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Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill›Second Reading Bills19 turns · 15,166w
· 98 highlighted
bill-808recorded 2026-09-08
Mr Speaker12 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs.
The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Goh Pei Ming) (for the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs)4498 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and the Minister for Home Affairs, I move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time". Sir, Singapore's scams situation has improved since 2025. After consecutive years of increases, both scam cases and losses fell in 2025. This improvement continued into the first half of 2026, where reported scam cases fell by 14.4% to about 16,800 cases, while losses fell by 17.9% to about $411 million, compared to the same period last year.[+8 sentences] This progress is a result of our strong public-private collaboration, robust enforcement and legal framework, and the adoption of technology. I would like to thank Members of this House for your strong support in our anti-scam efforts, and your personal contributions to spreading anti-scam public education to your constituents. Our fight, however, is far from over. We still receive on average about 90 reported scam cases, involving about $2 million lost, every day. Globally, the scam situation continues to worsen, as syndicates evade international enforcement action. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimated that scam losses in East and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand approximately tripled between 2023 and 2025. Scammers are also using increasingly sophisticated technologies to deceive victims. Singapore's wealth density makes us an extremely lucrative target and scam syndicates spare no effort in adapting and attempting to overcome our safeguards. This is why addressing scams remains a top priority for the Government. This Bill advances our fight against scams in three ways: one, it supports information exchange between the Police and various service providers for scam disruption; second, it enhances the Government's legal levers to combat scams on online platforms; and third, it strengthens the Police's ability to disrupt the supply of scam accounts and conduct anti-scam operations.[+13 sentences] Sir, I will first touch on amendments supporting information exchange. Scammers rely on enablers, such as phone lines, online accounts and bank accounts, to reach victims and carry out their schemes. These enablers are provided by different service providers, including banks, digital payment token service providers, telecommunications companies and online service providers. When scammers register for or use these enablers, they leave behind digital footprints that can serve as scam signals. These signals allow us to identify and disrupt other parts of the scam infrastructure. For example, a phone number detected by a telecommunications company as being used for scams, may also be linked to a bank account used to receive scam proceeds. Today, scam signals are not being shared widely or quickly enough to disrupt scams effectively. To overcome technical limitations on this front, I announced during the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA's) Committee of Supply debate earlier this year, that the Police and the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), are developing the National Scams List (NSL). The NSL is a platform to facilitate the exchange of information on suspicious scam accounts between the Government and service providers at speed and at scale. This Bill, in turn, provides the legal powers to enable and safeguard such information exchange on NSL and other information-sharing platforms. Information-sharing platforms, like the NSL, allow the Police to disrupt scam accounts early and facilitate information disclosure. To empower the Police to operationalise such platforms, clause 7 introduces new orders into the Protection from Scams Act 2025. First, we will introduce Account Disabling Orders (ADOs). ADOs will empower the Police to direct a service provider to disable an account, if the Police suspect or have reason to believe that the account has been or will be used preparatory to or in furtherance of a scam-related offence.[+4 sentences] This threshold is lower than the existing threshold for disruption under the Criminal Procedure Code. This is necessary for the Police to proactively disable the account even before the scam takes place. This allows a shift in approach from reactive to proactive. The Order may identify the specific account to be disabled or specify conditions for identifying suspicious accounts that should be disabled. Accounts may be disabled under ADOs for up to 30 days, with one possible extension of up to another 30 days.[+32 sentences] Clauses 8 and 9 amend the Protection from Scams Act to allow persons affected by ADOs to appeal to the Commissioner of Police. The Commissioner may designate an officer not below the rank of Superintendent, or its equivalent, to hear and determine the appeal. Non-compliance with an ADO will be a criminal offence. Second, we will introduce Disclosure Orders (DOs). DOs will allow the Police to direct service providers to disclose information relating to an account provided by the service provider. The Police will need to be satisfied that the disclosure is necessary or expedient to prevent the commission of a scam-related offence and believe on reasonable grounds that the service provider is capable of disclosing the information. The wilful and reckless submission of false and misleading information pursuant to a DO, as well as the non-compliance with a DO, will be an offence. Service providers have raised concerns that participating in information-sharing platforms could expose them to additional liability, especially where they act voluntarily. For example, civil liability could arise from breaches of confidentiality obligations. This Bill balances these considerations by providing immunity from liability, while limiting it to actions taken for the prevention and detection of scam-related offences. Clause 10 introduces protections for service providers from criminal and civil liability for actions done, or omitted to be done, in good faith and with reasonable care to comply with an ADO or DO. Clause 11 introduces protections for prescribed service providers for voluntarily disclosing information. These service providers may voluntarily disclose information to a specified officer or a prescribed Singapore public service agency. This is despite confidentiality obligations, including under the Personal Data Protection Act and the Banking Act. Certain circumstances need to be met, including: first, the information is disclosed to a specified officer or a prescribed Singapore public sector agency in the prescribed form and manner; second, the information is disclosed for the purpose of preventing a scam-related offence; third, the information disclosed was obtained by the service provider in the course of complying with, or on the basis of information contained in an ADO or DO, that was issued to the service provider; and lastly, the disclosure was done in good faith and with reasonable care. Clause 11 also introduces protections for service providers from civil liability for voluntarily preventing the use of an account for up to 30 days. Similarly, certain circumstances need to be met, including: first, the service provider suspected or had reason to believe that the account has been or will be used for a scam-related offence; second, this suspicion or belief was wholly or partially based on information shared via an ADO or DO; and third, it was done in good faith and with reasonable care. To protect the confidentiality of shared information, clause 7 makes it an offence for the unauthorised disclosure or use of information obtained through an ADO or DO. Service providers will also be required to implement safeguards, prescribed through subsidiary legislation, to protect the confidentiality of such information. Failure to do so will be an offence. Let me now move on to changes to the Online Criminal Harms Act 2023 (OCHA). OCHA was passed in Parliament in July 2023 and since its commencement in February 2024, the Police have used OCHA to fight scams in two main ways. One, to issue ex-post directions to online service providers to take down scam-related content; and two, to issue ex-ante Codes of Practice or Implementation Directives, to require designated online service providers to impose preventive anti-scam measures on their platforms. Today, the designated online services are WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Apple, Google, Carousell, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. After two years of operationalisation, MHA is now proposing three amendments to ensure that the law remains an effective tool in our fight against scams. First, we will empower the Competent Authority to impose financial penalties on designated online service providers for non-compliance with the Codes of Practice or Implementation Directives. Today, platforms that fail to comply with a Code of Practice requirement may be issued with a Rectification Notice. Non-compliance with a Rectification Notice or Implementation Directive is an offence punishable with a fine not exceeding $1 million, and to a further fine of $100,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction. These fines are imposed by the Courts upon conviction. While criminal prosecution remains necessary in serious cases, charging non-compliant platforms in Court may not be an efficient way to deal with less egregious cases. This Bill empowers the Competent Authority to issue an administrative financial penalty to more swiftly address and deter non-compliant behaviour. Clauses 21, 23 and 27 amend the framework in OCHA for non-compliance with Codes of Practice and Implementation Directives. Going forward, for each instance of non-compliance with the Code of Practice, the Competent Authority may impose a penalty of up to $10 million, or issue a Rectification Notice to rectify the non-compliance with the Code of Practice. Where the non-compliance relates to an Implementation Directive, the Competent Authority may similarly impose a penalty of up to $10 million or issue a compliance order to the Implementation Directive.[+5 sentences] Failure to comply with a Rectification Notice or compliance order is a criminal offence. The Courts may impose a fine not exceeding $10 million and in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $300,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction. Let me make two points about these changes. First, this approach retains criminal prosecution as an option, alongside the new financial penalty regime. The Competent Authority will decide which is appropriate, based on the facts of each case, considering factors which include the nature and severity of scam harm caused by the non-compliance, the culpability of the platform and its antecedent. Second, we have set the maximum administrative financial penalty and fine that the Competent Authority and the Courts respectively can impose at $10 million. This maximum penalty will be the highest fixed quantum financial penalty in Singapore's statute book.[+9 sentences] We do not take this decision lightly. But it is necessary to provide an adequate deterrent against non-compliance by online platforms, commensurate with the scale of the challenge we are facing, and the severity of harm that scams delivered through online platforms can cause. Members will recall that a scam victim lost $4.9 million from a single scam case involving the impersonation of senior Government officials on several online platforms, including WhatsApp. Imagine what the scam losses would be had this modus operandi been executed at scale. As the new penalty regime will allow the Competent Authority to impose administrative financial penalties directly on designated online service providers without going through the Courts, we will introduce safeguards to ensure due process. Clause 23 will require the Competent Authority to inform the designated online service provider of its intent to impose penalties and to allow the designated online service provider to make written representations explaining why the penalty should not be imposed. The designated online service provider will have at least seven days to make these representations and the Competent Authority may decide, after assessing the written representation, whether to proceed, vary or withdraw the penalty. If the Competent Authority decides to proceed to impose financial penalties, the designated online service provider may appeal to the Minister for Home Affairs, whose decision is final. While we fully intend to continue our collaborative approach of consulting and working with designated online service providers, the Government will not hesitate to take firm action against errant online service providers that allow their platforms to be exploited by scammers. The second key amendment to OCHA is in clause 19, which will allow OCHA directions to be given by the operation of a computer program, including those leveraging AI or machine learning technologies.[+20 sentences] Members will be aware that scammers have been using sophisticated technologies, including generative AI, to create highly convincing scam content, faster and at lower cost. To stay ahead, we too must leverage AI more extensively in our scam disruption efforts. We want to use AI not just to assist in human decision-making, but also to issue OCHA directions in situations where scam content has been identified with a high degree of confidence. To ensure human accountability for the issuance of OCHA directions, clause 19 provides that a direction can be given by a computer program for which the head of the agency using the program is responsible. For example, this could be the Permanent Secretary of a Ministry or the Chief Executive of a Statutory Board. The existing appeal mechanism for OCHA directions continues to apply. Appellants may apply to a designated officer for reconsideration and thereafter, to an independent Reviewing Tribunal comprising a District Judge or Magistrate. We will also ensure that AI systems are implemented with the appropriate safeguards, such as human assessment for lower confidence decisions and regular audit checks. The last key amendment to OCHA will support a more comprehensive approach to scam prevention. Clause 20 will allow the Competent Authority to impose requirements on designated online service providers, which indirectly counter the commission of scams or malicious cyber activity, such as public education initiatives. This allows the Government to direct the online platforms to work with us on scam education initiatives, which are a vital component of our whole-of-society anti-scam strategy. Clause 22 makes clear that measures imposed by an Implementation Directive are to be implemented until the Implementation Directive is cancelled or substituted. Clause 26 makes clear that the Competent Authority can require a designated online service provider to provide information to assess their compliance with any Code of Practice or Implementation Directive, or to assess whether a Code of Practice or Implementation Directive should be issued to the service provider. This allows the Government to evaluate the performance of online service providers vis-à-vis requirements set by the Competent Authority. Mr Speaker, the amendments I have shared so far focus on legislative amendments that underpin our collaboration with service providers to combat scams. I will now move to amendments directed at those who facilitate scams. Let me first turn to those who misuse online accounts, such as Carousell or WhatsApp accounts, to facilitate scams. We have observed instances where individuals sell their online accounts to scammers. These accounts may even have been Singpass-verified, and can be very convincing to potential victims, luring them into a false sense of legitimacy. We must take a firm stance against such misuse of online accounts. Clause 16 introduces new offences against those who misuse accounts from designated online services, to facilitate criminal activity. In particular, under the new sections 39GA and 39GC of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906 (or MOA), it will be an offence for a person to supply or offer to supply a designated online account to another person; or provide or offer to provide personal information to another person, or consent or offer to consent to personal information being used by another person for the purpose of opening a designated online account, if the person knew or had reasonable grounds to believe that the designated online account will be used for an unlawful purpose.[+2 sentences] Like other scam-related offences, such as the misuse of SIM cards and bank accounts, we expect the Police to face evidential difficulties in proving the offender's criminal intent. Scam mules often claim that they acted because they were paid and were unaware of the serious consequences of their actions. To address this, going forward, a person is presumed to have known that the designated online account will be used for an unlawful purpose in any of the following scenarios: one, the person supplied the designated online account or provided or consented to the use of his or her personal information for any gain; two, the person failed to take reasonable steps to ascertain the identity and the physical location of the person receiving the designated online account, or using the personal information to open a designated online account; or three, the person failed to take reasonable steps to find out the recipient's purpose for obtaining the designated online account, or using the personal information to open a designated online account.[+4 sentences] Under the new section 39GB of MOA, it will also be an offence for a person to receive or offer to receive a designated online account, or retain control of a designated online account opened using another person's personal information if the person does so with the intention to use or supply the designated online account for an unlawful purpose. Similarly, a person who receives a designated online account is presumed to have intended to use or supply the account for an unlawful purpose, if the person received the account for any gain. This is intended to address the challenge of proving criminal intent. The penalties for the new offences for misuse of online accounts will be pegged to the misuse of SIM cards under MOA. Offenders who are individuals will be liable for a fine not exceeding $10,000, or imprisonment not exceeding three years, or both. As for the offences under the new sections 39GA and 39GB regarding supplying designated online accounts, receiving designated online accounts and retaining control of designated online accounts opened using the personal information of others, the prescribed penalty for a second or subsequent conviction in respect of an individual person is a fine not exceeding $20,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or both. In addition, discretionary caning of not more than 12 strokes will apply where the individual knew or intended that the designated online account would be used to commit or facilitate any scam offence.[+18 sentences] All the new offences will also apply to corporations and unincorporated associations. As such entities cannot be subjected to imprisonment or caning, the maximum fines for entities will be double the amount for individuals. Similar to the offences for the misuse of SIM cards, the offences for the misuse of online accounts will also apply extraterritorially, as long as there is a proven link to harm in Singapore. This is necessary, as most scam syndicates operate from overseas. The offences for the misuse of online accounts will also be arrestable. To be clear, we do not intend to catch those who use designated online accounts for a lawful purpose. A person who receives, supplies or retains the control of a designated online account or provides personal information to another to open a designated online account will not be liable for an offence, if the person has reasonable grounds to believe that the purpose of the act was to facilitate the use of or access to the designated online account for a lawful purpose. So, what constitutes such reasonable grounds to believe, would depend on the facts of the case. For example, if a person sets up a WhatsApp account for his or her parent or child thinking that it is solely for their legitimate personal daily use and is able to provide a credible explanation as to why he or she was led to think so, reasonable grounds to believe may be established. On the other hand, if a person does so for a stranger with no questions asked as to the purpose of the stranger, or was paid by the stranger to do so, reasonable grounds to believe would likely not be established. Ultimately, this would have to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Next, we will empower the Police to impose restrictions on certain individuals' access to services that could be exploited to facilitate scams. In October 2025, the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) implemented the Facility Restriction Framework. Under the framework, scam mules who: one, have been warned, issued with composition sums, prosecuted or convicted of mule-related offences; or two, are under investigation for mule-related offences and are assessed to be at risk of further facilitating scams may face targeted restrictions on their access to facilities, and these facilities may include digital banking, card and automated teller machine (ATM) services, the subscription of new telephone lines and the use of Singpass. These restrictions are risk-calibrated and take into account these individuals' basic financial and communications needs. Service providers, such as banks and telecommunications companies today comply with the restrictions imposed under the Facility Restriction Framework either voluntarily or pursuant to requirements determined by their sectoral regulators. The Police today cannot compel service providers to impose such restrictions on persons. Clause 7 of the Bill introduces a new set of orders, Service Limitation Orders (SLOs), under the Protection from Scams Act 2025. SLOs empower the Police to require service providers to restrict the provision of services to a person for a period of up to three years.[+10 sentences] The Police may issue an SLO if the Police suspect, or have reason to believe, that the identified person will use the service specified to commit or facilitate a scam-related offence. Service providers that do not comply with an SLO will be liable for an offence. Service providers that comply with an SLO in good faith and with reasonable care, will be protected from criminal and civil liability. Individuals subjected to restrictions pursuant to an SLO may appeal to the Commissioner of Police, and the Commissioner of Police may designate an officer not below the rank of Superintendent or equivalent to hear and determine the appeal. Finally, I will touch on two legislative amendments that will be introduced to support Police operations. First, with the launch of the Cyber Command in July 2026, SPF will be recruiting civilian talent with the right aptitude and skillsets to the Cyber Command. To support this and the Police's future manpower needs, clause 31 amends the Police Force Act to empower the Minister for Home Affairs to appoint Civilian Specialist Officers (CSOs). CSOs will be accorded the necessary powers to investigate any suspected offence which appears to him or her to have been committed under any written law. These include the powers to search, arrest, seize and request for documents. SPF may also deploy CSOs to support other Police units, requiring specialist skillsets in the future. Second, clause 6 amends the Protection from Scams Act 2025 to empower specified officers, including Police Officers, Commercial Affairs Officers and CSOs, to obtain information on persons who must be notified of the issuance of a Restriction Order under the Protection from Scams Act.[+3 sentences] This is necessary as banks are today unable to provide information necessary for the Police to notify persons affected by the Restriction Order, given the banking confidentiality obligations under the Banking Act. Mr Speaker, before I conclude, let me say a few words in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, scam cases and losses in Singapore have fallen significantly since last year, but scams continue to pose a serious threat to our people. At present, the Police has received an average of about 90 scam reports every day, with average daily losses amounting to $2 million.[+16 sentences] Scammers are relentless and their methods are constantly evolving. They constantly exploit new technologies to find new ways to swindle our people out of their hard-earned money. As a highly developed economy, Singapore is naturally an attractive target for scam syndicates. This Bill will strengthen Singapore’s ability to combat scams in three ways. First, we will continue to take firm action against money mules and those who facilitate scams. Scammers often misuse other people’s accounts to conceal their identities and move criminal proceeds. We will further strengthen our laws to combat the misuse of online accounts and impose severe penalties on those who sell or hand over their accounts to others. I urge everyone not to provide others with your online accounts, passwords or personal information. What may appear to be a small favour or an easy way to earn money could cause immense harm to others and expose you to serious legal consequences. Second, we will enhance our capabilities to disrupt scam networks more swiftly and proactively. Scammers rely on networks of various accounts and services to perpetrate scams. This Bill will help the Police and service providers exchange scam-related information more quickly, identify suspicious accounts and take steps to disrupt them before more people fall victim. By intervening early, we can reduce the number of victims and, we hope, the losses suffered. At the same time, we will put in place robust safeguards and appeal and review mechanisms to ensure that enforcement powers are exercised carefully and fairly. Third, we will require online platforms to shoulder greater responsibility. Online platforms remain the main channel through which scammers reach victims. In the first half of this year, about 90% of scam cases involved online platforms.[+1 sentence] The Government will therefore increase the penalties for designated online service providers that fail to fulfil their anti-scam obligations. For platforms that breach a Code of Practice or Implementation Directive under the OCHA, the maximum penalty for each instance of non-compliance will be raised to S$10 million.[+17 sentences] Everyone has a part to play in combating scams. Government agencies, businesses, families and individuals all have important roles. By not selling our accounts, heeding anti-scam warnings and proactively sharing anti-scam advice with our seniors, each of us can contribute to scam prevention. Scammers do not just take away money. They can destroy years of savings, erode trust between individuals and rob our seniors of their peace of mind. The Government will continue to strengthen our relevant laws and enhance our capabilities to combat scams so that Singapore remains a safe, secure and trusted home to live and work in. (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, every scam is more than a statistic. Each case involves a victim who may have lost his hard-earned life savings, destroyed his confidence in digital transactions, or demolished his trust in the people around him. Scams strike not only at individual victims, but at the very trust underpinning our digital economy and our way of life. The measures in this Bill are firm, but they are also calibrated. They preserve accountability, provide safeguards and appeal mechanisms, and support constructive collaboration with service providers. This balance is important – we must act decisively against scammers and their enablers, while maintaining public confidence that powers will be exercised carefully and fairly. The improvement in our scam situation shows that our efforts can make a tangible difference. But scammers will continue to adapt and so must we. Our response must be sustained, coordinated and always forward-looking. The Government will continue to review our laws and strengthen our operational capabilities against scams, so that Singapore remains a trusted, safe and secure place to live, work and transact. Sir, I beg to move.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Jessica Tan.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast)1238 words
[+14 sentences]Mr Speaker, scams today are not just crimes of deception. They are crimes of exploitation. They target people at their most vulnerable. Seniors who struggle with digital interfaces, young people navigating online spaces, migrant workers far from home, families who simply want to trust that the messages they receive are safe and even digitally literate individuals who fall prey because the scam looks legitimate or because they are caught off guard in a moment of urgency or distraction. These are ordinary people going about their daily lives. And scammers exploit not just digital gaps, but human moments – trust, fatigue, routine and instinct. The Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill is fundamentally about protecting these groups. It strengthens our ability to detect scams early, disrupt them quickly and hold accountable those who enable them, whether individuals or large online platforms. So, why is this Bill necessary? Scam losses have risen sharply in recent years. Behind every statistic is a person who has lost savings, confidence and often, dignity. Many victims tell us they feel ashamed, even though they did nothing wrong. They were simply targeted at a moment of vulnerability. Scammers today operate across multiple platforms – bank accounts, e-wallets, SIM cards, social media, messaging apps. They exploit gaps between systems and the Bill closes these gaps. It gives the Police practical tools to act faster: (a) the DO that compel banks, telcos and platforms to share information quickly when an account is suspected to be involved in scams; (b) ADOs that allow the Police to temporarily disable scam linked accounts for up to 30 days, extendable once; and (c) SLOs that limit access to digital services for individuals assessed to be enabling scams.[+14 sentences] These powers are designed for speed. They allow intervention at the earliest signs of suspicious activity, before more victims are drawn in. While this Bill is necessarily reactive, it comes into play when scam activity has already surfaced, but it is still essential because frauds continue to occur despite preventive safeguards and we need swift powers to minimise harm once they are detected. For many scams, timing is everything. Once a fraudulent account or phone line is identified, every hour that passes means more people may be deceived. The Bill's new Orders, especially the ADOs, allow the Police to act within hours, not days. This is crucial for seniors who may not recognise scam patterns until it is too late and for families who may respond instinctively to urgent messages. We should also look at how advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-driven and multi-layered protection can stop scam activity and financial fraud before it reaches businesses and users. Instead of relying only on rigid, reactive, rule-based systems, many technology companies today are already using global threat intelligence and machine learning models to deliver real time, proactive risk assessment at scale. I hope that our Government agencies will continue working closely with industry players to tap these capabilities for faster detection, quicker escalation and rapid takedowns. I also urge us to pay closer attention to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). SMEs often do not have the same resources as large corporations to invest in sophisticated cyber defences, fraud monitoring tools or dedicated response teams. As scammers increasingly target weaker links in the ecosystem, helping SMEs strengthen their safeguards is not only important for business continuity, it also protects consumers, employees and the wider supply chain. Many vulnerable groups rely heavily on trust – trust in banks, trust in Government messages and trust in online platforms. By raising penalties for non-compliant platforms from $1 million to $10 million, the Bill compels platforms to invest in better verification, clearer warnings and faster takedowns of scam content.[+4 sentences] This is especially important for those who may not know how to distinguish between legitimate messages from fraudulent ones. Reducing the shame and stigma of being scammed. When the system responds quickly and visibly, victims feel supported rather than blamed. The Bill signals that responsibility does not fall solely on individuals, it is shared across institutions, platforms and regulators. The criminalisation of online account mule activity is a significant step.[+13 sentences] We know that youths are increasingly targeted to sell or to lend their online accounts, often without understanding the consequences. This Bill sends a clear message: online accounts are gateways to harm and misuse will be taken seriously. But it also allows early intervention before young people are drawn deeper into criminal networks. With stronger powers must come stronger safeguards. The Bill provides avenues for appeals, limits the duration of account restrictions and requires clear evidence before orders are issued. For vulnerable individuals who may be wrongly flagged, these safeguards are essential. They ensure that the enforcement is firm but fair and that trust in the system is maintained. But could this Bill have gone further in enabling faster disruption? Mr Speaker, the Bill makes meaningful progress. But as scams evolve, we must ask whether more can be done to act faster. There are three areas where enhancements could be considered. One, real time cross platform alerting. Today, DOs allow information sharing when the Police initiate action. A future step could be automated, real time alerts between banks, telcos and platforms when suspicious behaviour is detected, without waiting for a formal order.[+3 sentences] This would mirror how fraud detection works in financial institutions and could stop scams within minutes. Pre-emptive restrictions for high-risk accounts. Some accounts show repeated patterns of suspicious behaviour but do not yet meet the threshold for disabling. A tiered system of preventive friction, such as temporary limits or mandatory identity re-verification could prevent losses while investigations continue.[+1 sentence] Third, mandatory rapid response protocols for platforms. This Bill increases penalties for non-compliance, but it does not yet specify response time standards. Setting clear expectations, for example, requiring platforms to act within a defined number of hours within notification of scam content, could significantly reduce exposure time for victims.[+5 sentences] These are areas for future consideration and I raise them because vulnerable groups benefit most when intervention is not just strong, but swift. Ultimately, this Bill is not just about enforcement. It is about building a digital environment where people, especially those who are vulnerable, feel safe to participate, transact and communicate. It strengthens coordination across agencies. It compels platforms to step up and it gives the Police the tools they need to act decisively. Scams and fraud must also be tackled collectively, both domestically and internationally, because the infrastructure of deception rarely respects national boundaries. I hope we continue to deepen partnerships with industry and overseas counterparts, including through global signal exchange, priority flagging and rapid takedown arrangements for phishing sites, impersonation accounts and other scam enablers.[+9 sentences] But legislation alone is not enough. We must continue investing in public education, in community outreach and in digital literacy programmes. Vulnerable groups need not just protection, but empowerment. At the same time, these measures should not lead citizens to become over-reliant on Government's safeguards. Protection must go hand in hand with personal vigilance, sound judgement and responsibility for the choices we make online, including the accounts we lend, the links we click and the information we share. Mr Speaker, scams erode trust, trust in institutions, trust in technology, and trust in one another. This Bill helps rebuild that trust. It protects those who are most at risk, holds accountable those who enable harm and strengthens Singapore's resilience against evolving digital threats. I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms He Ting Ru.
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang)2257 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, scams are a scourge on our society. There has been progress made in public education efforts, but an unfortunate situation has arisen where most of us know someone who refuses to answer phone calls from unknown numbers or decide against using Internet banking services out of an abundance of mistrust for fear being scammed. This is against a decline in the number of reported scam cases and amounts lost to scams, breaking the upward trend recorded from 2021 to 2024. SPF's 2025 Scams and Cybercrime Brief reported a 27.6% drop in scams compared with 2024 and an approximately 17.92% decrease in the total amount lost to scams within that same period.[+1 sentence] Yet, the problem is still sizeable. As Second Minister for Home Affairs Sim Ann pointed out during the Second Reading of the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Offences) Bill last year, between 2020 and the first half of 2025, scams comprised approximately 60%, an outright majority of all crimes reported to the Police.[+4 sentences] The scam mitigation and enforcement efforts set out in this Bill are important. But we have to ensure, at the same time, that we tackle the problem on all fronts and that the measures enacted, especially those which involve law enforcement intervention are fair, transparent and understandable to the public. Crucially, our anti-scam efforts should do more to target dismantling the networks and systems that fuel such crimes, providing restitution to victims, and ensuring that communities are well-equipped to guard themselves against scams. This Bill strengthens the Government's arsenal of anti-scam enforcement tools. Clause 7 introduces two new orders which law enforcement can issue to service providers, whether they are banks, payment services, telecommunications companies, or online service providers. An ADO requires service providers to disable specific accounts for anti-scam purposes, while a SLO, which builds on the provision set out in the facility restriction framework, mandate service providers, restrict a specific user from using a scam enabling service.[+20 sentences] At the same time, clause 19 of the Bill allows a responsible officer to use computer programs to issue a Part 2 directive under OCHA. Such programs may also involve the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) to flag suspicious accounts. This matches the call in the Workers' Party's 2025 manifesto, which specifically asked for AI to be used to detect suspicious transactions. The idea is that such programs increase efficiency in combating scammers who themselves turn to technology to perpetuate their crimes, and it is one which should be supported. Such identification of potential cybercrime, enabling accounts via AI tools can aid authorities in their fight to limit or prevent damage being dealt, but necessary guardrails and ultimately, human oversight must be put in place. Any usage of AI tools, especially within law enforcement contexts, must be done in cognisance of the potential for unfair bias against marginalised groups, an issue that I previously raised when debating the Motion on Singapore's AI transition. Such AI-enabled tools are also known to throw up false positives. For instance, the New York Times reported in July this year that when Meta deployed AI tools to detect accounts flouting its terms of service, many accounts belonging to small business owners and even non-profits were wrongfully banned, and some deleted with their appeals turned down. This affected livelihoods and operations, with Meta eventually acknowledging that mistakes were made and restored some accounts after the times inquired after the incidents. This example highlights a potential pitfall of purely using AI to enforce any rule or regulation, especially when it appears that no human oversight was available to appeal against decisions that those affected claimed were erroneous. In the case of clause 19, although it is explicitly noted that responsibility for the results and actions taken by the computer program would be borne by a responsible officer, could the Senior Minister of State elaborate on the processes in place to ensure that the deployment of such computer programs would be fair and accurate? And also clarify about how human oversight and review plays into the operations of such decisions. The powers granted to law enforcement, while having the well-intentioned aim of tackling scams and cybercrime, should also be open to independent scrutiny by both Parliament and members of the public. In this vein, would the Government release a report annually detailing key metrics and indicators, such as total numbers of SLOs, ADOs and DOs issued, as well as the error rates of automated directives, appeal volumes and the average resolution timelines for false positives, for citizens to better understand the action and efforts behind our efforts against scams? Clause 6 of the Bill expands on the provisions of the Protection from Scams Act by granting law enforcement the ability to order banks to furnish information, such as the name, contact details and residential addresses of users whose accounts are subject to a restriction order, something that was previously disallowed under the Banking Act. The new subsection 5(ac) also allows for the disclosure of any other prescribed information. Could the Senior Minister of State clarify what other information is envisioned by this catch or flip clause, and more generally, how does this new power balance against our wider financial ecosystem, in particular, the principle of banking secrecy? Moving to enforcement and the new powers under clause 7, introducing SLOs and ADOs to the Protection from Scams Act, even as we assume that executive powers would be exercised carefully and responsibly, these orders imposed on an innocent party or unwitting mule would at least be a mild inconvenience and at worst, debilitating to daily life. Individuals who have their accounts frozen might end up unable to receive salaries or to foot the cost of their daily necessities and medical bills, if their sole bank account or e-wallet account is completely frozen. In the case of businesses, especially smaller proprietors, this might cause business operations to grind to a halt and result in the non-payment of employees. On this specific concern, a Parliamentary reply from September last year noted that persons whose accounts are blocked under the facility restriction framework could still have access to basic banking services, receive payments, such as their salary and government benefits, as well as withdraw and deposit money at physical bank branches.[+12 sentences] Would this principle be retained with the enactment of this Bill into law? The Minister also stated in another Parliamentary reply this year that graduated restrictions are not being prioritised due to the need for significant system upgrades and changes. The same reply noted that banks expeditiously review and facilitate each request by holders of accounts subject to a restriction order to withdraw funds and that the Police approved all requests made to withdraw money for daily use. Could the Senior Minister of State shed light on the average processing time for approved requests to withdraw funds from bank accounts subject to a restriction order, and how would the Government work with banks towards eventually developing a system that allows for graduated restrictions? Our anti-scam efforts should also be more victim-centred. For instance, the current Shared Responsibility Framework (SRF) requires banks and telecommunications companies to bear the full cost of losses arising from a scam, should they fail to carry out their responsibilities according to the framework, else the costs would be fully borne by the victim. This is not considered enough, that other parties within the ecosystem, such as social media and messaging service companies, also play a very crucial part in stamping out scams. SPF's brief on scams and cybercrime noted that social media and messaging services were the highest and second highest methods of contact adopted by scammers. While the Code of Practice governing social media and messaging services was recently updated, this Bill raises the penalties for service providers who fail to comply. We can and should do more to hold social media and messaging services responsible for their action or inaction in our fight against scams. Additionally, the SRF also needs to be more sensitive to the needs of the consumer, who is likely to be in a far weaker position should they have to bear losses arising from the scam. In a multi-pronged approach, jurisdictions worldwide are looking to victim reimbursement systems. For instance, the United Kingdom (UK) has mandated that payment service providers refund banks up to £85,000 if a victim reported that they were subject to a scam unless the victim was grossly negligent or did not provide the payment service provider with all the information required for the investigations.[+1 sentence] The victim might also have to foot a £100 excess, depending on which provider they came from. Australia is also planning to implement a similar scheme with a lower cap of AUD3,000, and with responsibility shared equally between the banks, telecommunications companies and social media platforms.[+2 sentences] Such an approach seems to be working. An independent study of the UK system found a decrease in the number of fraud cases and the total amount lost to fraud involving faster payment or fast equivalent transfers. This also forced banks to step up their anti-scam measures by hitting them directly in the wallet. Therefore, I would like to repeat the call contained in the Workers' Party's 2025 manifesto to have an insurance scheme to cover losses from scams with a consumer liability cap of up to $500 and to look into a scam victim restitution fund financed by recovered funds.[+9 sentences] Mr Speaker, while the provisions under this Bill are largely centred around mules, we must dedicate more of our energy and resources towards dismantling the vast money laundering infrastructure that enables scams to flourish. According to the latest Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mutual evaluation report on Singapore's Anti-Money Laundering (AML) efforts, domestic low ranking money mules comprise the majority of Singapore's AML investigations and convictions, despite other stakeholders within the wider ecosystem facilitating and benefiting from such ill-gotten gains, such as professional enablers and the masterminds playing a significant role in such operations. I believe this is best summed up by a young money mule who was apprehended back in 2021 when he was just 17 years old. He noted that, "I am just a pawn, but there is always a queen and a king. They are never going to get caught because they are going to have people before them that will get caught." I could not have put this better myself. It is also concerning that the task force report noted that sanctions against natural persons convicted on money laundering, consisting of either a fine of up to $500,000, 10 years jail time, or both, while proportionate, were deemed neither effective nor dissuasive. I hope that this will be addressed when the Government studies the implementation of the FATF's recommendations. Another recommendation prescribed by the report is for the authorities to diversify sources of false scam detection. The report notes that 82% of Singapore's money laundering investigations arose from Police reports filed by victims of cyber-enabled fraud, a stark contrast to the 2% from financial and other intelligence sources.[+2 sentences] In view of this, can the Senior Minister of State clarify how our law enforcement agencies intend to step up their proactive identification of money laundering offences via financial intelligence? We can also work towards strengthening our financial intelligence sharing capabilities, especially amongst banks. Since its inception in 2024, the Collaborative Sharing of Money Laundering/TF Information and Cases (COSMIC), the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS') customer information sharing platform aimed at curbing financial crime, has helped in closing over 1,000 suspicious customer accounts, with suspicious transaction reports filed for up to $1.6 billion in aggregate fund flows, according to a response to a Parliamentary Question I filed just last month.[+2 sentences] As we look to expand COSMIC, participation in the programme by all financial institutions should eventually be mandatory rather than voluntary, thus strengthening our corpus of financial intelligence. Finally, beyond enforcement our anti-scam efforts should also target segments of the population such as those who are less digitally savvy. Despite accounting for about 14.8% of victims in 2025, elderly scam victims lost an average of approximately $42,347 from scams during the first half of 2026, up from $35,374 over the same period in 2025, leaving them in a financially precarious state.[+1 sentence] The Minister in May this year noted that approximately 40% of senior scam victims fell victim to impersonation scams where scammers posed as Government officials and prominent figures to extort money from victims. In one instance, over S$6.1 million was lost to scammers impersonating the Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) or Chinese officials, while another case involved a scammer extorting around $600,000 by posing as Elon Musk.[+6 sentences] Given this, could the Minister clarify how the Government is reviewing anti-scam efforts such as SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme to ensure that it is up to date with the latest developments and to maximise its reach amongst the elderly in particular. In conclusion, as we step up our anti-scam enforcement efforts, the expansion and use of these law enforcement powers, while helpful, should be made clear to the public. We must look beyond mules, target the complex money laundering infrastructure that sustains scams and adopt a multi-pronged approach towards tackling scams beyond enforcement. Members of the public rely on law enforcement to defend and take action against scams. Knowing and understanding how these powers are used will only bolster public confidence in our law enforcement and go towards addressing the many concerns that the public has about the scams that currently plague our society. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker5 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik.
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik (Sengkang)2157 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, scams are no longer a small problem in Singapore. They are the most prevalent type of crime in Singapore and account for greater losses than all physical crime combined. The mid-year statistics released on 26 August show some hard won progress, but they also point to a stubborn reality. Losses fell to about $410.6 million in the first half of 2026, down some 18% from $500.2 million lost in the same period a year before.[+7 sentences] And the number of cases fell too. That is real progress and it reflects the combined effort of the Government, the industry and the community. But in the same breath, the Police told us that about around eight in 10 victims still handed their money over voluntarily, meaning they were manipulated, not hacked. Since 2019, Singaporeans have lost more than $4 billion to scams. So, while the trend line is encouraging, no one in this House should mistake it for victory. Sir, behind every one of those figures is a person. Our older residents in particular are being targeted and the losses they suffer are severe. Statistics from the police show that the average amount lost per elderly victim rose from about $35,000 in the first half of 2025, to over $42,000 in the same period this year.[+18 sentences] What should trouble us most is that so many of these victims are not hacked but manipulated. They were befriended by strangers with ill intentions and subsequently coaxed and deceived into transferring their own savings. In some cases, they continue paying even after they begin to suspect that something is wrong. This is not a story about foolish people. These are our parents and grandparents. It is a story about how sophisticated the manipulation has become. This Bill tackles that framework from several directions at once, amending five separate statutes, the Protection from Scams Act, the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act, the OCHA, the Police Force Act and the Banking Act. I will confine my remarks to a few provisions where I believe the powers are welcome, but where the House should press for safeguards. The SLOs and ADOs under the new Part 2(A) are, I believe, powers that most Singaporeans will welcome. The logic is sound if we can freeze an account or cut off the line the moment there is reason to believe it is being used to move scam proceeds, we interrupt the crime while the money is still in reach. The condition-based account disabling order, which lets an officer disable a whole class of accounts meeting specified criteria, is a sensible response to syndicates that operate at scale through networks of mule accounts. But I must raise one concern that I suspect every Member will recognise from our Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS). My concern is not with the freezing of accounts. It is with how quickly they are unfrozen when the account holder turns out to be innocent and in particular, with the longer suspensions that fall outside the 30-day limit this Bill sets. Sir, we must remember that innocent people can be caught in the middle of these schemes through no fault of their own. A person may find funds transferred into their account by a scammer or may have unwittingly dealt with someone who turned out to be a fraudster and suddenly find their own account frozen. For a working person, losing access to the account is not a minor inconvenience. The impact can be disproportionately high on lower-income earners. It can mean rent going unpaid, installments being missed and real strain on the family. So, my questions to the Minister are these: first, how was the 30-day period for an account disabling order arrived at?[+5 sentences] And is there a scope to make it shorter still? I welcome that this new order carries a hard limit of 30 days, extendable once, because a defined cap is itself a safeguard, and it disciplines the exercise of the power. But that welcome cap prompts a larger question. The hardship my residents bring to our MPS rarely comes from a 30-day freeze. It comes from accounts suspended for many months under banks' own processes or during ongoing investigations where no equivalent statutory limit applies. That is where the strain is felt most keenly. So, I will ask the Minister what service standards govern the lifting of these longer suspensions once an innocent party is cleared and what records does that person have to have their account restored sooner?[+20 sentences] I say candidly to this House with these powers, we should expect more MPS cases from residents whose accounts have been frozen, asking us to help appeal for the orders to be lifted. When that happens, they should be able to get a swift response and a fair process. Sir, one of the most significant features of this Bill, to my reading, is the creation of civilian specialist officers under the new sections in the Police Force Act. These officers will be granted police grade powers of investigation and arrest. To my understanding, these powers would be comparable to those of officers of the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), with an initial focus on cyber-crime. I have two questions. First, where will this new body sit? The powers mirror those of a CAD officer, but the Bill does not make clear whether these officers will operate under CAD, under some new unit or elsewhere within the force. I would like some clarity on the command structure and importantly, who will be accountable for these powers. Second, I put this plain plainly. The Bill states that it will not involve the Government in any extra financial expenditure. If that is so, I will ask the Minister from where is the manpower for this civilian specialist officers to be drawn? Are they to come from existing SPF, MHA, or wider Public Service establishments? If we are asking existing officers to take on this work, we should also be clear about what may have to give elsewhere. We need to be confident that we are not stretching our enforcement capacity too thin, especially when we are asking more of it. Sir, I want to flag clause 19, which allows a Part 2 direction, which may include a direction to take down an online location. This direction could be issued by the operation of a computer program with a responsible officer accountable for it. If I read this correct correctly, this is among the first times that our enforcement framework, expressly contemplates an automated system making such a decision. I understand entirely why. Malicious websites are spun up faster than any human team can act. In the first half of this year alone, the Police disrupted tens of thousands of scam-related mobile lines, WhatsApp lines and malicious websites.[+12 sentences] Automation is how we keep pace, but precisely because this is a novel step, I will ask the Minister to set out the safeguards. What human oversight sits behind the responsible officer? What audit and review mechanisms will apply? And what records exist where a legitimate site is caught by mistake? Speed and due process need not be in tension, but we must design for both. Sir, the Bill introduces caning for those who traffic in the tools of scams, those who sell, buy or supply designated online accounts or hand over their personal particulars to open them knowing they will be used for scams. I expect it will be hard for any Member to speak against this, and I do not intend to. Scams have imposed a heavy toll on affected Singaporean households. Savings have been wiped out and victims left with nothing but the shame and embarrassment they will have to endure. Given the toll, I believe most Singaporeans will support firmer deterrence against those who knowingly enable this trade. I will only observe that the Bill wisely targets the knowing enabler, with evidential presumptions that a person who does this for any gain, or who fails to check who they are handling their credentials to, is presumed to have known. We saw recently how this trade operates in practice. A young man charged with buying e-wallets from work permit holders, paying them around $50 each, through which nearly $10,000 in scam proceeds flowed.[+21 sentences] The $50 seller and the syndicate buyer are both links in the chain and it is the right that the law reaches both. I will ask the Minister only to confirm that our enforcement and our public education will continue to distinguish clearly between the syndicate operative and the naive and desperate individual who is themselves being exploited. Sir, if I may broaden the lens for a moment, part of protecting Singaporeans is being clear about what these numbers include and what they leave out. In an earlier Sitting. I ask how the police classify a case as a scam, where a seller fails to complete a transaction and multiple buyers lose money, and what distinguishes such cases from ordinary civil or commercial disputes. The Minister's answer was instructive. Where a seller deceives buyers into paying with no intention of ever delivering, that may amount to cheating under the Penal Code, but where a seller simply fails to deliver without fraudulent intent, no cheating offence is disclosed, and the buyer's recourse is a civil one. The Police assess each case on its facts, for instance, where the seller impersonated a legitimate shop or become uncontactable the moment payment was received. I raise this not to quarrel with the distinction, which is legally correct, but to make a point about the resident's experience. To a buyer who is out of pocket, the line between scam and civil disputes feels academic. The money is gone either way and a civil claim for a few hundred dollars is rarely worth pursuing. As we build this formidable apparatus against scams, I will ask the Government not to lose sight of these residents who fell into the gap. Those cheated of smaller sums or left to the civil courts for whom our new powers offer little. Consumer protection and accessible redress for small value e-commerce disputes must advance alongside our anti-scam enforcement, not lag behind it. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): Mr Speaker, scam cases are no longer a minor problem in Singapore. They are the most prevalent form of crime and have resulted in greater losses than all other physical crimes combined. I welcome the new enforcement orders under Part 2A. However, there are several issues I would like to raise, based on feedback from MPS. Prolonged account freezes often affect scam victims adversely. I would like to ask the Minister to consider putting in place regulatory processes and the right to appeal for the lifting of freezing orders for those who have been proven not to be involved in the scam. The establishment of CSOs under a new section in the Police Force Act gives them investigative and arrest powers equivalent to those of police officers of the same grade.[+10 sentences] I would like to ask the Minister where this new organisation will be located, and where the manpower for these new officers will come from. I would like to draw attention to clause 19, which allows an order to take down a website or online location to be issued directly by a computer program under a “responsible officer”. Will there be human oversight in this process, and will there be audit and review procedures? I strongly support the introduction of caning as punishment for those who traffic in scam equipment. However, I would like to ask the Minister to look at scam cases and distinguish enforcement between syndicate masterminds and individuals who may be desperate or may themselves be victims. We need to be mindful of the distinction between something that is considered a “scam” and a “civil dispute”. Consumer protection and easy access to channels for seeking compensation for small-value e-commerce claims must develop alongside our anti-scam enforcement efforts. (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, this Bill grants the authorities broad and in places sweeping powers and it mandates firmer punishments. Given what scams have done to this country, that is not surprising, and on balance, I support it. Powerful tools are warranted against a threat of this scale, but powerful tools demand equally serious safeguards. The measure of this Bill will not only be how many syndicate accounts we freeze. It will be how quickly we free the innocent ones we freeze by mistake, how transparently our new officers and our new automated system are held to account and whether residents who loses their money in the grey zone still finds a door open somewhere in Government. I hope the Minister can address the concerns I have raised on the lifting of orders on the manpower, the placement of CSOs and on the oversight of automated decisions.[+1 sentence] Sir, notwithstanding the questions and clarification I have raised, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Jackson Lam.
Mr Jackson Lam (Nee Soon)1122 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, last year, for the first time in several years, the number of scam cases in Singapore fell by almost a quarter, to under 38,000. That is encouraging. But Singaporeans still lost $913 million to scams in 2025.[+1 sentence] That is about $29 lost every second. And while there were fewer cases, the median loss increased from $1,389 to $1,644.[+23 sentences] So, the scam threat remains serious. This is the backdrop against which we consider the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill. Scams have also changed. In the past, it could be a phone call followed by a request for money. Today, scams operate through bank accounts, payment accounts, digital tokens, telephone lines, online accounts and digital platforms. Our laws must keep up. Last year, the costliest scams were not random. Investment scams, Government official impersonation scams, job scams, phishing and business email compromise accounted for the bulk of the money lost. These are not simple tricks. They are well-organised operations that study how Singaporeans think and behave. I would like to raise three points. The first point, we must disrupt scams earlier and faster. I welcome the expansion of our anti-scam powers beyond banks. The Bill allows authorities to restrict services and disable all related accounts and platforms that may be used for scam-related offences. This is important because when it comes to scams, speed matters. Once money has moved through several accounts, recovering it becomes much harder. Our approach should therefore be: "Detect early. Disrupt quickly. Stop the scam before the victim loses his or her money." I would like to ask the Minister: once the Police flag a suspicious account, telephone line or online account, how quickly will service providers be expected to act? And will there be common response standards across banks, telcos and online platforms? A strong power is only useful if we can act quickly enough. I would also like to raise the cross-border nature of this problem. Between March and May this year, Operation FRONTIER+ III saw Singapore and nine other jurisdictions arrest more than 3,000 people and freeze more than $200 million in scam-linked funds across the region. Singapore's own Anti-Scam Centre accounted for $35 million of that total.[+43 sentences] This tells us that many of the people behind these scams sit beyond the reach of our domestic laws alone. I would also want to ask the Minister whether this Bill strengthens our ability to cooperate with regional partners and whether Singaporeans can expect more joint operations of this kind. Second point, we must protect innocent users. I understand why we need strong powers to disable accounts. But there may be situations where an account is wrongly identified. For an individual, losing access to a bank account could affect his daily needs. For a business, it could affect payments and operations. Many small businesses and SMEs operate on a single account. They do not have the reserves or the alternative banking relationships that larger companies do. A few days of being locked out could mean not paying suppliers and being unable to pay staff on time. The Bill provides an appeal mechanism to the Commissioner of Police, which I welcome. But could we also have a fast review process for genuine cases where an account has been wrongly disabled? There should be a clear channel for affected persons to provide evidence quickly and have their accounts reviewed. The principle should be simple: act fast against scammers, but correct mistakes just as fast when innocent people are affected. I would also ask whether the Ministry will track the number of accounts disabled, the number of appeals and how many orders are subsequently changed or overturned. This will help us understand how accurate the system is. My last point, online platforms must do more. The Bill creates new offences relating to the misuse of designated online accounts, including supplying such accounts where there is knowledge or reasonable grounds to believe they will be used for criminal activity. I support this. We have tackled money mules and SIM-card misuse. But online accounts are increasingly another tool used by scammers. A single social media or messaging account can potentially reach thousands of victims. However, we should not only go after the individuals providing these accounts. The platforms themselves must also take responsibility. The amendments to OCHA allow significant financial penalties against designated providers that fail to comply with certain requirements. For large global technology companies, the penalties must be meaningful enough to change behaviour. More importantly, we should focus on outcomes. Are scam advertisements being removed faster? Are fake and impersonation accounts being detected earlier? Are suspicious accounts being stopped before they reach Singaporeans? These are the outcomes that matter to Singaporeans. I would also ask how this framework deals with content generated using AI. Scam advertisements and fake profiles can now be produced automatically and in large numbers, making them harder to distinguish from genuine content. I would ask whether platforms will be required to detect AI-generated scam material specifically and whether the codes of practice under OCHA will be updated as this technology develops. The Bill also allows certain directions under the OCHA to be issued through a computer program. I understand the need for this. Scammers operate at speed and scale, and technology can help us respond faster. But I would ask the Minister: what human oversight will there be? How will false positives be identified? And how will we ensure these automated systems remain accurate? Technology can help us move faster, but accountability must still rest with our people. Finally, the Bill allows for the appointment of CSOs with significant investigative powers. This makes sense as cybercrime becomes more specialised. But I would also like to ask how these officers will be selected, trained and supervised, given the powers they will exercise. I would also suggest that the Government consider a statutory review of this Bill, perhaps after three to five years, to assess whether these powers remain proportionate and effective as scam tactics continue to evolve.[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, Sir, scammers will continue to adapt. When we close one channel, they will look for another.[+1 sentence] Our laws, therefore, cannot stand still. I support this Bill because it allows us to go beyond targeting individual scammers and disrupt the wider infrastructure that enables scams. As we implement these stronger powers, three principles should guide us: speed in stopping scams; safeguards for innocent users; and accountability from Government and service providers.[+1 sentence] Every dollar lost to scams represents someone's savings, salary or retirement funds. If we can stop the money before it reaches the scammers, we would have protected not just someone's money, but often years of hard work and savings.[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Fadli Fawzi.
Mr Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied)1263 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Speaker, last year, Singaporeans lost $913.1 million, down from more than $1.1 billion the year before. The Police, the Anti-Scam Centre and our banks have made real progress against an adversary that adapts faster than most of our institutions can. I would like to acknowledge the recent formation of the cyber command by the SPF as another important step towards combating scams and other cybercrimes. Nevertheless, I want to direct our attention to clauses 7 and 8 of the Bill, which introduces the ADOs that allow the Police to disable bank accounts that may be facilitating scam-related offences. An ADO will be kept at 30 days, extendable once and no further, while clause 8 gives the user of a disabled account a right of appeal.[+7 sentences] I welcome this procedural protection for those affected by account disabling orders. I also understand that these account disabling orders are primarily targeted at accounts implicated in scam-related offences. However, can the Minister clarify how the Police will use these orders in cases where the bank accounts belong to vulnerable individuals, for example, the elderly, the young adults or migrant workers who may have been manipulated by criminal syndicates into allowing their accounts to be used for money laundering? It is my hope that the Police and banks will always be circumspect and judicious when exercising their powers to freeze the bank accounts of individuals, whether under the provisions of today's Bill or otherwise. The freezing of bank accounts, and bank restrictions more generally, can cause considerable difficulties and hardship for individuals affected, especially given the pervasiveness of digital banking and e-payment services in our society. Sir, I acknowledge that in terms of banking restrictions, the introduction of ADOs is not new. There are many other circumstances in which an individual's bank account may get frozen. For instance, this House passed the Protection from Scams Act last year, which empowers the Police to step in and issue restriction orders to banks if there is reasonable belief that account holders will be making transfers to scammers. However, such account holders are still permitted access to funds for essential daily living expenses and bills. n response to the Parliamentary Question from my hon friend, Mr Kenneth Tiong, MHA revealed that as of February 2026, only 12 restriction orders have been issued under the Protection from Scams Act. The Police approved withdrawals for daily expenses in 10 of the 12 cases, while no requests for withdrawal were made in the remaining two cases.[+1 sentence] And beyond the powers conferred in today's Bill and the Protection from Scams Act, section 35 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) allows an officer of, or above, the rank of inspector to direct a bank to allow no dealings with an account, and I quote, "for such period as may be specified in the Order". Unlike restriction orders and account disabling orders, section 35 of the CPC contains no maximum period, no automatic review and no duty to give reasons.[+15 sentences] Moreover, accounts frozen under section 35 have no mechanism for appeal at all. Instead, affected individuals have to make an application to Court, to release the money for, and in the words of the statute, "foodstuffs, rent, the discharge of a mortgage, medicine, medical treatment, taxes, insurance premiums, and public utility charges." In November 2025, my hon friend Mr Dennis Tan asked whether restrictions would remain on a person the Courts had acquitted and whether there was any recourse where a restriction had harmed the livelihood. The hon Member Mr Cai Yinzhou also asked how many of those investigated had unknowingly lost the control of their accounts and what interim support they would be given. In response, the Minister pointed to his reply of 15 October 2025, where he said that restrictions are lifted when they are no longer required or when where a person is acquitted in Court. In that reply, the Minister also added that individuals subject to banking restrictions will still have access to basic banking facilities and can continue to receive incoming payments, including salaries and Government benefits. I recognise that today's Bill does not seek to amend section 35 of the CPC but rather introduces a different form of banking restriction to address bank accounts involved in scams. In light of this, I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State whether the Police intends to continue using the section 35 of the CPC against bank accounts that may be facilitating scam-related offences or if the Police would consider issuing ADOs against these bank accounts instead as a first resort once the Bill is passed. Sir, I hope the House takes the point that losing access to basic banking facilities, for whatever reason, can cause severe hardship to anyone affected. Hence, if the relevant authorities receive report of cases where individuals subject to banking restrictions report losing their access to basic banking facilities or encounter difficulties as a result, I hope that such reports will be taken seriously and that the claims will be investigated thoroughly. I also have two specific suggestions in this regard. One, the Government can consider legislating provisions to simplify the process for modest sums to be released automatically from frozen bank accounts for subsistence so that an ordinary person need not file a Court application or seek Police permission to buy groceries or pay for public utilities. Two, the Government should also consider extending a guarantee of basic banking to Singapore citizens, permanent residents and all holders of work passes so that no resident is left without an account, he or she can use in the event that their bank account is frozen under the provisions of the Bill or otherwise. The idea can be modeled after the European Union's Payment Account Directive, which guarantees residents with the right to access to a basic payment account since 2014. Banks are given 10 working days to reach a decision and must provide written reasons if they want to refuse a customer. On a related note, Mr Speaker, I hope the Government can share more details about how many bank accounts have been frozen and on what basis. I understand that the Anti-Scam Command froze more than 15,000 accounts last year and more than 16,700 accounts were frozen in 2022. Can the Senior Minister of State provide a breakdown of the number of bank accounts that have been frozen, including for non-scam related reasons. In each of the past two years, under which statutory provision and the average and median duration that these accounts were frozen?[+2 sentences] Finally, Mr Speaker, section 6A of the Bill will let the Police limit a person's access to financial and telecommunications services for up to three years. This may be well justified for those who sell their identities to syndicates, but I hope that hardship will not be caused to anyone unknowingly or wrongly caught up by these provisions. Can the Senior Minister of State reassure the public that such an SLO will be levied sparingly and carefully.[+4 sentences] Also, can the Senior Minister of State clarify how the Police will ensure that such orders will only be issued against those who are truly deserving of such a punishment? Mr Speaker, I am fully supportive of the Police being equipped with every tool necessary to protect Singaporeans from scams. However, I hope that the Government can also consider the suggestions that I have offered to strengthen the procedural safeguards for those whose accounts are frozen under the provisions of this Bill or otherwise. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I await the Minister's clarifications.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gabriel Lam.
Mr Gabriel Lam (Sembawang)1293 words
[+6 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, in May this year, a Singaporean businessman received a WhatsApp message from someone claiming to be a Cabinet Secretary. He was invited to a Zoom call with the Prime Minister. The call looked real. Prime Minister Wong appeared on screen, so did the President and a Minister. They spoke about an urgent request for funds linked to the Strait of Hormuz. But what the businessman saw on that call had been fabricated using deepfake AI technology. By the time the businessman realised what had happened, he had transferred at least $4.9 million.[+3 sentences] This happened this year, here in Singapore, to someone who had every reason to believe he was being careful. It shows us how quickly technology is changing. Scammers are now able to make something look and sound real enough to fool even people who are cautious. Scams cost victims in Singapore $913.1 million last year.[+5 sentences] That figure is already known to this House. What I want to focus on today is not just the amount of money lost, but how we can respond better. I think this Bill is an important step forward. The Bill gives the Police stronger powers to act earlier. DOs will allow the Police to require service providers to provide information linked to specified accounts and scam-related activities. ADOs will allow accounts suspected of facilitating scam-related offences to be disabled for up to 30 days, with one possible extension of up to another 30 days.[+42 sentences] SLOs will allow scam-enabling services to be restricted for identified persons for up to three years. The Bill also creates four new offences to deter the misuse, supply and receipt of online accounts for criminal activity on designated platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, TikTok, Carousell, Google and Apple. Scammers have not given up on SIM cards. That is why Parliament tightened the rules on the misuse of local SIM cards, after losses involving local mobile lines used in scams and other cybercrimes nearly tripled between 2021 and 2023, reaching $384 million. But scammers have also moved beyond SIM cards. They are using chat apps, social media, shopping accounts and other online services. The number of scams perpetrated on TikTok rose by 37.8% last year. Losses from cryptocurrency scams now account for about one-fifth of all scam losses. So, even when we close one door, scammers will look for another. That is why I think this Bill is the next step in how we deal with scams. The Protection from Scams Act gave the Police powers to intervene when a victim remains deeply at risk of transferring money to a scammer. As of 15 February 2026, 12 Restriction Orders (ROs) had been issued. One had been lifted, two had ended after reaching the statutory limit and nine remained in effect. Ten of the 12 recipients had also asked for withdrawals for daily expenses, which the Police approved. This Bill allows us to step in even earlier. Instead of waiting until a victim is targeted, the Police can act against the accounts and services that scammers rely on. I think that is the right direction. But as we give the Police stronger powers, we should also make sure that innocent people are protected. I have three points. First, open data. The Ministry has already been providing regular updates on ROs under the Protection from Scams Act. I would ask that similar information be provided for the new powers under this Bill. For example, how many DOs, ADOs and SLOs are issued? How many are challenged or withdrawn? How long do these orders usually remain in place? This information will help us understand whether these powers are being used properly and whether they are working as intended. If we are giving the Police stronger powers, we should also give the public confidence that these powers are being used properly. Second, speed for innocent users. There is another side to this. Some of the accounts affected by these new orders may belong to innocent people. They could be victims whose accounts have been hacked. They could be people whose identities have been stolen. They could also be accounts wrongly linked to scam activity. Under the Protection from Scams Act, 10 of the 12 people placed under ROs had asked the Police for permission to withdraw money for their daily needs, and these requests were approved. This shows that there is already a process to help people who are affected. I would ask the Ministry to explain how the existing appeal mechanisms for the new orders will work in practice, and whether additional safeguards are needed. Where an innocent person can show that an account has been wrongly affected, the process to review the case should be clear and fast. Once it is clear that there is no longer a risk, access should be restored in hours, not days. This is important because for an innocent person, being locked out of an account can itself cause real harm. Third, shared responsibility. The Police have an important role, but preventing scams cannot be the responsibility of the Police alone. Banks, telcos and online platforms are also part of the system through which these scams take place. In fact, the Bill's definition of service providers already covers financial institutions, telecommunications service providers and providers of online services. This Bill also provides for financial penalties of up to $10 million for each instance of non-compliance by designated online service providers.[+1 sentence] Where a direction to rectify the breach is not complied with, there can also be a further fine of up to $300,000 for every day or part of a day that the offence continues after conviction. I would ask the Ministry to say more about how these powers will be used. I would also ask whether the Government intends to set different duties or standards for the different types of service providers covered by the Bill, given that a bank, a telco and an online platform may see different parts of the same scam.[+11 sentences] If one part of the system can see that something is wrong, should it have a duty to step in? I think this is something we should continue to look at. This does not mean shifting all responsibility away from individuals. Public education will remain important. Singaporeans will still need to be careful about the links they click, the people they speak to online and the money they transfer. But scams are becoming more convincing. When a fake Prime Minister can appear on a video call, we cannot simply tell people to be more careful and leave it at that. We also need to make it harder for scammers to operate. Mr Speaker, I began with the businessman who lost at least $4.9 million after receiving a fake Zoom call. Law alone may not have been able to show him that the person on his screen was not real. But the law can help us disrupt the accounts, phone lines and online services that scammers use. And the earlier we can step in, the more victims we may be able to prevent. This is especially important for our seniors, who last year suffered the highest average loss per scam victim among all age groups, at $37,053 each.[+2 sentences] Education will continue to matter. But education alone is not enough. We need to act earlier, protect innocent users and make sure that everyone in the scam system plays a part in stopping scams. Overall, I think that this Bill is a step in the right direction and I hope the Ministry will continue to strengthen our approach, especially in the areas of open data, protection for innocent users and shared responsibility.[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied)765 words
[+7 sentences]Mr Speaker, scams continued to inflict immense financial and emotional distress on Singaporeans, and I welcome the Government taking actions to strengthen our legislative toolkit. I am heartened to see that the Scam (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill reflects key principles I advocated for during the Second Reading of the Protection from Scams Bill in January 2025. To begin with, I had previously highlighted the need for a centralised mechanism to share threat intelligence and disrupt scam vectors across sectors. The Bill moves in this direction by establishing statutory powers for DOs, enabling crucial information sharing across banks, telcos and digital platforms to facilitate cross-sector fraud prevention. I had urged the Government to prioritise real-time intervention before stolen funds vanish. This Bill tackles these high-speed scenarios by empowering specified officers to issue swift ADOs and service limitation orders to freeze suspect bank accounts, crypto wallets and communication channels. We have already seen the value of proactive real time action in the recent joint Police operation with crypto exchanges, which successfully foiled almost $9 million in scam losses through rapid detection and data sharing. I stress the importance of greater accountability from digital platforms and service providers. This Bill strengthens the deterrence by increasing maximum administrative financial penalties for non-compliant online providers to $10 million, alongside targeted measures to crack down on money mules who surrender their credentials.[+1 sentence] However, there are several critical areas that require further strengthening to build a more comprehensive framework. First, the Government should establish a clear statutory victim compensation framework that holds financial institutions, telcos and digital platforms accountable when their anti-scam measures failed to protect customers.[+4 sentences] Second, a dedicated independent investigative body should be set up to handle claims under the SRF. Under the current SRF guidelines, the financial institution acts as the overall point of contact and conducts the initial assessment to determine whether it met its duties. While these are internal investigation teams independent of business units, this remains an internal process operated by the bank itself, presenting an inherent conflict of interest as the bank acts as both the investigator and the interested party with the financial incentive to deny liability. Furthermore, while dissatisfied customers can escalate disputes to the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC), FIDReC is a dispute resolution and mediation body, rather than a dedicated investigative agency with direct statutory powers to extract system logs, fraud detection records or independently audit technical records. Third, MAS and IMDA should introduce a standardised public rating system to regularly assess and publish the anti-scam performance of financial institutions, telcos and online platforms.[+6 sentences] These public ratings need not disclose specific technical vulnerabilities. Rather, clear and standardised ratings would serve as a powerful incentive for entities to continuously improve their anti-scam measures. Public transparency enables consumers to make informed choices and vote with their wallets, creating healthy market forces that drive a race to the top. Fourth, regulators should build upon the account disabling powers in this Bill by mandating real time fraud monitoring for digital wallet transactions after setup, as well as expanding algorithmic anomaly detection across retail stock brokerages and flag messaging channels. Scammers routinely exploit social engineering to trick victims into approving initial digital wallet set-ups on services, like Apple Pay or Google Pay, after which subsequent draining transactions can proceed without triggering multi-factor authentication. Similarly, in stock ramp and dump schemes, scammers lure victims through chat groups to buy foreign microcap stocks on licensed exchanges, requiring real-time patent monitoring, such as flagging sudden coordinated retail buy orders or reported scam invitation links, will better ensure proactive intervention before funds are lost. Fifth, a dedicated scam victim restitution fund should be established.[+7 sentences] As I raised in a Parliamentary Question on 28 February 2025, such a fund could be financed by confiscated assets so that local scam victims can receive a portion of recovered proceeds. While I acknowledge the operational complexities raised, establishing a structured fund would demonstrate tangible solidarity with victims who currently face low fund recovery rates. During that exchange, then-Minister of State Sun Xueling mentioned that various proposals were being considered to see how best to return recovered scam proceeds to victims. Could the Senior Minister of State update this house on what proposals are currently being considered or implemented? Mr Speaker, while this Bill provides vital emergency breaks, we can build greater resilience against scams by incorporating these structural safeguards. I urge the Government to address these proposals in future legislation and regulations to better ensure protection and recourse for Singaporeans who are victims of scams. Notwithstanding these concerns, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Prof Kenneth Poon.
