Zaqy Mohamad
Singapore
“Deputy Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the Question Time at this day's Sitting be exempted from Standing Order No 22(1) so as to enable questions for oral answer to continue until the completion of Question Nos 7 to 29, including relevant supplementary questions, until 12.45 pm?”
“Mr Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the proceedings on the item under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No 48(8) to remove the time limit in respect of the Minister Tan See Leng's speech, please?”
“I think on the hawker front, we keep our rentals as low as possible to sustain our hawkers. But for food prices, we continue to monitor. My colleague, Minister of State Gan mentioned about how we are monitoring food supply of food prices, and I think that we will continue to do so.”
“I thank the Member for his question. On seafood specifically, we do not see immediate risk. We have diversified our food imports. We have also got local production of seafood readily available. At this point, as both the Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister have shared, our main risk for agriculture lies in fertiliser.”
“Mr Speaker, as I shared, we are monitoring the situation. The Government is monitoring at this point. There is no need at this juncture, because we have not seen the price hikes hit the hawkers in the same way as yet. There will be downstream impact. I think that is quite sure.”
“For us to also look into buying local produce, that helps our farms to increase capacity at this point, helps them build resilience over time and should there be disruptions or should there be a need for us to divert supplies or look to ramp up local production, I think they would be in a better position if we do what we can today to supp…”
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“Mr Speaker, Sir, I move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Building a Democracy of Deeds”
“Mr Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the proceedings on the item under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No 48(8) to remove the time limit in respect of the Minister Tan See Leng's speech, please?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I move, "That notwithstanding Standing Order 26, the Private Member's Motion on 'An Artificial Intelligence (AI) Transition with No Jobless Growth' be taken immediately after the proceedings on the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) Bill have been concluded." Under the Standing Orders, the Introduction of Government Bills ordinarily takes precedence over a Private Member's Motion. In the ordinary course, therefore, the Private Member's Motion would have been dealt with only after all six Bills on the Order Paper have been completed. I am seeking a rearrangement of Business by moving this Business Motion as the subject matter of the SWDA Bill and the Private Member's Motion both pertain to jobs, employment and workforce development, and have common or related issues. It would therefore be convenient and expedient to have them debated back-to-back so that this topic can be considered in its entirety before proceeding with the remaining Bills. For the avoidance of doubt, I am not proposing that the SWDA Bill and the Private Member's Motion be debated together. The proposal is for the SWDA Bill to be debated and voted upon first, and after that for the Private Member's Motion to be moved, debated and voted upon. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]”
“Deputy Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the Question Time at this day's Sitting be exempted from Standing Order No 22(1) so as to enable questions for oral answer to continue until the completion of Question Nos 7 to 29, including relevant supplementary questions, until 12.45 pm?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Low-altitude Economy: Building the Flying Car, Air Tourism and Drone Logistics Industry”
“Thank you. On the first point, certainly, we welcome that. Today, with the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the social service offices, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) is piloting Case Connect, where there is a direct link between our officers of medical health professionals as well the social service offices, in terms of being able to manage cases jointly. So, that is under pilot. But certainly, I will take it back to MINDEF to study how we can also integrate better with the public health system for professionals like yourselves, who can also provide feedback back into the system. On the second one, let me check on this. Because generally, most of our unit commanders who oversee our NSF troops, for example, are trained and they do have schemes and mechanisms to support our NSFs – whether they have financial assistance requirements or whether there are external things that they may need, like rehabilitation services and counselling or family issues. We understand that there are different stressors, to which the unit commanders are charged to look after. And they have access to such schemes too. However, I think one possibility is for the mental health professionals to also provide feedback to the unit. But I take your point. Let us see how we can integrate this better and see how we can work this through in a more efficient way.”
“Mr Speaker, as I shared, we are monitoring the situation. The Government is monitoring at this point. There is no need at this juncture, because we have not seen the price hikes hit the hawkers in the same way as yet. There will be downstream impact. I think that is quite sure. I think we have already had enough explanations and elaborations from MTI colleagues on energy price hikes at this point. I think we are still in stable mode. So, if the need arises, rest assured that the Ministry will provide the necessary assistance as required.”
“I think on the hawker front, we keep our rentals as low as possible to sustain our hawkers. But for food prices, we continue to monitor. My colleague, Minister of State Gan mentioned about how we are monitoring food supply of food prices, and I think that we will continue to do so. The current measures are what we look at, in terms of CDC vouchers and special payments. I think that is where we look to support households in the meantime and we will keep everyone posted should there be changes. But rest assured we are monitoring, we are engaging our hawkers. We will try to keep prices as competitive and low as possible, but I cannot guarantee that there will not be food price increases as a result of, what I shared earlier. We are importing most of our food supply and so, we are not insulated against food hikes or food prices as a result of the global situation right now.”
“For us to also look into buying local produce, that helps our farms to increase capacity at this point, helps them build resilience over time and should there be disruptions or should there be a need for us to divert supplies or look to ramp up local production, I think they would be in a better position if we do what we can today to support them too. So, this is, I think, one learning moment that we can do. And I hope that the community can come forth and support our local farmers this round.”
“I thank the Member for her question. This was in the earlier bucket. And on national food stockpile, I think this is important, because I just want to assure Singaporeans that we do have sufficient stockpiles. We are constantly calibrating and assessing the current situation. Certainly, at this point in time, there is no need to activate the stockpiles. I am not at liberty to give too much details on what it is, because this is as part of national security; I think we want to keep that on our own books. Having said that, I think we are in a better position today, having had learnt from COVID-19, from the last energy crisis, to be able to diversify our sources. Today, we have about 180 countries and regions that we have, among our agreements today where we import food sources, so that enables us to diversify and divert food imports when necessary. Earlier, I also shared that the amount of food imports through the Strait of Hormuz was just less than 0.5%. So, hence, today, while we are not impacted, while we are not likely to see food disruptions in the short term, we cannot fully insulate ourselves from increases in food prices; as a result of increases, such as fertilisers and other food inputs. So, I think this is where a lot of the measures as covered by MOF earlier, provide assurance in the short term that the Government is looking into this. We are monitoring the situation. And if I can assure Members too, that perhaps, like Mr Victor Lye had suggested earlier, make this a learning moment. If I can also pitch for our local farmers and local production, this is also a time for us to build our local capabilities, our local farming resilience.”
