Teo Chee Hean
Singapore
“The second point first, Mr Speaker. Certainly, it could have been a factor. But to the Panel which reviewed the thing, it was not an acceptable excuse or reason. The agencies still have to be responsible for what they are doing, whatever season of the year it is.”
“On the balance in ACRA, I would not say it is a conflict, but you have to strike the right balance between the functions that ACRA is meant to provide, which is to have a registry which promotes corporate transparency, and you have to balance that against how you protect personal data.”
“That means, if you do find a bug or you do find a way in which you can penetrate a Government system, you let us know, and there is a bounty for it. And this is evergreen. But we also do, from time to time, have a hunting season. So, for certain of our systems, we invite white hatters to attack those systems.”
“Then, he asked when the political office holders got involved in the public communications on the Bizfile portal issue. They got involved, I think, almost as soon as it became apparent that there was public anxiety. Next question about paragraph 40 and the email to senior officers, yes, the July 2024 CM was emailed to officers.”
“In fact, we monitor the dark web for a variety of things, including this, and we have not seen any sale of NRIC numbers as such. On the question of collection and use of NRIC numbers, actually, in the communication with the Government agencies, I think it is important to know who you are communicating with.”
“So, you actually make your email address available to others. But for authentication purposes, it is quite different. You do not tell your password to others. That is something which you keep for yourself and your email service provider knows. So, there is a difference between an identifier and an authentication.”
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“All Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 15 years old and above are eligible for a SingPass account. Of these 3.6 million eligible Singapore Residents, 3.45 million (or about 96%) have a SingPass account. Among seniors aged 65 and above, close to 90% have SingPass accounts, up from approximately 80% in 2017. Among seniors with SingPass accounts, 69% are active SingPass users who have used the account in the past 12 months. The adoption of SingPass by age groups is at Table 1. Eligible residents may set up a SingPas account via the SingPass website or at any of the 45 SingPass counters located at Community Centres/Clubs and selected Government agencies island-wide. Seniors without computing devices can also access the SingPass website and register for SingPass via the CitizenConnect Centres (CCC+) located at the Public Service Centre @ Our Tampines Hub and 25 Community Centres/Clubs. Our goal is an inclusive Smart Nation that enables all to benefit from technology. To achieve this, the Government has several initiatives to improve digital inclusiveness. The SG Digital Office is supporting seniors to pick up digital skills, including the use of SingPass Mobile for Government digital services. Low income seniors may also approach the SG Digital community hubs to apply for support under the Mobile Access for Seniors scheme, which offers eligible seniors a subsidised smartphone and mobile plan.”
“Only authorised public officers will have access to the data. Under the Public Sector Governance Act, public officers who recklessly or intentionally disclose the data without authorisation, misuse the data for gain, or re-identify anonymised data without authorisation may be found guilty of an offence and may be subject to a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, or both.”
“As of 28 September, we have issued about 101,000 TraceTogether Tokens to members of the public. We will progressively expand the distribution across Singapore so that anyone who wants a TraceTogether Token can collect one from a Community Centre nearest their home. The purpose of the Token is to boost overall community participation in the TraceTogether Programme, particularly for those who are not able to download theTraceTogether App. Currently the overall participation (App and Token) rate of TraceTogether Programme is at around half our population, with TraceTogether Programme participants predominantly on the App as community-wide Token distribution had just commenced. The higher the participation rate, the more effective our digital contact tracing efforts, and the safer we can keep ourselves, our loved ones, and our colleagues. The data collected by the TraceTogether Programme is encrypted and stored only for 25 days on the user's App or Token, after which it is automatically deleted. The encrypted data (of up to 25 days) is kept on the device until the user shares it with MOH for contact tracing in the unfortunate (and hopefully unlikely) circumstance that the user tests positive for COVID-19. Because it is encrypted, even if someone unlawfully extracts the data from the App or the Token, they will not be able to make sense of the data. Personal data collected from the SafeEntry programme is also encrypted, and will only be accessed by the authorities when needed for the purpose of preventing or controlling the transmission of COVID-19. The Government is the custodian of the data submitted by individuals, including those from the TraceTogether and SafeEntry programmes, and stringent measures are in place to safeguard this personal data.”
“The TraceTogether (TT) Programme, comprising the TT App on smartphones and TT Tokens, utilise Bluetooth functionality to enhance and accelerate contact tracing of close contacts of COVID-19 positive patients. The TT programme, SafeEntry and associated digital systems provide the initial list of close contacts of COVID-19 positive cases for our contact tracing teams to work on. This has enabled us to reduce the time to identify and quarantine a close contact from four days to less than two days currently. Since we switched over to this concept of operations, 118,000 close contacts were identified, of which 4,500 subsequently tested positive during quarantine. The effectiveness of TT and SafeEntry relies on broad based community participation. This is how we contribute collectively to keeping ourselves, our loved ones, and colleagues safe. The more people on the system, the more effective the protection. We are glad that the App has been downloaded by 2.4 million individuals since its launch. We estimate that about 1.4 million users had actively used the App in the month of August. We will do more to encourage and facilitate active adoption, by improving the App’s features over time. We urge all who have downloaded the TT App to keep it active in the foreground. One practical way to do so is to use the App to perform more convenient SafeEntry check-ins. We have started distributing tokens to seniors and those without smart phones in order to provide protection for these vulnerable groups. In due course, we will also make tokens available for those who prefer not to use the App on their smart phones.”
“NSCS will continue to conduct and coordinate research on social resilience and share key findings across government to guide policies and initiatives to strengthen social resilience in Singapore. NSCS will also step up education and awareness building for public officers through regular internal outreach, courses, seminars, and milestone programmes, and facilitate information sharing within the Public Service on social resilience issues. Learning from COVID-19, NSCS will work to strengthen our whole-of-nation capabilities and readiness to deal with future pandemics. These will include enhanced health surveillance, increased capacity for crisis response and healthcare, and more resilient design of key facilities and essential services against pandemics. We can never be certain when the next security threat will emerge, and what form it will take. As a small country, while we try to influence and shape our external environment, we are also often subject to forces that are beyond our control. We also have to build up our own crisis response capabilities, as we can rely only on ourselves, and cannot count on assistance from others, especially in a regional or global crisis when every country's response capability is under stress. NSCS will continue to work across Government to build up our defences against both traditional and emerging national security threats and help Singaporeans better understand how they can continue to play their part in safeguarding Singapore's future.”
