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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“I thank the Member for his questions. MOM and WSH Council both reach out to workers through various means, such as roadshows, events at dormitories and on weekends, to convey these messages to foreign workers. I think it is also important that as they settle in, especially for those working in construction, to be trained in terms of safety aspects since they come from different backgrounds. We also ensure that WSH collaterals are printed in different languages so that workers from different nationalities are also able to benefit from the different advice.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. Certainly, this year, we saw an increase and largely driven by the construction sector. In May, I announced that we are conducting additional inspections, about 500 inspections, and we also extended another 250 when we saw fatalities in the construction sector still increasing. We have completed about 80% of the extended inspections. What we have done so far is to issue six stop-work orders and 164 composition fines amounting to $188,750. We hope that this will send a strong message to the construction sector to be more vigilant, especially since they have contributed a significant amount of fatalities to the workplaces this year. But it is not just the construction sector that we are working on. We have also been working with the manufacturing and commercial diving sector as well, which have also contributed some amount of fatalities this year. So, it is an area that we are constantly working on, but we hope that employers make conscious decisions to mitigate risks at the worksites to reduce fatalities.”
“It will share its preliminary recommendations at the Singapore WSH Conference later this month.”
“Mr Speaker, in the first half of 2018, there were 20 workplace fatalities. This is slightly more than the 19 cases in the same period last year. Besides the construction sector, recent fatal accidents were also prevalent in the manufacturing sector and in commercial diving. One common cause of the fatalities was the use of improper work methods. To address this, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) works with companies to raise awareness of accident risks in their workplaces. Besides engaging industry associations like the Singapore Contractors Association Limited and the Commercial Diving Association of Singapore, we also issue regular alerts to share learning points from recent accidents. For example, we have notified companies on the dangers of improper use of material hoists, which led to a fatal accident in a food factory. We issued reminders on the proper procedures for doing construction work, especially at heights, as falls have accounted for about half of construction fatalities this year. Overall, workplace fatalities in the construction sector have declined over the last five years, from 34 in 2013 to 12 in 2017. On average, foreigners constituted 88% of the fatalities, even though they comprised 75% of the construction workforce. To guard against complacency, and to prevent injuries to both local and foreign workers, MOM has ramped up enforcement operations at construction sites. By the end of the year, MOM would have inspected about 70% of all active construction sites. We will continue to adopt a mix of targeted enforcement while raising awareness on safety lapses. To achieve sustained improvements in workplace safety and health (WSH), we convened the WSH2028 Tripartite Strategy Committee to recommend new approaches.”
“I am certain that self-help bodies like MENDAKI can help at the various levels of education and upgrading requirements, especially for the disadvantaged, so that we can close the gap between the successful ones and the less successful. Without workers who are educated and equipped with skills, entrepreneurs and businesses would not be able to function well and sharpen their competitive edge. Going forward, my fellow Malay Members of Parliament and I will review and monitor the overall effort and strategies that will benefit even more members of our community, in terms of education as well as skills upgrading. We will also explore the best ways to help entrepreneurs enhance their potential. These inclusive and collective efforts require everyone to work together, and I hope that such an approach will further motivate the needy to improve themselves. Most importantly, we must help open up opportunities and give hope to everyone. (In English): The 4G leadership must evolve and strengthen our social compact with Singaporeans. It must be our moral responsibility to build a Singaporean Core in our workforce. It must also be our moral responsibility to create better quality jobs that our workers can access and earn better incomes. Our operating environment is uncertain and evolving. It poses challenges, but also opportunities, and the only way for us to tap on these opportunities is to position ourselves to adapt to the changing environment and to move forward together, inclusively. I am excited to be part of this new team and will try to contribute the best I can. There is no better privilege than to serve the nation. I will continue to do my utmost for our country and serve the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans. Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker, Sir.”
“But one positive benefit from that wind of change, among many others, is that it allowed more people to enjoy air transport, apart from opening more career opportunities for pilots, cabin crew as well as engineers and technicians. It has also added vibrancy to the tourism sector. Perhaps many of us still remember the introduction of the one-man-operation (OMO) buses in the 1980s, which are buses that have only one operator each, that is, the bus driver, and do not need any bus conductor to collect fares. When this system was introduced, there was a lot of outreach efforts being done to help the public adapt to this new operation, which was more productive and manpower-lean. In other careers, professionals like doctors, engineers and architects need to constantly upgrade themselves with the most current knowledge in their respective fields to remain relevant. Rank-and-file workers like technicians and delivery workers also need to supplement themselves with technological skills. A degree alone is not enough now without having expertise, experience and knowledge that require constant upgrading. In fact, there are more opportunities to progress for those without a university degree, based on their abilities and experience. Our way is to ensure that every member of society receives quality education. For those left behind, we need to give them hope and guidance to further improve themselves. The importance of knowledge and education cannot be dismissed, whether an individual aspires to be an entrepreneur or a worker. Education is the basic foundation for our future. Coincidentally, yesterday, Minister Masagos Zulkifli announced my appointment as the deputy chairman of MENDAKI. I am grateful to be handed this responsibility.”
“Lower-wage workers in these sectors have a clear progression pathway, which sets out how they can enjoy wage increases as they upgrade their skills, take on new responsibilities, and improve their productivity. For example, Mdm Farah Aqil started off as a cleaner with NAFA Systems Service Pte Ltd about 10 years ago. At that time, she earned about $750 a month. Over the years, she accepted the need to upskill herself, operate new machinery, and take on supervisory responsibilities. As her skills were upgraded and productivity improved, she moved up the PWM wage and job ladder. Today, she is a Cleaning Supervisor and earns a salary that is more than double what she used to earn. PWM, which was initiated by the Labour Movement and supported by the tripartite partners, has benefited more than 70,000 resident workers in the cleaning, security and landscaping sectors. As we review extending PWM to other sectors, we will continue to need the strong partnership of unions and employers. I am glad that Minister Ng Chee Meng earlier shared the same view. So, I hope that the unions and employers will continue to make a tangible difference for our workers. Mr Deputy Speaker, I will continue my speech in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: Changes and disruption are nothing new in this rapidly changing world. Over the years, the changes that we faced, whether in terms of education, career or businesses, have become the norm. However, in these last few years, the scale is bigger and faster, involving the entire sector and affecting every citizen. Looking at the business world, we have already seen how the trend of budget airlines has become more prevalent and affected the bottom line of the major airlines.”
