portfolio is diversified and it is resilient in terms of price index, tenure and source. As to further details, because of the commercial sensitivities, please understand that and I beg for the Member's indulgence that I would not go into it any further. As far as the buffer for extreme price volatilities, in 2022, we set up a standby LNG facility. I think that two months before that, in November 2021, this House actually approved an amendment to the Bill for us to set up that standby LNG facility. When the standby LNG facility was set up at the end of January, and we made that storage of supplies, about a month later, hostilities broke out in Ukraine between Ukraine and Russia. And I think that helped to tide us over a period of extreme volatility. Till now, that standby LNG facility has served us well. To the Member's point about the whether we are increasing our SLNG terminal. We have, indeed, gone on, we have committed to constructing a second LNG terminal. Just about a week and a half ago, the steel-cutting ceremony has started. We are on track to complete the terminal between 2028 and 2030.”
“The Singapore GasCo is a Government-owned entity that was established in April this year to centralise the procurement of natural gas for the power sector in Singapore. GasCo will construct and maintain a diversified and resilient gas supply portfolio to enhance gas security and mitigate gas price volatility. In addition, GasCo will put in place systems and processes to ensure that it does not procure natural gas from sanctioned entities or sanctioned jurisdictions. We are unable to go into details on GasCo's procurement approach owing to commercial sensitivities.”
“I thank Mr Tiong for his supplementary question. I think it is important to note that today, we have embarked on a slow and steady series of steps for us to first gain understanding on a comparative analysis of the different types of technologies that is available. The ones that he alluded to, the molten salt reactor, light-water, including thorium, we also need to consider the supply chain. Today, given our understanding of the supply chain for thorium, the concentration risk in terms of the procurement of the supply of thorium is actually quite limited. Today, our focus is still on a number of the newer ones, the small modular reactors, the new generation thermal high-pressure reactors. We have committed Mott MacDonald to do that study for us. And when we get the results of that study some time down the line, we will be able to make a more meaningful comparison. And I am sure by that time, Parliamentary Questions will be filed, and I am happy to update the House again.”
“I thank Dr Choo for her supplementary question. Today, as I have shared over the last couple of minutes, the Government is in the process of building capabilities and this is in line with the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) Milestones Approach, and we are supported by international partners to study this potential deployment with very high standards of safety, security and safeguards. Given that in Singapore, we have a very densely populated, very urbanised environment, we want to also not alarm the public. We want to continually engage them regularly on the latest developments in nuclear energy. As I have said earlier on, even if we ultimately decide not to deploy here, it does not mean our neighbours will not deploy. So, as the regional interest in nuclear powers continues to grow, we want to contemporaneously and progressively prepare our fellow Singaporeans for the potential deployment of nuclear energy in the region. After all, we have a very small footprint. Like what they always say in Mandarin, "我们是弹丸小国". We are a very small country. We have to prepare our population. And what are the mitigating actions that could be taken in the unlikely event of an accident in nuclear energy facilities in the region? That is what we will proceed with on very sure-footed steps. I hope that gives you the reassurance that you need, Dr Choo.”
“I thank Mr Ang for his two supplementary questions. Perhaps, the Member missed the earlier part of the answer. We have not decided whether to deploy nuclear energy technology. So, I think it is premature for us, given the fact that we have not decided, to talk about potential deployment sites and also whether it is going to be on an offshore island, in the sea or underground. The journey over the next few years will allow us to understand many of these advanced nuclear energy technologies, the promise they hold and while the current thinking is the physics, the engineering works, the commercial feasibility and the viability has still yet to be proven. So, as result, the study is quite focused on comparing the different types of advanced nuclear technology and whether the safety profile, whether the type of outputs that they generate, how efficient they are, will eventually benefit us or not. So, as far as the timeline is concerned, we have not even made the decision. I think the timeline is even further out. So, I cannot comment in a very definitive manner as to what kind of timelines we are looking at. What I can safely say is from the results of the 2012 study that we have completed, and if the Member could look back at the report that was released, is that conventional nuclear power and nuclear energy technology, the conventional ones, those that involve very large conventional reactors is not suitable for Singapore. And hence, we have no plans to even look at deploying those. I hope that gives the Member that clarity that he needs.”
“I thank Ms Poh for her supplementary question. As I have said earlier on, we have not made the decision on whether to deploy nuclear energy technology. However, in the run-up, we have got the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI); we have just upgraded it to an institute. They have actually conducted public education dialogues. At the same time, given the fact that we have just published the background paper to showcase what our journey has been thus far, we will continuously work with different governments and different jurisdictions. And as the updated safety profiles of this advanced nuclear technology come on, we will share them with the public to build background knowledge and also to socialise our larger population. Even if we eventually decide that we will not go down the pathway of deploying on our shores, it does not preclude our neighbouring countries from deploying on their shores. And that education would involve getting big parts of our population to be socialised to the idea that our neighbours may also deploy that, and what are the safety considerations and measures that we should be undertaking. I hope that gives the Member that reassurance.”
“The Government has not made any decision on deploying nuclear energy in Singapore. We are studying the potential for nuclear energy deployment as it is a low-carbon energy source that enhances our energy security. As part of our overall efforts to build capabilities to assess whether the latest nuclear technologies could be suitable for deployment in Singapore, we have set up dedicated nuclear energy teams in the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA). The EMA and NEA teams are made up of Public Service officers. They will be adequately resourced to carry out their roles and will be collaborating with partners from other governments, as well as with industry and academia. The study commissioned by EMA is focused on helping Singapore understand the safety and the viability of various advanced nuclear power plant technologies. It will not focus on potential sites or deployment timelines. As I have shared right at the beginning, because we have not made any decision on deploying nuclear energy in Singapore. We will engage the public regularly on the latest developments in nuclear energy to build an informed understanding on nuclear energy. On 27 October 2025, we published a “Background Paper on Singapore’s Nuclear Energy Capability Building Journey” to share more about the work we have done thus far.”