Yee Chia Hsing
Singapore
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is for Minister Gan Kim Yong. It is reported in many countries, including the US and the UK, that due to fear of the virus, even people with serious health emergencies such as heart attacks or strokes are not going to the hospitals.”
“Thank you, Speaker. First, I would like to declare my interest as a director of two SGX-listed companies. My work also requires me to advise SGX-listed companies.”
“Chairman, I would like to echo Ms Joan Pereira's call for arts to be accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status. Besides looking at the issue from the perspective of consumers of arts and culture, is MCCY also looking at the issue from the perspective of the providers of arts and culture?”
“Chairman, early this year, Senior Minister of State Lam Pin Min mentioned that the Government will spend more than $1 billion to accelerate the completion of the island-wide cycling network.”
“Chairman, Singapore acts as a regional air and sea transport hub. We have managed to use Singapore's geographical location to our advantage, and over the years we have become a major regional and international hub through bold vision and thorough planning.”
“Thank you, Chairman. I hear from Senior Minister of State Janil that in 10 years' time, almost 100% of the new cars sold will be electric vehicles or clean energy vehicles. But now we are at 0.1%. How do we move from 0.1% to 100% in 10 years?”
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“Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is for Minister Gan Kim Yong. It is reported in many countries, including the US and the UK, that due to fear of the virus, even people with serious health emergencies such as heart attacks or strokes are not going to the hospitals. I would like to ask MOH if we are seeing the same thing happening here and if MOH can educate the public about the symptoms of heart attacks, strokes and other serious conditions which require immediate medical attention and to urge them to go to the hospitals if they have these symptoms.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the typical Singapore consumer has a much higher purchasing power than those in our regional countries. As Uncle Ben said to Spiderman, "With great power, comes great responsibility." What we allow our consumers to buy affects the wildlife in our region. Our demand for wildlife fuels the supply. Sir, another area which I think we can help wildlife through regulating our consumer demand is to curb the import and sale of juvenile fish. I go to the wet market regularly and am shocked to see baby pomfrets, which are smaller than the size of my palm, being sold – and I do not have big palms. Without giving the chance for juvenile fish to grow, it can only result in the eventual depletion and extinction of many fish species. Sir, I know that this is not a problem which Singapore can unilaterally solve. A longer term solution will require us to engage our regional neighbours and they would need to get the necessary buy-in from fishermen who depend on fishing for their livelihoods. But, Sir, we can harness our relatively higher purchasing power and turn it into a force for good. By disallowing the sale of juvenile fish, we are sending a strong signal and reducing the incentive for the catching of such juvenile fish. Sir, unfortunately, human beings have become the most destructive species on earth. As a nation, we can set an example of how we can make the world a better place for all species. 5.26 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the amendments made in the Bill as it seeks to strengthen the protection, preservation and management of wildlife. I have previously filed a Parliamentary Question about the illegal smuggling of pet birds and also spoke at length about the caged birds trade during MND's Committee of Supply last month. I have asked MND to consider adopting the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List to regulate the caged bird trade as well as touched on stiffening the penalties in the illegal wildlife trade. I am glad that the proposed amendments include enhancing the fines for offenders as well as closing some technical loopholes. Sir, while most animals, such as cats and dogs, sold as pets are bred, pet birds are caught from the wild. Moreover, cats and dogs are domesticated species and are perfectly happy living alongside humans. On the other hand, most birds are caught from the wild by poachers deploying very inhumane methods. One of the destructive techniques they engage involves applying tar glue on tree branches, which ends up trapping other birds or female specimens of target species. So, while MND has introduced micro-chipping for dogs to improve traceability and in order to prevent illegal puppy mills, so far, these measures have not been introduced for birds sold as pets. The lack of measures encourages the illegal import and smuggling of birds as the culprit knows that once placed into a bird shop, it is impossible to differentiate a bird imported legally versus another imported illegally. I would like to urge MND to introduce micro-chipping or other similar measures to improve traceability for birds sold as pets.”
“Thank you, Speaker. First, I would like to declare my interest as a director of two SGX-listed companies. My work also requires me to advise SGX-listed companies. With the latest measures, SGX-listed companies will have to hold virtual meetings; and the attendance at virtual meetings will be much smaller than the usual shareholders' meetings, first, because there is no more buffet and the second is that among the less tech-savvy, they may not be so comfortable participating in the virtual meetings. Sir, some corporate actions, such as schemes of arrangements require minimum number as well as percentage of stakeholders to vote in favour. So, with the latest measures, will there be legislative amendments to allow such corporate actions to be passed during this period?”
