Yip Pin Xiu
Singapore
“However, most small and medium-sized sports enterprises require more support as they do not have deep pockets to sustain the business past two months in the current situation.”
“Thank you. I have three clarifications. The first one is with regard to the cut on mental health for athletes. Is it possible to consider having a trained clinical psychologist in the picture because some issues need a bit more than counselling or just general programme.”
“Chairman, Sir, in the last few years, the number of households with at least one member aged 65 years and above who hired a foreign domestic worker has been increasing. It seems that more families are relying on the help of a domestic worker to care for their elderly family member.”
“Perhaps mechanisms could be set up for the swift removal of non-consensually shared intimate materials, even before conviction. In Australia, complaints about one’s intimate recording being shared non-consensually can be made to the eSafety Commissioner online.”
“Let us use these commonalities to move forward, and not let hurdles of small differences, like different technical rules or different equipment, block our view of the finishing line. If we can make a clean sport commitment, a safe sport commitment, I believe we, too, can make an inclusive sport commitment.”
“Sir, I would like to ask, since there is going to be equal support and, for NSAs, it is their own choice to be inclusive or not, at this point in time, because SDSC actually covers more than 20 sports, so, it is not very fair for one NSA to split their funding for 20 sports. So, can there be more funding towards SDSC?”
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“Those with disabilities already often have higher healthcare and personal care costs and these costs are likely to increase as alternative or emergency arrangements are made during the circuit breaker or the phases after that. In addition, some PWDs rely on informal and temporary work arrangements and as such, do not strictly fit into the eligibility requirements of SIRS. Taking that into consideration, can the Government consider extending the amount that is given and the duration of the relief for persons with disabilities or increasing the eligibility to those with higher household incomes? Lastly, it is important to have a disability touch point for the COVID-19 response. Having a touch point within the Government or related agencies where persons with disabilities, their care-givers and organisations can feedback on the accessibility of COVID-19 response information and measures is key. We need a fast response as a delay might cause harm to some individuals in special situations. This touch point ensures that there is two-way communication about the COVID-19 response and we can identify the gaps quickly and share best practices. The best way to find out what people need is to ask them. In this pandemic, we have to look out for all so that we can truly be an inclusive and united Singapore. I support the Budget.”
“While there is an existing Assistive Technology Fund for Persons with Disabilities, it is a reimbursement fund tied to means testing and the reimbursement can also take up to three weeks which may not be a feasible option for those who are struggling financially. Schemes such as NEU PC to provide laptops to students from low-income families are welcome. However, assistive technology and aids are usually more expensive to purchase. This translates to a loss of income and opportunities to retrain or learn new skills. Socially, the lack of access to IT equipment can mean missing out on opportunities to maintain or grow connections with friends and families. This can in turn negatively impact those with psycho-social disabilities, increasing mental stress and straining existing coping mechanisms. As we are encouraged to work from home or have home-based learning, what assistance is being provided to ensure that the assistive technology is available in all homes for persons with disabilities? Many of them face socio-economic challenges and may not be able to afford IT equipment, assistive aids and broadband to help them better cope with life in this period of time. Persons with disabilities who had jobs that cannot be done online or had difficulties finding employment before the COVID-19 pandemic are even more concerned that they will not be able to return to work or get a job. They are also concerned about the accessibility or inclusivity of job training and retraining programmes. The financial assistance provided by the Temporary Relief fund, COVID-19 Support Grant and other schemes such as SIRS are greatly appreciated.”
“This may be a combination of there not being enough slots as well as the accessibility of websites not being optimal. Other than food, access to medical prescriptions and other health care supplies are highly essential as well. Existing volunteer networks can be activated to help deliver these supplies. If possible, doctors should be able to see their at-risk patients online for check ups because they are afraid of going to hospitals to get exposed yet they do need to see the doctor for their regular check up. Besides medications, some disabilities require more home care and physiotherapy services. These services cannot be stopped as it will bring detrimental results mentally and physically to PWDs and their family. In some cases, not getting their physiotherapy will result in irreversible loss of muscle or contracture which will permanently impact their quality of life. In just two weeks' time, they would have permanently lost quite a bit of function. Employment of persons with disabilities remains relatively low in Singapore and for those that are employed, not all are fortunate enough to be able to execute their work from home. The main issues for PWDs working from home are whether their employers can adequately physically and financially provide the assistive devices and technology they may need to work at home. Many themselves are not able to do so because of their socio-economic challenges. For PWDs whose job scope used to be done predominantly face-to-face, the added need for technology to be able to potentially do the work online would mean increased spending.”
“Over the weekend, I was watching a live panel discussion on social media – Get Active TV that featured Minister Fu and SportSG. They too had a Singapore Sign Language interpreter and live notes. I am very heartened at this great development and hopefully this can continue on all other updates and media during this time and beyond. We look forward to a time when all media comes with live Singapore Sign Language interpretation. This is important because that is the first language for many people who are deaf. We need public materials that can be converted into "Easy Read" format so that they can be accessible for people with cognitive impairment. We need to develop accessible written information products by using appropriate document formats with structured headings, large print, braille versions and formats for people who are deafblind or visually impaired. The images we put out out there have to be inclusive and enable the independence of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). For example, the current level of safe entry QR code tends to be placed a bit too high. A consideration could be to place it at varying easy to reach heights as we have done so with many lift buttons. Next, supermarkets have done a great job at dealing with the increased demand and restocking of shelves. The priority shopping hour for vulnerable groups is a great start and we hope that persons with all disabilities can access this, including those with invisible disabilities. Some PWDs find it difficult to go to supermarkets because they are staying at home due to having compromised immune systems. Hence, other than a priority shopping hour, introducing priority delivery slots will also help. Many PWDs are finding it hard to get deliveries.”
