Vikram Nair
Singapore
“I thank the Minister of State for the answer, as well as forming a workgroup to look into this issue. I think it is worrying that platform workers have a much higher rate of workplace injuries than many other groups and I think compensation is one component, but does the Minister of State think any interim measures are needed while the wo…”
“I thank the Minister of State for the answer. I think it is an improvement from the last time this question was asked two years ago, which was 17 minutes and 164 minutes. So, there is improvement. But a one-and-a half-hour waiting time is still quite long.”
“Thank you, and I thank the Minister of State for flagging the answer to me as well. So, I have a supplementary question. The answer was that the Ministry is engaging the digital service providers as well as preparing advisories for parents.”
“I thank the Minister of State for the response and to explain that the OCHA Directions are being issued to Telegram as well. The only reason I mentioned Telegram specifically is it seems to emerge in a whole range of crimes, including selling of drugs, etomidate, sexual crimes, scams.”
“It seeks to enable efficient cross-border travel while retaining Singapore's legal framework and ensuring that foreign officers cooperate within defined limits. It also provides for reciprocity, so that Singapore officers can exercise similar functions in Malaysia.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I note that amongst the different sources of energy, diesel prices have risen much higher than electricity prices. And diesel fuels many commercial operators, including buses and lorries, which feeds into many other sectors.”
The complete record
Every one of 760 lines we hold for Vikram Nair, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 9 of 16.
“Chairman, we often do not realise how widespread and important digitisation is in our lives. Some of the most important digital spaces are what we refer to as the critical information infrastructure which our national Cyber Security Agency (CSA) has been set up to safeguard. 12.00 pm Critical Information Infrastructure currently includes the critical data used for sectors such as aviation, healthcare, land transport, maritime, media, security and emergency, water, banking and finance, government and energy. Data is necessary to keep our power plants, hospitals, water, banks and even Government functioning smoothly. The more we digitise and automate, the more important our critical information infrastructure becomes and the greater the risk we face of something goes wrong here. In April last year, the BBC carried a story that stated a survey of security professionals across six countries by the Ponemon Institute found that 90% had been hit by at least one successful attack. This survey covered staff in utilities, energy, health and transport sectors. This report also concluded that a lack of resources and intelligence about the “relentless and continuous” cyber-attacks are the industry’s concern. The key points from this study were that we have to assume attacks will be made and be prepared to deal with them. We also need to be able to guard against human failings, and this may include employees accidentally opening phishing emails and thereby opening the network to attack. There is also a need to share intelligence. I believe the national Cyber Security Agency is focusing on these matters and I would be interested in an update on how the Government is safeguarding the cybersecurity and resilience of our critical information infrastructure. Cyber Security Agency”
“I thank Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Senior Minister of State Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Minister of State Sam Tan and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Dr Tan Wu Meng for giving us a comprehensive update on what our teams have been doing abroad. I think MFA is always a very good investment in money. It has I think one of the lowest budgets always and is even lower this year. So, a big thank-you to the team serving all across and carrying our flag. With that, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $450,109,100 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $11,500,000 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“I thank the Minister for his speech earlier. I just want a little clarification or elaboration on what may happen with Malaysia because, typically, when an administration changes, notwithstanding they may have good relationships with us, they may have different priorities from the previous administration. Are there any projects that we think may slow down as a result of that and, if so, what could we do about that?”
“Chairman, Singapore has had long-standing relationships with both the US and China. These are now the two largest economies in the world and the two biggest powers. The US has been a good friend since our independence, playing a key role in our defence relations and bringing security to the region, along with investment and trade. In relation to China, Singapore started investing heavily in China long before China reintegrated into the world economy, and places like Suzhou Industrial Park are a testament to the long-standing and deep ties and cooperation between our countries. While our relations with both great powers are good, US-China relations have been difficult in recent times. There has been rivalry on multiple fronts, including over the South China Sea, the trade war that has started with the imposition of tariffs against each other and even the challenge over the 5G network, with Huawei being blocked from the US. Singapore has traditionally sought to maintain good relations with the US and China. How can Singapore balance relations with the two major powers against this backdrop of intensifying rivalry? ASEAN”
“Chairman, Indonesia is the most populous country in ASEAN and the largest economy. Ever since the formation of ASEAN, we have had strong relations with Indonesia at all levels, from government-to-government, between the defence forces and at the people-to-people level. In October last year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong mentioned at a press conference at the Istana that Singapore’s relations with Indonesia are in "good shape" and there is an "excellent relationship of trust and cooperation" built with President Joko Widodo, which has meant that both sides have prospered during the latter’s term in office. This was said during Mr Widodo’s two-day visit to Singapore for the Singapore-Indonesia Leader’s Retreat. At the people-to-people level, I also agree that relations are good and strong and over the last two decades of my working life, I have dealt with many Indonesia clients and cases and with many investments by Singapore companies in Indonesia as well as Indonesians making investments in Singapore. However, there were a number of outstanding bilateral issues that have made the news over the last year. This has included differences between us in the administration of the regional air space, particularly the Riau Islands Flight Information Region (FIR) as well as military training. What is Singapore’s approach to some of these outstanding bilateral issues with Indonesia, such as the management of airspace and military training? Relations with Indonesia”
“While there are many things that divide us, dealing with the COVID-19 threat may be one way for all of us to come together. Singapore's way of dealing with COVID-19 has won praise from the World Health Organization. And Bloomberg has recently described Singapore's response as the litmus test for dealing with COVID-19. This may be an opportunity for us to render help and expertise to other countries when dealing with this threat. Of course, only upon their request. Could the Minister share whether Singapore is working with ASEAN and the international community to deal with the COVID-19 threat? [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Mobilisation Efforts for COVID-19”
“Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head N of the Estimates be reduced by $100." Last week, I spoke during the main debate on the threat of COVID-19 and at that time, it had just about started emerging in other countries. Singapore has had a relatively well-managed situation, with the majority of our cases making recovery and no fatalities to date – though of course, this may still happen as we still have a few people in intensive care. Worldwide though, COVID-19 is now spreading like wildfire. Just today, CNA reported that the global COVID-19 death toll now exceeds 3,000, with 88,0000 people infected worldwide across 60 countries. South Korea has now become the biggest nest of infection outside China, with more than 4,000 cases in total. In Japan, the prefecture of Hokkaido has declared a state of emergency following an identification of at least 63 cases and two deaths. The US, which only recently reported its first cases, has now also had its first death from COVID-19 in Washington state, and there are fears that there may be a larger number of undetected cases, who may in turn unwittingly spread the disease. Closer to home, our ASEAN neighbours are also dealing with the COVID-19 threat. Thailand has reported its first death and there are 42 cases recorded. This is the second death in ASEAN. There was an earlier one in the Philippines. Malaysia has a small number of cases and Indonesia has not detected any yet. However, part of the reason for this small number in some of these countries may have been because they are unable to do the large-scale testing that Singapore has engaged in. I was corrected – Indonesia has two cases.”
