Tin Pei Ling
Singapore
“This is not about building a talent pipeline and reserve for the land, sea and air transport sectors, but also about helping Singaporeans seize more valuable opportunities. (In English): Mr Speaker, Singapore did not inherit our connectivity. We built it deliberately, chapter by chapter, and this House now holds the pen for the next one.”
“Thank you, Chairman. Two questions. One is that I hear that there will be a review of the COE system later part of this year. I would just like to ask if there is a specific timeline that we can look forward to. Second is on land transport overall. It is on the impact of ageing population and ageing infrastructure.”
“Leveraging frontier technologies – automation, advanced sensors, predictive analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) – will keep our infrastructure globally competitive. But we must deploy technology responsibly to augment productivity while managing workforce transitions and reskilling needs.”
“Many thanks to all. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $3,109,174,200 for Head W ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $13,306,280,300 for Head W ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“Can the Ministry consider targeted measures, such as rental relief schemes, tenancy support for heritage and neighbourhood retailers, incentives for landlords to prioritise local tenants or co‑investment platforms that enable local businesses to secure long‑term premises?”
“Internationally, we could forge norms that prevent regulatory arbitrage and ensure cross‑border accountability. Hence, building on existing frameworks, what more will the Government do to strengthen Singapore's role in global AI governance, standards, certification, international coordination and capacity building, to preserve human agenc…”
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“To the extent that these amendments represent the Government's on-going efforts to renew as well as support the modernisation of various areas of the economy – and in this specific case, with regard to trade – it is undeniably welcome and will further bolster our position as a global trading hub. While such laws that enhance trade facilitation may seem pedestrian, they represent important steps to ensure that less glamorous bread-and-butter aspects of international trade are brought into the 21st century and represent low hanging fruit insofar as gaining efficiencies from digitalisation are concerned. That said, I wish to just add three points about moves to incorporate blockchain technologies to caution that the remaining excluded items could still be a binding constraint to fully realising efficiency in trade and to stress the need to provide support for our smaller firms as they make this important digital transition. My first point concerns electronic document verification. Paragraph 1 in Article 10 of the Model Law was written with the recognition of the inherent difficulty in ascertaining the uniqueness of any given document in an electronic environment. In many ways, this is a purely technical issue and one not easily finessed by the language of the law. That said, recent innovations in blockchain technology now offer the promise of decentralised assurance of transactions integrity. Minister Iswaran did explicitly point to these issues but MTI's position on incorporating such innovations, insofar as the amended law is concerned, remains somewhat unclear.”
“And I would like to ask the the Government and the Ministry to give priority consideration where there are large volume transactions happening on a day-to-day basis, including for example, option-to-purchase agreements, so that it will be much more convenient and save time and cost for our normal ordinary citizens. That said, as digital solutions increasingly become available and transactions made easier with digitalisation, I would also urge the Government to constantly review and ensure that legal and process safeguards are in place to prevent abuse, especially for transactions that interact or intersect with ordinary citizens' lives. Technology is just an enabler, but the process design I think it is very key. So, in terms of inauthenticity as well as doing away with duplicates, blockchain, for example, could solve it. But, sometimes, how do we prevent someone with an agenda from masquerading as someone who he is not, and taking advantage of the process and the convenience of digital solutions? I think this is something that we will have to always bear in mind, to constantly review and make sure that the safeguards are in place. Therefore, with that Mr Speaker, Sir. I support the amendment Bill. 2.06 pm Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Mr Speaker, the proposed amendments to the Electronic Transactions Act of 2011 and related amendments to two other Acts are intended to incorporate the UN Commission on International Trade Law's Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records, into our domestic legislation.”
“Apart from the enhancement of cost savings and data accuracy and perhaps even preventing fraud, digitalisation helps to promote environmental sustainability. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) introduced digitalisation of air waybills for the airfreight industry about 10 years ago. Apart from the clear cost saving benefit, digitalisation could help eliminate more than 7,800 tonnes of paper documents annually, which is equivalent to 80 Boeing 747 planes filled with paper. Mr Speaker, Sir, the recognition of digital signature in a legal document plays a pivotal role in transforming a legal sector with deeply rooted reliance on wet-ink signature and physical seals for executions. On this note, I am heartened that the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is the one of the first legal document to be digitalised, which is timely in view of the increasing awareness and acceptance of LPA. In 2019, the number of registrations reported was 24,488 and this doubled, the registration numbers, in 2017. Moving forward, the number of registrations is poised to grow further with newer generations of Singaporeans joining the ranks of seniors. This group of seniors will be technologically savvy, digitally proficient and more receptive of registering for a LPA. Furthermore, we could open a bank account today on a mobile application through SingPass – MyInfo for authentication, doing away the need to physically step foot into the branch. These changes will enhance citizens' access to important services. Prior to this, I had wanted to ask the Minister whether there will be plans to further digitalise other transactions and recognise digital signatures for more legal documents. I know that Minister has shared this in his speech earlier, that the Ministry will be looking into this.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, 2020 was an eventful year and will be vividly remembered by many Singaporeans. For one, the year 2020 heralded the start of digital transformation journey for many people in Singapore. On this note, I applaud the introduction of the amendment Bill as a timely and impactful step towards our Smart Nation journey. In fact, I would see this amendment as a catch up because the technological solutions are readily available, the people's will and attention to this, the willingness to try it out, are also available now and now it is the legal catch up. And so, this is yet another piece to the puzzle. Mr Speaker, digitalisation has always been tightly associated with productivity gains, improving cost effectiveness and these attributes are evident in the example of the maritime industry. It is an industry that has been unduly burdened by tonnes of paperwork for conveying goods across seas. Earlier, Minister would have illustrated this with many examples and details, so I would just be reinforcing some of these. The impact of digitising bills of lading in Singapore would be very significant given that seaborne trade has been a critical lifeline of the country ever since Sir Stamford Raffles transformed Singapore into a bustling trade port back in 1819. With an extensive connection to 600 ports in over 120 countries and more than 130,000 vessels calling on Singapore, the decision to embark on the digitalisation of paper bills of lading is apparent. A recent finding from the Digital Container Shipping Association predicted a potential cost savings of more than $4 billion a year on the maritime industry by digitalising the paper-based bills of lading.”
“Thank you, Minister, for the clarification. I have a couple of questions to ask. First of all, I understand that the TT token itself does not have the GPS function and that the data will be deleted after 25 days. For the handphone app, I would just like to clarify because the handphone itself has GPS function. Would this also apply to the TT application on the phone? I understand that the data will be deleted or purged after 25 days. I just want to seek clarification and confirmation on this. The next question that I have is that prior to COVID-19, the Police has a range of ways of collecting data or information that they need for criminal investigation. Therefore, in this case, given it is only exchanges of Bluetooth information, how is the data from this TT useful to Police investigation into crimes? I hope to get a better understanding on this. Lastly, I really appreciate the effort to make such a statement in Parliament, in this Chamber, because this is a matter of public access. Everything will be on public record. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister for his reaffirmation that the vast majority of the ordinary Singaporeans out there will not be affected by this question that we are now exploring. That the data that is being taken and collected by TT is really only for a very selected purpose and that is only for serious criminal investigation.”