Prof Kenneth Poon (Nominated Member)529 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill. Scams have become increasingly sophisticated and the harm they cause can be devastating. I, therefore, support the stronger powers in this Bill to disrupt the services and accounts through which scams are facilitated. These are significant powers. SLOs can restrict access to scam-enabling services for up to three years, while ADOs can restrict the use of bank and payment accounts, telephone lines and online accounts.[+9 sentences] I would like to raise one consideration about their implementation: how we protect people from harm while preserving their agency as far as possible. Mr Speaker, we often think about scams in terms of two groups: the scammer and the victim. But human behaviour can be more complicated. A person whose bank or online account is being used to facilitate a scam may knowingly participating in criminal activity. However, there may, as highlighted by other Members this evening, also be individuals who themselves have been manipulated into facilitating a scam. Some people may have cognitive limitations that make it more difficult to recognise deception, understand the consequences of their actions, or disengage once they have become involved. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are one group whom this may be relevant, although there may be others who, because of their circumstances, are especially susceptible to manipulation. I am not suggesting that such individuals constitute a significant population of persons affected by these provisions. I would like, however, to raise a broader principle, that the person through whom a scam operates may sometimes also be a person who has been manipulated by the scammer. Our implementation framework needs to be capable of recognising this possibility. I therefore ask the Minister how proportionality and individual vulnerability will be considered when these powers are exercised.[+3 sentences] Where someone presents a genuine risk of facilitating further scams, intervention is clearly warranted. However, where the risk can be adequately managed through a more limited intervention, I hope that we will preserve as much of the person's agency as possible. The Bill already provides some flexibility. An ADO may be varied to permit particular transactions, subject to appropriate limits or conditions.[+2 sentences] This could be especially important for a cognitively vulnerable person who has been manipulated into allowing an account to be used by another. Restricting the account may be necessary to prevent further harm, but that person may depend on it to receive wages or benefits or meet ordinary living expenses. Could the Senior Minister of State elaborate on how such circumstances will be assessed and how continued access to essential services will be addressed for persons with particular vulnerabilities?[+5 sentences] More broadly, will operational guidance help officers distinguish, between someone deliberately facilitating a scam and someone whose involvement reflects manipulation or significant cognitive vulnerability? Mr Speaker, protection and agency need not be opposing principles. Good protective systems should and can intervene decisively, when necessary, while preserving a person's ability to conduct their ordinary life wherever that can safely be done. It is thus that I hope that the implementation of this Bill will combine strong protection against harm with sensitivity to vulnerability, proportionality and individual agency. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker5 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister of State Goh.
Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill›Second Reading Bills18 turns · 14,164w
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Speaker not recorded45 words
[+2 sentences], (proc text)] . (proc text)]
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Victor Lye.
Mr Victor Lye (Ang Mo Kio)609 words
[+13 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill but seek proportionality when banking facilities are restricted, whether pending investigations or under the Account Disabling Order (ADO). I note the Police only freezes bank accounts when there is reasonable suspicion that the accounts involved are involved in illicit activities such as scams. While safeguards exist, I hope we can make these safeguards proportionate and consistent in the extent to which banking access can be restricted. A person whose account is frozen or disabled may apply for another bank account, but the new bank remains entitled to decline the application based on its own risk assessment. If all banks decline, what avenue does that person have to obtain basic banking facilities to receive salaries, Government payments and pay essential bills? Does the appeal to the Commissioner address this situation and if not, should there be an escalation mechanism for such cases? Some residents have sought my help after their bank accounts were frozen. Some had only one bank account. They had difficulty opening another account at the same bank or a new account at another bank. Some are not fluent in English. They could not understand the new banking terms and conditions, nor navigate digital channels to seek redress. I can understand that each bank may have legitimate risk reasons for declining the customer. But if every bank independently reaches the same conclusion, the person can effectively become excluded from basic banking services, with significant consequences for everyday life. According to the Singapore Police Force's (SPF's) 2025 Scam and Cybercrime Brief, more than 15,000 bank accounts were frozen.[+1 sentence] Scams involving self-effected transfers form the majority of reported scams. According to SPF's 2026 Mid-Year Scam and Cybercrime Brief, scams involving self-effected transfers rose to 80.8% in the first half of 2026, up from 78.8% in the same period last year.[+6 sentences] In most cases, scammers did not gain direct control of victims' accounts but manipulated victims into making monetary transactions through deception and social engineering. Presumably, there are victims whose bank accounts may be frozen. Investigations can take a while. Banking access may be cut off. Sir, I have three suggestions. First, define the minimum essential banking access for every person. Given that the facility restriction framework already preserves basic banking access, even for persons assessed to present mule-related risks, could a similar principle apply to any person who cannot obtain an account anywhere? Regardless of which anti-scam or investigative mechanism causes the restriction, can we define the basic services that should remain available, such as receiving verified salary and Government payments, paying essential bills and reasonable access to money for daily expenses?[+8 sentences] Second, set up clear resolution channels to avoid the situation when every bank says no. In this way, we ensure that every person will have at least one functioning bank account based on a minimum standard of essential banking access. Third, monitor the situation to track proportionality. I suggest that we track: one, the number of persons who become unbanked or restricted because their bank accounts are frozen; and two, how long it took for them to remove the restrictions or how long they were unbanked. Sir, the Bill creates sophisticated ways to restrict financial access. Our safeguards, similarly, should become equally sophisticated so that restricting risky banking functions does not unintentionally become exclusion from our banking system all together. We should take a broad risk-based approach and ask ourselves such questions: what banking functions create that risk and what minimum access can safely be allowed in the interim? That allows us to protect the public while allowing for essential banking and livelihoods. Sir, notwithstanding my concerns, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Gho Sze Kee.
Ms Gho Sze Kee (Mountbatten)1581 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, I support the objectives of this Bill. Scams move quickly and we want to stop scams before losses actually happen. I agree that the authorities too must be able to intervene quicker and earlier. But as we move further upstream to keep ahead of the scammers, we find ourselves moving ahead of the traditional thresholds of proof that normally apply in the judicial process. This Bill moves us onto grounds where suspicion alone can trigger consequential action and those consequences can be serious.[+11 sentences] We live in a highly connected and digitalised society. Being denied a banking account, phone line or online services is a major handicap. For a business, it can be an outright disaster. It is therefore very important for us to look closely at the evidential threshold for suspicion, the guardrails against excesses and the safeguards around getting things wrong. There is a real potential for excesses and abuse in this Bill if we are not careful. Sir, in the conventional judicial process, we usually talk about two different thresholds of proof. The prosecution must prove its case beyond reasonable doubt in criminal cases and facts are generally proved on a balance of probabilities in civil proceedings. These differing standards reflect, among other things, the different consequences of factual error, particularly the need in criminal proceedings to minimise the risk of wrongful conviction. Clause 7 of the Bill introduces a new Part 2A into the Protection from Scams Act. It inserts new sections providing for Disclosure Orders (DOs), ADOs and Service Limitation Orders (SLOs). The wording of the new sections 6A and 6B is telling. An officer may act where he suspects or has reason to believe that a service or an account will be or has been used to commit or facilitate a scam-related offence.[+13 sentences] These are not the conventional standards of proof we ordinarily associate with the determination of civil liability or criminal guilt. They are lower, preventive standards designed to allow intervention before harm is completed. In that sense, the lower threshold is understandable. The purpose here is not to determine guilt but to prevent or disrupt scams before further loss is caused. Of course, the threshold for preventive intervention need not be the same as the threshold for establishing liability or guilt. That is not in itself unreasonable. But we must recognise that this cuts both ways. As we strive to intervene faster and earlier to prevent losses, the information that we base our decisions on is necessarily less complete and the risk of getting it wrong becomes correspondingly higher. It makes the safeguards around such powers all the more important. This is where my concern begins. Mr Speaker, I am concerned that there appears to be more provisions in this Bill that enable rather than guard against excesses in this Bill. For example, there will be two types of ADOs: an order against specific accounts and a criteria-based order against accounts that match a set of given conditions. Under subsection 6A(B) of the new section 6B, we see the disabling conditions of criteria-based ADOs. An account can be disabled if it has carried out a transaction with a specific account or, in the case of a telephone or online account, simply having communicated with the wrong person. This is concerning because it is essentially the possibility of suspicion by association alone.[+12 sentences] It is easy to think of many scenarios where this may fail. A person could have won a World Cup bet with the wrong friend and received his winnings on PayNow from the friend's account or he could have simply had some phone calls or interactions with the wrong friend. There is no way for him to know that that friend might have been a scammer or a mule. A business too could easily have legitimate transactions with an alleged scammer or mule. And one can easily imagine scenarios where a party could be both a victim and an unwitting accessory to a scam. Sir, if I may anticipate the Ministry's response to this. Yes, it is true that there are some safeguards built into the Bill such as time and extension limits to the orders. And yes, an appeal mechanism exists for both ADOs and SLOs. And I agree too that we can and indeed we should trust our Police officers to perform their duties professionally and impartially. But that is not the real concern here. My concern is primarily not the checks and the balances on the authorities, but rather the lack of checks and balances on the banks, financial institutions, telecommunications companies (telcos) and platforms that receive these orders. Let us consider the new section 6F, which sets out punishment for non-compliance with a given order, with clause 10, which gives immunity to service providers against civil and criminal liabilities in complying with orders. This, together with the new sections 9A and 9B of the Protection from Scams Act.[+1 sentence] Section 9B is of particular concern. It allows a bank, telco or platform to take action on its own initiative, without the Police having to issue an order against that specific account so long as its suspicions are drawn, even partly from information obtained from another order.[+9 sentences] Taken together, it is essentially an encouragement to unilateral action. It is clear that the Bill nudges banks, telcos and service providers to over, rather than under, action. This is yet another point in the Bill where suspicion alone is sufficient for consequential action, but with an important distinction. In this case, the discretion to act lies not with the authorities, but with private business entities. Can we ever, in all fairness, expect profit-driven private entities to act with the same fairness and impartiality that we expect of the authorities? The answer is clear to me. Such a pattern is not unfamiliar in our regulatory environment. Under the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Notice 626, a binding directive to counter money laundering, for example, banks are required to take action when they have suspicions about a customer. Retaining the customer is the exception, rather than the default. If a bank chooses to retain a suspected customer, it has to justify that decision in writing.[+15 sentences] It does not have to justify simply letting the customer go. Sir, my point is not that this is unreasonable, but that the incentives are already tilted towards caution. It is reasonable to expect our banks, telcos and platforms to play their part in combating scams. But precisely because we ask this of them, we must be honest and recognise the stark differences between their motivations and considerations and those of the authorities. Under such a regulatory regime, Sir, if you were a bank compliance officer, the path of least resistance would be to freeze and terminate first and to ask questions later. As they say in Mandarin: "宁可杀错，不可放过". It is much easier to be safe than sorry. If a service provider decides to simply terminate a customer or refuse service, there may be little anyone can do because it simply remains, in most circumstances, within the business' prerogative to do so. Which brings us, Sir, to that big elephant in the room – the National Scams List (NSL). The NSL is an operational tool. It sits outside the Bill and does not appear at all in the Bill's text. But the DO, ADO and SLO enabled by this Bill are symbiotic with the NSL. We cannot examine one without considering the other. There are a lot of clear and obvious operational questions that come to mind when we think of the relationship between these orders and the NSL, but I shall not go over what others will have surely covered. Instead, considering what we have examined thus far, I want to ask one fundamental question. What stops the NSL from becoming a unilateral and de facto blacklist for our banks, telcos and platforms?[+7 sentences] We have already seen how there are strong incentives for them to err on the side of caution. With the NSL, we are giving them information on suspected scam enablers. What do we expect they will do with it? Will they simply do what an ADO or SLO requires them to do? Or will they use the information independently to freeze accounts, terminate relationships, refuse new accounts or deny services? When someone successfully appeals against an ADO or SLO, will service providers simply restore the position, or can they still decide that they no longer wish to provide services to that person? What are the consumer safeguards that are in place? When someone is cleared of any suspicions of wrongdoing and removed from the NSL, what stops the service providers from still erring from the side of caution and continuing to exercise their business prerogative to continue to refuse service?[+2 sentences] When an ADO or SLO lapses, what stops the consequences from continuing beyond the life of the order? In fact, what safeguards do we actually have to ensure that attracting an order, or appearing on the NSL, justified or otherwise, does not become a life sentence? These are uncomfortable questions that the Bill does not address, Mr Speaker, and there are many more. It is clear there are scant guardrails in place against excessive action by service providers.[+2 sentences] I support this Bill because I recognise the overarching importance of the fight against scams. But this is a serious shortcoming that must be addressed.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Charlene Chen.
Dr Charlene Chen (Tampines)836 words
[+10 sentences]Mr Speaker, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, during the Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS), from time to time, we encounter residents who have fallen victim to scams. Some were deceived by strangers, others placed their trust in friends, acquaintances or people they have only recently met. By the time they realise something is wrong and make a Police report, the money has already been moved through different accounts or even transferred overseas. The Police will do their utmost to trace the funds, but the scammers are familiar with the law enforcement methods. They use different bank accounts, telephone numbers, online platforms and intermediaries to move the funds quickly. Most distressingly, some residents lose their life savings and money lost is very difficult to recover. I therefore support this Bill so that the Police will be able to obtain information more quickly and disable accounts involved in scams. But whether these new powers can truly protect residents depends on three implementation issues. (In English): First, can we detect scams early enough? The new section 6G allows the Police to issue DOs requiring service providers to disclose information about bank, payment, digital-token, telephone and online accounts.[+18 sentences] This addresses a common difficulty. At the beginning, a scam may not look like a scam. An online platform may see messages from a suspicious profile. A telco may see calls from a particular number. One bank may see an unusual transfer. Any one of these clues may be insufficient to justify intervention. But if several victims report the same telephone number, online identity or beneficiary account, the pattern becomes clearer. My first question is therefore about detection. How will weak or inconclusive signals from different sources be brought together so that an emerging scam can be identified before the losses accumulate? Section 6G allows a DO to prescribe when information must be provided or how frequently it must be shared. Will there be common response standards across service providers? Where an initial report is inconclusive, will its identifiers still be retained and matched against subsequent reports? The test is whether the system can turn scattered warning signs into an actionable picture early enough. Second, once detected, can we disrupt the whole network? Detecting a scam and disrupting it are two different operational tasks. Information sharing helps us see the network. Account disabling must then help us break it. The new section 6B(1) allows the Police to disable a particular account. Section 6B(2) goes further by allowing accounts that meet specified disabling conditions to be disabled.[+18 sentences] This matters because scammers do not normally depend on only one account. If one beneficiary account is frozen, they may give the victim another. If one online profile is removed, they may create a new profile or move the conversation elsewhere. They may also shift the money through several mule accounts before sending it overseas. My second question is therefore about disruption: can the intervention dismantle the scammer's operating network or does it merely remove one replaceable account? The Bill allows disabling conditions to capture transaction patterns and links to specified persons or accounts. Section 9B may also allow a provider to act voluntarily against another related account. How will these powers be used to identify replacement accounts and recurring scam actors? After an account is disabled, will the authorities monitor whether the same scammer, victim or pattern reappears through another channel? The test is not simply whether one account was closed. It is whether the scam was stopped. Third, how will accuracy and effectiveness be evaluated? A conditions-based order under section 6B(2) could affect multiple accounts. If the conditions are too narrow, scammers may escape. If they are too broad, legitimate users may be affected. Sections 6D and 6E allow orders to be cancelled or varied and affected persons may appeal. But these safeguards will be meaningful only if errors are reviewed and corrected quickly. Will the Ministry set service standards for reviewing potentially wrongful disabling and restoring legitimate accounts? More broadly, I hope the Ministry will publish aggregate indicators covering the time from detection to disclosure and disabling; false-positive and restoration rates; estimated losses prevented and evidence that scammers migrated to replacement accounts or services.[+5 sentences] The number of orders issued measures enforcement activity. It does not, by itself, tell us whether residents' money was saved. Mr Speaker, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, this Bill provides the legal tools needed to trace and disrupt scam networks. The key next step is to ensure that different agencies can connect the clues in a timely manner; that after one account is disabled, the scam network behind it can continue to be traced and that any wrongful impact on legitimate users can be corrected quickly. For residents, what matters most is not how many orders are issued, but whether action can be taken before the money is transferred away.[+2 sentences] What we must stop is not merely the next transfer but the same scam continuing through a different account or a different platform. I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Elysa Chen.
Ms Elysa Chen (Bishan-Toa Payoh)1992 words
[+13 sentences]Mr Speaker, scams are an abhorrent, reprehensible crime. I hate how scammers prey on the most vulnerable. They wipe out the retirement savings of hardworking Singaporeans. They go after the lonely. They exploit the very decency that makes us who we are: our willingness to trust, to help, to believe. I hate how they keep coming back like zombies – we shut one account down and two more spring up within the hour. I hate how they hide behind others who may be less educated, those who may be deceived and even some who may be coerced. There are many heart wrenching stories in my own constituency. A senior who is now estranged from her daughter after having fallen prey to a love scam. The senior refuses to listen to her daughter, grassroots leaders, and even myself because she refuses to accept that the scammer could have been anything but sincere in his affections towards her. One of my MPS cases involves a widow whose husband died from a terminal illness, who had transferred large sums to a scammer, thinking that he was investing money to leave more for his wife and children. And I read with horror how a Police full-time national serviceman shot himself with a gun after he fell prey to a scam. He was 21 years old. Last year alone, there were 37,308 scams cases, with losses totaling $913.1 million.[+9 sentences] This Bill is a necessary response and I support it. Given its reach, I will organise my observations under three headings: fairness, gaps the Bill has not yet closed and checks on the new powers it creates. Let me begin with what I support. Like I said earlier, dealing with scammers today can feel like dealing with a horde of zombies. We can close one account but two more spring up again. But clause 7's new orders, reaching bank, payment, telecom and online accounts, in Singapore or overseas, give our officers the speed to keep pace. I likewise support clause 19, allowing AI to help issue Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) directions at the scale this problem now demands and clause 21's financial penalties on platforms that shirk their duties. My first concern is that the machinery built to catch scammers is not overly punitive, particularly for those who have been deceived or coerced. I would like to start with the threshold. Under the new sections 6A and 6B, a specified officer may issue an SLO for up to three years, or an ADO for up to 30 days extendable once to 60 days, whenever he suspects or has reason to believe that a person will use, or an account has been used, to facilitate a scam.[+3 sentences] This threshold is not unfamiliar – OHCA already permits the same low bar for scam-related directions. But there, the consequence is that a post comes down or a social media account falls silent online. Here, it is a bank account, phone line or credit facility – basically, what someone needs to navigate daily life, that may be switched off for far longer, even reaching into overseas services. Might reasonable suspicion, the higher bar used elsewhere in our statute book, be a better threshold that justifies the exercise of such power?[+14 sentences] Alternatively, I would ask the Minister to place on record, as the Police's own September 2025 statement on the Facility Restriction Framework did, that the intended targets are those already flagged as high-risk – persons previously dealt with for mule offences, or under investigation and showing a continued pattern of facilitating scams – not a thin, first suspicion. Next, the kind of restrictions that can be imposed. Clause 7 already permits an account disabling order to target specific functions, a transfer, a withdrawal, rather than freeze an account outright; and section 6E allows a service limitation order to be varied for continued, conditional access. Can there be clarity on how these powers will be exercised? To the extent possible, I would urge specific countermeasures be adopted rather than a blanket freeze of an account that this become the default. For instance, a daily transfer cap, well below what a scam typically demands, preserves a person's ability to pay for groceries and school fees while still blunting the syndicate's playbook, with a full freeze kept for the clearest, highest risk cases. Next, providing opportunities for review. Clauses 8 and 9 allow an appeal only to the Commissioner of Police, or an officer he designates, with no fixed time for a reply, and only for the identified person himself. What if someone was genuinely misled or coerced into handing over his account? I would like to ask for a review avenue outside the Police, or at minimum, a prescribed response time in subsidiary legislation. The same gap appears in the NSL that I understand the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) and the Police are developing to share information on flagged accounts with service providers. A person subject to a formal order under this Bill can appeal it; a person merely placed on this list, without being the direct subject of an Order, does not clearly have the same right, even though a bank or telcos seeing that name may simply decline to serve them on the strength of the listing alone. Who administers this list, how does a name get added and will the person even be told that their name is on this NSL? Being placed on it should carry the same rights of notice and review as a formal order. Next, the reverse presumption in the new sections 39GA to 39GC of the Miscellaneous Offences Act. I support criminalising the sale of accounts to scam syndicates, but the presumption that a person acted "for any gain" casts a wide net.[+12 sentences] Take, for example, an elderly aunty deceived into handing over her bank login for a small token payment she believed was legitimate. She would be presumed, until she proves otherwise, to have had reasonable grounds to believe her account would be misused, a presumption she may not have the ability to rebut on her own. In fairness, caning under these sections requires the prosecution to separately prove actual knowledge or intent, not merely satisfy the presumption, and this safeguard deserves to be on the record. Even so, I would ask for a minimum gain threshold before the "for any gain" limb applies, so a token sum does not sweep in those who have been deceived alongside those who are complicit. Last, the restriction of access to Singpass. Will this Bill inadvertently cut members of the public off from it? Under the Police's own Facility Restriction Framework, which came before this Bill, Singpass and Corppass access can already be restricted alongside banking and mobile line services. Singpass today is not just one more online account. It is how many of us book a doctor's appointment, apply for a flat or check our Central Provident Fund (CPF). If a person's Singpass access is switched off for months or years, while they are still merely suspected, they may find themselves locked out of the very Government services they need to sort out their affairs, appeal a decision or simply get on with life. Are there measures in place to guarantee that access to the most essential civic services – voting, healthcare and CPF matters among them – is preserved even while we disable the networks that scammers use to commit their crimes, or for the resulting inconvenience to the individual to be mitigated by way of a more contained restriction on the use of Singpass? My second concern is that for all its new powers, the Bill leaves at least three gaps where harm can still get through: one at the point of prevention; one at the point of enforcement; and one at the point of redress. The prevention gap: SPF's Annual Scam and Cybercrime Brief, published in February this year, tells us that 81.8% of last year's scam cases involved victims transferring their own money, having been deceived into doing so willingly.[+2 sentences] Disabling a mule's account after that transfer has happened does little to bring a victim's money back. Our Shared Responsibility Framework (SRF), which places duties on banks and telcos, was built for a narrower problem – unauthorised transactions, where a scammer hijacks someone's credentials – and does not reach the investment, loan or "Government official" scams that persuade a person to click "transfer" themselves. Neither, as far as I understand, does it yet place duties on digital payment token providers, even though cryptocurrency now accounts for roughly a fifth of all scam losses – some $182 million last year.[+5 sentences] As we strengthen the back end by disabling mule accounts, will the Government also widen the Framework's front-end duties to match? The enforcement gap: the new mule offences only apply to accounts on a service designated under OCHA and that list remains a limited one. This limits our ability to fight scams because syndicates are adaptable. If a designated platform is used only as a funnel, to make first contact before steering a victim toward to some unlisted platform, does the mule who supplied that first account escape these offences simply because the harm was completed elsewhere? If the mischief we are trying to stop is the supply of an account for criminal use, liability should turn on the conduct not which platform the account happens to sit on. The redress gap: clause 21's financial penalties on non-compliant platforms are welcome. But they flow to the state, not the victim.[+18 sentences] Will the Government consider a private right of civil action for scam victims against offenders and non-compliant service providers, so that a victim's recourse does not rest on the state's initiative alone? And going further, will the Government consider restitution for victims of scam harm as a result of non-compliant platforms from the monies gathered from these fines, as a form of economic redress. What I am asking for is, under the spirit of fairness and justice, can we consider redistributing the fines collected to the victims of the very scams the platforms were fined for. My third and final concern is accountability. This Bill hands the state two significant new instruments and I would ask what checks accompany each. Clause 19 lets a computer program issue OCHA directions on a responsible officer's authority. I understand the appeal of this given the volume of scam accounts our officers now face. But will a human review a batch of directions before, not only after, they are issued, so a pattern-matching algorithm does not sweep an innocent account into this net on a false positive? Clause 31 creates a new corps of Civilian Specialist Officers (CSOs), with powers of arrest, search and entry similar to a Commercial Affairs Officer. How will they be disciplined and held to account, given they sit outside the disciplinary provisions that apply to police officers? Mr Speaker, I began by saying I hate scammers, and nothing in the three concerns I have raised changes that. This Bill gives our officers real speed against a threat that regenerates faster than we can strike it down, and a speed that is worth having. But speed and fairness need not be in tension. The measures must strike at the right targets. A syndicate's account can still be disabled without a grieving widow, a deceived aunty or a frightened young man losing their life that they are trying to hold together. I have asked the Ministry to consider where the presumption falls too widely, where the gaps let harm slip through at prevention, enforcement and redress, and where new powers need new checks to match. These are not objections to the Bill's purpose, but conditions for its success – because a Bill that stops scammers only to catch the vulnerable in the same net will have solved one injustice by creating another. Mr Speaker, notwithstanding my clarifications, I support this Bill.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim.
Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim (East Coast)2275 words
[+17 sentences]Mr Speaker, I support the Bill's intention. It allows for faster tools to detect, disrupt and deter scams. But let me make three points today: first, scam prevention efforts must be tailored to different vulnerabilities; second, platforms must share responsibility to keep their users safe; third, safeguards for account disabling and service restrictions. Mr Speaker, when we refer to "a scam victim" and "the scam" as though there is one archetype. But Members will know, through the appeals and the assistance requests that we receive, this cannot be father from the truth. Seniors may be targeted through Government-official impersonation or investment scams. Young adults may be targeted through job scams, e-commerce scams, investment scams as well as phishing. Parents may be targeted through fake messages involving their children. Small business owners, meanwhile, may be targeted through impersonation of suppliers, customers or business partners. The tactics are different because the vulnerabilities are different. And if scammers tailor their approach to their victims, our prevention efforts should also do the same. For our seniors, scams often exploit fear, authority and trust. A resident may receive a call from someone claiming to be from a Government agency or financial institution. He or she is told that their bank account has been compromised, that he or she is under investigation; or maybe, his or her money needs to be transferred immediately for protection. The scammer creates urgency. The victim is then told not to speak to anyone else. And sometimes, by the time the family finds out, the money is already gone. Last year, those aged 65 and above accounted for about 15% of scam victims.[+1 sentence] But what concerns me a little bit more is the scale of their losses. The average amount lost by an elderly victim was more than $37,000 in 2025, and rose to $42,000 in the first half of the year.[+19 sentences] Just earlier this week, my Fengshan resident Mr T was really distraught and sought help to recover $40,000 he had inadvertently paid for what he believed was a hire-purchase commitment. He was really nervous and anxious because the investigations were taking time and in the meantime, he still remains the primary caregiver and sole breadwinner in the family, and he still has responsibilities to cater to. For some seniors, the scams may wipe out their life savings – losing that $40,000 is not a financial hit, it is losing their means to living and their security. So, I ask the Minister whether we can make our anti-scam education more targeted for seniors? Instead of telling seniors just "to be careful", how do we increase efforts to show examples of what these scams look like and sounds like in their vernacular languages? What does a fake investment advertisement look like? How do we make them realise "too good to be true" is often the case is? How does an impersonation call sound like? What will a legitimate Government agency never ask them to do? On that note, I appreciate there is a lot more intentionality to have these disclosures and disclaimers, but I do believe they exist more online, where our seniors are more real life. The objective should also be to make the warning familiar before the scammer makes contact. There is also a role for families and trusted community networks. We know that some victims – or many victims – may be embarrassed to tell their children that they have been scammed. Others may be persuaded by the scammer not to speak to their family at all. Could the Government consider how do we involve trusted family members, caregivers and community partners when there are strong indicators that elderly persons may be under scam manipulation? I understand that this involves a very delicate balance. We want to protect seniors without undermining their agency and also, uplifting their dignity. But perhaps the principle should be to intervene early enough to prevent irreversible harm, but carefully enough to respect the dignity and independence of the individual. For young adults though, the approach must be different. Last year, those aged 20 to 29 accounted for almost one in five scam cases.[+10 sentences] They are not necessarily less digitally savvy. In fact, their familiarity with technology may create a different vulnerability. They look for jobs online. They buy and sell things online. The young also communicate through messaging platforms, and discover products and opportunities through social media. The same digital familiarity creates convenience but also create opportunities for scammers. So, anti-scam education should be incorporated more systematically into curriculums, career preparation programmes and perhaps, familiar youth platforms. Digital literacy cannot only mean knowing how to use technology but also knowing when not to trust what technology is showing us. Platforms must also carry responsibility, Mr Speaker. Responsibility for scams cannot rest only on individuals. Last year, online platforms were used by scammers to reach victims in around more than 84% of all scam cases.[+23 sentences] This tells us something important – the environment in which scams take place matters. A person can exercise caution. Families can look out for one another. The Government can do its best to educate the public. But if fraudulent accounts, scam advertisements and impersonation pages can be created faster than they can be detected and removed, then individual vigilance will always be fighting an uphill battle. This is why I support the Bill's strengthening of OCHA. The Bill raises the maximum financial penalty for certain non-compliance to up to $10 million for each instance. These are significant penalties. They send an important signal: protecting users from scams must be treated as a core responsibility for operating a digital platform and not simply as another cost of doing business. But I would also like to understand how these penalties will work in practice. What factors will the competent authority consider when determining the quantum of penalty? For example, will it consider the scale of exposure, duration of non-compliance, and whether the provider had previously been warned and how quickly this corrective action was taken? And how will an "instance of non-compliance" be assessed where a systemic failure affects thousands of users or pieces of scam content? Clear expectations matter. They matter not only for enforcement, but also for platforms that genuinely want to comply. I also support the SLO framework. Scams frequently rely on interconnected digital services operating at speed and across multiple channels. The ability to act against services that facilitate scam activity is therefore an important complement to existing enforcement powers. In being firm with platforms, we should also be precise about what we expect from them. It is a partnership. Mr Speaker, the proposed DOs, ADOs and SLOs will allow the authorities to act quickly against scam enablers. This is important because scammers move money and shift platforms at extraordinary speed. But speed must not come at the expense of accuracy. Under the Bill, an ADO may last for up to 30 days, with a further extension.[+38 sentences] For someone operating a business online, an account may not simply be a social media profile. It could be their livelihood. It could be how they communicate with and serve customers. It could be how they receive income. So, I ask whether there will be an expedited review mechanism for someone who believes that an account has been wrongly disabled. What would be the expected timeframe for such a review? Where an account is found to have been wrongly disabled, what steps will be taken to minimise the harm caused and to support the user? The same principle also applies to automated enforcement. Scammers can generate fraudulent accounts, websites and advertisements at a scale that humans cannot realistically review one by one. We need technology to fight technology. But the more powerful our automated systems become, the more important human accountability also becomes. If an automated system gets something wrong, who reviews this decision? How quickly can the affected party seek human review? How will the authorities ensure that these systems remain accurate, fair and within the law? The answer should not be to avoid automation. The answer should be to build responsible automation. Mr Speaker, I would also like to suggest that we think carefully about how we measure the success of the Bill. We should certainly track the number of accounts disabled, directions issued and enforcement actions taken. But these are inputs and outputs. Ultimately, it is the outcome we care about. The outcome we should care about is whether fewer Singaporeans lose their hard-earned savings, whether scam content is removed before it reaches thousands of people, and whether suspicious accounts are detected before money is transferred. Whether an elderly resident keeps their retirement savings that took decades to build, whether a young person does not lose his first month's salary to a fake job offer and whether a working professional does not lose significant capital to an investment scam, which may then have knock-on effects, including defaulted mortgages, arrears and bills. We cannot simply tell Singaporeans to be more careful. We must also make the digital environment around them safer. And this responsibility, Mr Speaker, Sir, must be shared. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): Scams do not take place through just one channel or platform. Today, their methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated. For example, a scam may begin with the victim being contacted through social media, before the conversation is moved to a messaging app. The victim is then asked to transfer money to a bank account, while phone numbers registered under other people's names may also be used. As a result, the trail left by a scam may sometimes reveal only a small part of the overall picture. I therefore support the amendments that will enable the Police to obtain information more quickly and block accounts used for scam activities. In combating scams, time is critical. If each organisation acts separately, the victim's money may already have been transferred several times or moved out of Singapore. However, I would like to highlight one important point. Not all scam victims are vulnerable in the same way. Seniors are certainly a high-risk group, as I mentioned earlier in my English speech. However, we must not assume that young people are immune. Nearly 20% of scam victims are between 20 and 29 years old.[+7 sentences] Many are vulnerable to job scams, online shopping scams and phishing because they spend much of their lives online. So, what safeguards should we put in place to protect these different groups effectively? For seniors, anti-scam education needs to be more practical. It should go beyond reminders and provide more examples of how scams work – whether through advertisements or scammers impersonating government representatives, for example. For youths and young people, anti-scam education should begin earlier, from their school years, so that they are not too trusting when looking for jobs or interacting online and learn to think more critically. Mr Speaker, the responsibility for combating scams cannot be borne by any one party alone. It is a shared responsibility. Last year, more than 84% of scam cases started online. Digital platforms that fail to fulfil their responsibilities can face penalties of up to $10 million.[+7 sentences] This is not simply about punishment. It is about ensuring that user safety is a fundamental responsibility of platforms, rather than merely a cost of doing business. May I also ask the Ministry to explain the factors considered in determining the amount of the penalty, including the duration of the offence, the number of users affected and the corrective action taken? Finally, Mr Speaker, I turn to the use of automated systems to speed up action against scam content. I recognise that scammers move at the speed of technology and therefore, enforcement must be able to move just as quickly. However, it is also increasingly important to have an appeals framework in place where necessary. The same applies to ADOs. These powers are important, but I suggest an expedited review process for those who believe their accounts have been blocked incorrectly. I often receive appeals from my Fengshan residents who find themselves in difficult situations because they are unable to access their funds.[+1 sentence] At the same time, for victims who are left in dire straits by scams, where can they turn for help? Several Members of Parliament who spoke earlier offered suggestions which I support, including providing an avenue for victims to access temporary funds.[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, effectiveness should not be measured simply by the number of accounts blocked or orders issued. True success is when scam content can be removed earlier, when fewer Singaporeans lose their hard-earned money, and when families no longer lose savings accumulated over a lifetime.[+6 sentences] Scammers will continue to change their tactics. Our laws must therefore continue to evolve – supported by more targeted education, more responsible platforms and systems that can act quickly without compromising fairness. (In English): Mr Speaker, scammers are constantly adapting. Today, it is a phone call. Tomorrow, a convincing social media advertisement, a deepfake video, a fraudulent website or even a message from someone we know. Our laws must therefore keep pace. But laws alone will not be enough, Mr Speaker, Sir. We need smarter prevention, more targeted education, greater responsibility from platforms and faster intervention.[+4 sentences] And more importantly, support to victims when a scam inadvertently takes place. Ultimately, the fight against scams is a fight to protect something very human – trust. Trust in our institutions, trust in our digital spaces, trust in the people around us, and trust that when something goes wrong, our systems will be there to protect and help Singaporeans. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Diana Pang.
Ms Diana Pang Li Yen (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights)1547 words
[+13 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill. Scams today are sophisticated, organised and constantly evolving. In minutes, scammers can wipe out what a family take years, decades to save – money meant for retirement, medical expenses or a child's education. The harm is not just financial. Victims often blame themselves, lose confidence in their judgement and become afraid to trust even genuine phone calls and messages. Our authorities therefore need stronger tools to intervene earlier, act faster and disrupt the network supporting this crime. I support the measures in this Bill. But stronger powers must also come with practical safeguards. At the heart of every successful scam is one objective: to move the victim's money into the hands of the criminal. Stopping the first transfer is therefore critical. But our efforts cannot end here. We must also dismantle the wider money laundering networks that make scams profitable by enabling criminal proceeds to be transferred, layered and concealed. This requires a framework that can trace and disrupt suspicious fund flows across banks, payment providers and digital asset platforms in near real time. At the same time, our law should distinguish between passive money mules and those who knowingly recruit other account holders, manage a network of accounts and professionally layer and conceal the scam proceeds.[+9 sentences] The latter are not just participants. They are key enablers of criminal enterprises and should face appropriate, severe consequences. However, in pursuing money mules, we must guard against being overzealous. Not every person whose account receives suspicious funds have the same degree of knowing or culpability. Restrictions should therefore be proportionate to the person's conduct and the risk he or she continues to pose. There should be clear avenues for affected persons to seek review, demonstrate that they were deceived and have ceased their involvement, and regain access to essential financial services where appropriate. Our response must be firm against against deliberate facilitators without permanently excluding the unwittingly vulnerable or rehabilitated into ordinary financial life. An account may be frozen, but life goes on. Life does not freeze. At my MPS in Geylang Serai, I have met residents who are unable to access their existing bank accounts or open new accounts due to scam-related transactions being performed on their accounts.[+13 sentences] One resident's account had been frozen for a prolonged period. He did not understand why and how to resolve it. Another had served his sentence for a scam-related offence and found employment. He is trying to rebuild his life and yet he cannot open a basic bank account. A bank account is not just convenient, it is essential for daily life. Singapore's moving rapidly towards digital and cashless payment. Today, we use electronic payments to buy meals, take transport, pay bills, purchase groceries and many other everyday transactions. Salaries and Government payouts are also credited directly into the bank account. In an increasingly cashless Singapore, how is someone without access to a bank account expected to live? An account may be frozen, but like what I said, life does not freeze with it. Rent and bills remain due. Children still need food and transport. A person still needs to get to work. When I previously raised this issue in this House, I was told that an affected person could apply to Court for access to funds for basic living expenses. But one resident who came and see me with this problem could not even afford a lawyer, precisely because his money was frozen.[+3 sentences] He needed money to apply for access for the money that he could not use. This can effectively cut off not only access to banking, but also access to justice. Could there be a simpler, more accessible and expedited process for people in such situations? Where it is operationally safe, could verified salaries and Government payouts be released for essential expenses?[+25 sentences] If one account is suspected of receiving scam proceeds, should a separate account used for salary and household expenses automatically be affected? Can safeguards be applied before such accounts are restricted or frozen? We must stop suspicious funds from moving, but restrictions should be calibrated to the actual risks posed, not wider or longer than necessary. Where a bank independently restricts an account, will the customer be told, as far as investigation permits, whether the restriction comes from the Police or the bank? Whom can they approach and when can they expect a review? While information sharing is vital, mistakes can also spread quickly. A resident may resolve an issue with one bank, only to find that another institution is still relying on the outdated information. If the information is found to be inaccurate, there must be a coordinated way to correct it across every institution that receives or relies on it. Banks and financial institutions must clearly distinguish between a person in an investigation, the person being charged and the person who is being convicted. These are distinct legal statuses that should not be treated as interchangeable. Any restriction imposed on an affected person's banking services should be proportionate to their circumstances, conduct and assessed risk. Longer strictions should also require regular review. SLOs may last up to three years. That is a very long time for someone trying to remain employed, support a family or rebuild a life. Will there be periodic reviews to assess whether the restriction remains necessary instead of leaving it entirely to the affected person to seek reconsideration repeatedly? When an investigation concludes or new evidence emerges, will the need for restriction be assessed promptly? When the basis no longer exists, how quickly will access be restored? Residents facing immediate hardship also need one clear point of contact. They should not be sent repeatedly from the banks to the Police, with neither side able to help to solve the problem. For those who have served their sentences, reinstating their basic banking access is also part of the process of rehabilitation. We cannot expect people to find work and rebuild their lives while denying them the means to receive a salary and participate in an increasingly cashless society. I support using technology to respond faster to scam websites, advertisements and online accounts. But automated systems can also reproduce mistakes at scale. For a small business, even a short, small, wrongful restriction on its online account can disrupt orders, revenues and customer relationships. As a small and medium enterprise (SME) owner myself, I understand how damaging this can be. When an automated direction is challenged, will there be meaningful human review of the outcome, of the evidence?[+1 sentence] Will systems be audited for recurring errors? If a flawed rule is discovered, will the authorities proactively review other cases affected by it?[+5 sentences] Technology can make enforcement faster, stronger. But clear human responsibility must remain. We can automate parts of enforcement, but we must never, ever automate accountability out of the process. I also support bringing specialised technical expertise into the Police. However, CSOs may exercise significant powers, including arrest, search and seizure. How will members of public verify that such an officer is genuine?[+13 sentences] Especially when impersonation of public officers itself is a common scam tactic. This officer should carry clear identification and residents should have a simple and independent way to verify them. No one should feel that asking for verification is being uncooperative. Technical expertise alone is not enough. I therefore hope that there will be a vigorous training, clear operational standards, effective supervision and accessible complaints process for anyone who believes that a CSO has acted improperly. These safeguards protect not only individuals but also public confidence in the system. If the CSOs are given police-like powers, the public must trust that those powers must be exercised lawfully, proportionately and accountably. Mr Speaker, Sir, scams cause enormous financial and emotional harm. They also erode trust in our financial and digital systems. They exploit speed, technology and gaps in between institutions. We must respond with equal speed and coordination. I therefore hope this framework will deliver four outcomes. First, faster tracing of scam proceeds across the financial institutions. Second, restrictions that are calibrated to allow persons to access funds needed for essential living expenses where it is safe to do so.[+12 sentences] Third, meaningful human review and prompt correction whenever computerised issued directions are imposed mistakenly or are no longer justified. Fourth, rigorous training and proper accountability for a CSO entrusted with significant powers under this Bill. To conclude, let me say this. Access to banking facilities is a privilege and not a right. This privilege carries responsibilities. It must not be abused to facilitate scams or launder their proceeds. I support this Bill for reinforcing the message and for giving our officers a tool to stop scammers quickly and follow the money effectively. Singaporeans deserve protection from malicious scams. We must therefore come down hard on these scammers and those who knowingly assist them. At the same time, we must also ensure that innocent people, victims and those who genuinely rehabilitated do not fall through cracks created by these stringent measures. A strong system must be capable, not only on imposing restrictions swiftly but also putting matters right just as swiftly when the restriction is mistaken or no longer necessary. With these observations, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker7 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister of State Goh Pei Ming.
The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Goh Pei Ming)5191 words
[+22 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank Members for their thoughtful questions and their strong support for this Bill. Across the House yesterday and today, there has been broad agreement that scams continue to cause serious harm in Singapore, to Singaporeans and their families, and more must be done to protect Singaporeans. Members also raised important points on how we ensure that these powers are exercised responsibly and fairly. Let me now address the key issues. There were several questions relating to ADOs, DOs and SLOs. These fall in three broad categories: one, on information exchange between the Police and service providers; two, on the issuance of, and obligations imposed by, these Orders; and three, on the safeguards to ensure speedy recourse for persons whose accounts are disabled or restricted under these orders, but who may be victims themselves and who require access to their accounts for their basic needs. First, on information exchange. Dr Charlene Chen asked how weak or inconclusive signals from different sources will be used to identify emerging scams. She also asked whether there will be common information disclosure standards across service providers, and whether information disclosed will be retained even if it was initially inconclusive. Where the Police receives weak or inconclusive scam signals, the Police will draw on information shared by service providers and its own data sources, including Police reports and ScamShield reports, to piece the whole picture together. We will work together with service providers to implement robust information disclosure standards that are operationally feasible. We will only retain information for as long as it is operationally necessary. Ms Elysa Chen asked who will administer and disseminate information to service providers on the NSL and whether an individual whose name has been shared with service providers will be notified. The Police will issue and inform service providers of ADOs, DOs and SLOs. We will not notify individuals that their details have been shared with service providers. Doing so would be counterproductive as it may prematurely inform or alert scammers and their mules that their criminal activities have been detected. Ms Diana Pang asked if the exchange information framework will strengthen our ability to track the flow of scam proceeds across financial institutions in real time. Fund tracing is critical to the recovery of scam proceeds. However, the primary purpose of the information exchange supported by this Bill is to intervene upstream to identify and disrupt scam linked accounts even before they are being used to receive scam proceeds. Meanwhile, I assure the Member that we are actively working to improve our fund tracing capabilities. Many Members may be familiar with the Anti-Scam Centre, which has co-located banks with the Police since 2019 to facilitate real time coordination in fund recovery efforts. Since March 2025, the Anti-Scam Centre has operationalised the crypto-tracing team to address the emerging threat of scam proceeds being rapidly dissipated via cryptocurrencies. In 2025, the crypto-tracing teams successfully recovered $22.8 million worth of virtual assets across 1,800 cases and helped prevent $8.8 million in losses through 360 victim interventions.[+1 sentence] Second, Ms Diana Pang and Ms Elysa Chen asked about the thresholds that will be applied before an ADO or SLO is issued. An ADO may be issued if there is suspicion or reason to believe that an account has been or will be used preparatory to, or in furtherance of, scam-related offences.[+12 sentences] SLOs may be issued if the Police suspect or have reason to believe that an identified individual or entity will use a scam-enabling service to commit or facilitate a scam-related offence. The threshold of suspicion or reason to believe strikes the right balance between enabling early intervention to prevent scams, while maintaining a sufficiently high evidentiary threshold. The Police will independently assess the facts and circumstances of every case to ensure that the legal threshold is met before issuing an order. I would like to emphasise that this is no different from assessments that the Police make today when exercising existing powers under the Criminal Procedure Code. To Ms Elysa Chen’s and Mr Fadli Fawzi's queries, SLOs will be used only against mules under investigation who are at risk of further facilitating scams, and mules who have been warned, issued composition fines, prosecuted, or convicted. Ms Diana Pang asked if individuals whose bank accounts have been disabled will know that the account was disabled pursuant to an order from the Police or voluntarily by the service provider. The Police will inform affected account holders of an ADO through appropriate channels as soon as practicable after it is issued. We are working with sector regulators to operationalise this. An appeal channel will also be made available. Mr Jackson Lam asked how quickly service providers will be expected to act against suspicious accounts flagged by an Order, and whether there will be a common standard across service providers. The turnaround time for Orders will be determined in consultation with service providers, balancing the need for swift response with operational feasibility for our industry partners. Mr Abdul Muhaimin asked why the Government decided to set the duration of an ADO at 30 days. The period of 30 days is operationally necessary for scam disruption.[+1 sentence] This includes providing enough time for the Police to assess if further action on the account is required. To be clear, ADOs can impose a requirement to disable the specified account for up to 30 days.[+15 sentences] Depending on the circumstances of the case, the Police may specify a shorter duration or cancel the ADO ahead of its expiry if it is no longer necessary. I agree with Dr Charlene Chen that merely targeting individual accounts via ADOs is insufficient to effectively dismantle a scammer’s network. The data sharing ecosystem that this Bill supports goes beyond that. When the Police issues an ADO to a service provider, the Police may also share information relating to that account with other relevant service providers. Service providers can in turn identify and review associated accounts within their own ecosystems for any scam-related activity, such as accounts which may have transacted with the disabled account. If a service provider identifies an associated account that meets the conditions specified by the Police in a DO, it is required to provide the relevant information to the Police. The Police will then assess the information, and if appropriate, share it further with other service providers for review and action. This process will continue and can continue to repeat as we map out and take down the scammers' entire ecosystem of enablers. This ‘fanning out’ process strengthens our ability to uncover and dismantle wider scam account networks beyond disabling individual accounts. Third, I will touch on the recourse available to those whose accounts were disabled or restricted. However, before that, allow me to reiterate why we need to take a firm stand on this. Members are right to ask about the risks of moving quickly against suspected scam activity and the corrective measures that will be in place. No one wants to inadvertently affect or inconvenience persons who may not have been involved in scam activity. Sir, at the same time, disrupting scams quickly and decisively is essential. In a recent case, scammers deceived a 68-year-old victim into believing that he was working remotely under the employment of a legitimate company. By the time officers engaged the victim, the victim had already transferred 80 percent, eight zero, 80 percent of his life savings, or approximately S$128,000 in cryptocurrency to the scammer. He was also on the verge of transferring another S$64,000 of borrowed funds to the scammer.[+2 sentences] The money was not recovered. Such cases remind us that scam losses are often deeply personal and can have lasting consequences for the victim and their families. On average, about S$2 million was lost to scams every day, in the first half of this year.[+12 sentences] Members would have heard and have heard similar cases when engaging your residents or within this House over yesterday and today. The orders enable us to constrict the supply of scam enablers and disable them before they can be used. This is ultimately to protect our citizens. Our task here is to intervene early while ensuring adequate safeguards against innocent accounts being affected by these orders. Ms Diana Pang rightly pointed out that even as we enhance information sharing on scam intelligence across institutions, we must correct erroneous information and inform relevant institutions of the correction quickly. We will work with service providers to operationalise this. Ms Diana Pang also asked if there will be periodic reviews to assess whether restrictions remain necessary. Mr Kenneth Poon and Mr Fadli Fawzi also asked how legislative levers will be applied to individuals who were manipulated into being scam mules. The Government takes a firm stand, a firm approach towards scam mules. Those who enable or facilitate scams will face the full force of the law. That said, we agree that penalties must be proportionate to the level of culpability. In relation to SLOs, although three years is the maximum duration allowed by law, the actual duration will depend on the individual's circumstances and assessed scam risk. First-time mules will generally face one year of restrictions, while longer durations may be warranted for repeat offenders or those assessed to pose a sustained scam risk.[+13 sentences] Let me share one example, in 2024, before the introduction of the current Facility Restriction Framework, one individual received a conditional warning after allowing her bank account to be used for the receipt and transfer of scam proceeds. After the case concluded, she then allowed her accounts with two other banks to be used in a similar manner, with one of these accounts later receiving $8,000 in proceeds from another scam victim. Placing such individuals on SLOs not only better protects the public from scams, but also prevents these individuals from being drawn further into unlawful activities by scammers and getting themselves into further trouble. Mr Gabriel Lam, Mr Jackson Lam, Dr Charlene Chen, Ms Diana Pang and Ms Hazlina Halim asked if an expedited appeal mechanism can be established where an ADO or SLO materially affects a person's livelihood, or where an innocent person's account was disabled. Ms Elysa Chen suggested having an independent appeal channel outside the Police or having a prescribed appeal response time in subsidiary legislation. A swift and decisive approach to disrupting scams networks is necessary to protect Singaporeans and at the same time, we recognise that some individuals may genuinely require and depend on these accounts affected by the Orders for their livelihoods or daily expenses. It is thus important that we assess appeals fairly and as quickly as possible. We will share more details on the appeal mechanism, including the appeal timeline before operationalisation of these Orders. This needs careful consideration as we have seen cases of scammers coaching victims on what to say to bank staff to evade detection when they transfer money to the scammer. We should similarly expect scammers to coach mules to file a successful appeal to regain access to their accounts. Mr Victor Lye, Mr Fadli Fawzi and Ms Diana Pang asked about having stronger safeguards to ensure that individuals who are subject to banking restrictions continue to have access to basic banking services for daily living. Ms Diana Pang and Mr Kenneth Poon asked if restrictions to stop suspicious transactions will still allow essential living needs to be met and if arrangements could be made for verified payments to go through while suspicious transactions are restricted. Mr Fadli Fawzi and Ms Elysa Chen suggested that as a default, these individuals should still be allowed to make basic transactions subject to a daily cap, with a full freeze reserved only for clearly high-risk cases. Ms He Ting Ru asked about the banking restrictions imposed on individuals whose accounts have been restricted under the Facility Restricted Framework. I wish to reassure the House that we will not prevent individuals from accessing funds that they genuinely need for daily living. Individuals subject to banking restrictions under SLOs may still transact personally at the bank, over the counter. We will only restrict access to self-service banking services, like Internet banking, mobile banking or ATM services, which are more prone to being exploited for scams.[+7 sentences] Incoming transactions, such as salaries and Government payouts, will continue to be processed as usual. Where the individual needs access to funds in an account disabled by an ADO, the individual may apply to the Police for access for a reasonable amount of money for daily expenses. This individual may similarly apply to the Police for access to additional amounts of money for necessary expenses, such as utilities and rental payments. Requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and may be submitted and assessed independently of an appeal against the Order. We are mindful that if the individual is a scam mule, the funds within the disabled account may in fact not belong to him, but to other scam victims. Nevertheless, once the Police have assessed that the individual should be allowed access to funds, the Police will work with banks to enable this as quickly as possible. MAS is also working with banks to preserve access to basic banking services for individuals whose accounts have been closed. In 2025, major retail banks offered close to 8,300 Limited Purpose Banking Accounts (LPBAs).[+28 sentences] We will enhance this from October 2026. Going forward, the local banks will offer an LPBA or an alternative basic bank account to every affected Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident, except in very limited cases. Examples of such exclusions include individuals who are subject to financial sanctions imposed by the United Nations, have been involved in terrorism financing or refuse to cooperate with banks' customer due diligence processes. MAS will continue to monitor instances of unbanked individuals and work with banks to minimise undue financial exclusion. Ms Gho Sze Kee asked about safeguards against service providers refusing service to individuals who have appeared on the NSL, or who have been the subject of an ADO or SLO. Ms Elysa Chen and Ms Diana Pang also asked whether such individuals will have the same right of appeal as subjects of ADOs or SLOs. Members have rightly pointed out that service providers may voluntarily decide to disable the accounts of individuals whose details have been shared with them. We strongly encourage service providers to proactively act against scam accounts, without waiting to be compelled by a formal Order. We understand Members' reservations about encouraging private entities to take voluntary action. Indeed, these entities may not be held to the same fiduciary duties or public accountability that Government agencies have. But let me make two points here. First, the sharing of an individual’s information with a service provider for the purpose of crime prevention is not new. Under the Criminal Procedure Code, the Police may already freeze bank accounts or phone lines. The possibility of service providers denying service to individuals linked to such accounts or phone lines on their own accord, even after the conclusion of their case, therefore already exists. What the Bill does is to lower the threshold for sharing such information with service providers, and to act swiftly against suspected scam activity. Second, the question before us is fundamentally whether we are prepared to intervene early enough to prevent harm. If we are serious about doing this, we cannot expect the Police or Government to do this alone. Service providers are often best placed to detect suspicious activity first because they operate the platforms, systems and accounts that are being exploited by scammers. In an NSL pilot trial conducted with the banking sector, every suspicious bank account shared with participating banks led, on average, to the proactive detection of one additional suspicious account by the banks. This shows how much more we can do together if industry, too, plays a more proactive and upstream role in detecting and acting against suspected scam activities, with appropriate safeguards in place for sure. The proposed provisions in the Bill are intended to strike a careful balance between giving service providers sufficient latitude to act against scams without fear of liability, while providing guardrails to prevent abuse. For example, the protection from civil liability for voluntary actions only apply where the service provider acts in good faith and reasonable care; and for the purpose of preventing or detecting scam-related offences. This means service providers cannot act arbitrarily or with improper motive and still claim protection. Service providers also remain subject to the oversight of their respective sectoral regulators, such as MAS for financial institutions and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) for telcos. Any pattern of abuse or reckless handling of consumers' data or information may still attract regulatory scrutiny and where appropriate, enforcement action under the relevant sectoral regime. To the Members' question on appeals, if a service provider decides to disable an account on its own accord, the service provider may review and decide whether to reinstate the account. Ms Elysa Chen asked whether Singpass restrictions imposed under the Facility Restriction Framework may inadvertently lock individuals out of key Government services. I assure the Member that this is not the case. The Singpass restrictions will only be targeted at services that are at higher risk of being exploited for scams, such as opening a bank account. Services listed by the Member, namely voting, healthcare and CPF matters, remain fully accessible.[+16 sentences] Even for restricted services, individuals are not locked out entirely. It is possible to open a bank account without Singpass. Mr Gabriel Lam, Dr Charlene Chen, Ms He Ting Ru and Mr Jackson Lam asked if statistics on ADOs and SLOs, and on appeals filed against these Orders, will be published. Mr Fadli Fawzi asked if statistics on bank accounts frozen by the Police could be published. Mr Victor Lye suggested collecting data on the number of individuals who become unbanked or remain subject to banking restrictions following the Police's intervention measures, as well as the duration of such restrictions. I thank the Members for the suggestions, which we will consider. Next, on the new offences targeting misuse of online accounts. Dealing with the network of scam accounts is a crucial anti-scam strategy since these accounts are essential for scammers. Criminalising the misuse of online accounts addresses a scam modus operandi that we are already seeing in practice. In one case, a 30-year-old man came across a post on Telegram, soliciting Carousell account holders who were willing to let their accounts be used for "business purposes". Enticed by the promise of fast cash, he contacted the buyer and subsequently converted his Carousell account into a professional account, which required the completion of verification by linking his Singpass account. He also replaced the registered email address of the Carousell account and subsequently surrendered the login credentials to the buyer. The account was subsequently misused to facilitate scams. Ms Elysa Chen suggested setting a minimum gain threshold, such that the presumption will only apply if the person provided their personal information or supplied an online account in exchange for gain that exceeds this threshold. We have concerns with such an approach. Whatever gain threshold that we set, scam mules are likely to endeavour to go below it to escape liability and frustrate law enforcement efforts. The Government's view is that the presumption should apply so long as there is gain, no matter how small.[+17 sentences] Ms Chen also asked if a situation where a mule supplies an account on a designated online service to a scammer, but where the account is only used to establish contact with the victim but not for the actual commission of the scam, and would that be covered by the new offences. Section 39GA criminalises the supplying of a designated online account if the person knew or had reasonable grounds to believe that the account would be used to commit or facilitate the commission by any person of any offence. It is not necessary for the prosecution to prove that a specific offence occurred. Ms Diana Pang asked if the penalties are tiered based on the degree of the offender's involvement and if the penalties are sufficiently deterrent. The Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA's) assessment is that the current penalties are adequately tiered and sufficiently deterrent. We enhanced the penalties in October 2025, when MHA introduced caning as a penalty for scam mules, with higher penalties for scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates. The Sentencing Advisory Panel has also published sentencing guidelines for scams related offences to provide clarity on the recommended sentences for scam related offenders. To send a strong deterrent signal, the guidelines recommend that custodial sentences should be the norm and lay out the aggravating factors that will warrant an uplift in sentencing. Let me now move on to the questions relating to OCHA. First, on the amendment allowing a computer program to issue OCHA directions. Ms Elysa Chen, Ms Diana Pang, Ms Hazlina Halim, Ms He Ting Ru, Mr Abdul Muhaimin and Mr Jackson Lam asked about the safeguards in place to ensure that the computer program operates accurately, fairly and according to law. The program has been trained on clear criteria for identifying scam content and tested in parallel with human supervision to ensure a high level of accuracy. Any future program that we may use will need similar levels of rigour, if not higher. Post-deployment, we will maintain oversight of the program through measures such as human intervention on low-confidence cases, audit checks on blocked websites, and periodic reviews of the program’s performance based on metrics such as precision rate, to ensure that it continues to operate as intended. Designated Officers remain responsible and accountable for the directions issued by the program. We are confident that the program will be able to continue maintaining a high level of accuracy when issuing OCHA directions. The number of reconsideration requests received for OCHA directions presently is very low. Out of over 70,000 website blocking directions issued in 2026, the Police only received six reconsideration requests.[+4 sentences] Six out of 70,000. Seeing this 70,000 number, I cannot help but be reminded of Ms Elysa Chen's zombie analogy, that when you kill one, more pop up. Therefore, we need to be able to use AI technology to be able to fight this scourge. The Government has been exploring the application of AI for scam disruption for a long time now, before this was raised in the Workers' Party manifesto in 2025. For example, the AI powered classifier for ScamShield was developed in the first quarter of 2024 and operationalised a few months later.[+4 sentences] This has helped identify scam content submitted by users with a high precision rate and gives us confidence as we explore expanding AI use cases in scam disruption in areas where speed and scale are critical. Several Members asked about the review process for appeals against any OCHA direction, including those given by a computer program. The existing appeal mechanism continues to apply. We understand OCHA directions can have a serious impact on affected individuals and businesses, and we are committed to reviewing appeals expeditiously. While the time taken for appeals depend on the nature and complexity of the appeals, the review can be expected to be completed within seven days for straightforward and unambiguous appeals.[+9 sentences] For more complex cases, a longer timeline may be required. Ms He Ting Ru asked if the Government would publicise performance indicators on directions issued by computer program in the future. I thank her for the suggestion, which we will consider. Next, I will address queries relating to enhance penalty regime for the Codes of Practice and Implementation Directives. Mr Jackson Lam asked how the Code of Practice framework deals with content generated using AI. I agree with the Member that we must take an outcome-based approach, and indeed our Codes of Practice prescribe outcomes which designated online services are required to meet. We have taken care to prescribe these outcomes in a technologically neutral manner so that they remain relevant regardless of whether a scam is conducted using AI. Mr Gabriel Lam asked how the powers under the enhanced enforcement regime will be used in practice. Ms Hazlina Halim asked about the factors that the Competent Authority will consider in deciding the quantum of the financial penalty. The decision to issue a financial penalty or direct the platform to rectify the non-compliance, as well as the quantum of financial penalty to impose, will depend on a variety of factors.[+14 sentences] This includes the nature and severity of the non-compliance, and the culpability and compliance track record of the platform. Our objective is for platforms to rectify their non-compliance, and the appropriate course of action will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Mr Gabriel Lam also asked if we have considered a shared-responsibility model where banks, telcos and online platforms each have statutory duties to prevent scams within their own ecosystems. I agree that tackling scams must be a shared responsibility. This principle underpins our anti-scam strategy and is reflected throughout this Bill. The Government, banks, telcos, online platforms and individuals all have a role to play in preventing scams and reducing harm. While the enhanced OCHA enforcement regime applies to designated online services, we already have legal powers to take enforcement action against banks and telcos if necessary, whether through criminal offences or through MAS' and IMDA's regulatory regimes. Ms Hazlina Halim asked how an instance of non-compliance will be assessed in practice. This will depend on the requirement in question. For example, if a service provider is required to meet a certain outcome, each failure to meet the outcome may be considered a separate instance. Designated online service providers should therefore rectify non-compliance as quickly as possible, to avoid new penalties arising from further instances of non-compliance. Allow me to now move to the next set of issues on Civilian Specialist Officers (CSOs). Mr Abdul Muhaimin asked where CSOs will be deployed and where CSOs will be recruited from. I thank the Member for recognising the strain that our law enforcement resources are placed under. CSOs may be recruited directly from the market, or may be seconded from other public agencies, such as the Cyber Security Agency.[+13 sentences] CSOs will be deployed to complement police resources in existing units, starting from the Cyber Command. CSOs will fall under the prevailing police command structures and will be recruited through established channels to bring in specialised civilian expertise that can augment Police's operational capabilities. Ms Elysa Chen, Mr Jackson Lam and Ms Diana Pang sought assurance on safeguards to ensure that CSOs can be entrusted with sensitive investigations. Similar to Commercial Affairs Officers today, CSOs will undergo the necessary operational and investigative training and will be carefully selected based on their suitability for investigation work and relevant technical expertise. They remain subject to the same oversight, accountability and command structures as other investigation officers. To Ms Diana Pang's further query, members of the public can identify CSOs by their warrant cards, similar to plainclothes police officers and Commercial Affairs Officers today. If unsure, members of the public may call the police hotline to verify the CSO's legitimacy. Ms He Ting Ru asked what additional prescribed information banks may be required to provide under clause 6 of the Bill. The provision allows Police to obtain necessary information to notify persons who have been issued a restriction order. These persons have been identified to be at risk of falling prey to a scam, so any prescribed information will be in service of this narrow intent of preventing harm to a potential scam victim. The wider principle of banking secrecy remains unaffected. Finally, allow me to address questions relating to other aspects of our anti-scam strategy. Mr Abdul Muhaimin asked if there are any service standards governing the lifting of accounts frozen for investigations pursuant to the Criminal Procedure Code. The duration for which an account is frozen varies from case to case depending on the duration required for investigations or court proceedings. As a safeguard, the Criminal Procedure Code requires that the police make a report of seizure to the relevant Court once the property is no longer required for investigations or court proceedings, or within one year after the date of seizure, whichever is earlier.[+6 sentences] Once the freeze is no longer required, the Police will apply to the Court for an order to lift the freeze. Banks are expected to give effect to court orders as soon as practicable upon receipt. Individuals whose bank accounts are frozen can also apply to the Courts for the release of funds to pay for basic living expenses or other essential spending. Mr Fadli Fawzi asked if the Police intend to continue using Criminal Procedure Code powers to freeze bank accounts, or if the Police will use ADOs instead. We see ADOs as complementary to Criminal Procedure Code powers. Criminal Procedure Code powers are primarily investigative in nature and are generally exercised when there is sufficient evidence linking an account to an offence. On the other hand, ADOs can be exercised at a lower threshold to allow the police to keep pace with the speed at which scam syndicates can create and replace accounts.[+10 sentences] Ms He Ting Ru asked about the average processing time for request to withdraw funds for accounts subjected to a restriction order today, and whether the Government will work with banks to develop a system that allows for graduated restrictions. To the former, request relating to funds for legitimate purposes, such as daily expenses and bills are processed quickly to minimise inconvenience to restriction order recipients. To the latter, I will refer her to MHA's response to a similar Parliamentary Question filed by Mr Kenneth Tiong for the Sitting on 4 March 2026. Recipients of restriction orders may access funds for legitimate purposes amid safeguards against further transfers to scammers. We have therefore assessed that graduated restrictions are not necessary for now. Ms Hazlina Halim and Ms He Ting Ru asked if anti-scam public education is tailored for different demographic segments such as seniors and young adults. Ms Jessica Tan also spoke about the importance of investing in public education, community outreach and digital literacy programmes. The Government has rolled out targeted public education efforts. For example, to make anti-scam public education material more elderly-friendly, the Police have published material with bite-sized messages in vernacular languages, using larger fonts and clear visuals. The Police have also worked closely with Government agencies such as the Agency for Integrated Care to deliver anti-scam public education through touch points frequented by the elderly. We even inject scam messages into getai performances and we have similar outreach efforts for other groups such as our youths. We also recently concluded the National Simulated Scams Exercise held between March and August this year, which involved the use of robo-callers to simulate calls from scammers to strengthen participants’ anti-scam resilience.[+2 sentences] We will continue to invest in anti-scam public education as a key safeguard against scams as this is what we need to do to protect our population. And a vigilant population is ultimately the most important safeguard.