“While most foreign specialists with skills-in-demand should be able to meet our prevailing work pass criteria, MOM is working with the economic agencies to provide selective flexibility for those who may be unable to qualify for work passes. In addition, we can tap on these foreign specialists to develop our local capabilities. The Capability Transfer Programme announced earlier this year helps to facilitate the transfer of capabilities from foreign specialists to local workers, so that our workforce can be equipped with leading-edge competencies. Sir, the President also spoke about inclusion and how we have seen income inequality widen the social divide in other countries. In this fast-changing environment, the fruits of growth are sometimes unevenly distributed. I share similar concerns with many Singaporeans over income inequality, in particular for our lower-wage workers. Over the past five years, the real income of full-time employed Singaporeans grew faster at the 20th percentile than the median. However, we must continue our efforts to uplift our low-wage workers to bridge any divide and help them support their families better. In order to improve wages in a sustainable manner, we must work to improve the productivity of our workers and companies. Sir, Workfare helps lower-income workers build up their retirement savings and supplements their income. More importantly, it provides them opportunities to upskill and become more employable. The Progressive Wage Model (PWM) enables lower-wage workers in the cleaning, security and landscaping sectors to earn higher wages in a sustainable way.”
“The PCPs exemplify how companies can tap on Government support to prepare the workforce for new opportunities while also allowing workers like Shawn to stay relevant and pick up new skills. The PCPs are part of the Adapt and Grow (A&G) initiative, which supports agility and adaptability. This is especially important for our mid-career and mature workers, some of whom face greater difficulty finding jobs after being displaced, as shared by some Members in this House earlier. A&G schemes like the PCP and the Career Support Programme help to address mismatches in skills and wage expectations, thus boosting labour market mobility and agility. The A&G programmes have been ramped up over the past few years, and I believe that such interventions are crucial in this phase of transformation. And even as we have been doing much on this front, we can continue to do better to help workers adapt to the changing environment to transit into new and good careers. At the same time, for our workforce to be agile, we must continue to be open to foreign manpower that complement our local workforce. Our foreign workforce policy is guided by three objectives. First, to calibrate foreign manpower growth to spur restructuring and productivity-led growth. Second, to enhance the quality of the foreign workforce, so that we can do more with less. Third, to provide flexibilities for emerging business needs. Sir, as Member Foo Mee Har has pointed out yesterday, we need to enable businesses to meet their manpower needs, and I agree with this, especially in growth areas, where our companies face a shortage of skilled local workers.”
“I also agree with Member Heng Chee How that this would be especially useful for older workers. Apart from making the ITMs relevant, we should also speed up the pace of adoption of ITMs so that industry transformation will not lag global industry developments. Industry transformation applies not just to the big players in the industry, but also to our SMEs, which can tap on the Lean Enterprise Development Scheme to invest in productivity. We want all our companies to transform and grow amid the restructuring economy, and to remain agile to opportunities, including opportunities overseas. Agile companies need an agile workforce. This is something that I have seen in the private sector. Many companies are based in Singapore because of our highly skilled and adaptable workforce. We must maintain that as a competitive advantage. As the economy transforms, we must keep our workforce relevant, responsive and flexible. Sir, our Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs) support this by helping workers to upskill and to move across sectors or take on new job roles within the same sector. Take, for example, Mr Shawn Koh, who works as a senior engineer in SembCorp Marine. Shawn does engineering design in the Engineering and Instrumentation Department. He was previously working more on oil-related offshore projects, but when SembCorp Marine saw an opportunity to further penetrate the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) markets, Shawn was selected to go through the PCP for Marine Engineers which was offered by Workforce Singapore. This gave him the technical skills to now take on gas-related projects as well. These new skills are taken into consideration when it comes to his promotion and career progression.”
“That is why, even as we take personal responsibility in charting our careers and adapting to change, the Government also has a role to play in helping workers manage uncertainty, and to build confidence – confidence to adapt to the changing environment, and confidence that Government schemes and policies will support them through uncertain times. To do so, we must make our economy vibrant, keep our labour market responsive and ensure that our support systems are inclusive. A key pillar for our economy is the ITMs, which lay out industry-wide economic restructuring plans and identify growth opportunities. For example, in the built environment sector, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has formulated a master plan for the development of integrated construction and prefabrication hubs (ICPH). These are high-density manufacturing facilities that are land-efficient, highly automated and manpower-lean, and they support the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) by producing prefabricated construction elements that help replace labour-intensive construction methods. By driving the adoption of prefabrication and automating the production process, these hubs significantly improve the productivity of the construction industry. Another practice that BCA does is to publish the pipeline of projects requiring DfMA technologies so that firms can plan their resources accordingly. This is important as the ITMs cannot just be plans on paper that are disconnected from the needs of companies on the ground. We have to make the ITMs relevant for both companies and individuals, as Member Zainal Sapari had spoken earlier. Companies can then better understand industry developments and plan ahead for future opportunities, while workers know what skills to pick up.”
“Otherwise, AI could make many auditors redundant, if the profession does not evolve. So, no matter which sector or occupation we are in, we cannot afford to insulate ourselves from change. Change will happen. We will have to adapt to change and disruption and position ourselves to benefit from the opportunities that it brings. The changes that we see around us are not just transforming the content of jobs, but also the employment norms and working arrangements. In many developed countries, companies are turning to contingent workers and retaining only a small core of permanent staff, so that their workforce can ramp up or ramp down quickly with business cycles. In these countries, the notion of traditional permanent employment is fracturing, that long-term employer-employee relationships are becoming less common, and workers face more uncertainty as a result. In Singapore, we have not seen this happening in a big way. The share of contingent workers has remained quite stable over time. This is because we have taken care to keep our labour market policies tight and flexible, so that permanent employment remains available to those whose seek it. Even so, in Singapore, we are seeing gradual shifts away from the idea of lifetime employment. Workers are more likely than before to work for multiple employers in their lifetime, and experience more frequent and fluid career transitions. While some workers do so voluntarily in search of better opportunities, others are forced to do so due to displacement from technological advancements, economic restructuring or business cycles. I have met many residents going through such changes, so I know that this is not a simple challenge. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the pace of change.”
“Therefore, our national agenda must be to help companies transform and create better quality jobs for our workers so that they can compete internationally. Singapore needs to provide the best business environment and secure the best talent. If our companies do well to transform and grow, our workers will be able to take up quality jobs and earn better salaries. However, this is easier said than done because it also means getting our policies right and helping every worker develop an agile mindset. Sir, I agree with Members Ng Chee Meng and Patrick Tay in their speeches that we must help our workers improve their skills and productivity. Sir, I was most recently working in Ernst and Young, a professional services firm. While Ernst and Young has a wide range of capabilities to serve its clients, it is best known for its audit services, and a large part of its workforce provides audit services to clients. Most of such work is statutory, as companies need to comply with audit regulations. However, its clients are also under cost pressures to reduce compliance costs. As more and more financial systems today are run by software, analytics have in recent years been introduced to make audits more efficient and effective. However, even more recently, many audit firms have been exploring the use of AI that can crawl through data a lot more quickly and perform basic audit functions which auditors spend many hours doing traditionally. The accounting profession, one of the oldest professions around, finds itself evolving. Even highly-trained professionals are not spared from disruption, and they, too, need to evolve and develop deeper domain skills, be proficient in data analytics and adapt to higher order skillsets in order to be relevant to boards and other clients.”
