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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“It was unfortunate that the poor practices and failure of compliance by the outgoing Town Council then "contaminated" the entire set of accounts for the whole of PRPGTC, through no fault of our own. The submission of audited financial statements is a standard practice and part and parcel of ensuring good governance. If a Town Council maintains good and proper Town Council record, it is a straightforward process. But if the appointed auditors are unable to verify the accounts due to lack of information, it is usually an early sign of poor financial and corporate governance. I also am heartened to note that the Town Councils Act, section 3, has been amended to address the boundary change. The new amendment under section 3(3A)(e) requires the outgoing Town Council to provide another Town Council with all documents, information and other assistance as the Town Council may reasonably require to manage the area and serve the residents. In our experience, despite the assurance of cooperation from the outgoing Town Council management, PRPGTC faced a lot of challenges to be operationally ready by 1 December 2015 to serve Punggol East due to the lack of documents and insufficient information provided to us. This directly affected our ability to serve the residents and had caused inconvenience to many households. Operational difficulties faced by PRPGTC included being unable to share with residents the breakdown of S&CC arrears owing to the Town Council because AHTC's record only showed a lumpsum owed without showing a detailed monthly breakdown of the payment arrears.”
“First, could the Minister consider setting a reasonable deadline for the preparation and submission of audited financial statements on the distribution of assets and liabilities if section 38(11) does not apply to the audited financial statements on the distribution of assets and liabilities? Second, PRPGTC could have submitted our audited financial statements on the distribution of assets and liabilities earlier if both Town Councils could have agreed in writing on the allocation method to be used to distribute the assets and liabilities as required by our own auditors. Hence, I would like the Minister to consider including in the Bill the allocation method to be used to determine the distribution of assets and liabilities or, alternatively, for the Bill to allow the Minister to determine the method to be used during the handover process. Another area that I would like the Minister to consider is allowing a Town Council to maintain two separate financial accounts pending the submission of an unqualified audited financial statements of a constituency the Town Council is taking over. PRPGTC has had an excellent record where our annual financial statements were all unqualified. To meet MND's statutory requirement for the submission of annual audited financial statements in August 2016, PRPTC had included Punggol East Single Member Constituency's (SMC's) unaudited financial statements into the PRPTC's FY2015/2016 audited financial statements. Our earlier request to maintain two separate accounts was denied by MND. PRPGTC's FY2015/2016 audited financial statements were then qualified on the basis that the audit of the financial statements of Punggol East SMC as at 30 November has not been completed.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to declare my interest as the Chairman of Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council in speaking on this Bill. As a Town Council chairman who has had to hand over a constituency to another Town Council in 2013 and then take it back again in 2015, I can understand very well the need to have some of these amendments. Mdm Speaker, under the current Act, to ensure public accountability, Town Councils are required to submit their annual audited financial statements as soon as practicable. The new amendment under section 38(11) requires a Town Council to submit these documents within six months after the close of the FY. I would like to seek a clarification on whether this applies to the audited financial statements on distribution of assets and liabilities for the purpose of the handover after a General Election. Let me share my Town Council experience. After the by-election in 2013, Punggol East was handed over to the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC). Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPGTC) took 8.5 months to submit our audited financial statements on the distribution of assets and liabilities. On the other hand, in 2015, after the General Election when Punggol East returned to PRPGTC, AHTC took 15 months in total. AHTC gave PRPGTC three different sets of audited financial statements on three different dates. AHTC withdrew the first and second sets on 26 January 2017, when PRPGTC perhaps identified some discrepancies in the first audited statements. AHTC only recently submitted the third. PRPGTC is looking through this third set carefully and we have already identified several discrepancies. There are two key learning points.”
“My clarification is for Mr Faisal Manap whether he is aware that there is actually a Malay Brigadier-General who is still actively serving in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) as an NSman and he is Brigadier-General Ishak Ismail.”
“[Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Madam, there are three areas that I would like to bring to the Minister's attention regarding the support being provided to madrasah students. Firstly, there is presently a growing demand from the Malay/Muslim community who want their children to undergo an alternative education that also includes their desire to provide a more spiritual upbringing for their children. However, many Malay/Muslim residents lamented that they were unable to do so due to the quota. Could the Minister, therefore, share whether the quota of 400 students per cohort is adequate to fulfil the religious needs of the Malay/Muslim community? Does MUIS have plans to request for an increase in this quota to meet the community's demand? Secondly, the madrasahs are expected to meet some outcomes based on their performance at the national examinations. Hence, could the Minister also share whether the performance of madrasah students in the national examinations have shown improvement over the last five years? Finally, the Prime Minister announced at the 2015 National Day Rally that the Government will work with MUIS to strengthen the teaching of secular subjects in our madrasahs by providing financial support to upgrade teachers of secular subjects and also fund awards for students who do well in secular subjects. Can the Minister provide the latest update? Upgrading Madrasahs”
“I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for the comprehensive answer. Moving forward, what is being done to prevent such false claims?”
“My clarification is for the Minister of State. Has there been any case where the HDB levy payable by a flat applicant had been waived before?”