Mr Speaker53 words
[+4 sentences]Senior Minister of State Goh, if I may interrupt you, and this is not a scam message. You are approaching close to 40 minutes, so if you are able to finish soon, I will let you continue. If not, I will get Leader to move a Motion. Are you able to finish soon?
Mr Goh Pei Ming6 words
[+1 sentence]I will request for an extension.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+2 sentences]Alright. Leader.
Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill›Second Reading Bills11 turns · 1,510w
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Mr Speaker7 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister of State, you may proceed.
Mr Goh Pei Ming778 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you. Mr Jackson Lam asked if the Bill strengthens our ability to cooperate with regional partners, and whether we will be conducting more joint operations with our counterparts following the success of Operation FRONTIER+ III. International cooperation is critical in disrupting scams and recovering assets, and I assure Members that we are working actively in this area. FRONTIER+ now covers 15 jurisdictions, with the United States and the Philippines joining earlier this year.[+20 sentences] We are encouraging more jurisdictions to join and work together on cross-border enforcement and asset recovery. The passing of this Bill also allows us to demonstrate to our international counterparts Singapore's national resolve to combat scams. Ms Elysa Chen asked if the Government will consider widening the scope of the Shared Responsibility Framework to cover more variants of scams as well as cryptocurrency platforms, whether the Government will consider a private right of civil action for scam victims against offenders and non-compliant service providers, and whether financial penalties imposed on non-compliant platforms can be redistributed to scam victims. Mr Gerald Giam suggested that the Government explore setting up an independent investigative mechanism under the Shared Responsibility Framework to complement internal bank assessments and provide a neutral dispute review for customers. Mr Giam further asked the Government to consider establishing a statutory victim compensation framework. Ms He Ting Ru also suggested a scam victim restitution fund as well as an insurance scheme to cover losses from scams. These queries fall outside the ambit of the Bill and will require an involved answer. Regardless, let me assure Members that the Government is committed to helping scam victims recover their losses wherever possible. The key challenge is one of asset recovery as scam proceeds are often dissipated quickly and it is not always possible for the Police to recover and return victims all monies lost by them. I invite Ms Chen, Ms He and Mr Giam to file separate Parliamentary Questions on their queries. Regarding expanding the Shared Responsibility Framework, a related Parliamentary Question has been filed by Dr Hamid Razak for the sitting on or after 10 September. I invite Ms Chen to look out for the response. Mr Gerald Giam also asked if there was an update on MHA's assessment of the establishment of a scam victim recovery fund following his Parliamentary Question in February 2025. There are several operational challenges that need to be carefully considered, including the co-mingling of criminal proceeds, the fact that the amount of funds recovered is but a fraction of the amount lost, and the potential for moral hazard. Mr Giam further asked the Government to study the feasibility of a standardised public anti-scam rating system by MAS and IMDA to encourage the industry to enhance security measures and consumer transparency. MAS and IMDA already work closely with the industry to enhance their anti-scam safeguards even without such a rating. Publishing such a rating also risks inadvertently exposing the weaknesses of industry players, which could be exploited by scammers. Ms Jessica Tan also suggested that the Government continue to work with industry to tap on advanced technologies to disrupt scams before they reach businesses and users. She also suggested stepping up information sharing between the Government and service providers further to allow for automated real-time alerts of suspicious behaviour, implementing pre-emptive restrictions for high-risk accounts, and mandatory rapid response protocols for service providers. These are good suggestions. The Government will indeed continue to work closely with industry to disrupt scams quickly and with precision.[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, Sir, we have come some way in our fight against scams. But as I mentioned earlier, about $2 million of our citizens' hard-earned money is still lost to scammers every single day.[+1 sentence] We still have much to do. This Bill gives the Government the tools to enable swifter, more proactive and decisive action against scams.[+7 sentences] This builds on the comprehensive anti-scam strategy that we have developed in recent years. We are working to disrupt and counter scams on all fronts – legislation, industry and international cooperation, leveraging cutting-edge technology, public education, and the list goes on. We will leave no stone unturned. But the Government cannot do this alone. Service providers must do more to protect their platforms and their users. Individuals must remain vigilant and take responsibility for protecting themselves and those around them. The Government, industry and the public must stand together. When we do, scammers have fewer places to hide, fewer tools to exploit and fewer opportunities to cause harm. I seek Members' support on this Bill, to move decisively and reflect this House's commitment to fight scams and better protect our people.[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, I beg to move.
Mr Speaker8 words
[+2 sentences]Any Members have any clarifications? Mr Fadli Fawzi.
Mr Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied)57 words
[+4 sentences]Thank you, Senior Minister of State, for the comprehensive reply. I just have a minor point. Can I clarify whether the people subject to SLOs can be allowed to pay their bills online? Given that many banks are reducing their counter transaction facilities, this may help facilitate legitimate bill payments by those who are subject to SLOs.
Mr Goh Pei Ming60 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his clarification. SLOs are imposed on individuals on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the circumstances of the case and what services are being restricted to the individual, he may or may not be able to do the online payments that he is talking about. It has to depend on what the case entails.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied)113 words
[+3 sentences]Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his update on the Government's response to my proposal for a scam victim restitution fund. Does the Senior Minister of State agree that it is fundamentally unsatisfactory for any seized scam assets which are not dissipated to eventually be forfeited to the Government, simply because it is difficult to attribute proceeds to individual victims? While I acknowledge there are genuine forensic challenges in tracking co-mingled proceeds, as he mentioned just now, can the Ministry commit to developing a structured restitution mechanism so that victims who have lost their life savings do not go home empty-handed while seized criminal proceeds end up in public coffers?
Mr Goh Pei Ming361 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, in response to the Member's question, actually, he has asked this question many times in different ways. I hope the Member understands and appreciates the difficulty we have in terms of establishing such a restitution fund. One factor indeed is that amounts recovered are but a fraction of the overall amounts lost.[+4 sentences] But in terms of how the funds have been co-mingled, often times, we see multiple fund streams going into common accounts and thereafter going out to multiple accounts again. The process cycles itself and repeats a few times before it actually reaches the destination the scammers want it to be. This co-mingling makes it very difficult for us to trace and identify whose monies are where. In terms of attributing how much to return to every victim that we are talking about, it becomes very difficult for us to be equitable in this sense. The other question here is also about moral hazard. If we establish that there is a certain baseline amount – I think the Member has asked this question before, whether we are able to have a certain minimum repayment amount for every scam victim – the overall awareness and vigilance of members of the public may fall, because they will get the sense that buying the next concert ticket, they have certain protections, up to a certain amount for scam protection. I think there are many questions that we need to deal with in terms of how we can operationalise such a restitution fund. But on the Member's other point about some of the funds that we have recovered which have gone back to the Consolidated Fund for the Government, I want to put out the point that these monies do not go back to the Government's coffers and just stay there.[+2 sentences] The Government spends a huge amount of our Budget, including funds that come from this Consolidated Fund, in our efforts to develop the technologies, to develop all our workstreams to fight scams across all the various fronts that I highlighted earlier. It goes directly or indirectly back to our efforts to fight scams and prevent the next scam from taking place.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Gho.
Ms Gho Sze Kee46 words
[+4 sentences]I would just like make a clarification, Mr Speaker. I misspoke just now when I talked about the standard of proofs when it comes to the thresholds, on the balance of probability. It should be for civil proceedings and not criminal proceedings. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker76 words
[+3 sentences]Noted. Any other clarifications for the Senior Minister of State? No? . (proc text)]
Health Sciences Authority (Amendment) and Other Matters Bill›Second Reading Bills26 turns · 17,168w
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Mr Speaker9 words
[+1 sentence]Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health.
The Minister of State for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health)1933 words
[+12 sentences]Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for Health, I move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Singapore's strong healthcare reputation rests in part on a regulatory system that safeguards patients and public health while enabling Singaporeans to benefit from safe and effective healthcare innovations. But healthcare is evolving rapidly with increasing integration across new models of care, digital health, genomics and artificial intelligence (AI). These may not fit neatly within traditional regulatory boundaries and hence, our regulatory ecosystem must also evolve and respond in an equally integrated manner. This is the purpose of today's Bill. Today, our regulatory ecosystem is organised across three agencies. First, the Ministry of Health (MOH) regulates healthcare services, health information, human biomedical research and biosafety. Second, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) regulates health products such as medicines and medical devices. Third, the Secretariat of Healthcare Professional Boards (SPB) supports the various Healthcare Professional Boards and Councils in their regulation of healthcare professionals such as doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals. This approach has served Singapore well and we have progressively modernised our regulatory frameworks over time. HSA is well regarded, having attained the World Health Organization's (WHO's) maturity level 4 for both the regulation of medical devices and medicines as well as being one of the first global agencies to be designated as a WHO Listed Authority for its medicines regulatory system. We enabled the regulation of telemedicine and home medical services under a new Healthcare Services Act. Earlier this year, we enacted the Health Information Act to govern and safeguard key health information, including in the National Electronic Health Record. We are now planning for the statutory registration of psychologists, including clinical psychologists and educational psychologists, to promote higher care standards and support better care outcomes.[+11 sentences] But services, products, professionals and health information increasingly intersect. With oversight and regulatory touchpoints across different agencies, there may be gaps in handling complex or cross-cutting cases, with implications not only for regulated entities but also for patient safety and access. Let me use three examples to illustrate this. First, AI in healthcare. AI has huge potential to improve patient care, and we want to enable its safe adoption. Regulating AI cuts across multiple domains – registration of products that utilise AI under the Health Products Act by HSA, deployment of AI within healthcare services under the Healthcare Services Act by MOH, and use of AI by healthcare professionals is governed by the respective professionals’ ethical codes and professional standards. An integrated regulatory function will bring these efforts together, enabling one party to consider the governance of AI holistically – from product safety and clinical deployment to institutional governance and professional accountability. This also gives AI developers, healthcare institutions and users a single point of contact, and facilitates clearer and more consistent regulatory guidance for safe and responsible adoption of AI. Second, retail pharmacy. Licensing of pharmacies, currently under the Health Products Act, centres primarily on the premise where health products are sold and distributed. But pharmacies are increasingly becoming service touchpoints, for example, for flu vaccinations and not just product supply outlets. MOH’s Community Pharmacist Influenza Vaccination Sandbox that was rolled out over the past year has shown positive results and we are looking at mainstreaming these services.[+9 sentences] So, our regulation must look at the full patient journey more coherently – from the health product supplied, the healthcare service delivered and the professional standards expected. Doing so will enable clearer rules for providers, stronger safeguards for patients and a framework that can support new pharmacy-based care models as they emerge. Third, enforcement cases also increasingly span multiple domains. Take the example of a clinic being investigated by MOH for the improper prescription of codeine. Because codeine is a controlled drug, HSA will also need to investigate the potential supply sources of the codeine. At the same time, the doctor’s professional conduct will need to be taken up by the professional regulator. What begins as a single incident can require three agencies to investigate different, but interconnected, aspects of the same case. Today, these agencies already work closely together. But as such cases grow more complex and frequent, we need a more integrated approach for more timely and decisive actions. The Bill therefore proposes to consolidate health regulatory functions and establish an integrated health regulatory function under HSA. This is not simply an organisational restructuring but an opportunity to lay the foundation for a more coherent, future-ready system that protects patients while enabling timely access to beneficial healthcare innovations, for patients’ benefit.[+15 sentences] Under the consolidated structure, we can expect three significant changes in how we will operate, and the value to different stakeholders. First, for industry, innovators and healthcare providers – greater clarity and predictability. Companies developing medicines, digital health solutions or healthcare providers with new models of care increasingly operate across regulatory boundaries. An integrated regulator will allow licensing applications and enquiries to be managed by one agency, making information and responses more coordinated and clearer for stakeholders. Second, one integrated function will enable greater regulatory alignment and clearer guidance for both clinical care and research. For example, biomedical research may be interdisciplinary and intersect across health products, health information and biosafety. Bringing together expertise in these areas will allow industry, researchers and research institutions to receive more aligned regulatory guidance, particularly for complex or emerging areas. This will better protect research participants while helping promising science navigate a clearer pathway from research to eventual clinical application. Third, where the public has to come into contact with the regulator, we would have one streamlined interface with them, whether it is about a medicine that they purchased, the device used in their care or the healthcare service provider or professional caring for them. Most importantly, with an integrated regulator that has visibility across the entire healthcare journey, HSA will be better placed to identify risks that cut across these domains and take coordinated, decisive action when needed. This will benefit the public and patients in ensuring their safety. Moving ahead, MOH will continue to set national health policies and be responsible for stewarding Singapore’s healthcare system, including the design of care models, healthcare financing, system planning and the development of system-wide capabilities in workforce and digital health infrastructure. MOH will retain regulatory policy and strategic oversight, while HSA will take on and integrate the regulatory functions within the scope of this Bill in support of and as aligned with MOH’s mission. I will now take Members through the key amendments in this Bill. Clause 6 amends section 11 of the Health Sciences Authority Act to expand HSA’s functions and enable consolidation across three areas. First, HSA will administer and regulate the Human Biomedical Research Act (HBRA) and the Biological Agents and Toxins Act (BATA), taking over these functions from MOH.[+21 sentences] These are established Acts with well-defined policies and scope. Second, HSA officers will assist the Minister and Director-General of Health (DGH) in administering or enforcing specified MOH Acts in the First Schedule of the Bill, such as the Healthcare Services Act and the Health Information Act when it commences. As explained earlier, MOH will continue to set policy and strategic direction, while HSA will support the operationalisation of these Acts, including the licensing, inspection and enforcement of healthcare services as well as the enforcement of other legislations, such as the Infectious Diseases Act and Human Organ Transplant Act. Third, HSA will take on the functions of the Secretariat of Healthcare Professional Boards, known as the SPB, to support the Professional Boards and Councils in delivering on their regulatory mandate. I would like to emphasise that the Professional Boards and Councils’ existing self-regulatory and disciplinary roles remain unchanged. To support HSA in taking on these expanded roles, several consequential amendments have been introduced in the Bill. Clause 3 amends section 5 of the Health Sciences Authority Act to allow the Minister to appoint the necessary number of Board members to support HSA’s expanded functions. Clause 4 also allows the Minister to appoint a Deputy Chairperson to support governance and continuity, given HSA’s increased breadth and complexity of its functions. Clauses 9 and 10 provide for the legislative transfer of resources to HSA, covering the relevant assets, liabilities and employees from MOH and the Singapore Medical Council (SMC), where the SPB is housed. Affected officers will be transferred on terms no less favourable than what they enjoy in their current organisation. The aim of the legislative transfer of employees is to enable a smooth transition while protecting affected employees and their existing benefits. Beyond the legislative change, we are also working on other aspects of the transition to allay anxieties, address concerns and ensure a smooth transition and adjustment for staff. Clauses 19 and 22, and clauses 24, 28, 29 and 32 amend various provisions under BATA and HBRA, respectively, to replace references to the DGH with Chief Executive Officer, CE(HSA). Moving ahead, CE(HSA) will exercise powers under BATA and HBRA, taking over from DGH. Provisions have also been made so that DGH is consulted in considering approvals on more complex matters. Clauses 24 and 34 amend HBRA and HCSA, respectively, to allow HSA officers and qualified private sector individuals to be appointed to support the administration and enforcement of those Acts. This allows the Government to draw on specialist expertise that may not always reside within the public sector, but with clear restrictions. For instance, appointed individuals are limited to enter and inspect premises or conveyances only with consent and during normal business hours. Safeguards will also be put in place to ensure that only suitably qualified individuals are deployed with their work being subject to review and oversight. Clauses 43 to 59 amend the relevant MOH Acts, such as the Allied Health Professions Act, the Medical Registration Act and the National Registry of Diseases Act, to enable the appointment of officers of public authorities, so that HSA officers can be appointed to support the administration of these Acts. Clause 60 sets out the saving and transitional provisions to ensure a smooth handover. Existing approvals and permits will automatically be carried over, and regulated entities will not need to reapply or restart any processes.[+1 sentence] We will implement the changes in two phases, to stage and better manage the transition. First, MOH's regulatory functions and manpower will be transferred to HSA in November 2026. Thereafter, SPB's functions and manpower will be transferred to HSA by end 2027.[+1 sentence] This consolidation is an investment in our regulatory officers and regulatory capabilities. By bringing functions together, we can create broader career pathways, deepen regulatory expertise and strengthen HSA’s position as a trusted health regulator, building multidisciplinary regulatory capabilities for the future.[+1 sentence] Sir, this Bill is not simply about moving functions from one agency to another. Healthcare is being reshaped by AI, genomics and new care models, and our regulatory system must be capable of evolving around it. By establishing HSA as Singapore’s integrated health regulator, we are building a system that is more coherent for the healthcare institutions, clearer for the healthcare professionals, more predictable for industry and ultimately, more responsive for patients.[+2 sentences] Good regulation must achieve both protection and progress. It must safeguard patients while enabling them to benefit from advancements in healthcare. It should provide clarity without unnecessary complexity and remain robust and agile to changes. This Bill is a key milestone, laying the foundation for a future-ready regulatory system trusted by the public and our stakeholders.[+2 sentences] I am confident this transformation will serve Singaporeans well. Mr Speaker, I beg to move.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Melvin Yong.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas)1226 words
[+16 sentences]Mr Speaker, I stand in support of the Bill. Bringing more healthcare regulatory functions under HSA makes good sense. As healthcare becomes more complex, there is value in having stronger coordination across regulation, licensing, enforcement and oversight. But moving functions from one organisation to another does not, by itself, necessarily make regulations better. The real test is whether this leads to better outcomes, where we build a more trusted, responsive and worker-conscious healthcare regulator. Will consumers be better protected? Will healthcare workers and professionals be treated fairly? Will our regulatory officers have the capabilities and support needed to do their jobs effectively? As a labour Member of Parliament (MP) and President of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), I would like to focus my speech on these two groups of stakeholders affected by this transition, that is our healthcare workers and our consumers. First, we must take care of the officers affected by this restructuring. The Bill provides for the transfer of regulatory functions and employees to HSA, which will progressively take on a wider range of responsibilities. But it is our officers on the ground who make the regulatory system work. As we all know, regulatory work is highly specialised. Many have accumulated valuable knowledge and experience over the years. We should retain this expertise and give our officers opportunities to grow with the new organisation. I therefore have two questions for the Minister of State. First, can the Minister of State assure the House that employees affected by the transfer will not be disadvantaged in their remuneration, employment benefits and career progression? Second, what training and reskilling opportunities will be provided, particularly where job scopes change as HSA becomes a more integrated regulator?[+23 sentences] There is also the question of workload. Consolidation should not simply mean moving functions from one organisation to another and asking the same number of officers to do more and more. Therefore, as HSA assumes greater responsibilities, we should ensure that manpower, specialist capabilities, digital tools and training grow in tandem. Can the Minister of State share what workforce and capability planning has been taken to support HSA's expanded mandate, particularly for licensing, inspections, investigations and enforcement? My second point concerns the Bill's provisions for auxiliary authorised officers. The amendments allow suitably qualified individuals to conduct certain regulatory functions. This may be useful as healthcare regulation becomes increasingly specialised. However, where regulatory powers are exercised by individuals who may not be public officers, we must ensure that public accountability is not diluted. I would therefore like to ask, what qualifications and training will these officers be required to have? How will potential conflicts of interest be managed? And what confidentiality and accountability requirements will apply to them? For example, if an auxiliary officer has previously worked for or has commercial relationships with an organisation in the sector being inspected, how will this conflict be identified and managed? It may therefore be useful for MOH and HSA to publish clear governance arrangements covering appointment criteria, conflict management and training requirements. There should also be a clear avenue for a healthcare provider or member of the public to raise concerns if necessary. Sir, my third point is from the consumer's perspective. At CASE, I have seen that when something goes wrong, consumers do not always know which agency or which regulator they should approach. This can be particularly confusing in healthcare. A problem may involve a healthcare provider, the conduct of a healthcare professional or even a health product. Sometimes, it may involve more than one at the same time. From the consumer's perspective, the organisational chart is not important. They do not distinguish between agencies, statutes and regulatory boundaries. They simply want to know: who can help me in a timely manner? If one objective of this restructuring is better coordination, then I hope we can translate this into a simpler experience for the consumers. Can MOH consider developing a "no wrong door" approach, where a consumer can raise a healthcare-related complaint and have it routed seamlessly to the appropriate regulatory body?[+4 sentences] Consumers should not need to navigate the boundaries between HSA, MOH and the various Professional Boards and Councils before they know where to seek help. There is another opportunity arising from this consolidation. Individual complaints can sometimes provide an early warning of a much larger problem. One complaint may appear isolated, but when similar complaints emerge across different channels, they may reveal a systemic issue involving a healthcare provider, a product, misleading claims and even patient safety. An integrated regulator should be better positioned to connect these dots. I therefore ask whether HSA intends to aggregate and analyse complaints and regulatory intelligence across its different functions and establish mechanisms to receive relevant intelligence from frontline organisations, including consumer organisations such as CASE, and the other professional bodies in the healthcare sector.[+4 sentences] The objective should not simply be to resolve individual complaints, but to identify patterns early enough for intervention to take place before more consumers are affected. Lastly, Mr Speaker, as we strengthen consumer and patient protection, we must also ensure that our healthcare professionals are treated fairly. The relationship between patient protection and professional fairness should not be viewed as a trade-off. Instead, public confidence is strengthened when healthcare professionals know that processes are rigorous, transparent and fair. The Bill enables HSA to provide administrative support to the statutory bodies regulating healthcare professionals. Can the Minister clarify how the new arrangement will preserve the independence of these Professional Boards and Councils, particularly in decisions relating to registration, professional standards and disciplinary matters, while HSA takes on a greater administrative and supporting role?[+4 sentences] There is also an important worker consideration. When a healthcare professional is subject to a complaint or a disciplinary proceeding, the outcome can have a major impact on his or her career and livelihood. We must protect patients, but we must also ensure due process and timely resolution for the healthcare worker concerned. Prolonged uncertainty is difficult for everyone involved. Can the Minister of State therefore share whether this consolidation could lead to clearer service standards and more timely processing of complaints and disciplinary cases, while preserving the independence of the Professional Boards and fairness to all parties?[+2 sentences] Sir, this Bill presents an opportunity to strengthen trust in Singapore's healthcare regulatory system. We should use this opportunity to improve outcomes and support officers who carry out the regulatory work. After these changes are implemented, I hope both MOH and HSA will track tangible outcomes, such as licensing turnaround times, complaint resolution times and the timeliness of enforcement action.[+5 sentences] I would also encourage MOH and HSA to monitor whether consolidation results in a reduction in regulatory burden for healthcare institutions and professionals. Where reporting requirements overlap or where information is already available administratively, we should seek to streamline processes and reduce duplication. At the end of the day, the measure of success should not be how many functions we have consolidated under the new HSA, but whether this restructuring helps us build not just a bigger regulator, but a better regulator. That means a coordinated, responsive and trusted regulator that better safeguard public health by supporting its officers, upholding fairness for our healthcare professionals and most importantly, giving both patients and consumers greater confidence that their interests will be protected. Sir, notwithstanding my clarifications, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Dennis Tan.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang)2380 words
[+15 sentences]Mr Speaker, this Bill is bringing an expansion of the HSA's function. Under clause 6, HSA will take on responsibility for regulating human biomedical research and human tissue activities, regulating biological agents and toxins, assisting the Minister or Director-General of Health in administering or enforcing the acts listed in the new first schedule and providing administrative services to the healthcare profession regulatory bodies. The Bill also strengthens and standardises investigatory powers under the relevant regulatory statutes. For example, clause 26 introduces new powers under the Human Biomedical Research Act to inspect and copy electronic material, operate electronic equipment, obtain data from electronic systems and require assistance to access electronically stored information, while clause 38 introduces corresponding powers under the HCSA. The Bill also strengthens or standardises investigatory powers under the relevant regulatory statutes, including powers to enter and inspect premises, operate electronic equipment, copy electronic data and require the disclosure of information needed to obtain access to such data. I support this consolidation. There is a real case for bringing related regulatory functions together in a single competent hub. At the same time, as these substantial responsibilities are gathered within HSA, I also note that the Bill reduces the number of members who must be present before the authority may transact business and removes the presence statutory ceiling on the size of the authority. The more responsibility we gather within a single institution, the clearer must be the account we require of its exercise. I am therefore a bit puzzled that while we give a body substantially wider responsibilities, and in the same Bill, make it possible for a few of its members to transact the authority's business. Let me turn to these issues first, the Board that must supervise all of this. The Statutory Board is governed by the people who sit on it and the law determines how many must be present before it may transact business. Today, section nine of the Health Sciences Authority Act provides that five members form a quorum. HSA's website presently lists a Chairperson and 10 other members. The quorum is about 45%. Under clause 5 of this Bill, the quorum will become the higher of three members, or one-third of the authority's Board membership. Clause 3 will also replace the existing board membership range with a requirement that the authority must have at least seven members.[+4 sentences] It imposes no maximum. Let me put the effect more precisely. Where the authority has nine members or fewer, the three will suffice, where five were previously required, where it has between 10 and 12 members, four will ordinarily be sufficient. At 13 members, the quorum returns to at least five. If HSA's composition remains at the present Chairperson plus 10 members, when clause 5 or the new section 9 kicks in after the Bill is passed today, the quorum will fall from five members to four.[+10 sentences] Will the Minister of State confirm whether that is the intended immediate effect of the clause? Mr Speaker, a fixed quorum has replaced by a proportion at the same time that the ceiling of membership has been removed. However large the authority becomes, it may ordinarily transact business with only about one-third of its members present. A body of 21 members, for example, may transact business with seven. The concern is not that the quorum will fall indefinitely as the Board grows, the concern is that the Bill establishes one-third, rather than the present fixed requirement of five as the enduring standard for the board's collective decision-making. I would like to ask the Minister of State what problem this provision was drafted to solve. Has the Board been unable to meet because five members could not be assembled? I urge the Minister of State to look again at clause 5 and consider requiring the higher of five members or one-third of the Board, this would preserve the safeguard that Parliament previously considered appropriate, while allowing the quorum to rise if the Board becomes substantially larger. If the purpose of consolidation is to achieve stronger and better-coordinated oversight, the governance arrangements of the Board itself should reflect the same objective. Next, who answers for what? In 2003, a laboratory-acquired SARS infection highlighted the importance of strong national biosafety oversight, and contributed to the enactment of the Biological Agents and Toxins Act. This Bill transfers responsibility for administering the Biological Agents and Toxins Act from the Director-General of Health to the Chief Executive of HSA through clauses 18 to 22, while clause 6 also empower HSA to assist in administering or enforcing a range of other health legislation listed in the new first schedule, including the Infectious Diseases Act.[+12 sentences] As responsibilities move, accountability must remain clear. Regulated institutions, research participants and members of the public should be able to identify which authority made the decision, who is responsible for it, and where complaints or appeals should be directed. Will MOH and HSA publish, before the first transfer day, a clear statement setting out their respective responsibilities for policy licensing, inspection, investigation, enforcement, review and complaints. The Bill also provides that HSA may assist the Minister or the Director-General of Health in administering or enforcing various acts. What will that assistance mean in practice, for example, under the Infectious Diseases Act, which functions will remain with the Minister or the Director-General, and what command arrangements will apply during a public health emergency similar to SARS or COVID-19? Finally, as more licensing inspection and enforcement functions are brought together within a single organisation, what safeguards will ensure appropriate separation between those functions? Next, what Parliament and the public will be able to see. The Cordlife episode demonstrates the importance of regulatory transparency. Significant failures can remain undiscovered for long periods if incidents are not reported and regulators do not otherwise detect them. HSA already publishes annual reports. Following these transfers, will the Minister commit to including dedicated reporting on regulatory performance, including the number of inspections conducted, significant incidents reported, enforcement actions taken, licence suspensions or revocations imposed, investigations comments and concluded, and the deployment of auxiliary authorised officers. The Cordlife episode illustrates why such reporting matters. According to MOH's public statements temperature excursions stated back to November 2020 were not disclosed during or after a September 2022 routine inspection and the matter came to light only after a public complaint in July 2023.[+5 sentences] Parliament and the public should be able to assess not only whether serious incidents occur, but how they were detected, how quickly they were addressed, and whether regulatory and interventions were effective. Appropriate confidentiality protections may sometime be necessary. However, Parliament and the public should still be able to assess whether the transfer functions are being exercised effectively. Next, data research records and digital evidence. The Bill strengthens investigative powers concerning electronic records and digital systems. Under clause 26, the proposed new section 45(2)(a) of the Human Biomedical Research Act permits authorised officers to inspect and copy electronic material.[+7 sentences] The proposed new sections, 45(2)(i) and 45(3) permit them to operate electronic equipment, convert relevant data into documentary form, transfer that data to storage devices and remove these devices. The proposed new section 45(10)(d) permits officers to require assistance, including user names, passwords, and other authentication information to gain access to computers, electronic devices, and electronically stored information. Such powers may be necessary for effective investigations. However, healthcare and research system often contain extensive clinical research and genetic information unrelated to the suspected contravention. I would therefore like to ask the minister what safeguards will govern the collection, access, retention and disposal of electronic information obtained during investigations. How will HSA ensure the access remains necessary, proportionate, and limited the information relevant to the investigation? Where larger datasets may initially be obtained, what procedures will be used to identify and segregate information relevant to the investigation from unrelated material? What retention policies will apply after investigations conclude particularly given that the proposed new section 45(12) entitles an authorised officer without payment to keep information or things or copies or extracts provided under section 45(9)(a)?[+6 sentences] How will user names password and other authentication information disclose under the proposed new section 45(10)(d) be protected and subsequently disposed of? The Bill, also provides for records and information, including data in any form to be transferred to HSA. Under clause 9, the proposed new section 36A of the Health Sciences Authority Act 2001, includes and I quote, "records and information (including data) in any form", unquote, within the definition of an asset, while the proposed new sections 36B and 36E provide respectively for the transfer of relevant assets and liabilities, and for specified government records to become records of HSA. Corresponding provisions for the second transfer are found in clause 10, particularly the proposed new sections 36F, 36G and 36J. Will access rights be revealed before migration, rather than simply replicated in the new environment. Next, auxiliary authorised officers. The Bill allows the appointment of the auxiliary authorised officers, including suitably qualified private individuals under clauses 24 and 34 of the Bill respectively.[+17 sentences] Given that these officers may exercise important regulatory and enforcement functions, the Government should clearly explain their scope of authority, training requirements, supervision, arrangements, complaints, processes and safeguards against conflicts of interest. Regulated institutions and members of the public should be able to readily ascertain the legal basis on which any inspection entry or request is made. Will the Minister of State also clarify what training, supervision and conflict of interest safeguards will apply to auxiliary authorised officers, and what recourse will be available if a regulated institution believes that an officer has act improperly or exceeded the limits of appointment? Next, the institution that must live with this. These reforms should not impose unnecessary administrative burdens on regulated institutions. Existing licenses, approvals and compliance records should continue seamlessly after each transfer date. Will the minister confirm how ongoing applications, inspections, investigations and appeals will be handled during the transition? Will institutions continue to have access to previously submitted records? Will a transition guide be published before commencement, identifying the responsible authority contact points, and any procedural changes for each transferred function? For smaller institution with limited compliance resources, will HSA adopt a risk proportionate approach and provide practical guidance and more assistance? Next, independence of healthcare professional regulation. The Bill also gives HSA the function of providing administrative services to bodies responsible for regulating persons under the listed healthcare profession regulatory Acts. Administrative services may appropriately be shared. However, there's an important distinction between supporting a decision and making it. HSA may provide administrative support, but decisions on registration complaints, investigations, disciplinary proceedings and professional standards must remain with the professional regulatory bodies, such as the Singapore Medical Council, which Parliament established for that purpose. A healthcare professional facing a complaint or disciplinary proceeding must have confidence that the decision is being made by the relevant statutory board. A patient who has made a complaint must likewise have confidence that the matter is being considered by the proper body independently, and according to the law. Can the Minister confirm that HSA's role will be confined to administrative services and will not extend to statutory decision-making concerning registration, professional standards, complaints, investigations or discipline?[+12 sentences] Who will determine the allocation of staff supporting each professional regulatory body? What safeguards will ensure that confidential Con information concerning complaints, fitness to practice, investigations and disciplinary matters is appropriately segregated and accessible only to staff authorised to support the relevant regulatory body? A person corresponding about a disciplinary matter should be able to tell from the letter or email received whether the communication is administrative communication for HSA, or a decision on the direction of the relevant professional body. Next transfer of employees. Successful implementation will depend on officers carrying these functions forward. I welcome the Bill's protections, preserving continuity of service and terms, no less favourable than those enjoyed immediately before transfer. I would like to ask how affected officers will be consulted. Also, what steps are being taken to preserve institutional knowledge and ensure continuity for ongoing applications, investigations and disciplinary matters? Mr Speaker in Mandarin, please, (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, this Bill transfers some of MOH's public health regulatory functions, as well as administrative support for the healthcare professional regulatory bodies, to HSA. Such consolidation will help centralise expertise and improve efficiency. While I support the overall direction of the Bill, I believe that one aspect of the Board's governance arrangements deserves further scrutiny. HSA's published Board currently comprises 11 members. Under the new provisions, a meeting may be held with only four members present, fewer than the current quorum of five. HSA's powers and functions are expanding, yet the minimum quorum for Board meetings is being reduced.[+7 sentences] This does not appear entirely consistent with the objective of strengthening accountability and oversight. I hope the Minister will reconsider this provision. After all, the greater the concentration of power, the clearer the accountability must be. For persons appointed to assist with enforcement, the authorities must establish stringent requirements governing qualifications, training, supervision and the declaration of conflicts of interest. The public and regulated entities must also be clearly informed of the powers these persons possess, the circumstances in which they may enter premises and the mechanisms through which the relevant decisions may be appealed. Where biomedical research, human tissue, patient information and genetic data are concerned, the authorities must ensure that such information continues to be subject to stringent and proper safeguards during its transfer, access, use and disposal. MOH and HSA should also clearly explain their respective responsibilities, particularly, in relation to licensing, investigations and enforcement decisions, so that the public knows who makes each decision and which agency complaints should be directed to. Although HSA will provide administrative support to the healthcare professional regulatory bodies, their independent functions in registration, disciplinary matters and professional standards must continue to be safeguarded.[+4 sentences] The authorities should provide clear transitional arrangements and support channels for small and medium-sized research institutions and technology startups. Affected employees should also receive adequate communication and training to ensure that experience and expertise are not lost during the restructuring. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill. (In English): In standing the concern and clarifications I have raised, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Yip Hon Weng.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang)1972 words
[+13 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, in 1960, a newly appointed medical reviewer in the US received an application for a sedative already sold widely overseas and promoted as safe, including for pregnant women. Routine approval was expected. But the evidence troubled her, so she withheld approval. To the public, nothing appeared to happen: no commercial launch in the US and no apparent crisis. Keep that quiet decision in mind. Its significance lies not in what followed, but in what it prevented. In healthcare, safety rests on an invisible contract of trust. We depend on regulators to detect risks that residents cannot see, and to act before those risks become tragedies. Parents banking cord blood trust that storage standards will hold. Patients using connected devices trust that their software is secure. Families placing an elderly parent in a nursing home trust that standards will hold in their absence. Parents sending a child to school trust our institutions to stand between that child and those profiting from addiction. Singapore knows the cost when that contract is broken. Approximately 17,050 Cordlife clients had cord-blood units in six tanks that came under investigation. Subsequent audits identified further governance, incident-reporting and operational lapses, and MOH stopped new cord-blood collection and processing.[+4 sentences] For affected families, this was no administrative defect. They may face years of uncertainty over whether their child’s cord blood will remain viable when needed. As Vice Chair of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Health and having worked previously in MOH’s Smart Regulation Division, I support this Bill. I saw firsthand that effective regulation requires better judgement, not simply more rules. The Bill transfers MOH’s Regulatory Compliance, Regulatory Transformation and Surveillance and Enforcement Divisions to HSA, expanding its responsibilities across healthcare services, biomedical research and biological agents.[+36 sentences] It transfers administrative support for professional boards while preserving their statutory and disciplinary independence. I welcome safeguards preserving transferred officers’ service, remuneration and accrued benefits. Reform must protect the public and those expected to deliver it. Bringing regulatory intelligence, science and enforcement together can better protect Singaporeans. But larger is not automatically better. HSA must extend its reach, exercise restraint and demonstrate readiness. Reach means acting where harm occurs. Restraint means keeping power within trusted boundaries. Readiness means protecting patients while enabling safe progress. Good regulation is not measured by how fast or slow it moves. It moves at the speed the evidence allows. First, Mr Speaker, Sir, powers mean little if a regulator cannot reach suppliers, support the frontline or intervene before harm spreads. Youth vaping makes this urgent. This Bill creates no new anti-vaping powers; its relevance is whether consolidation makes enforcement more intelligent. Vaporisers can carry etomidate and other harmful substances. They are concealable and sold through private messaging channels to the young. I have received encouraging feedback from several schools that detected student-vaping incidents have fallen substantially year on year. But detection is not prevalence. Lower numbers must not mask activity moving underground. Supply chains may change their methods; their commercial purpose remains. The legal authority to tackle vaping sits under the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act. But transferring MOH's Surveillance and Enforcement Division should strengthen HSA's ability to act under those existing laws. Will HSA publish indicators showing whether consolidation strengthens intelligence-led action against importers, online sellers and distributors, and whether falling school incidents reflect genuine reductions rather than displacement underground? Enforcement must be felt upstream, where profits are made, not merely downstream, where an addicted young person is easiest to catch. Schools also have a practical problem. Their internal toolkits have limits. Teachers are educators, mentors and counsellors, not forensic investigators. If every teacher becomes an enforcement officer, we risk weakening the pastoral trust needed to identify addiction early and help a student recover. Will HSA use its additional institutional capacity to provide trained mobile enforcement support to schools, operating under the proper statutory powers and backed by a clear escalation protocol and named operational contact? Enforcement must remain joined to rehabilitation. A student caught with a vape may be addicted, exploited or drawn into distribution. Our sharpest enforcement should target those who profit, while schools retain space to educate, counsel and restore. Success is concrete: fewer sellers reaching our children, fewer teachers diverted from teaching and more young people helped to quit before experimentation becomes dependency. That is what reach looks like on the ground. Second, Mr Speaker, Sir, reach alone is insufficient. Confidence depends not only on whether a regulator acts, but how. The Bill allows suitably qualified persons outside the Public Service to become auxiliary authorised officers under the Human Biomedical Research Act and Healthcare Services Act. This may increase inspection capacity, but unlike full officers, they cannot search premises, inspect medical records, seize items, or test and remove biological samples and specified materials.[+8 sentences] Their remaining powers are significant: entering premises during business hours, photographing people and activities, operating electronic equipment, copying non-medical data and requiring information. Under the Healthcare Services Act, non-compliance without reasonable excuse may be an offence. To a clinic operator watching an auxiliary officer access a terminal connected to patient, billing and research information, this may not feel like a limited inspection. Three safeguards are essential. First, meaningful consent. The Explanatory Statement says auxiliary officers may enter only with consent and that refusing consent is not an offence. Yet proposed sections 45A and 41A say that an officer "may" enter during normal business hours without expressly stating "with consent". If consent is the legal boundary, it should appear in the operative law, not only in explanatory text. Will the Minister amend the provisions to state expressly that entry requires consent and that refusing consent is neither an offence nor an act of obstruction?[+11 sentences] An operator should never be uncertain whether access is consensual, compelled under another statutory provision or undertaken through criminal investigative powers. Next, digital privacy. One clinic terminal may connect to billing, research, medical records and cloud networks. At the keyboard, the boundary between medical and non-medical information can blur. Digital access should leave a reviewable audit trail, governed by rules on scope, data minimisation, legal privilege, retention and deletion. Accountability is equally important. Auxiliary officers need standards on qualifications, training, confidentiality and conflicts of interest, with sanctions for misuse. Clinics, research subjects and the public need a transparent complaints process and independent review where appropriate. There must also be rapid escalation. If entry is refused or evidence may be destroyed, a full authorised officer must be able to intervene quickly. Urgency, however, must not blur the line between consent and compulsion. Will HSA publish a clear enforcement code of conduct before auxiliary officers begin work?[+13 sentences] Such a code should support, not substitute for, clarity in the legislation itself. Enforcement without sufficient authority invites evasion. Authority without clear boundaries invites fear. A trusted regulator must be effective enough to act and disciplined enough to know where its power ends. That is what restraint requires. Lastly, Mr Speaker, Sir, readiness turns statutory promise into practical protection. The Explanatory Statement says the Bill involves no additional Government expenditure. Yet HSA will inherit major functions across healthcare services, biomedical research, biological agents and professional board administration, alongside its regulation of sophisticated medical products and devices. An enlarged mandate supported only by transferred headcount risks moving responsibility without expanding capability. Readiness requires people, proportionality, access and proof. It begins with people. Modern regulation spans connected pacemakers, AI diagnostics, cellular and gene therapies, digital evidence and cloud infrastructure. HSA needs biomedical, clinical, forensic, data and cybersecurity specialists whose skills are in intense demand. Will HSA publish a workforce and capacity plan showing how critical gaps will be filled without weakening existing product-safety responsibilities?[+20 sentences] This must consolidate capability, not queues. Readiness requires proportionality. Inspections and information requests impose costs on standalone dialysis centres, non-profit nursing homes and medical transport providers. Patients may bear them through higher charges or reduced capacity. Scrutiny should follow risk, not organisational size or ease of inspection. HSA should support smaller providers through model documents, submit-once digital processes and differentiated inspection cycles for providers with strong compliance records. Clause 7 also permits HSA to waive fees and charges. That flexibility should follow transparent principles, particularly where small or non-profit providers serve vulnerable patients. Rigorous regulation and proportionate regulation are not opposites. Proportionality directs regulatory attention to where the risk of harm is greatest. Readiness must mean timely access. Regulation should not only keep unsafe products out; it should help safe and valuable innovations reach patients sooner. HSA already uses early consultation, priority review and regulatory reliance. Consolidation should scale and connect these pathways: give Singapore innovators earlier guidance, avoid duplication where trusted overseas assessments can be relied upon and coordinate regulatory review with health-technology assessment for urgent needs. Approval, however, is not the same as access. A promising treatment may be registered yet remain beyond a patient's reach because assessment, funding, procurement or clinical adoption takes longer. Will MOH and HSA publish timelines from submission to regulatory decision and from registration to funded clinical adoption? This would promote Singapore's innovation, accelerate responsible adoption of beneficial overseas technologies and reveal where delay occurs. After HSA's first full year, the public should know whether licensing is faster, high-risk services are inspected, incident responses are quicker and smaller providers face less costs. No inspection, renewal, complaint or disciplinary referral should fall between systems. Will HSA publish a first-year transition audit and dashboard covering turnaround times, risk-based inspection coverage, serious-incident responses, auxiliary-officer complaints and smaller-provider compliance burdens?[+17 sentences] What gets consolidated must become accountable. What becomes accountable must become measurable. That is what readiness demands. In conclusion, Mr Speaker, Sir, the promise of this Bill rests on reach, restraint and readiness. I seek three clear commitments. On reach: publish evidence that consolidation strengthens enforcement where harm occurs, including against those profiting from youth addiction. On restraint: place the consent requirement expressly in the operative legislation and publish clear safeguards for auxiliary officers. On readiness: publish a workforce and transition plan that measures both harm prevented and safe innovation enabled. Reach without restraint can weaken trust. Restraint without readiness can produce paralysis. Readiness without measurable outcomes can become merely a larger bureaucracy. Residents should not need to see the machinery of regulation. They should simply be able to trust that it works. Mr Speaker, Sir, let me return to that quiet regulatory decision that I spoke at the beginning of my speech. The medical reviewer was Dr Frances Kelsey. The sedative was thalidomide. Months after she withheld approval, the drug was linked overseas to severe birth defects affecting thousands of babies. Because she insisted on reliable evidence, it was never commercially marketed in the US.[+6 sentences] America was spared the mass tragedy unfolding elsewhere. For almost a year, it appeared that nothing was happening. That was the achievement. But Kelsey did not delay for delay's sake. She held the line because the evidence required it. Where evidence is weak, haste can harm. Where evidence is strong, delay can harm too. That is the deeper responsibility we place on HSA: not merely to move quickly or cautiously, but to exercise the judgement to know what the evidence demands.[+1 sentence] Our task is to turn individual vigilance into institutional discipline. A regulator's greatest successes are often quiet: (a) the vape that never reaches a child's schoolbag; (b) the data breach that never compromises a patient; (c) the dangerous practice corrected before someone is harmed; (d) the cord blood unit still viable when a family finally needs it; and (e) the breakthrough therapy that reaches a patient in time.[+2 sentences] Some victories prevent harm. Others preserve opportunity. If this Bill gives HSA the reach to act, the restraint to remain trusted and the readiness to prevent harm while enabling timely access to beneficial innovation, it will strengthen that invisible contract of trust.[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari.
Mr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari (Nominated Member)66 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, I declare my interest as the General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE), and I speak on behalf of the Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees, who will represent the officers who will be transferred from MOH to the HSA. HSA already carries a substantial mandate and this Bill broadens it — Sorry. Mr Speaker, can I just take some time?
Mr Speaker6 words
[+2 sentences]Sure. Do you need some time?
Mr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari1 words
[+1 sentence]Yes.
Mr Speaker12 words
[+2 sentences]Okay, let me call on the next speaker first. Dr Hamid Razak.
Dr Hamid Razak (West Coast-Jurong West)890 words
[+16 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Health Sciences Authority (Amendment) and Other Matters Bill. Firstly, I would like to declare my interest as a practicing orthopedic surgeon in private practice. In that regard, HSA is never far from my daily practice. Every implant that I fit in, every device that I rely on in the operating theatre has passed through HSA's approval before it reaches my hands and my patient. In fact, many foreign medical device companies aggressively pursue HSA registration because of its maturity level 4 status with WHO and this is something to be proud of. So, obviously when HSA's powers grow, I take a keen interest in how and why. Our healthcare environment has grown more complex. Regulation today reaches beyond just devices or drugs. We are talking about healthcare services, biomedical research, biological agents and new risks, especially with cybersecurity between connected medical devices, for example. Therefore, there is real merit in building deeper regulatory expertise within one dedicated agency. However, Mr Speaker, Sir, this greater authority to me raises three questions. One, are we clearer about who does what? Two, are policy and practice still aligned? Three, is enforcement ready for what we are asking of it? Let me take each in turn. My first point is on the balance between MOH and HSA. The Bill transfers real regulatory weight to HSA.[+3 sentences] Firstly, administration and enforcement of the Human Biomedical Research Act and the Biological Agents and Toxins Act. Secondly, HSA will also be supporting MOH under a further nine Acts, which includes the Infectious Diseases Act and the MediShield Life Scheme Act. This is not mere reorganisation. It draws a sharper line, MOH as the policy maker and HSA as the regulator.[+17 sentences] There is good reason for this. A dedicated regulator builds deeper expertise, professionalises enforcement and can move faster when risks emerge. But healthcare is not like other sectors. Policy, clinical practice and patient safety are tightly bound together. A regulatory decision can change how a doctor practises overnight. So I ask the Minister these questions: What should stay with MOH and what should sit independently with HSA? In a year or two from now, how would we know that this arrangement produced better regulation and not simply moved it from one organisation to another. My second point, Mr Speaker, follows from the first. If MOH sets policy while HSA interprets the policy and enforces it, a gap can open between intent and execution. Picture a healthcare provider who believes HSA requirement or regulation sits at odds with an MOH-owned clinical direction. Where does this provider turn to? The Bill already gives the Director-General power to issue directions to HSA's officers and requires HSA's chief executive to consult the Director-General before certain approvals. This is a good start, but is this enough for a provider facing a live, specific dispute? Is there a clear individual channel that can be established to get an authoritative answer, quickly, especially, when patient care is on the line? For doctors, healthcare institutions and ultimately, patients, the Government must continue to appear as one coherent regulatory system even when different institutions perform different functions. I would therefore suggest establishing a very clear escalation protocol and dispute resolution mechanisms between MOH and HSA together with a straightforward avenue through which licensees and health professionals can obtain clarifications when regulatory interpretation and policy intent appear to diverge. My third point, Mr Speaker, is on enforcement capability. The Bill lets HSA's chief executive appoint auxiliary authorised officers. Under the Healthcare Services Act, they may enter and inspect premises with consent during normal business hours.[+19 sentences] Their powers are deliberately limited. No search, no testing, no removing of items. There is merit, of course, in getting more manpower, but there is a larger question behind it. We have already seen HSA take on a more visible frontline role, especially in areas such as vaping as enforcement. As its remits grow across healthcare services, biomedical research and biological agents, is its enforcement keeping pace? Enforcement is not merely administration. It calls for legal grounding, investigative skills specific to the sector, and training to manage a confrontation safely. Our Customs officers, our Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers all have specialised officers because their missions demand it. I ask whether HSA over the long term needs the same. A dedicated trained health enforcement service, clearly identifiable and properly accountable. And on the auxiliary officers, one more question remains. What happens when consent is refused? Does the matter automatically escalate to an authorised officer with fuller powers? Operators should know their rights, and our officers should know their protocols. Mr Speaker, Sir, this Bill represents an important evolution in Singapore's healthcare regulatory architecture. Consolidating expertise within HSA can produce a regulator that is more specialised, agile, and capable of responding in an increasingly complex healthcare environment and ecosystem. But greater authority must be accompanied by equally clear accountability, coordination and capability. We should ensure that MOH and HSA continue to speak with one collective voice, that healthcare providers know where to turn to when policy and implementation appear to diverge, and that HSA has the professional enforcement capability necessary to exercise its expanding responsibilities effectively and fairly. With these observations and clarifications, Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker15 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Sanjiv, are you ready to make your speech? I will call on you then.
Mr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari (Nominated Member)930 words
[+12 sentences]Mr Speaker, apologies for the technical glitch. I will start all over again. Mr Speaker, I declare my interest as the General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees, and I am speaking on behalf of the Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees (AUSBE) where the officers will be transferred to under HSA. HSA already carries a substantial mandate, and this Bill broadens it. It will bring new regulatory functions and administrative support for our regulatory bodies for the healthcare profession under one authority. The overarching intent is clear: to strengthen and uplift our national capabilities in public health and safety, so that the whole is more coherent, more responsive to emerging needs, and more effective than its parts. Mr Speaker, there is a certain fittingness to this Bill. The Health Sciences Authority was itself born of a consolidation. In 2001, five departments of MOH were brought together to form one single authority. The reasoning then was clear: to harness technical synergies, build a larger and stronger core of expertise, and to keep pace with a rapidly changing field. Mr Speaker, there is a second continuity that deserves mentioning. When HSA was formed in 2001, the law provided that every officer transferred from those five departments would be absorbed on terms no less favourable than they had previously enjoyed. Today, clause 36C of this Bill extends the same assurance to a new generation of officers.[+5 sentences] The principle is simple: when we recognise and reorganise for the public good, we must not do so at the expense of officers. Behind every function being transferred are people. Officers who administer those regulatory regimes, they process applications, inspect the laboratories, and maintain the registers on which the integrity of our system depends. They are not merely names or positions on an organisation chart. They are public officers who have built deep expertise over many years. Understandably, some may ask what this re-organisation will mean for their jobs, their employment terms and also their future.[+2 sentences] Mr Speaker, I am therefore glad that the Bill provides them with clear statutory protection. I support clause 36C. It provides that, on the transfer date, every transferring employee moves to the service of the authority, and I quote: “on terms no less favourable than those enjoyed by the employee on the eve of the first transfer date." This is an important assurance.[+3 sentences] It makes clear that transfer will not break the continuity of the years of service the officer has. It will not amount to retrenchment or a redundancy. Nor will it deprive officers of the benefits and the entitlements they may have already earned. This is the right principle and I am heartened to see that it is stated plainly in the law. I also welcome clause 36D, which provides for the general preservation of the employment terms.[+5 sentences] This clause protects matters that are important to every affected officer and their family: their accrued leave, their length of service, the continuity of employment, and the employment rights accumulated over the course of their service. These may appear technical when expressed in legislation. But to an officer who has devoted many years of public service, they are deeply personal. Mr Speaker, I would like to focus on subsection (3) of clause 36D. It provides that, until the Authority draws up the new terms and conditions of employment for a transferred employee, that employee will continue on the same terms and conditions as before. This is a fair and necessary transitional safeguard. But it also points to an important next step, and here I would like to highlight to HSA that as it develops the new terms and conditions that will apply to the transferred officers, I hope that it will take into consideration, work strongly with AUSBE, so that they make sure they can come up with a comprehensive, fair and equitable sets of terms and conditions for the officers that are transferred.[+15 sentences] I also seek that it consults, and continues to work closely with, their union, AUSBE, as it develops these new terms and manages the transfer. Engaging AUSBE early can help surface issues, build trust in the transition, and this is also how the workforce can manage the change successfully, and to ensure that every officer transferred is present, and the decisions taken make sense and is important to them. Mr Speaker, just want to add two more hopes. First, I am confident that the HSA and the Ministry will communicate directly and early with each affected officer. And second, I hope that preserving existing terms will be treated as the floor, and not the ceiling. These officers are bringing valuable institutional knowledge and specialised expertise into an authority that will depend on their expertise for years to come. The transition should therefore also be an opportunity to invest in their development, recognise their expertise and provide them with clear pathways to learn, contribute and progress within HSA. Mr Speaker, this Bill will strengthen the institution entrusted with safeguarding our health sciences. But institutional strength does not come from organisational structure alone. It also comes from the people who carry the work, uphold professional standards and preserve public confidence in our regulatory system. A stronger authority is our common objective. A well-protected workforce must be our commitment. And close engagement with the union will be one of the best ways we can make sure that every affected worker will be able to continue forward with confidence. As we strengthen the institution, let us also strengthen the people within it. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Kuah Boon Theng.
