Zainal Sapari
Singapore
“I believe great leadership is not only about making the hard decisions but, having empathy and the ability to relate to and connect with the people that are hardest hit to gain their trust and providing the support needed to cushion the impact on their lives. Without a doubt, our Ministers have demonstrated great leadership.”
“I would like to urge every service buyers and service providers to be responsible because any unethical action on their part will affect the workers who are trying to earn an honest living. I believe that it will be our spirit of solidarity, peppered with a lot of empathy and compassion that will pull us through this crisis.”
“Chairman, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Asatizah play an important role today in guiding the Singaporean Muslim community to help us thrive in a multi-religious and multi-cultural society, as well as globally, in addition to upholding our religious values.”
“Mr Chairman, in Malay, please. 10.45 am (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The 4G leadership recently expressed the Government’s strong commitment to partner Singaporeans of all races, cultures and religions, and working together with them in nation-building.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, before I ask my question, I would like to tender my apologies to Mr Louis Ng for referring to him as a fellow Labour Member of Parliament, but he is most welcomed to join us.”
“Chairman, in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] So far, there has been no cases of COVID-19 that came from the mosques in Singapore, even though many Muslims of different nationalities visit the mosque daily to perform congregational prayers.”
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“I see the changes needed for the new normal will complement our efforts to create better jobs, better wages and better welfare for our workers regardless of collar, age, nationalities and sector. Mr Speaker, in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: In our efforts to change to the new normal, it is important that we take cognizance of the challenge faced by workers currently as they can be in financial distress due to the crisis now. In a recent survey conducted by OCBC, it was shared that 70% of working adults do not have enough funds to last them beyond six months if they were to lose their jobs now. I would not be surprised if many low-wage workers would fall into this group as they have very little savings. Hence, I would like the Government to consider reviewing the criteria for Short to Mid-Term ComCare Assistance to enable more households to be eligible. Many WIS recipients welcome the $3000 one-off special cash payment which will be paid over two equal payments of $1,500 each, in July and October 2020. I hope that should the crisis be prolonged, the Government could consider another one-off special payment but perhaps in smaller amount spread over a longer period. (In English): In conclusion, the road ahead will be a long one, but hard times create strong people. Every one of us must play our part to create a new normal. This will require a shift in mindset for many, but we must also not lose sight of the opportunities ahead. If the $100 billion we have spent in this crisis does not lead us to a future where we can be more progressive, more equitable and more enlightened, then indeed it would be a tragedy if the only thing we did was just trying to survive, rather than coming out stronger as a society. I support the Budget. 3.59 pm”
“It is important that every socially responsible service buyer leads by example and reject service providers that provide services at low cost but always at the expense of the welfare of these essential service workers. This crisis has also forced us to reflect our core values and principles to fellow human beings and highlighted our unseen class system. At the same time, it also showed that we can rise to the occasion to put things right. I would like to take this opportunity to applaud all those who have played a part to help, protect and support our migrant workers. In the new normal, we must change how we regard the migrant workers and welcome them in our community. We must realise that they are the ones who keep Singapore going; cleaners and maintenance workers who keep our neighbourhoods clean and hygienic, workers who keep our transport running so we can get our essential supplies, workers who keep electricity and water flowing to our homes, and workers who provide other services in our neighbourhoods. Some of these migrant workers will be housed in vacated school sites to ensure that the safety and welfare of our migrant workers as they continue working during this crisis. In my constituency, I am heartened that many of my residents demonstrated understanding for the need to have this arrangement but, what if these temporary dormitories must remain for a much longer period? Do we then adopt the perverse attitude of resisting them again because we do not want them in our backyard? I hope the new normal for our foreign friends will see them being accepted as a fellow human being who has the right to enjoy the surrounding that they helped to maintain and build.”
“As there will be older workers in these sectors, we also need to drive a change in our mindset. We must inculcate in all workers a growth mindset where one is never too old to learn new things. We need to encourage them to embrace technology to make the work safer and smarter. Changing the way we do things for the future is already mapped out in the different Industry Transformation Maps for the respective essential services industries. This plan must be reviewed for the new normal. We need to change the assumptions when these plans were developed to accelerate the transformation of the industry for the new normal where we drive productivity increase through technology and digitalisation. All of this require a highly skilled workforce and the new PWM must reflect the changes in skills and productivity required to justify higher salaries. In the new normal, we must change how we classify occupations. This crisis has shown the importance of the work of these essential service workers. With higher skills and greater productivity, these environmental services workers, security officers and landscape specialists should be regarded as specialists in their own respective areas and would not be seen or regarded as low-wage workers. Only then perhaps, younger Singaporeans will see this as a viable career. In the new normal, we need to change consumers' and service buyers' behaviour where we demand higher standards of procurement practices. Outcome-based Contracting must be the norm for procuring services and service buyers should only award contracts to companies with progressive employment practices that reward and recognise their workers right.”
“Currently, most of the companies in the outsourced industries where the Progressive Wage Model is made mandatory, are characterised by an older workforce, limited use of technology, relatively low productivity, heavy reliance on foreign manpower, and their salaries hover at the bottom fifth percentile of the resident workforce in terms of gross monthly salary. This situation cannot persist in post COVID-19. As a society, if we truly value the work of our essential service workers, then it is time for all stakeholders to be bold and embrace change in the new normal. In the new normal, we must change how we treat our essential service workers. We must continue to find ways to narrow the income gap and ensure their average wage growth continue to be higher than the median. Currently, under the mandatory Progessive Wage Model (PWM), our cleaners and landscape workers are given only two weeks of PWM bonus but, there is none for the security officers. Simply giving them an annual bonus of one month would increase the percentage of wage increment by about 8%. The tripartite committees overseeing these essential services must work together to enhance the skills and wage ladders to ensure our workers continue to remain relevant and due recognition be given for the importance of their work. In the new normal, we need a PWM where these essential services would be anchored by a skillful and productive workforce, balanced with both the young and old. Attracting a younger or more skillful workforce has always been a key outcome desired under PWM and to achieve this, we must change how we do things by leveraging technology and digitalisation to support higher productivity and sustain higher wages to attract younger Singaporeans to be essential service workers.”