“Third, the amendment facilitates the collection, use or disclosure of personal data for a broad range of business purposes such as enhancing goods or services, operational processes, personalised services and research and development. Clearly, sufficient flexibility in harnessing and using data is needed for innovation. But many actions can be categorically explained as addressing one of such purposes. How will the Government prevent abuse in a more upstream manner? Again, I say this because I know that enforcement has been enhanced, even individuals can be liable for breaches, but, I am wondering, whether it can be more upstream to provide enough guidelines to have more controls in place to prevent this in the first place. I understand that it can be too tedious and time consuming for enterprises to keep applying for Government's approval for every relevant business decision. That would be counter productive to innovation. But, might there be a "whitelist" or "blacklist" that clearly articulates the boundaries, the "dos" and "don’ts", for the firms? Fourth, finally, will the "relaxation" in the collection, use or disclosure of personal data for commercial innovation purposes in this Amendment be applied to the Government and public service? If so, what measures are in place to ensure consistency and avoid double standards in terms of data protection policy, standards and enforcement? The Government, as a body with regulatory powers and control over significant resources, will have to exercise greater discipline, caution and demonstrate transparency when handling personal data. A better understanding of how the Government handles personal data will no doubt strengthen public trust. Notwithstanding my concerns, I support the Bill. 3.35 pm”
“The idea of "if it works in Singapore, it works everywhere" will be very helpful in strengthening Singapore's position as a regional and global innovation hub. Hence, I generally welcome the amendments to the PDPA. A balance in this approach is hard to strike and I do note that four consultations had been conducted to date and I believe that this effort is to precisely to try to strike this balance. But I do have four key concerns and would like to seek the Minister's clarifications. First, the introduction of data portability and extension of spam controls and DNC provisions to all direct communication platforms would give consumers more control over their own data. But contraventions will now be dealt with as a civil proceeding in Court. I believe that this was originally a criminal proceeding. My concern is that this perceived "step down" will diminish the importance of personal data protection and the severity of breaching the law. Therefore, it risked undermining consumer trust. Can the Minister explain the rationale for this change? Second, the deemed consent will now be enabled in this amendment. I understand this to be a move to avoid unnecessary inefficiencies in contracts with multiple layers of outsourcing. But I am also concerned, whether this will weaken consumer protection and therefore again, consumer trust. I note the measure that are put in place in Minister's speech earlier, I am just wondering what kind of risk-assessment and disclosure are we talking about. Would the Ministry regularly review whether these mechanisms are sufficient in providing sufficient protection and control to the consumers?”
“Prior to the introduction of PDPA in 2012, public awareness of personal data protection was generally lower. Anecdotally, we can easily recall instances in which people trustingly and freely share NRIC numbers and other personal information with various parties for various purposes. Consequently, besides receiving unwanted marketing material, they also become vulnerable to scams and crimes. Having laws and a mechanism to sufficiently protect personal data engenders greater trust. A clearly defined framework and laws that are effectively enforced will build consumers' confidence. One study of GDPR on how data protection regulation affects start-up innovation, published in November 2019, suggests that while the regulation appears to obstruct certain business models and technologies, it also clearly stimulated a certain amount of innovation and market opportunities. More studies may be needed to study the effects of regulation on innovation. But we can agree that data protection regulation builds trust. A healthy dose of trust enables meaningful data to be shared and drives innovation. This forms a virtuous cycle. Therefore, a balanced approach to regulation is important. Singapore needs high quality do-good innovations. Facilitating the use of data in a way that does not erode consumer trust will enable Singapore to innovate better and faster, and stay competitive. Furthermore, firms are no longer confined to Singapore with growing global connections. They can operate out of Singapore and still access markets around the world. With the rise of cross-border e-trade and e-commerce, putting in place the right data laws will enhance our interoperability with global frameworks, thereby making it easier to do business and allow cross-border data flow.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak on this Bill. The world is undergoing massive digital transformation. The Fourth Industrial Revolution has perhaps already induced the fifth. Singapore is also set on this path as we strive towards becoming a Smart Nation. The global digital race is intense. The risk of winner takes all is there and if this happens, where does that leave us. Therefore, there is urgency for us to transform and the urgency for us to transform is also increasing, in large part due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. According to a McKinsey study published in October 2020, companies surveyed across all sectors and regions digitised 20 to 25 times faster during COVID-19. A consequence of digitalisation is that firms and people become more connected globally. This interconnectedness means access to bigger markets, which can be a boon for our talents and firms. Singapore is thankfully at the forefront in Asia for having the right conditions to embrace a digital economy and smart nation. For example, in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness 2020 ranking, Singapore came in second, just behind the US. Against this background, we can understand the explosion of data in Singapore and the importance of data to our digital economy. Data is vital to innovation. Intuitively, data for innovation and data protection seem to conflict with each other. We need data to create and optimise products, processes and business models. Hence, there must be sufficient room for harnessing and using data. Too much controls leads to high compliance costs and distracts firms from innovating. Start-ups may also find it stifling. Yet, data protection, specifically personal data, is essential to protecting the privacy and interests of our citizens.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the hon Member Assoc Prof Jamus Lim. I have a few questions. First of all, it is more to clarify my understanding. May I first confirm if it would be accurate for me to interpret that based on Assoc Prof Lim's response to Minister of State Gan Siow Huang, is that he does recognise that implementing Minimum Wage in a climate like this, will have unintended adverse consequences on our economy and as well as our employment? Secondly, can I also confirm that by his response, he meant that the Minimum Wage can be implemented after the crisis and then should a crisis hit again, it should be withdrawn and then implemented again when it is in a good time – and so on and so forth. By that, how might it be more efficient? The third question is that I understand based on the hon Member's response to hon Member Mr Vikram, is that there is no specific number that he has in mind in terms of Minimum Wage. Perhaps to give us a better idea is, for your Town Council, what is the Minimum Wage given to your cleaners? I think that would give us some form of reference. The last question is I can feel his passion about youths and Singaporeans. May I ask if he has a specific proposal on how to improve youth employment in Singapore?”
“As a developed nation, our children grow up having dreams they want to fulfil and an idea of the future they desire for themselves, families and children. Many of my residents and volunteers do, and they are willing to put in the effort. They know there is no free pass in life, there are trade-offs. But sometimes, the trade-offs that need to be made for that desired future are not immediately apparent. Hence, we need to have frequent and earnest conversations with each other. We need to discuss and foster an understanding of the trade-offs for each major decision taken. Better still, forge a consensus on the kind of trade-off we are prepared to make. So, in determining the kind of Singapore we want, the future we desire and the path and speed to get there, how can we balance the need for agility and the need for meaningful citizen engagement? I do not have a model answer. But I think being more open to explore difficult issues with Singaporeans is a start. It is one way to show trust in our increasingly sophisticated people. We need to rethink how current citizen feedback platforms are designed and to what extent does it have the power to oblige relevant agencies to review and not just defend policies. And of course, we need to make better use of technology so that we can conduct more sessions to reach out to more people. The Fourteenth Parliament has our work cut out for us. But we can enlist ideas and advice of Singaporeans from all walks of life, to help us chart a balanced path forward. Today, as we rise from the shadows of the COVID outbreak, I remain confident that we will overcome this "challenge of a generation" and work together to bring Singapore to the next level. We can do it, so just do it! 2.22 pm”
“To the young, it is very simple and straightforward, but to the elderly, it was extremely difficult. Thankfully, within a few months, everyone has become familiar with how Safe Entry works, and is now more at ease. Considering this experience, we should constantly remind ourselves to empathize with the elderly and take care of their needs, even as we charge ahead with full speed. At the same time, I hope the Government can do more to encourage seniors to learn technology in a stress-free way, so that they can make use of technology to aid their daily lives. Besides providing subsidies for senior-centred courses, purchase of devices and mobile data plans, can we also give out a "Digital Conversion Bonus" that is similar to the Digital Resilience Bonus, to encourage seniors to use technology and digital payment? Going back to my main point, it is not an easy task to achieve balance in governance, to take care of the needs of all communities, to ensure that all of us can complement each other and progress together harmoniously. (In English): These are questions that we need to answer through community conversations and then translated into legislation in Parliament. I am constantly reminded that as a Parliament, we bear the responsibility of shaping the future for all Singaporeans. We can – and we should – react to the changing tides around us. However, we also need to be deliberate about designing a future that every Singaporean can look forward to and is confident of achieving for himself or herself. As Mdm President observed in her Opening Address, politics today must be conducted in a manner which cultivates conversations and offers opportunities for individual citizens to be heard. I agree. We need to listen and engage our citizens actively; it is a two-way traffic.”