“Chairman, I would like to echo Ms Joan Pereira's call for arts to be accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status. Besides looking at the issue from the perspective of consumers of arts and culture, is MCCY also looking at the issue from the perspective of the providers of arts and culture? Do our artists have the physical space as well as the platform to practice as well as showcase their craft. This is important to ensure that we have a diverse and vibrant arts scene. Back in 2017, I asked the same question during COS and the Ministry indicated that it has opened up Gillman Barracks for artists to showcase their craft. However, anecdotally, the awareness of Gillman Barracks is not high and the tenants there are not doing well as a result. Are there plans to rejuvenate Gillman Barracks and also open up other locations for our local artists? Bringing Arts and Culture to Community”
“Thank you, Chairman. I hear from Senior Minister of State Janil that in 10 years' time, almost 100% of the new cars sold will be electric vehicles or clean energy vehicles. But now we are at 0.1%. How do we move from 0.1% to 100% in 10 years? Like I have mentioned in our Budget speech, I think we need a five-year target rather than shoot for a 10-year mark. If in five years, we are not even hitting 5%, I think we will miss our target. The other feedback is that there are a lot of car models, EV models which are available in the UK, but the dealers do not bring them in. What is MOT doing to push all these dealers to bring these models in? That is one feedback from consumers, that they have very limited EV choices.”
“Chairman, early this year, Senior Minister of State Lam Pin Min mentioned that the Government will spend more than $1 billion to accelerate the completion of the island-wide cycling network. While we have always mentioned that cycling is a good mode of transport for first and last mile connectivity and the focus has been to increase intra-town cycling network, can I also suggest that the MOT look at the possibility of cycling being a viable mode of transport for the entire journey? Singapore is a small island and cycling is a good form of exercise. For someone working within 10 km of their workplace, cycling could be a good alternative if there are good inter-town cycling paths. My hope is that it would be possible for my residents to cycle from Jurong West to Raffles Place on designated cycling paths in the future.”
“Chairman, Singapore acts as a regional air and sea transport hub. We have managed to use Singapore's geographical location to our advantage, and over the years we have become a major regional and international hub through bold vision and thorough planning. The opening of Jewel at Changi Airport has definitely upped the attractiveness of Changi as regional air hub. We are also relocating our container terminal to Tuas. But our status as a regional air and sea hub cannot be taken for granted and there are many regional countries also eyeing the pie. As such, I would like MOT to give an update of the measures that we are taking to stay ahead of the pack and how we are also preparing our workforce in the air and maritime transport industry to keep up with the changes ahead.”
“It is actually a request that NParks do not forget about the pet bird trade when stepping up the enforcement on the regulations.”
“Chairman, I would like to thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for her answer. In terms of the regulation of the pet animal trade, I feel that the past few years have focused a lot on the cats and the dogs, but the pet bird trade has largely been forgotten. The same pet bird shop looks exactly the same as 30 years ago. In terms of traceability, I think for pet birds, currently, there is possibly no traceability which is why someone is confident that they can distribute 800 birds by illegally smuggling them in. I hope that the Senior Parliamentary Secretary can step up enforcement of the pet bird as well.”
“Some of these birds can trade for a few thousand dollars each so the maximum fine of $10,000 is relatively low compared to the potential profits. Assuming a "street value" of $500 per bird, the total value of birds from this smuggling attempt was more than $400,000. The fine only forms 2.5% of the total value, which is hardly a deterrence for smugglers. Chairman, I really hope that Singapore can show leadership in the conservation of native species and not do what is just the minimum. The right place for a bird is on a tree branch and not a cage Hopefully, when our grandchildren walk through a forest, there will still be birds chirping and it would not be a silent forest. Coordination between Municipal Services Office (MSO) and Agencies”
“Chairman, I would like to draw attention to the pet birds trade in Singapore. Back in November 2017, I filed a parliamentary question to ask the MND about the frequency that AVA reviews the reference list of birds available for sale as pets to ensure that species which are becoming endangered or threatened are not sold here. Minister Lawrence Wong replied that the list is based on the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES amends its list once every three years and covers species for which it is illegal to trade. So, in adopting the CITES list, we are saying we will not do anything which is illegal. Frankly, Chairman, I believe that this is too low a benchmark for us to adopt. I would like to suggest that NParks, which took over the animal welfare function of AVA, adopts the IUCN Red List maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Moreover, CITES covers high profile larger animal for which extinction is possible. Many tropical bird species, such as the white-rumped shama, which are threatened and may not be on the CITES list but are included in the IUCN Red List. The CITES list is also not as comprehensive when compared to the IUCN Red List especially in covering smaller species such as tropical birds. Chairman, the tropical pet bird trade is a multi-million dollar trade which threatens native species. The situation is so bad that in many forests in nearby countries, some song birds are already extinct. On the same topic, I would also like to propose an increase in the amount of fines for the illegal smuggling and trade of pet birds. In August last year, a Malaysian attempted to smuggle in a record 815 birds into Singapore.”