Ms Kuah Boon Theng (Nominated Member)1689 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Health Sciences Authority (Amendment) and Other Matters Bill, and to seek clarifications regarding the operationalisation of the changes envisaged by the Bill. I wish to declare that I am a lawyer who provides advice and legal services to healthcare institutions and healthcare professionals, as well as to professional bodies within the healthcare ecosystem. I am currently an active member of institutional review boards reviewing biomedical research studies, and as legal counsel, I also handle complaints and disciplinary cases that come before the Singapore Medical Council. This Bill seeks to consolidate important healthcare regulatory functions within HSA. It will expand HSA’s current remit from primarily product regulation, for example, relating to health products, devices, blood and forensic science, to encompass facility regulation, biomedical research oversight, biological agent control and administrative support for the professional boards.[+13 sentences] This consolidation aims to promote clearer accountability, stronger operational coordination and to maintain more consistent and robust regulatory capability. These goals are laudable, but for the goals to be achieved, HSA will need to be provided with adequate resources to carry its expanded mandate and detailed planning will need to take place to ensure a seamless transition. In this regard, I seek the Ministry’s clarifications and assurance on several matters. First, what steps have been taken and will be taken to ensure a smooth transition of regulatory functions, and to minimise disruptions. The transfer of property, assets, liabilities and employees that is consequential to this Bill will be on a significant scale. I am sure we can all agree that it is essential to preserve legal and administrative continuity in all aspects of the important work that will be affected by this major reorganisation exercise. The provisions in the Bill that relate to statutory continuity do not automatically translate into operational continuity. A function may legally continue but institutional knowledge can be lost, systems may not be interoperable and responsibilities can become unclear in the midst of a handover, especially one of this scale. With this in mind, can the Minister of State provide details of the concrete steps that have been taken and will be taken to prepare for this transition? In particular, has MOH drawn up a detailed function-by-function transition plan and identified the critical processes that will require greater attention during the handover? Can we ensure that system access and contingency arrangements are in place? Will there be a single accountable transition lead, a formal handover protocol, parallel operations where necessary and will there be published service continuity indicators? What safeguards are being put in place to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of regulatory, clinical, investigative and disciplinary records as they move between institutions? The Minister of State has indicated that the implementation of this transition will be in two stages – November 2026 and, I believe for SPB, it will be next year.[+9 sentences] Are these intended to be hard deadlines or will there be stipulated readiness criteria that need to be met before effecting the handover of each statutory function? An example of a critical function that could become vulnerable to disruption is the work of the secretariat that currently supports professional boards, handling complaints against healthcare professionals. Pursuant to the Bill, an entire department presently residing with the Singapore Medical Council will move to the HSA. Of course, the statutory functions of the individual professional boards will continue to vest in each statutory body in accordance with the relevant legislation, for example, the Medical Registration Act (MRA). For this work to continue without disruption, we must ensure that records are kept and handled securely, and the quality of services provided in terms of case administration, legal support, scheduling, correspondence and so on must be maintained. Institutional knowledge must also be preserved. A disruption at the secretariat level can adversely impact the work of the professional boards. This in turn will affect the confidence of complainants, practitioners and the public. In my view, the secretariat that currently supports the professional boards already has many pressing needs and priorities to attend to. As of now, there are still old complaint cases that were lodged well before 2020 that have yet to be cleared.[+8 sentences] There is also a need to keep up with the work of arranging training for those who serve on Inquiry, Complaints and Review Committees as well as those who sit on the Disciplinary Tribunals. As I understand it, it has been some years since such training was arranged. I also recently called for the Sentencing Guidelines for Singapore Medical Disciplinary Tribunals to be revisited and revised as part of an overall effort to ensure that SMC Disciplinary Tribunals' sentencing decisions continue to be in line with Court decisions. I seek the Ministry's assurance that this reorganisation is not going to result in any setbacks in clearing the backlog of complaints and that all cases will be handled efficiently and competently. I am sure we can all agree that cases need to be resolved in a timely manner. We must also ensure that the decisions are defensible and well-reasoned. There are other clarifications I would like to seek regarding specific clauses of the Bill. May I ask, first of all, what it means to require the Chief Executive of the HSA to consult the Director-General of Health? The Bill transfers substantial powers under the Biological Agents and Toxins Act from the Director-General of Health (DGH) to HSA's Chief Executive (CE).[+2 sentences] Clause 19 provides that the CE may grant the specified approval only after consulting the DGH. Clause 22 applies similar language to a range of other provisions under that Act. Is this consultation process intended to be a mandatory procedural pre-requisite to the lawful exercise of power?[+3 sentences] To my mind, requiring consultation ordinarily does not mean you need to secure approval or concurrence. The HSA's CE could remain the ultimate decision-maker. Is the wording of the Bill intended to allow CE to proceed so long as DGH has been given a timely opportunity to express a view and that view has been duly considered even if it falls short of an approval? If consultation is mandatory, what is the consequence of non-compliance?[+18 sentences] Would the decision be legally vulnerable and liable to be set aside? Will there be a written record of the consultation and the matters considered? I accept that excessive formalities could slow urgent regulatory decisions, particularly where biological safety is concerned. However, the answer is not to allow uncertainties to remain. The Bill or its implementation framework can provide an expedited consultation process for urgent cases, with clear time limits and documented reasons, all the while preserving the integrity of the process. Legal clarity will protect both public safety and the validity of regulatory action. Next, I would like to ask about the auxiliary authorised officers who need not be public officers or officers of a public authority but will be entrusted to carry out duties pursuant to the Human Biomedical Research Act and the Healthcare Services Act. The Bill provides that these officers may enter and inspect premises and conveyances with consent during normal business hours, but their powers are limited. For example, they may not search the premises or conveyance. They also do not have the power to inspect, take copies or take extracts from medical records, or to test, examine or remove items, such as equipment, blood sample or products of the human body, that are found on the premises or conveyance. I agree that limitations on the powers of these auxiliary officers are necessary. The issue is whether the dividing line between entering and inspecting on the one hand and searching on the other is always that clear in practice. I also note that the criterion for appointment is simply to be suitably qualified, but what that means is not clear. At the end of the day, it will be critically important to ensure that all auxiliary officers employed for such duties are properly trained, including in data governance and medical confidentiality, so that they do not overstep their bounds. In terms of the resources to be provided, the Bill's Explanatory Statement states that it will not involve the Government in extra financial expenditure. Yet HSA will assume a materially expanded portfolio – additional regulatory, enforcement, research oversight and professional board support functions. Consolidation of functions can produce efficiencies, but sometimes these efficiencies can only be achieved down the road and not immediately. If HSA is expected to do more, it must have the people, systems and funding to do their job properly. Can the Minister of State clarify how the expanded mandate will be resourced?[+10 sentences] Was this already accounted for in the MOH Budget? Will the relevant portion of the MOH Budget, headcount and systems simply be transferred? Beyond transferred resources, has there been a workload and capability assessment identifying additional needs and legal services, investigations, scientific expertise, data governance, cybersecurity, case management and even corporate support? Will HSA receive additional manpower and resources if the essential work to ensure a seamless transition makes it necessary? Finally, I note that the Minister will be empowered to assign other functions to HSA by Gazette notification. This delegation of power is quite a broad one. May I ask the Minister of State if the intention is for this power to be exercised only in respect of other functions that are related or ancillary to the ones already contemplated by this Bill, or could the scope of HSA's regulatory responsibilities potentially be expanded much more than what Parliament is currently being asked to approve? Mr Speaker, I support the Bill because I believe that a more integrated regulatory structure can in the long run strengthen Singapore's healthcare system. However, implementation of an institutional redesign of this scale must be carried out in a manner that preserves continuity, clarity in terms of legal duties and obligations, professional independence and timely service. I therefore look forward to receiving the requested clarifications and assurances and to hear more about the concrete steps that will be taken to address the issues I have raised. Subject to these assurances, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker60 words
[+1 sentence]Order. We have been in the Chambers for five hours now.[+1 sentence] I propose to take a break. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 3.45 pm.[+4 sentences] Order. Order. Sitting accordingly suspended at 3.26 pm until 3.45 pm. Sitting resumed at 3.45 pm.
Mr Deputy Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Haresh Singaraju.
Dr Haresh Singaraju (Nominated Member)1193 words
[+15 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, I declare my interest. I am a registered medical practitioner regulated by the Singapore Medical Council and I head a polyclinic licensed under the Healthcare Services Act. I support the Bill. I start with the consolidation of the professional regulatory system under which every registered healthcare professional in Singapore will practise. The Bill's logic is sound. Seven professional boards regulate our doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives, pharmacists, optometrists and opticians, TCM practitioners, and allied health professionals. Each runs its own administrative office. The result is duplicated systems, thin capacity, and cases that take too long. Consider what that delay means for the two people inside every case. A patient who complains has usually thought hard before doing so. It takes some courage to question the person who treated you. Having filed a complaint, they may then hear little for years, no clear account of where their case stands, or when it will end. For the professional, an unresolved complaint puts a career on hold and follows them home: practice continues, but under a cloud, whatever the outcome. Within the professions there is a plain phrase for this: the process itself is the punishment. It falls on complainant and professional alike, and on the deserving and undeserving alike. The Bill's answer is to consolidate this work into one secretariat within HSA, an agency that already runs regulatory operations at scale.[+25 sentences] This should shorten proceedings, and for both parties in every case, that is the most important reform available. Capacity, however, is only half of what a disciplinary system requires. The other half is independence. The public accepts judgement by professional peers because that judgement is informed by evidence and clinical reality. In return, the professions hold themselves to a standard higher than the law demands. This arrangement retains legitimacy only if the public can see that complaints are decided independently, neither buried to protect a professional, nor driven by the institution that made them. The Bill changes the architecture of that independence in three connected ways. The authority's officers will inspect clinics. The authority's officers may file complaints against practitioners of any of the seven professions, exempt from the statutory declaration required of a member of the public. And the secretariat that receives complaints, compiles evidence, and administers the Complaints Committees and Disciplinary Tribunals will consist of the authority's staff. The exemption from the statutory declaration is defensible. An officer referring inspection findings performs a duty and is answerable to the criminal law if the information is false. The oath is replaced by institutional accountability. But institutional accountability is only as strong as the governance behind it. This Bill places complaints, evidence and the administration of judgement in one organisation, and is silent on what will separate them. The boards remain the deciders, and I do not doubt their integrity. The question is structural, not personal. A sound system does not depend on the good faith of those inside it. It is built so that good faith can be checked from outside. The design question has been answered before. Australia brought some fifteen professional boards under one national agency, with functions ring-fenced and oversight made independent. Its regulator publishes how each concern is managed, how long each stage should take and what support exists for the person who complains and for the professional complained about. Consolidation and accountability were designed together. We can do the same. I therefore make two recommendations. First, that the separation of the authority's inspection and complaint functions from its secretariat function be set out in a published governance protocol, and that the arrangement be subject to periodic independent review.[+1 sentence] Professionals and patients alike should be able to see the separation, not merely be assured of it. Second, that the Ministry publish timeliness standards for the new secretariat, in particular, the median time from complaint to Complaints Committee decision, reported regularly, and commit to keeping both parties, complainant and professional, informed of the progress of their case and directed to available support throughout.[+13 sentences] These are the parts of the system that the people inside it actually feel. Within this second recommendation, I ask that one word be given a central place in the new secretariat's purpose: education. Sanction must remain available and must be applied where warranted. But a disciplinary system generates knowledge as well as verdicts. The consolidated secretariat will hold patterns across every complaint in all seven professions: what brings a patient to complain, what is dismissed and why, and where competent professionals err. Returned to the boards and their registrants in aggregated and anonymised form, these patterns would allow every complaint, including those dismissed, to improve practice across the professions. A system that only punishes produces fear. A system that also teaches produces better professionals and a safer public. Sir, the principle beneath both recommendations that trust must be designed in from the start, not repaired afterwards applies equally to two further responsibilities this Bill hands the authority. The first is research. The Bill transfers the administration of the Human Biomedical Research Act to the authority. Research misconduct is changing in character: artificial intelligence can now generate plausible data, images, and manuscripts, making fabrication easier to commit and harder to detect. Singapore's standing as a research hub rests on the integrity of its results. The authority should build the capability to detect fabricated and AI-generated research data from the outset of its stewardship, not after the first serious case arises.[+2 sentences] The second is inspection. When inspectors arrive at a clinic, patients notice, and a routine visit can create the impression of wrongdoing where there is none. Inspection practice should distinguish clearly between routine assurance and for-cause investigation, so that a visit that finds nothing costs nothing. I also note the firm line the Bill draws around medical records for the new auxiliary officers. That line protects patient confidentiality, and it must hold in practice as it reads in law.[+1 sentence] Sir, the interests of the public and the professions converge here. A professional who fears the disciplinary system practises defensively: more tests, more referrals, less candour when things go wrong. A professional who trusts it discloses error earlier, and patients are safer for it.[+13 sentences] Fair, timely, and visibly independent discipline is not protection for the professions. It is a condition of good care. The Bill consolidates well. My recommendations ask that it separates, reports, and teaches equally well. Mr Deputy Speaker, allow me to say a few words in Tamil. (In Tamil): The central idea of this Bill is very simple. Both the patient who lodges a complaint and the healthcare worker who is the subject of that complaint must receive justice swiftly and fairly. Thiruvalluvar said this in just two lines: "When investigating a matter, do it thoroughly and impartially; and deliver a verdict that is fair to all, the proper way." To investigate thoroughly, to stand impartial and to deliver justice: this is the proper way. A system that only punishes will breed fear. A system that whereas teaches from mistakes will create trust. And it is only with trust that good medicine can be practised. (In English): Sir, I support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Choo Pei Ling.
Dr Choo Pei Ling (Chua Chu Kang)820 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Deputy Speaker, I declare my interest as a registered member of the Allied Health Professions Council and an imaging neuroscientist at the Singapore Institute of Technology researching stroke recovery, work governed in part by the Human Biomedical Research Act. The provisions in this Bill are not abstract to me. This Bill consolidates regulatory functions from the Ministry, the Human Biomedical Research Act, and the Secretariat of Healthcare Professional Boards under HSA.[+17 sentences] I accept the Ministry's position that this responds to healthcare regulation becoming genuinely interconnected. AI, new care models, and cross-cutting enforcement no longer respect old organisational lines. My key message is that Singapore's regulatory capability can itself become a competitive advantage for our biomedical ecosystem. But that promise must be earned and not assumed. I want to offer one observation about what this Bill does and does not do. It is structural. It moves functions, offices and enforcement powers into one agency. It does not, on its own, create new rules for the technologies that make this coherence necessary in the first place, such as AI-enabled medical devices. That is not a shortcoming. New rules should follow evidence and not precede it. But it does mean the real test of this restructuring lies ahead, in what HSA does with the structure it has been given, not in the structure itself. The points I raise today are really one question asked in different ways: how will we know, in practice, that this move has delivered the coherence it promises? Take an adaptive AI-enabled medical device, of the kind now emerging in rehabilitation and diagnostic settings. Such a device can touch health products regulation, human biomedical research rules during validation, and professional practice standards once a clinician is using it. One of the most common frustrations for researchers and innovators working with genuinely novel technology is not the substantive review itself, but simply establishing which regulatory pathway even applies, before review can begin. This is not a criticism of any officer's judgment. It reflects technology moving faster than existing categories. Could the Minister share whether HSA intends to commit to a defined turnaround time for classification decisions on genuinely novel products, so that predictability becomes something innovators can plan around and not just a description of intent?[+2 sentences] Second, on technical depth: the Chief Executive of HSA will be the single statutory office-holder accountable for domains as distinct as human biomedical research, clinical trials, health products and professional practice. No one individual can hold deep expertise across all of these, and I do not think anyone expects them to. I accept it would be impractical to legislate rigid criteria for scientific advisory input, since the expertise needed will keep evolving. But could the Minister confirm whether, once technical advisory panels for domains like human biomedical research and AI-enabled devices are formed, their composition and areas of expertise will be disclosed to Parliament, even if only after the fact?[+2 sentences] Third, on research governance. Administration of the Human Biomedical Research Act is moving to HSA, but ethics review of individual protocols still happens at each institution's own Institutional Review Board (IRB). It is a well-recognised feature of research governance in Singapore and internationally that IRB rigour and panel composition can vary between institutions, and that reviewers are not always specialists in the particular research area before them. I would ask whether this restructuring includes any parallel effort to harmonise IRB training or competency standards across institutions.[+14 sentences] And separately, what recourse exists for a principal investigator who believes a review decision was shaped by something other than the merits of their protocol. Fourth, on oversight. This Bill brings search-and-enforcement powers, research governance and product regulation under one statutory office holder. I accept this is coordination, not concentration for its own sake. But as I understand it, the reporting and escalation protocols meant to preserve oversight are administrative arrangements, not statutory guarantees. I would ask that they be made more transparent. Fifth, on auxiliary authorised officers. These officers, drawn from outside the public service, bring valuable technical expertise. But the safeguards on paper – consent-based entry, no access to records or biological material – cannot fully remove confidentiality and conflict-of-interest risk, particularly as these officers may move between industry and regulatory roles over time. I would ask that vetting and recusal obligations for these officers be actively monitored and not only assessed once at appointment. Finally, could the Ministry commit to a defined point at which this restructuring's success will actually be assessed against indicators, like cross-domain processing times and stakeholder experience, rather than leaving the outcome to be judged only in general terms? Mr Deputy Speaker, I raise these points in support of this Bill, not against it. The direction is right; getting the details right is how we make sure it works as intended, and not just on paper. I support this Bill, and I look forward to the Minister of State's response.
Mr Deputy Speaker5 words
[+1 sentence]Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam3862 words
[+6 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank Members for their support for the Bill and for raising important questions about how this new regulatory architecture will work in practice. Members have, in different ways, raised the central issue behind this Bill – integration must result in better regulation, not simply a different organisational structure. I agree. The success of this consolidation will ultimately be judged by whether the system becomes more coherent, responsive and easier for stakeholders to navigate while maintaining strong safeguards for public health, trusted by both the public and those whom we regulate. Several Members raised questions on the delineation of roles and responsibilities between MOH and HSA, the importance of ensuring close coordination between both agencies, and the scope of functions that HSA may take on in the future. Dr Hamid Razak asked about the philosophy behind the redistribution of functions between MOH and HSA, and called for clear mechanisms to ensure alignment in regulatory policy and operations and resolve disputes if any. As I shared earlier, this move will house healthcare regulatory operations across products, services, health information and professionals within a single organisation, HSA.[+8 sentences] This enables HSA to build deeper regulatory, scientific, operational and enforcement expertise across these regulatory operations while ensuring stronger integration and coordination for industry. This Bill thus enables us to strengthen our national regulatory response so that we are better placed to handle emerging issues. After this move, MOH will remain responsible for the strategic direction for Singapore’s healthcare system to ensure that it remains safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable. MOH will set national healthcare regulatory policies as aligned to the strategic direction. HSA will undertake and execute the regulatory functions within the scope of this Bill in support of MOH’s policies and directions. This Bill does not seek to separate policy from regulation, but rather to better delineate institutional responsibilities. Policy and operations will remain closely intertwined and aligned. Mr Dennis Tan asked who will be in command during a public health emergency. MOH will continue to lead the overall public health response and national decision-making, including under the Infectious Diseases Act.[+18 sentences] This Bill does not affect the Government’s arrangements in handling public health emergencies. As a well-established Statutory Board within the healthcare family, HSA already has regular reporting, escalation protocols, joint review processes and regular meetings with MOH’s senior management and the Minister. With this expanded scope, we will also strengthen collaboration and coordination at the working level with cross-agency project teams, and cross-exposure for both MOH and HSA officers to ensure that policy intent is consistently understood and applied on the ground. Ms Kuah Boon Theng asked about the consultation process with MOH on specified matters, and Dr Choo Pei Ling asked if it would be more transparent to include reporting and escalation protocols into statute. We conducted a thorough review and where such consultations are critical, the relevant provisions have been built into the respective Acts. For instance, under the Biological Agents and Toxins Act, the CE(HSA) can only approve the possession of certain high-risk biological agents after consulting the Director-General of Health. This requires the views of the Director-General of Health to be sought and duly considered before a decision is made, even though the ultimate statutory decision remains with the CE(HSA). Appropriate records of such consultations and decisions will be maintained. Restricted human biomedical research will be subject to a similar legislative regime. For other areas where policy and regulatory authority remain with MOH, such as the HCSA and the Health Information Act, HSA will continue to consult and seek the necessary approvals from MOH senior management in its administration and enforcement. Where a regulatory matter has wider policy implications, MOH and HSA will continue to work through these issues together. Ms Kuah asked whether the power to assign “other functions” to HSA by Gazette notification could expand HSA’s regulatory responsibilities well beyond what Parliament is currently being asked to approve. I want to assure Members that this is not the intent. Such provisions do not allow the Minister to amend substantive regulatory rights, obligations, offences or requirements within the underlying Acts by administrative order. As with any subsidiary legislation, the functions that may be assigned by the Minister must come within the purposes of the Act, which means that the newly assigned function must relate to the updated functions conferred on HSA in the Act. This provision is not new and already exists in other Acts, such as the Communicable Diseases Agency Act, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority Act, and the Skills and Workforce Development Agency Act. This provides the legislative flexibility to accommodate further assignments as necessary and ensures the Government is optimally organised to address the evolving healthcare landscape. Mr Tan asked why the Board quorum is being reduced. The revised quorum threshold, set at the higher of one-third of Board members or a minimum of three members, is aligned with other Statutory Boards, such as the Energy Market Authority, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Communicable Diseases Agency. More importantly, this amendment should be considered in the broader context of the changes to HSA's board governance. We expect the board size to grow beyond its current 11 members to meet HSA’s expanded mandate.[+5 sentences] Hence, the Board quorum would realistically remain at five or more at the steady state. Members asked whether HSA’s capacities and capabilities are keeping pace with its expanding responsibilities and how AAOs will fit into the overall enforcement picture. I note Dr Hamid’s suggestion to establish a dedicated uniformed health enforcement service. I appreciate the need for our enforcement officers to be properly trained and identifiable. I would like to reassure Members that HSA does have a dedicated enforcement unit with officers trained and equipped to conduct surveillance and enforcement operations. With the transfer of functions, the corresponding manpower and resources, including legal, information technology and corporate support within MOH and SMC will be transferred to HSA.[+16 sentences] MOH and HSA will continue to review the operational capabilities, workloads and systems required to support the expanded mandate. Where further resources or expertise are required to discharge these functions effectively, these needs will be addressed through the appropriate resourcing processes. Ms Kuah referred to the Explanatory Statement that the Bill does not involve additional Government expenditure, and I would like to clarify that this relates to the legislative changes introduced by the Bill itself. Where additional capacity, expertise or other resources are needed for HSA to discharge these functions effectively, HSA will be adequately resourced. The different functions, operations and processes will also be integrated and, where necessary, redesigned. For instance, structured training and development programmes for enforcement officers will be strengthened to support HSA’s widening enforcement mandate. Officers will also be supported by technical and subject-matter experts where needed, so that enforcement actions are well-informed and grounded in domain expertise. Where appropriate, HSA will continue to take a whole-of-Government approach and work with other law enforcement agencies to address public health concerns, as we do today for youth vaping. Mr Yip Hon Weng also raised the need to strengthen mobile enforcement support to the schools while allowing schools to focus on education for the youth who vape. While this Bill does not change the substantive vaping regime under the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act, the consolidation can support stronger coordination of HSA’s existing surveillance, investigation and enforcement capabilities, and continue to enhance its existing collaboration with MOE to support any further investigative work needed. Regarding questions on AAOs, Members have rightly observed that enforcement requires different interventions and powers depending on the specific circumstances. The objective should therefore be to ensure that HSA has adequate powers and capacities to perform the full spectrum of enforcement operations, from routine inspections and audits to investigations into serious cases requiring formal enforcement action. AAOs are intended to complement HSA officers, so the relevant provisions for them do not replicate the full powers of HSA’s authorised officers. As raised by Ms Kuah, the practical distinction between “entering and inspecting” versus “entering and searching” lies in the circumstances that trigger them. Entering and inspecting is, in most situations, routine and pre-arranged and is about verifying compliance in the ordinary course. Entering and searching, by contrast, occurs when there are reasonable grounds to believe that a breach or patient safety incident has occurred, and more thorough investigation is required. AAOs cannot exercise the full range of powers available to authorised officers under the relevant legislation, including search, seizure and other investigative powers. On the issue of entry raised by Mr Yip and Dr Hamid, the policy intent is that entry by AAOs under these provisions is consent-based as routine inspections and audits, where AAOs are likely to be deployed, are generally pre-arranged and scheduled in advance.[+7 sentences] Refusal to provide such consent does not, by itself, constitute an offence of obstruction. In the unlikely event where consent is not provided, the matter would be escalated to the overseeing HSA officers with the requisite statutory powers and HSA officers will still be deployed. AAOs will also act under HSA's authority and direction, and their work will be subject to regular review and oversight. The public or healthcare providers can directly reach out to HSA if they have any concerns regarding AAOs or believe that powers have been exercised improperly. Mr Tan asked how HSA would ensure that access to information, especially confidential information, is segregated, proportionate and limited to relevant information. Today, regulatory officers only have access to IT systems and information on a need-to-know basis as determined by operational needs. This will remain the same, moving ahead. As a Statutory Board, HSA will continue to abide by prevailing public sector data governance requirements, including how HSA manages information, such as data storage, data disposal and sharing with third parties, such as AAOs.[+15 sentences] Mr Yip rightly observed that modern health regulation increasingly requires diverse expertise ranging from clinical medicine and biomedical science to AI, cybersecurity, advanced therapies, digital evidence and data. Besides enforcement capabilities, this consolidation is also about building the regulatory expertise Singapore will need for the future. Dr Choo also asked how the chief executive of HSA could personally possess deep expertise across all these areas. The answer is that no single individual can, nor should our system depend on that. The strength of a modern regulator lies not in the expertise of one statutory office-holder, but in the collective expertise, systems and governance of the institution. HSA will need to continue developing specialist regulatory teams, strengthening training and career pathways, recruiting new expertise where necessary, and drawing on appropriate external scientific, clinical, legal and technical expertise. Safeguards will be put in place as part of the recruitment and deployment of suitably qualified private sector individuals or specialist experts. There will be appropriate governance frameworks to establish the scope and requirements for such individuals. These officers will be appointed only where they possess the relevant qualifications, experience and training required for the functions they perform. For instance, deployments will only be made after clear requirements on qualifications and experience are met, conflicts of interest are properly declared and managed, prescribed procedures are followed, and officers are properly supervised and trained. The statutory powers conferred on these individuals will also be deliberately circumscribed to address our intended needs. On the concerns raised by Members regarding digital privacy and data safeguards, appropriate requirements and training on confidentiality, information handling and data protection will apply. Let me address the important points raised by Dr Haresh Singaraju, Ms Kuah and Mr Melvin Yong on healthcare professional regulations. Indeed, behind every professional complaint are at least two people directly affected by the process – the patient who has raised a concern and the healthcare professional whose conduct is being examined. Both deserve a process that is fair, rigorous and timely. Bringing the functions of SPB under HSA will strengthen the administrative capability and consistency of case management. However, the transfer of functions does not affect the independence and statutory autonomy of the Professional Boards and Councils over healthcare professional matters, for instance, over professional standards and disciplinary decisions.[+6 sentences] Within the various healthcare professional Acts, there are relevant safeguards to protect the independence of these appointed committees and tribunals that remain external to HSA. HSA's role is to provide and manage the staff and administrative resources to support the Professional Boards and Councils, such as case preparation and review, conflict-of-interest checks and further investigations. The decision-makers remain independent, regardless of who supports the process. HSA will also ensure external communications are clear on whether they are administrative correspondence on behalf of or a statutory decision of the relevant professional board or council. Nonetheless, we will ensure that HSA officers who support these committees do not introduce bias or exert undue influence on their decision-making process. Appropriate governance arrangements will preserve the confidentiality of professional regulatory and disciplinary matters, and ensure that access is limited to officers who require it for their work. For this reason, SPB will be moved to HSA at a later stage, allowing a phased and careful approach to reviewing and finetuning these operational arrangements, including setting out clear governance measures.[+5 sentences] For complaints and disciplinary proceedings, Members suggested that the Ministry publish timeliness standards and commit to keeping parties informed of progress. The various professional Acts already prescribe statutory timelines for the complaints and disciplinary process, although the exact timelines differ by profession and by stage. Importantly, we should be thoughtful about how any additional timeliness standards are framed as, committees and tribunals must be given the space to conduct thorough and fair inquiries, and timeliness should not come at the expense of rigour as disciplinary proceedings carry significant consequences for the professionals involved. What matters as much as speed is that parties are kept informed and supported throughout. We will look at how this can be strengthened as part of the consolidation. Today, complainants and professionals are kept informed of outcomes at various stages of the inquiry. We will look into strengthening the case management process to provide clearer communication to both complainants and professionals throughout the process and ensure that appropriate support is available to them.[+14 sentences] Ms Kuah highlighted if this reorganisation may impact the timelines of ongoing cases. I reiterate that this consolidation is to strengthen administrative capability and case management over time. Ongoing proceedings will continue through the transition, supported by proper handover of records, case information and institutional knowledge. We agree that beyond deciding cases, a robust professional regulatory system should also allow those who are regulated to learn from it. Analysing the aggregated data and trends of complaints and disciplinary cases can surface recurring issues in clinical practice, communication and professional behaviour that are worth addressing more broadly. This is not something new. We already share learnings from the published grounds of decisions from committees and tribunals. HSA will build on this by sharing lessons drawn not only from disciplinary cases, but also more comprehensively from inspections and audits across healthcare institutions, services, and product manufacturers and dealers, and relevant intelligence from consumer organisations and professional bodies so that the same issues do not arise again. To build up stronger operational support for the Professional Boards and Councils to carry out the functions as I have outlined above, from case management to data analysis and sharing of lessons learnt, HSA will ensure that skills training and capability development are further strengthened for staff supporting the various complaints committees and disciplinary tribunals. Mr Yong and Mr Sanjeev Tiwari also asked about the officers affected by this transition and the support for them. Let me assure Members that officers transferred to HSA will do so on terms no less favourable than those they currently enjoy. As shared in my opening speech, the objective of the legislative transfer is to enable a smooth transition while safeguarding affected employees and their existing benefits. Beyond employment terms, we recognise that officers may have questions about their professional identity, future career opportunities and adapting to a new organisational environment. We have engaged staff, addressed their concerns and will continue to support them through this change. Where job scope changes, officers will be provided with reskilling opportunities and on-the-job training so that officers are equipped with the capabilities needed for their evolving responsibilities.[+8 sentences] We will also look at opportunities for broader career development pathways, cross-domain learning and stronger multidisciplinary regulatory teams. As HSA manages this transition, we have and will continue to engage closely with the unions to help surface concerns, strengthen communication and build trust as changes are implemented. This reflects Singapore's tripartite approach, where employers, unions and the Government work together to support workers through change while ensuring that their voices are heard. Members asked how we will know in practice whether this restructuring delivers more coherent and effective regulation rather than merely shifting responsibilities between organisations. What I have just shared earlier on learning from past lessons across the scope of regulated entities is an area in which we can deliver better value to our stakeholders. One other measure of success lies in how regulation keeps pace with emerging technologies and innovation. With genuinely novel technologies such as AI-enabled devices, the first challenge is often not whether a particular regulatory requirement is met, but simply determining which requirements apply at all. An integrated health regulatory function should be better placed to resolve such questions, allowing innovators to engage HSA early for timely guidance on whether regulatory requirements apply and if so, which regulatory pathway to pursue. HSA will also be better placed to advise on the governance structures needed to ensure the safe deployment of such AI devices within institutions, including the rollout of regulatory sandboxes where appropriate, and to work with the Professional Boards and Councils on the safe and ethical use of AI devices by healthcare professionals in day-to-day practice.[+7 sentences] Another measure of success, as Dr Hamid and Mr Yong rightly pointed out, is the experience of stakeholders. A healthcare provider or professional should not be expected to navigate institutional boundaries to obtain an answer. Similarly, patients and consumers should not need to understand institutional boundaries before knowing where to turn for help, particularly where their concerns span healthcare services, products and professionals. The Government already adopts a no-wrong-door approach, ensuring that feedback and enquiries are routed to the right agency. This will continue, but we recognise that more can be done to make the experience more seamless for those who need it most. With the transfer of functions to HSA, our aim is for stakeholders to experience one coherent regulatory system, with clear avenues to obtain authoritative guidance and escalate genuinely cross-cutting issues where necessary, and where enquiries and concerns can be received and dealt with more seamlessly. As with any significant restructuring, there will be a period of adjustment as the new organisation takes shape. Our immediate focus is on ensuring a smooth transition and operational continuity. It is therefore premature to prescribe specific performance indicators at this point as further work is needed to ensure that any adopted indicators truly reflect and drive the organisation towards the outcomes we have described.[+6 sentences] Notwithstanding, HSA will continue to be accountable to MOH through the established governance arrangements for Statutory Boards, including its annual reporting. Ms Kuah asked about operational continuity, distinct from statutory continuity. The preparatory work in mapping out the affected functions, critical processes and operational dependencies started ahead of the Bill. Extensive preparatory work was conducted, including consultation with stakeholders, conducting a review with external consultants, and consulting international experts. Extensive preparation has also been undertaken across MOH and HSA, including on IT systems, transfer of records, transfer of budgets, institutional knowledge and operational workflows. We have also engaged our regulated entities and communicated how they may be affected, if any. We will continue to engage them and ensure that they know who to approach for their respective regulatory matters. This is also why implementation is phased, allowing us to stabilise the first phase, learning from implementation, and prepare for the second phase so as to ensure that regulatory services and ongoing cases continue without disruption throughout the transition.[+3 sentences] That said, regulatory performance should not be judged simply by whether every process becomes faster. Some of a regulator's most important work involves taking the time required to scrutinise a difficult task properly. Equally, where evidence is strong and a beneficial innovation can safely reach patients, unnecessary delay also has consequences. The objective is therefore not regulation that is invariably faster, but regulation that is timely, evidence-based and proportionate to risk. It is also worth noting that HSA's regulatory timelines are comparable with those of other established overseas regulatory counterparts, particularly for innovative medicines and medical devices, reflecting a careful balance between efficiency and rigorous assessment.[+1 sentence] This is aligned with Mr Yip's point on risk proportionality. A risk-based approach directs regulatory attention and resources to where the potential harm is greatest and regulatory requirements, inspections, and enforcement should be calibrated accordingly while maintaining the standards necessary to protect patients.[+5 sentences] Ultimately, these must translate into value for patients – safe and good quality health innovation and services administered by healthcare professionals who are trusted by the public. These are the broad measures of success of a good regulator. Finally, I note that Dr Choo asked specifically about the training of Institutional Review Boards and raising of their competency standards, Mr Yip asked about the adoption of innovations beyond registration, Dr Haresh asked about policing the wider research literature for AI-fabricated data, and Mr Tan asked about safeguards to address access to electronic health records, which already exist in legislation such as the HCSA and the Health Information Act. All these responsibilities raised by the various Members span the wider healthcare and research ecosystem and will not be affected by this Bill. They are currently being addressed under separate workstreams. Nonetheless, HSA in its expanded scope will continue to ensure that the regulatory interfaces work coherently with the relevant institutions and agencies so that good research is protected, beneficial innovation can progress responsibly towards patients and emerging risks are addressed collectively.[+1 sentence] Mr Deputy Speaker, Members have asked how we can be sure that this consolidation does not simply result in a more unwieldy regulator – one that is larger in structure but no more effective in practice. I will say that this Bill is about building a more integrated, responsive and future-ready healthcare regulatory system to meet emerging challenges.[+4 sentences] The measure of success will be whether this integrated regulatory system is better able to protect patients and the public, learn from where systems or practice can improve, and enable safe and responsible innovation. Patients experience healthcare as a single, continuous journey, and so, our regulatory system must be capable of seeing that whole journey too. With the right people, expertise and systems in HSA, clear accountability to MOH, and the statutory roles and independence of our Professional Boards and Councils fully preserved, I am confident that this Bill lays a strong foundation for a regulatory system that is coherent, trusted and fit for the challenges ahead. With that, Sir, I seek to move.
Mr Deputy Speaker74 words
[+2 sentences]Are there any clarifications for the Minister of State? No? . (proc text)]
A Singapore Where Every Child Can Flourish: Creating Safe Environments›Matter Raised On Adjournment Motion6 turns · 2,929w
· 22 highlighted
matter-adj-3029
The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah)18 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, Sir, I seek to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn."
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Prof Kenneth Poon.
Prof Kenneth Poon (Nominated Member)1570 words
[+25 sentences]Mr Speaker, we will celebrate Children's Day soon. Last year also marked the 30th anniversary of Singapore's ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. These occasions invite us to reflect on a simple but profound question. What kind of childhood do we want to create in Singapore? Having visited many cities, I can say with confidence that Singapore is a wonderful place for children to grow up. We have a strong healthcare and education system and, as we heard at the recent National Day Rally, substantial investments in families and children. Singapore is a society that places great value on the next generation. I believe our aspiration can go further. Singapore can be a place where every child can flourish. This includes children with disabilities, children from disadvantaged backgrounds and children who may not do well according to conventional markers of success. Flourishing should not be reserved for those who excel academically or fit within our expectations. I understand flourishing as children growing up in safe and nurturing environments, displaying confidence and adaptability to navigate life's challenges, experiencing meaningful relationships and belonging, and cultivating a sense of purpose through meaningful contribution. Today, I would like to focus on the first aspect of flourishing – mainly, safety. By safety, I mean more than protection from immediate harm. I mean creating secure environments in which children can grow, form relationships, explore, make mistakes and become who they can be. I will consider this in three ways – safe from harm, safe in relationships and safe to grow. Safe from harm. Mr Speaker, as we often say, low crime does not mean no crime. Singapore is a safe place for children, but it is not risk-free. Child abuse still occurs. In reviewing The Straits Times' reports of child abuse cases between March and August this year, among these reports were cases where the alleged perpetrator was someone familiar to the child. This includes adults occupying positions of authority, access or trust. These media cases are not representative of child abuse nationally and should thus not be treated as prevalence data. Nor can we reliably predict who will perpetrate abuse. The important lesson for us is that children need ready access, across settings in which they live and learn, to trusted adults with whom they can raise concerns about their safety. This is particularly important for young children and children with developmental or communication difficulties who might find it harder to recognise abuse and to describe what has happened or seek help. I therefore welcome the recent announcement by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura or MUIS) that it will develop a common safeguarding framework across mosques in Singapore and that it will strengthen training for staff and volunteers, clarify reporting and escalation procedures, and help children, parents and educators recognise concerns and seek help.[+2 sentences] This is a useful example of how organisations that routinely engage children can approach safeguarding systematically. Can we build on this principle more broadly? Could organisations that routinely work with children adopt a common minimum standard of safeguarding built around three layers of protection?[+14 sentences] First, access. Children should know who the trusted adults, in addition to their family members, are, whom they can approach when they feel unsafe, including, where appropriate, someone outside their immediate setting. Second, capability. Adults who routinely work with children should receive basic safeguarding training to recognise possible signs of abuse, respond appropriately to disclosures, and know when and how concerns should be escalated. Third, organisational safeguards. Child-facing organisations should have and articulate appropriate policies, reporting and escalation procedures, and safeguards that reduce opportunities for harm. The aim is not to turn every professional into a child protection specialist, nor to impose identical requirements on very different organisations. It is to rather establish common principles that can be implemented proportionately across different settings. And when concerns are raised, there must be clear referral pathways and sufficient capacity to assess and respond. Safeguarding cannot end with reporting. The ultimate outcome must be that the child is safe and supported. Safe in relationships. Sir, the second dimension is being safe in relationships. Bullying matters because its effects need not end when the bullying stops. Longitudinal research shows that victimisation is associated with increased risks of mental health and social difficulties that can persist into adulthood. I therefore welcome the Ministry of Education's (MOE's) Comprehensive Action Review Against Bullying.[+2 sentences] Recent Parliamentary discussions have focused very rightly on reporting, disciplinary consistency, victim support, online harms and the needs of children with special educational needs. MOE already monitors reported bullying incidents and is strengthening how schools respond to them. Could the next step be to complement this with systematic attention to children's lived experience of safety?[+10 sentences] Do children feel safe and accepted? Do they have trusted adults whom they can turn to? Do they believe adults will listen when they raise concerns? And after bullying occurs, is their sense of safety and belonging restored? Because when determining whether an environment is safe, children possess information that adults do not. We therefore need developmentally appropriate ways of listening to them. I just want to clarify that I am not calling for another reporting requirement for teachers. Rather, it should complement what educators already observe with a better understanding of how children themselves experience their social environments. There is also another group we should not overlook – bystanders. Bullying seldom occurs entirely unseen. Could we do more to build a culture of active upstanders, where children are equipped to recognise bullying, know how to speak up safely and trust that adults will act when concerns are raised?[+1 sentence] Safeguarding should be a shared responsibility. Ultimately, the outcome is not whether an incident has been reported, investigated or resolved, but rather, whether the child feels safe again.[+20 sentences] Safe to grow. Mr Speaker, finally, as many school-going children begin their revision after this recess week, let me turn to what I describe as excessive performative pressure. The question is not whether children should aspire and strive. They should. As a psychologist and as a researcher in human development, I know that aspirations and challenges are important parts of development. Children gain confidence through effort, mastery and overcoming difficulty. The concern arises when pressure becomes excessive. This occurs when children experience continual comparison, the fear of falling behind, overly optimised schedules or the sense that a single outcome may determine their future. At that point, the pursuit of achievement can begin to crowd out other things that children need to develop – rest, relationships, exploration, agency and opportunities to discover who they are. This discussion must include us as parents. Being one myself, I know we want the best for our children. We encourage them to work hard and make the most of their opportunities. But we parents are ourselves responding to signals around us – about schools, qualifications, opportunities and what constitutes success. Perhaps, we should also ask whether, in our anxiety to prepare our children for the future, we can sometimes inadvertently communicate that achievement, credentials and keeping ahead matter more than other dimensions of their development. I say this with some humility because I, too, struggle as a parent. However, children internalise the expectations of the adults around them. Parents have agency, but parents need not resist the education arms race alone. I therefore welcome Minister Desmond Lee's Education Conversations and MOE's continual efforts to address the education arms race and broaden our understanding of success. This requires shared responsibility. As MOE addresses the structural drivers, I would like to suggest two complementary approaches. First, could we equip parents to distinguish healthy developmental challenge from excessive pressure, and to recognise when our understandable aspirations begin to affect a child's well-being or sense of self? Second, could we listen more systematically to children themselves, not only monitoring academic outcomes but understanding their experiences of pressure, fear of failure and agency, and whether they have sufficient space for rest, relationships and exploration?[+15 sentences] The goal is not to ask less of our children. It is to create the conditions in which they can strive without believing that their worth depends upon how they perform. Mr Speaker, children are our future. But they are also our present. The quality of their childhood matters not merely because of who they may become but because of who they already are. Singapore does not lack opportunities in these areas. We have strong policies and programmes across Government and the community. My argument today is that we can build upon these through a broader understanding of what children need to flourish – to be safe from harm, safe in their relationships and safe to grow. Across the three runs a common principle – listen to the child. A child experiencing abuse needs to know that there is a trusted adult who will listen. A child experiencing bullying needs to know that speaking up will lead to action and the restoration of safety. And a child growing up amid intense expectations needs the space to tell us how those expectations are being experienced. Ultimately, a flourishing Singapore depends upon flourishing children. And perhaps, a society should be judged not simply by how far its highest achievers go but whether every child is given the opportunity to flourish. So, to all children and those young at heart, Happy Children's Day, and enjoy your holidays.
Mr Speaker6 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Parliamentary Secretary Dr Syed Harun.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi)1305 words
[+10 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank Prof Kenneth Poon for his suggestions. We share the Member’s conviction that every child, regardless of backgrounds, should grow up in a safe and supportive environment, where they can explore, learn and flourish. Safeguarding our children cannot be the responsibility of schools, or that of any single Ministry alone. It requires a whole-of-society approach. Children grow up across many settings – within their families, among friends, in schools and in their neighbourhoods. Each of these settings shapes how safe and supported our children would feel. That is why close collaboration with our partners lies at the heart of the Government’s efforts – to protect our children from harm, to nurture healthy relationships and to support their growth. Let me share how we have strengthened this collective endeavour. First, we want every child to be protected from harm and to grow up in a safe, loving environment. We agree with Prof Poon that children must learn how to seek help from trusted adults. Starting from preschool, under the Nurturing Early Learners Framework, we teach our children to develop awareness of safety practices, including body safety and how to seek help when they feel hurt or unsafe.[+8 sentences] This learning then continues in Primary 1 through Character and Citizenship Education, where students learn to protect themselves in physical and online spaces, and to speak up when something does not feel right. We recognise that not every child will be able to speak up readily. Therefore, we train adults who work closely with children to spot possible warning signs and respond appropriately. In preschools and schools, educators, teachers, school counsellors and student welfare officers are trained to spot signs of child abuse and neglect, and report suspected cases through the appropriate channels. Frontline professionals in healthcare institutions and social service agencies are similarly trained and guided by evidence-based tools to identify and report abuse concerns. But as Prof Poon reminds us, these adults can only respond effectively if they are supported by clear organisational processes. Many child-facing organisations regulated by public agencies already have such policies and measures in place. These include requirements for staff to have the necessary qualifications and training, undergo background screening and follow clear processes for reporting and escalating concerns. Beyond these publicly regulated settings, there is value in strengthening safeguarding processes across the broader ecosystem. We welcome Prof Poon's suggestions, including the establishment of a common safeguarding baseline for organisations that routinely work with children.[+9 sentences] As he highlighted, MUIS’ work to develop a common safeguarding framework across mosques is a welcome example of a community partner taking steps to strengthen safeguarding practices within its sector. We will continue to review how to better support child-facing organisations to put in place safeguards for our children’s safety. We also agree with Prof Poon that children must feel safe in school. Supportive relationships and learning environments give them the confidence to take risks, to make mistakes and to learn together. In turn, this helps them become curious, collaborative and resilient lifelong learners. We have taken decisive steps to strengthen the well-being and safety of our children in schools and in online spaces. Prof Poon mentioned the recent Comprehensive Action Review Against Bullying. Indeed, the comprehensive processes and measures in our schools not only protect students from hurtful behaviour but also help restore the sense of safety and belonging of those affected. We will continue to do more to support our students’ sense of safety and well-being. From 2027, schools will increase the availability and accessibility of reporting channels and support for affected students, and all schools will develop an anti-bullying policy, in accordance with MOE guidelines. To further support educators in managing incidents, MOE will continue to strengthen professional development, including training in conflict resolution and parent engagement.[+13 sentences] Prof Poon has also suggested that we build a stronger culture of active upstanders, in which children are willing and able to stand up for one another. This is an important form of early intervention, and we are strengthening our efforts in this area. We are enhancing our character education efforts to strengthen social-emotional skills, such as empathy and conflict management in our students. Our schools will also continue to foster a strong pro-social peer culture that encourages students to look out for one another, to stand together against hurtful behaviours and to support those affected. Beyond managing bullying incidents, we agree with Prof Poon that we must also pay careful attention to our children’s daily lived experiences of safety and well-being, including their mental health. Today, schools are guided by a framework on student well-being, which covers physical, psychological, cognitive and social well-being. The framework highlights key areas in each domain, including a student’s sense of belonging and their state of mental health. This has guided schools in designing tailored interventions and addressing their students’ well-being needs. Schools have also enhanced feedback mechanisms over time, such as termly check-ins to provide insights into students' social-emotional well-being and peer relationships. And this enables our teachers to intervene and strengthen peer support networks in a timely and focused manner. Finally, let me turn to how we are addressing the excessive performance pressure that some children face in education today. As Prof Poon has shared, an excessive focus on academic results and achievement can erode students' love of learning. It can also crowd out the time and space our students need, especially in their formative years, to explore and develop their strengths and interests. That is why MOE has taken decisive steps in recent years to move away from an over-emphasis on academic grades and to nurture in every child the joy of learning throughout life. These steps include removing mid-year examinations at all levels and moving to the PSLE Achievement Level system, freeing up more time for students to explore interests beyond the classroom. We know that more can, and must be done, and MOE is prepared to review the system broadly. That is why we launched the Education Conversations in May: to hold open and frank discussions with parents, students and educators on how we can further reduce excessive competition and the over-emphasis on academic achievement.[+1 sentence] Through the Conversations, we have heard many reasons for these pressures and varied ideas on how to address them. MOE will carefully study each of these suggestions, including their merits and trade-offs.[+3 sentences] We will share our plans in due course and we welcome Members' support for this effort. As MOE considers how the education system should evolve, we must recognise that competition and the pressure to achieve do not begin nor end in our schools. They extend into the workplace, our families and wider society. A deeply held social narrative persists: that good grades are the only route to better opportunities, higher-paying jobs and ultimately, a "good" life.[+5 sentences] Beyond educational interventions, this will require a broader and sustained shift in mindsets across society, especially in what we value and how we define success. We must recognise that the values and dispositions our children develop will matter just as much as, if not more than, their academic credentials and achievements. To conclude, each of us has a role to play in shaping the environment in which our children grow up. Let us continue working together to build a society where: our children are safe from harm; they feel safe to learn, explore and grow in school; and they have the time and space to look beyond academics and to develop the values and dispositions they need to flourish in life. We welcome the ideas and insights of partners, such as the Member, as we continue this collective effort to help every child grow well, to flourish and to contribute to society.
Mr Speaker27 words
Pursuant to Standing Order 2(3)(a), I wish to inform hon Members that the Sitting tomorrow will commence at 11.00 am.[+3 sentences] Order. Order. Adjourned accordingly at 9.33 pm.
Time Limit for Senior Minister of State's Speech›Motions2 turns · 152w
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motion-3025
The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah)65 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, to give Senior Minister of State Goh some peace of mind to finish his speech, 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 Senior Minister of State Goh Pei Ming's speech?
Mr Speaker87 words
[+3 sentences]I give my consent. Does the Leader of the House have the general assent of hon Members present to so move? [(proc text) Resolved, That the proceedings on the item under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No. 48(8) in respect of Senior Minister of State Goh's speech. ‒ . (proc text)]
[+3 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, I move* that "This House calls for the Government to enhance food resilience and support efforts to reduce food waste through partnerships with all of society, so as to ensure Singaporeans have access to affordable food supply amidst geopolitical uncertainties and climate-related risks." Food is close to the hearts of most Singaporeans. But our Food Story is an irony. Singapore is one of the richest countries in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, producing high-value semi-conductor chips, pharmaceuticals and petroleum products. But a basic necessity – food – we can only produce less than 10%.[+2 sentences] On the one hand, this is merely the free market functioning at its best – we do what we are good at and we import what we cannot grow ourselves. Thanks to the invisible hand, Singapore imports more than 90% of our food from more than 180 countries all over the world, incurring significant freight costs and carbon footprint along the way. As a result, a country which can lay claim to only 10% of its food production is perceived as one of the most food-secure countries in the world. However, from the heights of this false security, we throw away some 800,000 tonnes of food every year.[+21 sentences] This is not just a waste of food, we waste further resources in the process of wasting – both in transportation and incineration. This is the sum total of our peculiar, recondite irony. Meanwhile, food prices have been increasing, especially with the ongoing Middle East conflict. With the increase in fuel cost, utility fees, shortage in fertilizers and El Nino affecting crop yields, we can expect a further increase in food prices in the coming months. Singaporeans are becoming anxious about rising food costs, especially for big families living on a modest income. Unfortunately, the recently disbursed Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers will not be sufficient to offset the higher costs in the long run. What is the lesson from Singapore's Food Story? An easy moral is something like this: We are importing excessively, throwing away too much edible food and in turn, contributing to higher food prices. We would be better off producing more food locally, wasting less and keeping food prices more affordable. This is a stark but false narrative. As a free market, we must respect how business price in decisions, including whether and how much to import. But as a country, we must make sure that we have some capacity to produce food. More importantly, that all of us, rich or poor, have access to safe, fresh and affordable food at all times. I ask not for caviar and artichokes, but for fresh fruit, fish and eggs. Not for air-flown or imports from exotic places, but that all be nutritious and safe to eat. The unstable equilibrium in our food story comes not from the poor working of the market, but from the institutions and architecture of food supply and consumption. We need a two-step solution: as a matter of policy, we need a more coordinated food import policy and food redistribution ecosystem; as a society, we need to leverage on the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, to redistribute more rescued food, prepare healthy meals for the low-income families and seniors, reduce their food expenses and keep them well-nourished. Together, these add up to a holistic national food strategy. In this Motion, we will offer suggestions on how we can strengthen our food ecosystem, improve food circularity and also ensure food affordability for all Singaporeans, both in peace time and during times of geopolitical uncertainty and climate-related risks. My colleagues in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC), who are also co-sponsors of this Motion, Ms Nadia Samdin, Ms Valerie Lee and Mr Ng Shi Xuan, will share their views on local food production, food supply chain and logistics and alternative proteins production respectively. To be fair, in recent years, Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has worked hard to help our local farms become more productive, by using more advanced farming technologies and setting up the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation (SAFEF) Framework to ensure food quality, safety and sustainability, as well as marketing schemes, such as SG Fresh Produce to encourage off-take. SFA has recently redefined its original 30 by 30 goal announced in 2019 with more specific targets of producing locally – 20% greens and 30% seafood and eggs consumed by 2035.[+6 sentences] To supplement our local food production, SFA has also strengthened and increased our food supplies via stockpiling, deepening international partnerships and diversifying food sources. My question here is stark: are we cutting ourselves too thin with less than 10% self-sufficiency in food production rate? To better understand how our Food Story has evolved, we should look at how we first started. During our nation-building years in the 1960s, the Government had to take a painful transformation to close many vegetable, pig, fish and chicken farms across Singapore, to clear land for flats and factories, to create homes and jobs for Singaporeans. At that time, there were about 20,000 farms, occupying 20% of our land, producing food for about 1.6 million people. Our food self-sufficiency rate was high, especially in poultry, eggs and pork. Six decades later, we only have less than 200 farms, occupying 1% of our land and producing less than 10% of the food consumed by some six million people.[+2 sentences] Again, I ask – are we cutting ourselves too thin? For context, in many land scarce, industrialised countries, domestic food production typically covers only about 50 to 80% of total food consumption, with the remainder met through imports. For instance, the self-sufficiency in food production rate in Japan is 50%; Switzerland is 54%; United Kingdom is 60%; and the Netherlands is 65%.[+10 sentences] Of course, in a sense, this is a false comparison because these are countries with large rural areas while Singapore is a city state, one of the few city states in the world. We import food, we import water, land and all the factors of production that go into it. We had to close local farms to free up land for homes and jobs. In 1960, Singapore's GDP per capita was only around $1,300. Today, we are one of the richest nations in the world, with a GDP per capita of around $130,000 – 100 times higher. I do not ask for us to travel back in time, that would be foolish and empty sentimentality. But I would like to ask, if we can recalibrate this incrementally, because we have lost much of our food production capability. Can we reclaim a morsel? Today, we have four pillars of the food story. I concentrate on the second pillar – local production as a strategic buffer. Would the Government consider Local Food Production capability as part of our Total Defence Security? Just as we have spent billions of dollars over the past decades to build up our military defence capabilities, the Government may consider increasing our national Budget into building up our local food production capabilities.[+3 sentences] The Government should also help our local farmers mitigate the high land, manpower and utilities costs of local farming production and the aggregate demand for local farm produce. For instance, the Swiss federal government funds farming families to help them meet social and economic responsibilities, via direct payments, market support, structural and environmental grants, as well as food security measures. In fact, in today's growing turbulent and uncertain world, we have experienced through the COVID-19 pandemic and witnessed in the protracted conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, where food supply chains and production capabilities can be unexpectedly disrupted. As the climate continues to warm, food production yields may also be massively affected. Hence, I propose that we review increasing Government support to boost our local food production and self-sufficiency rate to at least 30%.[+6 sentences] My fellow GPC Member, Ms Nadia Samdin, will share her proposal on what the Government can do to better support our local farmers to manage the unique challenges that local farmers face in our land-scarce and high-costs city state. She will also share useful suggestions on how we can shift our approach from just "grow local" to building resilience within the region, which is timely, in view of the "food-secure future" being a key agenda as Singapore takes on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Chairmanship next year. The biggest advantage of domestically-produced food supply is the avoidance of supply chain disruptions, carbon emissions and transportation costs, especially during a crisis. Fellow GPC member, Ms Valerie Lee, will share more about strengthening food supply chain resilience, by gaining better visibility of risks, building sufficient strategic logistics capacity and robust and circular systems to make the best use of food that is already within Singapore. Next, we turn our attention to the second problem, which is food waste. Every tonne of food waste reduced means potentially one tonne less of food that needs to be produced or to be imported. Over the past five years, food waste in Singapore averaged 790,000 tonnes per year or 128 kilogrammes per capita, and contributes to 11% of total waste. The food recycling rate hovers at around 18%.[+32 sentences] To solve the food waste problem meaningfully, we must first know how much food is imported and produced, the amount that is rescued and redistributed, the amount that is recycled and finally the amount that is disposed of. SFA does not publish the amount of food imported annually although they confirm that they import more than 90% of food consumed. In response to my Parliamentary Question filed in the July 2026 Sitting, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment replied that their food waste statistics does not include the amount of food that is rescued and redistributed. My point is that with numerous food suppliers importing food sources from more than 180 countries worldwide, without visibility and coordination of the total amount of food that is being imported, we could actually be importing way more than our 6.1 million population can consume. I give an example of another resource that is also partially imported and also essential to life: water. Here, we know exactly how much we waste, at least along the water system of non-revenue water. We are one of the least wasteful countries in terms of water in the world. Our water loss is less than 5%. This compares with 30% globally, and as high as 50% in some countries. Of course, we do not know how much households waste after that, but we at least have some idea of the network loss. We know exactly how much we produce and how much is delivered to each household. The crux of the problem is that we have much poorer data for food. It is more decentralised, varied and a different type of good altogether. I will share a few proposals which would require community stakeholders and various public agencies to work closely together. Firstly, SFA should connect existing food waste and import data sets already collected across different agencies to improve tracking and insights, using AI and data analytics tools. In addition, SFA should also track donation volumes by major food suppliers and incentivise them to donate the food items before expiry date. I should emphasize that SFA's role is not to intervene in the free market, but to understand the magnitude of food waste and coordinate with the major food importers, such as major supermarket chains, food wholesale centres, big hotel and restaurant chains, and so on, to minimise food wastage. This gives us better data to work with. What is the supply and how much ends up on the plate of the final consumer. Second, food is perishable and it is easier to just throw than to redistribute food. Hence, we unintentionally end up with a growing food waste problem, as we diversify food sources to supplement the meagre local food production. To make matters worse, the food importers would price in food that is not sold and to be disposed of. These business costs will inevitably lead to an increase in food prices too. Hence, we need to create a more circular food ecosystem, so that as far as possible, uncooked food, such as fruits and vegetables, should be rescued and redistributed, unconsumed cooked food, such as buffet dishes, should be sold at a discounted price or given away; while post-consumption food or food scraps should be recycled into high caloric-value animal feeds or fertilizers that will contribute back to food production. In recent years, several innovative solutions to reduce food wastage have been launched, by matching F&B outlets offering unsold food items to consumers. Digital food sustainability platforms, such as Treatsure and Yindii, are digital apps that allow users to purchase unsold food at the end of a business day, at a highly discounted price. Consumers can benefit from substantial savings while enjoying fresh foods. Businesses can cover some business costs instead of incurring food waste removal costs. Another food waste stewardship tech social enterprise, D2L, takes an end-to-end approach to food waste stewardship. D2L works directly with businesses to understand their food waste profile and uses technology and their community ecosystems to direct food and product waste from sources, such as retailers, malls, hotels, offices, food services and so on. Through redistribution, reuse and repurposing, the environmental, social and resource value of waste is maximised. D2L also captures data throughout the food diversion process, including the quantity collected and the different diversion streams, which allows them to generate impact and diversion reports for businesses they work with, to support their ESG, sustainability and other reporting needs. Since business launch in June 2023, D2L has diverted 1,100 tonnes of food waste. FairPrice Group had introduced the IMPerfect Fellas Initiative since 2015, to sell imperfect but edible fruits and vegetables bundled at a maximum of $2. This initiative diverts about 1,000 tonnes of produce from disposal every year.[+6 sentences] To recycle post-consumption food waste, local start-ups, such as Ento and WasteMaster, work with malls and F&B businesses to collect post-consumption food waste and turn it into fish feed supplied to fish farms. These are all good examples of how innovative young entrepreneurs who care deeply about the food waste problem, turn waste into treats or into fish feeds or fertilizers, in turn, closing the gap of food circularity. I propose for the Government to support such start-ups with more seed funding, grants and tax rebates, to help them defray business costs and incentivise them to scale up faster and make a bigger social impact. I also propose the Government to incentivise companies to track the environmental and social impact of the method used to dispose food waste and reward the ones that generate the most positive impact. This will nudge businesses to consider not only the financial cost of disposal but make a holistic assessment of each food waste disposal option. Third, we should give greater support to food charity groups, such as Food Bank, Food Rescue Seng Kang and Fridge Restock Community, and so on. Collectively, these three food charities rescue about 2,400 tonnes of food annually which frees up capacity at the incineration plants. For instance, in 2025, Food Rescue Seng Kang diverted more than 1,000 tonnes of food from the incinerators and turned them into 3.21 million meals that served 312,000 families.[+8 sentences] FairPrice Group also runs a Market Place Programme with Food From the Heart, to redirect packaging-damaged and near expiry non-perishable store items for families in need or for beneficiaries in nursing homes. These organisations have been doing excellent work at the community level, mobilising large groups of volunteers to collect unsold food from the wholesale markets, supermarkets, bakeries, and so on, and distributing the food items to communities and individuals who appreciate these donations. Most of these food charity groups rely on volunteers and donations to run their operations. I propose that more recognition be given to these food charity groups so that they can continue to grow their volunteer base, scale up their efforts and help more communities across various parts of Singapore. Also, Government grants should be given to support these food charity groups to defray their operations and logistics expenses, as well as to incentivise more volunteers to come forward. To further unlock the value of rescued food, we can turn them into fresh and healthy meals for our residents who may not be able to cook their own meals. These days, many seniors stay on their own and may buy meals from the nearby hawker centre or food court stalls, which tend to be high in oil and salt content. In recent years, rising malnutrition rates among older Singaporeans due to insufficient protein intake has become more common. Former MSE GPC Chairman, Mr Louis Ng and I worked with numerous stakeholders and got the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill passed in Parliament two years ago.[+5 sentences] To take this further, beyond distributing rescued fresh food supplies, such as vegetables, eggs and rice, to households, these ingredients could be used to prepare nutritious and low-cost or even free meals for our communities. If food charity organisations, catering companies, community partners and community volunteers work together, we can prepare and deliver fresh and hot meals for seniors staying alone and low-income families living within our community. In a free market, it is not possible to control food prices. However, this initiative would help to substantially lower food expenses for vulnerable groups and ensure they will always have access to affordable food. If the hot meals can be served at convenient venues, such as the Residents’ Network Centres, Active-Ageing Centres or even places of worship in every neighbourhood, then we may be able to establish a nationwide community-dining ecosystem. These community dining sessions are also opportunities for volunteers to engage the beneficiaries, as many seniors living alone suffer from loneliness. I recently started a small-scale pilot for community dining for residents, called Happy Lunch @ Sembawang West, with the support from grassroots volunteers and community partners, such as Food Rescue Seng Kang, and a few other food donors who care about food waste, food affordability, nutrition deficiency issues and are concerned about the vulnerable groups. Freshly prepared and healthy lunches are served free to one hundred residents, every Monday and Friday, at our Residents' Network Centre.[+1 sentence] Residents, especially seniors, enjoy the convenience, the healthy and scrumptious dishes, as well as the company as they dine together. Happy Lunch is one example of how we can improve food sustainability and accessibility to affordable food, as well as strengthen emotional and physical health and community bonds, all at the same time. I propose that MSE, MOH and MSF jointly consider my proposal for a nationwide community-dining ecosystem and provide support to start more small-scale pilots across various towns.[+7 sentences] That way, we can ensure our fellow Singaporeans can always have access to fresh food that is affordable and nutritious, reduce their food expenses, while reducing food waste. Indeed, nutritious food is especially important for the less privileged groups and seniors, in order for them to stay healthy. My fellow MSE GPC member, Mr Ng Shi Xuan, will also be sharing more in his speech, on strengthening protein security through technology and innovation. He will share how resilience can be enhanced with options, buffers, redundancy and insurance, so that Food Story 2 can be strengthened with local alternative protein production. Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to make a few points in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, currently, many people are feeling the pressure of rising food prices and are worried about it. This is due to external factors, like the situation in the Middle East, causing a shortage of agricultural fertilizers and hot weather affecting crop yields. Through this Motion, we are calling on the Government to strengthen food resilience and mobilize society to reduce food waste, making sure that people can still afford reasonably priced food despite geopolitical and climate risks.[+5 sentences] The goal of this Motion is to tackle issues from the source, looking at the situation in a bigger, more strategic way to improve things overall. In the long run, it is about building a more comprehensive infrastructure and strategies to benefit both Singaporeans today and future generations. We are also urging the Government to rethink how to create a more coordinated food import policy and improve the food distribution system to fundamentally and comprehensively reduce food waste. At the same time, we are asking the Government to explore more ways to boost the production capacity and commercial sustainability of local farming. We also hope the Government reviews the food import and distribution system to cut down on food waste. The Government should support and recognize food charity organizations that serve the community and rescue and redistribute over 2,000 tons of food each year, helping those in need spend less while encouraging the public to waste less food.[+6 sentences] (In English): Mr Speaker, when the world is at war, when supply lines are at risk, when the climate has disrupted the natural cycles of crops, we know the fundamentals of our country's security are being challenged. And there is nothing more fundamental than food. Eating good food is the most basic human pleasure, and sharing a meal is the highest form of community and friendship. We must ensure that this daily human ritual is something to be greeted with delicious anticipation and peace of mind, not anxiety and precarity. I hope that this private Members' Motion will be a step in this direction. Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek to move.