“Mr Speaker, I think Minister of State Gan has covered food prices.”
“Mr Speaker, allow me to speak in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] With regards to food, we do not expect a risk of food supply disruptions in the near term for Singapore. However, there is an impact today on fertilisers because fertiliser is a by-product of oil and supply has been affected due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Therefore, fertiliser costs have increased, and this will impact food prices. For now, the Government will help citizens through support measures, such as CDC vouchers and also the Cost-of-Living Special Payment. However, we need to be prepared for what happens next. It may begin as an energy crisis, but it could develop into larger supply disruptions across many sectors, including the food sector. Our cooperation with other governments as well as industries has given us the opportunity to further diversify our food sources, and this means that food importers can pivot to other sources easily. If the situation worsens, we have food supplies – our stockpile – to sustain our population. Local farms can also increase their production further and provide fresh food supply to us. So, we still have food supply to meet our needs. As the Government increases our diversification efforts, global partnerships, local production and stockpiling efforts as needed, we will get ready to try to diversify our sources and make adjustments to our habits and lifestyle.”
“And food coming from major ports, such as the Strait of Hormuz, accounts for even less, at less than 0.5%. In the near term, there is no imminent risk of food supply disruption to Singapore. However, as global food supply chains are interconnected, we cannot rule out eventual disruptions to our food supply if the conflict persists. In his Ministerial Statement, the Deputy Prime Minister mentioned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz would have an impact on other key products, including fertilisers. This, in turn, could translate to lower agricultural yield down the line and potential supply disruptions. So, we are monitoring this and the food supply situation very closely. We will keep up our diversification, global partnerships, local production and stockpiling efforts as required. Since the start of the Middle East conflict, the Singapore Food Agency has also stepped up our engagements with importers and retailers to share information on possible risks to food supply, so that they may activate alternative sources early and when needed. We stand ready to activate our existing arrangements with partner countries to ensure that food continues to flow as needed too. We want to support our local farmers, especially now, to weather this crisis, and we will help them to increase their market share for certain food types, which will strengthen Singapore's food resilience in the long term. And as they say, never waste a good crisis.”
“Speaker, our Singapore Food Story 2 mitigates the impact of food supply disruptions on Singapore through its four pillars working together, which is diversification, global partnerships, stockpiling and local production. Due to our efforts in partnership with other governments, for example, Thailand and Vietnam for rice cooperation, New Zealand and Australia for other food areas, as well as working with the industry to diversify our food sources over the years, importers can now pivot more readily to alternative sources, if needed. If the situation worsens and food imports are severely disrupted, the stockpile of essential food items, as shared by the Coordinating Minister, that we have been maintaining and expanding will provide us time to restore food flows and sustain our population. Finally, local farms can increase their production and provide us with a regenerative source of fresh food that is maintained during prolonged disruption. This multi-pillar approach ensures that Singapore is able to meet our food needs and Singaporeans can continue to experience reasonable normalcy during disruptions. However, we also have to recognise that in a crisis, we will have to prioritise our efforts. It will not always be possible to have everyone's favourite food or favourite brand in every disruption, but what we can do is to provide the assurance of food supply where it matters most. The Government is monitoring the developments in the Middle East and its impact on Singapore's food supply closely. Singapore imports most of our food and from many different sources – we have 180 countries and regions that we import from. The Middle East accounts for less than 1% of our total food imports.”
“I thank the Member for his question. On seafood specifically, we do not see immediate risk. We have diversified our food imports. We have also got local production of seafood readily available. At this point, as both the Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister have shared, our main risk for agriculture lies in fertiliser. And in the short term, no impact, but we think there could be secondary impact, as the Member has shared with diesel and other energy prices, just with other sectors. So, we are monitoring the situation and we will keep everyone posted as things happen.”
“Thus far, the numbers that have folded are very small – I think only about two out of 60, so that is about a 3% failure rate. For the most of it, we are seeing most of these farms providing higher yields, better production levels and producing what we need locally. I assure Members that we are constantly tracking and doing our best to support our local farms.”
“Thank you to the Member. Sir, I just want to assure the Member that the Lim Chu Kang masterplan, though I have not mentioned it in my speech, is pretty much still central to our master-planning – just that it is a bit more longer term and we were just focusing on what we are planning to do today. Nonetheless, we are still hard at work on it, with inter-agency planning, to look at how we can better optimise the land use, infrastructure needs as well as environmental considerations of how we can get this done a lot better. At the same time, it is important that as we do master-planning, it is not just about infrastructure. There are also market aspects that we need to consider, such as market-sensing, technical studies, developing new concepts and ideas. You do not want just to build farms as you see them today, but farms of tomorrow. We are looking at, for example, multi-tenanted facilities that can make better use of shared services to help our farms survive, build more climate resilient facilities. This puts us on the map for new developments in future that we can also consolidate. Also, I spoke about how we are looking at integrating some of the things like logistics, supply chain management. That, I think helps optimise land use and certainly facilities and shared services for our companies. So, these are a bit more longer-term. In the meantime, I assure Members that our plans are still in play. For farms that need land, we are still providing our land use tenders, so, those will still continue. Our ACT Fund, as I have announced, has just been expanded and enhanced. In short, we do track. In fact, as I announced earlier, we have funded about $55 million in the last few years under ACT 1, and that covers about 150 projects across 60 companies.”
“Some parts of it, like with Brunei, we are exploring how we could look at growing aquaculture, for example, as I mentioned in my speech; and with New Zealand, there are other types of agreements that we put in place. So, I think the global partnerships today allow us to do different things with different like-minded economies that will help us build our food resilience in times of crisis. But do give us a bit of time because this is fairly nascent and new, but certainly, we will make a report when the time comes.”