“Madam, studies show that global life expectancy will increase, on average, by 2.5 years every decade. That is an increase of three months every year or six hours per day. Singaporeans' life expectancy is increasing by 3.5 years every decade. At the national level, current policies must be redefined and even revamped to prepare for these 100 years of life. If our workers are living up to 100 years old, it means that we have to work longer or save more. Hence, the issue of assets becomes a very important consideration for many of our older citizens. Property, in particular, would become an asset for many Singaporeans, especially when they consider monetising their properties for their retirement needs. However, the current Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) is extended only to the elderly living in four-room flats. I have come across residents who have downgraded their housing to a smaller unit even though their desire is to remain at the flat that they had lived for a long time. Likewise, some of these residents are financially tight but do not have the option to participate in LBS because of their bigger flat size. Hence, I would like to propose to extend LBS to all our elderly living in HDB flats but subject to the existing income eligibility criteria.”
“Madam, Government procurement policies can set the benchmark for the private sector to follow. I would like to encourage that Government procurement practices be improved further because it can shape procurement behaviour and set the stage for better service provider and service buyer relationships that will ultimately benefit our workers. I have three suggestions towards fairer procurement practices. First, a fair clause for a contract validity period to allow for prices to be agreed upon and also allow for price variations, including that for option years should there be any unforeseen changes in Government policy, for example, mandatory adoption of the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) and announcement of National Wages Council (NWC) guidelines during this period. This will allow service providers to factor in any cost increases. Second, a termination clause that allows for reasonable engagement by both parties to address any issues, as well as enable both sides to give notice for early termination based on the agreed terms and conditions should issues remain unresolved. This will ensure that the workers' sense of job security is not compromised. Third, liquidated damages should not be punitive but used as a professional tool to reasonably compensate service buyers for non-compliance of service standards. In current practice, service buyers often dictate liquidated damages for service lapses and this is often blown out of proportion or used as a "cost-saving" measure. With greater transparency in contractual obligations, it can create a level playing field for all businesses and encourage better gain-sharing practices that will benefit workers when the worries of unnecessary costs are alleviated with fair contracts and best practices. Towards Fairer Means Testing”
“Madam, there are many uncertainties in the global economic environment. As an open economy, Singapore will inevitably be affected. There are concerns among Singaporeans that these uncertainties will cause disruptions to our livelihoods. Parents will also be concerned about how their children can be prepared for future jobs. To prepare ourselves for the future, CFE has recommended that we deepen and diversify our international connections and acquire and utilise deep skills. Our education system must provide the opportunities for our students to be exposed to the region. Learning and development cannot be limited to the classroom. Our students must also get out of the classroom and get real work experience. Many of us will agree that some life skills, such as working with different people, can only be honed through experience and practice, and not just acquired based on theory. How does the Ministry prepare students for future jobs, particularly with regard to applied learning that allows them to learn on the job? Additionally, do our students have the opportunity to take part in overseas programmes so that they can learn more about the cultures and business environments in neighbouring countries? Work-study Degree Programmes”
“I would like to ask the Ministry if it has plans to further support and strengthen the relationship between schools and parents to better integrate schools within their communities. A positive school-home relationship will improve communication between the school and parents, which can lead to more productive and constructive outcomes for students and for other schools as well. The nature of parent involvement in schools is evolving. Parents today are better educated and more well-informed. Some would like a bigger involvement in their children's development and care in school. They feel that they have the capacity to volunteer in various areas, to contribute to the overall school experience for their children. Other parents are less able to volunteer in schools because of work and family commitments, but still want to be involved in their child's education journey. Many schools tap on the Parent Support Groups (PSGs) to support school programmes and activities. How can MOE help schools build strong networks with PSGs which can then be a bridge between the school and other parents? How can PSGs be more effective in the school involvement? A strong integrated network will enable schools and parents to better understand what is in the best interest of the children so that they can work together to develop the children's passions and strengths, both in school and at home.”
“NTUC would like to propose for the administration of the funds to be reviewed to reflect the core purpose of the fund and to benefit low-wage workers by raising the income eligibility criterion. In addition, as U Care Centre was set up to better serve low-wage workers, perhaps MOM could consider letting U Care Centre to be the fund administrator. Improving Workplace Health and Safety”
“Mdm Chairman, the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) and WIS are very good initiatives to help our workers in the low-wage sectors. However, this year, I believe it is time for us to review the PWM to ensure that it remains relevant. NTUC will be working with our tripartite partners in the various sectoral committees for annual increments and annual bonuses to be incorporated as part of PWM, in particular, the Security and Landscape sectors. This is to improve the employment benefits and job security to attract younger workers. It also protects them from the wage fluctuations or resetting that is very common for workers in these sectors. NTUC would like to seek the Government's support in this endeavour, the same way it had given its support to the revision for the cleaning PWM. Additionally, can future reviews of WIS eligibility take into consideration the review done on PWM and maybe, in particular, to consider increasing the salary eligibility criterion. In doing so, I believe we would be going one step closer to ensuring fairer equity for these workers so that they may enjoy the fruits of Singapore's economic growth. Special Relief Fund for Injury Madam, I would also like to propose for the Government to consider reviewing the criterion for the existing Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF) Special Relief Fund (SRF) to provide immediate relief to low-wage workers suffering from workplace injury. SRF was set up by SLF in response to the 1978 Spyros accident to provide financial assistance to industrial accident victims and their families while they awaited Workmen's Compensation. Currently, SRF is co-administered by MOM and SLF, with MOM screening the applications and SLF disbursing payments based on MOM's recommendations.”