Mr Deputy Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Nadia Samdin.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio)2384 words
[+8 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion. One of my clearest memories from the early days of COVID-19 was walking into a supermarket and seeing the near empty shelves. For a nation that loves food, we had to ask ourselves what happens if one day, there is not enough to feed our people. Singapore thankfully came through that period well. Our supply chains remained broadly intact and our shelves were replenished. But the experience made us realise our dependencies on food systems far beyond our shores – systems increasingly vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, climate shocks and disruptions beyond our control. Today, as a mother, I think about this not only in terms of disruptions which we have experienced, but the world our children will inherit. Our responsibility is not only to make sure food reaches our tables today, but to build a system that remains resilient when familiar assumptions no longer hold. Singapore Food Story 2 broadens our approach to food resilience as a whole.[+3 sentences] I believe this is broadly the right strategic shift, but it also requires us to think more carefully about what resilience means in practice, especially for Grow Local. I have three main observations: If resilience is the objective, our scorecard should show where vulnerabilities remain. Sir, we should draw the right lessons from our previous "30 by 30" vision. While we had in 2019 set up an aspirational goal based on nutritional needs, circumstances have changed.[+8 sentences] That is not to say that the past few years were wasted – farm productivity has generally increased for vegetables, for seafood and for eggs. But productivity gains alone do not necessarily translate into a viable and resilient farming sector. The desired outcome is sufficient and reliable access to essential food during disruption, with options and flexibility across different pillars. Grow Local alone cannot hard carry our food resilience strategy, thus our other pillars on stockpiling, partnerships and diversification. However, the number of countries we import from alone does not translate to resilience. We may import the same food item from several countries, but these countries could be exposed to similar disease outbreaks, weather patterns, or logistic routes. Similarly at home, 10 farms may not necessarily give us 10 independent sources of resilience if they all depend on the same things – for example, electricity, water, feed and labour. Where many farms depend heavily on the same input, a shock to that input can become a shock to the whole pillar. Alongside production volumes and number of sources, I would like to ask the Government how we monitor local food production's reliance on imported inputs, including seed, feed, fertiliser and energy, whether the concentration of these input dependencies is assessed and how this is factored into our local production targets.[+8 sentences] I would also like to ask if we consider some level of inputs such as fertiliser and feed as part of our stockpiling strategy, given that is necessary for our regenerative capability. Second, Grow Local is a strategic capability and it should preserve options. Diversified imports and international partnerships protect us against important risks, but they cannot guarantee harvests, prevent climate shocks or create surpluses where none exist. In many countries, the farmer population is ageing as well. Local production remains the pillar Singapore can most directly build, maintain and activate as generative capability. It also supports local businesses and our people. If options and flexibility matter across our food strategy, this matters for Grow Local too. In the sense of diversity in how and what we grow; enough redundancy that one disruption does not disable the whole system; the ability to adapt; and continuity in capabilities that cannot simply be rebuilt overnight. When 30 by 30 was developed, the Government estimated that an average vegetable farm in Singapore produced approximately 130 tonnes per hectare each year, whereas a high-tech farm could potentially produce more than 1,000 tonnes per hectare.[+12 sentences] In land scarce Singapore, controlled environments, hydroponics, aeroponics, automation and precision farming make sense. But different systems protect us against different risks. A controlled indoor farm may be less exposed to heat and rain, but more exposed to electricity prices, equipment failure or specialised inputs – we have indeed seen a number of high-tech farms shut down due to unsustainable costs. Protected soil-based or hybrid farming has a different vulnerability profile; aquaculture yet another. To be clear, this is not an argument against technology. It is an ask if we should think about our farming sector as a portfolio of capabilities, rather than expecting every farm to optimise towards the same model. Agricultural land must understandably contribute meaningfully to production. But can there also be room to better support different categories of farms assessed at a portfolio level including some community-based, smaller or more diverse farms assessed not only on tonnes per hectare, but on resilience value through different crops, species and methods, experimentation, training or preservation of agriculture or aquaculture capability? The next part of my speech focuses on making farms more viable and valuable. Our cost structures should align with the capability we ask farms to build and maintain. Today, they may work the other way. Property tax is one example. Green Harvest is a two-hectare farm with a large automated hydroponic glass greenhouse system, producing up to 4,000kg of leafy vegetables a day.[+11 sentences] Today, fixed improvements such as Green Harvest’s covered greenhouses count as gross floor area (GFA) and forms part of the physical improvements reflected in Annual Value. Could such fixtures be given the same GFA exemption as the area shadowed by solar panels for example. And given the important work farms do in food resilience, could property tax treatment of qualifying productive agriculture infrastructure be reviewed so that it does not work against our own food resilience objectives. Second, controlled environments can insulate production from climate risks but can increase exposure to electricity costs. When prices rise sharply, farms cannot simply stop lighting, cooling, pumping without affecting production. Government supports installation of energy-efficient technology. Could we look beyond to considering energy resilience as part of agricultural land for example supporting onsite solar where feasible and meaningful, storage, passive cooling and backup arrangements? And during exceptional energy-price shocks, could temporary targeted support be considered for strategically important production, particularly where farms have already taken reasonable steps to energy efficient? More broadly, should our support framework consider not only what it costs to transform a farm, but what it takes to keep useful production capability viable through exceptional periods of cost pressure? This will provide farms with some level of assurance as they contribute towards national priorities. Land presents a different challenge. In 2014, 62 farms in Lim Chu Kang were affected by plans to convert farmland for military training, as defence land elsewhere was released for Tengah.[+3 sentences] Some relocated or transformed; others eventually left farming altogether. Uncle William's quail farm did not secure the replacement quail-farming plots offered in 2018 and eventually ceased operations after 69 years. Fire Flies Health Farm closed after more than two decades. Jurong Frog Farm also returned its Lim Chu Kang site. This year, Government announced that land in northern Lim Chu Kang currently designated for defence will instead be re-allocated for future agriculture, while agricultural land in southern Lim Chu Kang will eventually be re-purposed for defence.[+4 sentences] Sir, Singaporeans understand the need for defence as a priority and do not second guess the decisions. However, while land-use plans can change and be rezoned; farming capability is much harder to recreate once it has disappeared. Where future land needs remain uncertain, can our planning scenarios better account for the cost of winding down agricultural capability too early? And where farms ultimately have to exit, could transition support recognise not only another plot, but the costs of winding down or relocating productive systems, and preserving some useful capability? Some southern Lim Chu Kang tenures expire soon in 2026 and 2027, while I understand that necessary reinstatement works for the future defence use may begin only from 2030.[+1 sentence] I understand that extensions can be considered case by case. Where land has been designated for a future use whose works begin sometime later, could there be a clearer framework for interim farm use, rather than leaving it unused? I would also like to ask for an update of the overall Lim Chu Kang masterplan and the Agri-Food Innovation Park.[+20 sentences] For many farmers, dependable offtake can be a challenge. Campaigns on SG Produce will only go so far, especially as many are cost conscious. Procurement models within supermarkets as well may unknowingly bind producers and lead to food waste if they do not allow for pricing flexibility. While Singapore must honour our international commitments including to the World Trade Organization (WTO), can we better recognize that local production carries resilience value? For public and/or institutional procurement of fresh produce, how can we set appropriate requirements around continuity, emergency readiness or reliable production capability, as these are important for our food security? I would also like to ask how we can better support Singapore farmers to capture more value from what they produce, to improve their access to more markets beyond the fresh produce shelf. For example, homegrown enterprise, the Local Farm, works with local farms such as Yili and Hay Dairies, as well as local gelato maker Papitto Gelato on flavours such as round spinach and goat milk chocolate. This creates new ways for local produce to reach consumers and generate demand. Its Farmpack for Good initiative also grows demand that also supports communities in need. It is also exploring research and development (R&D) opportunities connecting research institutions, farmers and food makers, with a view to turning promising research into products and market opportunities. Can we support more efforts like these and build a more systemic pathway around our farms – from produce and research, to products, markets and community impact? While individual farms may not always have scale on their own, could some of that scale be built around our farms instead? Sir, Grow Local is also about people. Please allow me to continue in Malay. (In Malay): Mr Speaker, for the generations of Singaporeans before us, the connection with food was much closer to everyday life. In the kampungs, some fished, grew crops, kept chickens or tended coconut trees. Our world has changed rapidly and we cannot return to the way of life we had in the past. But there is still knowledge gained through years of experience, such as understanding our weather patterns, our land and our waters. Today, our polytechnics and ITE offer courses in modern agriculture, aquaculture and agrifood technology. To what extent have these programmes helped build the capabilities of our local farms? How many graduates from these programmes eventually enter the agriculture sector?[+1 sentence] Can we connect students and newer farmers more deliberately with experienced practitioners, so that our agritech capabilities can be built on the knowledge and experience accumulated over many years, rather than replace them? Today, more than 90% of our food is imported from overseas.[+8 sentences] As the Malay saying goes, "tak kenal maka tak cinta", we cannot appreciate what we do not know. In modern life, our children increasingly have less understanding of how the food on our tables is produced. For their generation, I hope they will not only have enough food to fill their stomachs, but also know where their food comes from, appreciate the effort behind it and avoid food wastage. (In English): A volunteer once told me he asked his young grandchild where chicken came from. Her innocent answer: the supermarket. Not wrong. But in a country importing more than 90% of its food, retaining some living connection with how food is produced is not simply nostalgia. It builds food literacy, respect for the systems and people behind our food, and is also part of tackling food waste. To this end, one of our Residents' Network in Cheng San which also runs a community garden with an active harvest, has started designing a Little Food Heroes programme about growing goodness, exposing younger children to food security concepts and letting them experience activities, such as composting.[+2 sentences] Third, building resilience with the region. Sir, our diversification efforts also depend on the production systems around the world, where climate pressures are growing and farming populations are ageing. As Singapore prepares to chair the ASEAN in 2027, practical regional food resilience can be a meaningful priority for our region.[+2 sentences] Singapore brings strengths in food science innovation, financing, logistics, standards; our neighbours have agricultural expertise and production capacity. For example, the Singapore-Johor-Riau growth triangle or the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone offer possible testbeds. Could Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, for example, explore a small number of mutually beneficial agri-food pilots in climate-resilient production, cold-chain solutions, research and demonstration or green lanes for more efficient movement of time-sensitive food where regulatory requirements are met?[+5 sentences] How can we better share data on climate patterns and other information that will overall affect our region's food supply? In conclusion, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, Singapore will likely always source for much of our food beyond our shores. That is part of being an open, connected economy that is land scarce. Our diversified supply networks as well as deep relationships, patiently built, remain a fundamental pillar. However, this must sit alongside the capabilities that we retain and grow here. Grow Local must embrace technology without putting all our eggs in the same basket, pursue productivity without losing diversity and make difficult land choices without forgetting that farms, people and knowledge take time to build, and they are much harder to recreate once they are gone.[+4 sentences] As a little red dot, one of our challenges to overcome has always been land. Our story has been shaped by the bold decisions we have made in response – to invest ahead of need, to build capabilities that others might have thought improbable, and to find innovative ways to do more while working with our people. In an uncertain world, I truly believe that strengthening Grow Local and supporting the farming ecosystem is one of the best choices we can make for our country's future. I thank all the farmers and stakeholders for sharing their feedback, their sweat, toil and passion in putting food on our tables.
Mr Deputy Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Dennis Tan.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang)2638 words
[+31 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, the Motion before the House calls on the Government to enhance food resilience and support efforts to reduce food waste through partnerships with all of society so as to ensure Singaporeans have access to affordable food supply amidst geopolitical uncertainties and climate-related risks. Food resilience is an issue that deserves the attention of this House because food security is ultimately a matter of national security. The conflict involving Iran has heightened uncertainty over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and contributed to concerns over energy and fertiliser prices, increased food production costs as well as placed additional pressure on food importing economies across Asia. Countries have been already doing what countries do in a crisis. They stockpile, they restrict exports, they look after their own. We saw it in 2022 when Malaysia banned chicken exports. Several countries have taken measures affecting fertiliser production and exports, reflecting growing pressures on global food supply chains. With climate change, such occurrences may become more frequent. Singapore imports over 90% of its food. We spend billions on defence, on water security, on cybersecurity, because we understand that sovereignty depends on a certain level of preparedness. Yet when it comes to the fundamental need of putting food on our plates, we remain overwhelmingly dependent on the goodwill and stability of others. Mr Deputy Speaker, food security is national security. It is time we treated it as such. I therefore support the Motion's call for stronger food resilience through partnerships across society. In my speech, I will focus on one important aspect of that effort – strengthening local food production, not merely as a substitute for import diversification, but as a critical pillar of our long-term resilience. A case for a living buffer. Singapore does not have a domestic food source, so we will always need to import energy, but we can grow a domestic food source. If the Government accepts that building fuel reserves is costly but necessary, then building a stronger local food industry – the one buffer that we can actually grow on our own – deserves the same treatment. I want to be clear. I am not arguing against import diversification. Singapore sources food from 187 countries. That is prudent and it should continue. However, in a major global disruption, countries may impose export restrictions, supply chains may be disrupted and critical inputs such as fertilisers may become more expensive. In such circumstances, diversification remains necessary, but may not be sufficient on its own. This is precisely why Singapore Food Story 2 adopts a multi-pillared approach built on import diversification, global partnerships, stockpiling and local production. At the Committee of Supply Debates in March, Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad was candid about what went wrong. He told this House, "We have learnt many lessons from our '30 by 30' initiative. While it had successfully catalysed local production growth, mainly focusing on one pillar – Grow Local – left us vulnerable to the very disruptions that we sought to address. What have we learnt? A single-pillar approach, no matter how ambitious, cannot provide the food supply resilience that Singapore needs." Every source we diversify into is still subject to another country's political decisions to prioritise their own needs. Boosting local food production does not replace diversification, but it is a critical complement to add a layer to food security.[+1 sentence] The demand bottleneck. This year, the Government has shifted targets from "30 by 30" by introducing the Singapore Food Story 2 – 20% of our fibre and 30% of our protein to be locally produced by 2035. To be fair, the Government has invested a $309 million research fund, a $60 million technology transformation fund and 39.4 million in express grants to help farmers produce food.[+5 sentences] That investment was necessary. But growing food is only half the equation. You can help a farm build the most advanced indoor farm in the region, and if no one buys the food at the price that covers the cost of growing it, the farm still goes under. On this, Senior Minister of State Zaqy also said, "Consumers and large buyers, like supermarkets, are willing to pay a reasonable premium for fresher, pesticide-free local produce that comes with guaranteed supply certainty." He is right. The Singapore Food Agency's (SFA's) survey in 2020 found that 94% of Singaporeans were willing to buy local produce. Yet only 65% could even identify it when shopping. A YouGov survey in 2024 found that up to 59% of shoppers were simply neutral – not opposed to buying local, just without a reason to choose it over the cheaper import beside it on the shelf.[+16 sentences] The willingness is there. We just need to harness it. Consider what it actually takes for a Singaporean to buy local. You walk into a supermarket. Local produce is often not prominently differentiated or grouped together. There is no consistent placement. No easy way to know at a glance what is local. You might spot a locally grown kangkong, but it sits next to an imported head, which is 40% cheaper. For price-sensitive Singaporeans, the cheaper option goes into the basket. Farm-to-table purchases in Singapore are still treated as something extraordinary – a weekend outing to a farmers' market, a feature in a lifestyle magazine, a one-off experience rather than a regular habit. Buying local should be normalised. It should be as ordinary and convenient as buying anything else. If we want Singaporeans to support local food, we need to make it easier for them to do so. Farmers have voiced out their concerns in the media. Grace Lim of GroGrace, who recently closed her indoor farm despite producing 3,500 kilogrammes of greens a month, with just 6% wastage, told The Straits Time that selling vegetables in Singapore is harder than selling a Rolls-Royce. Karthik Rajan of LivFresh, Victoria Yoong of Atlas Aquaculture, Kai Wong of Ah Hua Kelong, farmers across the industry from leafy greens to fish have all cited the same barrier in various interviews – price competitiveness against cheaper imports. Recently, we saw the starkest illustration yet when FairPrice, our largest retailer with around 160 outlets, will delist locally grown vegetables from at least three farms – Artisan Green, Sg Veg Farms and Netafarm – as part of a category assortment refresh.[+22 sentences] When a farm's survival hinges on the single retailer's product review, it becomes a chokepoint that has a significant impact on their survival. An agri-food consultant quoted in the same report advised farms to diversify their sales channels while conceding that many lack the scale and bargaining power to do so. "A feast to famine cycle," in his words. This encapsulates the volatile nature of our agricultural industry. Their leases are short and renewal terms opaque. Capital expenditure is high relative to returns, prices struggle to compete with imports. Manpower costs continue to climb and climate volatility threatens yields they cannot fully insure against. Mr Deputy Speaker, in the spirit of this Motion's call for a whole-of-society partnership to strengthen food resilience, I would like to suggest two broad thrusts to better support our farmers. Together, they can reinforce local production and provide a stronger layer of food security for Singapore. The first thrust – creating a common marketplace dedicated exclusively to locally produced food. This can be done via various channels. First, a nationwide marketplace built and operated by the industry itself in the form of corporative, a federation such as Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation (SAFEF) or a purpose-built non-profit. Let me commend the work that SAFEF has already done with SG Farmers' Market and the efforts of SFA in building the SG Fresh Produce label. These are very encouraging starts. But these farmers' markets remain ad hoc events. What I am proposing is for this to be scaled up on a permanent and more structured basis – a co-op coordinated between our farmers and Singaporeans who want to support local produce, creating a sustainable ecosystem rather than a series of one-off events. Singapore has over 100 wet markets across the island managed by NEA, not to mention HDB neighbourhood shops with market shops and stalls too, already serving as daily touchpoints for hundreds of thousands of households buying fresh food. A dedicated local produce section or stall within each of these wet markets, coordinated by the cooperative, would embed local food into the daily routine of ordinary Singaporeans. That will move awareness to habit, and habit is what sustains an industry. This is not without precedent. Japan had a similar initiative which began with 200 housewives buying milk. It is now a billion-dollar cooperative. France's AMAP network, an association for the maintenance of small-holder agriculture, started with a handful of consumer groups and now spans over 2,000 associations serving 320 consumers across 3,500 farms.[+1 sentence] Mr Deputy Speaker, such partnerships with the consumers, retailers, farmers, industry associations and public agencies are precisely the kind of all-of-society effort that can strengthen resilience while supporting more sustainable food consumption patterns. Second, to guaranteed offtake for farmers by requiring our largest supermarket chains and SAF cookhouses to source a guaranteed minimum share of their fresh produce from local farms.[+13 sentences] The current arrangement between local farms and major supermarkets in Singapore operates largely on a consignment basis. The farmer pays a listing fee to place produce on the shelf, the supermarket takes a commission on sales. Unsold produce may be to the farmers' loss, stale vegetables are replaced at the farmers' expense. The delistings from NTUC recently illustrate this perfectly. The retailer bears no commitment, so farmers are subjected to a level of uncertainty and risk. A shift away from the consignment model and towards purchase commitments where the supermarket buys an agreed quantity at an agreed price and takes ownership at the point of purchase would better support the viability of local farms. This is not without precedent. Having major buyers dedicate even a small proportion of their fresh produce purchases to local farms would provide a critical layer of stability in an otherwise volatile industry. For farmers, the value lies not merely in the volume purchase but in the certainty of demand. Such certainty enables them to invest higher and expand production with greater confidence, strengthening Singapore's food resilience over the long term. This translates to stability and certainty for farmers to invest, to hire and to plan beyond the next harvest. That certainty is worth more than any single grant. It may turn farming from a risky venture into a sustainable business. In Brazil, federal law mandates that at least 30% of school meal expenditure must go to purchases from local family farmers.[+2 sentences] The programme serves 40 million children across 150,000 schools. The research is emphatic that the guarantee of a market caused farmers to expand, diversify and invest. In New York, an executive order signed in 2023 directs state agencies to source 30% of their food from local farmers by 2027.[+16 sentences] In its first year, the state exceeded its interim target. These mandates apply to public institutions, not private retailers. The principle is still the same. When large buyers commit to local sourcing, farmers respond. Having major buyers dedicate even a small proportion of their fresh produce purchases to local farms can create stronger partnerships and stability in an otherwise volatile industry. My second thrust: provide greater tax relief for farmers. There are three levers that I am proposing. The first lever is the most direct. Exempt all locally produced food carrying the SG Fresh Produce label from Goods and Services Tax (GST). While a nine percent saving does not automatically guarantee food produced local produces a lower price than imports, the difference is not insignificant. Consider this: 250 grammes of local kangkong retails at at least $2.50. With the exemption, consumer pays $2.29. Imported kangkong is about, far lower, at $1.25 for 250 grammes. The gap is still there, but it narrows. But this narrowing repeated across thousands of transactions every week goes a long way towards lowering the barrier for consumers to choose local. Categorising this will not require any new mechanism, given that SG Fresh Produce label is already established. At current production levels, eight percent of fibre and 26% of protein, the physical cost is likely to be modest relative to overall GST collections.[+3 sentences] The second lever is reduce corporate tax rate or enhance tax concessions for SFA-licensed agricultural enterprises. Farming in Singapore is punishing on operating costs. Land, energy, labour, the least the tax system can do is not to add to that burden. A reduced corporate tax rate for qualifying farms, enhanced capital allowances for agricultural equipment, or deductions for energy cost will lower the cost of production and to further close the price gap from the supply side.[+2 sentences] This is not new either. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2020 report on taxation in agriculture confirms that tax concession specifically for agriculture are widespread. Among those, Ireland applies reduced income tax rate to farming income and offers stock relief, 25% deduction on the increased value of livestock and produce.[+7 sentences] Singapore already uses corporate tax incentive to attract industries it considers strategically important, from fintech to biomedical sciences. If food security is truly national security, then local agriculture should qualify for the same treatment. The third lever is to incorporate an income averaging mechanism for the agricultural sector. Farming income is inherently volatile. A disease outbreak, equipment failure, adverse weather, or spike in energy cost can turn a profitable year into a loss making one. Allowing farmers to smooth taxable income across multiple years would help to moderate these fluctuations and improve business viability. This is again, not an unusual idea. Variants of income averaging or income smoothing mechanisms already exist in jurisdictions such as the US, the UK, France and the Netherlands.[+12 sentences] Such schemes recognise the simple reality. Farming income is often cyclical, and tax system should take that volatility into account. The cost of these levers, the three levers I mentioned, is bounded by the size of the local produce market, which today is small. It grows only as local purchasing grows, which is to say it grows only when the policy is working. Together, the levers will reduce the pricing of our local produce, encouraging a strong following by Singaporean buyers. Compare that to the hundreds of millions spent on the previous approach. Grants that funded farms which subsequently closed, technology subsidies that produced write downs, express funding for operations that entered liquidation. Those were bets on production. This is an investment in building habits on both sides of the counter. Let me conclude. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support this Motion because food resilience ultimately depends on more than government policy alone. It requires consumers, retailers, farmers, industry associations and public agencies all pulling in the same direction. If we reach even half the revised fibre target, 10% locally produced instead of 20%, that is roughly half the total. That is roughly 50,000 tonnes of vegetables grown here every year that no export ban can touch, no shipping disruption can delay, and no foreign government can withhold.[+7 sentences] The most resilient buffer against a food crisis is not just a warehouse full of rice. It is a country that grows its own food, or at least some of its own food, buys its own food, reduces unnecessary waste and builds the institutions, marketplaces, and partnerships that make that possible. Sir, 94% of Singaporeans say they are willing to support our farmers. I believe them. What they need is a channel, a reason, and a system that makes the right choice the easier choice. Food security is national security. If we are serious about securing Singapore's food future, then we must strengthen the partnerships that connect producers, retailers, consumers, and build resilience together one meal at a time.
Mr Deputy Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Valerie Lee.
Ms Valerie Lee (Pasir Ris-Changi)1614 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to approach this Motion from the perspective of supply chains. Singapore’s strategy of diversifying our food sources is the right one. We sourced food from more than 180 countries and regions in 2025.[+11 sentences] We grow local, we stockpile, and we are strengthening our global partnerships. I do not think we should move away from this strategy but I think we should complement it. Diversification gives us options, but supply-chain resilience determines whether those options can actually reach Singapore when we need them. We all know that a chain is only as resilient as its weakest link. For food, that chain stretches from the farm or producer, through processing, shipping, ports, warehousing and cold storage, transportation and distribution, before it finally reaches our supermarkets and our tables. So, my first suggestion is that, alongside diversifying our sources, we should strengthen the resilience of the supply chains that connect those sources to Singapore. Having more than 180 sources is valuable. But we should ask: do these sources depend on common shipping routes, ports, cold-chain infrastructure, logistics providers? If several suppliers are affected by the same chokepoint, our diversification may not provide as much resilience as we expect. This is where I see an opportunity to deepen our Global Partnerships. I would suggest that we think about G2G food partnerships in a slightly different way. The question should not only be: “Can this country supply us with food?” It should also be: “What options does this partnership give us when normal supply chains are disrupted?” The Singapore-New Zealand Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies is an interesting example. It establishes commitments around keeping essential supplies flowing during disruptions, including on export restrictions, movement of goods, information-sharing and consultation.[+10 sentences] Our rice arrangements with Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia similarly give Singapore avenues to activate additional supplies when needed. These are important because they create optionality. But I believe we can take this further. When we establish food partnerships, can we also think about the pathway? Can the necessary food-safety and regulatory approvals be activated quickly? Do we have alternative ports or shipping routes? Do we have the cold-chain and warehousing capacity to receive the additional supply? And can the private sector mobilise the transport and distribution capacity to move it? In other words: We should not only secure the food. We should design the pathway for the food to reach Singapore. Our Food Pact with Australia is an interesting example of this broader approach. It includes cooperation on food trade and innovation, but also areas such as recognition of inspection systems, disease regionalisation and a simplified transhipment model for Australian red meat.[+19 sentences] These arrangements matter because they address different parts of the supply chain — regulatory, operational and logistical — rather than simply the commodity itself. I think this is the direction in which our G2G partnerships can continue to evolve. A good food partnership should not simply be a promise of supply. It should be an architecture of options. There is also another part of the supply chain that deserves more attention: capacity in the middle. We often talk about farms at the beginning of the chain, and consumers at the end. But between the two are warehouses, cold stores, processing facilities, refrigerated trucks and distribution networks. Some of this capacity may be commercially optimised for normal times. But in a major disruption, Singapore may suddenly need additional storage, additional transport or additional processing capacity. So, I would urge the Government to work with industry to identify these strategic capabilities, and consider whether there are ways to incentivise or share such capacity for contingency use. I am an energy professional and I see useful parallels here. In energy, we do not just diversify our energy sources or maintain strategic stocks. These are insurance against disruptions but they are only useful because we also have the infrastructure and systems to connect supply and demand. Our liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal, power grid, common regulatory standards and regional partnerships all enable energy to actually flow from producer to consumer both in peace time and in time of crisis. The same principle should apply to food. Diversifying our sources is important, but we also need the cold-chain, warehousing, transport, port infrastructure, regulatory flexibility and partnerships to ensure that food can actually move from producer to consumer when we need it most. Resilience is not just about having more sources. It is about having the infrastructure and connectivity to access those sources when it matters. Mr Deputy Speaker, my second point is on food waste. Singapore generated about 790,000 tonnes of food waste in 2025, with a food recycling rate of around 18 percent.[+9 sentences] But I would like us to see food rescue not just as waste management. It is also supply recovery. When edible food is thrown away, we are losing food that has already been grown, harvested, imported or produced, transported, stored and brought into Singapore. We have already spent resources securing that supply. If we can keep more of it within the human food chain, we are making better use of the supply we already have. I have seen this personally on the ground as a volunteer helping to start a food rescue movement in the west of Singapore. We saw very clearly that there was surplus food, and there were people who needed it. But the difficult part was connecting the two quickly enough. I have since followed the work of groups such as Sengkang Food Rescue and Fridge Restock Community. Sengkang Food Rescue shared that they have rescued more than 1,000 tonnes of food in 2025, which it estimated was equivalent to the needs of around 312,000 families.[+1 sentence] I would like to congratulate them and all their volunteers for this tremendous achievement. Fridge Restock Community similarly shared that they have completed 500 food rescues as of December last year.[+9 sentences] These are extraordinary efforts by ordinary people. But they also show us where the system’s gaps are. Food rescue is extremely temporal. The surplus may only be available for a very short window. A supermarket or wholesaler may say, “I have this food available today.” The rescuer then needs to mobilise volunteers, a vehicle, perhaps refrigerated transport, collect the food, bring it somewhere, sort it and distribute it, often within hours. And this is where the food rescuers have consistently told me that storage is one of their major challenges. Because even if they manage to rescue food today, they need somewhere appropriate to put it while they match it to the communities that need it. So, I would like to suggest that we look at this more systematically. Could the Government work with the relevant agencies to identify suitable land or spaces that could be used for community food-rescue storage, particularly where these can support existing rescue networks?[+5 sentences] It does not necessarily need to be permanent, large-scale warehouses. There may be opportunities for suitable interim spaces, shared facilities or under-utilised areas that can be adapted for safe food storage. In fact, we have quite a bit of unused space around Changi. I have even jokingly offered some of it to our food rescuers. Perhaps my joke can become a serious conversation with the Singapore Land Authority. Because if we are serious about reducing food waste, we need to recognise that storage is part of food rescue.[+16 sentences] What else is part of food rescue? Transportation, cold chain capacity, information about where surplus food is available. These are not peripheral issues. I am sure the Government has already developed tools to improve visibility of food global supply-chain risks. I think there is scope to apply the same principle domestically, improving visibility of surplus food, connecting it with organisations that can rescue it, and giving them the physical capacity to act quickly. And this is where partnerships with ground-up organisations can be especially powerful. They already have the volunteers. They know their communities. They know where the demand is. What they often lack is the infrastructure to scale. If the Government can help remove some of those logistical bottlenecks and provide more visibility, I believe these organisations can achieve much more, significantly reducing the amount of food waste we generate now. Mr Deputy Speaker, Singapore’s food resilience strategy is already built on several strong pillars. My suggestions today are intended to complement those pillars. First, as we diversify where our food comes from, let us also strengthen the supply chains that connect those sources to the dinner tables in Singapore. Let us work with our global partners not only to secure food but to secure options, pathways and the ability to activate them quickly. And domestically, let us identify the strategic logistics capacity, whether it is storage, cold chain, transport and distribution, that we may need when a disruption occurs. Second, let us recognise that food rescue is part of food resilience.[+7 sentences] When there is surplus food available, we should ask whether our supply chain is equipped to recover it and put it to good use. The challenge is often not a lack of food or a lack of demand, but the short window in between – having the information, transport and storage capacity to move that food before it is no longer usable. If we can strengthen these links, we reduce waste while making better use of food supply that Singapore has already secured. Let us make sure that supply does not end in the bin. Ultimately, food resilience is not just about having enough food. It is about having enough options, enough capacity and enough agility to keep food moving when circumstances change. With that, Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Motion.
Mr Deputy Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Fadli Fawzi.
Mr Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied)1932 words
[+8 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic six years ago was probably the first time when many realised how fragile our supply chains could be after borders were sealed and international movement was heavily curtailed. We are especially vulnerable to such disruptions given that we import more than 90% of our food supply. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the war in Iran this year have been further shocks to global supply chains. On top of that, food production is facing unprecedented challenges as extreme weather becomes more common with climate change. This may mean a future where food resources may be jealously guarded by producers and subject to various export restrictions. As my hon friend, Mr Dennis Tan, highlighted in his speech, food security is fundamentally a matter of national security. While the diversification of overseas food sources remain essential – and here I would like to acknowledge the Government's efforts to increase our food supply sources from 140 countries and regions two decades ago, to 187 in 2024 – I believe that to increase our food security, we must strengthen our local agriculture ecosystem, increase our capabilities to produce manufactured food stuffs and position Singapore as a food trading hub while simultaneously expanding community-based rescue networks to support our most vulnerable households. To secure our local food supply, we must first look at how we treat our local farms. Today, Singapore produces about a third of all eggs consumed and 3% of vegetable consumed. Local production meets about 8% of our fibre consumption and 25% of our protein consumption as of 2025. Our initial "30 by 30" target to produce 30% of Singapore's nutritional needs by 2030 was dropped last year amid failing local food production over the years. While egg production increased impressively, vegetable production fell from 23,500 tonnes in 2021 to 16,600 tonnes in 2025; while seafood production fell from 5,100 tonnes in 2021 to 3,800 tonnes in 2025.[+19 sentences] If we are to meet the revised targets of producing 20% of our fibre and 30% of our protein locally by 2035, we need to closely examine whether existing land policies are adequate for these ambitions. Consider the recent land policy decisions in Lim Chu Kang. In August, I filed a Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment about the rationale for land use changes in the region, specifically, why long standing farms, like Bollywood Farms, were required to vacate within the year while neighbouring farms were permitted to operate for another decade. The Ministry responded that land optimisation is necessary to consolidate military training for the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in the south of Lim Chu Kang, and co-locate food and non-food farms in the north of Lim Chu Kang. We were told that because existing tenancies were simply expiring, rather than being terminated early and had been notified since 2020, that no further release renewals would be granted. The affected farms were given sufficient lead time to prepare for the transition. But if the Government cannot consolidate all of its land holdings in the south of Lim Chu Kang for another 10 years, what is preventing us from letting the three affected farms carry on their work for another 10 years? These are farms that want to stay but are not being given the chance to stay on. At the same time, we see other farmers that have voluntarily closed up shop in the recent years because of competitive headwinds; this is a great pity. What is preventing us from letting the three affected farms continue staying in place for the next 10 years if there is no immediate need for the land that they are occupying now? While land optimisation is important, I believe that our current approach does not provide farmers with enough consideration for the fact that agriculture relies on long horizons. Since 2016, all new agricultural land has been tendered out on 20-year leases by the Government. But as an example, the owner of one of the three affected farms in Lim Chu Kang told CNA that it took him six years to grow and successfully breed his arowana fish. Soil enrichment, modern crop cycle management and high-tech agritech investments require vast capital upfront. These investments may not yield returns over a three-year or five-year lease. Sheng Choon, for instance, had invested about $3 million over the past three years in AI and automation to improve the efficiency of its quality control processes and reduce the physical workload on senior workers. While it is not one of the affected farms that has to move out by the end of the year, it will also have to move out in September 2036 once its lease expires. We do not know the depreciation lifecycle of Sheng Choon's investments. This is an example of how investments made by Singapore farmers can amount to nothing if the land is acquired by the state. Can the Government consider tendering out agricultural land on longer leases of 30 years or 20+20 years, provided that these leases are tied to clear production targets and periodic reviews to ensure that the farmers are meeting KPIs?[+8 sentences] We should provide farmers with long-term assurance over their tenancies and whether they will face land acquisition during their lease, so that farmers can justify large investments into modern automation, high-yield vertical systems or sustainable practices that will allow them to scale up production. At the same time, farmers should share an understanding with the Government that they need to be commercially viable and scale up their production to meet our nation's food security needs. To further support farmers, the Government can also consider introducing minimum "buy local" requirements for food served in places, such as army camps and schools, especially for industries that are facing for falling production levels year after year, such as vegetables and seafood. Over time, these requirements can be wound down to ensure that local farms remain commercially viable without Government support. This would be a strategic investment by the Government to support vegetable and fish farms that are finding it difficult to compete on price, but are still needed to ensure that Singapore continues to have this strategic capacity. Sir, my next suggestion to position Singapore as a food hub will not require any adjustments to land policy. At a time of widespread fuel supply disruptions earlier this year, Singapore was still able to import an unprecedented volume of refined products because we had the foresight to position ourselves as a key oil and gas refinery hub and/or oil trading hub decades ago. We can apply parts of the petrochemical model to food and expand our role as a food manufacturing, processing, trading and transshipment hub in the region, so that products, like fuel products, will always pass through Singapore regardless of supply shocks. In 2025, Singapore re-exports of fish, seafood, vegetables and fruit amounted to some $520 million. This figure appears quite small compared to other food transshipment hubs, such as the Netherlands, which is the primary re-export hub for fresh fruits and vegetables for Europe through the port of Rotterdam, and re-exported agricultural products with a value of €49 billion in 2025.[+2 sentences] Does the Government have a strategy to strengthen Singapore's position as a regional re-export hub for agricultural products and increase the value of such products passing through Singapore? Additionally, we could do more to position ourselves as a strategic industrial food manufacturer. As of 2024, Singapore's food manufacturing sector comprises over 1,500 companies, employing around 68,000 workers and contributing about 1% of GDP.[+9 sentences] We can do more to consolidate ourselves as a hub in this area. Similar to what we are doing for semiconductor and biomedical sciences, our strengths in pharmaceuticals, precision manufacturing, food science and logistics overlap strongly with the direction modern food manufacturing is moving. For example, Singapore already has ScaleUp Bio, a contract development and manufacturing operation for microbiome and precision fermentation, backed by ADM and Temasek-owned Nurasa. Last year, Nestlé expanded its Nestlé R&D Centre Singapore to focus on alternative proteins, including hybrid plant dairy and plant-based products, with support from the Economic Development Board (EDB). Suppose we deliberately increase our food manufacturing sector such that we have the capacity to produce several multiples of domestic food consumption, during peacetime, most of this output would normally be exported; but during a crisis, we would enjoy the same resilience benefit that we got from being an oil refining hub. The Government should consider an industrial food cluster similar to our petrochemical cluster on Jurong Island, producing millions of tonnes of noodles, rice products, milk powder and frozen prepared meals as the next step in our national security. Given that the coordination of many agencies will be required to increase our food security, the Government should also consider setting up an inter-agency taskforce to strengthen our position as a regional food manufacturing, processing, trading and transshipment hub. Finally, Mr Speaker, securing our food future is not just about producing and importing more. It is also about maximising what we already have. In 2025, we generated almost 800,000 tonnes of food waste.[+10 sentences] At the same time, low-income households, seniors living alone and vulnerable families are struggling with rising grocery costs and food insecurity. Bridging this gap requires a coordinated nationwide food rescue ecosystem. As mentioned by various other hon Members, while community organisations, non-profits and volunteer groups do heroic work rescuing unsold produce from hawker centres, supermarkets and distributors, they often operate with limited resources and logistical constraints. For example, in the Kaki Bukit division of Aljunied GRC, some of my residents have been diligently organising themselves weekly for several years to receive and distribute rescued vegetables from The Red Collective. The Red Collective itself was formed by a small group of Singaporeans five years ago, because they are passionate about providing for the food insecure in the lower-income communities and fighting food wastage. The Red Collective movement has now grown to involve over 100 volunteers who collect vegetables, bread and other food items on a daily basis, using their own resources, energy and ingenuity, distributing to many locations all around Singapore. I am further heartened to find that there are more of such groups that exist in the community, with pockets of energy by residents doing food rescue and distribution. For example, multiple divisions in Sengkang GRC have weekly food rescues. A number of these groups even cross-share their collection to ensure better distribution to as many as possible. They share their struggles too, one of which is the high cost of logistics in Singapore to move large quantities of donated food. The Government can do more to support by providing financial grants and logistical support to encourage the growth of more of these ground-up initiatives. A Government-run centralised platform connecting local food businesses directly with neighbourhood food rescue charities could also help ensure that excess food reaches those who need it more rapidly.[+1 sentence] Rescuing food addresses two challenges at once. It reduces our carbon footprint and provides immediate dignity preserving relief to Singaporeans highest hit by the rising cost of living.[+1 sentence] Sir, in conclusion, food security is an interconnected policy domain involving land use, technology, community action and social welfare. To ensure every Singapore family has affordable food on the table, regardless of external crisis, we must give our farmers the land stability they need to innovate. We expand our role as a food manufacturing, processing, trading and transshipment hub, and build robust public-civil partnerships to eliminate food waste.[+1 sentence] Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Motion.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh.
Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh (Nominated Member)1686 words
[+14 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Motion and I will focus on the resilience and affordability of our food supply. Singapore Food Story 2 has already made an important shift towards a broader portfolio of resilience measures, diversified imports, global partnerships, stockpiles and local production. Singapore today sources food from more than 180 countries and regions. But when it comes to resilience, I think important gaps remain. The more fundamental question is how well these alternatives perform when the system comes under stress. I would like to raise three questions. First, are our alternative sources genuinely diversified in the risks they faced or could the same shock affect several at once? Second, when disruption occurs, how well can the food network absorb the shock and reconfigure around it? Third, what strategic positions and capability should Singapore enterprises build in global food network before the next disruption occurs? Members have suggested that thinking about local production as a portfolio of farms, so that diversity is built into our domestic production base. I think that portfolio idea is equally useful when we look at imports. A good portfolio is not simply one with many holdings. What matters is whether those holdings respond differently when conditions change. Let me illustrate with the humble banana. Bananas are grown across Asia, Latin America and Africa, and importers sourcing from several countries may therefore appear well diversified, but almost all bananas traded internationally are Cavendish. Cavendish plants are genetically very similar, and that uniformity leaves the traded banana supply particularly vulnerable to diseases such as tropical race four (TR4). TR4 has now been detected in many banana producing countries, while a large proportion of global banana production remains susceptible.[+20 sentences] Different countries of origin do not necessarily mean different underlying risk. That means diversification has to be judged across the set of alternatives, not one source at a time. The portfolio question is whether apparently different sources are exposed to the same failure modes. Two suppliers may be in different countries but affected by the same El Niño cycle. Several sources may pass through the same maritime choke point. Different producers may be vulnerable to the same animal or plant disease. Geographically, distant suppliers may still be hit by the same energy or freight shock and several exporting countries may respond to the same geopolitical crisis by imposing restrictions at the same time. That is core related vulnerability or common mode failure. A new source may still be commercially useful, but if its climate logistics and geopolitical exposures closely resemble those already in our portfolio, then it's marginal contribution to resilience may be modest. Sometimes, a supplier contributes resilience, not because it is cheaper or larger, but because it is likely to fail differently. So, perhaps the next step is to assess sources not only for price, capacity and reliability, but also for their contribution to portfolio resilience, whether they diversify the climatic, ecological, logistical and geopolitical risk already represented in our network. We should diversify not only where our food comes from, but also the reasons why it might stop coming. But even the portfolio designed around different failure modes will eventually encounter a shock. So, the next question is what the network can do when that happens. Once a shock occurs, there are two tests. How much can the existing network absorb, and when that is no longer enough, how readily can it be reconfigure? Singapore already builds alternative sources, partnerships and stockpiles to give us options when disruption occur. Earlier this year, Member Dr Choo Pei Ling asked whether our food contingency plans have been tested against simultaneous disruptions across multiple import sources. The Government said that we have sufficient buffers and contingency plans which are regularly reviewed. That assurance is important, but it leaves open a narrower question. What can we say publicly about how that resilience is actually tested?[+1 sentence] Japan offers a useful comparison. It has published some of the scenarios used in its food security exercises, including substantial simultaneous reductions in imports of major grains. Its Ministry of Agriculture is also developing modelling that combines production, imports, stocks and global supply conditions to assess calorie supply and nutritional balance under disruption.[+16 sentences] I understand why Singapore would not disclose sensitive stockpile limits, but we can be transparent about the test without exposing the limits of the system. We can publish the kinds of scenarios tested, the outcomes measured and the standards used to judge resilience while keeping sensitive operational information confidential. That transparency matters, because uncertainty can itself amplify a disruption. Under stress, households may buy more than usual. Businesses may compete for inventory or build precautionary stocks. Those reactions can intensify shortages and price movements. Transparency cannot remove a genuine supply constraint, but credible evidence that possible disruptions have been tested can reduce the risk that fear compounds it. Greater transparency about preparedness can also afford can also support affordability. For the shock absorption capacity of the network, I would look at three straightforward measures: how much can we replace? How fast and at what cost? Volume, time and cost. But once that capacity is exceeded, the network must adapt And here I think Member Ms Poh Li San's emphasis on coordination is important. Better coordination of supply and demand can reduce unnecessary imports and waste in normal times. But under disruption that same capability becomes a source of resilience. Knowing what supply is available where it sits and how quickly it can be redirected. Three things affect how readily that can happen. First, we need usable links to alternative sources.[+4 sentences] Spare capacity elsewhere is of limited help if commercial ties, regulatory arrangements or logistics cannot scale quickly enough. Malaysia is a positive example of this. Our food ties sit within much deeper trade investment infrastructure and socio-cultural relationships, giving both sides established channels through which to respond. Resilience, therefore, depends not only on alternative nodes, but on links that can carry more when needed but a usable link is only useful if firms are able to activate it, which brings me to the second point. The network also needs financial capacity to reconfigure itself.[+2 sentences] Even if a new supplier and supply route are available, higher commodity freight and inventory cost may require much more working capital. Food can exist and still not move if firms cannot finance the switch or manage the associated risk of transportation. Third, adaptability also depends on how flexibly demand can shift.[+27 sentences] If a particular food becomes constrained, part of the response can be to reduce pressure on it by shifting demand towards substitutes. My narrow point is their potential role in contingency planning. Could we identify substitution pathways before a crisis occurs. For important food categories, retailers could know which alternatives can be scaled and promoted. Food and beverage (F&B) operators and institutional buyers could identify menu or procurement choices that can switch quickly. Consumers could receive clear information on readily available substitutes. Supply can move towards what is available and demand can move away from what is constrained. That flexibility can ease pressure on scarce products and moderate the price effects of a disruption. So, network adaptability ultimately depends on usable relationships, coordination, available finance and flexible demand. Much of that reconfiguration has to be carried out by firms. They have to know where alternative supply exists, activate relationships, arrange logistics and manage the risk of switching. That raises my third question. What positions and capabilities should Singapore enterprises build before the next disruption occurs? Japan offers another useful example. Its agricultural ministry treats the overseas procurement networks of Japanese companies as part of a stable import policy. Marubeni Corporation, through its US subsidiary, has relationships with farmers, more than 50 grain elevator locations, storage capability and links into export infrastructure. It says that its own origination network means that contingencies do not automatically force it into the market to buy from others at higher cost. The point is not that Japan owns American grain. It is that its firms possesses information, relationships and operating capabilities deeper inside the network than the final import transaction. Network position itself can be a capability, and Singapore is not starting from zero. Firms like Agrocorp, for example, has grown from commodity trading into a business spending farmer relationships, procurement processing logistics, warehousing and distribution. So, the question is not simply how we help agri-food firms internationalise. It is where can Singapore enterprises, including promising small and medium enterprises (SMEs), build commercially competitive positions that also create strategic optionality for Singapore. And enterprise embedded in the network can see more of it, reach more of the players, and have more pathways through which to act. In normal times, those are commercial advantages. In a crisis, they can become strategic capabilities for Singapore. The Government already has tools for internationalisation, market access and capability building. The additional consideration I propose is straightforward for selected agri-food investments assess not only the commercial case, but the enterprises contribution to Singapore's food resilience.[+2 sentences] Does it give us better visibility of supply, stronger producer relationships or additional pathways through which supply can be reconfigured? Where that contribution is material, it could inform how risk sharing and enterprise support tools are deployed. Done well, this approach can deliver a double dividend, a stronger food resilience, stronger Singapore agri-food SMEs with the networks and capabilities to scale regionally and globally.[+7 sentences] Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, Singapore has already made important moves toward a broader and more diversified food strategy. I think the next step is to look more closely at the quality and architecture of that resilience from diversification to portfolio resilience. How differently do our alternatives fail from contingency options to network adaptability? How well can the system absorb and reconfigure around the shop? And from internationalisation to strategic position, where can Singapore enterprises build the capabilities to create and orchestrate the pathways we may need? Together, these can strengthen our resilience to the geopolitical and climate shocks ahead, while protecting what ultimately matters: Singapore's continued access to affordable and adequate food. On that basis, Sir, I support the Motion.
Mr Deputy Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Cai Yinzhou.
Mr Cai Yinzhou (Bishan-Toa Payoh)2681 words
[+4 sentences]Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker. Sir, I rise in support of this Motion. I want to spend my time on the protein on our plates, in particular the seafood we grow in our own waters. Let me begin with the number that will be used against this cause. The last time our statistics were reported on their own was in 2024, when locally farmed seafood was 6.1% of what we ate, down from 7.3%, and 7.6% the years before. Behind that falling share, the number of farms is falling too: 98 sea-based fish farms in 2023, to 72, to 67 in 2025.[+30 sentences] A small number getting smaller and some will say that we could import our way past. I want to persuade this House: the smallness of the figure is not the reason to let it go, but the reason to hold on. It is not really about whether we get our sambal stingray or our chilli crab. This is national security. We spoke of water as necessary for our survival. Today, the Four National Taps, give the ability to stand on our own feet if the tap is ever turned off. Food deserves the same vocabulary. As the Rajaratnam School of International Studies' Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies argues, food security runs from local production here to resilience of our supply chains abroad. Local seafood might not be the cheapest fish in the market. But the cheapest fish is the imported one, right up until the day supply is cut and then it has no price at all, because there is no fish. Affordability measured only in good weather is a false economy. Local production is the insurance we pay so that affordable never becomes quietly unavailable. The question therefore is not whether this small sector is worth intervening. It is whether it is a capability we are willing to lose. Sir, let me take the House out on the water. Over the past few months I went out to open-cage sea farms at sea and land-based fish farms. I visited Smith Marine, our only floating kelong restaurant, ate at Smolder by Ah Hua Kelong, where local seafood is grilled and served with pride. I went to St John's Island National Marine Lab and the Marine Aquaculture Centre to see the latest in research, and visited James Cook University’s aquaculture programme. I followed local content creator Donovan Lee also known as "Mr Taste of the Bay" to speak with traders at the Jurong Fishery Port and to his wet-market stall in Tiong Bahru to understand consumer habits. It might be easy to assume local farms are closing because they cannot produce enough. But that is not what is happening. Our farmers can grow fish. What they cannot do is reliably sell it. And to see why, let me introduce a farmer named Gary Chong. Gary has spent 47 years on the water, running San Lay Marine Culture, an open-cage sea farm off our north-east coast. He is not just a farmer, but he breeds groupers. The adults spawn at night on a full moon, six times in a year. Over the years he has built a reputation for a hybrid broodstock that grows fast, survive hard conditions, and tastes good at the table. That is not through luck but decades of knowledge, and it has earned him something you cannot grant-fund, which is a reputation. Today, hatcheries across the region and here at home seek out his fry. And yet he is being squeezed out, not for failing to grow fish, but for the price he sells them. These are Gary's own figures: 30 years ago, seabass sold at $14 a kilogramme and a farmer could make a living. Today it fetches around $7, half the price, while wages have tripled and feed has risen 80%.[+1 sentence] Here is the trap. A local seabass costs more to grow than an imported one costs to buy, around $7.80 against $6 at the wet market.[+31 sentences] The auntie will always surely reach out for the cheaper fish, but Gary cannot follow the marked price: his rent, labour, feed, fuel and fingerlings are fixed. So, how has he survived? As he put it: the farmer has been very efficient by taking a pay cut instead of making a profit. I asked Gary what his farm's name meant. San Lay, 三利 in Mandarin, three parties must benefit. In any trade, he said, there are three: supplier, middleman, buyer; and the business is only sound when all three gain, none at another's expense. The trouble is his own trade today can no longer honour it: the buyer gets a cheap fish, the middleman takes a margin. It is the supplier, the farmer who grows the fish, who has been cut out. On paper, farms are improving productivity. From 38.6 to 51.5 tonnes per hectare in three years. However that rise reflects both genuine gains and farms exiting. When the weakest close, the average of those left rises. A sector resting on fewer and fewer firms is not stronger but more fragile. Nor is technology the only escape. Apollo Aquaculture, a $65 million and eight-storey farm, collapsed into judicial management. Barramundi Group, listed, with deep-sea cages off our Southern Islands, was hit by disease and left Singapore altogether. Of 26 farms that closed in 2024, six had taken close to $700,000 in productivity grants, but closed anyway. The binding problem was never how much fish we can grow. But whether the farmer can sell it at a price that lets him survive. And when a farm, like Gary's, closes, we do not just lose just its yearly tonnage. But we lose the 47 years, the reputation, the knowledge for exactly when the fish is ready to spawn. It leaves on the last boat and you cannot grant-fund that back once it is gone. And when a farm gets it right, we should not watch it go. With GPC Chair Poh Li San, we visited New Trio Fisheries, a land-based farm in Lim Chu Kang run by her resident Steven Chong, which generates 200 tonnes of seafood a year. Grand Seafood Enterprise, a trader supplying top restaurants, like TungLok and Paradise Group, has chosen to co-locate on his farm. Counting on Steven not just for volume but for last-minute orders no one else can fill. That is 三利 in action: middleman, buyer and the supplier, each one gaining. New Trio's farm lease ends this year. Sir, on behalf of the sector, these are the asks. First, on processing and product. Sea farmers are barred from gutting and processing their own catch on their farm, closing off the value-added channel entirely. Under Food Story 2, the Government is already studying shared, multi-tenanted facilities to lower production costs for vegetable and agritech farms.[+11 sentences] Apply the same thinking to our sea farmers as a shared "Wet Hub" sited near farms, at Lorong Halus or Lim Chu Kang, where they can centrally move their catch and split the cost of gutting, packing and icing. From there, close the loop: a whole fish earns cents, but processed into fillets, otah, fishballs or yong tau foo, it can fetch dollars. Link the Hub to central kitchens and manufacturers, or subsidise the post-production machinery that lets local catch enter that supply chain. Will the Ministry study a coastal wet hub and the processing links that let our farmers keep a share of what their harvest is worth? Second, on offtake. If the auntie will not pay more for a local fish, why would a restaurant? Because they are not buying the same thing. To the auntie, a fish is a fish regardless of origin, and she is right to choose on price. But a premium kitchen is buying a story it can charge for: local barramundi, landed that morning, fresh in a way a fish frozen for weeks in transit can never be. Local seafood loses only where it is anonymous, it wins wherever we make the origin visible. Aim the offtake where local can command its price: the premium food-service sectors, or the anchor institutions that buy at scale – hospitals, the public service, large caterers – where a resilience mandate can justify a modest premium, as it does for any other security good. Expand the "Farm-to-Table" scheme so public buyers commit to local produce and can safer broker long-term contracts that give a farmer what he lacks most: a reliable buyer that he can count on for offtake, before he stocks the pond with fingerling fish.[+27 sentences] Third, on research. In a lab I heard about a seabass strain bred for traits and resistance. The science is real and good but the "superfish" is only super in the right environment in the lab. I propose to tie grant-funded research to testing on working farms at production scale, not only in the tank, but in the sea where the fish must live. And when farms take part, to share the intellectual property with them. That gives a farm a stake, a reason to commercialise and export what we develop, and it is what draws the private capital the sector needs. The most immediate form of that access is to the fry itself. Will the Ministry subsidise fingerlings from the National Broodstock Centre, so that breeding we fund reaches farms at a price they can use? There is a deeper point, and I owe it to Sobana, a research assistant in the Steven Fong lab at the National University of Singapore's (NUS') department of biological sciences. Much of our funding chases high technology with a long translational distance, meaning years between the lab and anything a farm can use. Technology is the right destination, but the honest question is whether our farms are ready to absorb it, and most are not. In a project, some collaborators use advanced micro-encapsulation for feed additives, while her bench tests uses what sits on any kitchen shelf – garlic, ginger, yeast – for the same immunostimulant effect. Nature is parsimonious, as she explains, and aquaculture should be too. The fastest science to reach a farmer is often the simplest. Aquaculture and conservation have long been funded separately. One set of grants for farm, another, scarcer, for the environment. Yet they are not separate. Without a healthy environment there is nothing to grow in, and the knowledge we gain growing fish can help restore the very waters we grow it in. Imagine studying what a sea cage's nutrient run-off can do to enhance a seagrass meadow, or how rewilding a keystone species, like lobsters, can be onto a restored reef. Such projects feed humans and nourish seas at the same time. Will the Ministry open a grant pathway for research that serves aquaculture and conservation together? Fourth, on the people. Across Temasek, Republic, Ngee Ann Polytechnics, NUS, NTU, James Cook University, we train aquaculture talent. Yet we have almost no idea whether the people we train ever set foot on a farm. In a previous Parliamentary Question where I asked why we do not track and whether the Ministry would build a graduate-to-sector mechanism of the kind we have for healthcare and teaching, the reply was candid, that SFA tracks farm productivity but not whether graduates join farms. This explains the stark reality on the ground, where none of the sea farmers I have met had ever employed an intern or staff from a local programme. If food is a security and strategic matter, will the Ministry track graduates into aquaculture, and work with our schools and farms to build a real pipeline, so that the talent we train work on our farms. Fifth, the 2024 statistics revealed plainly that local seafood was 6.1% of what we ate. In the 2025 report, seafood no longer has a figure of its own, but folded with eggs into a single protein category, targeted at 30% by 2035.[+2 sentences] The tonnage is still published, but the share from our own farms is gone. The combined figure looks flattering, where strong eggs mask weak seafood production; the farms close underneath, 98 to 67. Will the Ministry set and report a distinct seafood self-sufficiency sub-target within the protein goal?[+17 sentences] Now let me come back to Gary and tell you one last important thing about his farm. He told me, with a straight face, that he is the CEO of 2,000 staff. Two are humans. The other 1,998 are spiny lobsters living in his nets. They are a living anti-fouling system, cleaning them better than any machine could. But that is not the amazing part. Today, those lobsters are breeding. Researchers at NUS tried for years to breed spiny lobsters in the lab but could not recreate the conditions they needed. But they found Gary's lobsters casually carrying eggs and breeding on their own in the very conditions the lab could not recreate. The research has now flipped. Scientists now study at his farm to learn how he does it. That is the whole argument. We will spend billions defending our coastline, sea walls, polders, barriers against rising sea levels, temperature and acidity. That is the engineered half of coastal defence, and it is right that we build it. But there is a biological half, the ecological buffers. On St John's Island, two labs sit side by side: one growing our food, the other restoring our seas. We must acknowledge that they are solving the same problem – how life in our waters survives conditions shifting under us – and we should treat them as one national capability, not two adjacent projects. Because lose these farms, we do not just lose 6.1% of our self-sufficiency.[+5 sentences] But we lose the platform our coastal science stands on. This was never about a small number. But whether we keep a standing capability that feeds us and defends our coast at once, and whether we go on measuring "affordable" only in fair weather, until the weather turns and there is nothing left to buy. In Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, please allow me to summarise today's key points in Mandarin. Locally-farmed seafood currently accounts for only 6.1% of national consumption, while the number of fish farms continues to decline.[+1 sentence] The problem is not that our farmers cannot produce fish. Rather, high costs and low-priced imports are making it increasingly difficult for local farms to remain viable.[+5 sentences] As Lianhe Zaobao reported in January this year, our fish farmers are struggling to survive in the face of adversity. The survival of our local fisheries is integral to our food resilience. It is not only a line of defence in our ability to feed ourselves, but also a means of preserving and passing on aquaculture expertise and experience. Once these capabilities are lost, they cannot be restored immediately when needed. This line of defence has another dimension. We spend tens of billions of dollars building sea walls to protect against rising sea levels.[+1 sentence] That is the "hard" half. But there is also a "soft" half: living coral reefs and breeding grounds that protect our coastline, and these already exist within our fish farms.[+4 sentences] On St John's Island, two laboratories stand side by side: one grows food, while the other protects the marine environment. They are, in fact, addressing the same challenge. We should regard them as a single national capability, rather than as two separate projects. I therefore hope that the Government will strengthen support in four areas. First, help fish farmers process their produce, add value and secure reliable buyers.[+8 sentences] Second, ensure that research, technology and training are effectively applied on farms. Third, track local seafood production and self-sufficiency more clearly. Fourth, raise consumer awareness of and confidence in locally-farmed fish. Ultimately, this is not merely an issue concerning a small industry. It is about whether we want to preserve our own seafood production capability. Let us extend a helping hand while there is still time. (In English): The question is simple: will fish farming remain part of our food story or merely our history? Notwithstanding the clarifications, I support the Motion.
Mr Deputy Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms He Ting Ru.