“Hence, it is now even more important for us to build a model of governance that is more holistic and balanced, one that can overcome divisions in political ideologies. The new term of Parliament has just begun, and I believe that the Government needs to achieve balance in three areas. First, balance between the present and the future, grasp opportunities and speed up transformation. We must maintain the right pace for high speed economic growth, while ensuring that no Singaporeans are left behind, and growth is inclusive. Second, balance the needs of every generation, maintain equity across generations and preserve our social compact. Third, strike a balance between maintaining the openness of our society and safeguarding the interests of citizens. While we welcome foreign talents to enhance our competitiveness, we also need to nurture domestic talents, to ensure that Singaporeans are given the fair employment and advancement opportunities that they deserve. Singaporeans should not be considered less favourably. Here, I shall give you an example. Singapore is now actively implementing the Smart Nation initiative to develop the future economy. A digitalised future has become inevitable and our youth can easily adapt to this digitalised environment. Therefore, we need to create an environment where young Singaporeans can maximise their potential. However, there is still a group of Singaporeans amongst us who need help and they include our seniors. Rapid digitalisation has made life difficult for them. For example, when the Safe Entry QR code was first made mandatory, they could not cope. Although they had mobile phones, they did not know how to scan the QR codes, and some of them did not even dare to visit their doctors. We all know the importance of Safe Entry.”
“Or they could perhaps be specifically headhunted from overseas by our Government. These mentors can guide the younger Singaporeans along in their careers, offer invaluable advice based on their wealth of experience and provide insights into how they can be better. There is, of course, no guarantee that by going through the above, one will certainly land himself or herself in that coveted top position. We need to make clear of this. But, it shows our Government and our nation's determination to develop our young and climb the ladder. If we can find a way to cultivate a critical mass of Singaporean talents who not only are technically skilled but also with leadership skills and acumen, the eco-system will be so much healthier and competitive. Setting stricter quotas and higher minimum wages for Employment Passes are needed to address systemic vulnerabilities. But it is much more meaningful to have employers preferring to hire a Singaporean not just because they are obliged by our laws, but because they believe Singaporeans are worth the premium. In Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] State governance is a complex social task involving many aspects including politics, economy, society, culture and law. The Parliament is a place where laws are made, and an important platform for us to discuss issues affecting Singapore and Singaporeans at present and in the future. One can thus imagine how issues debated in Parliament can be equally complicated. As the world changes and Singapore progresses, Singaporeans' minds have also become more complex. Similarly, this Parliament has also become more diverse and colourful than before.”
“Like for like, one can imagine that the candidate who is more willing to work with anyone, more apt at building relationships with clients and more enthusiastic about going out of the way to network, will secure the post. Our education system has to ensure that more often than not, that preferred candidate is a Singaporean candidate. At the same time, the Government should formulate a plan to cultivate young adults in our workforce for potential leadership positions. I firmly believe we have considerable talent in our young adults. We just need to equip them, guide them and mentor them. There are many schemes that focus on building technical knowledge and skills. These include the likes of SkillsFuture and TeSA. There are others that help Singaporeans switch tracks like PCP. These are wonderful schemes that allow Singaporeans to adapt in a fast changing world. But, we also need programmes that help push Singaporeans further along their career path – to become leaders. There is a need for greater transparency to what firms, especially large firms, are expecting of their corporate leaders. Having a framework identifying the key criteria, skills, behaviours and attitude, needed at various levels of management would offer Singaporeans clarity on what they have to do to attain a promotion. The framework could provide a useful roadmap with signposts to better guide younger, high potential Singaporeans. On top of that, to create a network for mentorships, whereby prominent, successful and more experienced professionals or business leaders can guide younger Singaporeans in a similar profession or industry. Some of these mentors could be older Singaporeans who have made it big and now want to give back.”
“They graduate with dreams and aspirations and expect opportunities, promotions, and progression in their careers; rightfully so. But many of my residents have also become weary over the perceived injustices at work. Enough Singaporeans have begun to feel that our system does not cultivate our local talent as much as it should. We have all heard anecdotes like this – top managerial positions continue to be filled by foreigners who may not be even as academically qualified as our local graduates. A second time voter told me during my campaign visit that her boss, her boss's boss and her boss’s boss’s boss are foreigners in the MNC that she works in. She could not understand why even the middle management positions are held by foreigners. Another mature resident, who is now in a senior management role in another MNC, told me about how a European candidate with no relevant APAC experience was chosen over him for an APAC role in a previous job application. Is this because Singapore's education system is inferior and therefore cannot produce capable mangers, CEOs and other senior staff? It would be strange if so. Our education system is globally recognised. However, this Government must continuously evolve it to prepare it for the future. While paper qualifications and examinations are important, soft skills are invaluable to the working world. Most businesses place considerable value on the ability to articulate thoughts and ideas clearly, to communicate effectively, and demonstrate willingness to collaborate and work as a team. Greater emphasis must be placed on such areas. Let us consider an example. Perhaps, say, we have two equally qualified employees, but there is only one opening for a promotion to a managerial position.”
“How do we do it in a way that protects the liberties that matter most to people? How do we effect change, while safeguarding freedom of religion, and the freedom to aspire in life and achieve what you want through hard work? These, I think, are questions that this Parliament has to ask ourselves. Millennials and Centennials have an idea of the future we want to live in. We have a certain view on climate change and protecting the environment. We have views on social justice and social mobility which cannot be ignored. We have ideas on work-life balance and social security which, in many regards, may not completely align with the views of the earlier generations. As we pass laws and policies, there will be trade-offs. The question is, where should the appropriate balance lie? Let me give an example: if this Government chooses to spend more to advance the welfare of retired seniors, then the younger working taxpayers will have to tighten their belts. Conversely, if we choose to spend more on combating climate change and protecting the environment, for example, then something that is important to us today may have to give. In some instances, it can be a zero-sum game, and there will be trade-offs. This Government has to weigh the different interests, hear the people, and find balanced solutions that care for the older generations, while creating space for the younger generations to shape this nation into one that they can be proud to call home. Third, balancing openness and fairness, as some put it, between the foreign and local. Allow me to share that our workforce has also changed. Singaporeans today enter the corporate world armed with world-class degrees from our tertiary institutions.”