“My clarification is for Minister Shanmugam. I would like to ask whether the Police in its investigation into inappropriate remarks made by the imam during the Friday sermon, whether the Police would be consulting MUIS to establish whether it was really out of context or, indeed, it was incriminatory.”
“Madam, the private security industry is increasingly becoming an important part of our security landscape. I fully support the mandatory annual security exercise that was introduced in 2009 to ensure higher standards of security requirement can be maintained. That said, I would like to ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether a review could be done on this annual grading exercise. Firstly, I would like to call on MHA to ensure greater transparency of standards. Could MHA provide clearer guidelines and share the benchmarking process used in the assessment? Secondly, private security agencies have expressed their concerns with regard to the frequency of this grading exercise, which is conducted annually from June to May, meaning that agencies are perpetually in a grading mode. Considering that most of the 250 agencies are small and medium enterprises, perhaps the Police Licensing and Regulatory Department (PLRD) can look at reviewing the timelines in between the grading exercises. Finally, the union is also concerned with the perception that the grading exercise seems to be inconsistent in their ratings based on anecdotal examples shared by the unionised private security agencies. Some agencies risk losing their right to secure a site because their grading slipped a notch. The officers consequently will either have to change employers to stay on the same site or have to relocate to another site, all of which create considerable constraints. We hope MHA or PLRD can review this as well.”
“Madam, the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) had submitted 18 proposals to MINDEF aimed at boosting support and recognition for NS. As of last year, Senior Minister of State Dr Maliki Bin Osman updated that 14 of the 18 ACCORD proposals had been completed. I would like to praise the Government for their good progress on the ACCORD proposals made thus far. Can MINDEF provide a status update on the implementation of the remaining ACCORD proposals over the last year? What are some challenges and constraints in implementing the remaining proposals?”
“Mr Chairman, Japan and the Republic of Korea are two important regional partners for Singapore. We commemorated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Japan last year, and the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and the Republic of Korea in 2015. Both these relationships are fuelled by strong economic cooperation and people-to-people ties. For instance, the Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement has provided a firm foundation for economic cooperation between our two countries. As we look towards the next significant milestone in these relationships, how can Singapore further strengthen our cooperation with key partners, such as Japan and the Republic of Korea, and explore new areas for cooperation? Relations with India Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Nee Soon): Sir, Singapore and India's relations have strong historical and cultural linkages and has come a long way. Recently, there have been many interactions at the various levels − government-to-government, business-to-business and people-to-people. I would like to seek an update on our bilateral relations with India. In particular, how have we expanded cooperation with India following the Strategic Partnership that was signed during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Singapore in November 2015?”
“I want our outsourced and vulnerable workers in their silver years to look back and not remember their helplessness but remember how they have contributed in their own special way to the development of the nation and the efforts we have, collectively, put in to better their welfare. I want them to remember that as they have helped Singapore, Singapore has thought about them, too. I hope they will no longer be called vulnerable workers but regarded as workers who have played a role as we chart our growth forward. With that, Mdm Speaker, I support the Budget.”
“(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In the future, it is possible that many jobs will disappear due to disruptive technologies. For instance, the presence of driverless cars will definitely affect the livelihood of many drivers. Self-help kiosks to make payments at supermarkets and to perform check-ins at the airports will mean that fewer customer service officers will be needed. There are many more examples about the impact of technologies that will create disruptions to the point that there will be no difference between PMETs and rank-and-file workers. But I reckon that low-wage workers will be affected more and experience a greater impact from these disruptive technologies. And the best chance for low-wage workers to adapt to these disruptive technologies is by obtaining new skills. Unfortunately, some employers are hesitant to send their workers for training, due to concerns that their attrition rate will be high if the worker completes the training and decides to join another company. While employers are given incentives to send their workers for training, some incentives should also be given to the workers after they complete their training so that they will remain in their jobs. This is something that is necessary and should be studied if the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme is being reviewed in the future, so as to encourage workers to stay on with their employers who have sent them for training. (In English): Mdm Speaker, we have made steps towards brightening the future for the Singaporean workforce. However, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels because we have to think beyond tomorrow and ensure all workers have their fair share from gains of our economic growth.”
“In my engagement with the industry players, one of the things we can do is to improve the wages in these sectors. NTUC, with the strong support from the Government and the industry stakeholders, made significant progress in this aspect through PWM. I would like to thank the Government and our tripartite partners for their unwavering support to see through the implementation of PWM in the cleaning, security and green sectors. PWM is a good start to give some protection to the workers to ensure their salaries are commensurate with the workers' training, productivity and responsibilities. However, moving forward, if PWM is to make a real positive change in the livelihoods of our low-wage workers, we need to be bolder. Last year, the tripartite committee for cleaners recommended annual increases and bonuses to be part of the mandatory wage model. It was an unprecedented move that required a lot of determination from all the stakeholders involved to see it through. I hope the tripartite committees in the security and landscape industries would demonstrate the same tenacity to ensure the same for the security and landscape industries. I also hope the Government will continue giving its strong support for the future recommendations to improve PWM. Mdm Speaker, the third area of protection that low-wage workers need is when they are injured in the course of their work. In 1978, the Special Relief Fund (SRF) was set up by the Singapore Labour Foundation in response to the 1978 Spyros accident. I would also like to propose that the Government consider reviewing the criteria of the existing SRF to provide immediate relief to affected workers suffering from serious workplace injuries pending the outcome from Workmen's Compensation. Mdm Speaker, please allow me to speak in Malay.”