“In this period of time, how many Singaporeans have thought about how somebody who is blind and living alone while observing safe distancing measures is coping? If a student with muscular dystrophy needs an oxygen tank with a breathing mask and their teacher asks them to put on a face mask or shield, which would mean that they have to take the oxygen tank off, so that the teacher does not get into trouble for not observing the measures. How would this affect the student and their family? In times like this, it is especially crucial to look out for those who may be struggling more than others. I recognise that SGEnable and Social Service Agency partners are helping people with special needs and the vulnerable in the community. I see the C.A.R.E initiative by Mediacorp Enable Fund aiming to help people with disabilities and their care-givers ride out the COVID-19 pandemic as the impact on this community has been, in their words "disproportionately huge". This fund is driven by public donations and we greatly appreciate that. Together, we can all continue playing a part to ensure no one falls through the cracks. The lack of information to certain disability groups in Singapore is counter-productive to the effort in combating the COVID-19 outbreak. The right to information is crucial for ensuring public awareness, trust and fighting misinformation. We have to ensure that public health information and communication is accessible on all important media publications. It would be ideal if a Singapore Sign Language interpreter is present for all live, recorded events and communications. This includes national addresses, press briefings and live social media. I am happy to see that the Budget speech last week included Singapore Sign Language and live notes.”
“Sports and fitness businesses are an important pillar of this industry as they bring expertise, knowledge and organised play to the table. They employ passionate Singaporeans that are constantly shaping the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds. And we need them to thrive so as to achieve the outcomes I spoke about earlier. One of the ways is to provide them access to the many facilities that we have developed over the years. We have many facilities that are largely reserved for use only by the public sector. Opening up access would create more opportunities for the industry to grow. More importantly, to build sustainability, we also need to accelerate the growth of businesses who have great potential. For these companies, we could offer support for growth, examples include upskilling of workforce, hiring of middle aged educators who are looking for a career switch, support for programme or curriculum development and support for new market development. Another approach is to take a more inclusionary path in organising the Sports and Fitness industry. SportSG as a regulator has done a fantastic job with its various initiatives to get people to participate in sports. However, the impact may be greater and faster, if we allow the Sports and Fitness industry operators to help in this process. One of the ways we could do this is to allow the Sports and Fitness industry to fill in the gaps and allow them to grow, rather than to take a one size fits all approach. In the long run, we will have a more vibrant, sustainable sporting Singapore. Mr Speaker, the next group of people that I will be speaking for, are some people that tend to be left behind because they have more specific circumstances and needs that you might not think about unless you were in their shoes.”
“Personally, being actively involved in sports since a young age has helped me greatly. My parents saw the value in sports. It has not only helped me physically but also mentally and emotionally. When I was younger, I was not a very good student. I did not get good grades, but after winning a gold medal at the Paralympics in Beijing, I came back and did my "O" levels. I did not hit my expectations but thankfully I managed to get into Polytechnic. Then, I thought to myself, why not use the perseverance, grit, focus and everything I learnt from swimming to apply to my studies? I was then laser focused on getting my grades up and started to do pretty well and eventually got into SMU. If not for swimming, I would not be where i am today. When kids start participating more in sports, their families watch them play and that helps with family bonding. This leads to a more supportive family and community. Parents are our first sport coaches and they impart social and family values through play. Similarly, as we age, other important values can be imparted through sports. For the sporting industry to be sustainable in Singapore, we must create a stronger industry with more opportunities. For our sporting culture to grow, the Sports and Fitness industry must grow too. Sport Singapore has done a commendable job with Active SG, Singapore Sports Institute, Sports Cares and more. We have amazing facilities and host world class events. We must continue our efforts and continue to improve by growing the sports industry. As a regulator, an approach would be to work closer with the private sector to enhance capabilities, resources and business opportunities.”
“Yes, payments can be done online, some activities can shift online but It will be hard to do things like instructions online especially for our younger, older and special population groups that require a greater level of supervision. Certain activities that require a physical medium like swimming, will also lose out, because, say for example, why would parents want their children to do land activities online for swimming classes when they can take up a land sport instead? Some businesses need more help than digitising. For those that can find a way to digitise, the Enterprise Innovation and Capability Development Grant was announced a week ago. This grant supports businesses that can come out with innovative and smart solutions within the sport industry. We eagerly await the application instructions. More importantly, this is also a great opportunity for the Government to take a more holistic approach in improving the entire industry and provide the infrastructural approach and guidance to help the industry grow. This could be done by taking a more inclusive approach in education and towards the sporting enterprises, to help them grow together with this economy. More emphasis needs to be placed on sports in Singapore. Starting from our schools. We must create an environment where sports is a bigger part of the curriculum from kindergarten all the way through Junior College and Polytechnic. Sports is nowhere near the top of our priority list, but what we learn from sports will also play a big part in our education. Institutions should embrace sporting values into their own culture. When we adequately and holistically impart the fun and advantages of sport in them at a young age, it helps to translate into lifelong participation in sports.”
“When Phase Two comes, outdoor sporting facilities can open again. Sports and Fitness is a highly varied industry, with many different kinds of activities – from outdoor sports, to personal training sessions, to tennis where players stand on opposing ends of the court, to swimming, to indoor activities such as yoga and kickboxing. There are questions that many businesses are asking – when the numbers remain low, what will the plan be? What about indoor facilities and when these facilities can start again, what will the most number of people be allowed in at any point in time? These details will help this industry be more certain and help the industry chart the path ahead. With all the positives that this industry brings to Singaporeans, we still want to see them around after the COVID-19 pandemic so that they can continue contributing positively to the community. If we continue doing our parts to keep each other safe, we can look forward to getting back into sporting activities safely. The rest of the services associated with the Sports and Fitness industry that I had highlighted above would also be able to better plan their respective businesses and know how to react to the new norms when the time comes. We will all have to adapt to a new kind of normal, to include safe distancing measures and ensure we come out of this stronger. We talk about digitising in times like this. However, the Sports and Fitness industry is one of the sectors that is harder to digitise, as its very essence is to get people to go out and be active, healthy and interact socially.”