“The COVID-19 crisis has accentuated our need to secure such flows, as countries close their borders and restrict the export of critical goods. Geopolitical tensions in areas like international trade could also affect our ability to secure critical supplies and impact our position as an international transport and trading hub. NSCS will work with agencies to strengthen resilience of these critical flows to ensure that our strategic interests are not compromised. For example, NSCS will work with agencies to identify and refresh our strategies and planning parameters to prepare for potential future disruptions. Even though COVID-19 is a public health crisis, it has had cross-cutting impact across multiple domains including the economy, and the functioning of essential services. NSCS will work with stakeholders to identify and deal with inter-dependencies further upstream, to guide our long-term planning in a coordinated manner. This applies not just to dependencies on external resources but also to in-country networks for the flow of utilities, information and people. For example, we will continue to analyse how disruptions to power or internet connectivity could have a cascading impact across multiple sectors, and how agencies need to work together to address these vulnerabilities. Social resilience is critical in crisis response, especially for a small, multi-racial, and multi-religious country like Singapore. It is important to build up our collective capacity and cohesiveness to withstand shocks, and to build social capital and social trust so that we can stay united as a people and bounce back from incidents and emerge stronger.”
“Singapore continues to face challenges to our national security. Traditional threats to national security in areas like terrorism, foreign subversion, and espionage remain. Emergent, cross-domain threats, like the rapid spread of disinformation on the internet, add to and amplify existing vulnerabilities of our multi-racial, multi-religious society. COVID-19 has also added pressure in many areas, including to our supply chains and our social resilience. The National Security Coordination Secretariat (NSCS) works with Government agencies to identify, assess, and address national security risks. This helps the Government prioritise its resources to strengthen our collective defences against current and emerging threats to national security and keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe and secure. NSCS complements the work of operational agencies by focusing on crosscutting national security issues. NSCS looks ahead to identify emerging, growing or changing security risks; works across agencies to coordinate and ensure alignment of national security strategy and policy; and adds depth to these strategies and policies by catalysing cross-cutting national security capability development efforts. In the context of COVID-19, such work has become even more relevant in areas such as economic security, inter-dependencies, and social resilience. NSCS will also work with agencies to draw lessons from COVID-19 to strengthen our long-term capabilities to deal with pandemics. NSCS works with economic agencies to deal with threats to the flow of essential economic resources, such as goods, manpower, and investments, which enable Singapore to survive and thrive.”
“The close contacts data gathered by TraceTogether will be stored only on the user’s phone in the first instance, and accessed by MOH only if the individual tests positive for COVID-19. It will only be used for contact tracing. Safeguards, including encryption, are in place on the user’s phone to protect this data from malicious hackers. Data older than 25 days will be automatically deleted from the phone. If the close contact data on the person’s phone is required for contact tracing, only a small group of authorised individuals in MOH would be able to see the patient’s personal data. All public sector data protection rules will also apply to the data transferred from the user’s phone to MOH, including abiding by the recommendations of the Public Sector Data Security Review Committee.”
“The latest available estimate is from the General Household Survey, which was conducted in 2015. Based on the survey, there were an estimated 18,700 couples comprising a Singapore Citizen (SC) married to a Non-Resident (NR) in 2015.1 The breakdown of the data by monthly household income is unavailable.”
“All these measures and precautions are required to protect Singaporeans. Whatever measures taken will affect all political parties equally. As the Prime Minister said, no decision has been taken yet on the timing of the General Elections, but we have to plan on taking such additional measures to safeguard the health of Singaporeans. And I stress that these precautions and measures will be needed whether the election is held early or later. Thank you, Mr Speaker.”
“Our decision must be based on what is in the best interests of Singapore and Singaporeans, and how we can move forward together. On Mr Christopher de Souza's second question – he asked about holding elections safely amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. The safety of all Singaporeans is of utmost importance. To combat the virus spread, we have implemented comprehensive measures over the past few weeks at every level. We have heard Minister Gan and Minister Wong – travel restrictions, quarantines, social distancing measures, strengthening our healthcare institutions, workplace measures, protecting our students in schools and supply of essential goods. Even if the election takes place, it will not disrupt any of this. All these necessary measures will still be maintained. But COVID-19 has created a new normal. Whether elections are held early or later, we will still have to work on the basis that the next election will necessarily be different from past elections. This means that the necessary extra safeguards and precautions must and will be taken, whether the elections are held early or held later, at every step – nominations, campaigning and voting. We will have to make all the necessary arrangements to ensure that parties can campaign effectively and people can vote safely. For example, for campaigning, we can have live-streaming of speeches on the Internet and adequate television time for candidates. For voting, we already have special express lanes for seniors and those who need them. We can also have social distancing while queuing, proper hand hygiene for voting paraphernalia and hand sanitisers for voters. We will learn from the experiences of other countries that are holding elections even during this on-going COVID-19 outbreak.”
“Even if the President proclaims an emergency, given that the incumbent Cabinet remains in office during an emergency, there is no legal basis or practical need for the President to form a new government. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not helpful to mislead people into thinking that such an option exists to put off elections indefinitely and for the President to form a new government when this goes against the Constitution. Even if there is a caretaker government under a state of emergency, it would by definition be a caretaker. It would be hobbled by the fact that it lacks the explicit mandate of voters and would therefore not be in a position to take major decisions on behalf of Singaporeans. This is the reason why constitutional convention requires that a caretaker government not make any far-reaching or long-term measure. So, this is the fundamental problem. Just when we need a government with a clear mandate to pull out all the stops in a crisis to implement strong mitigation measures, to mobilise our resources and reserves to implement strong economic stabilisation measures to save jobs and livelihoods, and to steer the country through the COVID-19 crisis, a caretaker government would not have a mandate to do so. How can this be in the best interests of the country and our people? Sir, to suggest this shows a disregard for or lack of understanding of the Constitution. Putting forward constitutionally unworkable proposals at a time of serious national crisis can only confuse and mislead Singaporeans, to the detriment of Singapore and Singaporeans. This discussion on the impact of COVID-19 on our elections is an important one. It goes to a matter of principle. This Government is ever mindful that what is at stake are jobs, businesses and lives.”