“I would like to touch on two points that the President raised in her Address – developing a vibrant economy while preparing our workers for it, as well as building an inclusive Singapore which leaves no one behind. We are structuring our economy in a world of rapid change – shorter technology cycles, automation, digitisation. These trends are causing disruptions but also creating opportunities. At the same time, we are also facing greater competition due to globalisation, as other economies around the world also restructure and adapt to the changes. Having just joined the Government from industry, I see businesses all over the world coping to adapt to the changing global landscape, as trade flows, automation and other factors, such as Brexit, come into play. Companies are transforming to provide differentiated products and services, and also to be more productive as they come under cost pressures. So, they are constantly evaluating options. While Singapore has done well economically to attract businesses here and created an environment where our local companies can also thrive in this international hub, our next phase of development has to go beyond just creating a vibrant and attractive business environment. As we help companies transform, we cannot just look at automation or process transformation without helping our workers to stay relevant and agile to cope with the changes. We must ensure that as companies change, the quality of jobs get better. Change should not just be about lowering costs, which would run counter to our productivity and quality goals. As companies make big decisions in restructuring, we cannot let Singaporean workers suffer the fallout.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Miss Cheng Li Hui is here. Would you like for her to go first?”
“What is the recourse for those affected in view of privacy concerns that personal and private content may be searched through by the authorities? What kind of processes does IMDA put in place to ensure proper checks and balances when enforcement officers carry out enforcement activities, especially for entry and seizure without warrant? In particular, for new enforcement officers who may have very little or any relevant experience, what are the safeguards in place when they carry out the above activities? We have to assure the public that the processes are in place to prevent abuse of authority. For, one, we need to ensure the accountability of the enforcement officers’ actions and that the enforcement powers are exercised judiciously. For instance, all entry and search will be authorised by senior IMDA officers holding the title of Director or equivalent. What are the training and internal processes in place to ensure that the IMDA enforcement officers exercise the without-warrant powers and forced entry appropriately? With that, Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Bill.”
“Can the industry be assured that all films will be viewed prior to being branded “Refused Classification”? If the Minister decides on appeals of films that are “Refused Classification” for undermining national security, how will the appeals process for such films change from current procedures, where appeals are submitted to FAC under the existing FA? Under the new Act, IMDA will undertake the enforcement authority from the Police. These include powers to request information, such as documents, as well as interview persons and take statements for a suspected breach of FA or licence conditions. As such, the IMDA enforcement officers will be granted powers to enter, search and seize evidential materials, such as film-making equipment, to enforce against FA offences. How has IMDA been enforcing against FA offences thus far, given the gaps in enforcement and investigation powers? Have MCI or IMDA considered the merit of continuing with the existing enforcement framework where IMDA relies on the Police where it does not possess the requisite enforcement and investigation powers and what were the compelling reasons to make this change? Has IMDA or the Police had to use without-warrant powers in the past? If not, why are these powers, including the use of reasonable force in obtaining entry, necessary? Can the Ministry clarify under what types of offences does the power of searching without warrant and to enter, search and seize evidence come into force? In the case where the offence is the illegal distribution of film, will items, such as film-making equipment – because by nature, filming is not an offence under the FA, only distribution is – or non-relevant items like handphones, computers, which are not related to the distribution and storage of evidence, be seized, too?”
“There are concerns that if the Minister is to decide on such appeals, they may not be able to represent themselves and explain the context of their work. So, is it possible that the appellants be allowed to make in-person representations to the Minister, or the FAC is part of the Minister's consultation process? Will FAC be consulted before the Minister decides on the appeals involving national security and whether their inputs will be given weightage in this process? Replacement of Not Allowed for all Ratings (NAR) with "Refused classification": a very small number of films that exceed acceptable community norms or are against public interest are not allowed for distribution or public exhibition. Such films are currently determined to be NAR. Under the new FA, such films would be refused classification by IMDA. Why is there such a change in terminology? Is this change really necessary under the legal construct of the amended Act? As I understand it, the NAR is just a simple change in terminology. Can the Ministry confirm that there is no change to its meaning or application with the new "Refused Classification" terminology? I understand that there have only been two such films that have been classified as NAR or prohibited in the past. What are the thresholds and how are the norms and boundaries of public interests defined? Through my interactions with the local film industry, they are concerned that the new term "Refused Classification" could also be misunderstood by the wider international film community and affect the reputation of our filmmakers and films. They are also concerned that the term implies that the film is not viewed by IMDA prior to classification. The Minister probably has to watch many of these films to decide.”
“What are the safeguards in place to prevent the newly-formalised co-classification scheme from being abused? What happens in cases of misclassification? Have there been examples of such cases since it was piloted? Further, there is already an existing appeals process for film classification. Why does IMDA need film reclassification powers? Are there safeguards in place to prevent the abuse of these powers by IMDA? For instance, could IMDA be lobbied by interest groups or could be put under pressure, to reclassify controversial films to give them either higher or lower ratings? How do we ensure that this does not happen? On FAC, currently, the FAC comprises a mix of individuals representing the community, creative, legal and education sectors, as well as academia. How can we make the composition more representative of the community? Will MCI or IMDA take suggestions from the industry for suitable nominations to FAC? I spoke to members of the film community, and they would like to suggest increasing the transparency and accountability of the FAC's decisions and not just receive an opaque reply. Would MCI or IMDA be open to being more engaging with the industry on the FAC's decisions? On appeals involving films with national security concerns, I am satisfied that the amendments in the Bill took into consideration that national security is one of the Government's core responsibilities, as the FAC may not be privy to the full extent of concerns from security agencies due to the sensitivity of information. Some of the community had asked whether FAC should be maintained as the appeal authority for films with national security concerns.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to speak on a matter that will help grow the media industry here and that has been refined to address national security. The FA sets out the framework for regulating the distribution, exhibition and possession of films in Singapore. MCI's amendments to the Act, following a wide review, aims to help develop our media industry in Singapore, without undermining our religious and racial harmony, public interest and matters of security. MCI and IMDA's content regulatory approach reflects the community standards while providing more choices for consumers and protecting the young. I will touch upon four main areas of the Bill, Mr Deputy Speaker: (a) formalisation of the Co-Classification Scheme; (b) appeals against IMDA’s decisions; (c) clarification on films classification; and (d) enhancements to IMDA’s investigation and enforcement powers. Starting with the new Films Bill which will formalise the Co-Classification Scheme, IMDA has piloted co-classification by film CAs for PG13 and below, and CAs can only co-classify prescribed categories of films for PG13 and below. I applaud this move, as it is pro-business and in the interests of the consumer. Moreover, this move also helps strengthen capabilities within the media industry to better understand classification guidelines and processes, while consumers can get access to films more quickly. I wanted to ask, since this scheme is optional, as films can still be sent to IMDA for classification, how has the response been from the industry in adopting this? However, from the IMDA point of view, I would like to understand why it is, in a way, "outsourcing" its classification responsibilities. The intent of the Films Bill is to safeguard content standards.”