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang)2961 words
[+11 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, the Motion before the house today is topical. The issue of Singapore's food security and resilience is a thorny one and many will remember COVID era images of panic buying, emptying supermarket shelves, and the hoarding and stockpiling of food items like eggs. With various wars, blockades and their attendant disruptions to supply chains, and increases in prices, it is no wonder that our attention is once again focused on how we feed ourselves. More recently, we have also been hit with a wave of food business closures with heritage names, such as Ka-Soh and Warung Nasi Pariaman permanently shuttering. These joined the more than 3,000 businesses that closed in both 2024 and 2025, and over 2,000 between January and July this year alone. And even when the number of new food outlets opening maybe more than those closing, the sense of loss and concern as we hear about yet another well-known food outlet closing down is much harder to measure or compensate away. Likewise, the fear of what happens should we run out of food is a visceral one, and when we layer on relentless well-loved food business closures, we start applying a scarcity lens to frame the issue. While we quite rightly need to understand and properly tackle the complex challenges our nation faces in feeding our people, scarcity means we focus too much on how much we grow, how much we import, what happens if we run out, but scarcity could be the wrong starting point. It leads us to only look at defensive policy that can hit its own targets, while still leaving some Singaporeans hungry. Scarcity on a macro level also means that we risk not addressing the lived food insecurities that many of our fellow Singaporean households face. Singapore must not hit supply side targets on paper, yet still leave vulnerable households food insecure. The 2019 Hunger Report, now more than six years old, estimated that around 10% of Singaporean households face food insecurity. The United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), covering the period 2022 to 2024, found that 9.5% of our population, over 500,000 people, experience moderate to severe food insecurity, with 3.5% experiencing severe food insecurity, meaning insufficient food quantity and risk of physical hunger. This report found that prevalence has tripled comparing 2014 to 2016 against 2022 to 2024.[+9 sentences] Scarcity asks if we have enough food, but the question is not whether food exists in our country, but whether every household can reliably access and afford it, even under stress. This is why I hope today to expand on the speech that I made during the debate on the Food Safety and Security Bill in January 2025, to lend our attention squarely on food resilience. Food resilience can be broken down into three pillars: exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Exposure means how exposed we are to external shocks. Sensitivity measures how much harm a shock will actually cost and adaptive capacity measures the ability of households and the system to absorb and recover from shocks without lasting damage. First, on exposure. Our high land-labour-energy costs and consumer uptake means that despite many previous attempts at boosting local food production, we still import over 90% of our total food consumption. Our previous "30 by 30" target was ultimately a scarcity target. It asks how much we grow, not how resilient we are. The Singapore Food Story 2 strategy that replaced this target last year, narrows and refines these targets to 20% of our fibre needs, and 30% of our protein needs to be met locally by 2035.[+10 sentences] My colleague, Mr Dennis Tan spoke on the challenges that still remain to local food producers. What I would note is that our aggregate national supply has, in fact, held up through real shocks – through COVID, war-driven price spikes and global protectionism. We did not run out of food then. One read of this, is that the system level resilience we have built through import diversification, overseas partnerships and now stockpiling, has kept our larder stocked. But yet we are still seeing food insecurity among our own people, our own families. Then the vulnerability we should really be worried about lies elsewhere and it is one which the scarcity lens may be inadvertently obscuring food insecurity experienced by households. Next, sensitivity. Importing the majority of our food supply naturally leaves us highly exposed to price fluctuations and supply chain shocks. Sensitivity measures how much harm such shocks will cause. Singapore was ranked the world's most food secure nation by the Economist Intelligence Unit, but this ranking can hide important nuances at the individual or even community level. For example, research on food insecure pregnant women at KK Women's and Children's Hospital published just last year, found that food insecure pregnant women often present with higher than average body weight, while suffering real deficiencies in the form of low haemoglobin and Vitamin D.[+15 sentences] This suggests that sometimes food insecurity in our wealthy nation can hide behind seeming abundance. When we zoom out to the general population, the 2019 study estimated over 500,000 of our people live with moderate to severe food insecurity. It is even more sobering when we realise that this study was done in the context of business as usual, pre-COVID-19, and a nation which is top ranked as food secure. For food insecure households, one can only imagine what effect a crisis would have on them. Even without one, they already find it difficult to eat well. Every day, members of these families face having to make difficult choices about how much they can afford to eat and when they need to forgo a meal in favour of another pressing daily need. Worse, international studies suggest that there is even a gendered dimension to this – in a form of a phenomenon known as "maternal buffering". That is, mothers and food insecure households – giving up their own nutrition in favour of other family members, often at the expense of their own well-being. A recent New Zealand Study heartbreakingly illustrates this. Mothers, in that study, described reducing their own portion sizes, reserving the most nutritious foods for their children, skipping meals, eating minimally, giving quotes, such as "a piece of bread will fill you up", and even masking hunger with water. While I could not find Singapore specific studies on whether this phenomenon exists here, these descriptions are not unheard of in my interactions with some constituents. We need to more fully understand the magnitude of whether this is a problem here, especially since improper nutrition also adversely affects emotional and mental health – an issue that I brought up during a debate on the Mental Health Motion back in 2024. The Government will point to the plethora of assistance schemes already in place, but intention may not translate to reach, nor does it account for the simple fact that we are dealing with human beings. The New Zealand Research I mentioned earlier also noted that we have to look beyond lack of awareness. There were also reasons, such as embarrassment, the belief that other families needed it more, or just dejection, which prevented food insecure families from getting the support that they needed. Here in Singapore, it is worth noting that the Hunger Report found that only 22% of food insecure households received support. Of those, only one in five felt it made a lasting difference, suggesting that the problem is extremely complex.[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, if we take sensitivity seriously, our obligation is not just to ask whether Singapore has enough food. We must also ask whether every household, especially those least visible to us, can reliably access and afford it, in good times as well as bad. We need a fresh, nationally representative study updating the 2019 Hunger Report, so this House is no longer relying on old data for a problem that the FAO tells us has multiplied over the years. Any review of support schemes must also begin with harmonising eligibility across ComCare, Food Banks and community assistance, so access does not depend on which door a struggling family happens to knock on.[+18 sentences] Mr Speaker, if sensitivity asks how deeply food insecurity already harms our people, adaptive capacity takes this further. It asks that when a shock hits – be it a price spike, a rent increase, a hawker forced to raise prices. Can each household's different needs still be met, or does our system offer the same rigid response, regardless? Underpinning this, is how we must strive to ensure that all households have access to safe and nutritious food. Crucially, we also must not stigmatise those who seek help. Research has found that shame often remains one of the most persistent barriers keeping food insecure households from obtaining the support meant for them and that we have to address what these different households need. These range from a mother using water to stave off hunger so that her child can eat. A disabled elderly person unable to cook for themselves, or families are forced to choose between keeping the lights on or buying more fibre and protein. How can we ensure every household can access what it needs? My Sengkang colleague, Mr Louis Chua earlier proposed tapping the existing Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) card system to provide tiered discounts at hawker centres, coffee shops and supermarkets, with blue card holders receiving the highest quantum. This approach uses infrastructure we already have and critically gives the recipients autonomy to decide for themselves whether they need cooked food, groceries or other essentials, rather than people sitting in an office deciding for them. Another resource to tap on to boost our adaptive capacity already exists. Our hawkers. Historically, hawkers provided us with affordable, accessible cooked food that kept our families fed. Yet, in recent years, hawkers have struggled, exposed to rising rentals and operating costs. These costs inevitably pass through to their food prices. Mr Speaker, beyond one-off rental rebates, we need more systematic ways of addressing this and this should extend to how many of our hawker centres are run in the first place, specifically Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres (SEHCs). Since 2011, new hawker centres have been handed to private operators to manage for a fee. NEA, however, remains the sole agency responsible for planning, building and maintaining every one of our existing centres. And after more than a decade, the Government's own data appears to show that occupancy, store turnover, satisfaction and even rents appear to be broadly comparable between SEHC and NEA-managed centres.[+8 sentences] If these core outcomes are already comparable without an additional layer, what then does management fee actually purchase? Even One Punggol, run by an experienced operator since opening, saw that operator exits early over operational difficulties. The Government's response was that viability depends more on catchment, amenities and connectivity than on which operator is in charge. NEA should thus publish a proper light for light assessment, controlling for age, location and catchment, comparing net expenditure, hawker viability and satisfaction. And when the next SEHC contract expires, we should be willing to pilot direct NEA management and let the evidence, not assumption, decide whether this middle layer remains necessary. This is why we have called for all hawker centres to come back under direct NEA management. It does not mean that every useful function currently performed by an SEHC operator must disappear. Where specialists, expertise genuinely adds value, those capabilities can still be developed or procured. NEA can retain the direct relationship with our hawkers and build up its own institutional expertise, rather than assuming that professional management necessarily requires a middle man in the form of a master tenant.[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, another way in which we can boost adaptive capacity is to further re-orient our plates around local produce. But ask any household doing their grocery run, and the reality is this: local produce still costs around 30% more than the imported alternative.[+1 sentence] For a family watching every dollar, buy local or champion local is not really an option. Despite schemes, like the SG Fresh Produce logo, local vegetable and seafood consumption has continued to decline. FairPrice also recently pulled produce from at least three local farms off its shelves even as our farmers contend with rising costs that only widened the price gap.[+6 sentences] Consumer goodwill alone will not reverse this. If we are serious about our new fibre and protein targets, we need to tackle both sides of this equation – cost and demand. On cost, our farmers still operate individually, each absorbing energy, manpower and rental pressures alone. We must explore cooperative structures which allow local farms to pool costs. On the Farm-to-Table Recognition Programme (FTTRP), could qualifying criteria be strengthened over time, paired with preferential credits or tax relief that actually translate into lower prices for diners at FTTRP establishments, rather than rely on goodwill or exposure alone? For demand, institutional buyers can move volumes individual consumers cannot. In July, seven urban farms struck wholesale deals with buyers like SATS and central kitchens, which is worth scaling.[+19 sentences] In this vein, I want to bring up a point I made in January 2025. Given our ongoing struggles to feed our children well in schools, could central school catering be combined with a community-supported agriculture arrangement with local farms? This is more extensively built on in my Aljunied group representation constituency (GRC) colleague Gerald Giam's speech and would build both a demand pipeline for our farmers and allow children to understand what eating local means from a young age. Because if buying local only ever makes sense for those who can absorb the extra cost, it will never become the norm and will remain a virtual reserve for those who can afford it. The last aspect of resilience which I hope to touch on today is the resilience of our food identity whilst being buffeted by winds of change. Key to our adaptive capacity when we talk about food is also the accumulated knowledge, skill and memory that lets communities sustain themselves through hardship. Long before "30 by 30" or Singapore Food Story 2, our people already spent generations building ground up adaptive capacity and figured out how to feed their families well using what was already at our doorstep. Nonya cooks stretched modest ingredients into rendang and kueh. Hawkers built cuisines around head-to-toe cuts and local catch. This is not nostalgia. It is the resourcefulness we have to capture and maintain – how to eat well, sustainably, from what our farms and waters can actually provide. Crucially, this wisdom was never static. Each generation adapted what came before to new ingredients and constraints. The capacity to evolve is itself the inheritance worth protecting, not a fixed set of recipes frozen in time. This knowledge also survives only when they are practised, passed on and allowed to keep evolving. Just as our dependence on a handful of countries for the bulk of our food imports is a sensitivity risk, the steady closure of heritage establishments concentrates our food landscape into fewer hands and fewer places, where this evolution and adaption can happen. This is why our efforts to preserve our food heritage such as our hawker culture through the Hawkers Succession Scheme and its United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscription cannot stop there. I would suggest two extensions. First, extend succession support beyond hawker centres to privately run heritage establishments. Ka-Soh and Wing Seong Fatty's closed for the same reasons many hawker stalls once did – no successor, no institutional bridge – but they fall outside the scheme purely because they are not Government managed.[+18 sentences] Secondly, formerly document and digitise culinary knowledge that today exists only in family memory, particularly for cuisines like Eurasian cooking, extending the National Heritage Board's existing work on individual heritage dishes to actively record recipes and techniques before they are lost with the practitioners who hold them — Sorry, Minister. Are you, would you like to take part in the debate? Sorry, I just keep hearing you speaking. All this matters. Our food identity has never been fixed. It has always absorbed new ingredients, new communities, new constraints and made them its own. This ability to evolve and adapt is even more important in a world reshaped by climate change and the sustainability choices we have debated today. As we ask Singaporeans to eat more local vegetables, more eggs and seafood, less red meat, we are asking our food culture to evolve once again. The evolution will succeed far more if it draws on a living, well-documented tradition of resourceful homespun cooking than if we let that tradition vanish and try to invent sustainable eating from scratch. Preserving this knowledge is not about holding onto the past. It is about protecting our capacity to keep adapting, which is exactly what a changing climate will keep demanding of us. In conclusion, an over-emphasis on scarcity overlooks the genuine strengths we already have – diverse supply chains, the means to trade globally, a system which holds up through real shocks. Dwelling on scarcity diverts attention from what exactly is our binding constraint – whether every household can access and afford good food. This is why I believe that to fully understand and strengthen resilience, we have to look beyond exposure and sensitivity. A more equitable food system is a more resilient one. A diet shaped around what we can sustainably grow strengthens both our farms and our planet. And a food culture that is actively preserved and allowed to keep evolving gives us the adaptive capacity to meet whatever comes next. Mr Speaker, we take great pride in calling ourselves a nation of food lovers, but —
Mr Speaker10 words
[+1 sentence]Ms He, you might want to round up your speech.
Ms He Ting Ru39 words
[+4 sentences]Yes. Last paragraph. But for food lovers, food must first nourish every family's table, without exception. We must move beyond asking merely whether we have enough and commit to a food system that is equitable, sustainable and unmistakably ours.
Mr Speaker8 words
[chair housekeeping]Ms Poh, you have a clarification to make?
Ms Poh Li San53 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to make a small clarification to a number I mentioned in my speech earlier on. [self correction]I misspoke that D2L.sg diverted 1,100 tonnes of food waste since the business launched in 2023. It should be 1,100 tonnes of food waste in 2025 alone.[+1 sentence] Thank you, Mr Speaker.
[+6 sentences]Mr Speaker, conflicts and hostilities around the world continue to have an impact on all aspects of our lives, especially food. This Motion rightly frames the response we need to tackle the global squeeze on food supply. We need to strengthen our food resilience, reduce food waste and mobilise all of society to keep food affordable. Where is food resilience tested most directly? At our hawker stalls and on the dining tables of our everyday households. Sir, the Government has said we must brace for the fuller impact on prices of imported food and electricity, backing this with an additional $600 million in support for households in July. Meals at hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts account for the largest share of food and beverage services expenses at 50.8%.[+4 sentences] That is why I am of the view that the affordability of food at hawker centres and coffee shops deserve our attention in this Motion. For many of us, hawker centres are not just a lifestyle choice. They are part of an essential infrastructure, often cheaper and more practical than cooking at home after factoring in ingredients, utilities, food preparation time and variety of choices. But the prices of budget meals are increasing as hawkers report growing difficulty sustaining budget options due to rising rentals, utilities and ingredient costs. NEA has confirmed it does not regulate cooked food prices directly, relying instead on tender conditions to provide budget meals.[+7 sentences] This model works when costs are stable. It is less sustainable when hawkers are squeezed from multiple directions, and it is the lower-income family who feels it first. Government support for hawkers is real and welcome, but there remains no consistent mechanism ensuring that support given to hawker businesses reliably translates into lower prices for the resident buying a bowl of noodles. For our average Housing and Development Board (HDB) households, affordability has to be designed into the system. I therefore urge the Government to consider five targeted measures for hawker food accessibility. First, strengthening local food resilience. I would like us to tackle the question of food supply resilience head on. Singapore imports over 90% of our food and successive shocks – the pandemic, the Ukraine conflict's fertiliser disruptions, and now the Middle East crisis – will keep testing this vulnerability.[+5 sentences] I therefore support accelerating Our Singapore Food Story 2 strategy, and especially on Growing Local since local supply chains are less exposed to global shocks and disruptions. There have been many promising and exciting technologies and players sprouting up in the local agri-food sector in the past decade, some of whom I have met over the years. Most unfortunately, a good number of them have also succumbed to high operating costs and inability to capture sustained local consumer demand amidst fierce competition from cheaper regional imports despite initiatives like the SG Fresh Produce label. Government grants have shown to be helpful in supporting start-ups to enter this space and get their farms going, but these grants tend to focus on the initial set-up costs. Many of our agritech farms continue to be weighed down by high costs of electricity, water and rental bills. To deal with the high costs, I urge the Government to take immediate steps to execute a plan to build multi-tenanted facilities for agri-food production and ensure that subsidies are in place to keep rents manageable as they grow.[+18 sentences] Also, these farms used to be supported by a huge wave of venture capital flowing into this space a few years ago, but that has since slowed down. I would like to call upon the Government to continue encouraging the steady and sustainable growth of this sector, perhaps by extending the Agri-Food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund to welcome co-investments with other investment partners. Supporting this sector with grants is not just a matter of addressing market failure. It is a matter of our nation's food security and resilience. Second, boosting demand for local produce. I would like us to deal with the issue of weak demand for local produce by introducing a national platform to aggregate the demand by our hawkers and market food stallholders to support and facilitate bulk ordering from local producers. This platform should be well integrated with existing supply chains such as the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre and Jurong Fishery Port that are familiar to our hawkers and merchants. If we can make this work, this will present a huge demand opportunity for our hawkers and market stalls to mop up fresh local produce. Aggregating orders will also help local farms to have better demand predictability, unlocking wholesale volume pricing and helping them to scale production. Of course, our hawkers and market stall holders will not simply buy local just because they are available, which is why subsidies will have to be in place to bring the prices to a competitive level compared to regional imports. Third, reducing food waste through all-of-society partnerships. The Motion also calls for partnerships with all of society to reduce food waste. This deserves more attention alongside affordability. Our hawker centres, where food is prepared and sold in small batches throughout the day, remain an under-tapped source of surplus that could be redirected to lower-income households instead of the incinerator. I urge the Government to work with NEA, SFA and community partners like Food Bank Singapore to formalise surplus food redistribution arrangements at more hawker centres, particularly those serving mature HDB estates with a higher concentration of lower-income and elderly residents. This would advance the Motion's twin goals at once – less food wasted and more affordable, nutritious food reaching the households that need it most. Fourth, keeping food supplies affordable. I would like to propose a recurring rental and utility rebate for hawkers who commit to keeping budget meals genuinely affordable, rather than relying on one-off support, so savings are structurally passed down to residents rather than left to goodwill. This can be seen as an extension of the budget meals scheme at socially conscious enterprise hawker centres, so that this scheme can be rolled out to all hawker centres and benefit more low-income Singaporeans.[+1 sentence] Fifth, Hawker Meal Voucher scheme. I would like us to consider a targeted "Hawker Meal Voucher" scheme ring-fenced within existing Community Development Council (CDC) Voucher allocations, redeemable specifically at budget-meal stalls, for households identified through existing ComCare, Public Assistance and HDB rental flat schemes to deliver targeted support for our lower-income households. The JB-SG Rapid Transit System is expected to put pressure on our merchants and hawker centres. We need to ensure that these affordable and accessible food options remain available to our lower income groups.[+2 sentences] Hence, support for their viability is paramount. Sir, in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): I hope that we have not missed the boat on supporting our local farmers. This, together with stronger food waste partnerships and structural hawker affordability measures, is how we deliver on the Motion's call for a food system that is resilient, low-waste and genuinely affordable for every household. Support for our local farmers, particularly in lease tenures, technology and research, will be crucial to help them develop and sustain their businesses.[+4 sentences] (In English): I hope that we have not missed the boat on supporting our local farmers. This, together with stronger food waste partnerships and structural hawker affordability measures, is how we deliver on the Motion's call for a food system that is resilient, low-waste and genuinely affordable for every household. Support for our local farmers, particularly in lease tenures, technology and research, will be crucial to help them develop and sustain their businesses. Sir, our hawkers and markets are the last-mile guardians of affordability for ordinary residents and our lower-income HDB households are the ones whose resilience is tested first when global shocks hit. I urge the Government to treat food resilience, waste reduction and affordability not as separate cost-of-living cushions to be topped up at each Budget cycle, but as one structural priority, so that when prices rise, it is the burden that is shared, and it is surplus that is redirected.[+1 sentence] I support the Motion.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied)1638 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, our local agriculture sector is a vital component of our national resilience, yet it continues to face severe structural headwinds that threaten its long-term viability. Today we are debating a Motion to enhance food resilience and support efforts to ensure Singaporeans have access to an affordable food supply amidst geopolitical uncertainties and climate-related risks. While I agree with the intent of this Motion, achieving genuine food resilience requires an earnest review of the structural market forces that are currently encumbering our local farmers. In November 2025, the Government replaced our national commitment to produce 30% of our nutritional needs locally by 2030, known as the "30 by 30" goal, with revised 2035 targets of 20 percent for fibre and 30 percent for protein, citing pandemic supply shocks, high energy and manpower cost, and tough financing conditions.[+14 sentences] While Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad explicitly acknowledged the need for substitute demand, the Government's primary remedies remain overwhelmingly focused on automation and agritech grants, helping entrepreneurs build high tech farms while leaving them to compete against cheap imports, creates a deep inconsistency. Trying to solve a demand side shortfall with supply side fixes. This reliance on capital expenditure heavy supply fixes carries a fundamental flaw. Without more certain offtake, continuous supply side grants risk creating projects that rely heavily on grants but fail once funding ends. Our farmers built what we asked them to build. The missing piece was not the grant. It was the buyer. Without assured demand, local seafood and vegetable farms often operate below their installed planting capacity, struggling to compete against cheaper imports despite heavy technological investments. To ensure the new 2035 targets do not suffer the same fate as the original 30 by 30 target, the Government needs to bridge the demand gap by reforming its procurement framework. I propose modernising public procurement to secure Singapore's food resilience, to move away from qualitative preference points towards binding structural procurement of local produce. The objective is to achieve the revised 2035 local production targets by dynamically leveraging institutional demand and resolving the issue of caterer margin compression. We must first recognise the structural limitations of the current tender framework. When I raised a Parliamentary Question in November 2024 regarding local food uptake by major institutional buyers like the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and public hospitals, Minister Grace Fu highlighted qualitative preference points awarded under the Farm to Table Recognition Programme. While awarding bonus evaluation points in GeBIZ tenders is a useful first step in signalling intent, evidence indicates that it has not driven mass scale volume uptake in critical categories. According to the SFA's Singapore Food Statistics report released in June 2025, locally farmed vegetables accounted for just three percent of total domestic consumption, while local seafood dropped to 6.1%.[+3 sentences] There are three key reasons that this policy could be failing to drive purchase volume. First, because GeBIZ tenders prioritise price competitiveness. Caterers using premium local produce must absorb the price gap directly into their own margins, disincentivising purchases beyond the bare minimum. Second, caterers can meet SFA's 15 percent farm to table threshold by buying low-cost items that already have price parity, like eggs or bean sprouts, completely bypassing local leafy greens and fish.[+6 sentences] Third, static one to two year GeBIZ contracts demand fixed long term supply volume, because small high-tech farms cannot risk committing to fixed tonnages over two full years. They are locked out of public tenders, leaving them without the guaranteed offtake they need to scale. To address these limitations, I would like to propose four procurement approaches that can be implemented in Singapore. First, we must set institutional procurement targets tied to the 2035 goals. The Government must lead by example. Rather than only awarding discretionary evaluation points, public institutions such as the SAF, public hospitals and Government ministries, should aim to purchase local produce beyond the national 2035 targets. Specifically, they should set an institutional baseline of 35% for protein across seafood and eggs, and 25% for fibre via vegetables within their catering budgets.[+3 sentences] Expanding this into binding institutional procurement targets across all public sector catering creates the guaranteed offtake our farmers desperately need. State level ring fencing of institutional food budgets is a viable global model. For example, the European Commission introduced a draft proposal to mandate that fruit, vegetables and milk bought through its $20 million Euro annual school scheme must be made in Europe, explicitly prioritising domestic industries and local farms with low climate footprints over cheaper foreign imports. To ensure compliance with Singapore's Free Trade Agreements and the World Trade Organization's Government Procurement Agreements, which generally prohibit discriminatory non-tariff barriers, the Government can utilise perfectly legal work arounds.[+21 sentences] Under Article 23 of the WTO GPA, an explicit general exception is made for procurement necessary for the protection of essential security interests. Given that local food production is a matter of national security, this provision can be invoked. Alternatively, procuring entities can legally set aside specific procurement thresholds for SMEs, naturally preferencing our local small scale agricultural producers without violating national treatment rules. While this is not an exhaustive list of legal workarounds, the point is that work arounds are possible with sufficient political will. Second, the Government should provide an automated flat percentage rebate, such as a 25% cashback on all SG Certified produce purchased by institutional caterers. This figure should be calibrated to bridge the typical baseline price gap between local high-tech produce and cheaper regional imports in order to achieve greater price parity. To avoid overburdening caterers with manual invoice submissions, this rebate could be integrated directly into business-to-business distributor level reporting. When a caterer buys from a certified local aggregator like the Singapore Agri Food Enterprises Federation Limited, the wholesale system logs the public institution contract code and automatically trigger the rebate credit from the Government, requiring minimal extra paperwork from the caterer. This adapts the demand side principles of the US State of Michigan's 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan Kids and Farms programme. According to the programme's 2023 to 2024 evaluation results published by the Michigan State University Centre for Regional Food Systems, a US$3 million state investment generated an estimated US$10.2 million in economic impact, reaching 594,000 children. By using an automated block rebate, Singapore removes administrative friction while achieving the same margin protection for buyers. Third, we must build a B2B dynamic food procurement digital exchange. While SAFEF's SG Farm app tracks production metrics, it is not a transactional marketplace. A dedicated digital exchange allows institutional caterers to order flexibly from a pool network of local farmers based on daily yields, bypassing rigid multi year tenders. Similar dynamic procurement models were successfully piloted in the UK's Monmouthshire County, and recommended in the National Food Strategy to direct public spend to local growers. Fourth, instead of expecting farmers to plant blindly and pray for buyers, institutions should post upcoming procurement requirements, so farmers will sow precisely what is needed for harvest. This can be done using the food procurement digital exchange. Connecting demand directly to planting schedules, provides farmers with predictable long-term orders, while giving caterers full visibility on incoming yields. Public institutions can be instructed by the Government to share their forward demand on this platform. If we begin with the public institutional buyers, the local farming sector will readily plug into the system as aligning with this forward demand will become the clearest pathway to securing predictable long-term orders. To assess the fiscal impact of a flat cashback for institutional buyers, we can model the annual cost based on an order of magnitude estimate of public sector demand. Across our major institutional buyers, including army camps, about 12,000 public hospital beds and 6,500 individuals in our prison facilities, total catering contracts across these core domains conservatively exceed $300 million annually.[+3 sentences] It will be helpful if the Ministry could publish the actual consolidated public sector food procurement figures to enable an accurate evaluation of the scale of our institutional purchasing power. Because raw ingredients typically account for roughly 30% of total catering contract values, this represents a $90 million total addressable ingredient market. However, because local farms produce fresh vegetables, eggs and seafood, rather than staple grains or red meats, our targets focus on fibre and protein. Under my proposed institutional targets of 25% for fibre and 35% for protein, caterers would procure approximately $23 million to $32 million worth of SG Certified local produce annually. Applying a 25% cashback rebate strictly to this local offtake brings the total cost to the Government to between $6 million and $8 million annually. This modest annual expenditure stands in stark contrast to supply side interventions like the initial $60 million Agri-food Cluster Transformation Fund and its subsequent $70 million top-up, which averages roughly $14 million annually over five years. Re-allocating or matching even a fraction of this capital into a targeted demand side rebate guarantees immediate offtake revenue for our local farms and would be vastly more capital efficient than repeatedly pouring tens of millions of dollars into supply side grant for infrastructure that risks sitting under-utilised without guaranteed buyers.[+6 sentences] Mr Speaker, Senior Minister of State Mr Zaqy himself rightly identified the need for substitute demand. However, identifying the problem is only the first step. We need to follow through with active solutions, especially for the farmers who have poured their life savings into their farms, believing in Singapore's food resilience ambitions. If we are serious about not repeating the failure of "30 by 30" when we arrive in 2035, we cannot keep pouring capital into supply while leaving demand to chance. I urge the Government to study these structural reforms, which can be implemented at a modest and well justified fiscal cost to secure a resilient and sustainable future for local food production. Sir, I support the Motion.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Lee Hui Ying.
Ms Lee Hui Ying (Nee Soon)2644 words
[+11 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, food is at the heart of what makes a Singaporean, Singaporean. We brave the heat to queue for the latest restaurant opening. We debate with great seriousness, which stall serves the best nasi lemak. Perhaps this love for food comes from knowing, deep down, that food is precious. We are a country that produces very little of what we eat. The pressures are no longer abstract. The recent rise in food prices, driven in part by hotter weather and conflict in the Middle East conflict, reminds us that events far beyond Singapore can affect what appears on our shelves and on our tables. For our lower-income families, access to nutritious food is already becoming harder. Food resilience must therefore mean more than keeping food available. It must also mean keeping nutritious food affordable and ensuring support reaches those who need it most. Together with my fellow Government Parliamentary Committees (GPC) colleagues, I rise in support of this Motion. I will focus on how we can make the most of our excess food. We generate nearly 800,000 tonnes of food waste each year. More than 80% of this food waste is incinerated. This is a striking contrast: we import over 90% of our food, yet we discard an amount of food many times larger than our domestic production of vegetables and seafood.[+24 sentences] By channelling excess food back into the community, or recovering the nutrients in food by-products through valorisation, we can make every piece of food count. This reduces imports and reliance. I will discuss three ways which we can improve our management of excess food or food waste: first, to build on the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act to increase donations of good food; second, to develop a diverse food waste management industry instead of centralised solutions; third, helping Singaporeans reduce food waste in their daily lives and promote sharing in the community. Mr Speaker, Sir, our food waste strategy must prioritise food donations over disposal. We are turning surplus food into good food, while someone helping others in the community have a nutritious meal at low cost. Let us start from where we left off at the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. In 2024, we passed this Act as a Private Member’s Bill. By providing protection from liability for food donors, this removed a crucial legal barrier to food donations, especially by businesses that might otherwise hesitate to donate unsold or excess food. This was an important first step. We should now ask how the Act can do more to actively promote donations. During the debates on the Act, several ideas were raised for consideration to increase food donations. There were calls to support better equipment and logistics, such as blast chillers, which could allow food to be stored safely for longer periods. This would enable more food donations. Members of Parliament (MPs) then also called for tax incentives for food donations itself, a point the committee studied but left for future implementation. One key area highlighted which we could do better is the date marks on food. Today, even with the Good Samaritan Act, food that has passed a date mark cannot be sold or donated. I understand this is important for food safety. But there is a difference between safety date marks and quality date marks. Safety date marks are the “Use By” and “Expiry Date” marks. Quality date marks are the “Best Before” and “Best By” marks. Other countries such as Australia and New Zealand already distinguish between the two. I am not suggesting that we standardise food labels. I am proposing that we make clearer that food past the quality date mark can still be safe for consumption. We can start with the Good Samaritan Act. The Act can be amended to allow food past its quality date mark to be donated.[+9 sentences] The existing four conditions for waiver of liability would serve as safeguards for ensuring that donated food remains safe for consumption. Mr Speaker, Sir, in the past two years since passing the Good Samaritan Bill, the world has changed. Tariffs and the Middle East conflict have exacerbated tensions and strained supply chains. Amidst this change, there is a constant. A constant showing that Singaporeans are able to donate food responsibly. We have not had any major food safety incidents from donated food. This is now the right time to expand this Act, meet the good intentions of Singaporeans, and let it encourage more donations. Next, I turn to focus on our local food waste management ecosystem, in other words, managing food that is no longer suitable for human consumption. This industry is about to experience a massive evolution, as Tuas Nexus comes online. The food waste treatment facility at Tuas Nexus is expected to commence operations soon, and it will give us the capability to use anaerobic digestion to turn food waste into biogas and recover energy.[+22 sentences] This is a valuable national capability. I believe this will have a significant impact in our ability to better reduce landfill usage and recover energy from food waste. But we must be careful about unintended effects. Such an effective, centralised solution, could easily end up as the only solution for food waste. In my conversations with stakeholders in the food waste industry, we hear concerns that it may be difficult for smaller, private enterprises to compete with the lower costs of a large-scale facility like Tuas Nexus. Turning food into biogas is definitely better than sending it to the landfill. But we can do better. After all, transport to Tuas Nexus, and the digestion process, also uses energy. If we only use energy to make energy from biogas, this only cancels each other out. Food is not only energy. It is nutrition and nutrients. Good food must first be sent to people who need it. Food by-products, still rich in nutrients, are better placed returning the nutrients back into our ecosystem through compost or animal feed. The better we are able to recycle our nutrients in Singapore, the more resilient we will be to fertiliser shortages. We can do this by cultivating a diverse food waste management ecosystem, with many different private enterprises. Food waste or excess food can be channelled to the most efficient processes. This complements Tuas Nexus as a centralised solution for anything that cannot be easily managed. We already have many passionate Singaporeans contributing to this. Examples include social enterprises like Divert to Second Life or Ground-Up Initiative who engage in food rescue, or others like Ento who use black soldier flies to valorise food waste. These enterprises need our support. As a land scarce country with a limited farming sector for offtake, it will always be a challenge for them to scale up. They need scale to reduce costs, innovate, and maximise their impact. The Government can help in two ways: land and markets.[+2 sentences] These industries need the Singapore Land Authority’s support in access to affordable land so that they can scale their operations. For example, Ground-Up Initiative, who runs a community food recycling programme in Nee Soon South, has a sharply higher rent after relocating to the new site in Chencharu Close. Affordable land would allow these companies to focus on their operations and impact, rather than stressing over fixed costs which they are structurally unable to compete with a centralised facility like Tuas Nexus. I propose exploring the setup of special food waste management zones with lower lease rates tied to food security and waste reduction outcomes.[+1 sentence] Longer leases would give the certainty needed to innovate and scale, rather than risk having to relocate every few years. Besides land, we must ensure market forces do not create skewed incentives. We have made progress by mandating food waste segregation and treatment in large buildings.[+9 sentences] But, naturally, large building managers will want to seek the cheapest option for disposal and treatment. A large facility such as Tuas Nexus may therefore be highly competitive even when a local enterprise could produce a better food security or community outcome. Pricing models should reflect these wider benefits. This could include differentiated disposal charges, grants for high-value recovery, procurement preferences, or recognition schemes for building owners that choose the most effective management solutions. The objective is not to undermine Tuas Nexus. It is to ensure Tuas Nexus complements, rather than crowds out, the wider ecosystem. Next, Mr Speaker, Sir, I have talked about our laws and our industry. Now, I turn to our people. Food resilience must also become a part of our everyday life. In 2016, NEA found that food made up half the waste of Singapore households and half of that was avoidable.[+9 sentences] I believe Singaporeans know the value of saving food and want to do the right thing. But good intentions need practical channels, clear information and convenient infrastructure. How can we help Singaporeans do more? I have three suggestions. First, we can promote a culture of community sharing, so that safe excess food can reach people nearby instead of being thrown away. Not only do we reduce waste, we give people a chance to interact with their neighbours, to build a real community. Community fridges can be one such avenue. They provide an easy avenue to donate food, and their visibility reminds residents of the importance of saving food and donating the excess. Currently, there is no formal management of the fridges, leaving them at risk of abuse. The Government can take the lead to set up a nationwide framework and best practices, to give volunteers the right direction.[+19 sentences] We can work with volunteers, food charities, and town councils to develop basic standards for hygiene, temperature control, labelling, monitoring, and maintenance. This would protect both donors and recipients while giving volunteers clearer guidance. Technology could accelerate this effort as well and we can find more ways to match residents with excess food to those who need it. In Singapore, we already have platforms such as Olio, Yindii, Treatsure or Fridge Restock Community SG, which help redistribute excess food. The Government can work with such platforms to leverage their technology and data to improve coordination at the HDB estate level, share anonymised data on demand and supply, help residents see the opportunities around them. Second, we can build a stronger community culture around growing, preparing and sharing food. Many of our residents have green fingers. We see the plants along corridors or in community gardens or on rooftops. But, these are not organised. We can go further to turn these into higher scale activities, to make every estate in Singapore a productive one. In Nee Soon South, we are working with Edible Garden City to set up community gardens on rooftops, getting residents involved to manage and be a part of building food resilience. Those who are not inclined to garden can help by providing food waste for composting or preparing food through cooking or fermentation. This not only creates a low-cost source of food. Its value is wider. It gives people a sense of purpose, preserves valuable local knowledge about our nature, and gives people a meaningful hobby. It has been shown that gardening has positive effects on our well-being. The National Parks Board (NParks) already operates the Social Enterprise Community Urban Farm programme. This programme could be expanded to support more community gardens in our housing estates and even private estates, including a platform to coordinate the distribution or sale of community garden produce. Over time, we could have more farmers’ markets, community kitchens and donation drives centred on local produce. Last, I would like to talk about one feature of our daily life that affects how we manage food waste – our single-chute system. It is time we examine whether our single-chute system can be improved to help us reduce food waste.[+7 sentences] The single chute is familiar and convenient, but it makes food waste harder to measure, separate and channel into higher-value uses. Segregated food waste has two important benefits. First, optics. Residents can see how much food they discard and this could help them plan better. Second, efficiency. Segregated food waste can be channelled into more efficient uses such as valorisation. With more food waste available, it would also encourage setting up new businesses in the food waste management industry. South Korea offers one possible model, with radio-frequency identification (RFID)-enabled food waste bins that charge users according to the amount discarded.[+12 sentences] They have successfully reduced food waste and generated useful data for policymakers. Can the Ministry consider piloting this in selected estates? Based on our learnings on the Beverage Container Return Scheme, we could provide incentives or rebates for food waste disposal and use the data to help households understand their food waste patterns and help agencies design better interventions. Another avenue where we could increase individual accountability for food waste segregation is at our coffee shops. We have successfully shifted to a tray return model. It will not be difficult to go another step to have Singaporeans clear excess food from their plates before returning the trays. Not only can this build the good habit to segregate food, we could also help the current problem of birds scavenging at the tray return area. These may come with its own challenges to implement, but food resilience is precisely about preparing before a crisis and not after one. We could test, pilot, learn and improve while conditions are still stable. Sir, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, together with my fellow GPC colleagues, I rise in support of this Motion. I will focus on how we can make full use of excess food. Singapore generates nearly 800,000 tonnes of food waste each year, of which more than 80% is incinerated. At the same time, we rely on imports for over 90% of our food, presenting a stark contrast.[+7 sentences] The amount of food we discard is many times greater than our domestic production of vegetables and seafood. Good ideas need practical channels, clear information and convenient infrastructure to be put into action. How can we help Singaporeans do more? I believe we can promote a culture of community sharing, so that safe, edible excess food reaches nearby residents instead of being needlessly thrown away. Community fridges are one such avenue, providing a convenient channel for food donations. Their visible presence also reminds residents of the importance of saving food and donating surplus food. At present, these community fridges lack formal management and are at risk of misuse. The Government can take the lead by establishing a nationwide framework and recommended practices to give volunteers clear direction.[+15 sentences] It can work with volunteers, food charities and town councils to develop basic standards for hygiene, temperature control, labelling, monitoring and routine maintenance. This would not only safeguard donors and recipients, but also provide volunteers with clearer guidance. Technology can accelerate this effort and explore more ways to match residents who have excess food with those who need it. Food resilience must become part of our everyday lives. I believe Singaporeans understand the value of saving food and are willing to do the right thing. (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, to conclude, we already have the foundation to strengthen our food security and reduce food waste. We have the Good Samaritan Act. We have a growing food waste management industry. We already have many Singaporeans contributing to food security in the community. Our task now is to connect and scale these efforts. With the Government's help, we should rescue edible food before it becomes waste. We should recover nutrients before we recover only energy. We should create room for diverse enterprises to innovate. And we should give every household practical ways to waste less, share more and understand its role in food resilience. With that, Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Motion.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Ng Shi Xuan.
Mr Ng Shi Xuan (Sembawang)1852 words
[+32 sentences]Mr Speaker, can Singapore one day become a food producer for the world while strengthening the security of our own food supply? It may sound ambitious for a country that imports more than 90% of what we eat, but our objective is not self-sufficiency. It is resilience. Earlier this year at the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment's (MSE's) Committee of Supply debate, I spoke about import diversification, global food partnerships and strengthening our local production capabilities. Today, I would like to focus on one part of that resilience – strengthening our protein security through technology and innovation. If we take food resilience as seriously as we take water and energy, then our food system must likewise be built on options, buffers, redundancy and insurance. Resilience is not about predicting the next disruption. It is about ensuring that we always have alternatives when disruption occurs. One way Singapore can create more of these options is by shifting our approach from Singapore Food Story 2's "Grow Local" towards "Produce Local." When we think about growing food, we naturally think of land. But land is scarce in Singapore and there are physical limits to how much we can intensify traditional agriculture. On the other hand, when we think about producing food, the conversation changes. We begin talking about engineering, biotechnology, controlled environment production, aquaculture and fermentation. Many of these production methods can also be less exposed to diseases, weather and climate disruptions, giving us another layer of resilience. In other words, we begin talking about innovation, and that has always been one of Singapore's strengths. We move from land scarcity to technological possibilities. The question is, how do we do it well? One area where this shift from growing to producing can make a difference is protein. Mr speaker, fellow hon Members have spoken about strengthening conventional local production. I would like to complement that discussion by focusing specifically on protein security and the role alternative proteins can play as an additional production pathway under Singapore Food Story 2. Protein is essential to a healthy diet. We obtain it from many sources, including meat, fish, eggs, dairy, soy and legumes. But these protein sources can differ significantly in cost. If we are serious about both food security and affordability, we should also consider how much protein each food dollar buys. Sir, for a like-for-like comparison, let me use products readily available in our supermarkets. An average pack of fresh chicken breast contains about 60.75 grammes of protein and costs $4.65 per pack – or approximately 13 grammes to 14 grammes of protein per dollar. Compare this with silken tofu. A 95-cent pack containing around 15 grammes of protein works out to approximately 15.8 grammes of protein per dollar, comparable to and slightly higher than the chicken breast example. I share this example because it demonstrates how diverse our protein options can be, both in cost and in how they are produced. There is therefore significant potential for innovation in producing affordable protein. Mr speaker, I therefore have three proposals to strengthen Singapore's alternative protein ecosystem: first, clarify our long-term strategy; second, accelerate commercialisation; and third, preserve the capabilities that we have built. Mr Speaker, Singapore's investment in alternative proteins did not happen by chance. More than $300 million has been committed through successive Singapore Food Story R&D programmes covering areas including future foods. And SFA announced another $42 million for future foods and food safety projects in November 2025.[+1 sentence] Private investment followed. Investment into alternative proteins in Singapore rose from US$5.9 million in 2019 to US$169.8 million in 2022.[+2 sentences] We also built supporting infrastructure through players such as Nurasa, SIFBI and ScaleUp Bio. We have therefore invested deliberately in building this ecosystem. What is less clear is the long-term strategy to sustain and translate these investments into enduring capabilities. I therefore ask the Government to clarify the long-term role it sees for alternative proteins under Singapore Food Story 2 and future iterations of the programme. What capabilities do we intend to anchor in Singapore and how do we ensure that the investments already made translate into enduring production capability?[+23 sentences] I recently met Mottainai Food Tech. It is a local startup founded by food scientists that transforms food-manufacturing byproducts such as soybean pulp into affordable products that are high in fibre and protein. Its JiroMeat is already commercially available and featured on The Plattering Co.'s plant-based menu. Yet its current production capacity is only about 250 kilogrammes every two days. For companies like Mottainai, having a good product and good technology is only the beginning. The real challenge is scaling. Mr Speaker, I sell products myself. I know that sometimes demand can be supply-led. When a product is new, there is often a long educational phase for consumers to understand it, try it and decide whether it works for them. There are also two realities when bringing a new product to market – the more you produce, the lower the unit cost can become, and the more people use it, the more feedback you receive to improve the product. We have only just started this process for alternative proteins in Singapore. We should not stop here simply because demand has not caught up yet. To move from innovation to commercialisation, food tech companies must scale production, meet food safety and export certification requirements, win over consumers and secure sufficiently large orders. Each step requires capital, expertise and crucially, a credible first customer. If we are to treat alternative proteins as one of our options for food resilience, then we should help viable companies bridge this gap from innovation to commercial scale. The support these companies require is not entirely new. Many of the levers already exist. We have invested in shared facilities, pilot equipment and scale-up capabilities through platforms such as the Food Tech Innovation Centre, CREMER and ScaleUp Bio. Instead of having new entrants invest in manufacturing capacity, SFA could consider giving these companies credits to leverage these shared facilities to test their products. On the demand side, hon Members have pointed out that public procurement needs to stand in line with our food resilience goals. But alternative proteins are rarely featured. This made me wonder whether we have sufficiently strong feedback loops in our public sector procurement and events, and enough opportunities for credible local food innovations to be tried. We do not need to guarantee demand, but we can provide credible products with more opportunities to be tested, improved and adopted. Ultimately, Singapore's domestic market alone will not provide sufficient scale for many food innovations. Our strategy must therefore be export-oriented from the outset – produce local, ready for the world.[+2 sentences] A successful Singapore reference customer, backed by trusted standards and reliable production, can become a passport to regional and global markets. As companies graduate from R&D and commercialisation programmes, agencies can consider whether support should extend through the last mile of certification, testing and overseas regulatory approvals so that successful research can become exportable commercial products. In this regard, I therefore suggest broadening the scope of Market Readiness Assistance grants for food production companies so that support can extend beyond market promotion to areas such as overseas certification and regulatory approvals.[+16 sentences] This can help promising companies become global market ready and achieve scale more quickly. Mr Speaker, not every company or technology will succeed, but that is the nature of investing in resilience. We maintain options not because we know which one we will need, but because we cannot know which one we will need. This brings me to my third point. Even when individual companies do not succeed, we should ask how much of the capability we have built can remain in Singapore. What do we lose when a food tech company or high-tech farm closes? The equipment may still be here and the land can be retendered. But the more important assets may be the people, operating knowledge, production data and management experience accumulated over the years. Once these teams disperse or these capabilities move overseas, they may become much harder to rebuild. We should therefore distinguish between company failure and capability loss. Where possible, agencies should explore how experienced workers and specialised equipment can be redeployed to other local producers and how lessons and non-proprietary knowledge from publicly-supported projects can benefit the wider ecosystem. A company may not survive but the capabilities we invested in building should not necessarily disappear with it. Preserving the capabilities we have already built is one side of the equation. We must also consider the next generation of talent we are building. This is especially important as Singapore continues to build the next generation of food innovation talent. We already have a pipeline across NUS, SIT and our polytechnics. Across the various programmes I reviewed, at least 146 diploma and undergraduate places were available per academic year for students pursuing relevant food-related studies.[+17 sentences] The question is whether there will be sufficient opportunities for them to apply these skills here. If food innovation does not continue to thrive in Singapore, graduates may increasingly move into other sectors while future students may begin to question whether food science and technology remains a viable specialisation. I met a young resident, Lukas, during my house visit in August, who is pursuing Food Science at NYP. He was genuinely glad that I am raising this topic in Parliament. At Mottainai, Chloe has been working in the sector for two years, while Poh Ee is an NUS undergraduate interning with the company. Young Singaporeans, like Lukas, Chloe and Poh Ee, have many options but they have chosen to pursue their interest in the future of food and are learning how they can contribute to our Singapore Food Story. The question for us is whether our ecosystem can give them sufficient opportunities to do so here. Where the food sector cannot immediately absorb these capabilities, agencies, industries and our IHLs should also explore pathways into adjacent areas where these skills remain relevant. This allows us to retain valuable technical capabilities within Singapore while the food innovation ecosystem continues to mature. Ultimately, preserving capability means looking at both ends of the pipeline – retaining the people, knowledge and assets we have already built, while ensuring that the next generation continues to see a future in food innovation. Mr Speaker, I have followed a plant-based diet myself all my life, but alternative protein includes cell-based products and insects. So, it is not simply a topic for vegetarians. Protein is a daily need, not a daily choice. Its availability is therefore not something we should leave to chance. It is something we must plan for as part of our resilience. We cannot predict the next disruption, but we can ensure that Singapore retains as many options as possible when it comes. That means clarifying the technologies we want to anchor, helping good innovations reach the market and preserving the capabilities we have already built. If we are serious about food resilience, our next chapter must go beyond "grow local" towards "producing local and ready for the world".[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Grace Fu.
The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien)5099 words
[+8 sentences]Food is central to Singapore’s identity. It nourishes us, connects us and reflects who we are as a people. We have come to expect food to be readily available and affordable. That confidence is the result of decades of hard work and we must not take food security for granted. But securing food is complex because food is diverse. It spans many commodities – rice, eggs, meat, vegetables, fruits and many more – each produced under different conditions, sourced from different parts of the world and moved through different supply chains. This diversity means that the risks to food supply are equally varied. Climate shocks, disease outbreaks, geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions are risks that affect food supply. A drought in the Mekong region could affect 30% of global rice supply. A bird flu outbreak in Latin America may wipe out the entire flock, threatening 40% of global chicken supply.[+11 sentences] Border restrictions, like those during COVID-19, can disrupt a wide range of food commodities reaching Singapore whether by land, sea or air. These risks do not operate in isolation. Disruptions to agricultural inputs and logistics networks can snowball into higher production costs and tighter supply. Countries prioritise domestic needs during uncertainty, making trade flows less predictable. Recent events – COVID-19 and several wars – have made this clear and take the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as an example. Shipping routes were disrupted, oil supplies tightened, and energy and fertiliser prices surged. All around the world, these shocks have added to inflation and heightened concerns over food security. Singapore, too, felt the impact of these pressures. Yet our shelves have remained stocked and families continue to have food on the table. But we are not out of the woods. Tensions remain and ripple effects are still working through global supply chains. Fertiliser supply remains tight, which could impact farm yields and food supply in the months ahead.[+1 sentence] Climate risks have long-term implications. This year, we anticipate a strong El Nino, potentially the strongest on record.[+7 sentences] It is bringing significantly hotter and drier conditions to our region, putting rice harvests under stress. This comes at a time when many farmers have cut back on planting amid higher fertiliser and diesel costs arising from the Middle East conflict. Two shocks – one geopolitical, one climatic – compounding each other, threatening the supply of rice, the world's most consumed staple. I describe this operating environment not to alarm but to make clear that we are not operating in a stable, predictable world. Shocks can strike suddenly and cascade in ways we cannot always foresee. Food resilience therefore requires us to think at the systems level – across commodities, supply sources and disruption risks. This is the central challenge: how do we secure a diverse resource in a fragmented world? Our strategy must be comprehensive to manage diversity, scaled to deliver cost benefits and adaptable to respond to different risks. And that is the thinking behind the Singapore Food Story 2, our strategy for food resilience. Our approach to Singapore Food Story 2 is guided by three considerations – availability, assurance and affordability.[+36 sentences] We want food to be available, across a range of commodities from many different countries. We want food supply to be assured, even when disruptions occur. And we want food to remain affordable to all Singaporeans, not just those who can afford to pay a premium. We want all three, but there are trade-offs. We cannot maximise all three at the same time. Take availability and affordability. Diversification helps ensure access to a wide range of food sources. But importing from farther away may incur higher logistics costs, but it gives us options in times of need. We have seen how this optionality has shielded us when supply from traditional source countries was disrupted. It must be developed and maintained in normal times, so that it can help moderate prices in abnormal times. Take assurance and availability. For assurance, we could stockpile a wide range of food items, but it would require significant storage space and resources. So, we calibrate what we stockpile. We stockpile essential food items, such as rice, that can meet essential needs during a disruption. This also means that in a severe and prolonged disruption, we must work with a smaller subset of food items and not expect every food item to remain readily available. Take assurance and affordability. Having local farms give us assurance in times of supply chain disruptions. Given our constraints, local farms face higher land and manpower costs than farms elsewhere. Our local farms need more certain demand and sustainable prices. At the same time, consumers want food prices to remain low. We could shield the farmers from competition by limiting imports or mandating procurement, as several Members have suggested, but this would reduce choice and competition and push up food prices. Instead, we help local farms become more productive and competitive while strengthening offtake channels and buying local. This gives our farms a better chance to compete and grow while allowing consumers to continue enjoying a wide range of affordable food, both local and imported. The question of availability, assurance and affordability brings us back to what food resilience is about. Food resilience is not free. It is an insurance premium we pay during normal times so that Singapore has options in a crisis. But we cannot insure every food product against every risk, at any cost. Food resilience is not about guaranteeing every preferred food product remains available in all forms – fresh, chilled, even air-flown – with prices kept low through every disruption. That is not possible. Frozen, processed and shelf-stable alternatives can meet the same essential needs, often at lower cost with longer shelf lives. Our objective is not to pursue maximum assurance or availability at any cost nor maximise affordability at the expense of resilience. It is to strike the right balance between availability, assurance and affordability. That balance is a shared responsibility – for Government, for businesses and people – in accepting trade-offs and developing solutions today for the risks of tomorrow. The trade-offs I have outlined point to a fundamental question: given the diversity of food, what are we securing for food resilience? Our objective is to ensure that Singaporeans continue to have reliable access to food that can meet essential needs during disruptions. This means focusing on the foods that are most important for meeting Singaporeans' essential needs – across major food types that is carbohydrates, proteins and fibre – while taking into account different dietary preferences and customs. Singapore Food Story 2 rests on four mutually reinforcing pillars – (a) diversify imports; (b) global partnerships; (c) grow local; and (d) stockpile.[+11 sentences] No single pillar is sufficient. The strength of Singapore Food Story 2 lies in the combinations we can deploy, depending on the food, the disruption and how long it lasts. Diversifying import sources is a common strategy across our key food types. Singapore will always depend on the world for most of our food, so it is key that we import widely and build up alternative sources. Global partnerships with like-minded countries can complement this by strengthening our cross-border food supply chains and keeping food flowing during disruptions. Stockpiles buy us time while we restore supply during widespread disruptions. We focus on items that meet our essential food needs and are stable with longer shelf-life, including rice, frozen protein and canned vegetables. Growing local is a regenerative source of food and can provide a more effective buffer for highly perishable food, such as eggs and fresh vegetables. Let me illustrate how the four pillars come together for our key food types. Take rice. We cannot grow it locally, so we rely on the other three pillars. Diversification ensures that we have alternative sources to turn to and we have worked closely with the industry over the years to build an extensive network of over 20 sources, including Thailand, Vietnam, India, Japan and the US.[+17 sentences] We can activate the rice cooperation agreements that we have signed with exporting countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. These can help increase supply in times of need. And for prolonged disruptions, industry and Government stockpiles provide an additional buffer. For proteins, such as eggs, poultry and seafood, disease outbreaks and export restrictions are risks that can hit quickly. Diversification allows us to source from unaffected countries and regions, while consumers and businesses can switch to other forms and types of protein. SFA continues to expand our supply options to new sources of meat and eggs, with recent examples of Brunei, Latvia, Lithuania and Peru. By switching from freshly slaughtered to frozen meat, we can widen our supplier base to more distant countries while ensuring food safety. Our local farms provide an added layer of resilience and buffer by providing a domestic source of eggs and seafood. For vegetables, freshness and short supply chains matter because they are highly perishable. While canned vegetables provide a backstop, fresh vegetables are what most Singaporeans consume day to day. Our local vegetable farms therefore play an important role alongside diversified imports. As explained with the examples given, our Singapore Food Story 2 is premised on building redundancy and resilience in the most cost-effective way. We are not presenting it as scarcity, as Member He Ting Ru has described it. Let me turn now to grow local that several Members have spoken about. I am very heartened to know that Members on all sides of the aisle, including Nominated Members of Parliament, have supported greater support for local produce and local farmers. Local farms have had to navigate significant headwinds in recent years, including COVID-19 which had delayed projects and caused construction cost to rise, the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East which also have raised energy and feed costs, and broader inflationary pressures. These experiences underscored the importance of building farms that are productive, resilient, and viable over the long term. Drawing on the lessons of the past six years, we had refreshed our local production targets to build the capability and capacity of local farms to supply 20% of local consumption of fibre and 30% of local consumption of protein by 2035.[+2 sentences] These are ambitious but pragmatic targets, based on where our farms have the potential to scale productively and sustainably. We must continue to aim for higher land, labour, and inputs productivity because we are constrained by limited land and resources. Since 2019, we have set aside more than $240 million to support local production.[+2 sentences] Under Singapore Food Story 2, we will continue to do more to support our farms, not less. Overall productivity of our farms has improved. From 2019 to 2025, the productivity rose by 20% for vegetable farms, 46% for seafood farms and 40% for egg farms.[+16 sentences] Farms which managed to innovate and harness technology have adapted and grown. I have heard concerns on whether our approach places too much emphasis on technology and whether Government should do more for conventional or traditional farms. Our objective is to strengthen local production so that it can safeguard against climate, environmental and disease risks, while using land, labour and utilities as efficiently as possible. We support any technology – traditional or otherwise – that can raise production, lower environmental impact, and improve resilience against climate change and disease outbreaks. Supporting traditional farmers does not mean preserving traditional methods unchanged. Our approach is to help farms, whatever their starting point, adopt solutions suited to them, produce more with less, withstand shocks better, and build viable businesses. Our support goes beyond technology adoption and includes practical operational assistance. This is especially relevant for traditional aquaculture farms operating in open-water environments, where they are more exposed to environmental and disease risks. For instance, aquaculture farms receive timely alerts on water quality conditions through SFA’s Aquaculture Sensing Network. These alerts give farmers more time to take preventive measures, such as harvesting fish early when harmful algal blooms occur, helping to reduce stock losses and safeguarding their livelihoods. Farms can also get veterinary support through the Aquatic Animal Health Services to prevent and manage disease risks. The service has been activated more than 70 times and has helped more than 20 farms address animal health issues early and minimise losses. Farms also benefit from SFA’s farm advisory services and training workshops, which provide further support in areas such as biosecurity, disease monitoring, and feed management. Together, these measures help farmers better manage day-to-day operational risks and build resilience. Farms that have tapped on support schemes and initiatives have reaped real improvements in their operations. Since its establishment in 2021, the Agri-food Cluster Transformation Fund, has helped farms adopt technologies and build capabilities, resulting in productivity improvements across farms. To date, SFA has awarded close to $60 million to over 160 projects, supporting a wide range of farms from open cage to closed containment fish farms, and from traditional soil-based to urban indoor vegetable farms.[+4 sentences] Farms that have tapped on the Agri-food Cluster Transformation Fund have reaped tangible benefits. For example, CropCiti adopted solar-powered ventilation systems to reduce energy consumption, and an automated irrigation and dosing system which has yielded manpower and water savings. Yili, a very well known, traditional farm, upgraded its vegetable cultivation systems through layout optimisation, improved crop protection, and integrated nursery and irrigation systems. This enabled faster crop cycles and a 20 percent increase in productivity. With the additional $70 million under Agri-food Cluster Transformation Fund 2 announced in March, farms can look forward to continued support for technology adoption and capability-building.[+5 sentences] Ms Nadia Samdin and Ms Joan Pereira have asked whether the Government can fund farms' operating expenses and infrastructure needs. Our approach is to help farms build the capability and scale needed to become commercially sustainable, rather than permanently offsetting higher operating costs. The example that Ms Nadia has mentioned, energy efficiency infrastructure, we would support this. At the same time, we recognise that our farming sector is still nascent, and shocks, even if temporary, are felt acutely. When this happens, we offer targeted and time-limited assistance. In July, we introduced the one-off Farm Business Resilience Support grant to help local farms deal with the cost pressures from the Middle East conflict.[+3 sentences] This is in addition to the SME Cash Grant to help eligible businesses manage higher energy prices and cost increases arising from the Middle East conflict. Over the past month, more than 80 farms have applied and this will go some way in providing relief while helping farms strengthen their operational resilience. We are also building capability through improving the inputs that local farms rely on, such as seeds, fingerlings and feeds. More than $110 million has been made available under the Singapore Food R&D Programme, for research into better agriculture and aquaculture inputs and farming solutions that can help improve the economics of production.[+6 sentences] Importantly, these R&D investments are not confined to the laboratory. We totally agree with Member Cai Yinzhou about it being applied and bringing it out from the lab to the farms. SFA works closely with farms and industry partners to translate research outcomes into practical benefits on the ground. For vegetable farms, this includes higher-quality seeds tailored for tropical climates and innovations in energy-and water-efficient systems and automation for controlled-environment farming. These can translate into higher yields and fewer losses from disease and climate shocks. The Agri-tech Translation Programme launched by SFA and the National University of Singapore helped Yili improve yields by 20 percent by optimising indoor nursery conditions. Research on pH optimisation similarly delivered a 10% improvement in yield, and findings have since been shared with hydroponics farms such as ComCrop and CropCiti.[+9 sentences] For fish farms, this includes selective breeding research and hatchery technology development, as well as improvements in feeds and vaccines. Mr Ng Shi Xuan spoke about our strategy towards alternative proteins. Alternative proteins include plant-based and cell-based proteins. Many plant-based protein products are already commercially available, while cell-based proteins remain at an early stage of development. The global alternative protein industry has faced headwinds. Weaker-than-expected consumer acceptance has been a factor. For cell-based proteins, high production costs and scale-up challenges remain significant hurdles. Alternative proteins could contribute to our food resilience over the longer term, when the industry is able to gain broader consumer acceptance with products that are affordable and trusted. The Government is helping companies achieve this through enabling regulations, investments in R&D, and support for commercialisation. Across the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2020 (RIE2020) and RIE2025, the Government has supported more than 50 alternative protein projects with about $130 million in R&D funding. For cell-based proteins, this includes work on reducing production costs and scaling up manufacturing. For plant-based proteins, this includes work on improving nutrition, taste, and texture.[+12 sentences] Beyond R&D, companies seeking to commercialise their alternative protein technologies can tap on existing grants and schemes by Economic Development Board and Enterprise Singapore. Ms Nadia Samdin and Mr Fadli Fawzi spoke about our plans for land and sea spaces for farming and the environmental safeguards in place. Given our limited land and sea spaces, those set aside for food production must be used productively and responsibly, balancing food resilience with environmental sustainability and national land-use priorities. SFA will continue to make agri-spaces available through the annual Singapore Agri-Space Sales Programme. We recognise that farms need sufficient tenure to make long-term investments and have progressively enhanced our lease framework to provide longer-tenure arrangements and extended development timelines. This gives farms more time to plan, construct, establish offtake channels, and scale. SFA will continue to engage the industry to ensure that our land and sea space policies are responsive to industry needs. Mr Fadli has pointed out the issue with the three farms that were asked to vacate. Let me just take a little time to explain and clarify. Of the three farms that were named, two of them are not food farms, and they are being supervised and led by NParks. One of them is a food farm, but all three farms have been operating for more than 20 years, so it is not a case of us asking them to vacate prematurely. All of them have basically seen through their lease and have had several rounds of yearly extension as the Member has asked. So, we have done that for many years after the expiration of the lease, and now I think this is a time where we really need to re-arrange and re-organise our land and have a land swap with MINDEF. We are continuing to advance the Lim Chu Kang Masterplan and Agri-Food Innovation Park through inter-agency planning and detailed studies on land-use optimisation, infrastructure requirements, and environmental considerations.[+11 sentences] In particular, the Masterplan seeks to develop Lim Chu Kang into Singapore's primary agri-food production zone, supported by shared infrastructure and services to help farms achieve efficiencies and economies of scale. Ms Nadia Samdin, Ms Joan Pereira, Mr Cai Yinzhou brought up the challenges that farmers face on the demand side. So has Mr Gerald Giam, Mr Dennis Tan and Ms He Ting Ru. Farms need customers for their produce. Reliable and regular offtakes give farms greater confidence to produce, invest and scale. While our farmers are gaining customers on their own, they need scale to provide the volume, the variety and consistency required by large buyers, such as supermarket chains and the catering segment. Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is supporting the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation (SAFEF), in playing the role of aggregating supply from the farms and matching it with demand. SAFEF markets local produce collectively under brands, such as SG Farmers' Market, The Straits Bass and The Straits Fish. This includes vegetables grown by CropCiti and seafood from SAT and Max Koi. By pooling production, SAFEF helps local producers reach customers and market segments that they may otherwise find difficult to serve independently. SAFEF is developing new demand channels, including institutional buyers and caterers serving hospitals, schools and large organisations. In July, SAFEF signed new Memoranda of Understanding with local vegetable suppliers serving institutional buyers and this contributes to more stable demand for our farmers as our Members here have suggested.[+10 sentences] SAFEF is also helping farms move into higher-value products and higher-value market segments. For example, the SG Farmers' Market range has expanded to products, such as salads, whole lettuces and mushrooms, while The Straits Fish brand has introduced processed products, such as marinated fish fillets and ready-to-eat meals. SAFEF is partnering food manufacturers, distributors, and F&B businesses to develop new products and incorporate local produce into menus. These efforts enable farms to capture more value from their produce. So, we are allowing several options to go in parallel, and it is for SAFEF as an association to find the best way for the farmers and the farmers also to support the best option. To have them produce solely for the Government, the public sector would deprive them to have their produce selling into higher value segments. So, they are still in the process where they are looking into their quality, their production to find the highest-value takers and SAFEF supported by SFA will help them to find the most optimised channel suitable for their business. SAFEF has also helped farms reduce costs by coordinating shared services, such as chilled transport, processing facilities and access to farming inputs. Instead of each farm having to develop these capabilities or procure on its own, SAFEF helps farms pool demand and resources, and benefit from economies of scale. Ms Nadia Samdin, Mr Cai Yinzhou, Mr Fadli Fawzi and Mr Gerald Giam have spoken about mandating local sourcing. While we encourage all buyers to consider local produce in their sourcing mix, buyers, such as supermarkets and caterers, need to balance considerations of affordability, consistency of supply, food quality and consumer preferences. Our approach is therefore not to mandate sourcing requirements, as this may inadvertently reduce access to more affordable sources of food and increase costs of business and consumers. Instead, we focus on helping local farms become more competitive and reliable suppliers by aggregating their supply and matching them with larger and more stable buyers.[+15 sentences] This gives participating farms greater certainty of demand and allows them to achieve scale. As for the suggestions on public procurement, SAFEF is working on it as part of the deals that they have signed earlier on as I have mentioned. We also raise consumer awareness through initiatives, like the SG Fresh Produce logos and the Farm-to-Table Recognition Programme, making it easier for consumers to discern local produce when making their choices. SAFEF plays a part here too, by bringing local produce closer to the community and retail landscape through its SG Farmers' Market events. Taken together, our efforts strengthen both sides of the demand and supply equation. We support willing and able farms to produce more from each plot, reduce resource use, and become more resilient to weather and disease risks, while building stronger channels to market. This is not about simply increasing the number of farms, subsidising operating costs indefinitely or guaranteeing demand. It is about helping farms make structural changes, reap economies of scale and become more viable, so that local production can contribute meaningfully to food resilience for the long term. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the tenacity and fighting spirit of our farmers, including Mr Gary Chang of San Lay Marine Culture who Mr Cai Yinzhou has highlighted. Through my engagements, I have seen first-hand their dedication and commitment, the fighting spirit, never say die, always innovating, always fighting with climate and the weather, and supporting our farmers to feed Singapore. Many of them have this mission that what they are doing is feeding the nation, including many of our importers. When I bring them along to far-flung countries, they know the mission is to diversify sources. So, everyone in this sector, in this industry understands the mission of food resilience, and we will continue to partner with and support our farmers to build a stronger and more sustainable local farming sector. Other Members have spoken about the pressure of rising food prices. That concern is valid. Over the longer term, upward pressure on food prices is likely to persist. Climate change, disease outbreaks, geopolitical tensions and disruptions to supply chains can affect agricultural yields and raise the cost of producing and moving food. We cannot fully insulate Singapore from these global pressures, but through our Singapore Food Story 2, we can better manage the impact of disruptions on our food supply.[+27 sentences] And we must continue doing what we can to provide support for those who need it most. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Goh Hanyan will speak more about this later. Mr Speaker, I began by describing food as a diverse resource in a fragmented world. But while food may be fragmented as a resource, it unites us as a people. Food resilience must therefore be both a national mission and a shared responsibility. The Government will do our part. We will build relationships with partners around the world, invest in local capabilities, open up new sources with new countries, strengthen safeguards and put in place the policies and infrastructure for our food system to thrive. Our importers are putting in place business continuity plans. They are going out into the world with us – finding new suppliers and building new supply chains so that we have more greater variety on our tables in normal times and more substitutes during disruptions. Our farms are tapping on Government support to be more productive, more sustainable and more resilient. We encourage farms to partner with SAFEF and other farms to aggregate supply. Our ecosystem players are also part of this journey – translating research into better inputs and practical solutions that strengthen resilience across the system. And we invite all segments of Singapore to join us in this mission. Businesses and buyers, the hotels, restaurants and cafés/catering (HORECA) sector for example, can strengthen their sourcing strategies, put in place business continuity plans, and treat local produce as an essential part of their sourcing mix. Households can buy and keep a reasonable amount of non-perishable essential food items for emergencies. And consumers can make an impact through everyday choices – choose local produce where we can; waste less; and stay flexible when supply shifts and substitute readily, because flexibility itself is a form of resilience. Singapore has built a food system that has weathered a pandemic, conflicts and climate stresses. This resilience is the result of deliberate choices and collective effort by the Government, the industry and our people. It must be renewed with every generation. Our commitment is clear: whatever happens beyond our shores, our essential food needs will be met. How much we import, grow or stockpile are a means to an end. What matters is that our food system continues to deliver when Singaporeans need it most. This is the Singapore Food Story we are creating together – practical in its choices, resilient in its design and united in its purpose. Mr Speaker, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): For many Singaporeans, supermarket shelves and wet market stalls stocked with a wide variety of food products have long been a familiar part of everyday life. However, ensuring that Singaporeans continue to have reliable access to food that can meet essential needs amid growing global uncertainties and supply chain disruptions requires a diverse and resilient food supply system. This is precisely the goal of Singapore Food Story 2.0. In formulating this food resilience strategy, the Government is guided by three main considerations.[+8 sentences] First, to ensure availability of food supplies by continuing to expand import channels and diversify our sources. Second, to provide assurance on food supply, so that even if supply chains are disrupted elsewhere in the world, our supplies of key food items remain unaffected. Third, to keep food prices within an affordable range for the public. Ideally, we would want food supplies to be available, assured while remaining affordable to consumers. But we cannot always have the best of all worlds. We must carefully balance these three considerations, making trade-offs where necessary to achieve the best possible outcome. Today, the global food system faces challenges from climate change, disease outbreaks, geopolitical tensions and disruptions to food supply chains. These may affect food production, shipping and prices. Singapore cannot fully insulate itself from these external pressures, but the Government will strengthen our ability to respond to risks and shocks. We are adopting a four-pronged approach: diversifying imports, stockpiling, enhancing local food production and deepening global partnerships to strengthen our food resilience.[+1 sentence] Local farms are also actively transforming and innovating to improve productivity and sustainability. To date, SFA has awarded close to $60 million through the Agri-Food Cluster Transformation Fund to support more than 160 projects, with a further $70 million committed to support the next phase of innovation. At the same time, the Government has invested more than $100 million in food R&D programmes to translate research outcomes into practical farming solutions and improve productivity and resource efficiency.[+9 sentences] In addition, SFA is working with the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation (SAFEF) to aggregate supplies from local farms and connect them with major buyers, thereby increasing demand for local produce and supporting farms in raising production. Over the last few months, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Goh Hanyan and I have also engaged industry partners including importers, wholesalers and retailers. We sought to understand how they are building stronger and more diversified supply networks, and explored how the Government can better support the industry as we work together to strengthen Singapore's food resilience. Clearly, this is not a task that any individual or organisation can accomplish alone. Take the example of the cai fan (economic rice) that Singaporeans are familiar with: from growing vegetables and rearing poultry to importing, wholesaling and retailing – every link in the supply chain is interconnected and contributes to safeguarding Singaporeans' daily meals. Safeguarding our food supply requires everyone's participation. Beyond the efforts of the Government and industry stakeholders, households can also prepare for contingencies. For example, by supporting local produce, reducing food waste, and remaining flexible and adjusting consumption habits when food supply chains are disrupted. Ultimately, our food strategy is centred on one overarching goal: to ensure food resilience for Singapore. No matter how external circumstances evolve, our commitment remains the same: to ensure food supplies remain available, assured and affordable.[+2 sentences] (In English): With this, I rise in support of the Motion. My colleague, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Goh Hanyan will now speak more on food waste and affordability.