“Does this mean that we should leave them behind as we "chiong" ahead, or should we abandon the idea of transformation altogether, or is there a better, more balanced, way to press on while still maintaining a safe space that allow the smaller ones amongst us to grow strong? It will be a difficult balance to make. Move too slow, and we risk being overtaken by hungry competitors. Move too fast, and we risk leaving behind a large segment of our population, who face difficulties in adjusting to our rapidly changing society. This is a perennial dilemma that we face, almost cliché to mention. But it will be absolutely critical for us to strike the right balance. Second, balancing across generations. Singapore is in a time of a changing of generations. The Baby Boomers are now between 56-74 years old, Gen X is now between 40-55 years old, and the Millennials are now between 24 to 39 years old – that includes me, Gen Z, the Centennials, are now aged between eight and 23 years old. At the end of this Government’s term, they will be between 13 and 28. How do we, as the Government, meet the aspirations of the Millennials and the Centennials? How do we strike the appropriate balance between the wants of the Baby Boomers and Gen X, while making space for the Millennials and Centennials to shape the world which they want to live in? In 2015, Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam told the world before the St Gallen Symposium that our Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew never expected Singapore's model of governance to remain this way forever. We cannot be trapped by our history, and we have to keep evolving. He said that the question we have to ask ourselves is how do we evolve in a way that is self-sustaining.”
“In the past, breakthroughs in technology would take decades to disrupt economies. Now, only a matter of two to three years. Put it differently, our Pioneers might only see one to two major disruptions for the most part of their career, but the young today will see many disruptions in their lifetime. As a nation that must constantly adapt to survive and thrive, agility in our economic strategies and the way we govern is crucial. COVID-19 has certainly accentuated this need. Digital economy, digital Government and a smart nation – these are important and have to pick up speed. But this imperative also comes at a price. Countries like the US and China have huge domestic markets; for example, China's hospitality industry is almost fully recovered with some sectors seeing growth – thanks to domestic consumption. But Singapore is not endowed this way. Therefore, going digital is an important way of helping our businesses to reach markets in the region, if not the world. Going digital will also help our people access a wider pool of international job roles even as they focus on their lives here. But change is tough. Businesses, for instance, may have different reasons for not digitalising fast enough. Unlike MNCs that have vast amounts of resources at their disposal, SMEs may find themselves lacking the capacity to transform and therefore, risk getting left behind. Our seniors and the more vulnerable, including workers who had a tough start in life, may find themselves unable to acquire the digital skills fast enough to catch up. It can be both painful and frustrating for these businesses and individuals, and we risk losing them.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we debate in Parliament today as we face the "challenge of a generation". We face not just the onslaught of a relentless viral outbreak, but must also deal with the disruptions wrought by COVID-19. We will need to respond robustly to this challenge. Beyond the shock of COVID-19, our living environment is also seeing secular changes. It has become an increasingly sophisticated world, with a sophisticated population in Singapore. Parliament too reflects this diversity. As we navigate these changes, I believe that we need to maintain a balanced approach, changing with the times but still holding dear to what we find important as Singaporeans. At this point in time, I can think of three key "balances" that we need to strike. First, balancing between forging ahead versus bringing everyone along. The Wright brothers flew their first flight in 1903, but it took 50 years before air travel became commonplace in the 1950s. Similarly, the steam engine took almost half a century since its invention to disrupt the shipping industry. Today, a single app, if it is the right one, can change the world within a year or two. Grab first launched in Singapore in 2015, and they quickly revolutionised the way we book private hire cars. Grab has also found its way into our daily lexicon, from getting a ride to getting a bite. Similarly, Douyin was first launched in China in 2016 and its international incarnation, TikTok, started building steam in international markets soon after in 2017. By first quarter of 2018, TikTok was the number one most downloaded application on Apple's app store and Google Store globally, with 45.8 million downloads worldwide. Clearly, change has been accelerating at breakneck speed.”
“Mr Speaker, I look forward to the start of this new term of Parliament and hope that you will pay attention to your health because things are going to get busy again in Parliament. Congratulations once again! [Applause.]”
“You constantly keep an open mind and listen to views from all parties to understand their aspirations and challenges, so that policies can be implemented effectively, new laws enacted are fair and balanced, and that the people can benefit. In your constituency, your affable manners and series of people-centric community schemes have won praises and warmed the hearts of many. To you, every resident and every life is precious, each worthy of your attention. Second, you have a sense of righteousness. You are a just and fair leader. If you see any unfairness, you will surely step forward. I remember that when you were the Minister for Social and Family Development, you supported the idea that single mothers should enjoy the same maternity benefits so that their young children can be properly cared for. As a mother, this is very important. This is one good example. You are the same in your own constituency. MacPherson can be considered your neighbour. From my years of observation, I am convinced that you are a good leader who treats everyone equally, no matter how insignificant or powerful he is. Third, you are humorous but still maintain propriety and can preside over proceedings in this august Chamber. Having served in the army and Cabinet, you are not only equipped with rich experiences but also possess uncommon confidence and composure to deal with any situation. In Parliament, occasional heated debates are inevitable and can be seen as a healthy phenomenon. However, there should not be stalemates in Parliament, especially in the face of the pandemic and economic transformation. We must continue to work for Singaporeans' common good and forge ahead. Hence, having a Speaker who can lead and rally all sides in Parliament is all the more important now.”
“(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, congratulations on your re-election as Speaker of Parliament. Your re-election is what we all hoped for. I believe my colleagues, like me, wish to offer our heartfelt blessings to you. Mr Speaker, you are our respected Speaker. Furthermore, you are now the most popular Speaker in our modern history. Named the "Coolest Singaporean on Twitter", you not only preside over serious matters in Parliament and serve the residents in your constituency, but also engage actively with netizens on social media. Your re-election symbolises our expectations for Parliament in the coming years. Parliament is where laws are made. This is also an important forum where we can debate about the present and future of Singapore and Singaporeans. The most pressing task on hand is to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, revive our economy and help Singaporeans resume normal lives. Looking ahead into the post-COVID-19 era, how do we lead Singapore towards another 50 glorious years? It all starts from here. In addition, as Parliament is imbued with more diverse and colourful elements, how do we transcend political ideologies and verbal sparring to fight for Singaporeans' interests in unison? We need a Speaker who is just and compassionate. Mr Speaker, I have worked with you for 10 years. From what I have observed, you have three qualities that make you the best candidate for the Speaker's role. First, you are compassionate and care for the people around you. You will not neglect anyone, no matter how unimportant or removed they are from you.”
“By doing this, we will be able to achieve sustainability in the future. This is a difficult time. I keep thinking of this poem "Grass" which says that "Grass in the wild are not thoroughly burned off; they will grow again in the spring". I often recite this poem to my two sons. I hope they can develop in them the same tenacious spirit as the wild grass. I would like to borrow a phrase from Venerable Master Xing Yue. He once said, "The tiny grass does not succumb to adversities. It does not feel inferior just because it is tiny. This is the spirit of a tiny grass." A sparkle can ignite a whole prairie; small streams can converge into rivers and oceans; a tiny seed can grow into a big tree, a small tiny screw can affect the performance of the entire machine. We may feel that we are insignificant, but when united we can be very powerful. Perhaps, this is what the Fortitude Budget seeks to achieve. (In English): I support the Budget.”