“Mr Speaker, COVID-19 has caused massive disruptions in our way of life. Experts are predicting that the way we live, work and play will be very much different post COVID-19. There will be a new normal. We experienced some of this possible new normal during the circuit breaker period. As a nation, we were united, we showed resilience, we fought in solidarity, we strengthened our fortitude. But this crisis also revealed our vulnerabilities. We know we need to reduce our dependence in some areas and at the same time, develop new mindset and capabilities for us to live, work and play in the new normal. This current crisis has forced many to re-think on the value that our society has placed on essential service workers. The services provided by these workers are truly useful, necessary and the impact will be felt if the work is not done. Unfortunately, in many societies, the more useful the work is, the less they pay you. However, this crisis has caused some to change their attitude and behaviour, and we have witnessed many more people who are being gracious, generous and grateful for the work of our essential service workers. NTUC, together with our affiliated unions and associations, have long championed the cause of our low-wage essential service workers. To us, every worker matters and every job counts. While I am heartened that we have made good progress in terms of pushing for better wages and skills, there is much more to be done. In post COVID-19, what would be the new normal for essential service workers in the outsourced sectors that keep Singapore safe, clean and green?”
“I believe great leadership is not only about making the hard decisions but, having empathy and the ability to relate to and connect with the people that are hardest hit to gain their trust and providing the support needed to cushion the impact on their lives. Without a doubt, our Ministers have demonstrated great leadership. And to the thousands of frontline workers, your display of courage and tenacity is undeniable and we are immeasurably grateful to all of you. I hope, once this crisis is over, as a society, we will accord the due recognition for the important work of essential workers by ensuring fair wages and benefits are accorded to them. And to all of us, regardless whether you are a service buyer, service provider or end consumer, let us do the right thing and support efforts to boost their wages and improve their welfare, even if it means at a higher cost to us. We have the means through our Progressive Wage Model to make this happen.”
“Neither is seeking a legal recourse a practical option as legal fees are expensive. The best way forward is to negotiate with the counter party and try to arrange in such a way that they can postpone delivery. Here, I would like to make a call to HBB owners and customers, to be gracious and come to an amicable settlement, especially during this difficult time. Failing which, the HBB owner might lose a customer permanently and get bad reviews on social media and a customer that would just have to suck it up. In Malay, Mr Speaker. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] During this COVID-19 crisis, there are Home-Based Businesses or HBBs that may encounter financial hardship even though several restrictions will be eased. May I seek confirmation that HBB owners can apply for the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme or SIRS if they have financial difficulties? Most HBBs do not have a "Scheduled Contract" and will not be able to avail themselves to the reliefs under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020. Here, I would like to call on the HBB owners and customers to negotiate amicably in order to reach a settlement that will not burden any party. (In English): I would like to end my speech by thanking our President Halimah Yaacob on her Facebook post where she connected well and showed great empathy toward the home-based business (HBB) owners. I would also like to thank Mr Lawrence Wong and our Ministers in the Inter-Ministerial Task Force for their leadership in steering Singapore through this crisis.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to thank my parliamentary colleague, Dr Intan Azura, for this Adjournment Motion. I welcome the announcement made on Saturday on the easing off some restrictions to some businesses, including home-based business (HBB) which will be allowed to operate with some restrictions from 12 May onwards. There are also many types of home-based business (HBB) owners. Some do it full-time and others may be seasonal and carry out their business during festive seasons. However, the impact of COVID-19 on home-based business (HBB) during the circuit breaker period varies, with some facing financial distress even with the lifting of restrictions. As the Temporary Relief Fund has ended, can I have a confirmation that Home-Business Owners can apply for the Self-Employed Relief Scheme or SIRS if they are in financial distress? Second, is SIRS applicable to all HBB owners as they could be full-time or seasonal in carrying out their business? Another problem home-based business (HBB) is the inability to fulfil the orders leading to customers asking for refunds. The orders are usually small amounting to less than few hundred dollars but when combined can amount a few thousand dollars. The deposit paid by customers may have been used to purchase materials needed to fulfil the orders. They will incur a loss if their customers insist on a refund instead of postponing the orders. The advice given to these Home-Based Business (HBB) owners is to file for relief under COVID-19 Temporary Measures Bill for Ministry of Law to decide on the final settlement if the HBBs' agreements can be classified as a "Scheduled Contract". The reality is that most HBB do not have "Scheduled Contract" and will not be able to avail themselves of the reliefs under the Act.”
“However, under clause 8 of this new Bill, it makes an exception for the Returning Officer and the Director of Medical Services to authorise actions persuading voters not to vote, if they happen to be displaying acute respiratory symptoms, are feverish, or may have been infected by COVID-19. Can the voters go against the advice of the Returning Officer and the Director of Medical Services? Will the polling agents be allowed to witness the process to ensure transparency? In a democracy, voting is a key responsibility and fundamental right of any citizen that enables them to choose their representatives in the government. In Malay, Sir. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In a democracy, voting is a key responsibility and fundamental right of every citizen that enables them to choose their representatives in the government. Notwithstanding my support for this bill, may I ask why these temporary special arrangements are made, even though the coronavirus threat can re-occur in future as we have witnessed before in human history? (In English): A government has a duty of care to its people, and during their term, they are accountable to the voters who have voted them in. With or without COVID-19, on the day of the election, voters must have the capacity to hold the ruling party accountable for their actions should they fail to live up to the mandate given, while at the same time choose their representatives in government for the following term. It is the contest for votes amongst political candidates that gives the power back to the citizens to decide on the future of the nation. This Bill ensures that citizens retain this power regardless of the current crisis. Notwithstanding my clarifications, I support this Bill. 6.41 pm”
“Mr Speaker, elections have been a part of our democratic process since our independence in 1965. In a democracy, voting is a key responsibility and fundamental right of any citizen that enables them to choose their representatives in the government. Hence, it is important that we ensure all citizens get an opportunity to choose who represents them. Given the current COVID-19 crisis and without the certainly how long it would last, this Bill will allow special provisions to be made during the General Elections. It will ensure that voting to be done safely while abiding with the core principles of the Parliamentary Elections Act such as voting in secret and allowing a Singaporean voter to exercise his rights to a one-man-one-vote principle. There are some clarifications I would like to seek on this Bill. Firstly, under clause 2, the Bill only refers to elections that take place held on or before 14 April 2021. COVID-19 is not the first coronavirus to land on our shores. Why make these special arrangements temporary when history sometimes has the nasty habit of repeating itself? Second, clause 5 allows Returning Officers to set up special polling stations in boarding premises or in some other suitable premises in Singapore where the electors are not allowed to leave due to COVID-19 stay orders. Is there any minimum number of voters that would warrant the setting up of these special polling stations? From the view of contesting parties participating in the General Elections, having too many polling stations may pose a resource challenge for them to deploy their polling agents to ensure transparency and legitimacy of the voting process. Third, under section 81(1) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, no one can dissuade a voter from voting, from Nomination Day to Polling Day.”
