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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“To support the training of workers who may have lower literacy skills or face language barriers, training providers can supplement the delivery of PWM training courses with vernacular and/or visual aids. Where feasible, some PWM training requirements can also be met through assessment-only pathways. These pathways allow experienced employees to meet the PWM training requirements by completing assessments – and typically, these are done in person – to show that they have the requisite skills, without having to attend the course. To date, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), as well as the respective lead sector agencies of the PWMs for the Cleaning, Security and Landscape sectors have not received feedback about demotions or salary cuts due to failing to pass PWM training requirements. Employees who face challenges in completing PWM training requirements due to language or literacy limitations may approach SSG for further assistance. Employees who feel unfairly treated can approach their unions or MOM for assistance.”
“Mr Speaker, the Progressive Wage Model, or PWM, provides career and training progression pathways for our lower-wage workers, which allows them to see meaningful and sustainable wage increases as they improve their skills and productivity. Each PWM ladder differentiates job rungs based on the job scope and skills required. Higher wages on upper job rungs reflect the increased responsibilities and skills expected of employees. PWM training requirements specified for each job rung support employees in acquiring the skills needed to do that job. Employers deploy their employees to the appropriate job rungs, taking into account business needs and the ability of the employee to do the job. Employers are required to pay their employees the applicable PWM wage for the job rung they are deployed to. While there are training requirements for each job rung, PWM wages are based on the job that the employee is performing and not the completion of training requirements. An employer must, therefore, pay an employee the applicable PWM wage even if the employee has not yet met the PWM training requirements, as long as the employee is performing the job. Generally, the employer would have placed the employee on a job that the employee is able to perform. If the employee does not possess the skills required to perform the job, employers can redeploy the employee to more appropriate roles. PWM training requirements are determined through tripartite consultation and agreement. Tripartite Partners are mindful that training requirements which are meant to uplift lower-wage workers should not end up disadvantaging them.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Strengthening Mental Wellness at the Workplace 8.48 pm”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move that, "That the debate be now adjourned." [(proc text) Resolved, "That the debate be now adjourned." – [Mr Zaqy Mohamad]. (proc text)]”
“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 Minister Desmond Lee's speech?”
“So, I think that is a good sign and we hope that continues. But it is still too early to say. Let us wait till March next year and then we will decide after we see the total outcome of the whole period.”
“I thank the Member for his follow-up question on the heightened safety period. To recap, MOM introduced a slew of measures to strengthen WSH as part of our heightened safety period from 1 September this year to 28 February next year. So, this is really to target egregious companies with serious or fatal workplace accidents. To date, I think we have had some promising results or outcomes so far. Prior to 1 September, we were having about 4.5 fatal accidents per month, on average. After the heightened safety alert was implemented, we have about two fatalities per month. So, we have slowed down the momentum. I hope it continues. I think there is greater awareness among firms. But again, we should move towards zero because every fatality is just one too many. To date, more than 30 companies were also required to engage external auditors to conduct a thorough review of the WSH processes following the issuance of stop-work orders during the heightened safety period. So, in addition, two companies Le Fong Building Service and Green Cycling were debarred from employing new foreign workers for up to three months and their CEOs had to personally account to MOM to take responsibility for rectifications. So, this also shows the change in posture that we are taking now, to make leaders, CEOs, a lot more accountable for fatalities and major injuries in their workplaces. Another the heightened safety period, MOM also called for mandatory safety timeout to be completed by 30 September 2022 and we are enforcing it as we move along with inspections. To the Member's question whether this will be extended, the heightened safety period is still ongoing. So, let us review it. The initial outcomes, as I have shared, have slowed down the momentum of fatalities.”
“Specific to StartSAFE, I agree with the Member that beyond just enforcement and penalties, it is also important for us to inculcate that culture and mindset of workplace safety among leaders and businesses. So, if we look at StartSAFE, we have brought in more than 140 companies, in fact, that have signed up since September and October this year since we started the heightened safety period. This is close to 50% higher than what we typically got monthly before this. So, there is, indeed, higher demand. But, certainly, if you ask me whether it can still be better, this is where I seek the help of the unions, for example, and employers and trade associations, to encourage more companies, because this is fully funded by the Government for SMEs. And SMEs have also been shown to have a higher incidence of fatalities and major injuries this year. So, we want to inculcate and bring more on board as much as we can. Since the launch of ACOP as well, we have also now engaged various industry associations and companies, particularly to promote the adoption of ACOP principles and measures. So, what we will be doing next is to develop online resources on ACOP and incorporate ACOP into bizSAFE level 1 by the first quarter of 2023. So, we are going to institutionalise ACOP into our bizSAFE certification programmes and, therefore, I hope we will get more firms on board as we formalise it as well.”