Mr Speaker11 words
[+2 sentences]I see two hands for clarification. So, Ms Lee Hui Ying.
Ms Lee Hui Ying33 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. In my speech earlier, I mentioned about social enterprises, such as Divert for Second Life. I just wish to clarify that they now go by the name of D2L.sg.
Mr Speaker8 words
[chair housekeeping]Mr Giam, you have a clarification to make.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song98 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to make a clarification to the Minister. She said that, regarding farm offtake, it is for SAFEF to find the most optimal channel for their business and to produce solely to the public sector will deprive them of selling to the best segment.[+1 sentence] Sir, I did not say that farmers should be required to sell only to the Government. I was asking the Government to buy much more from local farmers to guarantee greater offtake of their farm produce. Farmers can and should continue to sell to other channels, including supermarkets.
Mr Speaker8 words
Mr Tiong, you have a clarification to ask?
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat (Aljunied)111 words
[+1 sentence]Thank you. I have been to multiple local fish farms, and one of the common criticisms is that SFA does not seem to easily distinguish between fish grown and produced in Singapore farms, versus fish that are imported, held briefly and then sold as local.[+4 sentences] One farmer described this to me as "农夫", a farmer, versus "农商", a trader. So, it will be quite easy to verify the actual growth capacity, or rather the production capacity of local farms by verifying the holding capacity, the number of ponds of water and the ponds of fish. Does the Minister agree with me that this is a gap that needs fixing? Thank you.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien14 words
[+1 sentence]I am not sure if this is a clarification of my speech, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker37 words
[+4 sentences]Yes, Mr Tiong, this is a new point you are raising. So, the Minister is right; she only responds to clarifications to her speech. I will move on. Mr Cai, you also have a clarification to ask?
Mr Cai Yinzhou141 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Minister for clarification. I would like to find out more a bit about what she mentioned about SAFEF being able to scale, with economies of scale to benefit more farmers. From what I understand on SAFEF, there is only 23 aquaculture farms registered out of the 67 that currently remain, so I am just wondering what are some strategies that SFA has to convince more farmers to come on board to SAFEF.[+3 sentences] My other question is, what is the public analysis of the sentiment of SAFEF products? Is there analysis of the public being more obliging to support and buy local produce? Has SAFEF also done public roadshows in supermarkets to engage consumers on the products that they are promoting, to get more people to understand a bit more about where the produce comes from.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien110 words
[+6 sentences]I think that there is one suggestion, which is really SAFEF to do more to promote local. As I mentioned in my speech, that is something that SAFEF will have to do, and SFA will encourage and support SAFEF to do this even more. We are still at the very early stage and therefore, there is a lot more ahead of us. I would first say that this is really at the starting block. We are not even out of the first 10 metres in a 100-metres race, so there is a lot more that we can do. With regard to the Member's other question, what was the first question?
Mr Cai Yinzhou21 words
[+1 sentence]The first question was how to get more farmers on board SAFEF, with currently only 23 out of 67 are registered.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien105 words
[+5 sentences]SAFEF just has to do more as an association. So, this is the largest association of farmers and SFA is working with the most viable organisation. I think the Member's question is also a reflection of the status of SAFEF. SAFEF is relatively new and young, and it is given a role that is quite a significant role and therefore, it has to get the support of its members to be an effective trade association. So, with SFA supporting and we are hoping that SAFEF will also, like as the Member said, expand its members so that it can be more effective as an aggregator.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Cai, another clarification?
Mr Cai Yinzhou43 words
[+2 sentences]Yes, I thank the Minister for the clarification. I just had a suggestion to also consider working with Daniel from Fish Farm Association, who is also quite keen to see how he can help aggregate produce from fish farmers to support SAFEF's work.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Goh Hanyan)2506 words
[+9 sentences]Mr Speaker, Minister Grace Fu has spoken about the efforts we have made under Singapore's food supply for Singapore Food Story 2 – diversifying import sources, deepening partnerships, growing local and building stockpiles. I will now speak about the Government's approach to ensuring affordable food supply and reducing food waste, and how they are both integral to food resilience. A food system that is secure but unaffordable, or one that wastes a large share of the food it secures, is not truly resilient. Members have spoken passionately about food affordability and the pressure that Singaporeans face, in the face of rising food prices. We understand these concerns. Food is, after all, a daily necessity, and even a small increase in price can add up. This is why food affordability is a priority for the Government and we have made several deliberate choices in this area. However, to address this issue, we must first be clear about the constraints we face. We cannot fully insulate our domestic market from these global price increases. Singapore imports more than 90% of our food.[+14 sentences] As a small open economy, we are exposed to movements in the global food prices. We saw this during COVID-19 and following the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. More recently, disruptions in global energy supplies have increased fuel, freight and fertiliser costs, adding pressure to food prices worldwide. Second, artificially suppressing food prices would not be sustainable as well. While such measures may provide temporary relief, they do not address the underlying causes of higher food prices. Furthermore, suppressing food prices artificially risks undermining the viability of suppliers, food businesses and hawkers that are facing rising costs themselves. Our approach therefore, cannot be to control food prices directly, but to strengthen food affordability in a sustainable way. We do this by maintaining fair competition, diversifying our food sources, expanding consumer choices and providing targeted support to households that need it the most. The first part of our approach is to keep our food market competitive and resilient. Diversification not only strengthens food security, it also contributes to food affordability. By sourcing from a wide range of countries and suppliers, we mitigate the impact of supply shocks on prices. Competition between suppliers also gives consumers access to a wider range of food options across different price points. At the same time, we do recognise that households may still face cost-of-living pressures. This is why we also extend direct support to households, and we do this in three ways. First, we provide temporary support to help Singaporeans with higher living costs, such as through CDC Vouchers, the Enhanced Budget 2026 Cost of Living Special Payment and additional U-Save rebates.[+5 sentences] Second, we provide targeted assistance for households that face greater financial difficulty and regularly review these schemes to ensure they remain adequate. Through ComCare, we support low-income households with cash, so they can decide which food and meal options best meet their needs. We believe this approach offers greater flexibility than proposals suggested by Ms Joan Pereira and Ms He Ting Ru, which would channel support through designated outlets or specific food options. Third, affordability is strengthened through partnerships beyond Government. The community and businesses play an important role in meeting local needs. For example, North West CDC's food vending machines provides $3 meals, while North East CDC's Warm Meals initiative delivers free warm meals through food lockers near rental flat residents.[+11 sentences] FairPrice Group's Rice Garden initiative also offers balanced, affordable meals for ComCare cardholders and seniors. Together, these initiatives complement Government support by addressing local needs in a targeted manner. Beyond providing support to households, we must also ensure that affordable food is physically accessible. Ms Poh Li San's vision of a nationwide community dining ecosystem is one that we broadly share. Across Singapore, residents already benefit from a broad network of community dining options that provide affordable food close to home. At the heart of this network are the over 120 hawker centres across Singapore. Our approach to hawker centres is deliberate and unique. We view them as social infrastructure that keeps affordable food options within the reach of Singaporeans, while strengthening community ties. The Government continues to invest significantly in our hawker centres. We continue to build new hawker centres, particularly in growing towns underserved by food and beverage options. Unlike typical commercially run F&B establishments, the Government bears substantial upfront cost of building hawker centres and does not recover this cost from stallholders, given that hawker centres serve a wider public purpose. In addition, as announced at the Committee of Supply debates last year, we will invest in our existing hawker centres through the Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme 2.0, so that they continue serving the needs of Singaporeans.[+2 sentences] We also focused on the viability of the hawkers themselves. In recent times, we recognise that stallholders have been facing higher operating costs from the Middle East situation. The Government has therefore announced a six-month support package for stallholders at hawker centres and markets to help offset rental costs and ease cost pressures.[+4 sentences] We will continue to track developments in the Middle East and their implications. Beyond such support, we have a range of supply side policies for hawker centres. These aim to help hawkers manage costs and provide a conducive environment for hawkers to price food affordably. On raw materials – there are bulk purchasing options available at some SEHCs, should hawkers wish to secure preferential rates. On manpower, NEA has opened up manpower access by allowing Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or LTVP Plus (LTVP+) holders with Letters of Consent to work as stall assistants since 2025. On rents, NEA has policies in place to keep rents at hawker centres stable, including implementing cooling measures since 2024 to deter excessively high stall tender bids. The median rent for non-subsidised cooked food stallholders has remained relatively stable at around $1,250 per month for the last decade or so.[+10 sentences] Finally, on productivity, NEA has programmes, such as the Productive Hawker Centres programme, to boost hawker stallholders' productivity. In addition, we must also recognise that hawkers need to price their food to reflect the cost and quality of ingredients, to earn a fair living as well. As global inflation pushes up the cost of ingredients, utilities and other inputs, some price increases may be unavoidable, even if hawkers wish to keep prices affordable for their customers. Ultimately, affordable hawker food options are only possible if hawkers themselves have sustainable business models. Ms He Ting Ru asked whether the SEHC model remains necessary. I would note that SEHCs and our NEA-managed hawker centres start from very different circumstances. NEA-managed centres have an existing base of established hawkers and customers. In contrast, newer estates often start with neither of these. There is, therefore, a need to actively curate a suitable mix of stalls, build footfall and create a vibrant community space from the outset. This is where SEHC operators can add value, drawing on their F&B experience, they help with stall curation, placemaking and centre management while ensuring residents have access to affordable food options across different meal periods. At the same time, to safeguard the social mission of SEHCs, stall rentals are capped at the average independently assessed market rent, and operators must reinvest at least 50% of any operating surplus into the hawker centre.[+7 sentences] This helps to keep food affordable, while supporting the long-term sustainability of the centre. Let me move on to food waste. Members have also spoken about encouraging continued and collective efforts to reduce food waste. We share this view. Every kilogramme of food we waste represents resources that have already gone into growing, processing and delivering that food. For Singapore, where most of our food is imported, every kilogramme wasted represents precious food that we worked so hard to secure. Food waste has been a priority waste stream under our Zero Waste Masterplan in 2019 and it remains a priority today. In 2025, we generated 790,000 tonnes of food waste, accounting for about 11% of total waste generated in Singapore.[+24 sentences] Ms Poh Li San, Ms Valerie Lee and Ms Lee Hui Ying have asked whether we could rescue or recycle more food waste and integrate food redistribution into our food security planning. To answer that question, we must first recognise that food waste takes many forms. It ranges from edible surplus food, expired products at supermarkets to kitchen scraps such as fruit peels and eggshells from households and restaurants to by-products of food manufacturers like spent grain. Whatever I said, these are distinct waste types, all requiring different solutions. As a result, our approach follows a clear hierarchy: to first avoid food waste where possible, then keep edible food within the food system and finally recover value from food waste that simply cannot be avoided. We do this through four broad strategies: encouraging responsible consumption, redistributing edible surplus food, recovering value from unavoidable, clean and homogeneous food waste through valorisation, and recovering energy from the remaining mixed food waste that cannot otherwise be reduced, redistributed or valorised. First, encouraging responsible consumption. The most effective way to reduce food waste is to avoid generating it in the first place. It starts with the choices we make every day. Buying only what we need, preparing portions we can finish, and making full use of the food that we buy. To support this, NEA provides practical guides to help households and businesses reduce food waste and conducts public outreach campaigns such as the annual Say YES to Waste Less campaign to promote more mindful consumption habits. In 2025, the Say YES to Waste Less campaign reached almost four million consumers, with strong support from more than 260 partners. Our partners committed to various actions to reduce food wastage, such as reminding customers to order just enough food, planning meals in advance and utilising blemished food. Second, redistributing surplus. While reducing food waste starts with responsible consumption, we recognise that there may be instances where businesses and households end up with more food than planned. Where food remains safe and suitable for consumption, we encourage it to be redistributed rather than discarded. Community partnerships are key to this effort and MSE supports such community-led efforts through the SG Eco Fund. One such initiative is Food Rescue Sengkang, a programme which engages volunteers to collect surplus food from suppliers and retailers, therefore re-distributing them to residents. Members have called for more Government support for food redistribution initiatives, including greater funding and better information flows. Indeed, timely information, effective coordination, and practical logistical arrangements are critical. Today, enterprises and community initiatives are experimenting with digital platforms to improve visibility and matching of surplus food. However, many of these enterprises have built their own networks and matching capabilities as part of their value proposition. Therefore, as we consider how information flows can be improved to enhance ecosystem-wide coordination, we must do it in a way that preserves the innovation and competitive strengths that underpin these precise solutions. Members have also spoken about the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, which was proposed through a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Mr Louis Ng, Ms Poh Li San, Ms Hany Soh, and Mr Edward Chia. Since it was passed in 2024, the Act has created a more enabling environment for food redistribution by protecting food donors from liability if specific safety conditions are met.[+4 sentences] Ms Lee Hui Ying asked about next steps. One area we are reviewing is date-marking practices. Food manufacturers use a variety of date-marks on their packaging, such as “Use By” and “Best Before”. There are currently no international guidelines on how long food remains safe for consumption beyond its expiry date. SFA is thus embarking on a study to assess the safety and feasibility of allowing food that has passed quality-based date-marks to be donated, while maintaining food safety standards at the same time.[+9 sentences] This could enable more edible food to be redistributed rather than discarded. SFA will share more details next year. Third, recovering value from unavoidable food waste. While our priority has always been to prevent food waste at source, we also recognise that some food waste is unavoidable, such as certain by-products from food production and inedible portions of food. Where such food waste is relatively clean and homogenous, such as soybean pulp from food production, we seek to valorise it into useful products, such as animal feed, or even high protein snacks. Fourth, recovering energy from food waste that cannot be valorised. Mixed food waste, such as leftovers from restaurants or household food waste mixed with general waste, is difficult to separate and recycle into useful products. In these cases, energy recovery is a much more suitable treatment option. This is where our upcoming Food Waste Treatment Facility at Tuas Nexus will play a role. The facility will co-digest food waste with used water sludge to recover energy, allowing us to extract more value from food waste than through incineration alone. This facility is expected to commence operations in the second half of 2028. When fully operational, it will be able to treat up to 400 tonnes of food waste per day, representing approximately 18% of Singapore’s annual food waste generated.[+3 sentences] We are finalising the fee structure at Tuas Nexus and considering how best to encourage businesses to divert food waste for treatment instead of incineration. More broadly, the Government supports ground-up efforts across the entire food waste management hierarchy, from reduction and redistribution to recycling. Through MSE's SG Eco Fund, we have supported over 70 community-led food waste reduction and recycling projects with around $3 million in funding. NEA's 3R Fund has supported around 30 food waste treatment projects with approximately $2.4 million in funding, while the Closing the Resource Loop Fund has committed around $5.3 million to food waste valorisation projects.[+13 sentences] Members have put forward a range of suggestions to strengthen support for enterprises, food charities, and community initiatives in this space. We will take these suggestions into account as part of our ongoing review of the Zero Waste Masterplan, including how we can better support innovative and impactful solutions to reduce food wastage and valorise food waste. In closing, Mr Speaker, this debate has covered much ground. Minister Grace Fu has said that food resilience is ultimately about giving Singaporeans the confidence that food will be there when they need it. I would add that this confidence also rests on whether affordable food remains accessible, and whether we make most of the food we have worked so hard to secure. The Government will continue to do our part by strengthening our food supply, supporting affordability, and reducing food waste. But building a truly resilient food system ultimately requires all of us. Businesses, communities, and consumers each have a role to play. Buy only what we need. Support food redistribution efforts. Choose local when we can. These may seem like small actions, but taken together, that is how we build a food system that remains resilient for generations to come. With that, I support this Motion.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Poh Li San.
Ms Poh Li San1680 words
[+12 sentences]Mr Speaker, food is a national pastime, but if our Food Story were only about that, it would be a woefully thin narrative. I hope that after the past four hours of debate in this House, deep conversations about food resilience, waste and accessibility to affordable food will continue and transform into a thick narrative of a richer Food Story, a narrative of the Four Pillars, the challenges our local farmers face, the growing food waste problem and the many initiatives to rescue and share food, especially with vulnerable groups. I believe many of us will look at our dinner tonight a little differently. We may think about where the ingredients were imported from or if they were produced locally. We may wonder which flight or sea freight route was taken and what was the cold chain facility used to store the ingredients. Most significantly, if we cannot finish the food, we will think about how much it adds to food waste? Perhaps, some of us may be concerned about the families facing financial problems, where every bite is a worry. In fact, we should start educating our children in school on waste literacy so that they understand the importance of minimising food waste, and learn to take actions and changes in daily habits at an individual level. For instance, children should be taught basic formation on nutrition and knowledge like the differences between best before date, used by date and expiry date. That way, they can learn how to store food properly and know what food labels actually mean. Otherwise, it will be difficult for them to appreciate why reducing waste matters or how to distinguish between genuine needs and unnecessary consumption. What does a thick narrative of our Food Story do for us? First, it paints a duty for the Government to ensure that food supply remains always accessible and affordable for Singaporeans, factoring in disruptions due to geopolitical conflicts and extreme climate events. Second, it reminds us that food resilience requires building up local food production capability and viability. Third, it requires the Government to design a more coordinated food import policy and food redistribution ecosystem, to reduce food waste at the systems level, so that we can have a robust infrastructure and strategy for the long term.[+5 sentences] But this is not a story for the Government alone. Singaporeans too must hear the narrative. Food prices are a result of market forces, so external conflicts and extreme weather patterns can create a significant increase unexpectedly. While we cannot control food prices, we can certainly do more to ensure vulnerable groups will always have access to affordable food and to help them reduce food expenses. The story must move more of us to rescue food and redistribute to those who need it. We must be creative about unlocking the hidden potential in unsold and rescued food, turn them into nutritious meals, and in so doing reduce food waste. We ask Singaporeans to support our local farmers and buy Grow in SG local produce, even if the vegetables, fish and eggs may cost more. Our local farmers have to transform their operations and scale up production in order to stay competitive, to overcome tight land, water, energy and manpower constraints. We hope to increase awareness about alternative proteins and encourage greater acceptance, so that the alternative protein industry can become a viable alternative food production capability to enhance our food resilience.[+25 sentences] I would like to thank many different groups of people for their candid criticisms of the shortfalls in the current system, as well as their suggestions on how our food ecosystem can be strengthened and better coordinated. First of all, I would like to thank all the participants of the three People Action's Party Climate Action Group workshops held in January, May and July this year. Many of them even took time off from their busy schedules to watch the debate live from the Viewing Gallery. We have learnt much about the complexities of our unique foodscape and met the people working hard in this industry. They have inspired us to move this Motion in Parliament. So we brought their voices to this debate. Next, I would like to thank hon Members of this House for speaking on this Motion and standing united on this very important and fundamental issue that concerns all Singaporeans and our future generations. I am particularly appreciative of hon Members of the Workers’ Party, Mr Dennis Tan, Mr Fadli Fawzi, Ms He Ting Ru and Mr Gerald Giam for their support and for several good suggestions made in their speeches. Mr Dennis Tan shared useful suggestions on how we can build a living buffer for Singapore’s food supply. He proposed a national local produced marketplace and more tax relief for local farms. Mr Fadli Fawzi proposed positioning Singapore as a food hub and also supported a nationwide food rescue ecosystem and also giving local farms longer leases. Ms He Ting Ru asked the Government to provide more support for low-income families facing food insecurity in the face of food price shocks. She also suggested a more systematic approach to support hawkers. To keep hawker food prices affordable, she also highlighted the importance of retaining traditional wisdom of adaptive ways to reduce food waste. Mr Gerald Giam proposed modernising Government procurement approach by leveraging institutional demand to secure offtake for local farmers. I would also like to thank Nominated Member of Parliament Kenneth Goh for sharing his thought-provoking insights on the concept of portfolio resilience and how the alternatives in Singapore Food Story 2 would perform when the food system comes under stress. Next, I would like to thank Members Members Joan Pereira, Cai Yinzhou and Lee Hui Ying for sharing their insights on other related food topics that may not have been specifically covered by the Motion statement. Their suggestions to help hawker food stay accessible, fish farming remain business viable and excess food management more effective have certainly made the debate richer and more comprehensive. I would like to express our appreciation to Minister Grace Fu and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Goh Hanyan for their comprehensive replies that mostly addressed our queries and considered our proposals raised. Their clarifications on the considerations behind Singapore Food Story 2 and how diversification helps with competitive food pricing is also timely during this period as Singaporeans grapple with rising food costs. Many thanks to the teams from SFA for working behind the scenes to ensure the four pillars in our Singapore Food Story 2 stay robust. Last but not least, I would like to thank my teammates for working closely together over the past few months on this motion – GPC Deputy Chair Ms Nadia Samdin and GPC members Ms Valerie Lee and Mr Ng Shi Xuan. Each of us hold a deep conviction in the respective issues we spoke about, stemming from our own experiences on the ground and through our engagements with partners in the local farming community, the food charities, the food logistics companies and the innovators in food technology. We certainly learnt a great deal from our visits to the local vegetable and fish farms, to the rescued food collection centre, the cold room and the food lab. Mr Speaker, I would like to say a few words in Malay. (In Malay): Mr Speaker, in this Motion, we urge the Government to strengthen food resilience and support efforts to reduce food waste through whole-of-society collaboration. The move is aimed at ensuring that Singaporeans continue to have access to affordable food amid geopolitical uncertainty and climate-related risks. We have heard many insightful proposals, including those on supporting local farming, improving supply chain resilience, reducing food waste, producing alternative proteins and keeping hawker food affordable. Singapore's food future will not be secured by one solution alone.[+5 sentences] It will take all parts of our food system working together. By increasing local food production, we strengthen our ability to produce more food here in Singapore. By building stronger supply chains, we ensure that food continues to reach our tables even when disruptions arise. By reducing food waste, we make better use of our available resources. By embracing and encouraging innovation, we create new possibilities for the future of our food. Food resilience is not built only during a crisis; it is shaped by the choices and actions we take today.[+20 sentences] Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient food system for Singapore and stand ready to meet any future challenges. (In English): If I may sum up, Singapore's food future will not be secured by one solution alone. It will take all parts of our food system working together. By growing local, we strengthen our ability to produce food here in Singapore. By building stronger supply chains, we ensure food continues to reach our tables even when disruptions arise. By reducing food waste, we make better use of the resources we already have. And by embracing innovation, we create new possibilities for the future of food. Food resilience is not built during a crisis. It is built through the choices we make today. Together we can build a stronger, more resilient food system for Singapore. Mr Speaker, the thin narrative of our food story has not served us well. Affluence and modern-day conveniences may lead us to take food for granted and lead us down a path of apathy where food resilience and reducing food wastage are ignored as serious concerns. We are a small city-state with multiple resource constraints for local food production. Let us eat our every piece of food with care, whether it is grown locally or imported. Let us support our local farmers and appreciate the workers in the food supply chain. Let us keep our minds open and explore alternative food sources. Let us look out for fellow Singaporeans to ensure they always have accessibility to affordable food supply. Let us be good stewards of a sustainable food ecosystem. Our food story is as rich as it is essential to our living. It is time we understood this thick narrative.
Mr Speaker70 words
[+2 sentences]Are there any clarifications to seek of Ms Poh? No? [(proc text) Resolved, "That this House calls for the Government to enhance food resilience and support efforts to reduce food waste through partnerships with all of society, so as to ensure Singaporeans have access to affordable food supply amidst geopolitical uncertainties and climate-related risks." – (proc text)]
Strengthening Protections for Lower-income PMEs for Fairer Employment Terms and Working Conditions›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 365w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-4186
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye45 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider strengthening employment protections for lower-income Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs) who may have limited bargaining power to negotiate fair employment terms and working conditions, including protections comparable to those available to lower-income non-PME workers.
The Acting Minister for Manpower (Ms Jasmin Lau)149 words
Professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) are covered under the Employment Act (EA), which mandates basic protections including annual leave, sick leave and timely payment of salaries. However, Part 4 of the EA which provides additional protections to lower-income employees, such as through higher overtime pay rates and limits on working hours, currently does not extend to PMEs. The Ministry of Manpower and our tripartite partners recognise that PMEs are a key part of our workforce, comprising about 40% of all workers.[+1 sentence] They are also a diverse segment, whose roles and incomes can vary significantly. Lower-income PMEs may have limited bargaining power and would benefit from additional protections. We are actively studying how to strengthen support for lower-income PMEs as part of the ongoing EA review. This includes considering how to extend appropriate protections while preserving the flexibility that many PMEs value.[+1 sentence] We will provide an update in due course.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Yong.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas)107 words
[+5 sentences]Sir, I thank the Acting Minister for her response. I have two supplementary questions. First, does the Ministry agree that salary levels and bargaining power, rather than job classification alone, may be better indications of whether an employee requires statutory protection against excessive working hours and uncompensated overtime? The second question pertains to lower-income PMEs whose working hours are prescribed by their employers and who have little practical ability to negotiate their work hours or overtime compensation. I do hear the Acting Minister saying there is some consideration, but would the Ministry consider extending some Part 4 protections to them as part of the ongoing EA review?
Ms Jasmin Lau62 words
[+1 sentence]I thank the Member for his questions. On his first question, indeed, salary levels and bargaining power are definitely factors that we will consider together with job classification, when we review the statutory protections against excessive working hours and uncompensated overtime. On his second question, indeed, we are considering extending some Part 4 protection to them as part of the EA review.
Salary-related Claims Filed with TADM Involving Workers Paid in Cash›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 563w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-4187
Mr Cai Yinzhou71 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) how many salary-related claims were filed with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) in each of the past three years, and what proportion involved workers paid in cash; (b) whether the Ministry has assessed that mandatory electronic salary payment would strengthen documentary trail and aid early detection of non-payment risk; and (c) whether the Ministry will mandate electronic salary payment for migrant workers.
The Acting Minister for Manpower (Ms Jasmin Lau)161 words
The number of salary claims filed at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) and the proportion involving workers who were paid in cash is as follows: (a) in 2023, about 28% of 8,125 claims; (b) in 2024, about 33% of 9,948 claims; and (c) in 2025, about 36% of 10,801 claims. The upward trend in the proportion of claims involving cash-paid workers underscores the risks associated with cash salary arrangements.[+1 sentence] Protecting all workers and ensuring that they are paid their salaries in full and on time is a priority for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Electronic salary payment strengthens the documentary trail and helps prevent salary disputes by leaving a verifiable digital record.[+1 sentence] This facilitates timely investigation and enforcement action against errant employers. As part of the ongoing review of the Employment Act, MOM and our tripartite partners are studying whether to mandate electronic salary payment for all workers, including migrant workers.[+1 sentence] We will provide an update in due course.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Cai.
Mr Cai Yinzhou (Bishan-Toa Payoh)177 words
[+9 sentences]I thank the Acting Minister for the assurances. My first supplementary question is regarding the swift support of meals, financial assistance and job matching that was provided to the recent 400 unpaid workers. Will it now be institutionalised as the protocol for all future cases of non-payment? My second supplementary question concerns how electronic salary payments have long been championed by several predecessors, including former Member Louis Ng. How can we ensure digital salary payments are viable for all permit holders, and reduce the friction points for setting up bank accounts expeditiously? Firstly, the Work Permit Online currently only offers POSB accounts. And in the whole of Singapore, there is only one Work Permit Service Centre at Kaki Bukit. Workers share with me how difficult it is to get a queue number for resolution for simple banking services like lost automated teller machine (ATM) cards or accounts verifications, especially when many travel there during their days off. Are we looking to provide more banking options or for POSB to have more service centres for work permit holders?
Ms Jasmin Lau152 words
[+1 sentence]I thank the Member for his questions and his care for migrant workers. On his first question, we will continue to support all workers who are affected by situations like unpaid salaries, not just in terms of basic needs, but also smoothening the transition into jobs. We will use our Short-Term Relief Fund for local workers and the Migrant Workers Assistance Fund for migrant workers. MOM will also facilitate special passes and certificate of employment letters for valid claims.[+1 sentence] On the second question, we thank the Member for his suggestions and we will look into how to improve the services for our migrant workers. For employers who are not aware, the bank account opening can be done online and the bank cards can be mailed to the employers.[+1 sentence] But there are many other services that our migrant workers may need and we will look into how to improve the services for them.
Demand for Community Care Apartments and Assisted Living Developments, and Review of Affordability and Eligibility Rules of These Options›Oral Answers to Questions18 turns · 2,513w
· 14 highlighted
oral-answer-4188
Mr Yip Hon Weng63 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health given falling demand for Community Care Apartments (CCAs) (a) whether the effects of fees, location and eligibility were assessed; (b) why subsidies require an Activity of Daily Living limitation although the CCA scheme targets prevention; and (c) how lower-income, pre-frail or isolated seniors will be protected from being priced out of CCAs.
Dr Wan Rizal70 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health regarding the private assisted-living pilot at Parry Avenue (a) what affordability assumptions and expected monthly price range were considered when the site was awarded; (b) what income or asset segment of Singapore’s senior population the development is intended to serve; and (c) whether affordability benchmarks or price commitments will form part of the assessment of future private assisted-living proposals.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa47 words
asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) on the reasons for the lower-than-expected subscription demand for the recent launches of the community care apartments; and (b) how the overall affordability can be further improved, including the price of the basic service package.
The Senior Minister of State for Health (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health)19 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, may I have your permission to address Question Nos 3 to 5 on the Order Paper together, please?
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Go ahead.
Mr Tan Kiat How269 words
Our approach is to provide a range of housing and care options for seniors – different services, different price points, subsidised and commercial products. We will have a million seniors aged 65 and above by 2030.[+6 sentences] The most sustainable solution is for seniors to age in place, which is also their preference. Hence, we are bringing aged care services closer to where seniors live by expanding our Active Ageing Centre (AAC) network and offering Enhanced Home Personal Care (HPC+). We are also stepping up such services under the Age Well Neighbourhood initiative at locations with a higher density of seniors. At the same time, we will continue to provide other options, such as Stay-in Shared Caregiving Services, Community Care Apartments (CCAs), as well as privately-provided assisted living options such as the facility at Parry Avenue. For the latter, operators determine the pricing and services based on commercial considerations, but they serve a niche segment of the population. As for CCAs, the Government provides eligible seniors with housing grants and offers market discounts, to keep them affordable for seniors. Notwithstanding, with more options to age well in the community, demand for CCAs has moderated. With the roll-out of subsidised services such as AACs and HPC+, we extended the same level of subsidies to CCA residents. That is a key reason why we have lowered the CCA Basic Service Package fees.[+1 sentence] In particular, subsidies for care services by CCA staff are similar to existing subsidised aged care services, hence similar eligibility criteria apply, including requiring Activities for Daily Living (ADL) support, to ensure subsidies are targeted at those with care needs.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Yip.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang)119 words
[+7 sentences]hank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Senior Minister of State for his response. I find it odd that demand for CCAs fell, even though the demand for senior housing is increasing, given that we have a very senior society. I have two supplementary questions. Beyond affordability, what factors did the Government find most decisive for CCA take-up, such as location, mandatory services, eligibility rules or reluctance to relocate? Will it share the evidence so that future CCAs reflect how seniors actually want to age? My second supplementary question: whether the Government will consider allowing MediSave or the Central Provident Fund (CPF) to be used for paying for CCA service fees to enhance the take-up of such housing services?
Mr Tan Kiat How400 words
[+2 sentences]Sir, let me take the two supplementary questions by Mr Yip in turn. On his first question around some of factors that affect the take-up of the CCAs, well, CCAs are still considered a fairly new product in Singapore. About seven in 10 units across the past five Build-To-Order (BTO) projects were taken up by the end of each BTO selection. Most recently, for Fernvale Plains, it was about 50%.[+14 sentences] There could be a number of reasons why seniors choose a particular project. I am sure attributes related to housing like location, proximity to amenities, price points, perhaps familiarity with the environment, all play a part. So, it is hard to attribute to any one factor. Importantly, I think we should take a step back and look at CCAs as part of the broader gamut of assisted living facilities and long-term care support given to seniors. I mentioned earlier, many seniors actually do want to age in place, age in a community, age in familiar environments in their neighbourhoods. And we have been enhancing our support – HPC+, for example, and many initiatives under the Age Well Neighbourhood programme. We will continue to review CCAs together with the Ministry of National Development on locations and the kind of launches in future, but it is something we take into consideration as part of the spectrum of options. Most importantly is that options are available at different price points and supporting the different needs of different groups of seniors in our community. On the second question around the use of MediSave, well, firstly, I would contextualise my answer by saying that we review the affordability of long-term care and assisted living support on a regular basis. That is why we recently enhanced the HPC+ and various other support initiatives for seniors and their caregivers. So, we do review it on a regular basis. But for the use of MediSave, we have to consider carefully the policy objective of MediSave, which is really to make sure that there is adequate savings in the MediSave accounts for seniors as they grow older so that they can continue to afford basic medical support. So, to any use of MediSave for services – like what the Member mentioned, the Basic Services Package under CCA – has to be considered carefully. It is something we will continue to look at, as part of the whole affordability considerations.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Wan Rizal.
Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar)151 words
[+6 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank the Senior Minister of State for sharing about the Parry Avenue pilot project. It has generated some interest in the seniors, especially the middle-income seniors. I think if the eventual total monthly cost, including accommodation, the service, the care, is beyond the reach for most middle-income seniors, what public policy objective is the Parry Avenue project actually trying to achieve? I think that is one of the questions they have been talking about. The second is, will the Government require the operator to publish the expected all-in monthly cost so that residents, before they are committed, they are invited to understand fully what is the components that are involved in this? And before releasing further sites in the future, will the Government consider affordability conditions or requirement for proportion of the units to be accessible to the middle-income residents, who are really much interested in this project?
Mr Tan Kiat How369 words
[+5 sentences]Sir, the project at Parry Avenue, which the Member Dr Wan Rizal spoke about, is a pilot project. We have to look at the outcomes of that project before we decide how we want to proceed. Let me just go back to the basic point I made earlier in my reply – which is that the Government's approach is to provide a range of options at different price points. We cannot expect every assisted living model to serve every senior. What is important is that we want to have affordable options for most seniors. The Parry Avenue pilot project maybe more suitable for a niche segment of the community.[+5 sentences] But that is how the market works and we want to make sure we serve the needs of different groups of seniors. So, the Government-supported options, such as CCAs and subsidised community care services, help to ensure affordable options are available to majority of our seniors, while private assisted-living option, like what the Member mentioned, provides additional choice for a very different segment. So, Parry Avenue does not replace our affordable options. It complements them. And a test of our overall policy objective is not whether every senior can afford every option, but whether seniors have access to appropriate options that they can afford. On the Member's second supplementary question on whether the Government require the operator to publish the all-in cost before residents commit, I fully agree with the Member on the principle of transparency.[+6 sentences] Seniors and family members, the caregivers, should understand what they are committing to, including the relevant accommodation, care and service charge before making a decision. While the operator determines its services and pricing commercially, we expect them to be transparent and give clear information to the residents before they commit. And I understand that the operator has also committed that they will do so to provide this information and counsel the residents before they commit to any long-term commitments to the project. On the Member's third point about future sites. Well, this is already a pilot. I will not prejudge the future of the other sites, but let us learn from the pilot and inform our overall strategy on assisted-living and support for seniors.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Liang Eng Hwa.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang)139 words
[+7 sentences]Thank you, Sir. I want to express my support for the CCAs and notwithstanding the not so ideal take-up. So, I hope the Government will continue to build the CCAs. Two further questions for the Senior Minister of State. Firstly, besides making the CCAs more affordable, can the Government also make it more appealing to the seniors by maybe adding on more lifestyle elements or the quality of care so that you can appeal to more to apply for the CCAs. My second supplementary question is whether in ageing town at Bukit Panjang, is the Ministry thinking of building a CCA there as well? I think there should be good demand because many of my seniors told me that they prefer to live in the same neighbourhood that they are familiar with, with their neighbours and friends around them.
Mr Tan Kiat How385 words
[+2 sentences]Sir, I thank the Member for the two supplementary questions. Allow me to address the second one first on Bukit Panjang, because I am sure it is very close to the Member's heart. The CCA is a new product and something with which we are testing the market to see whether seniors find it useful, and I must add that CCA is not the solution for every senior.[+1 sentence] For many seniors, their preferred option is to remain in the existing home and their own community and neighbourhood that are familiar with, and we have initiatives to do so. For Bukit Panjang, for instance, where we know there is a higher density of seniors, it is one of the Age Well Neighbourhoods, and we are bringing initiatives, like enhanced AAC network, different active ageing healthcare and aged care services, closer to seniors in these neighbourhoods.[+9 sentences] The idea is for these neighbourhoods to lead the way because we want to test out many of these ideas. But the idea, the intent is to roll out and replicate some of these good working ideas to other parts of Singapore. So, rest assure for Mr Liang, that this is something we are working on in Bukit Panjang. But going beyond Bukit Panjang, we want to bring those services to seniors into their neighbourhood. To the first question that Mr Liang has, affordability is only one consideration. I fully agree with him. An CCA must also be a place where seniors feel comfortable living and can remain active and importantly, socially connected with friends and neighbours. And they can get the support they need. That is why the CCA model is not simply about providing a flat with basic care services. Social and active ageing programs will be provided through the AAC touch points near the CCAs, with most of the activities being free-of-charge and we will continue to learn from this experience.[+2 sentences] Going beyond the CCA, we want to bring these services to different neighbourhoods around Singapore to better serve our seniors because we have many of them and we want to care for them. So, on both supplementary questions, I want to just assure Mr Liang that, that is something that we are very mindful of as we design the support network for our seniors in the future.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms He Ting Ru.
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang)151 words
[+6 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker, for your indulgence. I just have a quick question for the Senior Minister of State on this topic. Maybe it is a little bit of a more niche area where, for example, a senior decides that they want to purchase a CCA, but but because these are BTOs, typically, they need to wait for a few years before the project gets built. So, in those cases, firstly, is the Ministry aware and what sort of support is the Ministry giving to seniors who would like to purchase a CCA? They would actually like to go into living in a CCA now, rather than wait a few years. And what sort of support and how does the Ministry work with the Housing and Development Board, for example, in managing the timing and the lag between purchase, and also the CCA being ready for the senior to move in?
Mr Tan Kiat How316 words
[+11 sentences]Sir, I thank Ms He for her supplementary question, which is, I think something on many seniors' minds. Let me first say that CCAs are just one of the many options that seniors are considering, and I said earlier in my replies – the main reply and the different supplementary questions – by and large, many seniors prefer to age in their own home. They are familiar with it. They grew up there, their families grew up there. They know the neighbours. They are familiar with the local coffee shop, the local makan places, the neighbourhood. They want to age in place. So, that is the first preference that we know, when we speak to many seniors. In addition to that, there are others. That is why we are enhancing many of support at home and in the community, like the HPC+. But if seniors choose to relocate, there are a number of options. CCAs are just one of the options for certain group of seniors that want to take up care services as part of CCAs, but many others options are available, including 2-room Flexi flats.[+5 sentences] There is also additional support from the Ministry of National Development and Housing and Development Board (HDB) in terms of Lease Buyback for seniors who want to live in their own home to sell back their lease. So, there are many options supporting our seniors, including CCAs and 2-room Flexis. And we are also constantly working with HDB to identify locations where these housing options can be provided to our seniors. Consideration will given to available land, demand and other attributes for housing. So, we work very closely with HDB on that, but CCAs are just one of the many options and I know HDB and the Ministry of National Development are working very hard to make sure there are more shorter waiting-time flats for buyers, including our seniors.
Risk to Singapore of Possible Cross-border Transmission of Ebola Outbreak in Congo›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 375w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-4189
Ms Hany Soh38 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether the Ministry assesses there to be any risk of cross-border transmission leading to Singapore due to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Senior Minister of State for Health (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health)125 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, the risk of cross-border transmission of Ebola to Singapore is assessed to be low. First, there are no direct flights between Singapore and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and travel volume between our countries is low. Second, Ebola is primarily spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons. The outbreak in DRC is driven by delayed identification of cases and poor infection control practices in the community and healthcare settings. So, it does not spread easily in settings with strong public health practices and healthcare infrastructure, as we have in Singapore.[+1 sentence] Nevertheless, we must always be vigilant and will continue to monitor the outbreak and the spread of deadly pathogens around the world, including Ebola, and be ready to respond.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Soh.
Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee)57 words
[+2 sentences]I thank the Senior Minister of State for his reply. As we are nearing year-end school holidays, when we will typically expect an uptick in overseas travel, I would like to ask whether the Ministry of Health will be stepping up its monitoring of the outbreak and plans to implement screening of travellers arriving from certain countries?
Mr Tan Kiat How153 words
[+4 sentences]Sir, the short answer is yes. We are already doing so. And when I said low-risk, it does not mean no risk. It is something we are very vigilant and mindful of. The immediate risk of importation to Singapore is low, as I mentioned in my main reply, since there are no direct flights and the travel volume between our two countries is low. But we are constantly monitoring the situation in those countries, and it is not just Ebola but other deadly pathogens, and we are working very closely with our counterparts around the world. So, we have baseline measures for early detection and management already through electronic health declarations when travellers enter Singapore, and we have also made sure that our healthcare professionals and our healthcare system are always on the look-out and monitoring any of these trends that we spot. We will adjust these baseline measures if the situation changes.
Rationale for Use of Annual Value Threshold for Zero-income Households for Long-term Healthcare Means-testing›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 402w
· 10 highlighted
oral-answer-4190
Dr Hamid Razak61 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what criteria does the Ministry use to assess the adequacy of the Annual Value threshold for zero-income households under long-term care means-testing, following the increase in the per capita household income threshold to $4,800; and (b) whether this assessment considers households with multiple members concurrently requiring subsidised residential care.
The Minister of State for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health)141 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, the Annual Value (AV) criterion for long-term care subsidies was raised from $13,000 to $21,000 from 1 January 2024. With the new AV threshold, zero-income households in all Housing and Development Board flats are eligible for the highest tier of subsidy. What the Member is perhaps alluding to is that the eligibility criteria should cater greater financial support to a household living in a lower AV private property, but with significant care needs. This has to do with the current tiering and design of the subsidy framework, which the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance are reviewing. Notwithstanding the above, where a family faces financial difficulties, there are avenues to apply for additional assistance beyond means-tested subsidies. Medical social workers holistically consider the clients' circumstances on a case-by-case basis, including scenarios where multiple household members require care.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Hamid Razak.
Dr Hamid Razak (West Coast-Jurong West)84 words
[+4 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I appreciate that the Ministries are open to reviewing the threshold criteria for AV. But with our population ageing, we would expect that there will be more zero-income households in the near future. Would the Ministry consider moving from debating about the right value, the right number to the right measure, and to consider whether AV will remain to be robust enough for us to level healthcare subsidies, not just in the long-term care setting, but also general medical care?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam113 words
[+1 sentence]I note the Member's concern. In the absence of household income, AV is generally a good reflection of the means of an individual.[+1 sentence] It is an objective basis.But we know it is not perfect. Per capita household income, as well as the AV measures, are proxies, but they are not perfect measures. Because of that, we do have a mechanism for when there are certain specific situations, parties can proceed for an appeal. And in that appeal we can actually consider circumstances and have subsidy deviation, which would then support them. We have also indicated that we are reviewing this, so whatever that the Member has raised are things that we will consider.
Mandating Online Platforms in Singapore to Incorporate Safety-by-design Principles to Prevent Child Sexual Exploitation›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 665w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-4191
Ms Elysa Chen50 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether online platforms operating in Singapore will be required to incorporate safety-by-design principles to prevent child sexual exploitation; (b) if not, why not; and (c) when will the Ministry mandate such safeguards, given that international standards are already in place elsewhere.
The Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Digital Development and Information)174 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, under the Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA's) Codes of Practice for Online Safety, designated social media services and app stores are required to proactively detect and swiftly remove child sexual exploitation and abuse activity on their platforms, such as online grooming for child sexual abuse. Additionally, these services are required to put in place systems and processes to mitigate Singapore users' exposure to harmful content, including child sexual exploitation material. These are aligned with safety-by-design principles that require platforms to build proactive safeguards and prevent harm, rather than react to the harm that occurs.[+1 sentence] IMDA also regularly assesses the designated platforms' compliance with their respective Codes of Practice for Online Safety. In the latest Online Safety Assessment Report for designated social media services published on 31 March 2026, IMDA found serious weaknesses in X's measures to proactively detect and remove child sexual exploitation and abuse material on its platform. IMDA issued a Letter of Caution to X and placed it under Enhanced Supervision to hold it accountable to rectify its serious weaknesses.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Chen.
Ms Elysa Chen (Bishan-Toa Payoh)158 words
[+9 sentences]I thank the Minister of State. The Codes of Practice currently impose child sexual exploitation duties only on designated social media and app distribution services. I wanted to ask whether messaging services and gaming platforms, such as Roblox and Minecraft, where grooming and unsolicited contact risks arise, will be brought within scope and what criteria govern designation? I also wanted to ask a second supplementary question. Artificial intelligence (AI) companion applications and conversational agents now sustain prolonged, private interactions with minors. Yet they fall outside both Codes of Practice. May I ask whether such services will be designated and whether they will carry the same detection and reporting obligations as social media services? Last, the Online Safety Commission (OSC) has been operational since June 2026. I would like to ask whether it will be given an explicit mandate to enforce safety by design standards against child sexual exploitation and what might the timeline be for such an implementation?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam281 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, we appreciate the Member's concerns on this issue. In relation to questions one and two, these are things that we are also concerned with. We are regularly reviewing the scope of our current online safety measures to ensure that the support and the protection for children is extensive. It is part of our efforts to enhance online safety in Singapore. This also includes whether to extend our regulatory ambit to include other types of online services, such as what the Member mentioned – the AI chat bots, messaging, gaming services and we are reviewing this.[+3 sentences] We will announce more details when we are ready. With regard to the question on the OSC, I would like to just make a clarification here. The OSC serves a different function. For this purpose, it is IMDA, which works with the designated social media services under the Code of Practice for Online Safety – Social Media Services, what we call the Social Media Services (SMS) Code. The SMS code imposes requirements on the designated social media services to put in place online safety measures, including safeguards to address child sexual exploitation.[+1 sentence] So, just to expand the clarification on the OSC, it is an avenue for victims to seek relief for specified online harms. The Commissioner of Online Safety is empowered to issue directions to platforms, but these are in response to individual cases, because it has to be triggered by the victims.[+2 sentences] It is not a proactive regulator of platform design. But they have engaged with major online service providers and will continue to work closely with them to ensure that online harms, including image-based child abuse, are addressed in a timely manner.
Proportion of Outrage of Modesty Cases Within Residential Premises Involving Offenders Who Exploited Positions of Trust or Power›Oral Answers to Questions9 turns · 962w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-4192
Ms Sylvia Lim73 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what proportion of the 227 recorded cases of outrage of modesty in the first half of 2026 within residential premises involved offenders who exploited positions of trust or power; (b) what proportion of these cases involved victims under the age of 16; and (c) whether the Police are considering further public education to encourage reporting in domestic contexts.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim) (for the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs)203 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, Sir, the Police do not track the number of outrage of modesty cases involving offenders who exploited positions of trust or power. Of the 227 recorded cases of outrage of modesty that occurred within residential premises in the first half of 2026, 38% of these cases involved victims under the age of 16. The Government takes a serious view of sexual crimes.[+2 sentences] The Police have implemented various measures to raise awareness and to encourage reporting of such crimes. For instance, the Police work with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and schools to raise students' awareness of sexual crimes and to encourage students to report their concerns and seek help from trusted adults. The Police have also launched an action protocol for people to respond to sexual crimes, including outrage of modesty. The key principles are, using the acronym S.P.O.T. – first, "S", to spot it; second, "P", to protect the victim and oneself; third, "O", observe key details; and fourth, "T", tell the Police.[+1 sentence] Consistent with these principles, parents, siblings and other family members should remain attentive to changes in behaviour that may indicate a person is at risk or in need of support and apply this action protocol when appropriate.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied)202 words
[+8 sentences]Thank you, Speaker. I have two supplementary questions for the Minister of State. I wonder if he would agree with me that the 227 recorded cases which were recorded for molestation within residential premises are probably not the full figure, meaning that there will probably be many cases that are unreported to the Police for various reasons – because it is domestic; it is a known perpetrator; maybe reporting a breadwinner and so on. So, I would like the Minister of State's confirmation that it is very likely that this is an under-report, that there are unreported cases not surfaced. My second question is whether there are any Government initiatives to ascertain the extent of unreported crime in Singapore. For example, in the United Kingdom, the Government does a crime survey of the general population to ask them about their experiences of victimisation, which helps to also be compared with the official figures to see what are the unreported crimes. So, I would like to know whether the Government has any initiatives to do a general crime survey to find out about unreported cases and also, why people are not reporting? Because I think it is important to address those as well.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim416 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank Ms Lim for the questions. Generally, it is indeed a concern if victims or families are not reporting sexual crimes that happen within residential homes. Having said that, we have embarked upon a whole-of-society effort to increase the awareness and facilitate the reporting of such incidents in residential homes. For example, victims reporting sexual crimes at Police stations can already select "crime report" option at queue management kiosks. This ensures that they are prioritised and they are attended to in a private area, protecting their privacy and reducing exposure to public spaces.[+1 sentence] Secondly, the One Safe Centre established with KK Women's and Children's Hospital, National University Hospital and Singapore General Hospital, allows victims to undergo Police interviews and forensic medical examinations at the single location. For younger victims, there are the multi-disciplinary interviews that are conducted with the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and the KK Women's and Children's Hospital.[+3 sentences] All of these allow for the victims and also people within the setting of the victims as a trusted adult to help, not just increase the awareness, but to ensure that the reporting process goes smoothly and they can report the crime holistically. Beyond the investigative support, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) also works with community partners to provide longer-term counselling and emotional support for the victims. These include our Care Corner Project StART, PAVE and TRANS Family Services. Whether or not the figures are under reported, that is not something that I can ascertain, or I can confirm.[+5 sentences] However, I am not in the position to agree that whether it is likely that it is under-reported, but the full extent of public awareness and the machinery between SPF, working together with the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the Ministry of Education and the schools, is at work. It takes a whole-of-society effort to increase the awareness, so that victims are not silenced, victims are being heard and the perpetrators can be brought to justice and for their day of reckoning. For the second supplementary question, I thank the Member for the suggestion. This is something we will take back – whether or not there can be other kinds of parameters that we can take and ascertain, to study whether there are indeed such and the extent of under-reporting. However, what we have done is to increase or to make sure that the facilitation of reporting has been smoothened and victims know where to get the support that they need.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim49 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Speaker. I just wanted to point out that in all likelihood, based on the experiences of other countries, such crimes as these tend to be under reported. And Mr Speaker, I will follow up in at a future occasion for more information on the Government's possible initiatives.
Mr Speaker9 words
[+1 sentence]Minister of State Zulkarnain, would you like to respond?
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim6 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you. I thank the Member.
Licensing and Suitability Checks for Persons Caring for Children In Private Educational Facilities which Provide Accommodation and Educational Support›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 771w
· 10 highlighted
oral-answer-4193
Mr Yip Hon Weng63 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in light of the alleged abuse of pupils at a private educational facility providing accommodation and educational support (a) which agency regulates such hybrid facilities; (b) why are persons exercising daily care over children not subject to common licensing, suitability and safeguarding requirements; and (c) whether a registry and risk-based inspection regime will be established.
The Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development (Mr Goh Pei Ming) (for the Minister for Social and Family Development)275 words
[+1 sentence]The Member may wish to refer to the previous written reply to Question No 35 by Member Ng Shi Xuan of the Order Paper on 4 August 2026, which concerned the same case. [Please refer to "Review of Staff Qualifications, Vetting Requirements and Preventive Measures Following Child Abuse Case Involving Unqualified Staff", Official Report, 4 August 2026, Vol 96, Issue 33, Written Answers to Questions section.] As explained then, the facility concerned is a private accommodation facility and not an educational institution. Even though it provides accommodation services, it does not fall under the regulatory ambit of the Social Residential Homes Act, as it does not provide care to highly vulnerable clients, such as children receiving rehabilitation or protection.[+1 sentence] It is not practical to create a regulatory regime for every setting or activity involving children. Instead, the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA) and other offences within the Penal Code, act as a broad framework to deter against child abuse and to punish those who flout the law. It is already an offence for a person to ill-treat the child if he has custody, charge or care of a child.[+1 sentence] Parents should also exercise due diligence by making reasonable checks on their choice of service provider and monitor their child's well-being. As shared in previous replies by Ministry of Home Affairs, jobs involving contact with children and young persons under the purview of public agencies already require screening for past offences. The Government has also been considering a framework to expand the scope of screening to cover more types of jobs involving contact with children and young persons.[+1 sentence] We will share more details when ready.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Yip.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang)75 words
[+4 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Senior Minister of State for his reply. I ask this Parliamentary Question because this case raises a broader concern about businesses and such facilities, perhaps using legal acrobatics to fall outside established regulatory frameworks. So, has regulation kept pace with some of these hybrid business models and how will the Government ensure that future operators cannot evade child safeguarding requirements simply by structuring or describing their services differently?
Mr Goh Pei Ming356 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his question. I think the question is a very valid one. The market will continue to evolve and find new ways of meeting market demand and to capture new sections of the market. And therefore, it may not be practical for the Government to go in and regulate every single sector. Some of these sectors may still be immature, may still be developing, may be transient. And therefore, what the Government will regulate are more mature, stable, broad-based sectors, which the majority of Singaporeans consume. But then, what is the underlying safety net? And as I explained in my main reply, I think the CYPA, as well as the Penal Code, then provides that the ultimate safety net at the bottom to ensure that anyone providing services that concerns children, that concerns young persons, will then be subjected to those laws to protect and take care of our children.[+10 sentences] I think that is that layer of deterrence that ensures that anyone who wants to, perhaps, explore alternative and creative ways of business, will still be subject to those laws. I just want to make a further point, which is that: ultimately, as I explained yesterday in Parliament as well, there is a multi-layered approach to this. Ultimately, the first line must be parents. In this case, this was an accommodation facility, where many foreigners used to send some of their children for schooling in Singapore. So, I think in this case, it is important for parents to really do due diligence and make checks to ensure that the service provider is reputable, reliable and possibly, even have someone here whom they can trust to drop in and make sure the services are rendered as promised. Another layer useful to consider here are our preschools and schools. In this case, actually, the report was made by a school teacher who sighted the child. I think that forms another layer. And in this case, that layer proved useful. We hope the screening framework, when we eventually are able to introduce it, will be able to provide another reliable layer as well.