“This demonstrated the Government's determination to help our people. It is the fiscal prudence by our past and present government that has enabled us to draw such a big sum of money from the past reserves to deal with this crisis. We must thank our forefathers for their hard work. The Government has been flexible, and acted boldly and decisively to introduce a series of measures to revive the economy and assist the people. This is much appreciated by the people and I agree with them. However, the pandemic is still raging. The fight against COVID-19 seems to be a prolonged battle. I cannot help worrying whether our reserves, built up painstakingly over the years, will be depleted. If our future generations were to face such situation, what are they going to rely upon? I would like to ask the Government once again: do we have some kind of mechanism to define how we should effectively make use of our reserves and how much we can use? Will the Government promise to return the money to the reserves when the economy gets better and how is the Government going to fulfil this promise? Take a step back. In times of crisis, everyone could and should help to shoulder responsibilities, working in solidarity to overcome the difficulties. The Government is setting aside a huge amount of money to revitalise the economy and help the people. Employers should do their best to keep the business going and retain their workers; Workers should cooperate with the company to make necessary adjustments. Landlords should be compassionate to the tenants and give them some breathing space. There will be many days ahead as long as we manage to survive this outbreak. In the community, the abled can make more sacrifices, and the beneficiaries should solider on with fortitude.”
“On the ground, I have also been working with our grassroots to champion digital readiness for our seniors and low-income families. I hope we can press on and scale up. From observations, seniors who are digital converts are well placed to help other seniors. If we can leverage them more actively and allow them to earn an extra allowance, I believe we will see better results. And since we are investing in digital capabilities, might the Government consider offering a "digital conversion bonus" for our seniors in the very near future? Similar in spirit to the digital resilience bonus, perhaps a digital wallet with e-cash vouchers would incentivise more seniors to give digital solutions a chance. And in the spirit of sharing responsibilities, local grassroots could explore strategic partnerships to raise funds and issue these vouchers. It is doing the same thing but in a different way. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: COVID-19 is a major event that has changed the whole world. Some experts are of the view that this pandemic has caused more harm than the Great Depression in the 1930s. Some residents in my constituency remarked that this was the most serious crisis they have seen in the past decades. In this crisis, no one can be spared. Everyone is facing a certain amount of challenges and sufferings. Too many uncertainties can be confusing. Many of my residents came to me for help. It is heart breaking to see that they are full of anxieties and are at a loss. As the pandemic evolves and demand changes, the Government has introduced 4 Budgets to help Singaporeans and businesses. Based on rough calculations, the Government has provided an average of $23,225 per person to cope with COVID-19, much higher than many other developed countries.”
“In a recent encounter, a very wise elder and prominent business leader asked me about what I thought about the fourth industrial revolution. I was a bit surprised as I am a junior but I suppose he just wanted to know how a younger person like me think about this issue. So, I shared that the digital future is inevitable and we all know why it is important. I trust the Government to get the infrastructure, the big pieces right and ready. But the quality of our people will decide whether Singapore continues to have a voice on the world stage. Our people have to be ready fast and my own estimate of our window of opportunity would be two to three years or maybe even faster. If we do not have enough people with the right skills to fill these new jobs, investments can go away and we will all be for the poorer. As countries around us step up, our talent pool must be ready earlier than them so that we can anchor these opportunities here in Singapore. Ultimately, it is the quality of our people that will determine if we can lead in this innovation race. Hence, I am heartened that this fourth Budget not only addresses immediate needs, but also locked its vision on the future. I welcome the digital resilience bonus. I hope this will be the final push to reach the tipping point for our SMEs to transform. If this proves to be successful, I hope the bonus can be applied to other sectors in time to come as well. I will describe this as "涅槃重生，破茧成蝶" – to breakthrough and rise from the ashes. I also welcome the creation of SG Digital Office and 1,000 digital ambassadors. I spoke about avoiding a new social divide inadvertently caused by our push for digitalisation in past years' debates.”
“On this note, as we look ahead, we can expect the world to change post COVID-19. It is a tough time now, but since we are already in this predicament, there is also no better time to transform for the future. McKinsey, in a recent article, suggested that there will be seven key changes. I am going to paraphrase them here. First, "distance is back" with technology enabling communications, work and trade being done without physical proximity. Second, in strategising, businesses need to be able to absorb shock, on top of just being efficient. Third, rise of the contact-free economy, including digital commerce, telemedicine and automation. Fourth, more Government intervention to ensure fairer distribution of precious resources. Fifth, more scrutiny for businesses as they will increasingly be expected by the public to contribute more socially for the public good. Sixth, industry structures, consumer behaviours, market positions and sector attractiveness will change. And seventh, everyone is compelled to innovate to connect and solve problems in new ways. The pandemic displaced many individuals and businesses. In some instances, they may not find a way back to their old jobs. But there are new opportunities on the horizon. Despite our circumstances, Singapore secured about S$13 billion in investment commitments in the first half of this year for the "next few years". These investments, in sectors including electronics and infocomm, will generate "a few thousand jobs" for workers in Singapore in the coming years. But all these jobs will demand a new set of skills in the innovation and technology area. Therefore, Singaporeans need to be prepared to train for it. Human capital and the quality of our talent pool will be a crucial differentiating factor for Singapore.”
“Our Pioneers took more than 50 years to save up this pot of gold because they want to protect their children and future generations. Similarly, we have a duty to use this pot of gold wisely and make sure that we put back what we took once we can, so that our children and their children will continue to have this asset to fall back on when they face the crisis of their generation. Will the Government assure us that it will do so? How does it plan to do so? To this end, I therefore think that it is important that we all shoulder the responsibility of overcoming this crisis together. The Government will draw from our treasury and reserves to provide the financial stimulus and put in place schemes and legislation to ensure fair distribution of help and boost sectors that are flailing. Businesses will have to do its best to survive and keep jobs for the workers; and workers need to be willing to accept concessions so that everyone can stay above water. Landlords need to learn to share because they have a symbiotic relationship with tenants. If the tenants fail, they may not find another and all will suffer. At the society level, the more abled need to be willing to take less and give more. The less abled need to be willing to try their best to adjust, to change track, to upskill and to progress. Everyone is affected. It would be quite difficult for the Government alone to eradicate all the pain for everyone, although it is trying. If we can all be more accommodating, a bit more "give-and-take" and try a bit harder, we will have a good chance of succeeding together. By sharing more is perhaps the only way to attain a more sustainable future. And onto my third point, that this is a good time now to transform.”
“Comparatively, others in our region may find it difficult to implement similar support packages. Some of our neighbours do not have deep reserves, and while they could reach loans with ultra-low interest rates, this could threaten their fiscal sustainability. To give a sense of how much our Government is putting in to help Singaporeans and businesses, I did a back-of-envelope estimation of economic relief per capita – migrant not included – among developed countries. If we look at the relief per citizen or PR, Singapore tops the chart at S$23,225 per capita. Japan is next at S$21,355 per capita. The United States – world superpower, world largest economy and worst hit by the pandemic – is third at S$12,765 per capita. These are calculated based on publicly available figures. These figures are coarse estimations taking into account direct and indirect support. But it gives us a very good sense of our Government's determination in supporting our people and seeing Singapore through this crisis. Alas, this pandemic is expected to last for many more months and the world economy remains uncertain. Some experts think that the worst has yet to come. Therefore, I wonder how many more packages we will need and how much more might we have to dip into our reserves for. Lest I get misunderstood, let me state that I believe it is necessary for us to draw on our reserves to help Singapore and Singaporeans get through this storm. But I am concerned if we have enough to leave behind for our future generations. Again, I want to ask how do we moderate ourselves and is there a red line beyond which we shall not draw further from our reserves? How can we sustain help and not deplete this pot of gold for our children and theirs?”