“I thank the Member for asking about the Approved Code of Practice for Directors and CEOs (ACOP) that was just recently implemented on 1 November this year. So, we are just a month into it. Prosecutions typically take time, and therefore, I do not have an update, specific to the ACOP. But what I can say is this: today, under section 48 of the Workplace Safety and Health Act, company directors as well as C-suite or senior leaders can already be prosecuted under the law for contraventions or not complying to workplace safety and health measures. ACOP helps us to put an added layer to put more transparency and clearer obligations on managements and boards so that they look after the workplace safety and health of their employees and workers. So, it makes it clearer. And if needed, it makes also clearer for prosecution, for us to prosecute them in Court. But let me also give the Member some idea since he asked about what we have done so far with prosecution of board directors and senior leaders. I will take two recent cases. One is the director of Thyme Food & Services who was charged under section 48 of the WSH Act for failure to prevent the offence of the occupier. The director was fined $45,000 while the firm was fined $185,000. So, we do differentiate between firms and directors. In the other case, Leeden National Oxygen Ltd was also charged under the same section 48 of the WSH Act – the ex-CEO for failure to exercise due diligence as CEO. He was fined $45,000 while the firm was fined $340,000. So, these are actual offences which we have prosecuted under the older regime. But, with ACOP, it makes it easier for us to prosecute as the regime is a lot clearer.”
“Under the StartSAFE programme, SMEs have access to WSH consultants who can provide professional advice and hands-on guidance on how to identify WSH risks, implement good WSH practices and prevent recurrence of a WSH offence.”
“Mr Speaker, this enforcement operation was aimed at reducing slips, trips and falls (STFs) at the workplaces, which was the leading cause of major injuries in the first half of 2022. The operation uncovered common contraventions such as STF hazards not identified during risk assessments, control measures not implemented for poorly maintained flooring and workers wearing inadequate footwear. All these contraventions required very basic mitigations for the workers’ safety. MOM issued a total of 12 stop-work orders (SWO), over 200 composition fines and close to 1,600 notices of non-compliances to 558 companies in the Construction, Manufacturing, Transportation and Storage and Accommodation, and Food Services sectors. Despite the Heightened Safety Period and the repeated calls by the Ministry, slightly more than half of the 558 companies had received penalties for workplace safety and health (WSH) offences previously. These repeat WSH offenders received stiffer penalties, such as higher composition fines compared to first time offenders. Those with poor WSH performance were also inspected more regularly. For instance, DA Engineering Pte Ltd, a repeat WSH offender, was issued with a SWO and fined a total of $8,000 as this enforcement operation continued to uncover multiple unsafe conditions in its workplace. The Ministry recognises that tangible improvements to unsafe WSH practices go beyond issuance of penalties. For companies with fatal or major injuries, MOM requires them to engage external auditors to conduct a thorough review of their WSH processes and implement measures to prevent recurrence. The WSH Council has also strengthen the support for companies, especially our SMEs who need help to improve their WSH practices and processes through StartSAFE.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Since April 2020, when we had the circuit breaker and we made the commitment that all workers were going to be paid, we introduced a requirement for all employers to pay salary electronically for their MWs, especially those who are residing in dormitories. Today, I would say that almost all employers are already doing so. And this is up from 75%, pre-COVID-19. So, I think we have made that improvement in the last couple of years. Among the small minority of employers who have yet to switch, some indicated administrative issues, while others cited workers' preference for receiving salary in cash. But I would say this, that almost all are now on electronic payment. So, we have made that progress and I just want to thank all the employers for working with us on this.”
“The owed salaries are partially settled; and we are now settling the rest and there is an instalment plan being worked out. We will handle that aspect. For public order, MHA is fully apprised of the incident and is doing investigations and will take appropriate actions if necessary.”
“I gather that the Member is referring to the recent incident on 18 October 2022. Specific to the incident, I am unable to give too much detail as the Police investigations are still ongoing. What I will say is this: pertaining to salary claims, we take a very strong view and a strong principle that when a worker is owed salary, he must be paid. That is quite clear. Of the 10 workers that were involved in the incident, five of them had salary claims. The other five and the rest of the employees in Zhengda Corporation actually have no salary claims. They are all okay and they were not owed any salary payments. So, to a certain extent, that is good. For those who were owed salary payments, we have assisted them to settle all the payments. So, that has been settled, once they come to MOM and we tried to mediate. But, in fact, we go one step further. In this case, we also investigated their main contractor – because these are subcontractors servicing the main contractor. We found that the main contractor, Shanghai Chong Kee, owed salary payments to 268 MWs. So, we moved upstream and found out about that and we have been assisting the workers. As at 31 October, Shanghai Chong Kee had settled the owed payments and we are working with them on the payment schedule for the rest. So, it is not that the employer had deliberately held back the payments but we understand that during these challenging times, sometimes, payments are delayed. I think we all know the challenges the construction sector is facing. So, we try to mediate and see how we can best come to a middle ground and settle. If we push too hard, the company folds and it is not good for the workers, too. Rest assured that most of the payments have already been paid.”