“Chairman, I would like to ask MOE if there will be an update to the Character and Citizenship Curriculum since it was last introduced in 2014 and, if so, what are the changes to make CCE more relevant. Like Miss Cheng Li Hui, I would like to ask if there will be changes to increase awareness of climate change and the human impact on both the environment and nature. This awareness should also be balanced with an acknowledgement of the economic and other constraints that we face, as well as being mindful of the limited impact that we can make as a small country. Cyber Wellness and Mental Health”
“Chairman, on the night of 7 February this year, there was a fire at a chemical plant on Jurong Island. The fire resulted in the death of two workers, one of which is my resident. When I visited the funeral wake, the family was understandably distraught and they had many questions which the employer did not provide. The company did not explain to the family how workmen insurance compensation worked, did not provide more information on whether the company had bought additional insurance and did not even provide the contact details of a person that the family could approach. No one explained to the family if they would get a factual report of what happened and, if so, from which entity. Chairman, the fire left a Singaporean family with two young boys – six and four years old – without a father. While much work for workplace safety has focused on prevention, I believe MOM must mandate that companies in high-risk industries put in place crisis management and family support best practices to ensure that families get the maximum amount of support when something goes wrong. The situation could even be worse if an accident involves a sole breadwinner. Meanwhile, I would also like to ask MOM to provide an update on our workplace safety and health record over the past year and if it is introducing additional measures to enhance workplace safety and health. Workplace Safety and Health”
“Chairman, it is a brave new world that we live in and I am worried that without guidelines, there will be misuse of facial recognition technology and data. So, I really hope that MCI can look into this issue.”
“Chairman, we have seen an increase in the application of facial recognition technologies being employed in Singapore. Even this House is contemplating the use of this technology to track Members' attendance. I saw that in the tender. While this technology started out mainly to tackle security, are there any guidelines for the use of facial recognition technology to ensure data is not misused for commercial purposes and that its use does not compromise personal data security? Sir, I believe there is a need for greater regulation of the deployment of facial recognition technology. Currently, several buildings such as UOB Plaza and SGX Centre already use such technology. The use of facial recognition for building access would link the name of the visitor to the facial recognition data. Does facial recognition data then become part of the intellectual property of the technology vendor? How long can the vendor keep such information? Can the vendor use the same information for its other customers? The other aspect is whether the vendor is allowed to link facial recognition pattern to even more data such as consumer buying behaviour. The possible abuse of such technology is mind-boggling if we do not have guidelines on its use. Chairman, may I propose that all facial recognition data collected by private commercial entities should not be stored for more than 24 hours. Other than name, facial recognition data should not be linked to any other information such as consumer buying pattern. Where exceptions are needed, express consent should be obtained and even then, there should always be a maximum time limit for which facial recognition data can be stored.”
“Chairman, I would like to bring up the issue of spam SMSes from illegal moneylenders and sports betting syndicates. I am sure I am not alone in this House to have received such SMSes. Back in September last year, I filed a Parliamentary Question to ask about the measures the agencies have taken to tackle this issue. I applaud the multi-agency effort between IMDA and SPF to counter spam SMSes. However, these syndicates are finding other ways to bypass our measures. Some have used overseas numbers to send WhatsApp messages containing local numbers to contact. There are also spam SMSes which are able to be sent out with their numbers masked, which made it more difficult to report or block such numbers. The official advice is for anyone receiving such spam SMSes to report to the SPF, either by a dedicated hotline or the i-Witness platform. I have looked at the platform online and I find it to be rather tedious and this may discourage reporting. Sir, I would like to suggest a more user-friendly method for reporting. Members of the public who receive such spam SMSes should be able to report simply by submitting a screenshot of the spam SMS directly to a designated number operated by IMDA and SPF. With more people reporting, I hope we would be in a better position to close down these syndicates. Public Safety – Scams”
“I hope that both MOF and MOT will look into my suggestions.”
“The story is the same for Japanese cars. Honda has a very cute EV called Honda E, again, not sold here. A check among the mainstream car brands sold here indicated that there are only eight EV car models which consumers can choose from. Last year, the top three car manufacturers are Honda, Toyota and, surprisingly, Mercedes. Together, they account for more than 28% of total car sales. Unfortunately, none of them brings in an EV or plug-in hybrid model. Sir, unless we can make car distributors bring in more EV models, our push towards EV is doomed to fail. To address this, I would like to suggest the following measures. While we have a longer-term view for the year 2040, we need short- and medium-term targets as well. I would like to suggest that for all mainstream car distributors selling more than 1,000 cars annually, 5% of their cars must be pure EV or plug-in hybrid models in five years’ time. In 10 years' time, by 2030, this will be raised to 20%. Frankly, if we cannot meet 20% by 2030, there is no way we can meet 100% by 2040. Without this push, our investment in charging stations will be wasted and the charging stations will become white elephants. To incentivise car dealers to bring in EV and plug-in hybrid models, there should be double tax deduction for expenses incurred to bring in these car models. Profits from such sales can also be taxed at a lower corporate income tax rate of 10%. For car dealers who are unable to meet the target, a $5,000 ICE tax can be levied on every ICE car model which they sell. Mr Speaker, the vision of 100% clean energy vehicles by 2040 is a bold one. In order to increase the adoption of cars running on cleaner energy, we need to look at the whole value chain and not just from the car buyers' perspective.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of Budget 2020. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat announced the vision to phase out Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles and for all vehicles to run on cleaner energy by 2040. One of the measures to push more people to buy EVs is the introduction of the EV Early Adoption Incentive. This is a 45% rebate on the Additional Registration Fee (ARF), capped at $20,000. Sir, I would like to highlight that while the $20,000 is generous, I feel it may not be sufficient to push more people to buy EVs. A comparison of the price of EV versions with ICE or hybrid versions of the same car model shows that EV versions currently sells at a significant premium to their ICE or hybrid equivalent. This is mainly because lithium ion batteries are very expensive. Moreover, costs incurred by car distributors to bring in EV models are spread over a small number of cars, thus increasing the per car costs. For instance, a Hyundai Ioniq Electric currently sells for $152,000, a premium of $44,000 over its hybrid sibling. The story is the same for plug-in hybrids which allow charging as a source of energy. A Volvo S60 plug-in hybrid sells for $265,000, a whopping $90,000 over its normal S60 equivalent. Factoring in the higher road tax for EVs, which will be introduced to compensate for the loss of fuel excise duties, I think EV adoption will continue to be slow. Mr Speaker, another area which I think we have to look at is to push local car distributors to bring in more EV and plug-in hybrid models. While car manufacturers have introduced more car models with cleaner engine technologies, local distributors have been slow to bring them in. For instance, Volkswagen has an EV version of its Golf, called the e-Golf, but it is not available here.”
“Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, there are quite a lot of cases where the person that has it goes to the general practitioner (GP) or polyclinic a few times and only on the third or fourth visit, was he then referred to the acute hospital for the test. Does it make sense to make the test kits available at least at the polyclinics or some of the GPs so that they can test earlier? Because in one case, the person, from the onset of symptoms until he went to the National University Hospital (NUH), it was almost 10 days. So, throughout that period, he could be spreading to a lot of people.”
“Mr Speaker, my question is for Minister Gan Kim Yong. He mentioned that if there is widespread community spread, we may have to close the schools and I suppose even the preschools. But there are actually families where both parents are working and it is very difficult for them to take time off to look after the kids and we do not know how long this will last. So, when we announce any school closure, will we also announce what are the alternatives that will be available to these parents?”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Second Minister for the reply because when we follow some of the Facebook groups, they always put screenshots of foreign vehicles with outstanding traffic and parking fines, both URA and HDB. So, it gives a wrong impression that the Malaysian vehicles do not have to pay their fine and there is no enforcement. So, I really hope for stricter enforcement to deter these vehicles from flagrantly not paying the fines.”
“Mr Speaker, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin) [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: Mr Speaker, Sir, I welcome the proposed amendments to the Women’s Charter to increase the responsibilities for landlords. Over the past few years, illegal vice activities have been popping up in HDB precincts, causing disamenities in the neighbourhoods. The landlords have a duty to verify the identities of potential tenants, their background and the purpose of renting. Mr Speaker, Sir, although I support the amendments to the Women’s Charter, I have some concerns that many HDB flat owners are elderly residents who leased out their whole flat to stay with their children to have another source of income. Some of these elderly residents may not be well educated and may not know what their legal obligations are as a landlord. As such, I have three questions for MHA. First, will the landlords be held responsible if the original tenant subsequently allows others to stay in the premises without their knowledge? Second, can the HDB flat owners rely on the advice of the property agents? Would they be deemed to have done their duty as long as they carry out the checks as advised by the property agents? Third, for elderly residents who may have mobility issues, can they rely on the property agents to carry out the necessary checks? Mr Speaker, Sir, while it is important that flat owners do the necessary checks before leasing out their premises, we have to be mindful that many elderly flat owners may not be well educated or may have mobility issues. As such, I hope MHA can give clarifications on my questions.”
“Besides the plastic bottle, there was also this single-use wrist band which only lights up at the venue but it is useless outside the event venue for NDP. So, perhaps there could be a collection point for everyone to drop it back so that we can recycle it?”
“Thank you, Sir. I would like to ask about additional support for those families who are currently struggling with senior care and who need to hire helpers or to put their seniors in nursing homes, for MediFund, the trigger at present is when the families cannot pay their hospital bills. The medical social worker will then be triggered. But for these families, since they put the seniors in nursing homes or since they need to hire a helper, what is the trigger point to let the agencies know that these families actually need additional help?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, while much has been done to help families which need to take care of their elderly, I would think that families that need to hire an FDW or put their parents in a nursing home will still face substantial financial pressure. While CareShield Life addresses this problem going forward, as Singapore Citizens and PRs born in 1980 or later automatically join this scheme in 2020, most of the elderly today are not even enrolled in ElderShield and thus have very little financial support when it comes to their long-term care needs. As such, I hope MOH can do more to help this group. As our population ages and long-term care costs continue to rise, we will face increasing challenges to tackle these issues in the future. I noted that the ElderFund will be set up to provide cash payouts of up to $250 per month. But this is unlikely to be sufficient for the hiring of an FDW or to put an elderly in a nursing home. Over the past few years, we have seen the introduction of the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation packages which are cohort-based and not means-tested. It is my suggestion that if the Government should have sufficient fiscal surpluses in future, it should move away from cohort-based packages, to set up a long-term care package which will provide low- to middle-income families with additional assistance to take care of their elderly. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, sickness and death come to all. Old age, too, but only to those who are lucky enough to see old age. This Bill establishes and provides for the CareShield Life scheme and other measures to provide for long-term care financing support for severely disabled persons. CareShield Life will feature higher payouts that increase over time, with no cap on payout duration, to provide better protection and assurance against the uncertainty of long-term care costs if a person becomes severely disabled. Over the recent years, I noted that both MOH and CPF have allowed more flexibility on the withdrawal of CPF funds to assist with the care needs of the elderly or disabled as well as provide additional assistance for their maintenance. I applaud the move to allow cash withdrawals of up to $200 per month from MediSave accounts to pay for expenses for the severely disabled. This allows greater flexibility for those who may have informal care arrangements. CPF members can also apply to withdraw their CPF savings on medical grounds. I would also like to acknowledge the designation of AIC as a one-stop agency to assist families on matters relating to our seniors. The work of AIC is wide and diverse and often very difficult. These include coordinating the work of the Silver Generation Office, to assigning subsidised nursing home vacancies and assessing the need for motorised wheelchairs. One aspect which I would especially like to highlight is the provision of a monthly cash grant of $120 to families which need to hire an FDW to take care of a family member who requires permanent assistance with three or more ADLs.”