“I thank the Member for his questions. On alternative proteins, that is still in play. Although today, the market demand is not where one would have thought it would be, so there is a bit of challenge for those who are producing alternative proteins. But the Member is also right, that there are some who have pivoted to providing alternative proteins in other forms. We are still continuing to fund research and development (R&D) costs for a number of these outfits out here in Singapore. We are seeing companies increasingly adopting, for example, business-to-business (B2B) partnership models rather than going to just market independently their own product. To give some examples, they work with food corporates to allow some of these startups to leverage existing manufacturing, distribution and brand capabilities. For example, they also provide cell-based seafood cultivation platforms like Umami Bioworks. They developed a joint-production agreement with the Japanese seafood producer Maruha Nichiro to develop and commercialise cell-cultivated tuna. So, it is not that they are not viable or not feasible, just that cost-wise, I think the market is not yet ready for this at full scale. But I think there is certainly potential and we will continue to support. On the Member's other question, which was on global partnerships, this is at a very nascent stage. As I have shared, we have only started signing some of these agreements last year. So, it is an evolution beyond just what we used to call "grow overseas". Right now, with partnerships, you have a variety of things that you can do: government-to-government agreements.”
“Chairman, building Singapore's food resilience requires all of us to move beyond individual interests and act with collective urgency. The Government will continue doing our part – be it investing in the ACT Fund 2, expanding the National Broodstock Centre, creating offtake programmes with SAFEF and strengthening early warning systems. But we cannot secure our food future alone. I hope that businesses do more to support our local food production and our overall Singapore Food Story 2 efforts. Diversify your supply sources and commit to local production as a strategic buffer. Supermarkets should expand local produce shelf space, restaurants should join our Farm-to-Table Recognition Programme and food manufacturers should partner with SAFEF to develop local supply chains. When you choose local suppliers, you are helping to invest in Singapore's food resilience that will protect your business during the next major disruption or major pandemic scenario. For consumers, your choices shape our collective resilience. Choose local produce even if it costs slightly more and be more flexible with our food choices during crises and shortages. That premium we pay for our local produce is our insurance for reliable food supply when things fail. Chairman, our founding fathers understood that Singapore's survival depends on collective action over individual interests. As our founding Prime Minister often said, we must leave nothing to chance when it comes to Singapore's survival. Today, we apply that same principle to food resilience with the Singapore Food Story 2 – building comprehensive resilience through collective action, because our food future is too important to leave to chance alone.”
“This effort aims to facilitate farms’ mainstream market penetration by connecting retail demands with a fragmented local farm supply chain. And this is just due to our small agriculture sector. In aggregated offtake programmes, we give farms the sales certainty they need to scale production. At the same time, supermarkets, hotels and caterers are given the confidence in a guaranteed reliable local supply for them to commit shelf space and marketing support. The effectiveness of our Singapore Food Story also depends on our readiness to respond swiftly to disruptions. SFA is strengthening early warning systems to provide greater lead time for action. Our new risk monitoring dashboard and food supply visibility tool, developed with PSA BDP, provides early warnings of developments that may affect food imports and strengthens Singapore's upstream food supply chain visibility. This tool has already proven its value – it expedited our risk assessments during Brazil's Avian Influenza outbreaks in May last year and the recent conflict in the Middle East. For aquaculture, we are upgrading our Harmful Algal Bloom Prediction Model to integrate forecasted weather conditions for more accurate environmental predictions. This will alert farms ahead of anticipated events so that they can implement mitigation measures like aeration or emergency harvests to minimise stock losses. Together, these initiatives strengthen SFA's ability to assess, plan and mitigate supply disruption risks before they impact Singapore's food resilience. I thank Mr Foo Cexiang for his suggestions on our food pillars. Strong supply chain logistics are indeed a critical backbone for resilience. We will continue to work closely with relevant agencies and industry, including to consider your suggestions.”
“SFA's new Integrated Hatchery Support Programme will help local hatcheries adopt specialised feeds and quality vaccines that maximise the growth potential of the high quality fries or fingerlings. And this will be done through demonstration trials to build farm's confidence in investing in better quality input. Together, the National Broodstock Centre, Hatchery Development and Recognition Programme and Integrated Hatchery Support Programme create a reinforced aquaculture value chain for both sea-based and land-based farms that improve fry quality, increase yields and sharpen competitiveness. Our offtake programmes have been making progress for the food types that matter most to Singapore's food resilience – and we aim to do better. Central to this effort is the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation (SAFEF), which has become the critical demand aggregation engine that matches our farms' production capacity with local needs. Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked about the effectiveness of SAFEF's demand aggregation efforts. SAFEF has created sustainable brands like "The Straits Fish" and "SG Farmers' Market" now stocked in major supermarkets – FairPrice, Sheng Siong, Cold Storage and Giant, bringing local produce closer to the community. Public response has been encouraging. For example, the sales for xiao bai cai under the "SG Farmers' Market" brand have increased about sevenfold since its launch in May 2024. We are expanding the demand aggregation model in 2026 with more product varieties and The Straits Fish marine tilapia ready-to-eat products. SAFEF will also partner more food and beverage (F&B) players to integrate SG Farmers' Market® product range in their menus.”
“One example is the automated vaccination of fingerlings which can reduce labour intensity. Successfully demonstrated technologies can subsequently be adopted by the industry via the ACT Fund 2. Beyond technology, quality agri-inputs, such as eggs, fingerlings and feed, are fundamental to success for aquaculture. Today, farms source a majority of their fry and fingerling from overseas sources with less consistent quality and lower survival rates due to the long transport stress. In November 2024, we introduced the National Broodstock Centre and Hatchery Development and Recognition Programme to supply our farms with high quality eggs and fingerlings, with higher survival and grow-out rates. The National Broodstock Centre produces disease-free broodstock that commercial hatcheries then develop into high quality fingerlings under strict biosecurity standards. For farms, this translates directly into better profitability. These premium fingerlings grow faster, survive better and they convert feed more efficiently. That means that farms reach market quicker with lower feed costs and fewer losses. We started out with Asian Seabass and have since successfully expanded into Marine Tilapia. Five hatcheries have been recognised under the Hatchery Development and Recognition Programme and can now access quality seabass eggs and marine tilapia brooder fingerlings from the National Broodstock Centre. This year, we will expand our national breeding programme to include Red Snapper and work towards industry-led efforts to increase the supply of Whiteleg shrimp larvae and grouper fingerlings. High-quality eggs and fingerlings set the foundation, but health and nutrition inputs determine whether farms achieve optimal growth and disease resistance.”