“I thank Minister Ng, Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How and Senior Minister of State Mohamad Maliki bin Osman for your comprehensive review of our defence. It has been quite an interesting development in our SAF with all the threats evolving, and I think we would also wish to thank our men and women in uniform who serve and protect us. Thank you all, and I seek leave to withdraw my cut. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $14,561,155,500 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $889,200,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“I think the Minister mentioned there were three imminent threats: terrorism, cyber security and maritime threats, of which the most difficult to plan and deal with would be cyber. But the current plan is for the cyber security to be dealt with under the SAF and reporting to the Chief of Defence Force (CDF). Would the Minister also consider having a force outside the SAF to deal with this, particularly, so that it can tap talent which may not want to be in the military, such as the white hats or people with talent in this area?”
“Chairman, the SAF performs an important role in deterring potential aggressors and protecting Singapore. As a small country, we are at a natural disadvantage when it comes to our defence, while at the same time, defence is existential. We have traditionally compensated for our small size by spending more on defence and investing in the best and latest technologies, while at the same time, building good defence relations with a wide range of countries, including all our neighbours as well as some of the middle and great powers, including the US. However, in recent years, defence spending has been rising all around the region and in many other parts of the world. As larger countries also invest and strengthen their forces, our technological edge may diminish and I expect there will be pressure on us to spend more to keep up with them. What is MINDEF's and the SAF's plan? Do they envision a long-term increase in our defence budget to keep up with these rising demands? Financial Prudence”
“Chairman, for more than 200 years, sea trade has been vital to Singapore's economy. This remains the case today. Singapore is one of the busiest transshipment hubs in the world and it is important for us to maintain our sea lines of communication. Last year, we had two Malaysian vessels in Singapore waters, which appeared to be a provocative act. However, the Malaysian government did not escalate matters and the Malaysian Navy never got involved in this dispute. This is likely because the Singapore Navy is strong and it was clear it would have been able to defend Singapore if necessary. More recently, in December 2019, there was a report of increasing incidents of sea robbery taking place in the Malacca Straits and the number of such incidents has been higher since 2018. Threats like these may reduce confidence people using our sea lanes. What are MINDEF and the SAF doing to secure our waters? Security Landscape”
“I will be grateful if the Minister for Defence could provide us more generally, with details on MINDEF's plans to ensure the Next-Generation SAF continues to be effective and capable of safeguarding Singapore's national security. I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Training Areas”
“A classic example was during the early days of COVID-19 when panic was being triggered by messages that misstated the implications of DORSCON Orange and suggested people stockpile to avoid shortages; ironically, it was messages like these that triggered the panic which resulted in the temporary shortages. In the Middle East, tensions between the US and Iran are escalating and the disputes between Saudi Arabia and Iran as well as Saudi Arabia and Qatar continues. ISIS remains a threat and continues to hold territory and both carry out and inspire attacks in other countries. SAF has been the backbone of our national defence. It clearly faces a wide range of threats and contingencies it needs to prepare for. While Singapore does not look for trouble, trouble may well come to us and we have to be ready. However, while our threats are growing and evolving, SAF faces two key constraints – falling manpower arising from a fall in our birth rates and less available spaces for training as land gets put to other uses. The only way forward for SAF is to evolve, to invest in technology so that we can do more with less resources. There have been some exciting announcements of big ticket acquisitions in recent times. The Minister has announced the Air Force is going to acquire F-35 fighter jets to eventually replace its F-16s. In relation to the Navy, plans were announced to replace Republic of Singapore Navy's current submarines with four Invincible-class submarines. In relation to manpower, plans have been announced to develop a hybrid force, so that more and more unmanned technologies will be able to replace men in the fighting force. These are certainly exciting headlines.”
“Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head J of the Estimates be reduced by $100". The last year has seen global tensions rise on multiple fronts. The rivalry between China and the US is playing out on many fronts, including the South China Sea, in the context of a trade war and even over the 5G network and the next generation of technologies. The tensions between Russia and the West are also continuing, with President Putin recently declaring he is ready for another Cuban missile crisis if the US wants one. These great power rivalries have always had repercussions for the rest of the world. While Singapore tries to maintain friendships with as many people as possible, this may not always be easy. Around the region, there is considerable uncertainty. Just up North, in Malaysia, the last two weeks have seen a tussle for the premiership, which has resulted in a change of Prime Minister and change of government. While Prime Minister Muhyiddin was sworn in yesterday, there seems to be further unrest on the streets and the new Prime Minister may well face a challenge, such as a vote of no confidence in the next Parliament sitting. Typically, when there is unrest in our neighbouring countries, governments may feel under pressure to become more nationalistic and this may adversely affect relationships with other countries. At the same time, unconventional threats are growing. Threats to cybersecurity and fake news threaten to subvert our systems from the inside.”
“Mr Chairman, Singapore's Government is leading by example in making Singapore a Smart Nation, with more and more Government agencies providing services online and more and more services being automated. One good example is immigration. One is able to apply for passports online and collect with minimal fuss. Clearing immigration is also automated for Singaporeans at the various checkpoints, making clearance a breeze. Filling out taxes is a painful process in many places, but, here, for most people, it is just a few clicks on an online system and our tax form for the year is done. As an NSman, a reservist, it has become increasingly easy to get things done, including going for medical check-ups, taking the IPPT and even acknowledging call-ups. So, as service users, life for us has become very easy, so much so that we may even take it for granted. Some of us even followed this example. For this speech, for example, I am actually using my smartphone, rather than the paper I normally use. So, we are all trying to go smart. But, of course, we recognise this requires significant state resources. What is the Government doing to build up public sector capabilities in harnessing digitalisation? And how can it ensure that it is able to attract enough engineers and people of the right calibre to develop these systems? National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Project”
“For workers who may lose their job during this period, please understand it is a difficult economy, but please make use of the wide range of measures available, including the SkillsFuture top-ups, to retrain and try and pick up new skills. I believe if we ride the storm together, we can come out stronger. And this Budget is a big help in that process.”
“(In English): In Singapore, we have had some good news over the last week. While in the early days, we were getting more and more news of people infected and some in critical condition, now we get more news of people being discharged. According to a Channel NewsAsia report yesterday, we now have 58 cases of people who have made full recovery. Of the 33 confirmed cases who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving although seven remain in critical condition and in intensive care. However, COVID-19 is now spreading rapidly outside our borders. Cases are now emerging all around the world, including in Europe, South America, the Middle East and the US. China’s economy has already been hit hard by the virus, with its growth forecast revised down to 4.5% in the last quarter, the lowest since the Global Financial Crisis. If this becomes a global pandemic and different countries take different measures, the economic impact could have longer-term implications for Singapore. As it is, the drop in business from China has hurt our economy and many others in the world as China is the world’s second largest economy. If other countries start closing borders or restricting business activities in response, there could be serious economic repercussions. If large numbers of businesses fail or close during this period, the implications on growth could be significant and Singapore will not be cushioned. In this respect, it will be important for our companies to be braced and prepared for the implications of significant disruptions in global trade and supply chains. In the short term, for companies that need to pay wages, bills and rentals on a monthly basis, it may appear existential, but in the long term, most analysts believe this will be a bump on the road.”
“I am also heartened that many of the bigger landlords have also taken the cue and have confirmed they will be passing on these rebates to their tenants. The Wage Support Scheme helps to cushion employers from wage costs, and I hope they take the message to try and keep their employees for as long as possible. Ultimately, I hope we can come through this episode building stronger relationships with one another, whether it is with landlord, employee or customer and do not just see these relationships as transactional ones. The Budget sends the right signal, but we need everyone to work together to make it work. Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will speak in Tamil. (In Tamil): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] COVID-19 has created slowdowns throughout the economy. F&B, retail, transport and events-related businesses are all suffering. Workers in these businesses also face uncertainty. This Budget plays an important role in helping businesses and workers tide through this difficult period. It is important though for us to look out for one another during this time. For property owners getting tax rebates, please pass this down to your tenants. For businesses that get rental rebates and wage support, please keep your workers. If business is down, this will be a good time to go for training. For older workers, please use the additional SkillsFuture grants wisely, and go for training that may help you pick up the skills that will be helpful at work or to transition to new work. The Government can create opportunities, but you need to come forward and use them. It is my hope that we will come out of this adverse time stronger than before, like we had done during our previous challenges in 2008 during the Global Financial Crisis and in 2002 with SARS.”
“Singapore had taken very firm measures to try and contain this, led by the Fourth-Generation (4G) team of leaders, and its efforts have won praise from many quarters. We had to develop a strategy for dealing with the virus in very short order, including developing protocols for confining those at risk, treating those who were diagnosed and, at the same time, trying to keep the economy going. Businesses were encouraged to test out Business Continuity Plans and many businesses are now experimenting with teams working remotely, and these include banks, financial institutions, law firms, including mine, and even the Courts. I have to admit I was a little sceptical at first about the need for trying out such plans, but having tried working from home, I have actually found it is quite workable and, in some respects, even more productive as you have less distractions and do not have to spend so much time travelling to and from the office. All in all, I think we can come out stronger. However, this does not detract from the very real harm that COVID-19 has done to many sectors of the economy. Air travel and tourism, in particular, have been very badly hit. Changi Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, has been relatively quiet, including the Jewel, where I understand you can now get an A&W meal without much queuing. F&B places are not getting their usual crowds, particularly those in town, and employers and workers in these sectors are clearly worried. In this respect, the Government's measures to assist businesses are timely and send the right message. Rental is a big concern for many businesses, and the provision of rental rebates as well as property tax rebates to property owners sends a strong message that the Government is helping to buffer some of this pain.”