“Such contracts will impact the workers as the service providers find ways to cut corners, such as not giving workers their 13th month bonus, paying low basic salaries and, in the process, minimising any overtime payments as well. Some of them also deny workers their medical benefits outside the scope of the Employment Act. Moreover, it could also be challenging for service providers to embark on productivity efforts, given that their operating margins are very low. Our Government procurement guidelines generally ensure strong financial governance. They are open and transparent to encourage competitive bids to ensure value for money, but it can be improved upon to ensure outsourced workers' welfare are not compromised by the competitive bids. I am heartened to share that the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has been very proactive to engage the Labour Movement to improve procurement practices on the ground to promote authentic best sourcing and ensuring fairer contract clauses based on the principle of proportionality to create an environment that will benefit all parties, including workers who can enjoy better terms and conditions. With the Government taking the lead, other companies, including Temasek-linked companies, would be encouraged to follow their example and this trend will better the lives of our low-wage workers. Mdm Speaker, the second area that I would like to touch on is ensuring PWM continues to be relevant as we transform the various industries and helping low-wage workers future-proof themselves. I am involved in the sectoral ITM committees for the cleaning, landscape and security sectors. A common challenge identified is the difficulty to attract local workers to join these industries.”
“Mdm Speaker, my other Labour Members of Parliament have put forward various proposals to help different segments of workers to be future-proof and future-ready based on the Labour Movement's 4P framework: Placement, Progression, Productivity and Protection. In my speech, I will be covering my proposals surrounding protection for our workers. As we continue to provide opportunities to train our workers for the future, it is also important that we provide protection for their livelihoods. Firstly, I would like to urge the Government to encourage better and fairer procurement practices which could set the benchmark for the private sector to follow as well. While many contracts are typically independent of Government influence, the Government itself may want to take the higher moral ground to ensure that all of its contracts are reasonable and fair, based on the principles of proportionality and best sourcing. The outsourced sectors have long been plagued by low productivity and stagnating wages as a result of irresponsible outsourcing by businesses. Cheap sourcing and the imposition of high liquidated damages which do not commensurate with the non-delivery of specific service have resulted in the industry being caught in a vicious cycle. Here, service providers find it challenging to embark on productivity efforts, given that their operating margins are very low. Service buyers are on the receiving end of cheap yet less than ideal service outcomes, and workers' wages are depressed as service providers find ways to cope with the increased cost by compromising on workers' welfare. In one of my blogs, I have shared about contracts with one-sided clauses.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the House for the opportunity to speak on the Budget. In the Budget, $2.4 billion will be spent over the next four years to implement the CFE strategies, in addition to the S$4.5 billion allocated last year for the ITM programmes. Without a doubt, a lot of effort has been put in to help workers in this transition for them to be future-ready, future-proof and future-forward. Mdm Speaker, yet, I am still worried our low-wage workers may not be able to reap the full benefits of our relentless drive to be future-ready. This may hamper our efforts to narrow the income gap between workers in the bottom 20th percentile and those of the median percentile. When I talk to low-wage workers, all of them would like to have better pay, better jobs, better working conditions and hope for better job security. Over the years, the Labour Movement, together with our tripartite partners, advocated and pushed for Progressive Wage Model (PWM), Best Sourcing Initiative (BSI), Inclusive Growth Programme (IGP), Workfare and National Wages Council recommendations to ensure sustainable wage growth for our low-income earners and these are some efforts that have given a hand in helping our workers to future-proof themselves through better training opportunities. However, these efforts are compromised by issues, such as cheap sourcing, wage resetting and high turnover rates. Unless we attempt to tackle these issues as well, we would take one step forward and two steps back. The low-wage workers will find themselves at the mercy of things beyond their control.”
“A question for the Minister: would MOM consider having tripartite guidelines for mass terminations, similar to those that we have for mass retrenchments?”
“Despite campaigns and education efforts to promote responsible behaviour among users of PMDs, we are still seeing families losing their loved ones in tragic accidents involving PMD users, especially e-scooters and e-bicycles. I give my strong support for the provisions in this Bill to impose penalties on irresponsible PMD users and sellers. Mdm Speaker, I foresee that with the increasing feasibility of power-assisted mobility devices, there is a higher likelihood of accidents that may involve users of PMDs and pedestrians. Therefore, once again, I lobby for the Government to make insurance mandatory for users of PMDs. By having insurance coverage available, it will help ensure that due compensations can be made without significant financial strains to all the parties involved. (In English): Mdm Speaker, the Active Mobility Bill is a big undertaking, and I am positive that it holds great merit in making Singapore a much more liveable city for everyone. With proper attitudes and complementary infrastructure, active mobility will be a great boon for our residents who wish to take up these alternative modes of transport to ease them in their daily lives. I support the Bill.”