“Nonetheless, we recognise the importance of timely payment of salaries to all workers and we will continue our efforts to arrest salary arrears early and assist all workers, both local and foreign, to promptly recover their owed salaries.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, to help Migrant Workers (MWs) overcome the unfamiliarity of working in a new country, MOM requires them to attend the Settling-in Programme, or SIP, within two weeks of their arrival in Singapore. Conducted in native languages, the SIP educates MWs comprehensively on their employment rights, support channels, as well as on lawful and responsible behaviour, including the law against unlawful assembly or procession in public places. The education of MWs does not stop at the SIP. MOM has developed a comprehensive MW guide, monthly newsletters as well as various infographics in native languages on topics, such as salary payment and channels to seek help. MOM and its partners also routinely disseminate information through online and physical platforms, for example, FWMOMCare application, social media posts, roadshows as well as events, to remind MWs of their employment rights and encourage those with employment issues to seek help from MOM and the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) for salary claims. MWs with salary arrears may also approach the Forward Assurance and Support Team (FAST) officers or Friends of ACE (FACE). These are volunteers at the dormitories. Or they can also inform MOM through the monthly salary survey on the FWMOMCare app. The majority of MWs are registered users of the app. Unions and NGOs, such as the Migrant Workers’ Centre which operates a hotline, are another source of support for MWs and can advise MWs on the avenues of help and work with MOM to render the necessary assistance to MWs. The number of salary claims filed by MWs has come down significantly in recent years. On average, in 2022, TADM handles about 160 salary claims from MWs each month, compared to 410 in 2019, pre-COVID-19.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Building Harmonious Communities through Responsible Use of Common Spaces in Public Housing Estates 7.06 pm”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move that, "That the debate be now adjourned." [(proc text) Resolved, "That the debate be now adjourned." – [Mr Zaqy Mohamad]. (proc text)]”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Preparing Singapore for Dementia 3.16 pm”
“Mr Deputy 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 48(8) to remove the time limit in respect of Minister Ong Ye Kung's speech?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Ensuring Better Oversight of Public Expenditures 5.02 pm”
“Members will be pleased to note that WSH technology solutions are incorporated in the Industry Digital Plans (IDPs) developed by Infocomm Media Development Authority and sector lead agencies. These are available to firms, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs). SMEs can tap on the Productivity Solutions Grant to adopt pre-approved solutions with up to 70% funding for qualifying costs, such as the e-Permit-to-Work which allows full visibility of high-risk work activities. To drive greater adoption, MOM will continue to work with the Government Procurement Entities to include suitable WSH technology into public sector tender specifications. Mr Deputy Speaker, we have made good progress on WSH from a decade ago. The recent spate of accidents has been a setback, but I urge all Members in this House, boards, company leaders, industry associations, union leaders and our workers to continue to play our part in keeping up workplace safety and health. We have made significant progress and we must take important lessons from this episode to build a safety culture that will endure for years to come. [Applause.] [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." (proc text)] Adjourned accordingly at 8.01 pm.”
“Under the WSH Act, employers cannot dismiss or threaten to dismiss workers who have reported WSH contraventions. MOM will not hesitate to take enforcement actions against those that do. The Member spoke about requiring a WSH representative in every company beyond the higher risk companies. MOM is reviewing the coverage of the existing WSH personnel and will update the industry once we complete our review. For workplaces not already covered, we strongly encourage companies to identify employees or perhaps, even NTUC can recommend union leaders to take on these tasks. I thank the Member for his suggestion to beef up WSH training for management and supervisors. Today, they are required to attend training on risk management as part of the bizSAFE programme. So, that requirement already exists for those on the bizSAFE programme. The WSH Council is already working with NTUC to develop micro-learning modules for worker refresher training. We plan to expand this to include relevant programmes for supervisors and management, so that they can lead their company’s safety culture more effectively. The Member spoke about workplace fatigue. I agree that it can be a contributory factor of workplace accidents. The Member would be aware that there are existing protections under the Employment Act on the maximum number of hours that employees can work per day and per week, as well as the maximum number of overtime hours per month. I would encourage the unions and workers to keep MOM informed if there are contraventions to the Employment Act. I also agree with the Member that WSH technology is a key enabler to detect and prevent workplace accidents. We are heartened to know that more companies are adopting WSH technology.”