“Sports and fitness are for people of all ages, abilities and walks of life. More importantly, the Sports and Fitness industry is one of the industries that has a huge knock-on effect to the rest of the economy since the Sports and Fitness industry is not just about people exercising or playing games – it also involves many other sectors and businesses such as tourism, retail, events management, marketing, sports education and training, support services such as Public Relations, fundraising and so on. I understand that we must now proceed with caution as we slowly emerge after two months of circuit breaker measures and I wholeheartedly agree with it. We do not want our efforts to go to waste. We must all still do our part. The current JSS scheme supports businesses that are unable to resume when a circuit breaker ends, with 75% of monthly wages till August or until they open. When a Sports and Fitness industry opens. Again, it will receive 25% of Monday wages being in JSS Tier 3. However, there will be many safe distancing measures in placed. For example, only being able to have one person per swimming lane or the spacing between each individual has to be huge, hence, only accommodating six people in the studio at all times. This cut in numbers will result in a low income coming in. The Sports and Fitness industry is finding it difficult to survive. Now, as they already had to dig in the reserves for the past two months or so. Besides paying their employees who may have already taken a pay cut, there are also other expenses. If unable to cope, these schools and clubs might start closing down and it will affect our pipeline as the schools and clubs are an important pathway for our sporting performance. Right now, what will be helpful is if we have a clearer view.”
“Mr Speaker, last week when Deputy Prime Minister delivered the Fortitude Budget, I had a moment of relief, as did many Singaporeans, to hear that the Government is helping to keep jobs and giving more support to businesses that might be struggling. The relief for sectors hit hardest and businesses still unable to open is very much welcomed. It has been months of hard work by the Government. Thank you for your dedication and to Singaporeans for playing their part. Many businesses are affected during this period, with many unsure of their future. This COVID-19 pandemic is causing unparalleled uncertainty across many fronts. One industry that I am immersed in is the sports and fitness industry. With the reliefs, businesses may have less worries for the next month or so but with the uncertainty of when they can resume operations due to safe distancing measures, or when Singaporeans will come back to sports due to their own personal concerns of safety, it is difficult for them to plan for the future. This industry is having a tough time. Most sports and fitness activities stopped even before the circuit breaker started as there were already other measures in place to flatten the curve at that point of time. Most gyms and studios have frozen or adjusted their memberships to retain clients, while some are conducting online classes. Planned events from competitions to fundraising events have been cancelled. All these had led to significant revenue loss across the sector. These are businesses that keep our society healthy and resilient and the COVID-19 pandemic is putting them at a risk. Sports and fitness helps to build a stronger national identity. It improves our health, productivity, reduces medical expenses and enhances social cohesion.”
“However, most small and medium-sized sports enterprises require more support as they do not have deep pockets to sustain the business past two months in the current situation. I hope that the Deputy Prime Minister can consider prolonging the increased JSS support past April in order to help these enterprises in this affected sector to retain their employees. With this increased support, our sports enterprises will be able to use the opportunity to focus on re-calibrating their strategies during the downtime and emerge stronger, in a better position, to bring more benefits to Singapore and Singaporeans quicker when the situation improves. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Budgets.”
“These companies have been affected since the outbreak of the pandemic in January 2020. And with every new measure being implemented to help flatten the curve, it has been harder for these companies to continue operations given the drop in number of patrons and students of such establishments. Currently, many of them face a huge loss of revenue and to manage their bottom line, cost cutting measures were taken in order for them to stay afloat. Rent and manpower-related issues are the largest component of expenses. Some enterprises received rent relief from their landlords. However, dealing with manpower-related expenses such as salary has been more tricky. In some instances, salaries have been cut in order to minimise the number of layoffs. Since 24 March, where the advisory was to suspend all children and youth-centric sports programmes, most companies are facing zero revenues. When the circuit breaker measures were announced, it was seen that there would be mandatory closures of many sporting establishments on 7 April. These SMEs which are considered "non-essential services" will face a larger strain on their finances. After the circuit breaker, if the regulatory measures in the sports sector still remain the same as before the circuit breaker, many companies in this affected sector will still be facing a high loss of revenue, and in some cases, no revenue given that recovery will be a protracted process in light of these disruptions. While the Resilience Budget provided for Job Support Scheme (JSS) support, these SMEs in this sector qualify for 25% on the first $4,600 of monthly salaries. With the Solidarity Budget, the JSS support increases to 75% for the month of April.”
“More importantly, it will keep more Singaporeans home and safe. The second one is with regards to public transport social distancing during school dismissal hours. With the new measures enforced, schools and Institutes of Higher Learning will be conducting full home-based learning from 8 April onwards. However, when home-based learning stops, we can consider staggering school hours even more, just like how we encourage the staggering of office hours to deal with peak hour traffic on public transports. Currently, public transport is packed with students from different schools during their commute in the morning and when school ends. This has resulted in large crowds in the trains and buses during such periods, contrary to the concept of social distancing, which the Government has been advocating. While it may not be feasible to enforce social distancing on trains, the Government can consider staggering school hours even more to reduce the number of students traveling on public transport at the same time. Lastly, I would like to share my thoughts on sports. Sports has the ability to transcend boundaries and provide immeasurable benefits to one's well-being. Sport Singapore's core purpose is to inspire the Singapore spirit and transform Singapore through sports and they have done well thus far. Behind the scenes, there are many sports enterprises which contribute to the success of Singapore as a vibrant sporting hub. In addition, sports-related activities tend to bring in a large number of participants and spectators from around the world, boosting tourism figures. I have heard from many sports enterprises about the issues they are facing with their businesses in this period. These include sporting event companies, mega gyms, clubs and even social clubs.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Resilience Budget announced last week to help Singaporeans and businesses emerge stronger showed support for workers and households, stabilising businesses and building our resilience as a country. As we see more and more Singaporeans getting affected by the COVID-19 situation, I am heartened and thankful that the Government has devoted a war chest of $48 billion to help and support Singaporeans. This amount has increased even more with the announcement of the Solidarity Budget today. Today, I would like to touch on three concerns arising from the people around me during this situation. On 3 April, it was announced that to enhance safe distancing measures, Singaporeans were encouraged to stay at home and to generally avoid leaving the house. At supermarkets, it is not uncommon to find people stocking up on their food supplies despite the Government's message that there will be ample supplies. Given the surge in demand, online grocery companies are also facing difficulties in fulfilling orders. Some have resorted to placing limits on the number of items and weight in order to cope with the demand. Taxi and private car hire drivers are allowed to make home deliveries to meet increased demand. However, even with such measures in place, these companies are often very stretched and are not able to cater to more customers when their delivery slots are full. With more Singaporeans encouraged to stay at home, we need to find ways to increase grocery deliveries in order to take the pressure off physical supermarket outlets. When Singaporeans know that delivery slots and essential items on online supermarket platforms are available and not difficult to secure, they will be more assured, hence, alleviating the crowds at physical supermarket locations.”