“Thus, to Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin's question, it will take time for the local industry to adopt systems such as closed containment aquaculture system. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) will continue to support farms who are keen and ready for this transition. Another beneficiary of the ACT Fund is Yili Farm who upgraded their cultivation systems to optimise layout, improve crop protection and integrate with their centralised nursery and irrigation system. This enabled faster crop cycles and a 20% increase in productivity. These developments give us confidence to enhance the Fund to support our farms further. Today, I am announcing a new tranche of funding of $70 million under the ACT Fund 2. This will be made available from April 2026, over five years, and it represents our largest industry scheme to date to support technology adoption and local agriculture capability and capacity building. At the same time, it will introduce a new funding component – the Industry Partnerships for Capability Transformation Grant. This is in response to feedback from the industry on the need for collaborative approaches to tackle common challenges, such as limited economies of scale and supply chain inefficiencies. This new scheme will co-fund strategic partnerships between farms and ecosystem players on the development and deployment of industry-wide solutions that can support multiple farms. Examples will include farms and industry players collaborating on integrated delivery systems which streamlines the process from farm-to-market, reducing transportation cost and improving product freshness. For the aquaculture sector, we will also support both sea-based and land-based farms to adopt newer technologies to improve productivity and consistency of output through demonstration projects.”
“So, the key is thus to get our farms to the right scale and cost structure. Take our local egg industry. It has achieved this balance, with local production making up to 30% of local consumption. Ms Lee Hui Ying and Mr Cai Yinzhou asked how we will support and promote awareness of our local farms. We are helping farms to increase productivity and reap economies of scale, we are helping them to build capabilities, strengthen supply resilience of agri-inputs and enhance demand offtake. The first tranche of the Agri-food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund, launched in 2021, has shown that Singapore farms can transform into advanced farming operations that are of higher yield, that are more pest- and disease- resilient, and increasingly climate-resilient too. Since its launch, we have awarded $55 million to nearly 150 projects. The Fund has enabled both agri- and aqua-farms to adopt everything from simple, small-scale technologies, like LED grow lights, automated feeders and automated irrigation systems that reduce manual labour, to large-scale farming systems in climate-controlled environments that guarantee year-round production regardless of the weather. 10.45 am Take Singapore Aquaculture Technology as a good example of this transformation. Using ACT Fund support, instead of adopting conventional open cage fish farm technologies, they deployed a closed containment aquaculture system. What is the outcome? They now operate at three times the productivity of conventional sea-based fish farms and in using closed containment aquaculture system, they face lower risk from environmental hazards, such as algal blooms. Closed containment aquaculture system technology is still nascent and requires industry readiness.”
“Ms Poh Li San asked about the lessons learnt from failed local farms and Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked about Singapore's role in alternative proteins. We must first recognise that most of our farming industry is nascent and in an early phase of growth. It will take them time to develop viable technologies and business models. We must also take a practical approach on what we can grow locally in a sustainable manner. It would neither be efficient nor possible to locally produce every food item that we have on our plates today. Hence, our refreshed local production targets under Singapore Food Story 2, we are focusing on fibre and protein types that are feasible to be produced at scale efficiently in Singapore. These are fresh leafy and fruited vegetables, such as xiao bai cai and tomatoes, beansprouts and mushrooms for fibre; and eggs and seafood for protein. These goals take into account the strengths of our local farming ecosystem and the potential for growth in supply. We have also got to be realistic about our economics. Our local farms will always face higher land and production costs compared to farms from the region. Unfortunately, that is simply our reality. But the situation is no different from how Singapore differentiates from low-cost alternatives in other industries, such as manufacturing. We have to improve our value-add, bring higher-productivity and cost-efficiency, and with Government's support to invest in capability and capacity development. But here is what we have also learnt on the demand side: consumers and large buyers, like supermarkets, are willing to pay a reasonable premium for fresher, pesticide-free local produce that comes with guaranteed supply certainty. What this means is that they want consistent supply at scale.”
“The joint study with Brunei on the feasibility of an Agri-Tech Food Zone in Brunei will explore how both countries can leverage on our respective strengths to enhance agri-food trade and food supply resilience, starting with aquaculture. When the next disruption hits, we do not want to be scrambling for alternatives. We want to have pre-established channels, we want to have tested protocols and trusted partners who are ready to respond. This transforms crisis management from reactive scrambling to proactive deployment. We will continue to explore mutually beneficial arrangements with like-minded economies to strengthen our food supply resilience. Chairman, even with our efforts to reduce the likelihood and impact of disruptions, it is still possible that we could face widespread disruptions where food cannot reach our borders for some time. And this is why we will stockpile essential food items, such as rice. It gives us the time and breathing space to restore our food flows and sustain our population. As shared in this House in November last year, since COVID-19, we have expanded our stockpiles to include frozen protein and canned vegetables to cover all three food groups – carbohydrates, fibre and protein. We will continue to work with the industry to stockpile more effectively. Moving on to grow local. Grow local remains an important pillar of our food resilience strategy. Stockpiles are finite and imports can be disrupted. Local farms can provide us with a regenerative source of fresh food, that is maintained even during prolonged disruptions. More of our farms are moving towards controlled environments which makes them more climate-resilient and land-efficient.”
“When disease outbreaks happen, we do not shut down supply from entire countries – we get more precise these days. Our regionalisation agreements allow us to continue importing from disease-free areas within affected countries. For example, during Brazil's Avian Influenza outbreak last year, we maintained poultry imports from accredited farms in unaffected regions, rather than restricting imports from the whole of Brazil. We will continue to facilitate accreditation and explore regionalisation arrangements with suitable sources. Diversification alone is not enough and has its constraints. For example, importers may need to buy from sources that are not necessarily the cheapest. So, we have to also strengthen the resilience of existing food supply chains by working with like-minded countries and regions. This is where global partnerships, our newest pillar, comes in. Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked how we assess whether our global partnerships can support diversification. As shared in Parliament last month, partnerships can take various forms, such as facilitating production overseas, in addition to having government-to-government arrangements and agreements. For such partnerships to be meaningful and sustainable, they must be win-win. And this will look different for various partnerships. As the Member has mentioned, recent examples include the two memoranda agreements on rice trade signed with Vietnam and Thailand last year. These help us ensure a stable rice supply to Singapore and provide an avenue for Singapore to activate additional rice supplies when needed.”