“Sorry to interrupt the self-reflection. Mr Speaker, I rise in support of this Budget. A government has many competing needs for expenditure and it is always a difficult exercise to allocate scarce resources to these competing needs. Singapore has, for many years, faced structural challenges that each Budget has had to address, including an ageing population, ever-increasing demands for social spending, particularly in healthcare, and a risk of falling revenues as the workforce shrinks. This year, we had an added spanner thrown into the works with the COVID-19 virus threatening lives, but which has also had a withering impact on our economy. Against this backdrop, this Budget does an excellent job of both addressing our short-term needs in relation to cushioning the economic impact of COVID-19 while continuing to invest in our people and meeting our country's long-term structural needs. I will focus on the implications of COVID-19 for us in this speech, as I believe it is an important area in which the Government can send the right signals and messages, but ultimately, the entire population needs to come together with the right mindset to weather the storm. The situation in relation to COVID-19 is rapidly evolving. Singapore has dealt with pandemics before in recent memory. These include the SARS outbreak in 2002 and the Hemagglutinin 1 and Neuraminidase 1 (H1N1) outbreak in 2009. COVID-19 appears to be less deadly than SARS but more infectious, but less infectious than H1N1. And while it has killed many people in Wuhan and China, the overall death rate appears to go down as more cases are diagnosed and we have evidence of more people making recoveries.”
“And the more serious ones are in sections 17E and 17F for serious offences, including the urging of violence on religious grounds or inciting hatred or ill-will amongst religious groups. The penalties for this include imprisonment. Additionally, offences also include offences by corporations and unincorporated associations, but also provide for individuals within these organisations to be individually responsible. This places the balance fairly and holds organisations and individuals responsible for their actions in line with their culpability. One measure that I found quite interesting is CRI under section 16H which allows for the Minister to offer this option where certain offences have been committed. This is clearly a gentler penalty, and it looks to me like it is aimed at rehabilitation because the end result of this is the offender will get a discharge not amounting to an acquittal. I welcome the additional tool because it again allows for a more calibrated approach. But I think it should also be clear that this does not mean we are going soft on people who incite ill-will or hatred. I would also be grateful for the Minister’s clarification on whether this more calibrated toolkit with gentler options available also means that these tools may be used more often. If so, then it is important for the Ministry to have the resources necessary to monitor and take action. I reiterate my support for this Bill.”
“We had some of our people taken under ISA for being self-radicalised. We are certainly not immune, notwithstanding that we have very good practices. I think the amendments made to MRHA are timely to deal with these new threats and the new challenges we face. One of the first measures that comes up very clearly is measures to control foreign influence. And this includes control over donations and people who may take leadership positions in the religious groups. Most of these changes are fair. By and large, they aim to promote transparency. So, it has to be clear where these foreign donations come from, foreign affiliations have to be clearly disclosed. At the same time, there is a requirement for the leadership, more than half of it to be Singaporeans. This is all entirely fair and it is not rigid because if any group wishes special consideration, they may apply to the Minister. This strikes a right balance that deviations from the requirements of foreign leadership must be exceptional. The tools available to the Ministry also include tools to pre-empt trouble and not just respond to it once it has happened. This includes the use of ROs to restrict what may be said or published or to restrict donations coming in. More broadly, section 16G allows the competent authority to request information from any religious group to investigate whether there has been compliance by that religious group. These are all calibrated tools that allow the Ministry to come in before trouble has taken place. Of course, for any legislation to have meaning, it must also clearly spell out offences and consequences.”
“The tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran also divide along the old lines between the Shi'ites and the Sunnis. And, again, there is no easy resolution there. The civil war in Ireland between the North and South, also divided along Protestant and Catholic lines. In Sri Lanka, there was a historical dispute between the Tamils and the Sinhalese, involving not only differences along language and race but also along religion. It is simplistic to see language as the cause of these disputes; but religion was definitely a factor that made them more difficult to resolve. Even developed countries which do not have a history of violence are not immune to foreign disputes spilling over. Throughout the last few years, ISIS has been spreading terror virally through the Internet as well as through organisations, and attacks have taken place in Paris and London and other capitals with people claiming allegiance to ISIS. In March this year, in New Zealand, a country which has almost no history of religious violence, a shooting took place in a mosque during Friday prayers, killing dozens of people. In April, a month later, there was a series of coordinated attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter, again a country with no history of violence against the Christians, but in this particular case, inspired by foreign disputes, killing more than 250 people. This was one of the worst attacks on a Christian community in Asia in recent history. Later that month, in a Synagogue in San Francisco, there was another attack, this time, by a shooter claiming he was taking revenge. These attacks are happening in developed countries, all being attributed to religion. Religious violence is clearly growing in different places, and Singapore should not be complacent.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I speak in support of the Bill. Religion is an important part of many people's lives and, in Singapore, people of different religious groups have no trouble living harmoniously together. In my family, my father's family is Hindu, my mother's family is Christian, my wife is Buddhist and my mother-in-law is Catholic. I myself am not religious, but we have no trouble at all coming together as an extended family in different ways celebrating different occasions together. I grew up with copies of the Bible, Koran, Bhagvad Gita and the teachings of Buddha, all on the same bookshelf. When I go to a religious house of worship, I am always interested in finding out more about the practices, about the religion. And, to me, it is a way of developing learning. My life is, in some way, a microcosm of Singapore. In Admiralty, I say we are very blessed. We have a mosque, the Yusof Ishak Mosque, a Buddhist monastery, the BW Monastery and a church, Covenant Evangelical Free Church. Through the IRCC, all three come together regularly and work together on initiatives, including dialogue sessions, "harmony walks" and regularly support one another's community efforts. In true Singapore spirit, they not only practise tolerance, but also understanding and warmth for one another. But if one looks at human history, disputes along religious lines are almost as old as time itself, and what we have in Singapore is actually quite exceptional and not an accident. We just look at some of the festering disputes in the world. In Palestine, for example, the differences between Christians, Muslims and Jews have made resolution of the dispute very difficult. The holy city of Jerusalem is holy to all three and there is no simple answer.”