“There were still fears that the initial reliefs are not enough and some subtenants fear that waivers will not be passed down to them or that landlords will take a long time to do so. But this will be addressed in the amendments to the Temporary Measures Act later, so this is great news! Third, SafeEntry. The reasons for contact tracing and using technology to do so are understandable. But this is causing some difficulty for seniors to access certain essential services, because manual registration at present is only a guideline. For example, my resident Yui Mun said that her mother and other elderly cannot enter the private clinics they usually go to, because they do not have smartphones with data plan to scan and register via SafeEntry. The normal argument would have been to take the business elsewhere, but in this case, it is disruptive to switch as elderly usually have longstanding relationships with their GPs. Might there be ways to compel such operators to accommodate? Therefore, I urge the Government to continue finetuning the measures implemented, as we learn from experience and start stabilising. The second point is really about fiscal sustainability, having reserves for next generation and sharing the responsibility in a crisis. As we battle this crisis, I am again thankful that our past and present leaders have been judicious in managing our reserves, painstakingly saving up for "storms" like this. Because of this, we can now confidently dip in to help Singaporeans – for the third time. Within a short span of five months, our Government is pumping in S$93 billion just to combat the pandemic. This amount already exceeds the total full year public expenditure in 2019. Looking around the world, only Japan and Singapore are able to pump in hefty stimulus packages.”
“The monthly rental of the van he uses to transport tools alone already cost him $1,700, exceeding the cash assistance he could receive in April or May. Of course, he has to give up the van at this moment. He is now desperately looking forward to resuming his work and start earning again. During the distribution of Government-issued masks, I met an 80-year-old uncle who is still raising his family. He was crying as he told me about his job loss and his fears of being unable to see his son through school. To see a man cry is hard, to see an elderly man cry is just heartbreaking. This crisis is indeed unprecedented. Many households that used to get by or used to do well are now under water. When the help schemes were announced, many rejoiced. But concerns also emerged as they tried to apply for it. For example, loan deferment. Businesses appreciate the reprieve that this can offer. But a resident Andy told me that when he and his peers realised they still have to pay significant interest during the deferment period, they all backed out. In Andy's case, the deferment interest is more than the cash assistance he could get and there is no certainty whether his business will have a full recovery before the bank starts asking him to pay again. This seems to defeat the purpose of having this facility, even for viable businesses. Such a situation will save companies with normally healthy cashflow, but perhaps not those that may have been or are planning to invest in strategic capabilities. Despite this, I can understand that there are implications on banks and therefore the entire system. But could we help these businesses by offering a 0.1% low interest to existing business loans in this deferment period, similar to new ESG loans? Second, on rental.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is my third speech on the Budget in this House this year. Today, I will focus on three points. First, on the Budgets being a responsive one and finetuning for maximum impact. Second, our fiscal sustainability, reserves for next generation and shared responsibility in crisis. And third, that this is a good time now to transform. On the first point, responsive Budgets, finetuning for maximum impact. We are now midway through the year 2020. This pandemic has wreaked havoc in many ways around the world. Over 200 countries affected, more than six million infected and close to 400,000 deaths, so far. Economists described this as equivalent to the Great Depression in the 1930s. Even some of my older residents told me that they had not experienced such hardship in decades. Therefore, I am grateful that our Government introduced four budgets to help our people cope with the hardship. Each successive Budget responded to the latest development and the latest emerging need. No other country has done so. New schemes, such as the TRF, COVID-19 Support Grant and Solidarity payments were administered in record short time. This is untypical of governments. But it is clear that our Government wants to put cash into people's hands as soon as possible to reduce the pain. Still, we see and feel the pain. Residents write to me to say how the rolling living and business expenses are "killing" them figuratively and mentally. They know that the pandemic is a worldwide problem and appreciate the cash assistance. But it is not enough. A self-employed home cleaner David told me that he could not work for three months and has to pay bills and rental.”
“I thank the Minister for the answer. First of all, I would like to ask whether the numbers or is there a downward trend of such fake news. Such creators of fake news I would like to think of them as social anarchies. Are we adequately equipped to really identify these creators and take very strong action against them especially in such a public health crisis? We should not let them get away with this.”
“(In English): Over the weekend, I was at the hawker centres in MacPherson. Many were concerned about the impending "circuit breaker". But almost everyone understood the need and agreed that we should all cooperate, bite the bullet and rough it out for this one month. Almost every conversation ended with a "加油". If we can do this together, we can overcome and emerge stronger. Singapore Together, Singapore United. 新加坡，加油！”
“With the unexpected advent of COVID-19, we have seen many community organisations voluntarily make and distribute reusable masks for the elderly and the vulnerable. We have also seen many Singaporeans express their sincere gratitude to frontline healthcare workers, encouraging them. This demonstrates the warmth in our society and is commendable. Besides the Government, public agencies and communities, businesses and individuals should also play their part. During this period, we must first take care of our own health and stay at home. This is the best contribution you can make to the country now. Ensuring our own health is the best we can do for our healthcare workers, allowing them to see the light at the end of the tunnel and take a breather. Taking care of our health can also reduce the need to tap on our reserves. This is being accountable to our future generations. During this period, Singaporeans should make use of the Adapt and Grow Scheme as well as other schemes to undergo training, upgrade skills and be prepared for economic recovery. With the outbreak, businesses should also recognise the importance of digital transformation, use resources wisely and take the opportunity to transform and strengthen capabilities, and innovate continuously to stay competitive. Over the weekend, I took a walk in the hawker centre and talked to the residents. Many of them were feeling a bit worried about the closing down of non-essential services, but they showed understanding nevertheless. I think the more difficult the situation is, the more resilient Singaporeans should be. This is a chance to demonstrate our strength. I believe as long as we are united and uphold our Singapore Spirit of solidarity, we will eventually beat this virus and emerge stronger.”
“] Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, the global economy is tumbling drastically. To cope with the dire economic situation, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced three Budgets within a short span of two months, namely, Unity, Resilience and Solidarity Budget, totalling $59.9 billion, to help Singaporeans deal with the outbreak. This is the largest Budget since Independence, roughly 11% of our GDP. The series of packages are timely, for individuals, families, workers and businesses. We can do so because our Government has been planning for rainy days over the years, allowing us to acquire this economic capability. Our reserves are strategic assets accumulated over a long time. Generations of Singapore leaders have been practising fiscal prudence to achieve sustainable economic growth. Although faced with political pressure, the Government has been upholding the principle of tapping on reserves only during extraordinary times. As the pandemic worsens and creates multiple external shocks, economic activities have also been affected. At this critical moment, the Government drew decisively on reserves to stimulate the economy. This is what the people need. However, the battle against COVID-19 will be long-drawn and the unprecedented fiscal expenditure has also caused some concerns. Is there a mechanism under the current reserves safeguard framework to define how we can effectively use the reserves and the amount? On one hand, the amount must be sufficient to allow the Government to alleviate the situation; on the other hand, we must also ensure that our future generations will have enough funds to cope with future expenditures so that they are not left with nothing.”