“While some may prefer the education route to promote mutual understanding among different road users, penalties to errant and irresponsible parties are necessary to enforce the right behaviour. First, for the personal safety of PMD users, I would like to call for the mandatory donning of basic protective gear while using PMDs. Second, I also suggest expanding the law to ban the use of bicycles, including e-bicycles, on the main road, to those under 18 years of age. Younger PMD users must use the shared footpaths or dedicated cycling tracks and must refrain from using the main roads. Third, while motorists are required to pass their Highway Code, such a requirement does not exist for PMD users who ride on the main road. Unfamiliarity with road signs among PMD users may increase the risk of them being involved in accidents. Hence, the Government may want to consider making it compulsory for PMD users to have basic Highway Code knowledge. Fourth, I would also like the Government to consider raising the penalties for PMD users for riding under the influence of alcohol. Riding under the influence of alcohol is extremely dangerous not just for the rider, but for fellow motorists and pedestrians as well. Finally, in terms of enhancing a safe environment for all, I would like the Government to consider enforcing a compulsory road etiquette course for PMD users with repeated offences. This is practised in Japan where PMD users with repeated offences are required to attend a road etiquette course or risk stiff fines. Madam, may I continue in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, I believe it is timely to introduce the Active Mobility Bill.”
“Mdm Speaker, in September last year, I visited the family involved in the e-scooter accident at Pasir Ris which left the victim unconscious for two months. It was heart-wrenching to witness the family's trauma from nearly losing a loved one to an accident which could have been avoided. I believe, if you could see the family, then you would understand the rationale and intent of introducing what we are introducing in this Bill. Sadly, that was not the last accident involving users of PMD, despite all the public education that was mounted. The following month, three e-bicycle riders were involved in an accident with a container truck, resulting in two deaths and leaving one injured. I could not imagine the trauma the family must have faced. More recently, in November last year, a 62-year-old e-biker died after an accident with a tipper truck at Cecil Street. Despite these accidents, the reality now is that we will see increasing users of these PMDs. Modernisation in technology has expanded transport options for commuters and usage of PMDs. These modes are also rapidly picking up in popularity. I believe that it is high time that this Bill was introduced for these commuters who choose to adopt alternative modes of transport, be it for cost-savings, physical disability, convenience or even environmental considerations, to ensure that we create a living space safe for all to use. Several other countries have successfully implemented active mobility initiatives and there are several good models available for us to adopt and even improve upon. That said, there are two areas that I would like to address, namely, safety and administration. Mdm Speaker, to promote safety, this Bill has made it clear the penalties for errant and irresponsible users and sellers of PMDs.”
“Employers need to change their mindset to get rid of any prejudices they may have of older workers and change the work culture and processes to be more inclusive of older workers, instead of clamouring for more foreign workers. The Government must continue to support training to ensure our local workforce have the opportunities to upgrade and reskill for lifelong employability and calibrate its manpower policies to encourage a strong Singapore Core. Let me end by quoting from a book entitled the "100 years": "We are in the midst of an extraordinary transition that few of us are prepared for. If we get it right, it will be a real gift; to ignore and fail to prepare will be a curse." Mdm Speaker, I support the amendments to the Bill.”
“This foresight will allow companies to plan ahead, both for their own companies and for their own employees. This increases the likelihood of ensuring that their employees can carry skills that are relevant not just to their companies, but also to the industry as a whole. Mdm Speaker, please allow me to speak in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] While the amendment to this Bill will extend the re-employment age to 67, it does not guarantee that a job will be available to the worker. Although this amendment has provisions for a worker to find a job with an alternative employer or be provided a higher EAP, the worker will have a better chance to continue working until 67 years old if the worker constantly ensures that he/she upgrades to the relevant skills through lifelong learning. Regardless of whether a person is in a low-paying or high-paying job, the chances of re-employment will be lesser without the relevant knowledge and skills to make the person employable. Only if workers tap on the various training support programmes by the Government, such as SkillsFuture, the Workforce Skills Qualification training and others, can this Bill then achieve its intent of lifelong employability. Hence, it is important that such training support programmes be constantly updated and frequently reviewed to ensure that those programmes will complement this Bill. (In English): Madam, the effectiveness of this Bill requires every party to do its part. On the part of workers, this Bill does not give any job guarantee unless the workers constantly upgrade and reskill to ensure relevancy.”
“For example, the employer can arbitrarily choose not to offer re-employment to the employee if the employee is assessed by his employer to have unsatisfactory work performance or is medically unfit to continue working. The law should make provisions to allow for a worker to have independent assessment on medical fitness. This can be achieved by appointing a review panel of independent doctors to challenge the assessment of the company's doctor when the worker is certified unfit to work. If he is reassessed and deemed actually to be fit, and the company has no vacancies, he should have a form of recourse through EAP. Thirdly, there should be tripartite guidelines issued for the employer to communicate to the affected employee on his plans to transfer re-employment obligations to a second employer. This process of matching should ideally begin a year prior to the date of the employee's re-employment to also allow him to make better decisions. The nature and scope of the alternative job should also be deliberated with the worker. This will make for a more streamlined and consistent approach to the transferring of re-employment obligations. Fourthly, the law should look into extending the re-employment contract term to beyond a one-year renewal. There should be a longer contract period of three years, in view of the increasing life expectancy of Singapore's workforce and also in the interests of giving our older workforce a greater sense of security. This can still be subject to valuations on performance and health check as well. Besides the above changes, the law can also look into providing incentives for companies that can strategically map out a second career for employees as early as 45 years into their lives.”