“We may get requests from the public for access to this data, say, in the events of incidents taking place. What is the Ministry's view on requests from private individuals for access to this data?”
“It may have to be, depending on the volume of attack we come under. But certainly, in the elections in Europe and the US, during those periods, there were very large amounts of fake news.”
“My view is that it is unnecessary for the Court to do so and, especially if you are in a "hot" situation, say, largely, elections, as has happened in the US and in Europe. You have hundreds of articles a day; how are the judges going to come in and make a decision? Is the Executive supposed to come in and take out a hundred applications and then get the respondent for each one? It is far better if they can just make the decision and get it done. And then, if there is a challenge later, that can come up through the judicial process, which is I think a more prudent use of judicial resources. I believe that the threat of online harassment will not be as prevalent as fake news, because fake news tends to coalesce around certain periods of time and that is when you need to move fast.”
“But with the greatest of respect to my friends, I do not think a lot of the other mechanisms are probably necessary, including the setting up of a council. Because what you want is a process that operates well and efficiently. It seems to me the work of the council really is to scrutinise how the authorities are exercising their powers and to publish reports on that. I think that can equally well be done by academics or people who have access to the information, and questions in Parliament can be filed about decisions made by the Minister, how many have been made, and so on. So, I do not think we need to set up another body by statute to achieve this objective. I think many of the objectives for scrutiny and all that can be done through much simpler mechanisms. With that, Mr Speaker, I stand in support of the Bill. It is a much needed piece of legislation to deal with the present threat.”
“The WP made a lot of allegations about how the Judiciary would be impartial and, therefore, should make the decision and the Judiciary can make the decision quickly. As a practising lawyer, I have to say the Judiciary has a very huge caseload. If the Executive has to go before a Judge for every single decision, which we would have to wait several days, depending, because fake news is so easy to generate. In a volatile period, you may have hundreds of fake news articles circulating in a day. Are you supposed to have hundreds of applications in Court, with the Executive going up against the defendant each time, and the Judges to decide under the gun? That would be a complete abuse of the judicial process, a waste of resources and ineffective against the threat. So, I think it is completely unworkable. But the system of having judicial scrutiny at the end, I think, is actually very effective and very logical, because, in a sense, the authority decides first, the Minister has a chance to review, and if the Minister makes an improper decision, that would be under scrutiny by the Judiciary and by the public in that process. So, the Minister is, in fact, taking more political risk by doing that, as opposed to leaving it to the judges, in which case, the political risk can be abdicated. So, in this sense, it puts the responsibility in the right place for an efficient operation of the mechanism. There is also an amendment filed by some of our friends, the Nominated Members of Parliament, which include a large number of additional checks. I am grateful they put so much thought into the process and some of the points are well made, in particular, the one about the Minister having to make the decision quickly. I think this is going to be captured in the subsidiary legislation.”
“So, you need people who can make a large number of decisions relatively quickly. In this sense, it makes perfect sense to leave it to the Executive or a competent authority. If someone disagrees with the competent authority's decision, they can take it up to the Minister. The allegations that Ministers will abuse power and insinuations that because they are all from the party, it will be used for political purposes; if a Minister were to do that, it can be taken up to the Judiciary. The judicial process is a transparent one. The Judge will decide one way or the other, the Government does not always win, so it is a fair process, and it will be open to public scrutiny. So, if there is any abuse of power, there will be public scrutiny on this as well. In my view, it is a fairly sensible mechanism because it allows things to function efficiently while creating avenues for checks and balances. And in government, you need efficiency. Fake news moves fast and moves quickly, and you need an authority to deal with it in a quick way. I was also interested in the variety of tools. A lot of attention has been given to the Directions, which include statements of correction. Of course, this is likely to be the most commonly used tool. But there are also interesting powers included in the Bill which includes powers against false amplifiers and fake news websites. Can the Minister elaborate on how these powers would be used? There is also an interesting question about what happens to fake news that is already there, already in the public domain, that means news that is not generated in future. Will these laws apply and give the authority powers to deal with that as well? My own view is that it should, because the fake news is out there.”