“It is not a good idea to place all our hopes in the situation improving before April 2021, and add the uncertainty of when an election will be held to the uncertainties that are already ahead of us. However, we should not close off any options. We have been upfront and open with Singaporeans about the challenges we face, the dilemmas, considerations and different possibilities so that Singaporeans will understand why there might be a need to go ahead. However, some suggestions about this issue have been misleading and unhelpful. For example, the suggestion to delay the elections beyond the required time-frame of April 2021 until the crisis is over and to have the President form a caretaker government consisting of some of the current Members of Parliament. Mr Speaker, Sir, I have sought the advice of the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) on whether this can be done. The advice of the AGC is that to delay an election beyond the required date in such a manner is unconstitutional. The only circumstances when the election can be put off beyond the required date is when a state of emergency is declared. Mr Speaker, Sir, although Singapore has weathered many crises since our Independence, we have never extended a Government's term beyond the constitutional limit. Singapore is one of the only newly independent Commonwealth countries to regularly hold elections and has never declared a state of emergency since 1965. Declaring an emergency and putting off elections indefinitely is not a precedent we should set lightly. A President's power to declare an emergency can only be exercised on the advice of the Cabinet.”
“As the Prime Minister said, no decision has been taken yet on the timing of a GE. In making such a decision, the overriding concern is what is best for Singapore and for Singaporeans. Some have suggested only holding elections when we see the "tail-end of the virus spread". And this is, indeed, the dilemma that we face. The Prime Minister has laid out the choices clearly. We can hope and pray that things stabilise, but we do not know when the COVID-19 situation will stabilise – whether it will do so within the next year, by January, or by April 2021. But what we do know is that an election must be held, must take place by 14 April 2021. The longer we wait, the more unpredictable, difficult and dangerous it could be. Compounding this will be the uncertainty that comes with when the election will be held as we go through the year, trying to face this crisis together. Alternatively, the country can go for early elections, settle who will lead the country through this major crisis, and give the Government a clear and fresh mandate, a full term ahead and legitimacy to take major decisions, tough decisions in the interest of Singaporeans. Today, more than ever, we need a government that the people has expressed confidence in, to take us through this unprecedented health crisis, stabilise the economy and safeguard our people's lives and livelihood. Mr Speaker, Sir, when you are sailing into a storm, you want to be certain who your captain is and that he will not be changed halfway. You want to make sure that he is there together with you, working with you, guiding you through the storm.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we have just heard from Minister Gan and Minister Lawrence Wong on what the situation is. It is a global pandemic and an unprecedented global crisis. It is a difficult time for everyone. In Europe and the US, the virus is still spreading at an exponential rate. We have twin crises: health and economic. A global recession is imminent. Financial markets are in their worst turmoil since 2008. Hence, on 14 March, Prime Minister Lee warned that we face a grave and extended challenge. The pandemic “is likely to last at least this year, and quite possibly longer”. Even after we deal with this pandemic, the economic repercussion will last longer, with significant and longstanding impact on both lives and livelihoods. In Singapore, the Government took early and decisive action to protect our people. We have managed the COVID-19 situation for now, with tremendous effort and cooperation from everyone. But the situation remains very serious and continues to develop quickly. We are starting to see another wave of imported cases – mainly from returning Singaporeans. The Multi-Ministry Task Force has introduced measures to deal with this. But the situation may get worse, before it eventually gets better. Our focus now, of this Government, is on being prepared for the long haul, through the end of this year and beyond, and focus on solving this problem with Singaporeans and for Singapore. Mr Speaker, the term of the 13th Parliament will end on 14 January 2021. An election must be held within three months of that, which means on or before 14 April 2021. Ideally, we would like to conduct elections in normal conditions. The present situation is not ideal for holding an election, but that does not mean it makes an election impossible.”
“Our strategies for climate action take into account the needs of all stakeholders, including the low-income and the vulnerable. Our range of adaptation and mitigation measures is designed to be inclusive. The measures aim to minimise the adverse effects that climate change could have on the economy, society and on our daily lives. For example, the Government has been improving the liveability of our public housing estates through novel ways of weaving greenery into our estates and towns, which reduces temperatures while improving air quality. HDB flats are also designed to maximise cross-ventilation, thereby reducing reliance on air-conditioning which is a large contributor to household utility bills. The recently announced HDB Green Towns Programme will further enable reduction in energy consumption and cool our HDB towns. These sustainability measures ensure that the impact of climate change on all residents, including low-income groups, are minimised. The Government also ensures that cost of mitigation measures is minimised for households. As recently announced, the Government will introduce incentives to support lower-income households in purchasing more energy efficient appliances. To help households adjust to the impact of the carbon tax on their electricity and gas expenses, eligible HDB households are given an additional $20 GST Voucher – U-Save on top of the regular U-Save rebate each year from 2019 to 2021. Eligible households living in smaller HDB flats benefit more as they receive a larger quantum of U-Save rebates, and typically have smaller annual utilities bills.”
“More details will be announced later this year. Key efforts in environmental sustainability undertaken by government agencies are reported in the biennial publication – Singapore Public Sector Outcomes Review (SPOR). The publication takes stock of how Singapore has fared in addressing climate change, water and energy usage, and waste management, amongst other government programmes. In the light of these efforts, there is no need to require the Ministries to produce a climate compliance certificate.”
“Meeting Singapore's climate commitments requires a whole-of-nation effort. Under the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change (IMCCC), various government agencies are involved in implementing a series of sectoral mitigation measures to enable Singapore to meet our climate commitments. For example, the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) initiatives under the Green Building Masterplan will accelerate the proliferation of green buildings. This will help Singapore become an even more sustainable and highly liveable city. The public sector itself is taking concrete steps to lead in the adoption of sustainable practices and initiatives. This is coordinated through the Public Sector Taking the Lead in Environmental Sustainability (PSTLES) initiative, which was introduced in 2006 and updated in 2017. PSTLES serves as a platform to leverage the collective capabilities across the Whole-of-Government (WOG) to improve resource efficiency in the public sector and effect our commitment towards environmental sustainability. Under PSTLES, the SolarNova Programme aggregates demand for solar deployment across public sector buildings and spaces, catalysing solar adoption in Singapore. For example, HDB's target to deploy 540 Megawatt peak (MWp) of solar on the rooftops of HDB blocks will make up a significant proportion of our national target to deploy at least 2 Gigawatt peak (GWp) of solar deployment by 2030. Under the PSTLES initiative, the Government has set targets to reduce our electricity and water consumption, achieve Green Mark standards for our buildings, procure green electronics and paper products, and hold events and functions in venues with at least a Green Mark certified rating. We intend to raise our ambition for the next phase of the PSTLES initiative.”