“Given today's economic climate and the increasing pressure to increase productivity to remain competitive, we must examine ways through which we can maximise our labour resources and ensure that our workforce remains dynamic in an era of rapid movement and change. This Bill ensures that Singaporeans who are capable and willing to work beyond the age of 62 now have the option to do so till they are 67. At the same time, the amendment to this Bill can allow other employers to have access to the pool of experienced, evergreen workers since re-employment contracts can be offered to workers who have reached the age of 62 if their existing employers are unable to find a suitable position or vacancy for re-employment in their company. Given this amendment in the Bill, I would like to suggest the Ministry monitor this new re-employment provision to closely assess its practicality and make future refinements to ensure effectiveness. That said, there are some areas I would like to touch on with regard to this Bill. Firstly, I would like to ask if the re-employment obligations will still be applicable or subject to manipulation of the terms by the second employer in the long run. There should be some provisions for EAP to be paid by the first employer to assist the employee if the second does not extend the contract into the second year on unfair grounds. This will prevent any possible collusion or even uncertainties on the part of our older workforce, which can be very detrimental to their well-being and motivation. Secondly, satisfactory work performance as assessed by the employer when considering re-employment contracts remains subjective and they may render the legislation rather weak in protecting workers.”
“Mdm Speaker, I believe this Bill has great potential in addressing the concerns of our workforce, especially those of our ageing population. But it may still fall short if we look at the life expectancy trends in Singapore and other parts of the world. Increasing life expectancy is a global phenomenon, and studies showed that it would increase, on average, by 2.5 years for every decade, three months per year or six hours per day. In fact, for millennial babies born in early 2000 onwards, half of them can live beyond 100 years. In Singapore, our average life expectancy for females increased from about 63 years in 1957 to 85 years in 2015, and for males, it rose from about 59 years to 80 years over the same period. On average, we are looking at Singaporeans' life expectancy increasing by 3.5 years for every decade. Like other developed countries, half of our millennial babies will live beyond 100 years. Even those Singaporeans born after 1965, half of them will live past 90 years old. What does this mean for us? If our workforce is living up to 100 years, it means that we have to work longer or save more. Given the future's reality, our retirement age must increase over time, to perhaps, 70 to 75 years to ensure a steady income stream for livelihood. Alternatively, we should not look at a single retirement age but maybe a retirement age based on age cohort. In time to come, we need to be bolder to work towards removing the retirement age and allow a worker to work as long as he or she could. Nevertheless, I still support this Bill amendment as a step in the right direction.”
“Could the Parliamentary Secretary elaborate whether MOE would consider reviewing this policy? I strongly believe people are our very valuable resource and we really need to give them the best opportunity possible for them to study in an environment that could maximise their potential. My worry is that some of these students might be doing well but because they are private candidates, they are not able to go to schools of better quality based on their results. Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Madam, I thank the Member for the follow-up question. Like what I have said earlier, these are two separate issues whereby we have informed parents and also students that the Secondary One Posting Exercise is catering to our students from the national schools. Nevertheless, like what I said earlier, I assure the Member that MOE will try our best to facilitate, to ensure that the posting is tagged to the academic needs of the children and also we have to look at the vacancies available. And I must say that from experience, we have been able to facilitate the majority of the students into the schools of their choice.”
“This is a very small number or percentage of the number of students who are not in our national primary schools. And I would also like to inform the Member that we are able to facilitate the majority of these requests to one of the school choices of the students and some of them are also facilitated into their top choices. So, beyond this, I would like to assure the Member that we have been, and we will continue to facilitate this process. However, we look at the academic merit as well. It is not only about other aspects. The academic merit is also important. Nevertheless, vacancy availability during the facilitation process is also key. While we want to ensure that we are able to facilitate, we have to make sure that our Secondary One Posting Exercise is also being undertaken.”
“I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for his answer. I have some supplementary questions. First, I would appreciate it if he could give a sense of the number of students who are doing this as private candidates. I believe many of them might be madrasah students and a few of them are home-schooled children. My second supplementary question is: were the parents informed and need to sign to acknowledge that they know about this policy that has been in place that they could not be given priority during the Secondary One Placement Exercise after their children get the PSLE results? My third supplementary question is really whether MOE would consider reviewing this policy, given the fact that it is not aligned to our principle of meritocracy and the fact that these students are sitting for the same national PSLE. Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Madam, I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. Maybe I will answer the last question first. Yes, parents are informed in various ways. One, we have the information on the MOE webpage for the Secondary One Posting Exercise which states that only students from our national primary schools are eligible to participate in this Secondary One Posting Exercise. Also, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) works with the madrasahs to ensure that parents are aware of this. For the home schoolers, when the parents are applying to homeschool their children, MOE will inform them that they are not eligible to participate in this Secondary One Posting Exercise. About the number, on average, over the last five years, we received about 20 requests each year from these PSLE private candidates to be facilitated into our mainstream schools.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I think when the community raised the issue of the halal kitchen, they will have the impression that there are no Malays serving in the Navy ships. I think as a responsible Malay community leader, we should tell them that there is actually progress being made to have Malays serve in the Navy ships and we should not allude to the fact or even imply that because of the absence of a halal kitchen in the Navy ship, there are no Malay officers or Malay crewmen serving on the Navy ships. That is my point, Sir.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I just need one clarification from the hon Member Mr Faisal Manap. He alluded to the halal kitchen, implying that there are no Malay National Servicemen serving in the Navy ships. I am just wondering if he is aware that there are actually Malay National Servicemen serving in our Navy ships and provisions are made where possible to provide them with their dietary requirements.”