“Nine out 10 of the companies in the enrichment/education sector surveyed reported low technology adoption, meaning that they have been predominantly using the traditional means of teaching. Anecdotally elsewhere, I hear of similar feedback. Amongst those surveyed, they cited financial support being most important in helping them drive their digitalisation effort. Government funding is available. Hon colleagues in this House will know of the many schemes that IMDA offers. With COVID-19, the imperative for digital transformation cannot be any clearer. Just as it is an opportunity for the IMDA to step in and catalyse the transformation, I hope companies will take this opportunity to make use of the support available and up their own game. This is a period of great many adjustments. Government is adjusting, so are businesses and people. We are heading into the "circuit breaker" for at least a month. I am glad that our thoughtful Government made sure that essential services will continue so that life can go on. But we also need to reduce the need for interactions and administrative load on some of our public agencies. Based on case trends at our weekly Meet-the-People Sessions, mainly mine, could financial assistances, including ComCare and MediFund that are expiring during this "circuit breaker" period be automatically renewed for another month? Could the social visit passes and long-term visit passes of Singaporeans' foreign family members that will be expiring in this period also be automatically renewed for another month? In essence, could Government processes that typically see high public interface be adjusted so that Singaporeans in need may have peace of mind as we all hunker down during this period? (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.”
“Most immediately, as we approach the "circuit breaker" starting tomorrow, we should all stay home and do whatever we must to encourage our family and friends to stay home. Simply, if we do not cooperate and the spread worsens, this one month "breaker" and the pain that everyone must endure will be a wasted sacrifice. We will then have to draw from our reserves further and leave even lesser for our future generations. So, care for yourself, care for others, stay home to show our solidarity with those on the frontline. Secondly, affected Singaporeans can make use of the downtime and Government incentives to train and upskill, so that we are ready to take on new jobs after the recovery. At the Temporary Relief Fund applications at the Community Club, I observed that a number of applicants who lost their jobs or suffer reduced work do not wish to take up skills training, despite the incentives. The hesitance is understandable as they are preoccupied with the immediate challenges and as they still harbour hopes that they can return to their jobs once this crisis "blows over". However, I would urge that we keep the "big picture" in mind. Even without this COVID-19, the advent of digital economy is certain. So, why not take this opportunity to get ourselves ready for that inevitable future? Similarly, enterprises of all sizes can take this opportunity to transform. As companies get hit by COVID-19, many realised that they were not ready to offer their services and products online. As a result, their businesses are disrupted. Taking the enrichment education sector for example, I came across an informal survey by a fledgling platform company Beecraft.”
“How do we moderate ourselves and is there a red line beyond which we shall not draw further from our reserves? Essentially, how can we sustain help and at the same time, not deplete this pot of gold for our children and theirs? In a crisis of this scale, Government's intervention is critical. But we must also not diminish the power of individuals. All of us have the power to help and contribute towards a sustainable future for the next generation. Over the past months, we saw various ground up initiatives, such as sourcing and distributing masks and hand sanitisers to the elderly. In recent weeks, we continue to see Singaporeans coming forth to offer ideas and support. Take, for instance, when the application for Temporary Relief Fund commenced, Community Centres were overwhelmed on the first day. A call for volunteers to help with form filling and crowd management saw many responded. Similarly, we now have volunteers who have stepped forth to man the reusable mask collection centres. Others took their own initiative to collate and circulate lists of useful official websites offering critical information during this period of information explosion. This helps Singaporeans to get the right information from the right channel and in a most timely manner. Because of these big-hearted Singaporeans who volunteered, we have been able to pool community resources, close gaps and do more for those who need help. But the potential for individuals to play a part is more than this. If there is a silver lining to this crisis, it is the opportunity for us to show our solidarity, transform our capabilities and strengthen our resilience.”
“And therefore, I must express my deepest appreciation and gratitude to all of you who have worked so hard. And I feel that personally, when I see the measures being introduced, it is almost as if whenever we see a new problem appeared or a new gap that has emerged, immediately, our Government will find the resources to go and plug that gap and help Singaporeans to tide through. I feel that this sincerity is something that we can see and I hope that all Singaporeans will be able to appreciate this. This is a very extraordinary time and we must continue to stand together to render our support. Therefore, with all of these funds put aside to help Singaporeans, I think this is a very decisive move and a much needed one. As we battle this unprecedented crisis, I am thankful that our past and present leaders have been judicious in managing our reserves, painstakingly saving up for "storms" like this and resisted siren calls in the past to spend our reserves. Because of this, we can now confidently dip in to help Singaporeans. Extraordinary time calls for extraordinary measures. About two months have passed since we had our first COVID-19 case and the economic consequences are already dire. We now have an extremely generous package to battle the virus. But with the pandemic expected to last for up to a year or more, I wonder how many more packages we will need and how much more might we have to dip into our reserves for. As much as I believe it is necessary for us to draw on our reserves to help Singapore and Singaporeans get through this storm, I wonder if this is also the beginning of a long slippery slope down. Will we have enough to leave behind for our future generations?”
“Hence, when I hear of the cash assistance being tripled and the introduction of various schemes such as the grocery vouchers, Temporary Relief Fund and Self-Employed Income Relief Scheme, I was very happy. I know families like the one I just described will benefit from these measures. The only request that I had at that time was to have the help disbursed sooner than later, and therefore in today's Solidarity Budget, I am pleased that some of the most essential help will be delivered within this month, much sooner than expected. Thank you. These enhanced measures, amongst others, such as the one-year waiver of Government fees and charges, and reprieve from loan repayments, will increase cash flow for them and over a more sustained period of time. To fund these help measures, the Government will have to, for the second time in our post-Independence history, withdraw up to $17 billion from our reserves and we can expect a total fiscal deficit of about $44.3 billion in this financial year. Just to get a sense of proportion, this deficit alone is more than half of last year's total public expenditure! I must say that our Government and leaders have been very focused, single-mindedly, wholeheartedly, battling this COVID-19. And as we thought that we have gained grounds in battling down this COVID-19, I think, all of the sudden, we realise that there is a spike in the infection cases. It is almost as if we have been working so hard to keep our house in order but because of what is happening around us, around the world, we are seeing this spike of infection. I can only imagine how demoralising it could be for our frontliners, for all the Government officials, the social workers, everyone, who have been involved in this fight.”
“Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Supplementary Budgets. The Resilience and Solidarity Budgets are a very significant addition to this year's Budget. Earlier in February, Deputy Prime Minister Heng announced the Unity Budget that included $6.4 billion worth of measures to cope with COVID-19. With the Resilience and Solidarity Budgets, the total amount set aside to help Singapore and Singaporeans battle COVID-19 is now $59.9 billion – almost a tenfold increase. I am grateful that the Government swiftly and significantly increased the amount of help given. Most of the concerns that residents raised to me at the beginning were addressed in the landmark Resilience Budget and now the Solidarity Budget as well. Cash flow was a key concern for families and businesses I encountered. At my weekly Meet-the-People Session two weeks ago, I recall meeting several self-employed residents whose incomes were drastically reduced because of COVID-19. One such case was a man who is the sole breadwinner of his young family, working as a Grab driver. His wife is medically certified unfit for work. His children are very young, with the youngest being only five months old. He had to take a break earlier in the year after being hit by a car – it was a hit-and-run incident – and upon returning to work, he received few assignments as a result of COVID-19. Most often, he had no cash to take home. That night, he told me his children had been hungry for the entire day and were waiting for him to bring food home. Of course, we immediately went to the 24-hour FairPrice nearby, and bought them groceries and milk powder to tide through the night. We disbursed local ComCare the next day and enrolled the children in our milk powder programme.”