“Simple and totally avoidable mistakes that resulted in loss of lives. I urge companies and workers to take these safety requirements seriously. Our efforts go beyond enforcement. Our inspectors also spend time to advise companies on the WSH rectifications that are needed, so that they can learn and sustain improvements over a period of time. I thank the Member for his kind offer to do more in support and I look forward to partnering NTUC to supplement MOM’s inspection and engagement efforts. Sir, it is heartening to hear union leaders’ efforts to empower rail workers to surface WSH feedback. I encourage union leaders to rally company management to do more walkabouts and join them too, in this effort to strengthen WSH commitment. Today, the MOM hotline and e-feedback are easily accessible to everyone. Information on these channels is prominently displayed on signboards at construction worksites. To raise awareness among migrant workers, MOM has also shared these channels via WSH Alerts on the FWMOMCare app and through our partners. On Member’s OneService app suggestion, MOM is already exploring adding the MOM e-feedback function into another whole-of-Government app – we will let you know once that is ready. Anyone, including members of the public, who witnesses safety lapses or poor safety practices should not be afraid to inform their management or to report them to MOM. MOM takes every report seriously. Out of 2,300 reports received in the past 12 months, around 62% of the follow-up inspections resulted in enforcements taken. I wish to assure anyone who comes forward that there are existing safeguards to protect them. Their identities are kept confidential. Inspectors maintain this confidentiality strictly when they follow up with the companies.”
“The law today already places WSH responsibilities on company leadership. With the ACOP, corporate leaders and Boards of Directors will be guided on their WSH responsibilities, including conducting ground engagements and communicating the need to prioritise WSH. The Member asked about the legislative “teeth” of ACOP. In the event of a WSH Act offence, the Courts will consider the ACOP when assessing the culpability of a company, its leaders and its Board. They can and will be prosecuted if found to be culpable for safety lapses. MOM has completed the first round of industry consultation and will commence public consultation this month. We are putting Managements and Boards on notice, that the ACOP is coming. To further strengthen management commitment, MOM will harmonise the criteria for disqualifying contractors with poor workplace safety practices from public sector’s construction contracts. We are also reviewing the Demerit Point System to ensure errant contractors are sufficiently penalised. This includes debarring them from employing foreign employees for a period of time. To provide transparency on companies’ safety records, CheckSafe on MOM’s website allows anyone, particularly developers and service buyers, to check safety track records before engaging contractors and vendors. Inspections and enforcements form a key part of MOM’s efforts to uphold WSH. We conduct targeted inspections of companies in higher risk sectors such as construction, manufacturing, transportation and storage. Those with poor WSH performance are inspected more frequently. Mr Deputy Speaker, our analysis of recent fatal accidents showed that many companies did not conduct their risk assessments or follow safe work procedures. This is disturbing.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member for his suggestions and I agree that we need to do what is right. MOM is extremely concerned about the recent spate of workplace fatalities. We saw 31 fatalities since the start of 2022, compared to 37 for the whole of 2021 and 39 in 2019 pre-COVID-19. Singapore has reached a stage of development where we can and we should be held to higher WSH standards. We made good progress to reduce workplace fatal injury rates from 2.1 per 100,000 workers in 2012, to 1.1 per 100,000 workers last year. Our goal remains to reduce workplace fatalities to less than 1 per 100,000 workers by 2028 on a sustainable basis and join just four countries that have achieved this. We have set high workplace safety standards in Singapore because we want all our workers to return home safely to their loved ones. This is not just an aspiration, but a shared mission with our tripartite partners and industry stakeholders Since the higher fatality trend surfaced in April this year, MOM has ramped up inspections, imposed stiffer penalties and conducted Safety Time-outs. In my response, I will share further measures to strengthen companies’ WSH ownership, step up inspections and enforcement, and raise awareness and promote WSH, so that more companies will want and will be equipped to do well by WSH. The inculcation of a safety culture, which underpins safe workplaces must start with the top management. Managements set the tone, the culture and they also allocate resources within their organisations, which ultimately shape WSH practices on the ground. To strengthen management commitment to WSH, we will be gazetting the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for Company Directors’ WSH Duties later this year.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Keeping our Workers and Workplaces Safe”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] A Case to Review the Model of Estate Management for Public Housing in Singapore 7.19 pm”
“Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Leader, I beg to move, "That the proceedings on the business set down on the Order Paper for today be exempted at this day's Sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No 2." [(proc text) Question put and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, "That the proceedings on the business set down on the Order Paper for today be exempted at this day's Sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No 2." (proc text)]”
“We hope to announce more in future, but it is going to be hard work in the next coming months and years to make sure that we can expand this programme further.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his clarification and for acknowledging the hard work that MENDAKI has put in, to put some of our industry scholarships together. So, I am pleased that the GIC-MENDAKI scholarship has come about and we will announce more details in due course. Do keep watch for this because I am quite sure it will excite quite a number of prospective young graduates who are keen to join the financial sector. On postgraduate scholarships, generally, as a basis, if you look at where the Government is putting its resources today, we have made a lot of push with SkillsFuture to support individuals, regardless of where they are, to gain mastery of skills and master lifelong learning. It is not just about going for a Master's or postgraduate degree, but there are also other skills training and certificates you can go for postgraduate studies. But even today, there are schemes like the SkillsFuture Mid-career Enhanced subsidy and the SkillsFuture Work-Study degree. You can also go for the Work-Study degree that is open to all eligible Singaporeans, including the Malay/Muslim community. These are already available scholarships that are provided across nationally. Where MENDAKI comes in is, really, to augment the suite of existing financial assistance. But our intent, as Mr Saktiandi may note, is that we have already started with SIA, followed by MiRXES and now GIC. There is a certain trend that we are going to work towards to look for more like-minded corporate partners who could support the move of our Malay community. One, to enhance and to provide them with a pathway into growth sectors, but also more importantly for them, it also helps to build diversity and a strong Singaporean Core for PMETs in the various companies.”