“I would like to urge every service buyers and service providers to be responsible because any unethical action on their part will affect the workers who are trying to earn an honest living. I believe that it will be our spirit of solidarity, peppered with a lot of empathy and compassion that will pull us through this crisis. (In English): Together with the support of our Government, let us all do our part to support our businesses and workers and we shall overcome as SGUnited. I am confident that workers, employers and Government will stand united and ready to fight this virus. I believe it would be our spirit of solidarity peppered with a lot of empathy and compassion that will pull us through this crisis. I support the Bill. 5.50 pm”
“The reality is that it can be difficult for the management of the service providers to voice their objection for fear of having their contract terminated or be in a less favourable position during contract renewal in future but, neither do they have the finances to pay for the workers under their employment if there is no payment of contract fees. I would like to urge service buyers and service providers to be responsible because any unethical action on their part will affect the outsourced workers who are trying to earn an honest living. Please allow me to speak in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruption to businesses and workers' livelihoods in an unprecedented way and with much uncertainty when this crisis will end. The sudden announcement by the Malaysian government imposing a Movement Control Order has affected many companies in Singapore that rely on them as part of their workforce. In addition, the Singapore Government has introduced stricter measures to contain the spread of the virus, including social distancing, closing borders to inbound visitors and implementing the circuit breaker from today. Hence, I hope this bill will stop service buyers from imposing any liquidated damages for any shortfall in service standards or a reduction of manpower of manpower at the work site. While it is understandable that service buyers who are affected by the COVID-19 situation are finding ways to cut costs, I hope this Bill will compel service buyers to speak to their service providers and be reasonable to work out a win-win solution.”
“While service providers would like to help their clients manage their cost, they also hope that the service buyers give them ample time to do the necessary adjustment. One cleaning company shared with the Union that his company was asked to reduce his cleaning workforce by 92% from a workforce of 100 to only eight cleaners within a very short frame of time. In another case, a well-known landscape company had been given a stop work order for the maintenance of plants by some of their commercial clients during the circuit breaker period. No service payment will be made during this period. Such cases are faced by many service providers of essential services. These companies are trying very hard to redeploy their workers but, it has not been easy. Such unilateral decision is unfair, and I would like to suggest for the Bill to look into such issues. I have also received feedback from unionised companies about their service buyers wanting to reduce their contract fees by 10% to 20%, simply because the service buyers perceived that their service providers would be able to do so due to the wage subsidies they would be receiving from the Enhanced Jobs Support Scheme. Despite the cleaners or security officers having to work extra hard, these service buyers want to squeeze their service providers. This is simply incredulous! The wage subsidy is meant to relieve financial pressures on companies as they weather the storm; and not be used as a lever for anti-competitive practice.”
“With this Bill, I hope that firstly, service buyers will be deterred from acting in a high-handed manner and will not be able to impose liquidated damages for any shortfall in service standards due to manpower shortage. The Security Industry Council, made up of the union for security employees and the two security associations, issued an appeal to the service buyers of security services urging them "to be reasonable and flexible as regards to the security agencies' contractual obligations, including the imposition of liquidated damages, during this exceptional period". Similar appeals were made by the Tripartite Committees for the environmental services and landscape industries. The message is clear. Be reasonable. Avoid unnecessary punitive actions because the situation was brought about by circumstances beyond their control. With the support of our Government, many of these companies are doing their best to help their affected workers, while continuing to provide the essential services to the best of their abilities. This brings me to my second point – due to reduced traffic from customers resulting in a significant drop in revenue, some establishments have requested for reduction in contract fees from their service providers. While it is understandable that service buyers who are affected by the COVID-19 situation are finding ways to cut costs, I hope this Bill will compel service buyers to work with their service providers and work out a win-win solution for both parties. Should they wish to scale down the essential services and contract fees, they should be pragmatic, fair and understand that it would mean a reduction in service frequency or standards.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruption to businesses and workers’ livelihoods in an unprecedented way and with much uncertainty as to when this crisis would end. The Malaysian Government imposed a Movement Control Order from 18 to 31 March, with a further extension to 14 April, as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 has affected many of our friends from across the Causeway who are working in Singapore. In addition, the Singapore Government has introduced stricter measures including safe distancing; restrictions on inbound visitors and putting in place a circuit breaker to pre-empt escalating coronavirus infections. All these calibrated and necessary measures have a direct impact not only on industries that rely on tourists such as hospitality, leisure, food and retail services, but also their ancillary industries such as landscape, cleaning and security that support such affected industries. Now, we are beginning to see the effect beginning to creep to many other sectors as well. Many of these industries also employ Malaysian workers to supplement their local workforce. That said, some companies in such ancillary industries like cleaning and environmental services companies, landscape firms and security agencies are caught off-guard by the sudden announcement and had little time to react. Hence, it is understandable that many of them may not be able to meet their contractual obligations during this period if their Malaysian workers do not opt to stay in the accommodations provided by the companies or choose to be with their own families across the causeway.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, before I ask my question, I would like to tender my apologies to Mr Louis Ng for referring to him as a fellow Labour Member of Parliament, but he is most welcomed to join us. My question is, given the fact that we have 70,000 lifts and we are trying to improve the working conditions, I think the initial estimate for retrofitting existing lifts can actually be very expensive. I was wondering whether MND has plans to subsidise the cost of retrofitting these lifts to make sure that we can actually create an environment conducive for the L&E technicians to work in.”