“I would like to ask the Minister for Transport what are the accident rates between taxis and PHCs as a percentage of fleet size as well as distance covered. Anecdotally, I see a lot of PHC drivers who drive at excessive speeds and not following basic road manners. I suppose this might be related to the relatively young age of the drivers as well as lack of maturity. Older and more experienced drivers who have experienced one or two minor accidents would have learnt to be more patient on the roads. Sir, I would like to propose a few suggestions for the Minister to consider. First, to introduce an age requirement of 25 years for PHC drivers. Existing PHC drivers who are below the age of 25 may continue to drive. My second suggestion is that someone applying for a PDVL must demonstrate that he has owned or rented a car or be a named driver in the car insurance of a family car for at least two years. This will level the playing field to bring the rules for PHC closer to those applicable for taxi drivers. Sir, I am not against young drivers, but inevitably we have to acknowledge that age, maturity and actual driving experience matter and are key factors affecting accident rates. Notwithstanding my comments and suggestions, I support the Bill.”
“Deputy Speaker, Sir, one of the objectives of this Bill is to ensure that we have sufficient regulatory oversight to protect the safety and interests of commuters and drivers. Back in February 2017, I spoke in this House on the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill. I highlighted how the entry of PHC operators, such as Grab and Uber, has led to a seismic shift in commuter behaviour, as well as many people opting to become freelance PHC drivers. Previously, while the taxi industry comes under more regulations, there are limited regulations for the PHC P2P passenger transport sector. Only the drivers and the vehicles come under some form of regulations but the main service providers, such as Grab, which provide the platform, are not regulated. In a sense, this Bill seeks to level the playing field between taxis and PHCs. Deputy Speaker, Sir, one area which I noticed the rules are still very unevenly applied is the required age and driving experience of the drivers. To apply for a TDVL, one must be at least 30 years old at point of application. Assuming a person passed his driving test soon after turning 18, a taxi driver would have at least 10 years of driving experience. On the other hand, someone applying for a PDVL only needs to have held his driving licence for two years. Assuming the driver takes his driving test soon after turning 18, a PHC driver may not even be 21 years old. Moreover, having obtained a driving licence for more than two years is not the same as having two years of driving experience. So, now we have a situation where we would not trust a 20-year-old to act wisely when voting, but he is trusted to ferry our children and loved ones from P2P in a PHC. Sir, it is of paramount importance that we try to keep our roads as safe as possible.”
“Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister what is the MKBF for East-West Line because my constituency is in Jurong and the East-West Line is actually quite old. So, is there a plan for even individual lines to reach an MKBF of a million as it is now just an average across the country?”
“Mr Speaker, in terms of doxxing, I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State if someone is wrongly identified as the person in the viral video and then he goes on to identify the correct person, is he also guilty of doxxing?”
“So, Mr Speaker, Sir, I am glad that businesses can now rely on the Act to protect themselves from fake news. Another point, regarding the establishment of the PHC which has the powers to hear both criminal and civil matters, I would like to ask: in practice, does it mean that a victim of fake news would only need to make a Police report and the victim would be then able to "piggy-back" on the criminal investigations? Or is it a case where the victim would still have to hire his own lawyer to apply for a stop publication order or correction order? In terms of damages suffered by the victim, would PHC be able to award damages to the victim without the victim bringing a civil suit if it has already been established by the Court that the perpetrator has, indeed, committed an offence and caused damage to the victim? Mr Speaker, Sir, many small and medium enterprises do not have the resources to hire a lawyer for the issue of the stop publication order or correction order, or to seek damages from the perpetrator. I hope the Minister can clarify how having the PHC to hear both criminal and civil matters can make it easier and less costly for the victim of fake news to control the damage caused as well as seek damages and redress. Mr Speaker, Sir, notwithstanding my comments above, I support the Bill.”
“Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill. This Bill, if passed, would strengthen and streamline the protection from harassment as well as fake news. I would like to thank Senior Minister of State Edwin Tong for clarifying that not only does the Bill make it clear that both individuals and entities may be liable for offences under the Act, where the Act refers to victims of harassment, the term "victim" also includes business entities. Fake news is not only a political problem; it can also hurt businesses in Singapore, especially smaller ones, which have no resources to take swift remedial action to stop the damage. Whether these are attacks from their competitors, angry customers or pranksters, fake news can cause adverse impact on businesses. Small businesses are more affected as they do not have the resources to react to fake news about their businesses. For instance, two years ago, a man made a claim online that a grass-jelly or chin chow product manufactured locally by Tan Soon Mui Food Industries is made of plastic. That video was widely shared on social media but proven false two weeks later by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority after it conducted laboratory tests. Also in 2017, shoe company Bata in Malaysia lost more than half a million ringgit within a month after fake news about it selling shoes with the Arabic word "Allah" forming on the soles went viral. In that episode, Bata was forced to withdraw 70,000 pairs of its B-First school shoes from its stores in Malaysia. Not only was money lost, the image of the company suffered as well. As Senior Minister of State Edwin Tong mentioned, even local supermarket chain National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) FairPrice became a victim of fake news about its housebrand Jasmine fragrant rice being made of plastic.”
“While these efforts are admirable, I believe they perpetuate a donor-donee relation and does nothing to elevate the self-esteem of recipients nor do such efforts help the residents learn any positive habits which might help them more in the long term. As such, I would like MCCY to share how it is supporting companies in their CSR efforts, especially taking into consideration my comments above. Active Health Active Health was launched in late 2017 to encourage Singaporeans to take ownership of their health. Can the Ministry share how many people have been onboarded to date? Can the Ministry also share the percentage of participants for which indicators, such as Body Mass Index, have improved since their onboarding? There are currently three Active Labs in Singapore. Can the Ministry share if there are plans to roll out more Active Health Labs across Singapore? High Performance Sports First of all, I would like to declare that I am the Vice President of the Singapore Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance Federation and NSA. Following the success of the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Malaysia in 2017, how are our Team Singapore athletes and the NSA being supported in their preparations for the 30th SEA Games in the Philippines this year as well as next year’s Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games? In view of the more competitive sports environment, how is our high-performance sports ecosystem developing to meet the needs and challenges of the future?”
“Chairman, first of all, I would like to congratulate Member Mr Ang Wei Neng who is the Chairman of this year's River Hongbao Organising Committee and his committee members for making the eight-day event a great success. I visited River Hongbao on one of the evenings and besides the tourists, I could see many Singaporeans at the event. Many are taking photographs or selfies with the giant lanterns. Many also gave very good feedback about the fireworks display every night. River Hongbao has a carnival atmosphere which few other events have managed to achieve. The best part is that admission is free. So, I suppose the Organising Committee must have worked very hard to source for funding for the event. MCCY supports River Hongbao through the People's Association, which is one of the organisers of River Hongbao. Given that River Hongbao is a great showcase of the cultural roots of our Chinese community, can MCCY share how it is helping to ensure that the River Hongbao in future years continues to get the necessary funding? Besides the River Hongbao which is the showcase event for Chinese culture, can the Ministry also share how it is helping other showcase events for Malay and Indian cultures? SG Cares – Corporate Volunteerism Chairman, CSR has become an integral component in many organisations. Companies realise that having an active CSR programme not only projects a positive image to customers but also helps with employee satisfaction and retention. One observation is that many corporates wanting to do CSR would "Adopt a Rental Block" and then raise funds to buy grocery items for the needy residents.”
“Chairman, it is important that we ensure that our land transport system is accessible to seniors, families with young children and the disabled. In January this year, I filed a PQ on whether "reserved seats" on MRT trains can be better regulated and enforced as many able-bodied passengers who take up these seats are not giving up the seats to others who may need the seats more. Some are "sleeping" and then miraculously know how to wake up when the train reaches their destination. I also observed that there are two different designs for the reserved seats. One design just makes it clear these are reserved seats with prominent "Reserved Seating" stickers being pasted on the seats themselves as well as above the seats. Another design is based on a softer approach with a "StandUpStacey Show You Care" sticker above the seat but nothing is pasted on the seat itself. I would like to ask if the Ministry has done a study as to which design is more effective in ensuring that able-bodied commuters do not take the reserved seats. Can the Ministry also share what measures are being taken to ensure that our land transport system remains accessible to seniors, families with young children and the disabled, in particular, measures to promote a more caring commuter culture?”
“Chairman, at last year's COS, many Members of Parliament spoke up about the dangers caused by speeding e-scooters and indiscriminate parking by users of bike-sharing services. Since then, the speed limit of 15 km/hour (h) for e-scooters on footpaths has been reduced to 10 km/h and owners of e-scooters are required to register their e-scooters. A year is a long time for bike sharing firms. OBike has gone under and Ofo bike has been suspended for failing to meet the new requirements to prevent indiscriminate parking. While bike-sharing companies had contributed much to disamenities, they have also played an important role in terms of last-mile connectivity. With the demise of oBike and Ofo, possibly the two operators with the largest fleet of bikes, what is the Ministry doing to ensure that last-mile connectivity is not compromised?”