“(In English): Mr Chairman, the community has shown good progress in employment in the last 10 years and we aim to do even better in the years to come. As MENDAKI celebrates its 40th anniversary, it remains invested in the community's success by looking at more strategic programmes to support our youths to pursue their aspirations and for our workers to strengthen their competencies in a dynamic workforce. Our growth has only been possible with the strong support of our community and our partners. So, let us all work together as one, keeping the community at the heart of what we are doing so that they, too, can do well for themselves and contribute back to society. This continuous cycle of support would go a long way in strengthening the competencies of our Community of Success. [Applause.] 3.00 pm”
“Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and Mr Sharael Taha also asked how these efforts will benefit our new job seekers and mid-career workers. Mr Saktiandi Supaat also gave a few suggestions which we will study further. Do allow me to explain the Government's approach in more detail. MENDAKI will build on our partnership with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) to promote capability development programmes to the community. We will augment national efforts by mobilising MENDAKI's Care Advisors at our five satellite centres. These Care Advisors will also be deployed at SSG career fairs held at the various M3@Towns. The aim is to increase awareness within the community about the activities and services offered by SSG, as well as share information on Future Ready programmes. The community can look out for our Care Advisors at the employment fairs, to get the necessary advice. MENDAKI will also join forces with NTUC to help our Malay workers secure job placements in emerging and growth sectors. Besides offering various job development programmes, NTUC will link our workers to job opportunities and training at the workplace to enable them to reskill and upskill themselves into hiring industries. The Government will continue our efforts to support Malay/Muslim workers to build up their competencies and enhance their employability. This includes strengthening the leadership core of our Malay/Muslim Organisations (MMO) through the Tunas Bersama M3 programme launched last year, and this will further enhance our collective efforts to ensure our community's continued progress. More details on the Tunas Bersama M3 programme will be shared in the near future.”
“The generosity of our corporate partners and community has enabled us to provide more support to deserving students. Since we set up the Education Trust Fund (ETF) in 2003, MENDAKI has disbursed over $30 million in financial assistance donated by the community to over 130,000 Muslim students. Last year, over $1 million of ETF bursaries was established, including the ETF-Gafoor PropNex Bursary and Math Coaching Fund. On top of school necessities, this bursary would directly pay for students' development programmes in Mathematics. I hope this targeted approach will be the way forward for MENDAKI to better support the immediate needs of our students and their growth. I have explained how we intend to prepare our youths for the future. So, let me now elaborate on our plans to provide more directed and targeted support to emplace our Malay/Muslim workers into growth industries. Mr Chairman, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, I have explained how we intend to strengthen upstream mentoring and career guidance efforts to help our youths achieve their dreams. MENDAKI will also enhance financial support and scholarship opportunities to help students pursue their aspirations to succeed. For those in the workforce, we will build up their competencies, so that they stay relevant for new and growing industries. Last year, MENDAKI conducted 15 career fairs, participated by over 700 job seekers. Out of these, more than 300 workers were placed in jobs. As part of MENDAKI's transformation efforts, we will expand our partnerships with national training agencies to emplace our Malay/Muslim workers in growth industries, such as in technology and the green economy.”