“I look forward to working with the industry stakeholders to create a better and safe environment not only for our workers but the public as users as well. I support the amendments to the Bill. 2.58 pm”
“In addition, the use of technology can go a long way in enhancing the safety and welfare of our lift and escalator technicians. Productive and innovative technology can reduce the maintenance work needed. For example, remote monitoring can collect data from lifts and notify technicians of faults or irregularities while remote diagnostics can improve the trouble-shooting process and pre-empt breakdowns before they happen. Hence, under this Act, would the Commissioner of Building Control be given the mandate to exercise flexibility to vary the standard operating procedures for lift maintenance given the advancement in technology? Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I welcome the amendments in the Building Control Bill that gives the authority to the Commissioner of Building Control to specify the minimum amount of basic wage and bonus payable to the workers in the lift and escalator industry after considering the recommendations by the Progressive Wage Model recommendations by the Tripartite committee for this industry. This will mandate lift and escalator companies to pay the local technicians the salaries that was agreed with the tripartite committee. This is an important step to attract workers, especially the younger ones, to this essential industry. The Progressive Wage Model will ensure that their salaries commensurate with the competencies, responsibilities and productivity of the lift and escalator workers. (In English): In conclusion, while there is much to be done, I am heartened that the Government recognises the importance of the work of our lift and escalator technicians. Every worker matters and every job counts.”
“The working committee made several recommendations to improve the thermal comfort, illuminance level, and safety and ease of maintenance at working places on the lift. Based on the new amendment to this Bill under clause 20, section 24, will it give the authority to Commissioner of Building Control to compel lift owners to retrofit their existing lifts? As the cost of retrofitting new lifts to improve the work environment for the lift technicians can be very expensive, will there be funding support for such work to be carried out? The cost of retrofitting on existing buildings can be substantial, especially for Town Council managing HDB estates. Hence, it would certainly help if all new HDB estates could take this into consideration at the planning and design stage, and the Government to provide funding support for existing lifts. Given the current profile of the current lift and escalator technicians, half of the resident workforce is likely to retire in the next 10 years. With the number of lifts and escalators increasing steadily, besides building up a pool of well-trained and skilled workers, we must rely on technology to improve our lift maintenance work processes and increase productivity. For example, the Building and Construction Authority currently mandates that a lift owner shall subject the lift to monthly maintenance by an approved lift contractor to ensure safe operation of the lifts. With different usage pattern and number of lift landings in a single lift shaft, it may be more efficient to use intensity of usage, that is, mileage travelled as a gauge instead. This is similar to how cars should be sent for servicing after certain distance travelled. Such mileage can be easily tracked using existing technology.”
“This state of oligopoly arises because the major players can exert proprietary rights over their spare parts and are not required to disclose the technical specifications of the lift systems. Hence, many of the lift technicians can only service lifts made by their companies. Such practices hinder market competition to the disadvantage of lift owners and discourage job mobility amongst the lift technicians as they do not have the knowledge and skills to service different types of lifts. Building owners often are compelled to award their maintenance contracts to the OEM lift firms for fear that other non-OEM companies would not be able to secure spare parts or have the experienced technicians to do troubleshooting and repair. In the European Union countries, the lift industry is encouraged to adopt an open and non-proprietary lift system which will serve to level the playing field and promote greater market competition. This would also allow the lift and escalator technicians to be cross-trained in different types of lifts and escalators. Moving forward, I would like to know whether BCA will consider open and non-proprietary system in our lift and escalator industry and make the necessary legislative amendments to make this possible. The Lift and Escalator industry, as shared by my fellow Member of Parliament is often perceived as having the 4 Ds – Difficult, Dirty, Dark and Dangerous. Hence, the Lift and Escalator Sectoral Tripartite Committee also formed a working committee and one of the committee’s terms of reference was to propose and develop solutions to improve key aspects of working conditions to enhance attractiveness of the job to new entrants.”
“One of the recommendations put up by the first Tripartite Committee was the Progressive Wage Model to uplift the wages of the workers in the lift industry that commensurate with their skills, productivity and career progression. We need to attract young Singaporean to make them feel excited about the industry and their potential long-term career progression. Hence, I welcome the new section 29Q that gives the authority to the Commissioner of Building Control to specify the minimum amount of basic wage and bonus payable to the workers in the lift industry after considering the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee. The Tripartite Committee recommended that by 1 July 2022, all lift and escalator companies will pay the local technicians the salaries recommended by the Tripartite Committee. Based on my experience implementing PWM in the other sectors, engagement with Service Providers and Service Buyers are critical before the start of the full implementation to ensure the stakeholders will factor in possible cost implications in the contract pricing. I would like to know whether BCA has any plans to engage the industry stakeholders on the implementation of the PWM to nudge them to anticipate and make the necessary preparation. Currently, there are approximately 95 lift firms. Of these 95, the top 12 firms or close to 13% of them command 86% of the market share. Similarly, for the escalator industry, there are 31 firms, with the top 11 firms maintaining 95% of the escalators in Singapore. This industry seems to have an oligopoly market structure with a few firms dominating the market.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to declare my interest in the Building Control (Amendment) Bill. I am currently the Chairman of the Tripartite Cluster for Lift & Escalator Industry but I would like to state that the expressed views in my speech are my own and not a representation of the committee’s view. As shared by the Minister of State, Mr Zaqy Mohamad, based on a study conducted by BCA, there are around 2,400 technicians of which 42%, or slightly over 1,000 are residents. This workforce maintains more than 70,000 lifts and 7,000 escalators every day. Maintenance personnel make up most of the sector’s workforce and are essential in providing day-to-day servicing to ensure lifts are well-maintained for safe and reliable use. In 2017, the Lift and Escalator Sectoral Tripartite Committee chaired by my fellow Labour Member of Parliament, Mr Melvin Yong, was formed comprising representatives from the Government, trade unions, industry associations and firms, and service buyers. A set of recommendations was made by the Committee and accepted by the Government on 19 September 2018 to provide better jobs to attract Singapore residents to join the industry, upskill the workforce to deliver better quality maintenance services, ensure commensurate wages to build up a core workforce to anchor the industry and push for the wider adoption of technology to reduce manpower reliance. The Committee has now been tasked to review the escalator industry and renamed the Tripartite Cluster for Lift and Escalator, which I am chairing, together with a co-chair from Singapore National Employers’ Federation, Mr Tony Khoo, CEO of EM Services.”