“In capacity-constrained airports worldwide, slots are used to manage demand for limited capacity and ensure efficient airport operations. In coordinating slots, Singapore currently follows the Worldwide Slot Guidelines published by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). These only provide administrative non-financial measures, such as de-prioritising a particular aircraft operator for future slots, or withdrawing grandfather rights for airlines that misuse slots. As air traffic at Changi grows and we face increasing constraints, slot misuse, such as airlines intentionally flying into Changi or departing from Changi at a different time from that allocated, will impose greater productivity costs on airport users, airport staff and other airlines. Can the Ministry explain how the new airport capacity management scheme will allow for stronger deterrent measures and more efficient use of the airport? How does the Ministry plan to balance these deterrent measures so as not to create barriers for Changi to be the airport of choice for carriers in future? I just hope that Changi will not be perceived to be difficult or complicated to work with, considering our ambitious air traffic expansion plans and likely increase in competition from other airports in the region. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support this Bill as it provides our aviation sector with the necessary legislation to keep track with updates and trends. It is also a step in the right direction to ensure that we have a vibrant aviation sector.”
“The aviation system is often subject to short-term shocks, as we have seen over the last decade, whether it is the global financial crisis, pandemics, wars or even oil price fluctuations. The CAG, being a monopoly, has been able to weather such shocks better than the airlines and they have typically been able to generate a higher margin than the airlines due to their monopoly power. Since this Bill allows for a reserve fund to be built up from CAG’s profits, can the Ministry explain to us what this fund will specifically be used for. Could it elaborate the type of instance where this fund will be accessed? Since the aviation industry is also a volatile one, vulnerable to external shocks, the workers in the industry have worked hard to help Singapore achieve its world-class aviation industry, can the reserve fund, fully or part thereof, be deployed to help low-income employees, such as ground handlers, tide over in times of need? The other major amendment in this Bill aims to better optimise the use of airport capacity, by introducing a new airport capacity management scheme. This is particularly important as demand for air travel increases and we face terminal and runway capacity constraints before Terminal 5 is completed. This will allow Changi Airport to continue to grow, without sacrificing quality or efficiency in service standards. I understand the new legislation will enable CAAS to set out the requirement for airlines to comply with allocated “slots”. A slot refers to the permission for an airline to use the infrastructure of a slot-coordinated airport, specifically runways and terminal building facilities, at a specific date and time.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to speak on this Bill which makes changes to our Air Navigation Act and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore Act. I will touch on two objectives of this Bill. One, to safeguard the financial sustainability of the aviation system, comprising the airport licensee/operator Changi Airport and airport users, such as airlines and passengers; and two, to set up a new airport capacity management scheme. There are two key amendments relating to the safeguarding of the financial sustainability of the aviation system. The two amendments allow for the following policies to be implemented. The first is the collection of the new Airport Development Levy (ADL), which would form part of airport users’ share towards funding the new Changi East developments. The Second Minister has explained why we would need an ADL during the MOT Committee of Supply and that the Government had arrived at the ADL quantum of $10.80 for Origin-Destination passengers and $3.00 for Transit/Transfer passengers after studying the funding models of other airports and consulting the industry in Singapore. Can MOT update us, after consulting the industry on ADL, whether it has received any feedback on this? Will MOT consider offering a staggered implementation of the levy so as to help airlines implement the new levy? I have expressed during the COS debates that this increase should not affect the competitiveness of Changi and we do not want the airlines to feel that it is disadvantageous for them to operate here as that will affect our status as an air hub. The second policy is that this Bill allows for the creation of a reserve fund from the Changi Airport Group’s profits.”
“Mr Chairman, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] We are all aware of the rapid digital transformation affecting all levels of society. The most affected groups are those who are older and those who are not technologically or digitally savvy. However, there are many opportunities available for these groups to help them acquire knowledge about the digital world. Therefore, I was drawn to a newspaper article published not long ago about a group of hawkers who made use of digital payments. For instance, stallholder Maria Arif and her son Nasri Ramli at a coffee shop in Telok Ayer offered digital payment via GrabPay. The payment process became speedier and they do not have to bother looking for loose change for their customers. However, in this regard, we understand that not everyone is able to swiftly embrace such changes due to several factors, for instance, lack of knowledge and unfamiliarity. Hence, I welcome efforts by Government agencies and organisations like MENDAKI and MENDAKI Sense to enhance public knowledge and awareness about the digital world. There are many upgrading and assistance schemes for the digital economy that are provided not only for low-income workers, but also for PMETs, too. Therefore, what is the progress of our community institutions in making use of digital solutions to enhance service levels? The utilisation of data and digital solutions can enable businessmen and entrepreneurs to run their businesses better even with the lack of manpower. What more can be done to encourage Malay/Muslim small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which have not undergone digital transformations to do so? Community Development Councils”
“In addition, I would also say that infrastructure needs to be a priority, especially for heavily utilised pedestrian routes in our estates. Can the Ministry share with us its strategy to better balance pedestrians, cyclists and PMD user experience? Would LTA rework the specifications of all major pedestrian walkways to enable special lanes for PMDs and bicycles? In addition, can LTA share the effectiveness of its education and enforcement efforts on inconsiderate users and accidents involving PMDs and bicycles with pedestrians? As we move towards a car-lite society, it is important that we also pay attention to the alternative modes of transport and how they can support this vision. Mr Chairman, as I have some time left, I would like to ask, on behalf of my Group Representation Constituency (GRC) colleagues Ms Low Yen Ling and residents of Gombak, on whether the Ministry has any positive update on whether the opening of Hume MRT station will be a reality any time soon. It has been the long-standing wish of residents in Hume and, on behalf of the GRC, they also hope that the Ministry will consider opening the station.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, with better free access and more linkways built, we find more PMDs and bicycles being used on our pedestrian walkways. However, the width of these walkways has now been increased and pedestrians are annoyed at the inconsiderate use of bicycles or PMDs which speed past them or ring the bells at them when overtaking, as Member Er Dr Lee Bee Wah has just mentioned earlier. There have also been many instances where these have resulted in close brushes or accidental hits on pedestrians as they try to speed past the morning or evening crowd. While LTA has promoted the use of PMDs and bicycles in our towns, the expansion of walkways and bicycle-ready pathways has not progressed as quickly. When we have them, we must make the bicycles and PMDs use them and restrict the use of normal pedestrian walkways when the alternative is available. Some residents have also expressed concern that the speed limit on PMDs may be fine for an open walkway, but perhaps it is less safe for pedestrians on a narrow footpath with people trying to get to and from work. Furthermore, the emergence of bicycle-sharing apps has compounded the issue of indiscriminate parking of shared bicycles as many choose to leave bicycles along walkways, shelters and almost anywhere near residential estates and town centres. Sir, I welcome the introduction of the Parking Places (Amendment) Bill introduced yesterday which I hope will help address indiscriminate parking issues under the new licensing regime which will also control fleet sizes of shared bicycle providers and implement a temporary ban on recalcitrant users who parked indiscriminately. I support LTA's car-lite strategy, but it needs to do more to pre-empt issues by these alternative modes of transportation.”