“So let us work together to secure the future of Singapore as a climate-resilient nation – with a competitive economy, sustainable environment, an environmentally responsible and active citizenry, and a good quality of life for all. Overall Population Strategies”
“Protecting ourselves from sea level rise is a large-scale and long-term effort requiring considerable resources. Our assessments and plans are based on studies which have been commissioned by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change over the past several years. In his National Day Rally last year, Prime Minister Lee outlined the threats from sea level rise and our plans estimating that this will cost $100 billion over the next 100 years. Deputy Prime Minister Heng announced in the Budget a new Coastal and Flood Protection Fund, with an initial top-up of $5 billion to start setting aside the resources that we will need for this. We have divided our coastal areas into hydraulically-distinct segments to study different options for each area. We will now develop these studies into detailed plans and phase in our coastal protection measures. We must start implementing our plans and be prepared to adjust and adapt them according to the latest sea level rise projections. The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources will say more about this in his COS. Mr Chairman, Sir, I have just outlined our whole-of-Government strategy for climate action, which is considered, committed and collective. The relevant Ministries will provide more details on specific plans under their charge. But as Mr Seah Kian Peng has highlighted, this is a collective effort. We need all Singaporeans – Government, individuals, households and businesses – all of us, to do our part and work together as a whole of nation. As part of Singapore Together, the Government will create more partnership opportunities for Singaporeans to advance climate action.”
“Since 1992, Singapore has trained more than 130,000 officials from fellow developing countries under the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) in key areas such as sustainable development, urban planning, water and transport management. While Singapore's efforts to reduce emissions on our own may be modest, our collective efforts with all nations can be substantial. Mr Chairman, for small-island nations like Singapore, climate change poses an asymmetrical challenge. On the one hand, our impact on global emissions is small, but on the other hand, the effect of climate change on us is disproportionately large and indeed, existential. We must thus plan seriously for the real prospect that sea levels will rise by up to one metre by 2100 – in line with what climate science is telling us. We need to implement these adaptation plans to protect our country and people, and we cannot rely on anyone else to do this for us. We are already taking action. In 2011, we raised the platform level for all reclamation projects by an additional one metre, from three metres to four metres above the Singapore Height Datum (SHD). The highest tide ever recorded in Singapore is about two metres above the SHD. Raising the level from three metres to four metres gives us an additional one metre of clearance and gives us a two-metre buffer, so that if sea levels rise by one metre, we still have one metre left. For key new facilities such as Changi Airport Terminal 5, we are raising the platform level even higher, to at least five metres above the SHD. The Marina Barrage, which was completed in 2008, already provides some flood protection for our city, but we are planning to see whether we can raise that further and even increase the size of the pumps.”
“We are also well positioned to support abatement efforts globally. As a major maritime and aviation hub, we work actively with the International Maritime Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization to address international transport emissions. These are counted separately from national emissions. MOT will share more details later. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked about green financing. As a leading financial centre, we aim to be a green finance hub to spur investments in low-carbon solutions and drive climate action. MAS recently established a US$2 billion green investments programme to anchor green activities of asset managers in Singapore and support the mainstreaming of green finance. MAS also collaborated with the industry to develop environmental risk management guidelines. These guidelines will set standards on governance, risk management and disclosure, and encourage the right-pricing of loans and investments to promote new green investments. MAS will issue the guidelines for public consultation in March 2020. I think Mr Saktiandi Supaat will be happy to know that our three local banks have stopped funding regional coal fired power plant projects and all three of them are very active in financing regional alternative energy projects such as solar power. Through our Research Innovation and Enterprise 2020 plan, we are investing close to $1 billion in urban solutions and sustainability in areas such as new urban mobility solutions and a next-generation energy grid. As a "living lab", we will continue to serve as a test-bed for innovative solutions that can be exported globally. Singapore also collaborates actively with international partners such as the UNFCCC and ASEAN to build capabilities and share experiences.”
“We will push on to achieve our goal to green 80% of our buildings by 2030 and beyond that, we aim to increase the number of buildings that are even more energy efficient. All of us have a part to play. We have introduced minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and mandatory energy labelling (MELS) for common household appliances. By purchasing more efficient appliances, consumers save on their energy costs while reducing emissions. This is truly win-win. With all our light bulbs as energy efficient as LED bulbs from 2023, our households will save about $3.5 million annually in energy costs and reduce carbon emissions by around 6.3 million kilo-tonnes annually. Just by this step alone, we can save money and reduce carbon emissions. MEWR and MND will provide more details. Miss Cheng Li Hui, Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked how Singapore is contributing to international efforts on climate change. Singapore will do our utmost to work with the international community to tackle climate change. We need effective international cooperation. Every country must do its part or the efforts of each country will be nullified. Singapore works actively in international forums to strengthen consensus among countries, especially at a time when the multilateral system is under strain. Singapore is often called upon as a constructive and trusted interlocutor to help forge solutions for difficult issues at international climate negotiations. For example, Minister Masagos Zulkifli played key roles in co-facilitating the topic of mitigation at COP-24 in Katowice in 2018 and the key outcomes of the climate negotiations in Madrid last December. We look forward to working closely with the United Kingdom, who will be hosting COP-26 in Glasgow this November.”