“The common modus operandi by these timeshare businesses and some online retailers is to use the legal framework as a vehicle to short-change regular Singaporeans to pay them for services not rendered or rendered in a way that does not commensurate the value that is paid to them. Mdm Speaker, we should not allow our legal system to be exploited by dubious businesses out to take advantage of victims, all while remaining unscathed. I support the amendment to the Bill.”
“When complaints are lodged against a particular timeshare company, the owner would just set up another timeshare company to cheat other victims. Hence, it is not surprising to find the same legal firm acting on behalf of all these timeshare companies. Mdm Speaker, I would also like to know whether this Bill will allow SPRING to take action against online retailers selling goods and services and whether these companies can be subjected to the same provisions provided under the Bill. With the availability of many free mobile games that advertise subscription for paid services or some weekly lucky draws, consumers, especially vulnerable young children, playing these games using their parents' mobile devices may unknowingly subscribe to such services or lucky draws which come with recurring weekly or monthly charges. Will the Court also compel these online retailers to publicise that they are under injunction should investigation by SPRING find them guilty of deceiving customers? Mdm Speaker, I do hope that this Bill would allow SPRING to look into the dubious and insidious practices of such timeshare companies and online retailers and serve an injunction against these companies should they be found guilty. These companies can be ethically and morally wanting and they operate just above the line on legality. Clearly, their intention is to get members or customers to sign up and enforce prejudiced membership contracts or subscribing to their services in order to receive "easy money", without making a business commitment to deliver on their service promises.”
“Mdm Speaker, I support the amendment to the CPFTA. I believe this Bill has come in a timely fashion to ensure that consumers are better protected. Nevertheless, I would like to know whether this Bill, when passed, could be enforced on timeshare companies and online retailers selling goods and subscription services. During my MPS, I have residents who had sought my assistance on timeshares which they had bought. Unfortunately, these agreements were signed before 1 April 2014, and they are not covered under the amendments to the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Regulations pertaining to cancellation of contracts. Many victims of timeshare companies were bamboozled into purchasing a timeshare package without them taking a closer look at the fine print of the "Membership Agreement" before signing up. This marks the beginning of the horror stories associated with purchasing timeshares. These timeshare agreements have no exit clause, much to the detriment of the consumers who are hardly savvy with legal or contract terms before signing the membership agreement. The reality is that many clauses revolve around the liability of the member, with little on the obligation and liability of the timeshare companies. Unfortunately, the amendment to protect consumers against timeshare companies came much later, after many had already been cheated. Using the law, the timeshare companies would engage law firms to act against their customers to enforce these one-sided contracts. In fact, I am also saddened that some law firms are willing to act on behalf of timeshare companies as their clients to squeeze the hard-earned money of many ordinary people. The timeshare business must be making good money. It is then not surprising to find many timeshare companies belonging to the same person.”
“I thank the Minister. I have two related supplementary questions. Some private madrasahs engage teachers who are not formally trained to be asatizahs to teach in their respective madrasahs. Would these teachers be required to register themselves as well? My second supplementary question is: what offence would a non-ARS registered person be committing if found teaching religious education to the public, especially those in private settings, such as homes? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, to the first question, as I mentioned in my reply, everyone, or every agency or provider will have one year to qualify. So, we will work with them. If they have teachers who have been teaching but who do not meet ARS requirements, we will work with them to draw up a transition plan. As mentioned in my reply, we want to be as inclusive as possible. To the Member's second question, MUIS will also put in place rules and regulations to make sure that our Islamic education providers, including the private Islamic education providers, engage only ARS teachers. Yet, at the same time, we must also educate the public on which teachers are to be engaged and also which should not. So, the list of ARS teachers is already made available online. We hope that parents who want to run home classes will engage those who are already on the list. Centres that flout the regulations will, in fact, face some regulatory measures.”
“I also strongly urge that unions be allowed to represent their respective members in the claims process. (In English): Mdm Speaker, please allow me to conclude in English. Notwithstanding the clarifications and suggestions that I have made to improve the work processes and accessibility of the ECT to workers in seeking redress for salary disputes. I fully support the Bill.”