“I would like to ask Minister Lawrence Wong whether couples buying a bigger BTO flat get a bigger housing subsidy compared to couples buying a smaller BTO flat. If that is the case, why is it that the CPF housing grant for first-timers buying resale flats is smaller for couples buying bigger BTO flats? I would also like to highlight that before the increase in 2017, the amount of CPF housing grant is flat, regardless of the size of the resale flat that these couples are buying.”
“Having young couples move into a mature estate through buying resale flats is also good so that the estate does not grow old. Young families can bring vibrancy and diversity to older estates. It also lessens the pressure on childcare and other school facilities in the newer estates where there are too many BTO flats. Chairman, I have a few suggestions to make today. For new BTO flats, I expect that the implied dollar value subsidy per unit is larger for a 5-room flat than for a 3-room flat. But conversely, the CPF Housing Grant for first-timers buying resale flat is smaller for a bigger unit. I would like to suggest that the CPF Housing Grant be the same, regardless of the size of the flat. The current system is an indirect form of means-testing which is not done for couples buying BTO. The CPF Housing Grant should not be subject to means-testing since the Additional CPF Housing Grant and Special CPF Housing Grant are already subject to means-testing. I also hope that both the CPF Housing Grant and Proximity Housing Grant can be increased so that more couples would consider resale flats as an attractive option. In fact, there are many intangible benefits for young couples to stay near their parents. For children with both parents working, it is important that their grandparents are around to show them love and also pass down traditional values. In summary, I hope HDB can do more to make the purchase of resale flats more attractive to young couples. It is a waste of resources to build ever more BTO flats to meet demand while there are many perfectly fine resale flats available for sale.”
“Chairman, I am sure every Member in this House would have come across two groups of residents at our Meet-the-People Sessions relating to BTO and resale flats. The first group would be young couples asking us to write to HDB because they have not been lucky in getting their BTO flats. Some even told me that they are delaying having a child because they wanted to have a place of their own first. I have always tried to persuade such couples to consider buying a resale flat instead. I will explain that resale prices have softened. HDB has increased the CPF Housing Grant for first-timers buying resale flats from $30,000 to $50,000 for couples buying 4-room or smaller resale flats, and from $30,000 to $40,000 for couples buying 5-room or bigger resale flats. There is also the Proximity Housing Grant of $20,000 for young couples who buy a resale flat near parents within four kilometres (km). I also highlighted to these couples that a resale flat often has a larger floor size. So, although the absolute price may be higher, but the per square foot price may be lower. Unfortunately, even after my "sales pitch", most couples still tell me that they still want BTO because the absolute price of resale flat is still much higher than BTO and they are also concerned about the high cost of renovation for a resale flat as well as the shorter lease period. Chairman, the second group of residents are those who are unable to sell their current HDB flats. They may have purchased another BTO or upgraded to private housing and when the time comes for them to sell, they were unable to do so due to the weak market conditions. So, we have a situation where there are too many buyers for BTO flats and too few buyers for resale flats.”
“Chairman, every worker, whether local or foreign, deserves to work in a safe environment. Can the Ministry share how does Singapore fare when compared against other developed countries, in terms of reducing our workplace fatality rate? Going forward, how can the adoption of technology help companies make further progress in workplace safety and health (WSH)? Can the Ministry share examples of companies that used technology to improve their WSH outcomes? Some businesses have also given feedback that after every fatal incident, additional safety measures are added. While we all understand the importance of workplace safety, how can we also take into consideration legitimate business concerns about the associated cost of implementation as well its impact on productivity? I am not sure if it is true, but a resident told me that to change a light bulb, a company needs to have three workers – one to climb up the ladder, one to hold the ladder and a third who is a safety supervisor. I hope this is not true, as risk must be measured against the cost of avoiding the risk. Crossing the road also has risks but we understand intuitively that it does not make sense to have a safety supervisor at every zebra crossing. I hope the Ministry can do a stocktake of the various WSH measures which have been implemented to see if any of these can be removed without compromising overall safety.”
“Can I ask the Minister, currently, is it an offence for someone who knows of a friend or a family member who is thinking of committing a terrorist act or after he has been self-radicalised, and not to report? If it is not an offence, what are the policy considerations for not making it an offence?”
“Mr Speaker, I rise in support of Budget 2019. Among all the measures announced by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, I am especially happy that we are enhancing WIS to help more low-wage workers as well as increasing the amount of WIS that they can receive. In terms of Government subsidy, it is only fair that the less well-off receive more and the more well-off receive less. Unfortunately, means-testing on a nationwide basis is not easy. So, for ease of administration, the amount of service and conservancy charges (S&CC) rebates, U-Save rebates, GST Voucher in cash and other Government assistance which we give out is thus dependent on the housing type or the annual value of the home being used as a proxy for means-testing. Unfortunately, this often allows a certain portion of relatively well-off individuals who are staying in a smaller flat to receive a higher amount of grants than is fair. As Members of Parliament, we often hear stories from residents that a certain family has a Mercedes but is staying in a 3-room flat to take advantage of such rebates and assistance. Mr Speaker, I would like to suggest adding car ownership as a criterion for means-testing, so the maximum amount any car-owning household would get would be similar to that of a 5-room flat, or a home with an annual value of between $13,000 and $21,000. Any household which owns more than one car would not be entitled to any rebates or vouchers regardless of the housing type. Mr Speaker, I hope that the Ministry of Finance will take my suggestion into consideration for future Budgets, so that the amount that we save can be used to help families that really are in need of assistance.”