“We are also working with industry and our research community to study new technologies such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and low-carbon hydrogen to evaluate and plan the next steps for Singapore. The carbon tax, which we have introduced, will collect roughly $1 billion over the first five years. We intend to invest more than that into helping our companies adapt, move and transform for a low-carbon future. In urban transportation, we are already a global pioneer in limiting vehicle population and reducing traffic congestion. Major investments in public transport and active mobility infrastructure will pave the way for nine in 10 of all peak period journeys to be made using "Walk, Cycle, Ride" transport modes by 2040. These policies tackle the urban transport issue systemically, not just individual pieces of it. We tackle this issue at its root. This is where most of the gains in energy and carbon efficiency are reaped. But we will also move towards enhancing the overall carbon efficiency of our urban transport through large-scale adoption of green vehicles. As announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng, we will phase out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040 and have all vehicles running on cleaner energy. MEWR and MND will say more about how we will provide incentives and lay the enabling charging infrastructure to achieve this. These efforts will make a significant difference, but how quickly they can be realised depends on technological advancements and how quickly manufacturers can bring attractive, cost-efficient electrical vehicles to the market. Our commercial and residential buildings are also major users of energy. Since the launch of the Green Mark Scheme in 2005, we have greened more than 40% of our buildings by gross floor area.”
“Many countries are still highly dependent on coal. We moved away from that in 1956 and we moved to natural gas in the early 2000s. We are exploring tapping regional power grids and studying emerging low or zero-carbon alternatives, such as solar-derived hydrogen to further reduce emissions from power generation. 2.00 pm Having regional power grids is an alternative, but we also have to examine the issues of diversity and resilience. We have diversified the way for piped water and piped natural gas. We should also have diversity when we are considering piped electricity. For industries with sizeable electricity consumption, the progressive decarbonisation of our power grid will help to reduce emissions. But we will also need to reduce emissions all across our economy. The industry sector at 60% is our largest contributor to carbon emissions. We will work closely with industry to make the necessary adjustments, capture new business opportunities and build up their competitive advantage in this transition. We want to be at the forefront of the global move towards environmentally sustainable production and seize the new opportunities this creates. Our industries produce not just for Singapore but also to meet the needs of the global market. We will work with our industries so that they are known to be among the best-in-class in global energy and carbon efficiency as we produce for the rest of the world. Last year, we enhanced our grant schemes to help companies improve their energy efficiency. We are also going beyond individual companies to bring companies together to achieve systems-level efficiency gains.”
“In October 2019, Minister Chan Chun Sing outlined how we will harness the four supply switches of "natural gas”, "solar", "regional power grids and "low carbon alternatives", together with greater efficiency in energy use on the demand side to accelerate our energy transformation. While we are limited in hydro, wind and nuclear energy, we are pressing ahead with solar deployment. We are significantly accelerating our deployment of solar, from 350 megawatt peak (MWp) by the end of this year, to at least two gigawatt-peak (GWp) by 2030. To achieve our current goal by the end of this year of 350 MWp, we are deploying solar panels on about one in two HDB rooftops, and in several reservoirs. To achieve two GWp, we will do more. We are deploying off-shore solar farms, and HDB aims to install as many solar panels as feasible on HDB rooftops. As an example, in Pasir Ris town, almost all HDB rooftops will have solar panels by 2030 and deployment is already progressing. Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong will say more about greening our towns in MND's COS. Even at such a scale, two GWp of solar power will still only meet around 4% of our current annual electricity needs and 10% of our current peak daily electricity needs. To go significantly beyond this, we need technical breakthroughs, for example, to deploy safe and highly efficient and cost effective solar panels on vertical building surfaces, not just horizontal ones. These building surfaces will only receive solar radiation for part of the day. So, this is why we still need the other three switches to decarbonise our grid. To provide our base load power generation, we had decided early on, in the early 2000s, to switch from fuel oil to natural gas, the cleanest fossil fuel available.”
“There are three thrusts in our strategy. First, we need transformations in our industry, economy and society. Second, we have to draw on technologies which are not yet mature, such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), and low carbon fuels. And third, we will need international collaboration in areas, such as well-functioning carbon markets and regional electricity grids. So, this will help take us from the left-hand side, where we have our 2030 NDC through these three thrusts to the right-hand side, which is our LEDS for 2050 and beyond. Each thrust will contribute to halving our emissions. We will pursue all three vigorously to achieve our aspiration. The extent to which potential emission reductions from each thrust can be realised will become clearer in the coming years, as we gain experience from implementing our programmes, as technology evolves and as the modalities for international cooperation and collaboration become formalised. If the actual reductions from each thrust are larger than we now assess, or are available sooner, then we can realise our aspiration earlier. On the other hand, if the potential reductions turn out to be less promising, we will still strive to meet our LEDS aspiration to the best of our ability even though the task becomes more difficult. So, let me now provide some details of the various programmes. Keeping carbon emissions low from electrical power generation, which currently accounts for 39% of our emissions – that is the yellow sector on the right. This is very important especially as we push for greater electrification of our nation.”
“We will need to do so in order to move towards a low carbon nation in the coming decade, with new commercial and industrial enterprises and new growth areas, such as the digital economy. We all have a part to play in reducing our emissions to meet our 2030 commitment. But we aim to do better than that beyond 2030. Our Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy aspires to halve the emissions from our 2030 peak, to 33 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, with a view to achieving net-zero emissions as soon as viable in the second half of the century. This will be very challenging, given our limited alternative energy options. We have studied the matter very carefully and developed a strategy to do so. And with your permission, Mr Chairman, may I display a slide on the House's screens, and request the Clerks to distribute a document to Members?”
“At the same time, our contributors also recognised that there are practical constraints and potential trade-offs. In particular, we are very mindful of our limited alternative energy options. Singapore's geography is a key limiting factor in our ability to harness renewable energy at scale. We do not have great rivers for hydropower. Wind power is limited both by space as well as light and variable winds. We continue to study the potential for nuclear power, but we assess that the current generation of nuclear power plants are not suitable for deployment in Singapore. So, these are serious constraints compared to better-endowed countries. Nevertheless, we are committed to doing our best and doing our part to combat climate change. Our enhanced NDC and LEDS set out realistic but challenging and ambitious goals for Singapore, drawing on citizens' suggestions and taking into account our national circumstances. Let me elaborate. In 2015, we set our 2030 NDC target to reduce our emissions intensity in 2030 by 36% from 2005 levels, and to peak by around 2030. We are on track to meet this commitment. Ms Rahayu Mahzam will be glad to know we will be enhancing our NDC by committing to an absolute peak emission level of 65 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent around 2030. All countries are also now required to report on the 7th greenhouse gas, Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF3) by 2024. We will go beyond reporting NF3, and commit to including NF3 in our pledge, within this same emissions ceiling. Constraining our total emissions within this absolute cap up to 2030 means that every sector in Singapore will need to put in significant effort to limit our emissions.”
“Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Mr Desmond Choo, Mr Ong Teng Koon and Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked about the Government's approach and strategies for climate change. The development of our enhanced NDC for 2030 and our LEDS aspiration for 2050 and beyond, is guided by a principled approach. It is considered, it is committed and it is collective. We fully appreciate the significance and impact of climate change. This is why climate change policy is being strongly coordinated as a key whole-of-nation issue under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Our climate policies and strategies are carefully and thoroughly considered. At the same time, we are not exclusively focused on climate change. We look at realistic and practical policies and measures we can implement, taking into account the best available science and technology, and fully integrated with the larger context of the entire range of challenges we face in our national policy framework. This is the approach we take to ensure a smooth and well-managed transition to a low carbon economy. We have always believed that the pursuit of economic growth can be compatible and mutually reinforcing with environmental objectives. This approach has allowed Singapore today to have one of the lowest carbon emissions per GDP dollar, or emissions intensity. We are ranked among the 20 best countries out of 141 countries in 2017. Our performance on the Human Development Index and the UN Sustainable Development Goals are also very commendable. This has been a collective effort. We invited views and consulted Singaporeans on important climate issues, such as the carbon tax, achieving zero waste and our LEDS. We received many suggestions on how to reduce our emissions. In fact, over 2,000.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, across the globe, the effects of climate change are clear and present. Weather patterns have become more extreme; ice sheets and glaciers are melting. Singapore, too, has experienced more episodes of unusually heavy rainfall accompanied by some flooding. Prolonged dry weather exacerbates the smoke haze that affects our region. As a low-lying island, we remain fundamentally vulnerable. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change (IMCCC), which I chair, was formed in 2007. IMCCC coordinates, formulates and monitors the execution of our national plans to reduce our carbon emissions, referred to as mitigation, and to prepare for the consequences of climate change, referred to as adaptation. In his Budget speech, Deputy Prime Minister Heng stated Singapore's intention to chart our vision for a low carbon, sustainable future. Allow me, Mr Chairman, to inform this House of our plans. Later this year, Singapore will submit our enhanced 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement. We will also submit our Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LEDS) for 2050 and beyond to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Our enhanced 2030 NDC and LEDS build on policies and initiatives we have progressively implemented over the years. They demonstrate our seriousness and commitment to support international climate action and a low carbon future. Setting out our vision well in advance, will provide a clear sense of direction and give ourselves and our various stakeholders the time to effect a well-managed transition to a low carbon economy. This will also allow us to grow new sectors in our economy and create new jobs and opportunities.”
“The latest available estimate is from the General Household Survey, which was conducted in 2015. Based on the survey, there were an estimated 18,700 couples1 comprising a Singapore Citizen (SC) married to a Non-Resident (NR) in 2015. Of these, around 1,200 couples had at least one NR child. By comparison, around 7,000 couples had at least one SC child2. We currently do not have an estimate on the number of couples who have at least one SC child and at least one NR child living with them. From the Census of Population 2020 to be conducted this year, we will assess if we can obtain this data.”
“In 2019, there were 15 data incidents that involved a lapse by the third-party vendors of Government agencies. None of these incidents involved the supplier to or subcontractor of these direct vendors to Government agencies. In managing the subcontractors of the Government's third party vendors, the key principle is that the Government's direct vendor remains fully responsible for upholding the cybersecurity and data protection measures to the standards defined by the Government's Instruction Manual and other internal regulations. Failure to do so will result in penalties for contractual breaches by the direct vendor. In other words, the rules are not circumvented just because the third party vendor has outsourced some of the work. For example, third party vendors are required to install updated anti-virus software on the endpoint devices used to process Government data. The same requirement extends to subcontractors that perform such work on their behalf. In addition, as private sector companies, both the direct vendor and subcontractors that handle Government data are subject to the Personal Data Protection Act and may face penalties when they breach the data protection requirements stipulated in the Act. As a follow-up to the recommendations of the Public Sector Data Security Review Committee, we will implement, by 30 April 2020, improved and more consistent standards of cybersecurity and data protection to govern the Government's direct vendors and their subcontractors. Government agencies will clearly specify the cybersecurity and data protection requirements in the contracts with their direct vendors. Government agencies will also conduct regular audits, and any non-compliance with these requirements by vendors or subcontractors will be flagged out and corrected.”
“Third party contractors of Government agencies handling personal data are required to implement cybersecurity and data protection measures. Penalties may be imposed where there are contractual breaches or acts contravening the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). The Government has accepted the recommendations of the Public Sector Data Security Review Committee (PSDSRC). These include measures to strengthen the management of third party contractors that handle data on behalf of the Government, such as incorporating data security and governance requirements into the contract with the third party, and regular audits to ensure compliance. These could have helped to prevent or mitigate similar data incidents. The high standards of data protection that the Government places on itself must also extend to these third parties. Investigations regarding the recent personal data incidents involving third party vendors contracted by the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) are still underway. The Government Technology Agency will work with MINDEF to identify any gaps and address them across the Public Service and its third party vendors.”
“Central tracking of lost infocommunications technology (ICT) equipment was implemented from 2017 onwards, with Government Technology Agency's formation in late 2016. From 2017 to 2019, there was an average of 182 reports of lost ICT equipment per year, including Public Service access cards, laptops and about 55 virtual private network (VPN) tokens. There are over 140,000 Public Service officers, most of whom are issued ICT equipment for work. All cases are reported to the Police. User account and VPN access are disabled once the ICT equipment is lost. Data in Government laptops, thumb drives and portable hard disks are also encrypted, while tablets and mobile devices are password-protected to prevent unauthorised access. There has been no known unauthorised access to Government systems arising from the loss of ICT equipment.”