“Thank you. I have three clarifications. The first one is with regard to the cut on mental health for athletes. Is it possible to consider having a trained clinical psychologist in the picture because some issues need a bit more than counselling or just general programme. And sometimes athletes need these professionals to also understand high-performance sports. So, it might be a bit harder for them to go outside and seek help. Next, on the One Team Singapore funding, I understand that the Ministry wants to encourage philanthropy towards sports. However, is it also possible if a programme can be developed for corporates to see the value and potential in sports so that they can possibly allow sports in Singapore to thrive and be a bit more sustainable. And lastly, referring back to my cut, is it possible for Sports Singapore to set up a challenge fund for NSA integrations for those NSAs that have already raised interest?”
“If this Fund can apply to sponsorships as well, it can encourage corporates to play a bigger part in supporting local sports. FIFA World Cup 2034”
“Athletes retiring and transitioning out of sports can also find it difficult mentally and emotionally as most athletes have been doing this sport their whole life and it is their identity. Currently, the support for sports psychology is excellent. However, the support is for athletes to perform at a highest level and they may not be trained to help athletes with their mental well-being or any mental health issues. The programme, Mind Matters, was created in 2017 to develop the mental health framework but the reach in this programme has been very limited with only five full sessions being conducted to 55 participants. Would the Ministry consider providing mental health support as a strategic priority, and clarify what measures are in place for current and retiring athletes in this regard? 11.45 am One Team Singapore Fund Sir, onto my third cut for our One Team Singapore Fund. The One Team Singapore Fund serves as a multiplier to help sporting organisations level up their high performance. Most National Sports Associations (NSAs) are small outfits and work very hard to source for funding. One way is to market the NSA or its athletes to secure sponsorships, where it then becomes a win-win situation for both the NSA and the sponsor. While such sponsorships may be geared towards high performance, the One Team Singapore funding mechanism only allows donations to be matched and not sponsorships. This regulation appears to penalise the NSA for their efforts, rather than the sponsor. If the concern is sponsors receiving "double" benefit through "doubled" recognition for the matched funds, can this be mitigated by imposing a condition on the matched funds, rather than rejecting such matching altogether?”
“While most employers are benefiting from grant schemes to redesign jobs and work environments to employ PWDs, soft skills are equally important to PWDs for employability. Finally, the DSMP currently focuses mainly on outreach, and not on future development. However, if one of the aim is to build awareness and strengthen affinity with Team Singapore athletes, is there a possibility for DSMP to look at the entire spectrum of disability sports, from outreach to development to performance, and work with the current existing stakeholders in the respective areas to maximise efficiency of the resources? In the last COS I raised the topic on Integrating National Sports Systems. To date, while there have been national sport systems that have voiced their interest in inclusion, concrete steps are still missing to support this progression in a systemic manner. We can have a challenge fund under Sport Singapore to encourage NSAs towards integration. The Disability Sports Master Plan plays a big role in increasing participation and making Singapore a more accessible, inclusive and caring community. I am very eager to be a part of this ecosystem while we move towards our vision of Sports without Boundaries. The next phase of the DSMP can help to build bridges with various ministries and partner social service agencies to enable Singaporeans where they can have a better quality of life and lead an active and healthy life through sports. Mental Health Support for Athletes Sir, I will now take my second cut on Mental Health Support for Athletes. As an athlete, I have seen many of my peers face pressures from their sport, academics, work, and different aspects from their life. These pressures can sometimes affect their mental well-being.”
“If the children of today are exposed to this I believe that there is a higher chance they will grow up thinking that being inclusive is normal. The students will learn that it is possible to adapt, to include the people around them. and people with disabilities are not that different from them. The landscape will change not only for our youth with disabilities but will also lay a strong foundation in our young for a caring and inclusive society. As a model, the DSMP should also encourage inclusive partnerships at a higher order, such as having Special Education Schools included in the School Sports Council. Third, in a study highlighted by the DSMP, most VWOs, now called social service agencies, overlook the benefits that sports and physical activity can bring to PWDs and their overall well-being, due to the sources of their funding. An example is a recent Community Chest Charity Support Fund call, where it was informed that "agencies that support programmes that contribute to the psycho-socio well-being of target clients" would be eligible for funding, but such programmes would exclude "sports". It confused me that sports were not considered to contribute to psycho-socio well-being, where in fact an annex in the DSMP was dedicated to this. Are we able to review programmes and capability funding to social service agencies to promote sports, and reduce “oversight” of such benefits? Fourth, with transportation being highlighted as a critical factor preventing sports participation, can we explore expanding the current transport subsidy schemes and assistive technology schemes to support PWD in pursuing Quality of Life activities, such as sports?”
“From an initiative started out to fill gaps, we should now look at the whole landscape and think of how to build bridges of opportunities with other sectors that work closely with PWDs, to maximise the potentials of the DSMP, with strategic execution. I firmly believe that this plan has the ability to determine the speed of success for Sports Without Boundaries in Singapore in the long run. Is a second version of the DSMP in the works, to review the landscape, and build bridges of opportunities, and support more aspects of disability sports? While programmes and infrastructure are improving, we should also leverage existing investments to promote access and build affinity for inclusion. Firstly, while PE teachers have undergone training in inclusive PE, have we evaluated whether they are now confident in carrying out inclusive PE? How many students with disabilities are still not participating in PE? My peers and I have gone through the exact same experience during our school days. I have been told to sit out and look after school bags while the rest of my classmates were in PE class. We were looked at differently, as if PE was something that did not matter to us, yet somehow essential for able-body students to gain different benefits, like teamwork and social networking. Secondly, if we look at engagements in schools, CCAs form another channel where we can layer on our investments to promote inclusion through sport. Schools can be supported to convert existing CCAs to welcome suitable students with disabilities, while specialised CCAs on para sports can provide a setting for students with and without disabilities to increase interaction and develop inclusive partnerships.”