“Chairman, in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] So far, there has been no cases of COVID-19 that came from the mosques in Singapore, even though many Muslims of different nationalities visit the mosque daily to perform congregational prayers. Can the Minister share what steps have been taken by MUIS and the mosques to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection among mosque congregants so that everyone can pray safely and peacefully?”
“Mr Chairman, in Malay, please. 10.45 am (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The 4G leadership recently expressed the Government’s strong commitment to partner Singaporeans of all races, cultures and religions, and working together with them in nation-building. For the Malay/Muslim community especially, what are the new methods of engagement in which the Government is prepared to partner the Malay/Muslim community to co-create and collaborate in co-solutioning for issues faced by our community? Minister had also mentioned about M3 launching a new series of dialogues, Ciptasama, this year. Could the Minister elaborate on the aim of Ciptasama, and provide us with an update on the engagements with our community so far? MENDAKI's End-to-end Education Support”
“Chairman, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Asatizah play an important role today in guiding the Singaporean Muslim community to help us thrive in a multi-religious and multi-cultural society, as well as globally, in addition to upholding our religious values. MUIS will also focus on efforts to enhance the professional development of our asatizah. There are many ways for an ustaz or usatazah to contribute to society, but one of the common grouses amongst this group is that this sector appears to have limited employment opportunities. What has MUIS done to ensure that the religious sector can become an attractive sector for employment, especially for the talented ones who can make good contributions? It was also reported that a revision will be made to asatizah's wages. What are the strategies that our community will support in order to ensure that our asatizah’s wages are aligned to market rates?”
“Chairman, education is the best social leveler. Hence, it is important to give emphasis on what we can do to help children from low-income families in terms of education. A key approach to this is by offering financial assistance to ensure no child will be denied of a good education due to the family’s financial situation. Hence, I am heartened at the announcements to enhance MOE Financial Assistance Scheme and bursaries for higher education. I believe we can do more for ITE students because they are at a phase of acquiring important vocational skills. Could MOE share what further efforts are being taken to enhance financial support for our students, specifically on the bursaries for ITE students? MOE's Financial Assistance Scheme and Edusave Awards”
“Chairman, I am supportive of the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support Package for locals in their 40s and 50s to help them stay employable. While a target has been set to double the annual job placement of those in their 40s and 50s to around 5,500 by 2025, what efforts are being taken to scale up career transition programmes for mid-career switchers? What will MOE be doing differently next, compared to current approaches that would make these career transition programmes for mid-career switchers to be more effective in helping these mature workers with job placement? If we do not do things differently by thinking differently, then most likely, we would get the same results and be unable to achieve the desired outcome of the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support Package. I think, for a start, I would like MOE to consider increasing the capacity of re-skilling programmes such as the Professional Conversion Programme under the Adapt and Grow initiative, career transition programmes delivered by Continuing Education and Training (CET) centres, and those offered by sector-specific programmes. In addition, while a lot of efforts have been taken to outreach to mid-career workers and professionals, many are unaware of the help they could receive. I would like to suggest to MOE to increase awareness of the help and support that could be provided to these mid-career workers. Mental Health Education”
“Chairman, Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) has always been at the heart of Singapore's education system. In CCE, our students learn to be responsible to family and community, and understand their role in shaping the future of our nation. The current syllabus was implemented in 2014 and, ever since, there has been new emerging trends and global developments that can impact our society. Last year, the Minister for Education shared that educators expend much effort to continuously improve and refine the curriculum and to make it more engaging, relatable and effective. Could the Ministry provide an update on the review and the enhancements that would be made to our CCE curriculum to ensure our children are anchored on strong moral values?”
“My clarification is with Minister of State. I made a cut on the electronic salary payment for work permit holders. Could the Minister of State on the proportion of work permit holders who are already paid electronically and whether MOM will consider making electronic payment of salary for work permit holders mandatory?”
“Perhaps, MOM would want to determine the mandatory insurance coverage based on the industry sector where the quantum of medical insurance coverage would be higher for those sectors which contribute most to the accident and fatality rates. Every worker matters and it is important that they are taken care of in times of need.”
“Although the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act requires employers to switch to electronic payment should the workers request for it, the reality on the ground is that workers would be too afraid to push the issue should the employer refuse, for fear of termination and repatriation by employers. This is an unacceptable consequence to most migrant workers, especially if they have paid high recruitment or placement fees to come here in the first place. Are there statistics on what proportion of the Work Permit Holder population is already paid electronically? Given the success of the MWC-POSB Bank Account-Membership Programme, will MOM be able to say when mandatory electronic salary payment for Work Permit Holders can be a reality? Increase Medical Coverage for WPHs My last cut – Increase Medical Coverage for Work Permit Holders. The Migrant Workers' Centre has been assisting migrant workers who sustain serious injuries from workplace accidents, including helping many employers discharge their responsibilities to their migrant workers undergoing treatment. Based on the injury cases handled by MWC, they have found that the $15,000 value of mandatory medical insurance coverage for migrant workers is inadequate in assisting employers to defray the unexpected costs involving serious injuries. Even though employers can opt for a higher coverage, the reality is that many would opt for the lower coverage to manage their business costs. This would make the workers vulnerable if the final treatment cost is not covered by insurance and the employer is unable to bear the cost. I would like to call upon MOM to initiate and involve the tripartite partners in reviewing the mandatory medical insurance for Work Permit Holders.”
“Chairman, there was a positive trend in the general reduction of workplace accidents but, unfortunately, the spate of multiple workplace accidents involving fatalities among migrant workers in the construction and high-risk sectors last year has cast a dark shadow on an otherwise positive trend in 2019. This begs the question whether the measures taken have been effective in reducing workplace fatalities involving migrant workers. Has MOM concluded if there was any trend, pattern or underlying cause in the spike of accidents in November involving migrant workers, and what pre-emptive measures could have been taken? What is the result of the investigations and, if wrongdoing or negligence is found, when can we expect sanctions to be handed down? Is MOM reviewing rules, increasing enforcement or doing anything else to ensure such spates are prevented in future? I would like to urge our tripartite partners to re-examine the entire eco-system in the industries with many migrant workers to identify weaknesses in workplace culture and practices that could lead to accidents. These gaps must be addressed systematically so that we can have truly inclusive and progressive practices in workplace safety and health because every worker matters and every job counts. Electronic Salary Payment for Work Permit Holders (WPHs) My next cut – Electronic Salary Payment for Work Permit Holders. Since 2014, the Migrant Workers’ Centre has been calling for electronic payment of salaries to be made mandatory for all Work Permit Holders to protect and minimise risk of salary abuse from unscrupulous employers.”