“Fake news is often sensational, interesting and plausible, so it goes viral. The cost to produce it is not so high as no real research work is needed and it is easy to circulate. In contrast, serious news providers are suffering because the cost of producing real news is high. You have to pay journalists, opinion writers, the cost of publication and even airtime. Ironically, after incurring all these costs to produce real news or considered opinions, which are often not sensational because they are presented fairly, they are increasingly losing market share to those that peddle fake news. News providers all over the world are suffering from falling revenues and profitability. Indeed, this is the complete inverse of the marketplace of ideas – the fake news prevails over the truth. Essentially, the truth gets drowned out by falsehoods because it is more expensive to produce, less interesting and, ultimately, there are fewer people producing it as news providers go out of business. This, in turn, also subverts the democratic process which works best when people are well-informed and able to make decisions based on the facts. It is clear that everyone in this House agrees fake news is a threat. The differences in relation to this Bill are, in fact, relatively minor, and it has to do with how to address this threat. My friends from the WP are with us on the nature of the threat. Their main difference of opinion is that they believe the Judiciary should make the decision first and issue directions, rather than the Executive. What the Bill envisions is a competent authority because fake news is a relatively prevalent problem. Fake news is easy to generate, it is going to be voluminous, and you will need people who will be able to deal with this as and when it comes up.”
“Mr Speaker, I rise in support of this Bill. The threat of online falsehoods is a real and insidious threat that subverts the idealistic notions of free speech. As a teenager, I grew up believing in the concept of the marketplace of ideas where if everyone is free to speak, eventually, lies would be exposed and the truth would prevail. On this basis, there is very little need for the Government to legislate in relation to free speech. Subsequently though, the experiences of life and certainly the study of law have made it clear to me that this idealistic notion is not supported by real-world problems. Speech is restricted for many different reasons. The laws of almost all countries prevent inciting violence or inducing people to commit crimes. Defamation also results in liability in many countries. Hate speech is also getting more attention. In Singapore, there have always been laws that prevent people inciting hatred against others. Generally, the law steps in when freedom of speech is abused to cause harm. The latest abuse of free speech is the threat of fake news. Minister Shanmugam has set out in vivid colour the nature of this threat in his speech. Falsehoods are deliberately created, for example, by foreign state actors to interfere with and subvert governments and electoral processes in other countries. The fact that the US Presidential Election and the Brexit vote involved significant amounts of fake news being circulated and relied on by voters shows that even the most advanced democracies are vulnerable to this threat. In parallel, there are many who profit from fake news and these include those who originate as well as those who help circulate it, such as social media platforms which make money from advertising revenues.”
“I thank the Minister for the very comprehensive response covering a very wide range of issues and I think very good outcomes have been achieved from this Leaders' Retreat in very difficult situations. But this is more of a subjective question. Does the Minister feel that good relationships have also been built at all levels, including at the working level where all the implementation will take place? Because the Malaysian government is very large and many of the Ministers are new and I think at the working level, the government-to-government level, it will be good to have relationships as well. I am wondering if this is the first step to building relationships at a deeper level.”
“These include specific offences in relation to voyeurism, the taking of intimate photos or videos of a person without their knowledge, possession of the same, or even gaining access to it. These are broad-ranging powers which criminalise not only the obtaining of such information but also those who gain access to it. Child pornography is another area that receives special legislative attention, with a wide range of offences covering those who exploit children to provide the material, those who profit from it or distribute it and those who access it. Mr Deputy Speaker, this Is a broad-ranging Bill that thoughtfully covers emerging areas in crime and also provides greater protection of vulnerable people. I wholeheartedly support this reform and thank the Committee members for their hard work in putting these proposals together.”
“These are important changes that recognise special vulnerability in these relationships. All involve situations where one person is likely to be dependent on another or in a position of special trust with that person. And the abuse of that special position by committing a crime, therefore, fully justifies a sterner penalty and sends the right signal. On a related note, though in a different part of the Bill, the marital immunity to rape has also been abolished. This was a point that I and others in this House had raised on previous occasions. It has always been in my view a quirk of the law when it was argued a man could not rape his wife even if she did not consent to having sex with him. Some of the reports of husbands abusing wives are particularly heinous, and while they may have involved sex forced through violence, the perpetrator could not be charged for rape but would often be charged with a lesser charge for the related violence. This was usually unsatisfactory for the victims. This amendment addresses this matter. There is also a series of offences that seem to be aimed at mischief that can have serious consequences. This includes making false reports of dangerous objects, such as declaring there is a bomb on the train when you know there is not one, causing or contributing to serious fire and this seems clearly to capture cigarette butts thrown down rubbish chutes that may cause fires. There is also criminalisation of negligence in respect of things like machineries tearing down buildings and even dangerous animals, which is fair because this makes it clear that people who have responsibility doing these tasks should take additional care. I also welcome the changes to the Code in relation to crimes that have become particularly damaging in the Internet age.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of this Bill. These changes are wide-ranging and welcomed. Singapore’s Penal Code was enacted in 1871, a legacy of the colonial era. It started as a codification of the criminal law for easy administration by Colonial officials in far out territories, many of whom would not be lawyers. While criminal law in England has not been codified in a single bill, the codification of the criminal law in the Penal Code has always been intended for the criminal law to be easily understood by a wider audience. Even a layperson reading the Penal Code would find the law clearly stated and helpful illustrations provided on how the law was to be applied. This is unlike other pieces of legislation. Of course, the Penal Code has undergone extensive changes over the last century and a half, and this latest set brings the Penal Code up to date with many of the latest developments in crime trends. It also makes important changes to further protect vulnerable victims. In making these changes, the Penal Code has retained the easy-to-understand drafting style that clearly sets out the offences and penalties involved as well as helpful illustrations. While the Penal Code itself is long, each of the offences is clearly set out and organised and a layperson should be able to understand the charges against him when charged for any of these offences. In relation to vulnerable persons, this Bill makes provision for greater penalties for offences against the following: domestic workers, vulnerable persons, persons below 14 years, people in intimate relationships, people in close relationships, and "intimate relationships" refers to partners, sexual or not, and "close relationships" include the broader family.”