“I deeply appreciate all the efforts that have been put in so far. It is so good to be a Singaporean. I have a supplementary question. Given the call for heightened vigilance and enhanced measures for various reasons amongst which is also to reduce the risk of infection to innocent others around us, I would like to ask what would be done to enforce or curb behaviours that may pose risks to the public health of others and whether our laws and our current tools are sufficient to do so? Let me give one example. In my constituency, there is one man who has been very recalcitrant. What he did was that he lined his fingers with his saliva and just touched all the lift buttons. There would be saliva left behind on the panel. The CCTV footage caught that but NEA cannot prosecute him because it is not spitting. And so, currently, it is being looked into. However, there is concern to the public health of other residents who have to share the lift. So, I would like to ask whether we are adequately equipped to take action on such a very inconsiderate individual.”
“Thank you. I have two questions. Firstly, I would like to ask whether the Ministry will consider setting up a matching fund to boost the funds raised by community organisations, including grassroots with the aim of supporting seniors who need help with their healthcare financing. I declare my interest because in MacPherson, we have a MacPherson Care Fund since 2012. So, obviously, such a fun will help us stretch that dollar to help more seniors. The second question is about bone health. I fully agree with this. The statistics about the risk of hip fractures to the health of seniors were very alarming. I would like to ask: what is the Ministry doing more upstream, perhaps what HPB is doing to help encourage Singaporeans to take care of their bone health earlier, perhaps even targeting women who are at higher risk because they may have given birth to children, prolonged nursing and so on? I think these are all factors that may contribute to calcium loss.”
“Sandwiched middle income wage earners could be facing the additional financing burden of around $1,300 a month to support an elderly parent needing long-term care. I believe this burden will become widely felt in the near future, if it is not already being felt. Already, for the Home Caregiving Grant, there is a note on the AIC website that says it will take about three months to process applications due to the high volume of applications received. Has the Ministry done any study to ascertain the long-term care financing needs of middle-income households in the next five to 10 years? What more can be done to support the long-term care financing needs of middle-income households who fall outside of the Government subsidy threshold? Would opening CareShield Life to additional private insurance enhancements regulated by MOH like the Integrated Shield Plans of MediShield Life, with premiums payable by MediSave within limits be a possible answer? Foreign Domestic Workers and Eldercare”
“Long-term Care Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: Chairman, Sir, the Government has been preparing for the ageing society that is already upon us. Intermediate and long-term care, or ILTC as it is known, will become a critical sector in our healthcare system. This year Singaporeans will see the introduction of CareShield Life and MediSave withdrawals for long-term care. A severely disabled Singaporean, who is unable to perform three or more activities of daily living, will receive a payout of $600 for life, and if the Singaporean's Medisave balance is $20,000 and above, he or she can withdraw another $200 a month. If we add in the Home Caregiving Grant, there is another $200 in cash assistance to receive. This adds up to a potential $1,000 in cash withdrawals to support the financing of the long-term care needs of a severely disabled Singaporean. If the affected person is from the Pioneer Generation, there is another $100 in cash assistance. Sir, my concern is with the financing needs of middle-income households, especially those whose wage earners are from the sandwich generation facing the cost of raising school-going children and supporting ageing parents. The latest figure for 2019 from the Department of Statistics for median monthly household income from work per household member is $2,925. This suggests that about half of Singaporean households will not get any subsidies for their elderly household member accessing ILTC non-residential services, since cut off for subsidies is $2,800. A Long-term Care study by Aviva in 2018 suggests that one would need around $2,300 a month on average for care, medical and everyday expenses.”
“In Singapore, we see a rapid rise in elderly population and smaller families. On the ground, it is not uncommon to meet elderly parents who shared that they wish not to burden their children or who are struggling to get by because their children simply have too many life priorities but they are sadly not one of them. This shift in demographics, family structure and individual attitudes has a profound impact on our society and how we organise ourselves in time to come. At present, we see a network of community partners offering a range of services to our seniors. There are also efforts to better coordinate efforts across the different partners. Could the MOH share how effective has this approach been in engaging and serving the needs of our seniors? We have about 3,000 Silver Ambassadors now, how successful are we in reaching out to the different corners of our community? It is important that we reach the frail and lonely, every senior counts. How else can we better engage our seniors to avoid social isolation and better support them to age in place and with grace? How can we leverage technology to coordinate our community networks and resources better and to engage our seniors better? With so much done and will be done, I wonder when and how will we know if we have succeeded in achieving our vision of ageing in place and with grace. Could MOH articulate how Singapore has progressed in terms of caring for our seniors over the past decade? What is the state of physical and mental health of our seniors in Singapore and how has this changed over the years? Are there indicators that MOH uses to monitor our seniors' social well-being and how engaged they are in Singapore?”
“Also, the community can play a role in raising resources to support seniors who need help with their medical expenses. Would MOH consider a matching fund to boost the funds raised for this purpose? Finally, I urge the Ministry to consider expanding the list of chronic diseases that are eligible for use of MediSave. I once met a relatively young resident during my block visit, about my age or younger. He suffers from severe eczema, highly uncomfortable, and has difficulties finding or holding down jobs. His parents are working but they are just typical 3-roomers and they worry about how they could continue to finance his skin treatments as they age. It is a struggle for them and certainly tormenting for the young man himself. Statistically, an estimated 13% of Asians suffer from eczema. Therefore, could the Ministry review the list of chronic diseases under the Chronic Disease Management Programme and consider including chronic conditions such as eczema? Healthcare Capacity I serve in the MacPherson SMC, a 52-year-old community. Together with the Marine Parade GRC and Mountbatten SMC, the Marine Parade Cluster has seen an average increase of 11% in our senior population from 2016 to 2019. This is a significant rise. As such, healthcare demand will also rise. Studies have shown that the elderly are four times more likely to be hospitalised than younger Singaporeans. Therefore, what is MOH’s plan to expand capacity in eastern Singapore to cope with the anticipated increase and demand for healthcare? With a rapidly ageing population across Singapore, what are MOH’s plans beyond 2020 to keep care accessible for all Singaporeans?”
“In my cut earlier, I mentioned that public healthcare affordability has improved over the years that I have seen in this House. It has. But in the course of my constituency work, I still meet many middle-age and senior residents who continue to worry about healthcare costs. One of the issues they face is not being able to use more of their MediSave to pay for their medical bills, forcing them to make out-of-pocket payments. This poses a cashflow challenge to them. A common argument I have heard from affected residents is that they still have savings in their MediSave, so why can they not use more of their own money for their own treatments? Attempts to explain how CPF works cannot be the same as how a private bank account works were futile as they have immediate needs to solve. I have a resident, Mr Tay, who has a strong sense of self-pride and self-reliance. He needs to seek heart treatments regularly. While his wife and children are financially independent and he has a good relationship with them, he is highly reluctant to ask them to support his medical expenses. He argues for more use of his MediSave beyond the current annual cap so that he can pay for his own needs. While I personally believe that children who can afford it, should support parents, I respect his fierce sense of self-reliance. Therefore, can the MOH consider increasing the flexibility of and annual cap on the use of MediSave? Can we also conscientiously target our publicity and social outreach to encourage children with means to take the initiative to top up parents’ Medisave and Ordinary savings so that their parents need not feel the burden of having to ask their children for money? There is no guarantee that the children will comply but it is a social signal that we should actively send.”