“Though the agencies have ruled out borrowing to finance the entire cost of the project, the Changi Airport Group (CAG) and airport users are expected to help shoulder the financial burden of the project so as to help balance the future burden on taxpayers. With these updates, it will be useful for the Ministry to update us on the projected costs of the new T5 and how much more of these costs will come from Government coffers. In addition, can the Ministry also update us on what alternative means of funding it plans to undertake? Will the Ministry consider raising funds or bonds in the private market? Why is the Government funding a major part of the expenditure, rather than leave it to Temasek Holdings to fund it from the private market? In conclusion, I would like to ask the Government to consider all options so that we do not lose our competitiveness and also do not overly burden our taxpayers with this expansion. Use of Drones”
“Chairman, recently, Changi Airport announced that it is expected to charge travellers and airlines more to fund the Changi East Project, which includes the new Terminal 5 (T5). On 28 February, MOT and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced that the travellers flying out of Changi Airport will have to pay $13.30 more from 1 July due to an increase in passenger fees, and a new levy to fund the Changi East Project. A bulk of this – $10.80 – comes from the Airport Development Levy. While the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has expressed its disagreement with the move, other airports, including Hong Kong, Dubai and Qatar have also done the same for expansion projects. However, the Incheon Airport expansion was done without having to raise charges. Therefore, this raises the question of whether it is possible to optimise our expenditure on the new airport, while still keeping to the required international standards and expectations of Changi. If we do have to increase passenger fees, can we not do it in a differentiated way whereby long-haul passengers end up paying more than regional passengers? That way, we do not have to lose our competitiveness as a regional hub. The impending demise of the A380 fleet that has previously heralded the long-haul hub-and-spoke model of air travel is under threat. So, perhaps Changi Airport should focus more on consolidating its position as a regional hub. The Changi East Project is expected to also require funding out of the Government Budget for several years. According to MOT and CAAS, the Government will cover the bulk of the project cost and has already contributed about $9 billion to it.”
“Chairman, I would like to thank Minister Yaacob Ibrahim, Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary and Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat as well as all Parliamentary colleagues for making this MCI COS a fruitful one, and one that will take Singapore forward in the infocomm, media and creative sectors. I also want to thank MCI and all the Statutory Boards for all their hard work behind the scenes. So, I wish the Ministry all the best in their efforts and the journey ahead and, as the Minister shared, you just need to learn the ABCs. Mr Chairman, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $998,162,500 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $49,158,500 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“Chairman, I have questions on what Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat shared earlier. What are the expected success indicators of the funding and collaboration that were announced just now with other players like Mediacorp and SPH? In the Ministry's view, how are they performing, compared to authentic influencers for readers and viewers, such as Toggle versus YouTube, Netflix; mainstream news apps versus other alternatives; or TV content providers versus cable operators? Is the Ministry also concerned that some companies like SPH last year had to scale back and retrench? Will that impact their role in public communications? Lastly, how does it affect our vernacular media, especially the Tamil and Malay news providers, given that they have seen declining readership and viewership in Singapore, in particular, the younger generation?”
“Every job, be it technicians or professionals, needs digital skills in order to perform their roles more effectively and productively in this digital era. In terms of info-comm careers, many opportunities have been made available currently to help prepare for a digital future. In fact, MCI estimated that this sector requires thousands of info-comm workers in a few years’ time. Apart from workers, businessmen will also need to look at this trend and how it can affect their businesses, if they fail to make immediate preparations for this digital world. Some of them have to engage in partnerships, for instance, when entering the global market, in order to become more effective. In this regard, what are the Ministry's plans and efforts to help, especially SMEs, so that they can move quicker to join the digital wave? For workers, what ways are being done and will be done to encourage them so that they will not miss out on the possibilities and opportunities that may come? [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]”
“How can the Government ensure that Singapore continues to maintain its lead in digital connectivity, given the environment around where all our competitors are also linking up? Since ICM separates itself − it is a vibrant and growing sector for us and also one that has impact on other industries and our overall business and SME landscape – we should help aim to grow it to the best of our resources and provide opportunities at various levels for Singapore and Singaporeans. Mr Chairman, please allow me to continue my speech in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Digital skills have become a fundamental and important asset in today’s economy and for the future. Many careers and businesses depend not only on digital technology but also relevant skills, like data analysis, in order to compete. Without digital knowledge and skills, career progression will be hampered and the way businesses are done will also be limited. We have no other choice and must undergo this transformation to survive in the future. In the business world, we saw a trend of more Malay entrepreneurs moving to online platforms to conduct their business as well as grow their companies, not only for the local market but also regionally and globally. However, much more can be done for them to progress and be identified as a regional and global player. The same goes for businessmen in areas, such as food and beverage (F&B), retail and logistics, who need to utilise digital technology and data analysis skills. Such digital skills, at least at the basic level, must be acquired by workers at all levels, including professionals. This is also important for those who are entering the workforce, regardless of industry.”
“However, for the ICM sector specifically, how do we help it grow and realise its full potential? What are the Ministry’s areas of focus in helping Singapore companies to develop the ICM subsectors? For these companies to be successful, we must help them internationalise. In particular, we need to help drive innovation in the sector and help our local ICM companies productise solutions and enable them to achieve greater commercialisation, especially in deep technology, in areas, such as artificial intelligence (AI), financial technology (fintech), urban solutions and cybersecurity. We must help our local companies go international and leverage one another. How is the Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA’s) internationalisation effort progressing? How is IMDA's approach for the internationalisation of ICM companies differentiated for the ICM sector, compared to that of International Enterprise (IE) Singapore for companies across other sectors? Chairman, we recently passed the Cybersecurity Bill in Parliament. The Bill aims to strengthen our nation’s cybersecurity defences, especially those involving critical information infrastructure (CII). But our defences will only be as good as the ecosystem that we can build here, that is the CII providers, technology solution providers, manpower, startups and research and development (R&D). How can the Government help promote the development of a sustainable and vibrant cybersecurity ecosystem, including cybersecurity startups? Singapore, as an international hub and global business and tourist destination, has been successful because of our connectivity.”