“Mr Chairman, I declare my interest as a current athlete. The Disability Sports Master Plan, otherwise known as the DSMP, started its implementation in 2016. It was formed after the Vision 2030 exercise to redefine the role of sport in Singapore. One of the four Strategic Themes in Vision 2030 is ‘Sport without Boundaries’ where sports should be inclusive, with opportunities for people of all abilities to participate. DSMP was born to address gaps in the existing ecosystem to provide support for disability sports. For the past three years, DSMP has been able to react and address some of these gaps. I am highly appreciative of the planning and investment. Perhaps it is timely that we now do a stocktake, and review what had worked, and what are new opportunities that may not have been available when DSMP was first implemented. After research done in 2015, the DSMP had identified the barriers to participation and had three broad recommendations then; which was to expand access and opportunities for sports participation by PWDs, develop organisational and professional capabilities in disability sports, and build public awareness of disability sports and strengthen affinity with Team Singapore athletes. So far, the DSMP team has come up with three disability sports programs which is the Play-Ability, Yes! I Can and Intro a Sport, There are plans to make sports complex more accessible. Currently there are seven inclusive gyms and pool wheelchairs have been put in place at five Active SG pools where there are ramps into the pools. Para Sports Coaching courses have been organised and there has been outreach and engagements, opportunities for volunteers. I would like to know if measurable outcomes were set in relation to the intended broad outcomes of the DSMP.”
“Chairman, Sir, in the last few years, the number of households with at least one member aged 65 years and above who hired a foreign domestic worker has been increasing. It seems that more families are relying on the help of a domestic worker to care for their elderly family member. Does the Ministry expect a growth in this number over the next few years? Overall, does the Ministry view foreign domestic workers as a long-term measure in supporting our aging population? What is the Government's overall strategy to the role of foreign domestic workers in providing eldercare? Will this extend to the government's management of foreign domestic worker employment agencies? Emerging data from AWARE's research on foreign domestic workers' role in eldercare suggest that domestic workers experience the lack of training in providing eldercare as a source of work stress. Would the Ministry consider mandating training for domestic workers who are hired to care for older persons or persons who need assistance with a certain number of Activities of Daily Living? Respite for Care-givers”
“Chairman, for persons with disabilities (PWDs), medical rehabilitation is always available. What is neither routinely recommended nor provided is any kind of mental health rehabilitation and support. Discrimination and abuse add their own weight to the already present guilt and shame many PWDs experience. It prevents the PWD from speaking out against it or seeking external help to cope with it. Can there be more information on where PWDs can seek access to mental healthcare if necessary? The idea persists that PWDs are disabled, not mentally challenged, and therefore do not require mental health support. This view serves only to perpetuate the stigma around mental health concerns and makes it extremely challenging for PWDs to access mental healthcare. Access to mental healthcare for deaf persons is one such example. Given that mental health support is typically given through oral consultation, whether in counseling or therapy, can the Ministry share what measures are in place to ensure that those who are hard of hearing or deaf are adequately supported by our mental healthcare professionals, both in public hospitals and community settings? Community Mental Health”
“Chairman, employers should ensure a safe and inclusive workplace for all workers, regardless of contractual status, by preventing and responsibly handling workplace sexual harassment. Yet, for many Singaporeans, this unwelcome dilemma is a daily reality. In the last year, AWARE handled 212 cases of workplace harassment of women comprising sexual and non-sexual harassment, which suggests that few employers have comprehensive policies and robust training in this area. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices guides employers and employees on preventing and managing workplace harassment. However, the Ministry does not track how many employers have implemented the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment. Can the Ministry intensify promotion of the advisory standards to employers, including setting up and maintaining a public database for employers to voluntarily declare that they have written policies to manage workplace harassment? There is no legal duty for employers to follow the tripartite advisory. Many women seeking help from the Workplace Harassment and Discriminatory Advisory at AWARE hesitated at raising a formal complaint with their employers or any other authorities because they did not think that they will be taken seriously. Some worried that there will be no follow-up action to hold their employers accountable. These concerns are usually the result of a lack of proper internal structures for reporting and handling harassment complaints. Can the Government also consider ratifying and adopting the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 and to oblige employers to create environments that are free from harassment, and for employers to institute formal policies and structures to deal with harassment?”
“Work hours in Singapore could also be shorter. In 2018, Singapore residents worked an average of 44.9 hours a week, the shortest it has been in a decade but still higher than the average number of hours put in by workers in every OECD country. Shorter work hours have also been associated with increased productivity and lower stress levels, according to numerous trials around the world. An overall reduction of work time could allow workers to juggle work and care better. The Ministry can also introduce a dedicated "returnship" programme that provides clear employment pathways for women who wish to return to the labour force. Furthermore, the Ministry can also pay more attention to wage levels in female-dominated industries and occupations. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Committee has recommended that Singapore reduce the gender wage gap by regularly reviewing wages in sectors in which women are concentrated and establishing effective monitoring and regulatory mechanisms for employment and recruitment processes to ensure that the principle of equal pay for equal value is adhered to in all sectors. Employers could also be required to publish gender and disability-disaggregated salary and bonus data and carry out evaluations assessing if pay gaps are due to gender or other forms of discrimination. Workplace Transformation and Practices”
“Chairman, it is encouraging to see that the adjusted gender pay gap has decreased over the decades, but we should remain concerned at the unadjusted gap which has barely shifted and remains at 16.3% in 2018. One explanation for the gap is the inequality in the division of care-giving responsibilities between gender, which significantly limits the choices and opportunities for women. The need to juggle work and care often results in women ending up in lower paying jobs which offer more flexible or shorter working hours. To tackle this, we can reconfigure workplace culture and enable men to share more equally in care-giving. First, the uptake of paternity and shared parental leave by fathers needs to increase. Reports have found that men who take time off for childcare directly contribute to their female partners' earnings later on in life. According to a study in Sweden – where a family loses some of its designated paid parental leave unless the father takes it – a woman's earnings rose by 7% for every month of leave taken by her husband. Singapore could consider introducing a compulsory quota for men or offer a longer quantum of gender-neutral parental leave for parents to share as they wish. Second, work arrangements can be designed to accommodate care-giving. Employees should have the right to request for Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA). A study on the implementation of FWA found that the organisational cultures of workplaces in Singapore did not normalise or formalise FWA. Employers were also "wary" about the change in face-time with employees under FWA, which could "potentially complicate employee assessment and surveillance". Legislating the right for employees to request for FWA could institute an organisational cultural shift.”