“I thank the Minister for the detailed Statement earlier. And it is, indeed, a very sad incident. One of the things that is clear is that the incident did not arise due to a technical fault, but really due to human error of three different people who were at the site. In any situation where people are trusted to do things, there is a risk of human error. I notice that the Committee's recommendations are largely all incremental in nature, including the emphasis on personal responsibility for safety, reviewing the SOPs and ensuring compliance in the SOPs. But then again, all these things have to be delegated to people. So, is there anything we can really do as a system to try and deal with this risk of leaving people to do things?”
“Yes. After the Select Committee's deliberation, are there any plans to introduce new measures to counter the threat of deliberate online falsehoods as recommended by the Select Committee? Digital Readiness Blueprint”
“Chairman, this House set up a Select Committee to look into the matter of Deliberate Online Falsehoods. I should declare that I participated in the public consultation by the Select Committee as part of the People's Action Party (PAP) Policy Forum. Some of the key issues raised included: first, fake news is often plausible and interesting, which makes it likely to circulate very far; second, the truth is rarely as interesting, so corrections and rectifications do not get the same attention; third, social media and messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp, have allowed fake news to go very far; fourth, there is evidence that foreign actors have used fake news to interfere in elections, such as the US Presidential election and even the United Kingdom's (UK's) vote on Brexit; fifth, private organisations often profit from fake news, and these include not only those who deliberately create it, such as Temasek Review, but many of those who benefit from its dissemination, including platforms like Facebook which get monies from advertising revenues.”
“Mr Chairman, as more and more of our systems go online, cybersecurity becomes a particular concern. The two high-profile incidents this year highlight our vulnerability. The first was the unauthorised access of SingHealth records by a foreign state actor. This highlighted that there are well-funded organisations and countries out there that may deliberately try and break into our systems. The second involved the improper leak of the Ministry of Health's (MOH's) registry of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients. This highlighted that a human lapse by one of the individuals entrusted with access to the system, coupled with malicious intent by another, can lead to disastrous consequences. These incidents show two aspects of the vulnerability of our Government systems, and it is foreseeable that both of these, external threats as well as human error by trusted individuals, are timeless issues that are almost impossible to eradicate. Against this backdrop, are there ways to assess the cybersecurity of our Government systems and better improve it?”
“Mr Chairman, during the Committee of Supply (COS) debate last week on the Smart Nation topic, Minister Vivian Balakrishnan mentioned that Singapore was going to "double down" on AI. He pointed out that AI, and in particular, deep machine learning, has revolutionised many services, including providing voice assistants, language translations, global positioning system optimisation and helping to detect fraud. These are revolutionary developments and Singapore must continue down this path. However, there are concerns about AI being used improperly. Machines, like humans, need to be taught and trained, and this requires access to data. I have some concerns that people may not be aware of the full extent to which their personal data is being gathered and used. The second, of course, is after this data is gathered and technology is developed, the same information in the wrong hands can lead to trouble, including in the hands of foreign actors, hackers and scammers. Has the Government considered societal concerns surrounding the use of AI and, if so, how are we addressing them? Proposed Model AI Governance Framework”
“I would like to thank Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Senior Minister of State Dr Mohamad Maliki, Minister of State Sam Tan and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Dr Tan Wu Meng for a very comprehensive overview of Singapore's foreign relations from East to West, North to South, Arctic included. Thank you very much for the hard work by the Ministry and the many people carrying our flag. With that, Chairman, I seek leave to withdraw the amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $474,995,400 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $16,000,000 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“I think the Minister and Dr Mohamad Maliki both mentioned that efforts have been taken to make the relationship with Malaysia more constructive. But just yesterday there were remarks by Dr Mahathir at a meeting with the Johor state government officials saying that he is encouraging people of Johor to protest against the current water deal to say it is unfair, and Singapore is a rich country, it should be more generous. Does the Minister have any comment on this?”
“Chairman, Indonesia has been a long-standing and close ally of Singapore for many decades and both have been founding members of ASEAN since 1967. Next to Malaysia, Indonesia is probably the next closest in terms of culture and proximity. Prime Minister Lee and President Jokowi have had a number of high-level meetings, most recently at the Singapore-Indonesia Leader’s Retreat in 2018. Singapore is Indonesia’s largest investor, and I understand, at this retreat a bilateral investment treaty was discussed and a currency swap was also announced between the two countries. Would MFA be able to update members of the public on the state of our bilateral relations with Indonesia, including key takeaways from our engagements last year? How will we work to maintain our relationship with Indonesia for the benefit of our peoples? Indonesia's presidential election will be held in April this year. How will we continue to engage the next administration and strengthen our bilateral and regional cooperation with Indonesia?”