“AWS can boost their salaries by about 8.3% and this can help narrow the income gap. As the Government has pledged to support outcome-based procurement practices, perhaps, the Government and Government-linked companies can also nudge employers towards the right behaviour, to award tenders to companies with good HR practices that include paying the 13th month bonus as part of their pay package. I have also called for better protection of low-wage workers against unfair employment contracts and terms. I have highlighted this in a blogpost that I wrote last year. While I applaud the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management for following up on these cases, I would like to know MOM's view about starting a watch list if companies are found or reported to have unfair clauses in their employment contracts and imposing administrative penalties on such companies, such as curtailment of work pass privileges. Lower Wage Workers”
“Mr Chairman, in recent years, NTUC and the Government, with the support of our tripartite stakeholders, have taken bold and specific interventions to help workers providing essential services with better wages, better welfare and better work prospects because every worker matters. The Progressive Wage Model (PWM) has improved the wages and skills of thousands of cleaners, security officers and landscape workers. Other schemes implemented over the years, such as Workfare Scheme, have helped them with cost of living and hope for a better future through new skills that they can acquire at heavily subsidised rates. The road to improving the lives of low-wage workers cannot just end here. In my Budget speech, I am urging the Government to support extending PWM to more sectors if the industry stakeholders are supportive and for us to try wage benchmarking in some sectors if PWM is not practical or feasible. Given that the SkillsFuture framework, identifying different job levels and skills for more than 30 sectors, have been developed, it would be easier to develop the wage ladder for some industries. This would incentivise workers, especially low-wage workers, to upgrade themselves if the prospect for better wages are assured. NTUC will put up some possible sectors and hope the Government will give due consideration. Previously, I have also on several occasions in Parliament made calls for Annual Wage Supplement (AWS) to be made mandatory, especially for low-wage workers, but the response so far has been, at best, lukewarm. Many of us assume that all workers get the 13th month bonus or AWS at the end of the year but the sad reality is that the very group that needs it most is not receiving it. As a society, we must demand for the right treatment of our low-wage workers.”
“This is a good opportunity for companies to tap on the Senior Worker Early Adopter Grant to raise their retirement and re-employment ages ahead of legislative changes. Regardless of one’s age group, every worker matters and every job counts. (In English): Every Budget must provide funding and resources to help workers reduce their vulnerabilities. We need to work together to reduce workers' vulnerabilities and to show we care for the workers. While I call upon employers to uphold their responsibilities to their workers and to do more for their welfare and well-being, I would also like to remind workers, all my fellow workers, to take charge of their career development and be future-ready. All of us have a part to play in creating an inclusive and caring society where every worker matters and every job counts. I support the Budget.”
“Administrative penalties should be imposed on companies on this watchlist. Tripartite partners must also work together to ensure that all Singaporeans can work with dignity. A tripartite advisory on the provision of rest areas for outsourced workers has been released to act as a guide for service buyers and service providers in providing proper rest areas for outsourced workers. We would like to call on the Government to provide incentives to urge more building owners to provide rest areas for their outsourced workers. Perhaps a tipping point that the Government can seriously consider to encourage a higher take-up rate is to allow for rest areas not to be counted as part of the gross floor area (GFA) of a building as the area is usually an unused space or has little commercial value. This would help many building owners that have already maxed out their GFA to provide a rest area without penalty. Mr Speaker, in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I welcome all the various top-ups to SkillsFuture and I am especially heartened by the special attention given to mature workers through the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support Package to help them undergo upskilling and reskilling. While the Government has given hiring incentives for employers to hire local mature workers, the efforts to enlighten employers to have a truly inclusive workforce must continue. In addition, we should also consider administrative penalties if employers are guilty of age discriminatory practices. I am also equally heartened with the Senior Worker Support Package for older workers to reduce their employment vulnerability. This package will give our older workers greater assurance that they can continue working if they want to.”
“Workers are also vulnerable if employers cannot pay their wages because the company has ceased operations. While these workers can lodge their salary claims with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM), in most cases, their salaries cannot be recovered once the company has ceased operations. We need to do more to protect our workers from failed businesses. Currently, there is a short-term relief fund administered by the NTUC U Care Centre to help low-wage workers who are owed salaries because their companies have ceased operations. I would like to call for the fund to be extended to help more workers beyond low-wage workers. Many of these workers who are owed salaries are sole breadwinners and, for them and their families, the hardship is real and painful. All workers deserve to have their rice bowl protected and we must continue to explore ways to help and protect more workers. Workers can also become vulnerable due to unfair employment contracts. Some employers have included in employment contracts certain clauses that may not be fair to the workers, perhaps to address staff attrition, recoup losses that they incur due to liquidated damages or protect their business interests. Regardless, including unfair clauses is unethical and they abuse the vulnerable position the workers might be in. There needs to be greater engagement to help workers understand employment contracts and this outreach could start in our tertiary institutions. In addition, MOM would also want to consider a "cooling off period", perhaps up to five working days, that will allow workers to rescind the contract they have signed, without penalty. MOM may also want to consider starting a watchlist if companies are found or reported to have unfair clauses in their employment contracts.”