“Besides supporting other agencies' engineering needs, they lift engineering standards and disseminate best practices across the Public Service by a common process of master planning, competency and training frameworks. The Public Service Division and S&TPPO also support learning among agencies, through the organisation of learning circles and capability-building workshops. Beyond inhouse capabilities, the public sector also makes use of various platforms to learn from and partner the industry and research community. The Infocomm Media Development Authority's Open Innovation Platform matches problem owners, from both public and private sectors, with problem solvers from industry and the research ecosystem. The Agency for Science, Technology and Research's National Robotics Programme forges public-private partnerships to undertake research and development to use robotics to address various public sector challenges. The public sector will continue to work collectively to make the best use of technology to serve citizens and businesses and improve the quality of city living. We will also work closely with companies and researchers so that, as a nation, we may overcome our natural constraints and raise our economic competitiveness through technological innovation.”
“Ministries and agencies collaborate to test, share and deploy technologies in three ways. First, we do so by taking a citizen-centric approach, so that technology solutions work across agency boundaries to serve citizens well and solve their problems. For example, under the "Moments of Life" initiative, a common platform bundles Government digital services from multiple agencies so that citizens need to transact only through one channel rather than with many different agencies. Second, we build horizontal platforms to share technology resources. The Science and Tech Policy and Planning Office (S&TPPO) is looking at creating a drones-as-a-service platform for applications like aerial mapping and facade inspection. The Smart Nation and Digital Government Group is developing the Government Technology Stack and Government Data Architecture, to share software services and data safely and efficiently across agencies. SingPass, for instance, is used by all agencies to transact securely with citizens. SingPass is also being used by businesses, such as the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Income and American International Assurance (AIA), to allow customers to access their digital services. Third, we pool inhouse technical capabilities to serve whole-of-Government needs. Centres of Excellence (CentExes) have been set up in various engineering fields, to pool expertise within the Government, and build them up in numbers and quality. For example, the Government Technology Agency serves as the CentEx for Info-communications Technology and Smart Systems; and JTC serves as the CentEx for Building and Infrastructure. CentExes play a functional leadership role in their respective domains.”
“We will also work with industry and our research community to explore pilot projects and implement research and development initiatives to improve their feasibility, and to develop the necessary frameworks to support adoption when these solutions become economically viable. Climate change is a global issue that requires a global response, and we are committed to working with the international community to address this urgent challenge. For Singapore to do our full part, the Government cannot do it alone. We are heartened that Singaporeans, especially our youths, care deeply about this issue. A recent survey by the National Climate Change Secretariat also showed that most Singaporeans understand the importance of the issue and are prepared to take climate-friendly actions in their daily lives to address the issue. Saving electricity, using public transport and reducing waste are practical ways for Singaporeans to cut carbon emissions. We will continue to work closely with businesses, the community and individuals to do more to tackle climate change together.”
“Such innovations have given us confidence to raise our level of ambition, to double our solar deployment target from one gigawatt peak (GWp) beyond 2020 to at least two GWp by 2030. At this level, solar power will be able to meet around 4% of our current annual electricity needs. Achieving our NDC will require a significant whole-of-nation effort. We constantly encourage businesses and individuals to be more energy-efficient. We amended the Energy Conservation Act in 2017 to require large industrial emitters to implement good energy management practices. Our policies aim to help our industries, such as petrochemicals and electronics, to be among the best-in-class globally so that we can be a responsible supplier of such products. This year, we implemented an enhanced set of Industry Energy Efficiency schemes. The Government is also making major investments to enhance public transport and active mobility infrastructure so that, by 2040, nine in 10 of all peak period journeys will be made on "walk, cycle and ride" transport modes, where "ride" refers to public and shared transport. We were the first to implement an economy-wide carbon tax in our region and did so without exemptions. We are studying how further advances in technology can help Singapore transit earlier to a lower carbon future and exploring the feasibility of working towards net zero emissions. For example, the Government has commissioned studies to evaluate the opportunities and challenges of carbon capture, utilisation and storage, and "green" hydrogen, and recommend next steps for Singapore.”
“Singapore recognises that climate change is a global and national existential issue and there is urgency for all countries to take climate action. Singapore’s Emissions Intensity (EI), that is, greenhouse gas emissions per dollar of gross domestic product, is currently one of the lowest in the world. This is the result of choosing environmentally responsible policies as we developed, for example, our vehicle control and use measures; and converting almost completely to the use of natural gas for electricity generation instead of fuel oil since the early 2000s. In comparison, many developed and developing countries are still using significant amounts of coal for electricity generation, and motor-vehicle fuel is still subsidised in several countries in our region. We are continuing to do our part to address greenhouse gas emissions. We have pledged in our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) that by 2030, we will further reduce our EI by 36% from 2005 levels. We also aim to peak our emissions at 65 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent around 2030. This commitment was made after carefully assessing our circumstances, and what we are able to do. Singapore's NDC is ambitious, given our circumstances. We are a small, highly urbanised city-state, and our small land area, lack of great rivers and low and variable wind speeds limit our ability to deploy nuclear and renewable energy sources, such as hydro, wind and solar energy. Nonetheless, we seek to push the bounds of innovation, such as deploying floating solar photovoltaic systems on our reservoirs and offshore, to make up for shortage of land area to deploy them.”
“At the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit last year, Australia announced the ASEAN-Australia Smart Cities Initiative worth A$30 million to support the development of smart cities. The long-term success of ASCN depends on the external partners' continued involvement, and we are heartened to see the growing strength of ASCN. Our journey to build a Smart Nation continues. In a recent Smart City Index by the International Institute for Management Development Business School that measured how citizens perceived the scope and impact of efforts to make their cities "smart", Singapore was ranked first. This is a heartening outcome. We will strive to do even better and work with citizens and companies to deliver solutions that improve lives and enable business innovation.”
“Just last week, the GoBusiness Licensing portal became operational. Business owners who wish to set up a food services business now only have to fill in a single form with no more than 90 data fields, as compared to 14 forms with 845 data fields previously. These initiatives help new businesses to hit the ground running and enable existing businesses to become more customer-centric and efficient, which, in turn, make them more effective and competitive. Industry sectors are also benefiting from digitalisation. For example, the construction sector is adopting Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) which harnesses Building Information Modelling technology to reap time and cost savings across the entire building lifecycle, from planning and construction to facilities management. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) launched the IDD implementation plan last year and aims to have more than 40 projects by next year. Looking externally, Singapore continues to work closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states to enhance smart city projects through the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) initiated in 2018, during Singapore's chairmanship. At the ASCN annual meeting in Bangkok in August 2019, Singapore was appointed Shepherd to advise and support the ASCN Chair, as well as work with the Chair to organise programmes and initiatives, for example, capacity-building workshops, to develop the ASCN further. ASCN has generated significant interest from ASEAN’s external partners to form project partnerships with ASCN. So far, 40 project partnerships have been signed. The United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea have launched and operationalised targeted initiatives to engage ASCN.”