“Perhaps mechanisms could be set up for the swift removal of non-consensually shared intimate materials, even before conviction. In Australia, complaints about one’s intimate recording being shared non-consensually can be made to the eSafety Commissioner online. The Commissioner is then empowered to issue removal notices for the end-user or service provider to remove the materials in question within 48 hours. We should consider having such a similar mechanism in place. I hope that Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and the team behind the Budget will take these suggestions into consideration.”
“This means that whether students get their case investigated, how it will be investigated and what the outcome may be, and what support they receive as victims would differ, depending on where they go to school. This should not be the case. Violence is violence, and should be dealt with in the same way, regardless of institutional setting. Therefore, I believe the way forward is for the development of a national code or guideline addressing campus sexual violence that all education institutions can adopt. This code should set out the duties of the schools to ensure zero tolerance of sexual harassment, provide adequate victim-care support and set out standards and principles for investigating and managing complaints. Another worrying trend is the rise of sexual violence involving the use of technology, such as social media, spy cameras and mobile recording devices. According to the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), the number of technology-facilitated sexual violence cases they have seen had increased threefold in the last three years. In 2018, they saw 124 cases, more than half of which involved sexual images of the survivors that were non-consensually shared, obtained or created. The effects of technology-facilitated sexual violence on the survivor can be just as traumatic as other forms of sexual violence. Having one’s privacy being invaded and intimate images of themselves shared publicly without consent render a distressing sense of helplessness. Even with the successful conviction of the perpetrator, the traumatic effects of having one’s intimate images and recordings still circulating in the public domain will still be felt by survivors. I hope that survivors of such offences can be better protected.”
“What needs and gaps in knowledge do they have that are not being met by the curriculum? According to the United Nations, comprehensive sexuality education, apart from providing scientifically accurate information about sexual and reproductive health, also importantly includes discussion about gender roles, human rights, gender equality and threats, such as discrimination and sexual violence. Our sexuality education syllabus should be inclusive and explicitly address these topics. I now turn my attention to campus sexual violence. News headlines have recently been dominated by sexual offences committed within education institutions. From the Academic Year 2015/2016 to 2017/2018, 56 cases of sexual misconduct were reported to autonomous universities in Singapore and 37 of these cases were reported to the Police. Given the stigma around sexual violence, it is reasonable to assume that many more of such cases go unreported. Students have a right to feel safe in schools. In 2016, it was asked if the Ministry of Education (MOE) would formulate guidelines and provide anti-harassment training to staff in tertiary institutions in Singapore based on the recommendations of the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment. Then, they responded that institution-specific codes of conduct were already in place to prevent harassment on campuses across the nation. However, in the wake of Monica Baey's brave sharing last year, it has become apparent that relying on individual institutions to develop their own policies and protocols is often inadequate. There is an uneven level of protection across institutions, with differing definitions of what constitutes harassment, and varying complaint, investigation and disciplinary processes.”
“I hope the Government can review the subsidy system to ensure that the cost of these services are not prohibitively high to families, including middle-income ones. On to the next topic, having just graduated from Singapore Management University (SMU) in the recent years, I am particularly concerned about the recent spate in campus sexual violence cases as well as how the use of technology has enabled new forms of sexual violence to be committed. This next part of my speech would focus on how we can better address these two forms of violence. But first, I would stress the importance that sex education plays in ending violence against women. Efforts to address sexual violence are usually focused on legislation, punishment and remedying the effects for survivors. However, there is a crucial need to address social norms and attitudes which enable sexual violence. The prevalence of sexual violence, committed overwhelmingly by men against women, reveals an ugly truth about the way society views women: that women are not human. Sexual violence is fundamentally rooted in the idea that women are objects, devoid of agency, rights and feelings, that women exist for men's pleasure, that women are not equal to men. Education on consent, sexual violence, gender equality, is, therefore, absolutely necessary to transform society's understanding and views for the better. In this vein, I believe that the sexuality education children and young persons receive in schools is a powerful tool to catalyse change from young. Is the current sexuality education curriculum reflective of and relatable to young people's experiences with sex, sexuality and gender-based violence today? Are students themselves consulted to find what they need and want to learn from sexuality education?”
“Can we consider legislating the right for employees to request for flexible work arrangements (FWA)? Such legislation has already been successfully introduced in the United Kingdom (UK), New Zealand, Canada and Australia. Research shows that current utilisation of FWAs is low due to bias by middle management and requirements for "facetime" at the office for performance appraisal, bias against part-timers and reluctance to change the status quo. Without equal mandated access, those most in need, like caregivers, are likely to be denied access to FWA and will have no choice but to exit the workforce. Second, childcare leave should be converted to family care leave so that all workers have the option to utilise it for their dependants. Those with children and other older dependants should be given a longer quantum of leave. Unpaid caregiving leave is not sufficient for caregivers as they must use up their own personal and medical leave, leading to caregiver burnout and health problems. Currently, family leave that allows for caregiving of relatives is voluntary, unlike childcare leave that is mandated at six days paid per parent for Singapore Citizens. In 2018, only 20% of companies offered some type of paid family care leave. Finally, we need to continue expanding care options, whether it is through hiring a professional homecare nurse, going to a daycare centre or living in a retirement home. We need to make these options affordable for families. According to a local study, they found that lower- and middle-income households would spend between 23% and 59% of their household income on long-term care services after subsidies. The figures are 24% to 63% for upper middle-income households.”
“When you become a caregiver, it very often becomes the central identity and the focal point of your life, and you find that the other aspects of your life: your job, friends, hobbies, leisure time have to accommodate caregiving, not the other way around. How can we better redistribute caregiving responsibilities between men and women, but also between the family, community and state? How can we, as a society, ensure that caregivers are not compromising on their own health and financial security as they carry out this often invisible and thankless work? Over the years, the Government has introduced numerous policies to support family caregivers, including most recently the Caregiver Support Action Plan. Many of these initiatives, such as the subsidies for long-term care services and foreign domestic worker levy, have no doubt been of tremendous help to those who benefited from them. However, I believe that our efforts can still be strengthened and would call for even bolder moves. To start, we need up-to-date and more robust data on caregivers in Singapore. The last national survey on informal caregiving was conducted almost a decade ago. There should be regular systematic tracking of the number of caregivers in order to understand the scale of challenges they are facing. Next, I highlight two workplace policy suggestions that have been raised by various experts and civil society organisations like the Singapore Alliance of Women in Ageing. Workplaces need to accommodate care, not the other way around when we recognise and accept the fact that all workers, including those who are employers, will likely find themselves with caregiving responsibilities at some point in their lives.”