“Sectors like waste collection and strata management are keen to have a mandatory PWM and it is important to have Government support to identify and leverage the key levers that would encourage widespread adoption. Lack of knowledge on what constitutes fair wages can also increase workers' vulnerability. Given that wage data are collected in the annual Occupational Wage Survey, we can help these workers by having a wage benchmark by occupation and sector so that workers can identify a fair wage for their occupation and be more aware of the industry standard to make informed decisions about their careers. Perhaps, as a trial to set industry wage benchmark, the tripartite partners could start with the F&B industry where there are around 180,000 workers in diverse roles. I also welcome the Enabling Employment Credit that was announced in the Budget to provide wage offsets to companies hiring Singaporeans with disabilities. There are many with disabilities who are working or would like to seek employment. However, it may not be easy for them to work in a building where the physical structure may pose a big hindrance or for them to find companies that offer employment to people with disabilities. In this aspect, I would like to call for the Government to consider providing funding support to help employers offset the costs needed to modify infrastructure at workplaces, especially in older buildings, to encourage employment of people with disabilities. The various job portals, such as MyCareersFuture.sg or the National Jobs Bank, should indicate positions that welcome persons with disabilities. All these measures would promote a more inclusive workforce because every worker matters and every job counts.”
“Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Budget. This year’s Budget intends to mitigate the short-term vulnerabilities faced by businesses and workers without taking our eyes off the future. The Budget has addressed these vulnerabilities due to COVID-19 through various schemes, such as JSS, tax rebates, bridging loans, rental waivers and many others. I would like to urge companies to translate these savings into saving jobs and reducing workers' vulnerability due to COVID-19. In the medium- and long-term horizon, the rapidly changing job market and business models can leave many workers behind if they are unprepared. The vulnerability of workers can manifest itself in the form of stagnating wages, job insecurity, skill redundancies and poor working conditions, among many others. While the Budget can help mitigate these vulnerabilities, a concerted effort by the tripartite partners and a mindset change in our society are still needed to alleviate some of these vulnerabilities because every worker matters and every job counts. There are workers providing essential services that are very susceptible to low and stagnating wages and poor working conditions due to the business nature of their industry characterised by competitive biddings and undercutting. In terms of mitigating workers' vulnerability due to low and stagnating wages, it is undeniable that the tripartite partners have done a lot to help our workers in the outsourced industries, such as cleaning, security and landscape. Given that the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) has shown its effectiveness to help improve workers' skills and wages, I urge the Government to support industry stakeholders if they are keen to adopt PWM so that more workers can enjoy better wages coupled with better skills and increased productivity.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay) [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: I support the proposed amendments to this Bill, which will ensure that the CPF system remains relevant to the changes in the job landscape and employment practices. There are many challenges faced by freelancers or SEPs who are estimated to number around 200,000. Many shared that their top worry is whether they can find enough work and having income stability. In fact, one out of four SEPs is unable to keep up with their obligations to contribute to their MediSave account annually. I welcome the amendments that will help about 6,000 SEPs who provide services to the Government to make automatic MediSave contributions through a CAYE scheme. I have a number of questions. Firstly, some of them may have difficulty making this contribution, as it would affect their income. Would they be given assistance, particularly those who have payment arrears? Secondly, would MOM allow this group to voluntarily opt-in if the SEPs in a specific industry collectively agree to participate in this scheme even if they are providing services to the private sector? Thirdly, would there be incentives provided to encourage this group to make their MediSave contribution? On the CPF RSS, could MOM share the reasons why it could not give members the option of choosing the CPF payout duration? Are there members who wish to shorten their CPF payout duration in order to receive a higher monthly payout to pay for their daily expenditure? (In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, notwithstanding my queries and suggestions, I support all the amendments to the CPF Act and the update to the CPF RSS.”
“MOM will define a core set of insurance terms and conditions to prevent unfair exclusion. Since we are encouraging older workers to remain employable, will MOM ensure that the insurance companies will provide coverage for all workers, regardless of age, as long as they are manual or non-manual employees earning up to $2,600? I think there should be no exclusion clauses, especially in fine print, to deny any age group because it will affect their employability. Can I have that assurance that all age groups will be covered?”
“WICA is a very useful Act for workers, but it is important that the Ministry take steps to enhance workers' awareness towards this Act, especially for low-wage workers. This will prevent irresponsible employers from taking advantage by cheating injured workers so that the workers do not submit appeals to obtain compensation through WICA, which affects the company's accident record. (In English): I believe that we are, indeed, making a big step in the right direction for our workers here in Singapore. The proposed amendments show that we understand the urgency of workplace compensations and the need to be fair and transparent to all parties involved.”
“To mitigate this, NTUC welcomes the system of controls and penalties to accompany this legal innovation to ensure insurers remain on-side, fair and objective in their assessment. How effective this new licensing and enforcement regime will be can only be reassessed after the new system has been in place for some time. In the meantime, the unions and MWC will continue to get a better ground-sensing when we help our workers in their claims under WICA. Nevertheless, we urge the policymakers to review the application of the new insurer-processed system at appropriate junctures, so that further review and strengthening may continue to be made to it along the way to more effectively safeguard the rights and welfare of the key intended beneficiaries of the Act. Mr Speaker, in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] NTUC supports the amendments to WICA because it will provide better protection to workers who suffer injuries while working. The amendments proposed a higher compensation limit and will include even more workers. In addition, the amendments also ensure a more stable insurance coverage with limited exclusions, which ensures that employers and workers can submit appeals to receive compensation for most types of injuries that commonly happen to workers. Although the responsibility for processing appeals for compensation under this Act is given to insurers appointed by MOM, these amendments will still allow workers to challenge the compensation amount that is given, if necessary. For employers, these amendments also help to reduce the cost of buying WICA insurance which will become more affordable provided they have a good safety record, whereby not many of their workers suffer injuries while working.”
“Ideally, such established channels must be guided by MOM and not by employers or insurance companies who might make it too onerous for workers seeking reassessment. Some occupational diseases (ODs) can be undiagnosed for a prolonged period. For example, symptoms of asbestosis may only occur 20 years after exposure but, given WICA’s current one-year time bar, it would exclude such ODs with long latency periods. How can workers be compensated for such work-related injuries or diseases? As our Government is also encouraging older workers to work, would the standard WICA insurance clauses be inclusive to ensure employers can buy insurance coverage for all their workers? Since older workers are sometimes prone to injuries due to slips and falls, some insurance companies may have exclusion clauses, in fine print, to exclude coverage for older workers. Under the proposed amendments, MOM-licensed insurers will assess and process all WIC claims as per stipulated MOM guidelines and time standards. This will lead to more expeditious claims processing but, with check and balances by MOM to ensure fairness to all parties. In the past, MOM processed the claims and was perceived to be the guardian of fairness of the WICA claim. However, outsourcing this function to MOM-licensed insurers may lead to the judgement being questioned in terms of fairness as the insurance companies have a vested interest to keep compensation on the low side. In addition, insurance companies may also try to keep premiums low for their policies to be competitive but, at the expense of being able to have sufficient financial standing to give our workers adequate and fair compensation.”