“Sir, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head Q of the Estimates be reduced by $100". Thank you, Sir, for allowing me to speak on the Digital Economy, which presents many opportunities for Singapore and Singaporeans. We are living in a world where industries and businesses are swarmed by digital disruption. Yet, the infocomm industry and technology-based startups that have emerged could form a key growth sector of our future economy, as it provides good jobs, stronger businesses and a better quality of life in general. The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) anticipates that this sector will create more than 13,000 professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) level jobs and have more than 210,000 infocomm media (ICM) workers by 2020. These projections provide us with an idea of the magnitude of digital disruption in the future. Given our small and open economy, our businesses need to be nimble and embrace the transformation required to adapt to the new digital world. What is the Government doing to ensure that Singapore's businesses and workforce are able to thrive in the digital future? The Ministry has launched several initiatives to help the various industries transform and thrive in the digital era. Examples include the industry digital plans launched for the logistics and retail sectors in 2017, while at the small and medium enterprises (SME) level, the SME digital tech hub and solutions for SMEs have been set up. Can the Ministry update us on how these initiatives have performed? Perhaps we can also learn on what more can be done to help our SMEs go digital? Besides logistics and retail, what other sectors will be considered for digital transformation?”
“Does PMO have concrete goals and specific timelines on its push towards Government digitalisation and what are its plans to ensure that the digital rollout is on course? As an advocate of Smart Nation, I hope to see how our Government’s digitalisation efforts can help the vulnerable better. With the Public Sector (Governance) Act in place, we should aim to use technology to speed up approvals for social assistance and other schemes that can help the vulnerable. I have seen many low-income families or elderly get caught in the process because of lack of documentation or access to information, especially in complicated family situations. As we drive more digital services in Government, I would like to propose a goal that any applicant for social assistance or Government schemes should not be required to provide any documentation if the data already exists within the Government systems. Better yet, if we can put a goal to reduce processing time for all social assistance or financial scheme applications by a significant proportion as a result. In addition, we should also develop smart systems that can empower frontline Government officers to make quicker assessments to approve help schemes and cut through the bureaucracy of approvals more quickly. We should leverage the Government’s vast sources of touchpoints and data across agencies to provide the frontline officers with a more holistic view of cases, to make quicker and better decisions. Smart Nation, if done well, Mr Chairman, will be a gamechanger for Singapore. However, for that to happen, Singaporeans must understand it, feel its impact and stand to benefit from it. Smart Nation”
“Chairman, since the Prime Minister launched the Smart Nation initiative in 2014, we have seen various initiatives implemented and many of these elements are already embedded within various ITMs. Smart Nation has since evolved with the national agenda and I believe that Smart Nation needs to be inclusive to all and I would like to make special mention for the inclusion of seniors to enable better ageing, those with special needs and the vulnerable in the community. It would be great if Smart Nation can leverage on assistive technologies and even AI, which may be able to augment the capabilities of our seniors and enhance their employability in the workforce. We should also make use of health telepresence, sensors and smart logistics to reduce the need of our seniors and caregivers to make visits for checkups and collecting medication. Technology has the potential to also help bridge greater collaboration between patients, caregivers and medical care. On that note, I would like to ask how we can better involve seniors in our Smart Nation initiatives so that they can also feel and identify with its intended benefits. With an ageing population, this segment will become one of our largest user segments. For those with special needs, I would like to ask whether there are plans to study how we can make it easier for them to be economically active, better cared for and more mobile? What is Smart Nation’s agenda for our special needs community? Chairman, Sir, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG) was formed last year under PMO to bring together under one umbrella all the various Government tech agencies and teams. Can PMO update us on how the approach towards Smart Nation has evolved under SNDGG?”
“I would like to suggest that the Ministry put in more resources to build up cybersecurity capability that will help CIIs fund training and international exposure for their personnel for security training. The Ministry may also wish to facilitate manpower exchanges with leading technology research labs or CIIs overseas with leading practices. Some of the CIIs named are in sectors that are facing slowdown and may find it difficult to prioritise funds for this in the short term. Such a capability fund can help adoption, especially within the immediate future. Mr Speaker, the defence of our nation, our people and its economy needs a new approach in this digital age. Countries have the ability to combine conventional and cyber tactics to weaken an opponent's defence by disrupting its essential services and its economy, and also to maximise confusion and uncertainty using both simple and sophisticated technologies in innovative ways. This Bill is timely to stress the importance of strengthening our CIIs in the interest of national security. We have been developing our Total Defence capabilities across five pillars – military, civil, economic, social and psychological defence. It has worked for us for several decades. In this digital era and considering the emerging threat of hybrid warfare, it may be time for the Government to update our approach. Perhaps, it may be time to add a sixth pillar to our Total Defence framework in the area of cybersecurity or digital defence to counter the new threats in this digital era. Mr Speaker, I support this Bill.”
“The same crime can technically be applied across both critical infrastructure and non-critical, and common information technology (IT) systems. So, is there a duplication of effort or duplication of resources? What features under the new Bill will enable our agencies to better address as well crimes arising from overseas actors? Currently, the CIIs are defined based on systems located here in Singapore. Given that some CII operators may use technologies, such as cloud services or outsourced managed services based overseas, how does the regulator plan to designate these systems as CII, as the data and application may not reside, wholly or in part, in Singapore? Mr Speaker, the Bill will put in place a licensing regime to providers of penetration testing and managed SOC monitoring services. I support this initiative as it will put in place a credible ecosystem to support our CIIs. This will also promote our service providers to be better trained and specialised to meet the standards required by the regulators. However, I would like to seek clarity from the Minister why does CSA only register companies and not allow for the licensing or registration of individuals. In this emerging field of cybersecurity, there are many global experts, or even white-hat hackers, whose expertise may be useful as freelancers to advise CII owners. Why does the Ministry not consider allowing individuals to be contracted by the CII owners? From a manpower perspective, Mr Speaker, cybersecurity resources are in demand today. How is the Ministry planning to uplift the capabilities that we have to fulfil demand once the Bill comes into force? Do we have a significant capability gap today and how long does the Ministry estimate for us to fulfil this gap?”
“The involvement of CSA and sector regulators can catalyse CII operators to share findings and insights to accelerate cybersecurity enhancements. There are many common insights that could be derived from research and leading practices within specific sectors. This will help CII operators develop quicker and more effectively. Mr Speaker, since 2015, the Ministry has been doing public and closed door consultations. I would like to ask the Minister, through the consultation exercises, whether the Ministry has performed an assessment of the readiness of the current CIIs in the various essential services sectors to comply with CSA's security requirements. Has the Ministry estimated how much it will cost for the CIIs to comply with the Cybersecurity Bill's requirements? What is the timeline that CIIs have come back that they need to get fully ready and compliant? Under the Cybersecurity Bill, the Minister, the Commissioner and his deputies are given the authority to investigate and get CIIs to disclose information to assist with investigations. Citizens will be concerned that, as part of investigations, the authorities may need to access data residing within the CIIs and this may breach the privacy of individuals. What are the safeguards put in place to ensure that the broad investigation powers under this Bill do not invade the privacy of individuals and consumers? Mr Speaker, under this regime, the Cybersecurity Bill will complement CMCA, which will be renamed CMA. What is the rationale of keeping the Acts separate as they both deal with essentially cybercrime? How would enforcement operations be divided across the two pieces of legislation to deal with cybercriminals involved in attacks, such as Ransomware, Malware or Distributed Denial of Services (DDOS) attacks?”