“Against the backdrop of a retreat from multilateralism and intensifying Sino-US competition which I spoke about earlier, how can ASEAN strengthen its centrality and try to speak in one collective voice on the more contentious regional developments and global issues? Relations with Malaysia Our closest neighbour and with whom we have the strongest ties in terms of culture, relationships and history is Malaysia. Singaporeans and Malaysians still make regular trips and the Causeway is the most heavily used link in the world between two countries. Most of us still have close family and friends living there. 12.45 pm As such, it is always sad when relationships between the two governments worsen. Following the change of government in Malaysia, there has been an emergence of new tensions in bilateral relations with Malaysia. This started with a stalling on joint projects, such as the High-speed Rail and, later, the Rapid Transit System. There were also public statements that Malaysia will be reconsidering matters, such as the agreement on water. The most worrying recent developments have been the two Malaysian vessels that came into our waters following a declaration of new port limits for Johor. These vessels still remain in our waters although the governments on both sides have taken steps to de-escalate matters. Given that Malaysia is our closest neighbour and both countries are highly interdependent, how will Singapore approach its relations with Malaysia going forward such that our national interests are protected and the bilateral tensions do not spill over to negatively impact the lives of our people? [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]”
“Chairman, ASEAN was originally an alliance in 1967 between a small number of non-Communist Southeast Asian countries, namely, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. These countries were also our closest neighbours in terms of proximity. The relationship was close as we had alignment of interests in economic growth and political and security interests as well. Brunei, another close ally and neighbour, became a member in 1984. At this time, much of the rest of ASEAN included Communist countries and the Cold War divided us. Following the end of the Cold War, ASEAN engaged many of these countries in Indo-China as well as Myanmar, with a view to building mutually beneficial economic relationships. Eventually, these countries joined the fold in the course of the 1990s. Of course, as any group gets bigger, there are more likely to be differences of opinion and interests, and ASEAN has not been immune to this either. In recent years, ASEAN members have had differences over matters, such as the South China Sea and on how to deal with the Rakhine state in Myanmar. However, despite these differences, we still have much in common and many areas on which we cooperate. As individual countries, we are relatively small, but as a group, we account for a population of more than 600 million with a gross domestic product (GDP) of more than US$2.8 trillion. Singapore undertook the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2018 when ASEAN was at an inflection point. Singapore had sought to foster consensus within ASEAN on some of the key values that should underpin any framework for continued regional engagement. This includes ASEAN Centrality, inclusiveness, economic benefits, and support for a rules-based international order.”
“Another manifestation of this tension is in the South China Sea, where China has had competing claims with a number of ASEAN allies and has taken an increasingly assertive stance. The US, of course, like many other maritime countries with an interest in these straits, has asserted its right of free passage over these waters. Of course, Singapore hopes the dispute will be resolved in accordance with international law, but that requires all parties involved to willingly submit the matter for determination in the event of a dispute. There have been news reports of China's military activities in the South China Sea, while the US and its allies have conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations in the region. ASEAN is negotiating a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea with China. Singapore has been a champion of this. I would be grateful if MFA can provide an update on these negotiations, as well as the outlook for the situation in the South China Sea. I would like to take my second and third cuts together.”
“Along with its economic growth, Chinese influence around the world has also grown steadily. China has become a major trading partner for most countries, including the US, and a big investor in many regional countries, including in many parts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Most of this influence has been positive and mutually beneficial for all countries involved. However, there will always be an element of displacement when a new power rises. And unfortunately, relations between China and US have taken a more adversarial tone. The US has accused China of trading "unfairly" and has imposed tariffs on Chinese imports. China has retaliated, and it appears a trade war is developing between these two economic giants, the two largest economies in the world. This is worrying because it runs counter to all the hard work that has been achieved over the decades since the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and subsequently the World Trade Organization (WTO) removed trade barriers and facilitated world trade. Singapore, too, has been caught in the middle, with some of the US' tariffs affecting Singapore's goods unintentionally. Current trade tensions between the US and China are worrying. While reports from recent negotiations between both sides have appeared positive, prolonged tensions could have a severe impact on the global and regional economies. These tensions are also spilling out into other areas, such as technology. Singapore has had strong relations with both the US and China. What is the outlook of US-China relations? I would be grateful if the Ministry can also share how Singapore manages relations with both countries and how we can better position ourselves amidst these tensions.”
“Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head N of the Estimates be reduced by $100." I still recall vividly the images of the fall of the Berlin wall as a child. This was the physical manifestation of the "iron curtain" and its fall marked the end of the Cold War. Historians of the time, like Francis Fukoyama described this as the "End of History", the end of mankind's ideological struggle and the triumph of Western liberal democracy. The subsequent period in the 1990s saw a de facto unipolar world with the former Soviet Union in crisis and the United States (US) as the sole superpower. Singapore had always been a historic and strong ally of the US in this region, and this marked the way for development of a different kind. The whole world could come together and look for mutually beneficial economic collaborations. Economic growth through multilateralism prospered during this period. This also paved the way for Singapore to engage China more deeply and China-Singapore relations started officially in 1990. And this was at a time when many other developed countries had imposed sanctions on China following the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989. Singapore has always tried to play a constructive role in its international relationships, and I understand that from the start of international relations in 1990, has been a quiet spokesperson championing China's integration into the world economy. Deng Xiaoping and his team continued economic liberalisation through the 1990s and China grew steadily. Given China's base of more than a billion people, the effect of economic growth has been phenomenal. China has steadily moved up the ladder in economic size and has since become the world's second largest economy, overtaking Japan in 2011.”
“I would like to thank Minister Ng Eng Hen, Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How and Senior Minister of State Mohamad Maliki for their responses in a wide range of areas, including giving us the assurance we will be safe for the next 25 years. NS safety remains a priority and we are investing to deal with cyber threats and terrorism. These are all important considerations and I thank the Ministry for being on top of it. Chairman, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $14,981,206,800 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $761,800,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”