“What have we learnt? A single-pillar approach, no matter how ambitious, cannot provide the food supply resilience that Singapore needs. This brings us to the Singapore Food Story 2, which Minister Grace Fu announced in November last year. It includes four pillars: diversify imports, grow local, stockpile and global partnerships. These enable us to tap onto the different combinations to address different types of scenarios and that will strengthen our food resilience. But first, what does it mean to achieve "food resilience"? Food resilience means ensuring Singapore has reliable access to our basic needs – ensuring that during disruptions, there is still food on the table, food on our shelves and meals remain as familiar to us as possible. It will not always be possible to have everyone's favourite food and brand available in every disruption. I think we have to accept that. But we will prioritise staples such as rice, proteins and vegetables. And like any insurance policy, we must be strategic about what we protect and how we protect it. This approach allows us to provide food assurance where it matters most, whilst managing our risks responsibly. The first food pillar is for industry to diversify imports. This means importing our food from multiple sources and building up alternative sources. Doing so reduces the impact when there are disruptions to particular sources, helping us to stabilise our food supply. And also, it makes easier to pivot to alternative sources when needed. The Government will support the industry by accrediting new sources, for food of higher food safety concern, such as meat and eggs; we will help our local food importers with business matching; and safeguarding supply stability by establishing regionalisation agreements with key sources.”
“Mr Chairman, I will speak on our approach to strengthen food resilience. As a country heavily reliant on imports, we are particularly vulnerable to external shocks and supply chain disruptions. Over the past five years, Singapore's food supply has been repeatedly tested by events beyond our control. During COVID-19, there were concerns that countries' COVID-19 measures would lead to food supply disruptions, such as eggs. In 2022, Malaysia's ban on the export of live chickens disrupted their supply to Singapore. More recently, the disruption in pork supply from Bulan, Indonesia in 2023, due to an African Swine Fever outbreak, further highlighted our vulnerabilities. Each time, we managed to tide through the disruption with the collective support of our importers, retailers and consumers who switched to alternative options. We must stay prepared for rising geopolitical tensions and trade restrictions which could disrupt our food supply. The latest chain of events in the Middle East only underscores this global climate of uncertainty. We also need to manage our risks from animal diseases, which add to further pressure on global food supply and global prices. As a long-term risk, we must be able to adapt to climate change, such as extreme and erratic weather which affects crop yields globally. This is why we need to build options and flexibility to deal with the different types of disruptions – whether they affect single or multiple food items, single sources or entire regions, and whether they last for days or they last for months. We have learnt many lessons from our "30 by 30" initiative. While it had successfully catalysed local production growth, mainly focusing on one pillar – Grow Local – left us vulnerable to the very disruptions that we sought to address.”
“Today, we are transforming defence from the duty of our national servicemen and our Regulars, into the responsibility of everyone. To our national servicemen and Regulars, your service remains our foundation. To every woman, PR and new citizen ready to serve, your commitment to volunteer contributes to our Total Defence efforts. Together, we do not just defend our sovereignty. We defend the Singapore promise, that everyone who calls this home has a part in keeping it safe. Chairman, the Minister of State will next speak on how we continue to support the NS community and strengthen community support for defence. [Applause.]”
“Total Defence Champions and People's Association Community Emergency Response Team Volunteers engaged residents and shared what to do during disruptions and prolonged outages. More than 250 schools simulated disruptions to get students to think about their roles in Total Defence. Many businesses used the exercise scenario to conduct table-top exercises or simulate disruptions at their premises. Over 500 organisations revised their Business Continuity Plans and close to 140 companies participated in a phishing exercise which saw more than 8,500 phishing emails sent to employees. These efforts, let their employees, and sometime, members of the public, better appreciate how such disruptions affect life. To Ms Hazlina's point about people not being born here but choose to be here, I assure her that many of these participations in Exercise SG Ready also include PRs and foreigners who work alongside Singaporeans, especially during our business tabletop exercises to develop Business Continuity Plans. So, this is one way in which we involve the wider community, whether they are Singaporeans, PRs or foreigners, living here, to be prepared for any disruption that may come. Through these experiences, we strengthened our resilience against unexpected situations. These examples reflect the growing ways Singaporeans and residents can contribute to defence. Mr Chairman, when we introduced NS in 1967, we proved that a small nation's defence could rest on the commitment of all its people. Today, as cyber threats and hybrid warfare challenge us in new ways, we must call again on the whole-of-society and use all skills available to defend Singapore. Our Pioneers built our nation and our defence over the years.”
“Beyond operational roles in the SAFVC and specialist roles in MINDEF, we are expanding community-level volunteer participation through Total Defence initiatives. Ms Hazlina and Miss Rachel Ong asked about these efforts. One key example is Exercise SG Ready, our annual Total Defence exercise. It strengthens the preparedness of Singaporeans and communities to respond to crises and disruption. Members in this House and their residents can also participate to prepare our communities and households for such situations. 4.00 pm This year's Exercise SG Ready was held over two weeks earlier this month, with more than 1,000 agencies, businesses and community organisations taking part. It focused on readiness for degraded digital connectivity and prolonged power outages – things that we often take for granted. But in an actual hybrid conflict, communications and power, are exactly the first two things any aggressor would want to take out. Why? Because society can go into panic. But the question is: is Singapore ready? So, this exercise provided a timely platform for whole-of-Government agencies as well as some businesses to test their plans and pilot new capabilities. It encouraged everyone – individuals, community groups, businesses and students – to plan for disruptions, prepare to respond and play a part to keep Singapore strong. As part of the launch, the Public Warning System "Important Message" signal was broadcast nationwide. Vehicles island-wide received broadcast alerts on their Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) 2.0 On-Board Units – the first public testing of this capability. A pilot community mobilisation activity was conducted at two HDB blocks in Tampines.”