“The cyber arms race is not about to recede and will only intensify and hackers will continue to try to find weaknesses in systems to exploit. In this regard, I would like to make some suggestions. One, it will be ideal if CSA can take the lead, together with the sector regulators, to set industry-wide leading practices, shared services and threat intelligence, so that CII players can achieve security readiness in a cost-efficient manner and yet be effective in deterring and responding to security threats. Two, this Bill will drive greater accountability from the CII owners, and failure to comply with this new law will be criminal in nature. I support the need to make the owners of the CIIs accountable, but I hope that CSA be very clear on the benchmarks or, if appropriate, security architectures that CII owners need to comply with upfront. This will also help the relevant CIIs to plan their security roadmap effectively and better understand the investments they need to make. Otherwise, the industry risks putting in piecemeal measures that could be costly. It would also not be good if CII owners take a reactive approach to only wait for audit results and taking action only when told that they need to comply to them from time to time. Under the law, they will only be criminally penalised when they have not complied with a directive from the Commissioner. This may be too late if an incident happens. So, will the Ministry be providing the CIIs with specific benchmarks they need to achieve or a checklist of cybersecurity measures that need to be in place? Three, I would like also to suggest that the Ministry and the sector regulators consider funding R&D for cybersecurity technology and operations centrally or within sectors.”
“Current international laws have not been effective to address cross-border hacking and state-sponsored attacks. In most cases, agencies have had difficulty to pin down hacking incidents to individuals or governments. I believe the Cybersecurity Bill is a good start for Singapore to ensure that our essential services and sectors are well-protected and defended to prevent criminals or state players from threatening our economy and our way of life. I welcome that this Bill looks into proactive measures to have owners of CIIs to be more accountable for reporting and the security readiness of their CIIs. It is important that relevant stake players provide timely reports of attacks and I fully support that the CSA drive industry-wide knowledge sharing and push for effective cyber defence measures. Countries, such as Germany, Japan and the US, have already enacted cybersecurity legislation. In the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Thailand and Vietnam are also considering similar legislation. Thus, this Bill is a timely reflection of our commitment to securing our nation and our status as a top-tier international hub and financial hub. From the view of the industry, one of the key concerns will be whether the cost of compliance and the costs of systems upgrades will be significant. Consumers will also be concerned if these additional costs will be passed on to them, as many of these CII owners provide essential services, such as transport, water, electricity and communications. We must strike a balance to protect our national and citizens' interests but yet be clear on what security standards and architectures that CIIs need to comply with, so that the costs incurred in upgrades and security operations will not overburden industry and consumers.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to speak on this important Bill. I first have to declare my interest. I work for a firm that provides cybersecurity and risk services. Mr Speaker, the Cybersecurity Bill is timely, given its focus to strengthen the defences of our essential services and CII from cybersecurity threats from both private and state players. We have seen growing evidence of how countries are being threatened by digital sabotage which targets essential services to cause disruption to the economy, as well as to confuse and demoralise citizens. The Ukraine experience, as the Minister has shared earlier on, was one that is almost becoming a cyber-hacking "testbed" for other foreign state actors. On 23 December 2015, the control centres of three Ukrainian electricity distribution companies were taken control of, where malicious hackers opened breakers which caused more than 200,000 households to lose power. Nearly a year later, on 17 December 2016, a single transmission substation in northern Kiev lost power. These instances of sabotage took place on the tail of a political revolution in Kiev and the annexation of Crimea. While similar attacks have not shown to be highly-motivated acts of sabotage in Singapore, in September last year, CSA had reported that several critical sectors were subjected to cyberattacks, and that the Singapore Government had been subjected to a malware attack by state-sponsored hackers. We have been fortunate that the recent Wannacry, Meltdown and Spectre malware attacks have not disrupted our essential services. Nonetheless, these attacks are a clear and present danger to a compact nation like Singapore, where a politically or militarily motivated actor can use cyber warfare to sabotage our critical infrastructure and economy.”
“I hope the Committee can pay attention to the following two issues. First, will this Act undermine online freedom of speech? Second, will this Act be used against the opposition parties and people who criticise the Government? Deputy Speaker, I support the establishment of the Select Committee to gather feedback from various sectors, to be debated later in Parliament. Only through an effective Fake News Act can we collectively combat the threats brought by fake news. We should maintain openness and circulation of information while sanctioning and controlling deliberate falsehoods. At the same time, I hope Singaporeans, including Members of this House, should think twice before forwarding any messages. Exercise due diligence so that the messages will not end up harming innocent citizens. [Applause.]”
“There was a lot of fake news circulating in Singapore as well at that time but, luckily, people still believed reliable media and we were able to transmit the right information and control the spread of Zika collectively. This time, we had passed the test. However, if we allow fake news to spread and undermine people's trust in reliable media, I am afraid we may not be so lucky the next time. It is not hard to imagine that, for example, a country X would like Singapore to adopt pro-X policies. Like in 1969, they can spread fake news of racial discrimination and marginalisation. Fake news now can spread to the entire island within hours, stirring up suspicion among races. The Government rebuts but country X is prepared beforehand and a new wave of fake news will surface, accusing the Government of racial discrimination. Country X will use social media and a large number of messages left by fake accounts to drown the rebuttal from the Government. In the end, race riots will occur and our economy will slump into recession. After that, country X will look for a puppet to set up a political party, proclaiming to protect the interest of a certain race. The party thereafter manages to acquire political power and adopts pro-X policies. X becomes the ultimate beneficiary but the victims are Singaporeans in general. Those Singaporeans who have forwarded fake news have inadvertently become X’s accomplices. This is perhaps the worst scenario. Even superpowers like the US suspect the presence of foreign influence. Small nations like Singapore must also stay vigilant. Not doing so is akin to gambling with Singaporeans' life and livelihood. Hence, I support the establishment of the Select Committee to study carefully how to tackle fake news.”
“The first is financial gains. For example, the couple who created The Real Singapore website made more than $500,000 from advertising and bought a house in Australia; $500,000. How long will that take for most Singaporeans to make? They made this money without any effort and conscience, simply by fabricating stories overseas, slandering innocent Singaporeans and dividing our society. Although the website has been closed down, there are still other similar websites. I hope the Government can find ways to sanction them. Another motive is for political influence. Countries can now easily feed fake news to another country. The US has found out that fake news from Russia and East Europe had been read by 150 million people and this could have influenced the US Presidential Election. Now, 150 million is 30 times of our own population. If other countries intend to use fake news to influence our five million people and destroy our racial harmony and stability, it should not be too difficult. How influential can fake news be? Fake news can affect the livelihood of a common person, such as a durian seller, simply because of the fake news that durians have pesticides. Recently, a coffee shop was wrongly accused for selling fake eggs. I believed the owner must have felt helpless and worried. Fake news can also slow down the transmission of important information and endanger people's safety. For example, when Zika was spreading in the US, because some people believed that Zika did not come from mosquitoes but from vaccines or pesticides, they refused to let inspectors check whether there were mosquitoes breeding in their home. This led to the spread of the virus and many innocent infants and their families being affected.”