“In UCC's experience in dealing with low-wage workers, there are three factors that have been extremely beneficial for these workers. These three factors cover working hours, claim forms drafted in the various vernacular languages, and ramping up outreach and publicity efforts. I would like to propose that the ECT should operate at least one weekday evening and on Saturdays as well, as these would be the off-work hours for the low-wage workers and, hence, enable them to come down to make their claims. Second, claim forms should also be in vernacular languages and the claimant should be given an option to request for officers who can speak in their preferred language or dialect. Third, I would like to urge the Ministry to ramp up outreach efforts to educate and inform workers on the ECT. The Ministry should look into embarking on strong publicity efforts on educating workers, especially the low-wage, vulnerable workers, on the newly-formed tribunal. At this juncture, I also call for the Ministry to continue giving support to centres that assist employees with workplace advisory like NTUC's UCC, Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) that could render assistance to our maids, UPME Centre and Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC). Such help centres can play an instrumental role in creating greater awareness about the ECT. Mdm Speaker, please allow me to continue in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The current Bill is timely for several reasons. Firstly, it ensures an inclusive coverage of Singaporean workers who fall outside the wage limits set in the EA. Secondly, it allows workers to save costs of engaging counsel to pursue salary-related claims based on their contracts. Lastly, it complements and supports unionism.”
“Fourth, I would like to seek clarification and confirmation that the Bill would allow for another person, such as next-of-kin, unionists, UCC consultants and others, to make the claim on behalf of the affected employee especially for workers who may not be intellectually sound but may still be able to stay gainfully employed. UCC had come across salary grievance cases involving workers with intellectual disability. I believe that having a provision to allow representation for workers with some disability can be beneficial to these groups of people who may otherwise not be able to capitalise on the ECT's role in resolving salary disputes. Likewise, as an extension, I would like to confirm the provisions under sections 18 and 19 with regard to the representation of employees who are non-union members during the ECT. There will be claimants who may not have the capacity and knowledge which may hinder their capabilities to fully represent themselves adequately during mediation or tribunals. Hence, I would like to seek clarification whether the Bill will allow non-union members making the claim to have officers from the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) help centres, such as UCC, to follow through on such cases of salary dispute. Fifth, I would also like to propose that administrative fees be waived for valid cases involving low-wage workers who are already affected by non-payment of salaries when they file claims. Workers who earn $2,000 and below should be given a waiver so as not to create such a financial strain upon themselves as they are claiming what should have been rightfully theirs to begin with. Page: 86 Lastly, I would like to make some operational suggestions that may ensure that the ECT can benefit as many Singaporeans as possible who need their services.”
“The Labour Movement welcomes the Ministry's effort in establishing the ECT to provide a more accessible system that can resolve salary-related claims more affordably and quickly for more employees compared to the current Labour Court. That said, there are some clarifications and suggestions that I would like to make from the perspective of low-wage workers and vulnerable workers that the Ministry could look into. First, I would like to urge the Ministry to allow the ECT to look into both salary and Central Provident Fund (CPF) claims to make it easier for workers to file salary claims related grievances. Currently, separate claims have to be filed to CPF Board for their owed CPF payments. This is taxing on their time, resources and morale. Since most salary claims are very likely to include CPF payments, making it possible to file both these claims will provide them with better assurance and more efficient work processes. Second, I would like the Ministry to clarify section 22 subsection 2(a) in the Employment Claims Bill. More specifically, how do we define when claims are deemed frivolous and vexatious and what are the considerations involved? In helping workers with salary grievances, U-Care Centre (UCC) has helped low-wage workers with claims as low as $50. Would these cases count as vexatious or frivolous? Third, I would like to propose that the first mediation session be held at least 14 days after it is referred to the approved mediator. In section 4 for Conduct of Mediation Sessions, the Bill currently does not stipulate a time frame as a guideline for mediation cases to be resolved, which I believe can open a loophole for exploitation.”
“Given that MND is doing a review of the Town Councils Act, would MND consider setting a reasonable timeframe and deadline for the preparation and submission of audited financial statements or distribution of assets and liabilities after each political boundary change?”
“I have one supplementary question. For those companies that MOM has given warnings to, how do you ensure compliance?”
“I have one supplementary question. In serious cases of financial difficulty, will IRAS consider reducing or waiving the person's tax liability?”
“Madam, my clarification is for Minister Yaacob. I am heartened that 80% of our asatizahs are registered under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS). My two clarifications are: first, will all teachers teaching Islamic education be required to register under this scheme? Second, what is the basic qualification required to be registered and assessed to be having the knowledge and competency to teach Islamic education? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, we have an Asatizah Recognition Board (ARB) which is supported by a secretariat with Persatuan Ulama dan Guru-Guru Agama Islam Singapura (PERGAS) and MUIS, comprising learned asatizahs to make an assessment. I do not have the details of the assessment criteria, but we look at their qualifications and experience. There are those who may not have formal qualifications but have taught the religion for many, many years. They could have just a GCE "O" or "A" level pass from the local madrasahs and they have done well. So, they will make a certain assessment. I have left it to the ARB and, thus far, the number of appeal cases is very limited. To the first question, it is almost whether we should make the ARS mandatory. I mean, it is 80% now. And as I mentioned in my reply, we want to encourage the 20% to come onboard. We have to study this very, very carefully. Certainly, it is in our interest and the interest of the community to get as many as possible onto the registration system because it gives our community, both parents and institutions, a wide selection of asatizahs whom we feel will understand the local context and who can teach Islam to our students. It is good for our students not only to have a good grasp of the knowledge but also be a part of modern Singapore.”
“I would like to hear the Minister's views on the role that our asatizahs can play and how our community can stay together in these challenging times. Strength in Diversity”