“This gives volunteers a better understanding of how the SAF operates and lets them contribute practically. As we expand these opportunities, we welcome Singaporean women, new citizens and PRs aged 18 to 45 who wish to serve. They can find inspiration from the many SAFVC Volunteers (SVs) today who serve with deep commitment. One example is SV2 Delhaye Geoffrey Jean-Raphael Georges, an Auxiliary Security Trooper, and his wife, SV1 Felicia Ang, who serves as a Bridge Watchkeeper. Both of them joined the SAFVC to do their part for Singapore and serve as positive role models for their three children. For Delhaye, volunteering was also a way for him to deepen his roots in Singapore. Since 2023, Delhaye has been based in Dubai for work. He relocated there with Felicia and their three children. Despite being overseas, both continue to serve whenever they are back in Singapore and they have contributed significant service days over the years. Their commitment reflects strong dedication to Singapore, regardless of where life or work takes them. Another example is SV2 Diana Lau, a nurse with Alexandra Hospital's Urgent Care Centre. She volunteers as a medical trainer in the SAF. During a training session, she noticed a trainee showing signs of heat stress. She drew on her nursing background to help the medical team provide timely care. Her swift actions helped to ensure training could continue safely and effectively. Diana continues to serve passionately with the SAF. She volunteers significant time each year while balancing a demanding nursing career. Our volunteers play an important role in strengthening Singapore's defence and resilience. But safeguarding Singapore ultimately requires a whole-of-society effort, especially during crises.”
“Today, we already have volunteers contributing specialist skills in military law, defence science, strategic communications and even museum guiding. This year, we started the National Education Ambassadors scheme that lets individuals with a passion for Total Defence speak to students, youths and the public, covering all six pillars of Total Defence. MINDEF now has more than 100 National Education Ambassadors from various professional backgrounds. We also started the Total Defence Champions initiative this year to engage communities on how to respond during crises and disruptions. Second, we will enhance military volunteer pathways through the SAFVC. The SAFVC lets Singaporean women as well as PRs deepen their understanding of national defence. They contribute directly to Singapore's security, strengthening our collective sense of ownership and responsibility. Mr Sanjeev Kumar asked for an update on the SAFVC and whether MINDEF and SAF intend to expand opportunities for volunteerism. The SAFVC marked its 10th anniversary last year. Since its formation, more than 1,500 SAFVC volunteers have been trained and served Singapore. Moving ahead, we will enhance the SAFVC to enable more people to serve in a wider range of roles. We will integrate the SAFVC more closely into SAF units to fulfil operational tasks alongside SAF personnel beyond peacetime support functions. I am glad that Mr Sanjeev has also noted how our SAFVC were deployed side by side alongside our SAF troops in Exercise Wallaby last year. This shows how more of our volunteer schemes can be put to support the core of the SAF. We will also introduce a new non-uniformed military volunteer scheme with new roles.”
“These pathways enable NSmen to contribute more meaningfully to national defence by applying the expertise that they have developed in their civilian careers. Mr Lee Hong Chuang and Miss Rachel Ong asked about how we are involving the community and wider society. The defence of our nation is a shared endeavour that goes beyond those who serve NS. Our deterrence and mission success, if ever called upon, relies on the understanding and support of the wider Singapore society. Whether at the National Day Parade or at the recent Singapore Airshow, you can see Singaporeans from all walks of life show their sense of pride, embodying the spirit of Total Defence. Many Singaporeans and residents want to contribute to our defence in different ways. They want to play a meaningful role in keeping Singapore safe. So, beyond NS, we will be expanding avenues for women, Permanent Residents, new citizens and foreigners to step forward and play their part. Just as NS has served Singapore well to foster cohesion and a sense of national identity through their service to defence, we want to expand the opportunity and potential to do the same with this initiative. MINDEF and SAF will establish the SG Defence Volunteer Network this year. This brings all volunteers in MINDEF, SAF and our related organisations under one common identity. It strengthens our volunteer ecosystem. The SG Defence Volunteer Network will focus on two key areas initially. First, we will expand civilian volunteer pathways by creating new opportunities across MINDEF, SAFRA, Defence Collective Singapore and our other agencies. Volunteers can contribute in ways that better match their skills, interests and life stages.”
“Many of our NSmen today are skilled cybersecurity professionals who bring valuable real-world experience and industry expertise. We are all aware of how critical cyberwarfare is to a country's national security and we have seen how Singapore's critical infrastructure comes under threat from time to time. We are not immune to these attacks and we need to draw on the best talents that Singapore can provide among our NSmen. I am pleased to say that many have come forward to offer their skills to defend Singapore. Their expertise matters and can make a real difference – not just to the SAF, but to Singapore's broader cyber defence. From June this year, the SAF will deploy NSmen with cyber expertise into Sectoral Cyber Defence Teams. These teams will strengthen our capabilities, bring new ideas and approaches, and complement existing forces. We will deploy them to support the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore in defending Singapore's CII. This covers vital sectors such as telecommunications, power and transport. One such example is ME4(NS) Lye Han Wei. He is a manager in Cyber Threat Intelligence and Response from the Infocomm Media Development Authority. He will be part of the Telecommunications Sectoral Cyber Defence Team, bringing expertise and experience in niche areas such as operational technology, cybersecurity governance and threat detection. NSmen like Han Wei will contribute meaningfully to our national efforts to strengthen our cyber defence, offering specialised knowledge that would be difficult to replicate through traditional military training alone. This represents a more coordinated, proactive approach against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Chairman, we are enabling better skills-matched deployment of our NSmen.”