“Thus, expediting the claims processing time will minimise the cost of their maintenance and upkeep and perhaps, lessen the likelihood of the migrant workers facing financial hardship and having to resort to undesirable actions that would be detrimental to themselves and our society. Given the changes made to WICA, there is a need to raise workers' awareness through outreach efforts, especially among the vulnerable low-wage and migrant workers. Many vulnerable workers are still unaware of the basic provisions under WICA, like how you can still claim under common law even after filing for WICA, but cannot do so in the reverse. Some injured vulnerable workers may file injury claim under common law at the advice of overzealous lawyers without realising that they are signing away their rights to a WICA claim. They might also be unaware how WICA differs from legal suits under common law in its compensation quantum and other aspects like standards of proof and others. There must also be concerted efforts to change the mindset of employers to see WICA as an extension of the company's Work-Safety-Health worksite culture where employers are themselves briefed extensively in WSH and WICA laws and these aspects are refreshed regularly in worksite safety briefings and meetings. Such efforts will result in a general levelling up of the understanding of WSH and WICA for both employers and their workers, thus minimising potential cause for misunderstanding and disputes. While the migrant workers will face a shorter waiting time for their claims processing and can return to their home country earlier, I would like to enquire on the channels that would be made available for workers to seek reassessment in the event their injury condition deteriorates after the six-month mark.”
“As our laws require the employers to be liable for the medical treatment for the foreign workers, some employers will incur huge medical expenses for their injured migrant workers if the WICA cases drag on for too long, since all foreigners are charged unsubsidised rates for treatment and hospital stay. As such, having a safety net provision for CI assessment at six months will benefit workers and employers as well because WICA is also meant to cover medical treatment cost for claimants, or at least help to defray the cost of treatment which, for migrant workers, are liable to be borne by employers. Hence, the increased WICA coverage for treatment, together with expedited claims payouts will certainly help in cases where urgent medical treatment is needed by the worker but, the employer is unable to pay due to lack of medical insurance coverage or other cost issues. Another issue arising from claims processing times is the situation where employers do not provide accommodation or maintenance for their claimant workers anymore or the worker himself wishes to leave his employer's hold, given the breakdown in their relationship for whatever reasons. The migrant workers who decide to stay on pending the outcome of their injury claims are generally prohibited from working, which may cause them a lot of financial hardship. A situation where the injured migrant workers opt to stay on their own and are unable to work legally to support their own maintenance and upkeep is undesirable, given the potential for them to moonlight illegally which will deny them all the employment protections. Some may succumb to anti-social or even criminal behaviour in a bid to survive, which is detrimental to our society's well-being and safety.”
“Thus, NTUC welcomes the proposed amendment that allows MOM to order compensation based on a multiple of the worker's basic monthly salary or the AME based on at least 75% of cases of the industry norms. This will benefit the low-wage and migrant worker sectors where the absence of pay slips tend to be more prevalent. NTUC also supports the move for initial compensation based on current incapacity (CI) assessment at six months after the work accident to allow for a faster claim resolution for workers. In fact, this makes WICA to be more worker-centric and responsive to the specific needs and situations for the migrant workers as it levels the playing ground for migrant worker claimants and evens up the odds in favour of workers. MWC had encountered cases involving injured foreign workers who were required to stay in Singapore for extended claims, but not allowed to work and, inevitably, run into difficulty with upkeeping and maintaining themselves. There are good reasons to suspect that some employers or insurers may deliberately drag the cases because they are aware the migrant worker will run into hardship and put the employers or insurers at an advantage to negotiate a lower quantum which the worker has little choice but to accept, or even hold out on payment, against which the worker has no means, whether in terms of time or money, to enforce. Currently, all employers are required to have Compulsory Medical Insurance for their migrant workers but, most employers will only ensure minimum medical insurance coverage for their migrant workers to meet MOM's requirement.”
“Mr Speaker, I support the proposed amendments to the WIC Bill. Overall, the proposed amendments will essentially make the Bill more worker-centric. I would like to focus my speech to share my perspective of this Bill in relation to vulnerable low-wage and foreign workers. Extending compensation under WICA to include those on light duties due to work injury is a positive change towards covering the potential loss in workers' income because they may not be able to work overtime, given the highly manual and strenuous nature of their work and, hence, losing out on overtime pay or other incentives. For many low-wage workers, a sizeable portion of their pay package comprises overtime payments, allowances and incentive payments while doing their regular work. More importantly, it also prevents the occurrence of possible abuse of the system where the injured vulnerable worker may be given medical leave for less than the stipulated four days as a way to get around the duty to report for WICA and the remaining recovery period is covered by light duties. Such circumventing measures may arise as company-approved medical practitioners may face the dilemma of balancing their financial interest against their ethical obligation when it comes to prescribing appropriate duration of medical leave for the workers. The Employment Act has been amended to make it mandatory for employers to issue pay slips. However, in WICA cases assisted by MWC involving many Work Permit holders, especially on the lower end of the skills profile, they continue to be paid in cash without the issuance of any records.”
“Chairman, my clarification is for Minister Masagos Zulkifli. In Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Could the Minister explain how the eight towns mentioned earlier were selected by M3?”
“Chairman, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I would like to wish a blessed month of Rejab to all Muslims and a Happy Women’s Day to all the ladies in Singapore. The KelasMateMatika (KMM) programme, is the first initiative from the M³ collaboration between MENDAKI, MESRA and MUIS. This programme aims at helping low-income families with preschool-going children to have a good foundation in education, especially in Mathematics. In September last year, M3 committees in the various towns launched the KMM programme in Nee Soon, Marsiling and Pasir Ris. Studies on its effectiveness have shown positive outcomes. What are the plans to expand KMM to benefit more low-income families with preschool-going children? Update on Youth Empowerment”