“Mr Chairman, over the years, MENDAKI has provided bursaries, study loans and subsidies, so that financial circumstances do not impede our students from achieving success. Moving forward, MENDAKI will focus on providing targeted financial support for the developmental needs of our students and broaden the opportunities for them to build career aspirations. Mr Faisal Manap may be pleased to note that MENDAKI has been actively growing its industry partnerships to provide scholarships for our students to position them into growth sectors. This year, I am pleased to announce the launch of the GIC-MENDAKI Scholarship. Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, GIC, in collaboration with MENDAKI, will introduce a new undergraduate scholarship for Singaporean Malay students who are keen to pursue a career in the finance industry. The scholarship is in partnership with three local Universities – NUS, NTU and SMU – and will cover the undergraduate tuition fees for most degree programmes in these Universities. GIC will provide structured internships, job rotations, networking and mentorship for the scholarship recipients. So, they can expect an exciting and purposeful career with GIC upon their graduation. The GIC-MENDAKI Scholarship is the latest effort by MENDAKI to collaborate with the industry to provide a springboard for our youths into careers in fast-growing industries. This follows other scholarships, such as the MENDAKI-MiRXES scholarship formed last year in Life and Biomedical Sciences, and the SIA-MENDAKI scholarship. These scholarships provide students with priority internship opportunities and secure employment upon their graduation. MENDAKI will continue to expand these opportunities and I urge all Malay/Muslim students to work hard and seize them.”
“Mr Sandeep recalls the challenges he faced as a student not too long ago and, hence, he believes in the value of guiding youths towards their potential. Mr Sandeep befriended Isaac and motivated him to remain in school. Isaac remained focused and managed to achieve a 3.7 GPA in his first year of NITEC. So, well done, Isaac, and thank you, Mr Sandeep! We need more like them. We need to help more students like Isaac to do well – not only for themselves, but for their families and the community. The ITE Empowerment Programme will be refreshed to the #amPowered@ITE programme, which will retain key elements of its predecessor, but enhanced to include a tiered mentoring approach where mentees will be assigned to programmes based on their unique needs. This means tailoring the mentoring approach for each mentee to achieve specific objectives, depending on their circumstances. The #amPowered programme will also be progressively made available under the MENDAKI Tuition Scheme (MTS) and at our M3 Towns. We agree with Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman and Mr Sharael Taha that our students can benefit from structured career guidance, especially to growth sectors, such as information and communications, financial and insurance services, and professional services. Growth sectors. Thus, to complement the mentoring programmes, MENDAKI will deploy Care Advisors at each of the YouthSpaces in the three ITE Colleges. Their role is to guide students on possible education pathways and connect them to skilling or emplacement opportunities. Care Advisors can also be found at MENDAKI's satellite centres to serve the Malay/Muslim community at large.”
“You can imagine the pathways and I think it is quite commendable. According to the latest Graduate Employment Survey, among economically-active Malay graduates, about nine in 10 graduates from the Autonomous Universities and Polytechnics, and eight in 10 graduates from ITE were employed within six months of graduation. Their employment outcomes are broadly comparable to their peers from other ethnic groups. Chairman, this year, we will provide more support for our youths in ITE to complement the Government's efforts to enhance applied education in Singapore. Piloted in 2019, MENDAKI’s Empowerment Programme at ITE seeks to build support systems and help students acquire life skills, develop confidence and grow their potential. To Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman's question, the Empowerment Programme has benefited more than 2,000 mentees since its inception. Through the programme, MENDAKI has managed to enrol one in every five Malay/Muslim NITEC students in 2021. The programme has proven to be successful. Ninety-six percent of participants from the Empowerment Programme in 2021 remained in school and progressed to their second year. One student who benefited from the ITE Empowerment Programme is Muhammad Roth Isaac from ITE College West. Isaac took on a part-time job to help his family of four after his father's income was affected by the pandemic. Even though Isaac is just a teenager, he had to deal with the pressure and responsibility of juggling school and supporting his family. Fortunately, he had a caring mentor, Mr Sandeep Krishna, who constantly checked on his well-being and helped him with his studies. Mr Sandeep currently works as a Network Engineer. Despite his heavy work commitment, he sets aside time for mentoring.”