“Sir, I believe this is not sufficient. For the case I have highlighted, on the one occasion that HDB and AVA were able to enter the flat, AVA was unable to remove the cats because although the cats were staying in an unhygienic condition, they were generally in good health and the current rules only allow the removal of the animals if they are found to be mistreated or in poor health. As such, I would like to propose broadening NPark’s responsibility to include removing animals where they cause severe public disamenities which would presumably include stench suffered by neighbours. I am not sure if AVA has the power of forced entry. If this is indeed the case, then another suggestion is for NParks to be given the power of forced entry to carry out its duties. To be fair to pet owners, I believe this rule of allowing NParks to enter private property and to remove pets causing severe public disamenities should only be used when all other avenues of solving the case have been exhausted. But nonetheless, it is a useful tool to have in cases where pet owners are uncooperative and recalcitrant. Sir, I hope the relevant authorities can take into account the suggestions I have made today.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. Among other things, this Bill seeks to transfer certain functions currently undertaken by AVA to NParks, which would improve the coordination and implementation of matters relating to animals. Sir, there is currently a rule that cats are not allowed in HDB flats. However, in practice, most of us adopt a live-and-let-live approach. HDB, generally, does not take too much enforcement action as long as the keeping of cats does not affect anyone adversely and the neighbours do not complain. Unfortunately, there are also cases of irresponsible cat owners who keep their cats in an unhygienic condition. I have a resident who keeps many cats in her flat and does not exercise good hygiene or proper cat litter box practice. This case has been going on for more than four years and the stench from the cat faeces is unbearable for the neighbours. And, every few months, the surrounding neighbours of up to 10 different households would come to see me to ask how much longer they have to suffer the stench. There are also complaints of unusual insects spotted in their flats by the neighbours, possibly attracted by the unhygienic environment. It must be surprising that the various agencies are not able to solve this problem after four years. First, HDB does not have the power of forced entry to enter the particular flat to document the facts of the case. The owner is uncooperative and refuses to open the door. So, HDB is unable to enter the flat to confirm the existence of the cats and to serve a summons in person on the flat owner. NParks’ new role covers protecting the welfare, safety and health of animals, as well as preventing and managing threats to public health and safety from animals or plants.”
“On a slightly separate note, I would also like to ask what the estimated cost of minting each 5-cent coin is and whether it would make sense for MAS to fund the coin deposit fee to encourage the recirculation of 5-cent coins so that MAS does not have to mint new 5-cent coins. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, notwithstanding my suggestions today, I support the Bill.”
“Deputy Speaker, Sir, one of the key provisions in this Bill is to streamline the existing legal tender limits for coins to a uniform limit of 20 coins per denomination in each payment. This will bring convenience to retailers and consumers as the uniform limit is easy to remember and easy to implement. In particular, for 5-cent coins, the number is brought down from 40 coins to 20 coins. Sir, I would like to ask if MAS has considered removing the 5-cent coin altogether. Let us face it. Consumers do not like getting any change in 5-cent coins and because consumers do not like receiving any 5-cent coins as change, retailers are forced to deposit them into banks. But banks, too, impose a very high transaction cost for the deposit of coins. A quick check on the Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) Bank’s website indicated that the coin deposit fee is 1.5 cents per coin, which is a whopping 30% of the face value of a 5-cent coin. This is very unfavourable to small business owners and is certainly not cost-effective. We stopped minting 1-cent coins more than 15 years ago because it is no longer actively used by the public. I would like to ask what are the policy considerations for keeping the 5-cent coin and whether it would make sense to reconsider this policy, given inflation and also our push towards encouraging the use of cashless forms of payments. I believe that businesses will face an increasingly high cost to handle cash and the removal of the 5-cent coin will benefit both consumers and retailers in the long run. The Government, too, would save money from minting the 5-cent coins, which are not widely used and universally disliked.”
“I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. Actually, I am quite shocked at the incident at Spize, where there were unregistered food handlers and a total disregard for basic safety. I understand from news reports that eggs that were meant to be discarded were sent to another outlet. I am very happy to note that NEA is increasing the penalties. Currently, the penalties only allow for fines at the first offence. Can I ask, with the revised penalties, is there a jail sentence even for such incidents, for first offence, where it is a total disregard for basic food safety?”
“I would like to highlight that there are a lot of unlicensed moneylenders that pass off as licensed moneylenders. And not to mention FDWs, but even my residents would receive short message service (SMS) from unlicensed moneylenders and they just go ahead to borrow money from them. These turn out to be unlicensed. The measure of sending the FDWs back seems very drastic because the FDW may not know. Can we exercise some flexibility so that, with the consent of the employer, they can actually continue to stay in Singapore?”