“As long as there is just one person in the video, this person's image can be matched with different expressions and voices to make it look like the person has actually said those words. In the old days, we used to say “seeing is believing”. Now, however, you cannot even believe what you have seen with your own eyes. In addition to falsehoods in the form of news, there are also computer programmes which can pretend to be a real person and spread rumours online, misleading people to think that many people hold the same view. Needless to say that fake news spread fast. Fake news is not only limited to English media. I often receive fake news in Chinese sent from my residents. They asked me whether they should believe news, such as Mao Shan Wang durians containing pesticides, plastic rice and fake seaweed. I noticed that there are many websites and Facebook pages in China, Taiwan and Malaysia that spread fake news. There are even websites based in Australia targeting at Chinese readers in Singapore. They publish fake news to stir up trouble for Singapore-China and Singapore-US relationships. I believe that the same phenomenon happens to the Malay and Tamil media as well. Fake news, therefore, can appear in various forms and different languages to influence Singaporeans. Some people say that a party involved can rebut. However, it shows that the rebuttal tends to be not as “hot” and the transmitting speed is much slower, hence there will still be many people who would believe the fake news. Many fake news spread through WhatsApp. The Government cannot know them all and rebut. Fake news, therefore, can easily become widespread. Because there can be substantial gains behind spreading fake news, it is very difficult to root them out. There are two kinds of gains.”
“(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In 1969, there were rumours of Malays attacking Chinese in Malaysia. This led to serious race riots which also affected Singapore. The riots in Singapore lasted for seven whole days resulting in four people dead and 80 injured. People of my age or older would have remembered the terror and horror in those few days. At that time, my family was living in a rubber plantation in the countryside in Malacca. The houses in the plantation were far away from each other. In the day time, we worked in the plantation; in the evening, the whole family would stay together with our neighbour whose house was far away, for safety reasons. At that time, my third brother was just born. I remember my mother told me that if Malays came this evening, we must all quickly escape into the jungle in the back; but we would have to leave our little brother behind. I was then only eight years old, attending Primary 2. I understood what my mother meant and felt helpless. All I could do was to pray silently that the moment we had to leave our new born brother behind would never come. For me, those days of fear and anxiety are unforgettable. The 1969 race riots are a case in point to show how rumours and fake news can cause grave damages. Today, the power of fake news can be even greater. I would like to remind Singaporeans that today's fake news is hard to discern and root out. They spread fast and will affect innocent people. Hence, every Singaporean must stay vigilant and work together to control the spread of fake news. First, let us talk about the challenges in discerning truth from falsehood. Technology can make fake news look more and more credible, almost identical as real news. Have you seen online short videos?”
“For example, there was an allegation that halal pork was sold at NTUC FairPrice supermarkets. A lot of time and resources were needed to correct such information and give assurance to the public, With technological advancement, information, especially videos and photos, can be created or modified to spread rumours and inaccurate information, and this can spread quickly. Hence, what are the measures that we would like the Government to study? Some countries like Germany have introduced legislation to close down platforms that display content that break the law, and such offences can carry fines up to €50 million. The EU, UK and France are considering similar legislation. New Zealand is taking an approach under its laws that allows its Courts to order a right of reply to correct any false information about an individual. Clearly, the management of online falsehoods is a serious issue. We should focus on how Singapore can contain it. At the same time, it is hoped that any regulations or laws will not hinder the immense benefits of online platforms and social media technologies that have contributed a lot in terms of spreading information and communications. In order to achieve solutions that can benefit everyone, and to protect us from online falsehood, we must support the Select Committee process and recognise the Government’s efforts to take a consultative approach to resolve this sensitive issue. In this regard, I hope that the Malay/Muslim community can also contribute and play a role, whether they are community and religious leaders, online entrepreneurs or the man-in-the-street, and that all of us will give suggestions and ideas about ways to counter online falsehoods. 5.01 pm Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Deputy Speaker, Sir, Chinese, please.”
“Al-Qaeda have long encouraged what they call ghazwa ma’lumatiyya (or information operations), and harb electroniyya (or electronic warfare). Terrorist groups also use Twitter to spread online falsehoods. In fact, several mainsetream media outlets use information from Twitter as a legitimate source of news that is used in news updates. One example pertains to a terrorist organisation that uses online media to spread false information in order to promote their agenda. A year ago, ISIS claimed that the Al-Nuri In Singapore’s context, as a small multicultural, was destroyed in an airstrike by an allied force led by the US. However, it was ISIS themselves who destroyed the mosque. Therefore, we must always be wary of the consequence and impact when our online platforms are exploited or influenced by certain groups with their own agenda or motives. In Singapore’s context, as a small multicultural, multi-racial and multi-religious nation, we cannot afford to fall victim to such influences or threats, no matter how small. This is especially so in matters related to religion and race, which are sensitive. Some of the sensitive issues being spread, that can heighten emotions and divide our society, are beyond our control because it comes from external sources. Certain groups will take the opportunity to spread Islamophobia, and this will surely have an impact in terms of our Muslim community’s relationship with non-Muslims and how they view our Muslim community. Our experience in Singapore, from time to time, is that we are worried whether certain information that is spread and proliferate in social media is incomplete or inaccurate. Some of these news and information can cause anger or discontent.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Motion. Please allow me to continue my speech in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: The move to initiate a Parliamentary process in order to study and obtain feedback on the issue of falsehoods that are deliberately spread online is timely. This is because we have long faced the issue of having all kinds of news and information coming from multiple sources, including from overseas. What is worrying is that some of these news or information do not state the full picture, or is done out of context. Its proliferation is certainly something dangerous. Another issue pertains to information or news that is spread with a specific agenda. For instance, during this new year, an ISIS video was spread that showed militants supposedly from Singapore urging ISIS militants from around the world to step up efforts to harm their enemies. MUIS and leaders of Malay bodies in Singapore immediately condemned the act of spreading of the video. I believe that this will not be the last time that such videos and information will be spread. It will take a continuous effort to prevent the spread of online falsehoods, in addition to efforts to educate and warn our community about the dangers of spreading such news and information. For instance, terrorist groups have always recognised the need to harness online media effectively in order to propagate their radical beliefs, in addition to recruiting new members to achieve their agenda. Let me give some examples. In an undated letter to Taliban leader Mullah Omar that was reported in 2014, the Al-Qaeda leader at that time, Osama bin Laden himself observed that “90% of preparations for war involve the use of media”.”