“These are layered upon what they can also get outside through the Ministry of Social and Family Development's ComCare schemes. I encourage any NSFs facing difficulties to speak with their commanders. I can assure them that the SAF will do its utmost to assist. We deeply value the contributions that our national servicemen play in defending Singapore, and we remain committed in ensuring that our allowances and support measures remain relevant and meaningful. Moving on to our NSmen. When servicemen transition to their 10-year Operationally Ready NS journey, they are building expertise in their civilian careers in a variety of sectors and exposures. Today, they can serve in NS roles that draw on the skills that they have gained in their jobs. We do this through the Enhanced Expertise Deployment Scheme. About 850 NSmen have been redeployed into roles better aligned with their professional expertise. This covers more than 20 areas such as legal, cyber, strategic communications and more. Take ME4A(NS) Aslam Bin Mohamed Johan, for example. Aslam is a Software Engineer with the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) who specialises in system design and the development of digital solutions. Aslam previously served as a driver in the 1st SAF Transport Battalion. He was redeployed to the SAF C4 and Digitalisation Command in 2024, where he now applies his technical expertise to strengthen the SAF's digital systems and enhance operational effectiveness. This is what we mean by optimising our servicemen's contributions. Instead of a one-size-fits-all deployment, we are matching individuals' professional expertise with roles where their skills can best serve Singapore's defence needs. Another area where we are harnessing niche skills is cyber defence.”
“Servicemen receive up to $6,500 upon completion of full-time NS – on the question of CPF, of that amount, CPF comes to about $5,500 – and up to $18,500 total after completing their Operationally Ready NS training. NSmen and their families also enjoy annual tax relief. So, now, on the comparison to Local Qualifying Salary. We must also understand what the LQS is and what the LQS is not. As the Ministry of Manpower has explained, the LQS determines the number of local employees counted towards a firm's Work Permit and S Pass quota entitlement. The LQS is an administrative tool that ensures local workers are employed and paid meaningfully in the employment context. It is not a minimum wage or general salary benchmark for all forms of service in Singapore. We should not draw equivalence between salaries and NS allowances because there is a fundamental difference between the two. A salary is a transaction for labour services rendered by a worker to compensate for work done, and meet living expenses and commitments. NS is a unique civic duty and contribution by all able-bodied Singaporean men. It is not a transaction. While we acknowledge that serving NS involves opportunity cost, we should not erode our social compact and the ethos of service by casting it as an employer-employee relationship. For NSFs, the state takes care of the vast majority of their basic needs such as accommodation, food and equipping. The NS allowances, which we regularly review, are designed to support NSFs' personal upkeep and other incidentals. NSFs who require further financial assistance due to personal circumstances are supported through the financial assistance schemes in the SAF.”
“Our most recent tie-up was launched last year with the Singapore Maritime Academy, where it trains Naval Warfare System Specialists in marine systems. As we create more opportunities for servicemen to gain skills during NS, these skills must be recognised beyond their service. Mr Melvin Yong asked how this is being done. MINDEF and SAF are partnering SkillsFuture Singapore to include NS certificates in the Careers and Skills Passport. We will start a trial with selected SAF Training Institutes from the second half of this year. Industry-relevant skills will be mapped in each serviceman's passport. This provides Government-verified records of the skills they have attained in NS and this will help boost their employability. Mr Kenneth Tiong asked whether NS allowances can be pegged to labour market standards such as the LQS. Let me first assure Members that we deeply value our national servicemen's commitment and contributions in defending Singapore. MINDEF regularly reviews allowances and incentives for our national servicemen, and we will continue to do so. Over the past decade, we have conducted four reviews of NS allowances – in 2015, 2020, 2023 and most recently, last year in July 2025. As an example, the allowance for a Recruit in Basic Military Training increased 65% in the last 10 years. But NS allowances are just one part of many initiatives to recognise national servicemen, which are not available to Regulars. For example, NS HOME – HOME stands for HOusing, Medical, Education – which is designed to support housing, healthcare and education needs of our National Servicemen through top-ups to their Central Provident Fund, Post-Secondary Education Accounts (PSEA) accounts and LifeSG credits.”
“Mr Chairman, as Defence Minister Mr Chan has outlined, we face an increasingly complex world. Peace is not guaranteed. Singapore has reaped the peace dividend as a result of constant vigilance, diplomacy and active risk management. Our defence must continue to stand strong on lasting foundations and NS remains the cornerstone of Singapore's defence. As our world changes, we will continue to enhance the SAF and we must keep strengthening NS to stay effective. Let me begin with our goal in mind – we want to enable our national servicemen to contribute meaningfully at every stage of their NS journey. From enlistment, through full-time service, through to as Operationally Ready Servicemen and even beyond their active years. We want to optimise how people can contribute to Singapore's security throughout their entire NS journey. Mr Henry Kwek asked about how we are going to do so. Firstly, we provide opportunities for our national servicemen to develop their potential, and even their careers early. Since 2023, we have created Work-Learn Schemes that let selected polytechnic students enlist a year early. They complete their final-year internship while serving in the SAF. This means that they can pursue their studies whilst putting their learning into practice in NS. We now have five such schemes, including our newest partnership with Ngee Ann Polytechnic launched last year. This latest tie-up trains students as Army Engineers. Other servicemen can also take up Work-Learn Schemes after they enlist. These programmes, run with our institutes of higher learning, let servicemen serve full-time NS while earning diplomas or university credits. They focus on areas vital to SAF capabilities – AI, engineering and others. 3.45 pm We have introduced 10 Work-Learn Schemes to date.”
“Mr Speaker, on behalf of Leader I move that Sir, I move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Protecting Resident Well-being amidst Commercial Activity”
“I thank the Member for her question. It is certainly a valid concern. For SFA, we have a Point Demerit System. So, the moment that triggers, you will face suspension and therefore, this safeguards public safety, the consumer safety. Food safety and hygiene is top priority and top of mind for us. In the case of court conviction as well, suspensions will kick in as well. So, rest assured that there are measures under our food safety regulations and the Food Safety and Security Act to ensure that we maintain high food standards here in Singapore and for all our consumers.”
“So, when it comes to audits as example, as part of inspections, we will inspect various things, whether it is your sources, whether your AFHO certifications are in place, whether you have a pest-free environment, and so forth. These are things in which our officers will look for which will go into your grading and risk profiling. So, there is data analytics involved, in short, and we will take a risk-based approach.”