“We continue to make steady progress in our use of digital technologies to restructure our economy, generate new jobs, solve real-world problems and improve the quality of life of our citizens. SingPass Mobile, which was launched just one year ago, has over 600,000 users enjoying secure password-less logins, and a quarter of all SingPass transactions are now conducted on SingPass Mobile. When PayNow was launched in July 2017, there were 150,000 transactions totalling about $24 million in the first month of operations. For the past quarter from July to September, PayNow transaction values have consistently crossed the S$1 billion mark each month, with more than six million monthly transactions during the same period. As for the Moments of Life app, since February this year, the birth registration service has expanded to cover all private hospitals, and the cumulative number of births registered via the app has increased from 2,000 to over 12,000. In September 2019, more than 60% of all eligible births were registered through the app. We have recently expanded the app to support seniors aged 60 and above in their journey to live active and engaged lives. Together, these initiatives bring greater ease and convenience to citizens, helping us to save time and enhancing our daily lives. Our digitalisation efforts are also benefiting businesses and the economy, and many companies are making use of digitalisation to spur innovation and transform their businesses. Over 450,000 entities make 30 million transactions on CorpPass yearly. More than 7,000 companies have signed up to use MyInfo to improve how they serve their consumers, including the banking sector, who are using MyInfo to make the "know-your-customer" process quick, convenient and seamless.”
“Under the Child Development Co-Savings Act, parents of Singaporean children are provided with six days of paid childcare leave per year until their child turns seven years old. Childcare leave provisions have been enhanced progressively over the years. In 2008, childcare leave provisions for parents with children aged below seven were raised from two to six days. In 2013, two days of childcare leave were also extended to parents with children aged seven to 12, recognising that parents with children in primary school would also need time to tend to their children's needs. More days of childcare leave are granted to parents of younger children in the earlier years of their development as they require relatively more care from parents, compared to children in primary school. We have taken a practical approach to calibrating the childcare leave provisions for parents with young children, balancing the caregiving needs of parents with the manpower and operational needs of employers. We will continue to study how to better support working parents, including partnering Singaporeans through the Citizens' Panel that will convene next month, to identify new ways to address work-life harmony issues.”
“The Government already confers the Honorary Citizen Award to recognise foreigners who have contributed extensively and significantly to Singapore and its people. Honorary Citizens must be individuals who have a strong affinity towards Singapore and are highly respected for their professional accomplishments. This is the highest form of national recognition for a foreigner. Honorary Citizens are accorded privileges, such as the right to reside and work in Singapore. However, they do not receive grants and subsidies that Singaporeans are entitled to. Since 2003, 21 individuals have received this national award.”
“If you mislead Parliament, you will have to resign.”
“The Public Sector Data Security Review Committee, commissioned by the Prime Minister and chaired by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, will recommend ways to enhance the policies and practices the public sector already has, to keep pace with advances in technology. This includes keeping accountability measures up to date to ensure that data security remains a priority among Public Service leaders, and to ensure that policies and practices are continually improved to maintain a robust data security regime. The Committee will present its findings and recommendations to the Prime Minister in November 2019.”
“For example, IM8 mandates Internet surfing separation, the disabling of universal serial bus ports from being accessed by unauthorised devices, and the use of passwords to protect files that contain personal data. IM8 also prescribes certain data protection processes, such as the prompt removal of access rights, the detection of inactive users and the regular review of system access rights. Agencies are regularly audited for their compliance with the IM8 requirements, as well as the effectiveness of the measures implemented. The objective of audits is to enable agencies to uncover process and system gaps that should be addressed before a data incident occurs. Where such gaps are identified, agencies are required to draw up plans to close these gaps within a specific timeframe, and the progress of these plans are monitored until the gaps are fully closed. Besides regular IM8 audits, agencies' data management practices may also be audited by the Auditor-General. The outcomes of these audits are reported in Parliament and publicly available, and agencies' actions to close the gaps are tracked until completion. Serious irregularities can be brought to the attention of the Ministry of Finance for internal action, as part of the audit process. The deterrent measures in the PSGA and other legislation, the prescriptive measures in IM8, as well as the regular IM8 compliance audits, collectively impose upon public agencies and public officers a high level of responsibility for data protection. Data security is essential to upholding public confidence in the Government's ability to deliver a high quality of public service to our citizens through the use of data.”
“Public agencies and their officers are subject to data protection provisions set out in the Public Sector (Governance) Act (PSGA) and the Instruction Manual 8 (IM8), as well as in other related legislation. The PSGA criminalises the acts of unauthorised disclosure of data, misuse of data and the re-identification of individuals from anonymised data. Public officers found guilty of these offences can be fined up to $5,000 and/or face a jail term of up to two years. Besides PSGA, other pieces of legislation also criminalise the act of unauthorised disclosure of data, such as the Official Secrets Act, the Banking Act, the Income Tax Act and the Statistics Act. These provisions serve to deter Public Service officers from, and punish them for, the irresponsible use and handling of data. Please refer to Annex A below for a list of the relevant clauses in the aforementioned Acts. Apart from criminal proceedings, public officers found to be negligent in protecting data under their control can face internal disciplinary actions, as provided for in the Public Service (Disciplinary Proceedings) Regulations 1999. Apart from such legislative sanctions, the Government has a number of measures to prevent or minimise the chances of a data security breach and to minimise the consequences of a data breach. All public agencies are required to comply with the provisions of IM8. IM8 complements the broad data provisions in PSGA by setting out the rules and requirements that agencies have to adhere to in order to manage and protect Government data under their control. IM8 prescribes specific measures to protect Government data.”
“Table 1 below shows the ethnic composition of the Singapore Citizen population in 2017 and 2018. Table 2 below shows the number of Singapore Citizens listed under the "Others" ethnic category in 2017 and 2018. Table 3 below shows the breakdown of the six prevalent ethnicities in the citizen population under "Others", based on the latest available data from the General Household Survey of 2015.”