“The female caregivers are also usually wives or adult daughters of the care recipient. The pressure on women to be caregivers has a great impact on their ability to engage in paid work. In 2018, over 280,000 women were outside the labour force primarily because of caregiving to relatives or family members apart from children. In comparison, just over 15,000 men cited the same reason for being outside the labour force. The compromises that women make to their work lives negatively impacts their financial security. According to Central Provident Fund (CPF) statistics, about four in 10 active CPF members who turned 55 in 2017 did not meet the Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) of $83,000 in their Retirement Accounts. Among them, women have more difficulty meeting the BRS. Similarly, a recent study shows that female family caregivers to older persons experienced a change in work situation because of caregiving, suffering a 63% loss in income on average, which translated into an average annual loss of more than $50,000. Ask any caregiver around you and you will know that it demands a great deal of energy, time, resources and attention. You could find yourself waking up several times throughout the night to attend to your loved ones' needs, or having to spend hours persuading them to take their medication, or even straining your back trying to physically move them. For the hundreds of thousands of caregivers out there, stress, burnout and feelings of resentment may not be uncommon. Not only do they have to contend with the physical stress of caregiving, they are also struggling to balance the demands of paid work and dealing with care-related expenses which they are also now responsible for.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Budget and I applaud what is being done for Singaporeans in this Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation. I dedicate my speech today to two important issues close to my heart, caregiving and ending sexual violence. It is my hope in 2020 that we dedicate more attention to addressing these critical issues and make greater strides towards a more inclusive society and a safer society for all. Today, my parents are 65. They lead active lives, but 10 years down the road, their lives could possibly be very different as they enter their golden years. As a child to my ageing parents, the prospect of assuming some caregiving responsibilities sometime in the near future weighs on my mind. I am hardly alone in this. Around me, peers of my age share similar concerns. The old age dependency ratio in Singapore has been declining over the decades. In 1990, it was 10.5 younger persons to an elderly person. In 2019, the ratio has halved to 4.5. As our loved ones grow older, there are fewer of us to share the labour and responsibilities of caregiving with. How will we continue to lead the lives we have when we potentially also have to be caregivers? Would our work schedules allow us to juggle work and care? Would we be able to afford hiring professional help? What other options are there for our parents to age with dignity? For women, the pressures are felt even more acutely as societal norms continue to promote caregiving as women's responsibility. A 2011 national survey on caregiving for elderly individuals, those above 75 years old requiring help with at least one activity of daily living found that 97.9% of all informal caregivers in Singapore are immediate family members, with more of them being female and between 45 and 59 years old.”
“As such, there is a need to enhance current penalties in order to deter such behaviour. Next, I would like to talk about the distribution or threat to distribute intimate images. While there has been an effort to educate the public on the dangers of recording images of oneself online in compromising positions, some, especially youths who are more tech-savvy, may land themselves in these situations. While filming these images, they were expecting total privacy between the consenting parties. However, if things do go sour, these films could be distributed as part of revenge. While the victims are able to contact platforms to take the video images down, there could be countless sites hosting these images. And it would require time for such action, during which the images could have been seen by a great number of people. Also, if it falls into the dark web, it could potentially be there forever. Hence, we need a greater deterrence for this, too, as the distress and hurt caused to the victim would be much greater than in the past. With the new amendment, the recording, distribution and possession of such clips will result in harsher punishment. This will be commensurate with the hurt and distress caused to these victims, ensuring that Singaporeans are better protected against these emerging crime trends. To go a step further, the Ministry could consider how to encourage victims of such crimes to come forward and report it to the Police, to prevent the perpetrators from causing more harm. We should be mindful not to victim-shame, as this is one of the reasons why such crime goes unreported. We should also consider providing support to the victims, such as counselling, where necessary.”
“Sir, I would like to thank the Ministry for making changes to the Penal Code. The amendments in the Penal Code address various key emerging crime trends and I support these changes. Under emerging crime trends, I would like to talk about the changes made to tackle voyeurism and the distribution or threat to distribute intimate images. In this day and age, with the advancements in technology, filming devices are not just getting more sophisticated but also more readily available. It is no longer limited to the conventional bulky devices, or even camera handphones. Instead, a spy camera could be easily ordered online in many shapes and sizes, such as in the form of a pen, a clock or even a clothing hook. These cameras are discrete and would practically go undetected in most circumstances. Further, our society is increasingly connected to the Internet, making it easy to hide behind a screen to circulate the compromising images captured. As of 2018, 84% or 4.83 million Singaporeans are now Internet users. Hence, the distribution of these images will reach a wider audience, resulting in greater distress to the victim compared to the past. Although the current law has some penalties for such behaviour, it was passed at a time where voyeurism was less prevalent, as the technology then did not easily allow it. At present times, however, the law does not seem adequate. A Channel NewsAsia report in 2018 stated that there had been an average of 100 Police reports of upskirt crimes that have been filed annually since 2013, and more than 500 cases of insult of modesty since 2015 which include the use of spy cameras. Also, as the devices can be more easily concealed, there could be even more cases that go unreported than before.”
“Sir, I would like to ask, since there is going to be equal support and, for NSAs, it is their own choice to be inclusive or not, at this point in time, because SDSC actually covers more than 20 sports, so, it is not very fair for one NSA to split their funding for 20 sports. So, can there be more funding towards SDSC?”