“I thank the Member for his questions. As I shared, our inspection regime adopts a targeted and data-driven approach. This enables us to also track proactively, which basically means, those under the Category 1, for example, larger kitchens, those with poor track records, they will be inspected more proactively. And of course, those who are doing better, we can do less. And therefore, as an overall, we will not have any less inspection than we have today. What we want to do is to be more proactive, take a risk-based approach. With the gradings being monitored in real time, I think that encourages a lot of operators to monitor and ensure that they keep up their safety standards, because they are monitored in real time and whenever they have downgrades, I think there is impact. Government procurement is one good example in which there is a minimum of Grade B in the criteria to be procured under Government contracts. So, in some contracts in some Ministries, I also am aware that if the gradings change, they will also review the contracting requirements, the contracting conditions. These are ways in which the Government also sets the standard to ensure and keep our food providers and caterers on their toes. To the Member's second question on audits, for Category 1 and Category 2 classification as an example, there is no self declaration required. Technically, the data is based on licensee. So, in terms of audit, most of the data is already with us and we already assure them by licensing. And for grading, I think that comes as part of SFA's inspections.”
“Firstly, we have about 45,000 licensees under this regime, both Category 1 and Category 2; and therefore, it is not possible to track every single one. But certainly, when there is an outbreak or when we think that there is a risk to the system, like I said, we do take a very risk-based approach especially for those who have large volume or large networks, or those have outbreaks or poor performance, and that is where we have to then assess the sources. As part of the FSMS requirement, we will then also take a look at their records that they have to do for safekeeping. But I would also encourage F&B operators and all those licensees to really trace and track, and keep up the standards with the new grading system.”
“I thank the Member for her questions. For the first one, for now, I think the critical point is to get the information out in real time. The regime has changed significantly. With the risk-based regime, we are able to now do inspections more frequently for outlets that are found to be of higher risk or who perform poorly. The QR code enables us to change the grading as and when one performs poorly or one has improved performance, rather than waiting once a year. But having said that, when you scan the QR code, it is part of the licence that you have to show or display. So, there is a display of the licence and the QR code. A quick show and you can actually see whether it is a Grade A, B or C. So, it is quite clear to whoever who needs to use it. Having said that, nothing stops the outlet from also printing it themselves and pasting it up. But we will not make it compulsory or mandatory for now, but we will see how this goes and we hope that we can educate more to use the new format. The Member's second question on the effectiveness, we will look into this. This is one way in which we also want to measure effectiveness of the system as well. But as it has just been launched and rolled out, give us a bit of time to assess the performance, how the ratings change. Because we do not have enough data now to see how it changes in the new system, so, give us a bit of time. Certainly, one way in which we hope to see is to see improved performances over time. As food and beverage (F&B) outlets find that they are being monitored more in real time, they are more encouraged to keep performance up and keep food safety at a high standard. The third question on whether we are able to trace back, down to the food source. I think we have to take a very risk-based approach.”
“Ms Nadia Samdin also asked about how the transparency and authenticity of the SAFE grades can be assured with the shift away from physical decals and how less digitally savvy consumers will be able to access information on SAFE grades. Under the previous system, physical decals were updated annually, once a year, following inspections and they may not follow real-time changes. By scanning the QR code on a food establishment’s licence, consumers can be assured of the most up-to-date, real-time and accurate information on the food establishment’s grade and track records. This mitigates the risk of outdated decals being displayed at the premises. Under the Environmental Public Health Act, food establishments must display their licence at a conspicuous and accessible position at their premises. Consumers who are less digitally savvy or without smart devices can request the grade from the stall operator or seek assistance from a fellow diner with a smart device. To better support such consumers, SFA has also partnered with the Infocomm Media Development Authority on the Seniors Go Digital programme to teach seniors on how to use their phone cameras to scan the SAFE QR codes at food establishments.”
“Downgraded establishments will need to build up and maintain good food safety track records, before they can move back to a higher grade. Compared with the annual snapshot assessment under the previous grading regime, the one that we are all very familiar with, the new SAFE framework considers a food establishment’s year-round food safety track record from its history of inspections, including any involvement in food-borne incidents. This encourages food establishments to consistently maintain good food safety practices. SFA will continue to conduct regular inspections of all food establishments under its targeted, data-driven regime. Food establishments with a larger scale of food processing or preparation, as well as those with Grade C, will be inspected more frequently. For small businesses in Category 1 that wish to implement the additional requirements and maintain their Grade A status, government support is available. Individuals who apply for the AFHO training course will receive SkillsFuture Singapore subsidies of up to 70%. Food businesses can send existing staff to be trained. So, there is no need to hire additional staff, you can use existing staff to do this. As for FSMS implementation, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can receive up to 50% support under EnterpriseSG's Enterprise Development Grant to implement and certify their FSMS. This grant specifically supports local SMEs for their first-time certification and adoption of standards, and covers qualifying project costs such as consultancy and certification fees for FSMS standards.”
“Mr Speaker, these four Parliamentary Questions (PQs) relate to the Safety Assurance for Food Establishments (SAFE) framework. The SAFE framework is a food safety grading system that communicates food establishments’ food safety performance more clearly to consumers, so that they can make informed choices. It is part of the Singapore Food Agency's (SFA’s) science- and risk-based food safety regime, which aims to keep the number of foodborne illness cases related to foodborne outbreaks low. It will be implemented in two phases, with the first phase implemented on 19 January 2026. Under the SAFE framework, food establishments fall under two categories, based on their level of food processing or preparation. Category 1 food establishments are those with a larger scale of food processing or preparation, such as food manufacturers, caterers, central kitchens and large restaurants. The majority of food establishments such as hawker stalls, small restaurants and bakeries fall under Category 2. These have a smaller scale of food processing or preparation. Food establishments are graded "A", "B" or "C" based on their food safety track record from SFA’s inspections. They do not have to fulfil any additional requirements, unless they are Category 1 food establishments that wish to attain Grade A. Such establishments will need to implement a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) and appoint an Advanced Food Hygiene Officer (AFHO) to provide better food safety assurance to consumers. Those that commit a major food safety lapse and are convicted in court or suspended after accumulating 12 demerit points from food safety lapses will be downgraded to Grade C, regardless of their existing grade.”