“At the same time, we want to provide opportunities for those who have succeeded to give back to the community. Ms Mariam Jaafar and Mr Sharael Taha asked for an update on MENDAKI's mentoring programmes. I am happy to report that, as of last year, the M3 Youth Mentoring Office (YMO) has matched over 1,000 mentors to more than 4,000 mentees across various mentoring programmes. The YMO will continue to expand the mentoring ecosystem and will be engaging a further 600 mentors and 2,000 mentees this year. We are also glad to share that 10 community partners from the Community Leaders Forum (CLF), including the Majulah Community, Malay Youth Literary Association (4PM), AMP Singapore and Singapore Tenkasi, have come on board to conduct mentoring programmes for their own beneficiaries. With the YMO, we are now making mentoring more accessible for all. I call on more from the community to step forward as mentors to help our youths thrive as successful adults. To address Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin's query, mentoring programmes from MENDAKI and M3 Focus Area 3 partners are open to all Malay/Muslim students, including madrasah students. In fact, these programmes aim to expand the social circle and promote bonding among students from the various backgrounds. We have been taking this inclusive approach for other MENDAKI programmes, too, such as the Future Ready initiatives and career programmes, which are designed to prepare our youths for meaningful careers, no matter their background. Mr Abdul Samad asked about the students in our Institutes of Higher Learning. In 2021, there were 5,000 Malay graduates from ITE, 3,200 from the Polytechnics and 800 from the Autonomous Universities (AUs). On average, about 30 Malay graduates from each ITE cohort progressed to the Autonomous Universities.”
“Mr Chairman, Singapore's progress is built upon a shared purpose and a sense of togetherness. The Malay/Muslim community aspires to be a Community of Success – to contribute to the growth of our nation and create opportunities to uplift our families and those around us. Skilling, reskilling and upskilling are vital to succeed in the future, especially in this economy, as we look beyond COVID-19. The Government, in partnership with industry and the community, is ramping up its efforts to better position our Malay community for employment in growth sectors while inculcating lifelong learning into our DNA. We will focus on upstream support by strengthening mentoring and early career guidance for youths in schools. This year, we have several new initiatives for our students in the ITEs. We will also enhance scholarship opportunities and financial support to help students pursue their aspirations. For those who have entered the workforce, we will partner industries to provide upskilling and direct emplacement opportunities for workers, especially in growth sectors. Mr Chairman, each child deserves an opportunity in life to actualise their potential. However, there may be times when they face challenges which weigh heavy on them, causing some to lose motivation and hope. Thus, having a support system is critical to motivate them to stay resilient and keep on the right path to fulfil their aspirations as well as their potential. This is why MENDAKI is investing and strengthening its mentoring programmes. We believe that our youths can benefit from a mentor outside the classroom – a role model whom they can turn to for advice, look up to and learn from to realise their aspirations.”
“Mr Speaker, Parliament is the place for us to debate important issues that affect Singapore and Singaporeans. We have, in this House, developed a set of procedures and practices to guide us on how we are to do this in an effective and efficient manner. In other jurisdictions, there are examples where we see such procedural rules and how they are used to prevent or frustrate the government of the day from carrying out its proper functions. It would be completely contrary to our interests for this to occur in this House. The rules have been designed and finetuned over the years and have worked in ensuring that important issues to us are brought up before the House and robustly debated, while allowing business to be completed without undue delay. Mr Leong Mun Wai himself should acknowledge this. We had a long debate on the Motions on the topic of Singaporeans' jobs and our foreign talent policy just six months ago, which we spent hours debating here. In this year's COS, more than 600 cuts were filed and we are looking at more than 50 hours of debate. So, I do not think anyone can reasonably say the Budget was not extensively debated. There are also avenues for issues to be raised in subsequent Sittings. So, I would, therefore, hope that Members would bear this in mind and remember that we are all representatives of this House and we should resist any attempt to lower the standing or dignity of this House. We all play a part in ensuring that robust debate can take place here and that Parliament remains a trusted and respected institution, where issues can be raised fairly and can be scrutinised by the public. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I accept the apology.”
“Mr Speaker, may I also confirm if the Member will be putting up an apology on Facebook as I had requested?”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That notwithstanding Standing Order 10, a Personal Explanation by Mr Leong Mun Wai be taken now". [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, "That notwithstanding Standing Order 10, a Personal Explanation by Mr Leong Mun Wai be taken now". (proc text)]”
“Mr Speaker, I understand that Mr Leong Mun Wai wishes to make a Personal Explanation to the House, in response to my request for the withdrawal and apology in respect of his Facebook post. I, therefore, beg to move, "that the proceedings on the Personal Explanation by Mr Leong Mun Wai be exempted at this day's Sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No 2." [(proc text) Resolved, "That the proceedings on the Personal Explanation by Mr Leong Mun Wai be exempted at this day's Sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No 2." – [Mr Zaqy Mohamad] (proc text)]”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2022/2023, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?”
“Specifically, for the Ministry of Manpower debate, questions from several MPs could not be answered because the allotted time was up. I acknowledge that I have every opportunity to raise, during subsequent Parliamentary Question times, the questions which I had wanted to ask in the Committee of Supply for the Ministry of Manpower." Mr Speaker, I request that Mr Leong Mun Wai do these by the end of today’s Parliament’s Sitting on 8 March 2022. Thereafter, Parliament can decide whether and if so, what further steps may be necessary depending on how Mr Leong responds to my request. I note that the Member is not in the Chamber. We will formally notify him of this Statement and my request to ensure that it is brought to his notice. Thank you, Mr Speaker.”