“Let us use these commonalities to move forward, and not let hurdles of small differences, like different technical rules or different equipment, block our view of the finishing line. If we can make a clean sport commitment, a safe sport commitment, I believe we, too, can make an inclusive sport commitment. How can we help the NSAs to embrace this commitment? As an athlete, I am very grateful for all the resources that have been committed to sport. As a Singaporean, I hope that we can include the agenda of integration into our investments, so that they can give us not only returns on the individual, but for Singapore as a progressive nation. [Applause.] Singapore Football”
“At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, parasports and able-bodied teams were fully integrated for the first time. Countries paraded the opening ceremony in their respective contingents, representing one nation and one dream. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, our Singaporean athlete Toh Wei Soong won a bronze medal in his S7 50M Freestyle event, becoming the second Singaporean athlete to win a medal for swimming at the Commonwealth Games, after Joseph Schooling in 2014. And he told me that the greatest moment of that Games was recognising the universality of the medal he received. There were no differences: only athletes brought together by a common spirit. And the medal reflected that: if you looked at it, you could not tell if it was given to a para-athlete or an able-bodied athlete. You were an athlete, and that was enough. Local disability sports have started to pilot this transformation over the past few years. Sports that had been created with disability in mind, like Boccia for individuals with severe cerebral palsy, and Goalball for individuals with visual impairment, have been promoted to able-bodied individuals as well and were very well-received. How can we bring this transformation to a larger environment and help NSAs embrace similar changes? For sports like Boccia and Goalball, where there is no able-bodied equivalent, are our systems ready to accept them as NSAs if they meet the same criteria? I know it will not be easy. Most people are scared of change as a concept, but if we examine it, there are more things in sport that bring us together than separate us, more things to celebrate than to fight over.”
“For every National Sporting Association that has a disability sport in the Association, more funding is given to support the Association to help develop its para discipline. The results of athletes with disabilities bring glory and funding to the Association equally as athletes without. Funding benefits aside, integration promotes the sharing of knowledge and expansion of expertise. Athletes have a chance to perform better with deeper expertise, while communities develop greater understanding and respect for one another. The means might be different, but the spirit is the same. In spite of the different events we compete in, we share commonalities. The sporting scene in Singapore has been growing steadily in the past years. Both able-bodied sports and disability sports have produced results and they continue to inspire the nation. I believe it is now timely to discuss how to use this inspiration to transform our systems and forge an environment that complements other efforts of inclusion. Holding up an important pillar of this environment is our National Sports Associations, also known as NSAs. By representing all athletes with disabilities through the Singapore Disability Sports Council instead of the sports they play, are we not putting the disability before the ability? If an agency is representing a sport nationally, should it represent the sport to everyone in the nation, or only to those it deems fit? I believe a systemic transformation will motivate and complete individual transformation. If an NSA is ready to make such a change, let us have our system ready to support it. If an NSA is not ready, then let us see how we can build an environment to better that probability. The world is catching up to this. Attitudes are changing, movements are shifting.”
“Instead, all athletes with disabilities, regardless of their sport, continue to be represented by the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC). Today, with all the evolution that has taken place in Singapore over the years, all that SportSG and SDSC have done, I am given the chance to be here. So here, I voice my dream of a Singapore where sports is a united front for Singaporeans, not separated into disability or able-bodied sports. It is a dream that already has ground globally, and one that I hope Singapore will join in. Since 1988, the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been held in the same cities, under a "one bid, one city" partnership between the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee. Where the Paralympic Games benefit from the same standards in venues, infrastructure and planning as the Olympic Games, the Olympics benefit from the added layer of inspiration generated by the Paralympics. The benefits have also been noticed down the chain. More International Sports Federations have or are beginning on paths of integration, like World Sailing and Union Cycliste Internationale. Further down, countries like the United Kingdom (UK), Australia and New Zealand have also adopted integrated models for their national sports strategies. Coaches and administrators are starting to realise that the spirit is the same amongst athletes, regardless of the number of limbs they have or whether they can speak. A swimmer who is intellectually impaired may need a little more instruction, but they still have to swim the right strokes, be the most efficient and be the fastest to win, similar to someone without intellectual impairment. In the UK, disability sport is part of the National Sporting Associations.”
“Public efforts in raising awareness of persons with disabilities have been increasing. Most, however, target individual transformation – of one to do their part to create a more inclusive society. 12.45 pm The outcomes, therefore, depend heavily on the individual's own effort to accept this change. We know there are two possible outcomes. One, the individual is convinced; and two, the individual is not. This gives us a 50% probability. Let us take the first scenario where the individual is convinced, and ready to make a change. Are our systems prepared to support such a change? On the second scenario where the individual had not been convinced, are we ready to let it go, or can we create an environment to motivate that transformation further? If we have neither the systems nor the environment, then the probability of the returns on our investment would likely drop. It is thus rather compelling to look at how we can boost our returns. Can inclusion be scaled up beyond the individual and into the system? How can this change take place? I will go back to the context of sports with which I am most familiar with. What Sport Singapore (SportSG) has done is commendable. Since the 2000s, SportSG has increasingly opened its doors to support athletes with disabilities. Most schemes like spexCarding, spexScholarship, spexBusiness and campaign funding are now accessible to athletes with disabilities equally as it is to able-bodied athletes. In the last two years, SportSG has also started to recognise coaches of disability sports. Yet, while these transformations take place, on the ground, as a swimmer, I am not recognised as an athlete with the national sports association for swimming.”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to declare my interest as an athlete and take this chance to suggest how we may advance by optimising the resources that have been committed to sports. Let me start with a little background. When I was five years old, I saw my brothers learning to swim at the pool. Back then, I already had my condition and needed leg braces to assist my gait. But seeing how much fun my brothers were having, I asked my parents if I could join them and learn how to swim. That was in the 1990s. Back then, persons with disabilities in sports were nearly unheard of and it was almost 20 years early for inclusion to become the buzzword it is today. The Singapore Disability Sports Council, the charity that was tasked to offer a wide range of sports at both elite and non-elite levels, had only then hired its first two staff. On hindsight, it probably took a lot of guts for my swim coach then to take on a student with disability. But if not for her courage to include me, I may not be here today. We are no longer in the 1990s. We hear about inclusion every other day. But out of close to 100 swim clubs in Singapore today, I can count the number that have opened their doors to persons with disabilities in five seconds. I hear stories from my peers on how they started in swimming, which can almost be considered a national sport for our little island. For able-bodied friends, the opportunities are boundless. Parents are spoilt for choice on whom they can engage to coach their children. But for parents of children with disabilities, it is a different story altogether. Not every child has been as fortunate as me to meet a coach that brave. Not many will be, if we do not set out to make changes.”