“And this is by suggesting that you could have called on Mr Leong but deliberately did not do so for improper reasons. This is dishonourable and a contempt of Parliament, and breaches the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act. Mr Leong has had the benefit of your remarks yesterday and has now also heard your ruling. I therefore request that Mr Leong do the proper thing and: One, take down the video and the accompanying caption and post. Two, take down his two Facebook comments of 12.52 pm and 12.53 pm on 7 March 2022. Three, apologise before this House, and also via a Facebook post, for his words and actions in the following terms: "I sincerely and unreservedly apologise to the Speaker and this House for my Facebook comments of 12.52 pm and 12.53 pm on 7 March 2022, and the video I posted at 6.55 pm on 7 March 2022, and the statements therein which impugn the Speaker and the processes of Parliament without any basis. I have taken the posts down. I withdraw what I said in them, and undertake not to repeat such words and actions again. I acknowledge that I had not set out all the facts in my posts and thus, gave a misleading impression. In fact, many MPs filed to speak both in the Budget debate and the Committee of Supply of the various Ministries. Every MP is given the same amount of time. The Guillotine Time for each Ministry is announced ahead of time and based on the MPs who have filed to speak. It is standard Parliamentary procedure that when the time that is allotted to the Ministry ends, Speaker will require that the votes on that Ministry be taken and the debate move to the next Ministry, even if some MPs’ questions have not been answered.”
“14 pm, as Chair of the Committee, you brought these two Facebook comments to the attention of Members and explained the following: (a) the parliamentary process for COS; (b) that COS proceedings are subject to timing deadlines known as the Guillotine Time under Standing Order 92(7)(a); (c) that when the Guillotine Time is reached for each Ministry, the question for the approval of the head of expenditure must be put and the COS concluded; (d) that there were other MPs who also wanted to ask further clarifications but could not do so as the time limit had been reached. Notwithstanding this, at 6.55 pm yesterday, Mr Leong Mun Wai proceeded to post a video of the end of the COS with the caption “This is how Speaker prevents a member from speaking”. It was accompanied by a post which stated as follows: "Today I was deprived of the opportunity to respond to Tan See Leng’s (TSL) 'red herring' statement made last Friday because Speaker did not allow me to speak using the cut-off time as an excuse. The cut-off time is decided by the Speaker before the session but there is flexibility because the Parliament schedule is ahead of time this year. Many MPs were also allowed to speak before me. He should know that I had an outstanding issue from the previous Friday’s sitting (please view the video clip below)." Mr Speaker, this was despite your clarification earlier in the afternoon and the fact that it was clear that the Guillotine Time had been reached and that, under the Standing Orders, you were required to bring the COS to an end. Mr Leong’s posts and his video have impugned the Speaker and the processes of Parliament and have misrepresented how the COS proceedings for MOM were ended yesterday.”
“I thank Mr Speaker for his ruling. Mr Speaker, the COS for MOM took place yesterday, 7 March 2022. In the course of the COS, the Ministers from MOM addressed the cuts and queries filed by MPs. After the Ministers’ speeches, there was time to take some further questions but not all, given the number of hands raised by Members. At the end of the time allotted for this head of expenditure, which had been made known to all Members beforehand in the Guillotine Time Notice Paper and the Daily Working Paper, Mr Leong Mun Wai, along with several other MPs, still wanted to ask further clarifications. However, as time was up, you, as Chairman of the Committee, invited Mr Desmond Choo to withdraw his amendment so that the COS for MOM could be brought to a close. Mr Leong interrupted this repeatedly, saying that he would like to ask questions. And you informed Mr Leong that the time was up and asked Mr Choo to proceed. The MOM COS duly ended at 12.40 pm, the Guillotine Time. Subsequently, Mr Leong Mun Wai made two comments on his Facebook profile as follows. On 7 March, 12.52 pm: “Now I’m at the budget debate for the Ministry of Manpower. Following from Minister Tan See Leng’s (TSL) comments 'red herring' comments (sic) last Friday, I have a number of clarifications to make. But the Speaker didn’t even give me the chance. I will show you the video later when the volunteer has done it for me.” On 7 March, 12.53 pm: “Completely ridiculous!” That was his comment. Later in the day, at around 4.”
“Mr Speaker, during yesterday’s proceedings, you made a statement in Parliament to respond to the Facebook comments put up by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Mr Leong Mun Wai yesterday, shortly after the conclusion of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)’s Committee of Supply (COS) debate.”