Effectiveness of Enhanced Bank Safeguards Against Scams Involving AI-Generated Deepfake Impersonation›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 951w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-4194
Ms He Ting Ru57 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government has assessed the effectiveness of the enhanced bank safeguards implemented from October 2025 against scams involving AI-generated deepfake impersonation, including a case involving a loss of around $5 million; (b) what gaps, if any, have been identified and (c) what further measures are being considered.
The Minister for National Development (Mr Chee Hong Tat)483 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, bank safeguards alone will not fully prevent scams. To minimise the risk of scams, we need a multi-layered approach involving all ecosystem players, including the public. First, we strengthen controls upstream on platforms where scams are propagated. In its latest initiative, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) issued new and enhanced Codes of Practice (COPs) for designated online services in August 2026. This includes a new COP for Online Messaging and Conferencing Services, which introduces requirements to prevent the spoofing of the Singapore Government through profile names or pictures. The Government will also help members of the public identify legitimate Government communications by introducing a single, easily recognisable prefix number for all calls to members of the public.[+1 sentence] Second, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has worked with banks to enhance fraud surveillance to block or hold further transfers once they detect a rapid draining of accounts. Banks have introduced delays of 12 hours or more when customers perform higher risk transactions, such as adding of new payees and raising transfer limits. PayNow nicknames have also been removed to prevent scammers from misusing them to masquerade as legitimate individuals or organisations.[+7 sentences] These moves reduce the risks of scams, but Sir, a balance needs to be struck, because they do add friction and inconvenience for customers in conducting their banking transactions. Third, public education initiatives have been launched to alert and caution members of the public against current scam types. SPF issues regular scam advisories that are published in the media. Banks have also issued advisories to their customers to caution against deepfake-enabled scams. Fourth, the public plays a critical role against impersonation and other scams resulting in self-effected transfers. The measures introduced provide multiple layers of protection by narrowing avenues for exploitation and allowing potential victims time to pause, check and confirm before proceeding with any transfers. Public vigilance remains key. Members of the public should raise their suspicion if they see videos with signs of deepfakes, such as lip movements that do not align naturally with speech, unnatural facial expressions or visual distortions around the face.[+7 sentences] Sir, it is important to be very careful when asked by any party for money. Please remember that Government officials will never ask members of the public to transfer money or to disclose your bank account details. If the request for money is seemingly from a company or someone you know, it is better to call and verify it first using known and reliable contact numbers. If in doubt, please check with the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799. Sir, the multi-layered safeguards and public vigilance that we have implemented thus far have led to a reduction in impersonation scam cases and losses. However, we cannot be complacent and we need to keep up our vigilance. The Government will also continue to assess evolving scam techniques and work with our ecosystem partners to adjust the countermeasures.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms He.
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang)92 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the Minister for the reply. I have two quick supplementary questions on this. First, I would like the Minister to share a little bit more about what metrics the Government uses to measure the effectiveness of both the safeguards and also the public outreach and education efforts? And my second supplementary question relates to whether the Government has data about the balance or even the contribution between how evolving technology or consumer behaviour contributes or in relation to scams being successfully perpetuated or being prevented.
Mr Chee Hong Tat317 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, to Ms He's first question, I think the best way to monitor whether our measures have been effective is to look at the outcomes. So, if I look at the first half of 2026, there was a 30% period-on-period reduction in impersonation scam losses, and a 10% period-on-period reduction in the cases of such scam cases.[+6 sentences] So, I think that is one measure. The other measure, of course, is that we will have to take a look at what are the evolving tactics and methods that are being used by the scammers. Because, as I mentioned in my main reply, this is a "cat and mouse" game. We come up with some safeguards, we come up with some protection methods, and the scammers will try and find a new way of deceiving the victims. So, this is an ongoing effort, we have to keep up our vigilance. We have to keep evolving our methods and our countermeasures. In terms of the data, which is, I think, Ms He's second question, Sir, I do not have the data to share with her.[+6 sentences] But I think it is a multi-faceted issue that we are dealing with, because some of it can be prevented upstream by working with the ecosystem partners to try and reduce the risk. Some of it, as I described in my main reply, the banks can put in place some measures to try and add friction. But that has to be balanced because if you add too much friction, it is safer, but it also introduces a lot of inconvenience. And of course, the members of public also play a role. Stay alert, stay vigilant and if you come across something that looks suspicious, report it. And as I said in my main reply, please remember that the Government leaders and Government officials will never ask you to transfer money through such a method.
Guidance for Muslims who Turn To Generative AI for Religious Answers›Oral Answers to Questions8 turns · 1,210w
· 13 highlighted
oral-answer-4195
Mr Saktiandi Supaat44 words
asked the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs whether MUIS will issue guidance to help Muslims who use generative AI and other online sources to provide religious answers, to verify such answers against authoritative sources and to know when and where to consult qualified asatizah.
The Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (Mr Zaqy Mohamad)111 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and online platforms can complement religious learning by making information and knowledge more accessible. However, they should not be relied upon as the primary source of religious instruction or guidance, particularly on complex religious matters that require scholarly interpretation and contextual understanding. In these situations, a qualified asatizah, or other trustworthy sources of knowledge, should be consulted.[+2 sentences] The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura or MUIS) has been reinforcing these messages through Friday sermons, public talks and the MuslimSG platform. MUIS will continue efforts to deliver practical guidance through social media and our network of community partners to strengthen digital religious literacy.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh)161 words
[+7 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have two supplementary questions. I thank the Acting Minister for his reply. Someone seeking religious guidance may not have the knowledge to verify an AI-generated answer, even when the references are provided. So, my first supplementary question is, could MUIS strengthen its existing channels so that members of the public can submit such answers for checking, for example, by qualified asatizah and receive timely responses, particularly on matters affecting important decisions related to religious questions on family or personal decisions. The second supplementary question is how would MUIS ensure that the guidance reaches Muslims or Malay/Muslims who obtain most of the religious information online, as you mentioned, including those who may not regularly attend mosque programmes or religious classes? Will there be, for example, practical examples that MUIS may do, going forward, to help them recognise when an AI-generated answer needs to be checked and which ones would need to be checked by a qualified asatizah?
Mr Zaqy Mohamad507 words
[+6 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. Those are certainly valid questions and something that is of concern, not just to the Muslim community, but I think the wider community, in terms of how one consumes content today, which is available worldwide. The influences come from global influences as well. So, I think, the issue is really about how we make our not just Jemaah, but ummah also, in terms of the wider citizen pool, better understand the need for being more aware to be able to check information, whether religious content or otherwise. I think, ultimately, that is something that we need to work on as a country. Two things: one, to the Member's question of can we make our platforms more accessible, the answer is certainly. There is certainly room for us to improve accessibility to information, accessibility to asatizah, for example. This is one area in which MUIS is looking into, in terms of upgrading the MuslimSG platform.[+12 sentences] GenAI is something that we look quite closely at. So, we are educating and even upgrading many of our asatizah to be more familiar with GenAI and new digital tools. Some of them have already undergone training to better understand the effects or how to use AI better, because ultimately, they do have to explain. Secondly, I think the wider issue is how do we get the Muslim community to better engage the platforms, both physical and online platforms. Because I think the way we look at religious education has to be a holistic approach, both in the physical realm and digital realm. The asatizahs today are accessible, you can reach them via the Asatizah Recognition Scheme website. But certainly through MUIS, reach out to us if there are any concerns or any religious guidance that you seek. This is one area in which, perhaps, in the future as we upgrade MuslimSG, we could make it more interactive and more accessible for the community. I think, ultimately, that is one area in which we are very cognisant about, in trying to reach out to the young especially, who may be influenced, especially where you have the risk of radicalisation and even what we call "ajaran sesat" or false teachings. Within the asatizah community, I think the ability to contextualise some of the complex issues today that many get or receive or are influenced by from overseas clerics or Muftis. I think those are important aspects, in which we need to be able to help the community also contextualise many of these teachings back into the Singapore context too. So, there are many layers that need to be worked on and that we are working on today. But I assure the Member that this is one area that we are looking at. And the online committee that I announced yesterday is also tasked to look into some of these emerging risks that come from online sources and online harms.[+1 sentence] We are certainly looking at it, both from a present state, and as well as proactively, looking at emerging risks too.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Wan Rizal.
Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar)60 words
[+3 sentences]Sir, I thank the Acting Minister for sharing approaches on how we want to connect with the community. But I feel that what we do is pretty defensive. Is there some way we could create a dedicated unit, somewhere in MUIS, to comb the Internet and search for such religious misinformation in advance, before it gains traction to the community?
Mr Zaqy Mohamad321 words
[+4 sentences]I thank the Member for his question. First, I think in an ideal state, you would have unlimited resources to do that. Because the Internet is very vast. It is very difficult to pick up every single site or every single source that comes along. Overall, what is more important is that we pick out themes, themes that resonate with people and sometimes, these are themes that resonate, but at the same time, may be false or not contextualised to Singapore's context.[+1 sentence] And we would have to explain some of these teachings. For example, there were incidents a few years ago, where there were concerns of whether you should be able to wish others "Merry Christmas", can you wish someone that? So, certain themes which goes against the spirit of inclusivity, multi-racialism, our multi-religious context, have to be addressed.[+2 sentences] So, we should proactively work on some of these themes, emerging risks that we see, and especially in terms of being able to keep people aware of online harm. Because they may not necessarily come from sites. GenAI does not come from sites as well; it comes from algorithms that are pulled together from different sites, so it is very difficult to police algorithms. Ultimately, it is also about the same risk as we spoke about yesterday in this House, where you could have a self-styled influencer giving information too. So, it is not about guarding where the information comes from, but it is really also about inoculating our people, in terms of how to recognise the risk, helping parents to recognise the risk with what is going on with their kids.[+3 sentences] The broader picture is how do we help Singaporeans, especially Singaporean Muslims, contextualise many of these teachings, from outside, into our own multiracial, multi-religious context too. So, there are different layers at which we need to work on. And certainly, we will work with the community as we move forward.
Singapore's Strategic Position on Pax Silica AI Coalition and World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 681w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-4196
Dr Neo Kok Beng30 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information what is Singapore's strategic option and positioning with respect to the Pax Silica AI coalition and the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation.
The Minister for Digital Development and Information (Mrs Josephine Teo)354 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, my reply will address the questions raised by Dr Neo Kok Beng in today's Order Paper, as well as the question filed by Mr Louis Chua filed for tomorrow's Sitting relating to the same subject. If the Member is satisfied with the reply, he may wish to withdraw his question after this session. [Please refer to "Singapore's Position on Joining WAICO, Implications of Pax Silica Signatory Status and ASEAN Consensus on AI Governance Initiatives", Official Report, 10 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 37, Written Answers to Questions section.] To Mr Chua's specific questions, Singapore has received an invitation to participate in the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO). There is no Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) position on either WAICO or Pax Silica. Singapore will therefore consider the invitation alongside our broader engagements with China and other international AI coorperation initiatives.[+2 sentences] More broadly, to Dr Neo's question on Singapore's strategic positioning, we engage different countries through a range of multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral platforms. The engagements arise at different times, serve different purposes, and evolve as our interests and circumstances change. For example, a few years ago, Singapore initiated a digital pillar for the Forum of Small States, a grouping of 108 United Nations (UN) member states first founded in 1992, which also looks at capacity-building through sharing experiences among its members. Earlier this year, I became a founding member of the AI for Good Global Commission initiated by the International Telecommunications Union.[+4 sentences] It has members from the United States (US) and China. Bilaterally, we have a Cyber Dialogue with the US. With China, we have a Digital Policy Dialogue. These various mechanisms are not identical. Whether we participate in any particular initiative depends on its objectives, the substantive areas of common interest, how it complements our existing engagements and Singapore’s overall interests.[+2 sentences] It is therefore less meaningful to make one-to-one comparisons between individual initiatives. What matters most is the overall relationships we have with each of our partners and how we can continue to work with them in ways that advance Singapore’s interests and contribute constructively to international cooperation in AI.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Neo.
Dr Neo Kok Beng (Nominated Member)89 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Speaker and the Minister for the reply. I have one supplementary question. Since AI is of a national concern and significance, and I understand we have an AI National Committee which brings in the various stakeholders from the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Singapore Standards Council, especially working on the ISO 42000 series, so can we position more efforts into the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) series, so that it becomes the international standards that we push, rather than trying to cater to different treaty organisations?
Mrs Josephine Teo206 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank Dr Neo for his question. The landscape for AI governance is still evolving. At this stage, it is hard to say for certainty which standards bodies will become the most prominent and influential. Singapore does seriously work with our colleagues in the ISO.[+4 sentences] In fact, some of the work that went behind our ethical principles that were articulated earlier as well as the development of our testing and certification frameworks did contribute to how the ISO is thinking about AI governance. And we continue to monitor the useful publications that ISO has put forward and assess their relevance to Singapore. We will continue to engage in a meaningful manner with different organisations in order to continuously be in touch with the evolving landscape. I want to assure the Member that we keep a close watch on the standards development. In particular, our interest is to ensure the interoperability of the standards.[+2 sentences] Most of the companies operating in Singapore will also have other international footprints and it becomes very difficult when, across the borders, the standards differ very greatly. So, whether it is through our work in ASEAN or other international organisations, we will continuously seek to expand the space for interoperable standards.
Ensuring Accurate Declarations by Traders and Logistic Firms that Goods Transshipped through Singapore Do Not Become Singapore-origin Goods›Oral Answers to Questions2 turns · 383w
· 7 highlighted
oral-answer-4197
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui71 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) in light of recent United States concerns over illegal transshipment and false country-of-origin declarations involving Singapore, what steps is the Ministry taking to (i) clarify Singapore’s position that goods transshipped through Singapore do not become Singapore-origin goods (ii) ensure accurate declarations by traders and logistics firms and (iii) safeguard Singapore’s reputation as a trusted, open and rules-based trade hub.
The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Mr Foo Cexiang) (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade))312 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, on 13 August 2026, the White House’s Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy issued a report titled “The Great Transshipment Scam”, in which more than 40 economies were flagged for “elevated illegal transshipment risk”. In the report, Singapore was placed in the Tier 3 list of countries. Countries in this tier were characterised as having low absolute illegal transshipment volumes but possessing features that make them attractive opportunistic targets for re-routing.[+2 sentences] As Singapore is one of the world’s busiest trading hubs, we take trade compliance seriously. Companies transshipping goods through Singapore must fully comply with our laws and regulations. All customs declarations, including transshipment permit applications, are required to be accurate and truthful under the Customs Act, and the Regulation of Imports and Exports Act.[+1 sentence] Incorrect declarations, including declarations pertaining to the country or region of origin of the goods, may amount to an offence and result in criminal penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment, depending on the offence committed and the severity. Goods that are transshipped through Singapore, without undergoing substantial transformation locally, cannot be declared as Singapore-origin goods. In June 2025, Singapore Customs issued a Circular to all traders and declaring agents reiterating the importance of accurate "Country/Region of Origin" declarations in their permit applications.[+1 sentence] Sir, Singapore Customs adopts a risk-based and targeted approach towards enforcement, which requires international collaboration. For instance, on 14 August this year, Singapore Customs charged a company and three individuals for their alleged involvement in a scheme to falsely declare the origin of bedding products and other goods exported from Singapore to the US, in an apparent attempt to circumvent import duties imposed by the US. Singapore places great importance on our reputation as a trusted and reliable business hub and we will act decisively to preserve it.[+1 sentence] We are also committed to working with our international partners to address tariff circumvention concerns.
Employment Pathways for Singaporeans who are Unable to Transition into New Occupations with Accelerating AI Adoption›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 650w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-4198
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower in view of the accelerating adoption of AI and deployment of humanoid robots in workplaces, what new jobs and employment pathways are being developed for Singaporeans who, despite training and reskilling, may be unable to transition readily into new occupations, particularly older workers, lower-wage workers and persons with disabilities.
The Acting Minister for Manpower (Ms Jasmin Lau)326 words
The Government is committed to supporting workers as AI and automation transform jobs and businesses. So far, our surveys show that most firms that adopt AI are redesigning jobs or creating new roles rather than reducing headcount.[+1 sentence] Such roles may build on workers’ existing skills and experience, rather than requiring them to move to completely new occupations. For workers who may need to move into different roles, we are developing practical employment pathways into jobs with strong demand and good longer-term prospects. This includes opportunities in the essential and skilled trades, such as electrical work, or in the social and community care sector where demand is expected to remain strong even as technology adoption accelerates. These pathways are supported through career transition programmes, such as the Career Conversion Programmes and the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme.[+2 sentences] They allow workers to move into new roles while receiving structured training and career matching services. Older workers receive enhanced support under these programmes to facilitate their transition. Over the past five years, close to nine in 10 Career Conversion Programme participants aged 51 and above remain employed 24 months after embarking on the programme. For lower-wage workers, the Progressive Wage Model provides clear career pathways with wage growth, supported by industry-relevant training requirements.[+2 sentences] They can also tap on Workfare Skills Support to acquire skills that support their career progression. For persons with disabilities, the challenge is often about securing workplace support. Programmes, such as the Open Door Programme, support employers with job redesign, workplace adaptations and inclusive hiring practices, while providing persons with disabilities stronger employment support.[+2 sentences] The Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities is also reviewing how to strengthen support for employers to hire and retain persons with disabilities. As AI and automation efforts evolve, we will continue to monitor their impact on jobs, and work with employers, unions and training partners to develop practical pathways that help workers adapt, remain employable and access good jobs.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Phua.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar)227 words
[+13 sentences]I thank the Acting Minister for the comprehensive answer. Many of us read, actually with increasing alarm, daily news from countries like the People's Republic of China, where many are deploying humanoid robots. For example, in executing tasks with very fine motor skills, with intelligence. And this is at a speed much faster than before. So, the technology impact is actually quite alarming compared to the past. And two, we have also heard many announcements by Government agencies and so on, that these issues about displacements of jobs, especially among the vulnerable, are being looked into. I wonder, can there be more efforts to show us the jobs. What are some of these tangible jobs that can engage the more vulnerable? Show us the examples. I heard, for instance, at an event that we both attended yesterday that in Punggol, the Singapore Institute of Technology, together with UOB, is looking at jobs where robots and humans are deployed for estate maintenance. This is exciting news. I think that if more of the news can be spread and many on the ground who are interested can learn and scale, it will give more assurance to those who are vulnerable; not just persons with disabilities but those who are lower-skilled, who may not be suitable for the job conversions schemes. I think that will provide a lot more assurance.
Ms Jasmin Lau40 words
[+2 sentences]I thank the Member for the suggestion. We will do better in sharing maybe case studies of how jobs have been redesigned to include AI within the jobs as well as new jobs that AI has created for our economy.
Reviewing Adequacy of 300 Megawatt Additional Data Centre Capacity Baseline in Roadmap›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 472w
· 10 highlighted
oral-answer-4199
Ms Poh Li San61 words
asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information in view of the national push for AI adoption (a) whether the Ministry will review the baseline of 300 megawatts additional data centre capacity outlined in the Green Data Centre Roadmap; and (b) other than the four new data centres recently announced, whether more data centres will be expected in the near future.
The Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Minister for Digital Development and Information)99 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, data centres are an important digital infrastructure. Over the years, Singapore has grown considerable data centre capacity. To support our digital development plans, we will provide room for more capacity to be built in a measured and sustainable way.[+1 sentence] This could be through new builds or upgrading of existing data centres. For example, the Digital Infrastructure Bill, which was recently introduced in Parliament, will mandate and uplift baseline sustainability standards for all data centres.[+1 sentence] Notwithstanding these efforts, the Government will continuously engage industry stakeholders and review the need for more data centre capacity to support our evolving priorities.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Poh.
Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang West)73 words
[+4 sentences]I thank Senior Minister of State Tan for the reply. I have two supplementary questions. First one, how does the Government ensure that data centre operations in Singapore remain environmentally sustainable as demand for the AI compute grows? And second supplementary question, what are the considerations and balance between AI push, data security, environmental sustainability and land use in deciding the number and capacity of data centres to be built locally within Singapore?
Mr Tan Kiat How237 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, we are not pursuing capacity for capacity's sake. And to Ms Poh's second question, it is a pertinent one. We are not chasing how much megawatt we can add in Singapore. We are looking at how to optimise every value-added for every megawatt coming to Singapore, which includes raising sustainability standards, making sure they are resilient, digitally secure and making sure they add strategic economic value to Singapore.[+3 sentences] That is my first point. So, yes, we do want to support the AI needs and the digital economy as it grows because this is essential for our future economy. But we will not do so just for the sake of growing the data centre capacity. We do so in a disciplined and calibrated way. And that is at the heart of the Digital Infrastructure Act, which has been tabled in Parliament for First Reading yesterday.[+1 sentence] So, our approach is two-fold. We are growing new capacity in a disciplined and calibrated way, making sure that whatever new capacity comes in adds value to Singapore and is sustainable, and meets the high requirements on efficiency.[+3 sentences] At the same time, we need to uplift the entire sector and that is through the Digital Infrastructure Act. So, we are not chasing capacity for its own sake and it is not a false choice between growth and sustainability. We want both and we will do so in a competitive and sustainable way.
Eligibility for Healthier SG Enrolment for Those with Pre-existing Health Conditions›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 436w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-4200
Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim67 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether persons with pre-existing conditions are excluded from Healthier SG enrolment; (b) if so, whether the Ministry will consider extending HealthierSG to Singaporean with pre-existing health conditions to ensure timely intervention and mitigation; and (c) what other alterative measures are in place for such individuals to receive appropriate support before their conditions become more severe.
The Minister of State for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health)25 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, persons with pre-existing health conditions are not excluded from Healthier SG enrolment. All Singapore residents aged 40 and above are eligible to enrol.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Hazlina.
Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim (East Coast)69 words
[+5 sentences]I thank the Minister of State. If I could ask for a clarification on one front. I understand that eligibility and screening eligibility versus enrolment eligibility is not the same. Would the Ministry consider a targeted or structured framework in which appeal mechanisms can be submitted? I understand that there is about one third of eligible enrollees who have yet to complete screening to develop their own health plan.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam273 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, I would like to clarify a few things, because there are different concepts that the Member is referring to. Firstly, in terms of enrolment. For enrolment, as we have said, 40 and above, they can enrol. Basically, they can go to general practitioners, they can go to polyclinics. But enrolment itself requires the act of actually going to the doctor to do the health plan.[+2 sentences] Just signing up is not enough. So, it is that next step of doing the first health plan. With that health plan, then your doctor can advise you on what are some of the tests you need to do, what are the further follow-ups, what are the things that you need to comply with. If there are chronic conditions that are existing, then there will also be more specific and more guided support provided by the Healthier SG primary care providers.[+1 sentence] Then, separately, screening. This is a separate consideration, because for each type of condition, the different screening comes into play depending on conditions.[+3 sentences] There are some guidelines that are given. It is a function of your age typically and what are some of the existing conditions you may have, so you may then be triggered to go for those screenings. I am not not quite sure what situations the Member is referring to. If there are some specific conditions where patients feel that they are not getting the support that they need, or they are needing to go for certain screening and they are not allowed to because they are ineligible, perhaps she could surface some of those cases and we could take a look.
Longer-term Paid Internship or Apprenticeship Programmes for Fresh Graduates in Sectors Affected by AI Adoption›Oral Answers to Questions6 turns · 265w
· 6 highlighted
oral-answer-4201
Speaker not recorded67 words
The following question stood in the name of Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry – 18 To ask the Acting Minister for Manpower in light of the recent workforce restructuring across industries and the growing adoption of AI, whether the Ministry will consider working with employers to develop longer-term paid internship or apprenticeship programmes for fresh graduates in affected sectors to help them gain meaningful initial work experience.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang)3 words
[+1 sentence]Question No 18.
The Acting Minister for Manpower (Ms Jasmin Lau)81 words
This question has been addressed by the reply to Question No 59 on the Order Paper for 4 August 2026.[+2 sentences] [Please refer to "Availability of Entry-level Job Positions for Fresh Graduates and Expansion of GRIT Programme", Official Report, 4 August 2026, Vol 96, Issue 33, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] We will continue to review our suite of support for fresh graduates to gain meaningful work experience and improve their employability.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Yip.
Mr Yip Hon Weng77 words
[+3 sentences]I thank the Acting Minister for the reply. Just a short supplementary question. My supplementary question is on apprenticeships, and it is about the GRaduate Industry Traineeship programme (GRIT). More than 550 graduates have entered GRIT, which is encouraging. As the first cohort completes their traineeships, will the Ministry of Manpower publish their permanent employment conversion, wage, job relevance outcomes at the six- or 12 month marks, and explain which results will justify moving towards longer apprenticeships?
Ms Jasmin Lau35 words
[+1 sentence]I thank the Member for his question. There are still many GRIT trainees in the process of completing their traineeships. I think at a suitable juncture we will definitely share the outcomes with the public.
Lessons Drawn from Strong Demand for SG Youth Plan Co-living Pilot›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 423w
· 7 highlighted
oral-answer-4202
Mr Alex Yam53 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what lessons has the Ministry drawn from the strong demand for the SG Youth Plan co-living pilot, including whether this reflects a broader desire among young Singaporeans for earlier independent living; and (b) how will the findings from the pilot inform future youth policies.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (Ms Goh Hanyan) (for the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth)143 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, this response to Mr Alex Yam will also address a related question filed by Dr Choo Pei Ling's for written reply for a Sitting on or after 9 September 2026. In line with what youths have been telling us, the initiative has drawn interest with a good number of youths registering for the 100 units available. The most commonly cited reasons were consistent with feedback from our earlier engagements, which is to have more personal space and to experience independent living. We are still in the very early stages and will continue to monitor eventual take-up and glean further lessons on youths' needs, preferences and considerations for flexible accommodation options.
The Chairman2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Yam.
Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee)75 words
[+4 sentences]I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary. We acknowledge that the take-up has been quite strong. I know it is early days yet, but more broadly, much of our housing policy in Singapore has traditionally been linked to marriage and family formation. If the co-living pilot takes off and reflects a genuine desire for independent living before marriage, how should the Ministry respond to those aspirations while continuing to support pathways to marriage and family formation?
Ms Goh Hanyan150 words
[+2 sentences]I thank the Member for his question. Just wanted to emphasise again that this is still an indication of interest. Subsequent to the indication of interest, it will still require them to follow through in terms of getting information, screening, so on and so forth until they sign the contract, so we will update our numbers in due course. I want to also mention that the initiative complements rather than replaces our public housing system. Home ownership remains a key tenet of our social compact and our youths still continue to aspire to own their own Housing and Development Board flats. The Government will continue to do so and support these ambitions, but at the same time is also exploring a wider range of flexible accommodation options to compliment the broader housing landscape and to meet different needs at different stages of life.[+1 sentence] So, this will be an ongoing process.
Impact of Whey Protein Price Surge on Infant Formula Prices in Singapore›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 411w
· 6 highlighted
oral-answer-4203
Mr Fadli Fawzi48 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) (a) whether the global surge in whey protein prices has impacted the price of infant formula in Singapore; and (b) what will the Government do to ensure that prices of infant formula remain stable and affordable in Singapore.
The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Mr Foo Cexiang) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry))138 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, higher global whey protein prices, alongside other rising costs, such as freight costs, could have contributed to the 2.8% year-on-year increase in infant formula retail prices between January and July 2026 in Singapore. The Government's approach is to promote fair competition and encourage a diversified supply chain, so that families have access to more choices of infant formula products. We also help consumers make informed purchasing decisions through greater price and information transparency. For example, the Government has worked with the Consumers Association of Singapore to develop the mobile application Price Kaki, which allows consumers to compare the prices of a wide variety of daily essentials across various retailers, including infant formula products. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore will also take firm enforcement action if there is any evidence of anti-competitive conduct by businesses.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Fadli.
Mr Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied)112 words
[+5 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. High infant formula prices have been a concern among Singaporeans for some time, with a task force being formed 10 years ago to tackle the issue of formula milk prices, which were then among the highest in the world. Milk powder was also recently named by the Singapore Department of Statistics as one of the top five items most likely to experience shrinkflation. I have just one supplementary question. In light of this, has the Government assessed any new measures, such as whether implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in law, as recommended by the World Health Organization, would be helpful in reducing milk prices?
Mr Foo Cexiang111 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Member for his supplementary question. Indeed, the Government will continue to look at various ways to continue to ensure that the infant formula prices remain affordable in Singapore. In general, our approach has been four thrusts: first, promoting competition; secondly, supporting informed decisions and ensuring that consumers have access to information; third, encouraging the diversification of the supply chain; and fourth, but also importantly, because we fully recognise the impact, especially on young vulnerable families, providing additional support for families in need, including through the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, but also for vulnerable families, additional support which they can approach the Social Service Offices for.
Legal Protections for National Servicemen against Workplace Discrimination arising from National Service Obligations›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 530w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-4204
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat70 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) how many discrimination complaints have cited National Service obligation as the reason; (b) why National Service liability is not protected under the Workplace Fairness Act and what would prompt inclusion; (c) whether the Ministry knows of any enforcement action under Part 6 of the Enlistment Act; and (d) what protection a serviceman has against being passed over for promotion because of in-camp training.
The Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Foo Cexiang) (for the Acting Minister for Manpower)237 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, between 2024 and 2025, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) have received three discrimination complaints related to National Service (NS) obligations. The Workplace Fairness Act takes a calibrated approach by covering the protected characteristics that account for approximately 95% of discrimination complaints received by TAFAP and MOM. MOM will consider expanding the Workplace Fairness Act scope if evidence emerges of a sustained or significant increase in other forms of discrimination complaints. NSmen are protected under the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, which prohibits all forms of workplace discrimination, including discrimination based on NS obligations.[+1 sentence] Where employers breach the guidelines, TAFEP will require them to address complaints and correct their practices. In egregious cases, MOM may suspend the employers' work pass privileges. Part 6 of the Enlistment Act separately sets out specific statutory duties for employers in relation to their employees' NS obligations, including reinstating employees after NS, granting leave of absence for NS obligations and not dismissing employees on account of their NS obligations. To date, MINDEF has not had to pursue formal enforcement action under these provisions.[+3 sentences] Where concerns have been raised, MINDEF engages employers directly to clarify their obligations. This approach has been effective in resolving issues. NSmen who believe that they have been unfairly treated because of their NS obligations may approach MINDEF, MOM or TAFEP for assistance.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Kenneth Tiong.
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat (Aljunied)108 words
[+6 sentences]Thank you, Sir. In the United States, the law says that a person with the obligation to perform military service cannot be denied a promotion or any benefit of employment because of it. And this is the same in Australia – an employer may not hinder a reservist from serving or discriminate against him in his terms and conditions. Both have volunteer armies, whereas we have a conscript army. So, in other countries, a volunteer's promotion gets legal protection there, but for us, a conscript army, a promotion gets no legal protection. Does the Ministry not agree with me that it is a gap that we should remedy?
Mr Foo Cexiang112 words
[+2 sentences]I thank the Member for the clarification. As I mentioned in my reply, first, there are various guidelines and legislations in place to ensure that NS obligations are not a liability for our workers. Second, the general proportion, general significant number of our employers in Singapore, have been very supportive of our employees' NS obligations, and I think this has been borne out in the very low number of NS-related concerns that has been raised to MINDEF, MOM or TAFEP. But that being said, we continue to look closely at this feedback. And where there is a need, as I mentioned earlier, where there are significant cases, we will review our legislation.
Singaporean Children Exempted from Attending National Schools›Oral Answers to Questions3 turns · 194w
· 2 highlighted
oral-answer-4205
Ms Sylvia Lim63 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education for the last five years (a) how many Singaporean children have been exempted from attending national schools under the Compulsory Education (Exemption) Order; and (b) how many of such children were exempted respectively on the grounds of (i) physical, intellectual or developmental disability (ii) being home-schooled and (iii) the Director-General deeming the child unsuitable and under what circumstances.
The Senior Minister of State for Education (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Education)54 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, over the last five years, around 700 Singaporean children were exempted from attending national schools each year. Of these, around 85% were placed in non-mainstream schools based on their educational and well being needs. Less than 15% were homeschooled, and the rest were exempted on the grounds of physical, intellectual or developmental disability.
Mr Speaker77 words
[+4 sentences]I think we do not have time for the next supplementary question. Order. End of Question Time. The Clerk will proceed to read the Orders of the Day and Notice of Motion. [Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]
Evaluation of GIC Active Management Returns Relative to Passive Strategies and External Managers and Cost-Effectiveness of Active Management Approach›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 125w
· 0 highlighted
written-answer-24552
Mr Victor Lye60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether GIC's active management approach has added value versus comparable passive investment strategies or when compared with the returns by external managers on an asset class by asset class basis; and (b) whether GIC's total management costs are assessed to be reasonable compared to external managers given the investment returns achieved.
Mr Jeffrey Siow65 words
[+4 sentences]We had previously addressed similar questions in this House and the Member may wish to refer to the Hansard records. GIC publishes its investment returns, net of fees, over various time horizons in its annual report. These published returns allow GIC's performance to be assessed against its long-term mandate. They show that GIC has performed reasonably and within expectations given its mandate and risk profile.
Review of Undeclared Development Project Savings and Establishment of Central Disclosure Framework for Project Costs and Savings›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 201w
· 0 highlighted
written-answer-24553
Dr Wan Rizal71 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance following the identification of 11 Ministry of Health projects where savings were not declared promptly (a) whether Ministries and statutory boards have conducted corresponding reviews of active and recently completed development projects; (b) what is the value of such undeclared savings identified; and (c) whether the Government will establish a central disclosure framework showing material project savings, approved redeployments and final project costs.
Mr Jeffrey Siow130 words
[+5 sentences]Ministries and statutory boards are required to ensure that their spending on development projects is prudent and within budget. In addition to the declaration of savings, there are other control mechanisms to manage project budgets and provide oversight, such as requirements for re-approval of costs exceeding approved budgets, and project cost monitoring through the Ministry of Finance's central budget information technology system. These are supported by periodic audit processes. Savings also cannot be deployed to other projects and are automatically retained within the Government's central pool. The Government is reviewing the framework for declaration of savings as part of ongoing efforts to improve and streamline processes. The review will take time and will involve assessing audit-based and proactive monitoring approaches while ensuring reporting processes are proportionate and not overly burdensome.
Recourse Available for Resident Nominee Directors Unable to Exit Directorships and Corporate Service Provider Obligations upon Employment Termination›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 327w
· 0 highlighted
written-answer-24554
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis57 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what recourse do Singapore-resident nominee directors of companies have to exit a directorship when no replacement resident director can be found; and (b) what obligations do registered corporate service providers currently have to ensure an orderly exit for employees placed as nominee directors when the employment relationship ends.
Ms Indranee Rajah270 words
[+10 sentences]The Companies Act 1967 requires each company to have at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore. This ensures that there is at least one person in Singapore whom regulators hold accountable for statutory obligations. Individuals who intend to accept such directorship appointments should be aware of the duties of a director, and the risks when taking on such appointments, especially where they are the sole director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore. There are situations where a sole director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore is unable to resign because foreign directors and/or shareholders are unresponsive or uncontactable and hence no replacement can be appointed. In such a scenario, the sole director has the option to wind up the company under the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 via application to the Court. The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority may also strike off companies that are not carrying on business, based on prescribed circumstances under section 89B of the Companies Regulations. Corporate Service Providers (CSPs) do appoint their own employees as nominee directors of their clients’ companies as part of their business model. As it is the individual who is personally appointed as the company director, the appointment does not automatically cease when the person leaves the employment of the CSP. As part of the appointment, individuals are required to sign Form 45 under the Companies Act, where they would acknowledge their duties, responsibilities and liabilities specified in the Companies Act. To ensure an orderly exit for their employees, some CSPs obtain their client companies' pre-approval to replace employee nominee directors upon their resignation from the CSP.
Benchmarking GIC Remuneration Disclosure Practices Against Major Sovereign Wealth Funds and Public Investment Institutions Internationally›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 110w
· 0 highlighted
written-answer-24555
Dr Charlene Chen43 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government has compared GIC's remuneration disclosure practices with those of major sovereign wealth funds and public investment institutions internationally; and (b) if so, whether GIC's disclosure is in line with international practice.
Mr Jeffrey Siow67 words
[+3 sentences]We had previously addressed the issue of investment entities' public disclosure practices, including the disclosure of remuneration, in this House. GIC discloses information on its remuneration approach in its annual report, including how it is based on performance and industry benchmarks. GIC's disclosure practices are aligned with the Santiago Principles, which set out generally accepted principles and practices on governance, accountability and transparency for sovereign wealth funds.
Extending SingPass Business Verification to Live-streaming Commerce under Code of Practice for Social Media Services›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 139w
· 0 highlighted
written-answer-24556
Mr Shawn Loh69 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs whether the Government will require Singpass verification for locally registered businesses on live-streaming platforms under the new Code of Practice for Social Media Services, similar to the requirement for e-commerce platforms, to provide greater consumer assurance and merchant accountability, given that these live streams may use third-party payment gateways outside of the original host platforms.
Mr K Shanmugam70 words
[+2 sentences]Where a live-streaming service accessible in Singapore is used or likely to be used to facilitate e-commerce scams, the authorities will consider appropriate action under the Online Criminal Harms Act 2023 (OCHA). This may include designating the provider of such live-streaming services under OCHA and applying the Code of Practice for E-Commerce Services to them, including the requirement for high-risk sellers and advertisers to undergo verification against official Government-issued records.
Data on Hoarding-related HDB Fires Involving Known Severe Cases and Lowering Risk Thresholds and Notice Requirements for Early Intervention›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 337w
· 0 highlighted
written-answer-24557
Mr Shawn Loh77 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) of hoarding-related HDB fires since 2020 (i) how many involved flats previously identified as severe or complex hoarding cases and (ii) whether SCDF was able to take fire-safety action before the fire; and (b) whether the Government will reduce SCDF's risk threshold and notice requirements for taking early action to intervene in HDB flats where severe hoarding poses significant imminent fire risk.
Mr K Shanmugam260 words
[+14 sentences]Between 2020 and 2025, two fires occurred in the Housing and Development Board flats that were previously identified as involving severe hoarding. In both cases, Government agencies and community support groups had previously engaged the residents to declutter their flat. In one case, these efforts were successful, but the hoarding behaviour recurred. As a result of the fire, the occupants of the flat suffered from smoke inhalation and burn injuries. In the other case, the resident was resistant to decluttering. The subsequent fire resulted in a fatality. For hoarding cases, agencies will assess if the threshold for public health or safety risks has been crossed. In terms of fire safety, the key risk associated with hoarding is the obstruction of escape routes for occupants and neighbouring units during emergencies. In cases where the hoarding is so severe that it impedes the occupant’s escape in the event of a fire, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) may direct the occupant to clear and maintain a path of escape within the unit for safety reasons. Failure to comply is an offence carrying a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both. SCDF did not issue such a direction in either case. Managing severe hoarding cases is complex and requires a whole-of-society approach. This is coordinated through the Hoarding Management Core Group and the New Environment Action Team network, which work together to address the root causes of hoarding more holistically and sustainably, beyond regulatory action. Agencies will continue to work closely to manage hoarding cases.
Breakdown of Unresolved Missing Persons Reports by Age Group and Disability Status›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 108w
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written-answer-24558
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis45 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs how many missing persons reports remain unresolved as of each year since 2021 as broken down by (i) young children (ii) elderly persons (iii) persons with intellectual disabilities and (iv) others.
Mr K Shanmugam63 words
[+4 sentences]From 2021 to 2025, there were around 6,500 missing person reports in total, of which about 20% remain outstanding. More than half of these outstanding cases are from reports lodged in 2025. Across this period, none of the outstanding cases involve young children, and four cases involve elderly persons. The Police do not actively track the number of missing persons with intellectual disabilities.
Data on Government Surveillance and Enforcement Camera Deployment and Consideration of Cross-agency Integration›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 238w
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written-answer-24559
Ms Valerie Lee65 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many surveillance and enforcement cameras are currently deployed by Government agencies for detecting offences; and (b) whether the Government has considered aggregating or integrating these camera networks, where operationally appropriate, to reduce duplication in hardware and vendor costs, minimise street clutter, and improve monitoring and enforcement efficiency across agencies.
Mr K Shanmugam173 words
[+7 sentences]The Government does not track the number of enforcement cameras deployed by all agencies. The Police have more than 100,000 Police Cameras (PolCam) deployed today and plan to deploy a total of over 200,000 cameras by the mid-2030s. These cameras will be deployed islandwide at various locations, such as public and private residential estates, locations of high footfall, such as town centres, industrial estates, parks and transport nodes, among others. There are existing avenues for Government agencies to leverage on each other's camera footage when the need arises and to exchange information on enforcement technologies to enhance overall enforcement outcomes. Enforcement agencies also jointly explore opportunities to consolidate sensor and camera infrastructure. For example, through the Lamppost-as-a-Platform (LaaP) project, which concluded in 2023, the Government tested the feasibility of using lampposts as shared mounting infrastructure for agency sensors, including cameras, to reduce duplication and improve cost-effectiveness. A large-scale roll-out was found to be impractical at the time, as newer options, such as mobile sensor deployment, better met agencies' operational needs at lower cost.
Addressing Causes of Increased Traffic Accidents Involving Cyclists and Reviewing Existing Rules for Cyclist and Motorist Road Interactions›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 114w
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written-answer-24560
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye63 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs in light of the increase in traffic accidents involving cyclists in 2025 (a) whether further measures are being considered to address the main causes of such accidents; and (b) whether the Government sees a need to review the existing rules governing interactions between cyclists and motorists on our roads.
Mr K Shanmugam51 words
[+3 sentences]The most common causes of traffic accidents involving cyclists in 2025 include cycling in a disorderly manner and failure to keep a proper lookout. The Government will increase enforcement and road safety education of cyclists and motorists. We will also take these factors into consideration when reviewing the road traffic rules.
Verifying AI Deepfake Images in Public Reports Following Fake Crocodile Sighting and Measures to Verify Authenticity of Public-submitted Information›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 236w
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written-answer-24561
Mr Fadli Fawzi72 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs in relation to the fake photograph provided of a reported crocodile sighting at Pandan Reservoir on 20 August 2026 (a) whether the photograph was faked using AI; and (b) what measures will the Police and other Government agencies take to verify the authenticity of information provided by the public as it becomes more difficult to identify AI-generated deepfakes.
Mr K Shanmugam164 words
[+6 sentences]The Police are unable to provide further details specific to the case at this juncture while investigations are ongoing. When the Police investigates instances where edited photos are submitted to mislead the authorities, a forensic examination may be done to determine whether the image has been fabricated or manipulated. The Police urge the public to act responsibly and refrain from circulating false information or edited images that can cause unnecessary public alarm. In addition, the public should not submit fabricated or manipulated information, including artificial intelligence-generated or digitally altered images, as if they were legitimate photos to the Police or Government agencies. Depending on the facts and circumstances, persons who knowingly circulate false information with the intention to cause alarm, or provide false information or fabricated evidence to the authorities may be liable for a criminal offence. The public should stay vigilant against misinformation online, and are encouraged to verify information through credible and official sources, such as announcements from the relevant Government agencies.
Recruitment Targets for SG Defence Volunteer Network Performing Arts Volunteers, Distinction from and Impact on Paid Professional Engagement Opportunities›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 273w
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Ms He Ting Ru66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence in respect of the call for performing arts volunteers under the SG Defence Volunteer Network (a) how many volunteers the Ministry aims to recruit; (b) what criteria distinguish roles filled by volunteers from roles commissioned to paid professionals; and (c) whether any of these volunteer roles would otherwise have been fulfilled through paid professional engagements.
Mr Chan Chun Sing207 words
[+9 sentences]The SG Defence volunteer network was created to allow Singaporeans of all backgrounds and skill sets to augment the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) operational capabilities and contribute to national defence. As we have observed from contemporary conflicts around the world, a whole of nation approach is required to build resilience and strengthen our defence against evolving threats. Modern warfare also requires a diverse range of skillsets that can be drawn from the private sector and the wider community, in areas such as legal, strategic communications, medical support, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. For example, volunteers who are qualified doctors or nurses enhance the SAF's medical capabilities by helping to train our SAF medical officers and medics, and those with media skillsets contribute to the various SAF information centers. Volunteers can also offer their creative and technical talents for our outreach events to help Singaporeans better understand our defence story. Such contributions complement, and do not replace paid engagements. The Ministry of Defence or SAF will continue to hire professional services where needed to support operations, capabilities, projects and events. We do not set recruitment targets for individual volunteer roles. As a whole, we aim to double the SG Defence volunteer network in the next three to five years.
Patient Support and Advisory Arrangements for Incomplete Dengvaxia Vaccination Courses Following Manufacturer Discontinuation›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 212w
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written-answer-24563
Ms He Ting Ru62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health given that Dengvaxia has been discontinued by the manufacturer (a) what support and advisory arrangements are in place for patients who have already been vaccinated or who are mid-course in the vaccination series, including access to remaining doses, clinical follow-up, and risk counselling; and (b) whether any alternatives are being explored.
Mr Ong Ye Kung150 words
[+5 sentences]The manufacturer for Dengvaxia has decided to discontinue the vaccine due to low global demand. No further follow up was required for individuals who had previously completed the recommended doses of Dengvaxia, since the discontinuation was not due to safety concerns. When the discontinuation of Dengvaxia was announced in 2025, the manufacturer informed healthcare service providers of the stock availability, who could then in turn contact patients who had their first dose or second dose, to advise them on completing the vaccination series. There are no new updates following the response to a Parliamentary question on the same topic dated 4 February 2026. [Please refer to "Update on Development of Potential Dengue Vaccine and Patient Support Service for Dengvaxia Vaccine", Official Report, 4 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 16, Written Answers to Questions section.] The Ministry of Health and relevant agencies will continue to monitor the development of dengue vaccines.
Data on Integrated Shield Plan Downgrades and Discontinuations due to Affordability Concerns over Past Three Years›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 119w
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written-answer-24564
Mr Saktiandi Supaat47 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry tracks the number of policyholders who have downgraded or discontinued their Integrated Shield Plans due to affordability concerns; and (b) if so, what trends have been observed over the past three years.
Mr Ong Ye Kung72 words
[+3 sentences]As Integrated Shield Plan (IP) and IP rider premiums continue to rise, many policyholders have downgraded or discontinued their plans, and the numbers have increased over the past three years, as shown in the table below. The Ministry of Health does not track the policyholders' reasons to downgrade or discontinue their plans. Policyholders may do so for various reasons, including affordability concerns or to right-size coverage based on their needs and circumstances.
Median Waiting Times for First Subsidised Specialist Outpatient Appointments by Specialty and Measures to Reduce Longest Delays›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 199w
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written-answer-24565
Mr Saktiandi Supaat44 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what are the current median waiting times for first subsidised specialist outpatient appointments, by specialty; and (b) what measures are being taken to reduce waiting times in specialties experiencing the longest delays.
Mr Ong Ye Kung155 words
[+7 sentences]Between January and June 2026, the overall median waiting time for a new subsidised Specialist Outpatient Clinic appointment was 23 days. The median waiting time ranged from 20 to 25 days for the top five specialties by attendances. These are orthopaedic surgery, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, general surgery and dermatology. While we monitor median waiting times, we should note that all referrals are clinically triaged and prioritised based on urgency of the medical condition. What is more important is that patients assessed to have more serious or time-sensitive conditions are given earlier appointments, regardless of subsidy status. For specialist care with longer waiting times, we have implemented a range of measures to address this. These include expanding capacity, maximising appointment slots, working closely with primary care providers, community care and allied health-led services to facilitate direct access to allied health and diagnostic services, where appropriate and support the co-management and continued care of patients in the community.
Long-Term Capacity Planning for Aged Care, Nursing Homes, Community Hospitals and Community Care Services Through 2035 and Projected Shortfall Areas›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 285w
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written-answer-24566
Mr Gabriel Lam63 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has projected Singapore's requirements for nursing home beds, community hospitals, day rehabilitation, home care and respite care through 2035, taking into account the projected increase in seniors requiring assistance and the declining availability of family caregivers; and (b) are there specific areas where the Ministry expects capacity shortfalls.
Mr Ong Ye Kung222 words
[+11 sentences]The Ministry of Health (MOH) plans and develops care capacity across the range of intermediate and long-term care services based on projected demand. These projections take into account factors, such as demographic changes, seniors' care needs and the availability of family support, and how care can increasingly be delivered in the community and at home. MOH regularly reviews these projections and our capacity plans over the medium to long term, including towards 2035. We plan across nursing homes, community hospitals, day rehabilitation, home care and respite care as an interconnected system, rather than considering each service in isolation, as seniors' care needs and preferences may change over time. We will continue to ensure overall capacity keeps pace with projected needs. However, given land and manpower constraints, we cannot simply rely on expanding physical capacity to meet every increase in demand. Nor would institutional care always be the best outcome for seniors. We therefore take a multi-pronged approach. First, we are helping Singaporeans stay healthier for longer through initiatives, such as Healthier SG and Age Well SG. Second, we are strengthening community-based and home-based care so that seniors can continue living at home for as long as possible, with appropriate support for their caregivers. Third, we are building a stronger community care workforce and investing in more efficient care models and productivity measures.
Regulation of Epigenetic and Biological Age Tests as Clinical Diagnostics and Extension of Safeguards to Protect Genetic Information Results›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 121w
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written-answer-24567
Dr Hamid Razak49 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether commercially-marketed biological age tests, including epigenetic or Asian cohort-based algorithms, are regulated as clinical diagnostic tests; and (b) whether the proposed Bill to protect genetic information will extend safeguards to results from such consumer-facing ageing assessments.
Mr Ong Ye Kung72 words
[+3 sentences]Commercially marketed biological age tests that are intended solely for general wellness purposes and do not claim to assess, diagnose, treat or prevent any medical condition, are generally regarded as non-clinical tests. Hence, they are not regulated as medical devices under the Health Products Act. The proposed Bill to protect genetic information is intended to cover all genetic information, regardless of whether it comes from clinical, research or commercially available genetic tests.
Data on Elderly Seniors Living Alone or with Another Senior Requiring Daily Living Assistance and Projected Adequacy of Assisted-living Capacity›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 220w
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written-answer-24568
Mr Jackson Lam65 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what proportion of seniors aged 75 and above currently live alone or only with another senior;
(b) of these, how many have been assessed to require regular assistance with daily living; and (c) whether demand for assisted-living arrangements from this group is expected to exceed current planned capacity over the next 10 years.
Mr Ong Ye Kung155 words
[+8 sentences]In 2025, around 40% of seniors aged 75 and above lived alone or only with other seniors. Among them, around one in four required assistance with at least one activity of daily living1. As most seniors prefer to age in their own homes, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has developed options to bring care closer to home, such as the enhanced Home Personal Care service. For seniors who prefer an assisted living arrangement, options, such as community care apartments and the shared stay-in senior caregiving service, provide additional choices. Beyond formal options, the community also plays a big part in watching out for, befriending and supporting seniors. Demand for different care options will evolve with seniors' needs and preferences. MOH will continue to monitor demand and ensure that supply keeps pace with demand. Importantly, we are helping our seniors remain healthy and independent for as long as possible through Healthier SG and Age Well SG.
Data on Gender Differences in Age Well SG Active Ageing Programme Participation and New Strategies to Increase Engagement Among Elderly Men›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 177w
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written-answer-24569
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik73 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health given the Intercontinental Alliance for Integrated Care's 2025 report on gender differences in ageing (a) whether the Ministry tracks participation in Age Well SG active ageing and physical activity exercise programmes by gender; (b) if so, what trends between older men and women have emerged in recent years; and (c) what new outreach strategies are planned to raise engagement among elderly men.
Mr Ong Ye Kung104 words
[+6 sentences]Active ageing centres (AACs) have helped many more seniors lead an active life and stay socially connected. The gender profile has remained broadly stable in recent years, with women making up around two-thirds of participants. In general, women around the world are observed to be more active participants of community activities. To encourage participation among male seniors, AACs and the Health Promotion Board are introducing programmes that better align with their interests. These include activities, such as playing music, games and sports. That said, it is also possible that male seniors are pre-occupied with their own pastimes and prefer not to visit the AACs.
Impact of Healthcare Deductibles on MediSave Balance for Retirees Without Regular Contributions in Meeting Future Medical Expenses›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 179w
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written-answer-24570
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim49 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether the Ministry has considered the impact of healthcare deductibles on retirees who no longer make regular MediSave contributions, given that such deductibles may progressively deplete their MediSave balances and reduce their ability to meet future medical expenses.
Mr Ong Ye Kung130 words
[+6 sentences]Deductibles are a key feature of health insurance, as they sieve out smaller bills, instil discipline in healthcare consumption and focus coverage on larger bills. This feature preserves the objective of health insurance, which is to protect people against unexpected large hospital bills. Without deductibles, premiums every year would be much higher, which may deplete MediSave more than if there were deductibles. Incorporating deductibles into health insurance policies is the more optimal way to keep healthcare affordable overall. To support seniors, we boost their MediSave balances through initiatives, such as MediSave top-ups, premium subsidies for lower-income Singaporeans and the Matched MediSave Scheme for eligible Singaporeans with lower MediSave balances. Patients who still face difficulties with their subsidised healthcare bills may approach medical social workers for further financial assistance, including MediFund.
Expanding Subsidies and MediSave Coverage for Biologic Treatments for Atopic Dermatitis and Impact on Patients' Well-being under Chronic Disease Management Programme Review›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 194w
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written-answer-24571
Ms Valerie Lee65 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the ongoing review of atopic dermatitis under the Chronic Disease Management Programme will consider the significant impact of moderate-to-severe disease on patients' associated well-being; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider greater subsidies or MediSave use for clinically indicated treatments, including biologics, particularly for patients who have failed or exhausted conventional treatments.
Mr Ong Ye Kung129 words
[+5 sentences]The ongoing review does take into account the impact of atopic dermatitis on patients' well-being. Drugs that have been assessed to be clinically and cost-effective in the management of atopic dermatitis, including clinically- and cost-effective immunosuppressant drugs, such as biologics, are covered by subsidy of up to 75%. Seniors aged 60 and above may use up to $400 under Flexi-MediSave to defray costs after subsidy. Under the Chronic Disease Management Programme, patients may be able to claim up to $700 or $1,000 under the MediSave Chronic and Preventive Care limit from 1 January 2027, depending on whether they have complex chronic conditions. Patients who continue to have difficulty paying their bills after subsidies and MediSave may seek further assistance, including MediFund, from medical social workers at public healthcare institutions.
Addressing Barriers and Stigma in Male Reproductive Health Through Research and Public Awareness Campaigns›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 109w
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written-answer-24572
Ms Cassandra Lee53 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has conducted or commissioned any studies on barriers Singaporean men face in receiving treatment for reproductive health issues; and (b) whether the Ministry will pursue public campaigns to raise awareness of male reproductive health and reduce associated stigma.
Mr Ong Ye Kung56 words
[+3 sentences]As part of the ongoing review of Fertility Health policies, the Ministry of Health has been engaging fertility health advocates and individuals with lived experience to better understand their needs and concerns. These engagements discussed concerns relating to male reproductive health issues including limited awareness and uncertainty about seeking help. We will share more when ready.
Patient Access, Financing Options and Reassessment Framework for Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapy Products Not Recommended for Subsidy by ACE›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 270w
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written-answer-24573
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre71 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health where a Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapy Product (CTGTP) is not recommended by the Agency for Care Effectiveness (ACE) for subsidy (a) what alternatives exist for managed access or financing; (b) what change in circumstances will trigger reassessment; and (c) what roles the ACE, mainstream financing schemes and Rare Disease Fund play in the access, financing and reassessment of CTGTPs.
Mr Ong Ye Kung199 words
[+8 sentences]The Ministry of Health (MOH) uses internationally-established Health Technology Assessment (HTA) processes to inform mainstream funding decisions, including for cell, tissue and gene therapy products (CTGTPs). As a small market Singapore tends to lack negotiating power and HTA instills the discipline to ensure that the price of drugs and medical devices we procure is commensurate with their clinical value. It helps ensure that Government subsidies and insurance payouts are directed towards treatments that bring value to patients, while keeping our healthcare spending and premiums sustainable. HTA is conducted by the Agency for Care Effectiveness, which although part of MOH, carries out their work independently based on expert assessment. Typically, for a drug that is assessed to be non-cost effective, we will need to negotiate with manufacturers to price these therapies more affordably and commensurate with the benefits they provide. We have good success in doing this. But if price adjustment is still not forthcoming, patients who require CTGTPs may have access to other avenues of financial support, including private health insurance or discretionary assistance through MediFund in public health institutions. The Rare Disease Fund and other charities may also support selected treatments for rare diseases under their own criteria.
Accidental Escalation from Frequent Military and Maritime Law-enforcement Encounters in South China Sea and Adequacy of ASEAN Incident Management Mechanisms›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 298w
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written-answer-24574
Mr Gabriel Lam46 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what assessment has the Ministry made of the risk of accidental escalation in the South China Sea arising from increasingly frequent encounters between military and maritime law-enforcement vessels; and (b) whether ASEAN mechanisms are adequate to manage such incidents.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan252 words
[+9 sentences]As a small, trade-dependent nation, Singapore's national interests include maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea (SCS), upholding the right of all states to freedom of navigation and overflight, and supporting the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). As a non-claimant state, Singapore does not take sides on the competing territorial and maritime claims in the SCS. Recent developments have increased the risks of accidents and miscalculations in the SCS. To preserve regional peace and stability, we have consistently called on all parties to exercise self-restraint and avoid actions that could escalate tensions in the SCS. All parties should manage disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China are negotiating the Code of Conduct (COC) in the SCS, and have committed to endeavour to conclude the COC negotiations by this year. ASEAN and China have convened monthly meetings since the start of this year. The negotiations are an important platform for ASEAN and China to put forth their positions and better understand each other, with a view to eventually de-escalating tensions on the ground. Singapore has participated actively in the discussions and will continue to work with China and other ASEAN member states towards an effective and substantive COC that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, and that safeguards the rights and interests of all parties in the SCS.
Evaluating Singapore's Emergency Response for Overseas Singaporeans, and Improvements in Evacuation, Communication and Consular Support›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 209w
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written-answer-24575
Mr Gabriel Lam47 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) how does Singapore assess the effectiveness of its contingency planning for Singaporeans caught in sudden overseas conflicts or major security incidents; and (b) whether the Ministry has identified improvements needed in evacuation, communication, and consular assistance following recent international crises.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan162 words
[+9 sentences]The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has contingency plans to safeguard affected Singaporeans' safety and welfare during overseas crises. These plans are regularly exercised, reviewed and updated, including through after-action reviews of major consular operations. Recent international crises have also provided valuable lessons which we have incorporated into our contingency planning. MFA works closely with our overseas Missions to ensure that our contingency plans are robust. MFA's Emergency Preparedness Framework is updated regularly. Our 24/7 Consular Response Centre has enhanced the reach and responsiveness of our consular assistance and strengthened our ability to disseminate timely information and alerts to Singaporeans through the MFA website, eRegister and social media. Where necessary, MFA deploys crisis response teams to assist in evacuation of Singaporeans in crisis zones overseas. Singaporeans travelling overseas must do their part to ensure their own safety. They should eRegister with MFA, monitor our travel notices and advisories, purchase comprehensive travel insurance and follow the advice of local authorities during any emergency.
Identification of Highest and Lowest Temperature Neighbourhoods and Monitoring Heat Inequality Across Residential Districts›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 127w
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written-answer-24576
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan39 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry has identified the neighbourhoods in Singapore with the highest and lowest temperatures; and (b) whether heat inequality by residential district is an issue monitored by the Ministry.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien88 words
[+4 sentences]Singapore’s heat resilience strategy includes implementing effective cooling strategies to address the Urban Heat Island effect, such as climate-sensitive urban planning and design, improved orientation of buildings to maximise natural ventilation and wind flow, integration and intensification of greenery, and application of cool coatings on building facades to reduce heat absorption. The Meteorological Service Singapore operates weather stations islandwide to monitor temperatures across the island. We have not observed temperature patterns that follow residential district boundaries. As such, associating such differences with heat inequality may not be meaningful.
Data on Complaints Regarding Employer Delays in Plumber Licence Application Sign-offs, Application Outcomes and Improving Competency Assessment›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 136w
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written-answer-24578
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song69 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment over the past year (a) how many complaints the Public Utilities Board (PUB) received regarding employers delaying sign-offs on work logs or testimonials for plumber licence applicants; (b) how many of these applicants PUB successfully assisted; (c) how PUB rendered such assistance; and (d) whether it will consider adopting digital logbooks or an independent technical panel to assess trade competencies directly.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien67 words
[+3 sentences]Since the revised Licensed Plumber (LP) scheme was introduced in 2018, PUB has not received any feedback regarding delays in sign-offs or testimonials for LP applications. LP mentors play an essential role in verifying that applicants have accumulated the necessary practical experience and demonstrated the ability to perform plumbing works competently. This is a role that cannot be replaced by digital logbooks nor an independent technical panel.
Demand and Feedback for Non-Standard Hour Childminding Services and Extension of Subsidies Beyond Weekday Hours›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 161w
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written-answer-24579
Ms Diana Pang Li Yen64 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in respect of the Early Childhood Development Agency's Childminding Pilot for Infants (a) how many families have requested services outside the subsidised hours of 7.00 am to 7.00 pm on weekdays; (b) what common feedback has been received from parents working non-standard hours; and (c) whether subsidies will be considered for evening, overnight or weekend care.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M97 words
[+5 sentences]The majority of parents we surveyed expressed satisfaction with the pilot and said that they would recommend it to others. A small number of families indicated interest in service outside the subsidised hours on weekdays, including one request for weekend services. While we are mindful of these needs, the low demand means that it would not be practical to adjust the operating hours or introduce new subsidies for non-standard hours. We will continue to monitor the needs of enrolled families as the pilot progresses. Families requiring specific caregiving arrangements are welcome to discuss these directly with operators.
Strengthening Haze Preparedness Protocols and Closure Thresholds for Preschools Given Vulnerability of Infants and Young Children›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 197w
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written-answer-24580
Ms Elysa Chen50 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether ECDA mandates clear indoor air quality standards and closure thresholds for preschools in light of recurring haze episodes; and (b) if so, when these preparedness protocols will be strengthened, given the vulnerability of infants and young children to air pollution.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M147 words
[+5 sentences]Preschools are required to implement haze management measures based on the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) level, as set out in the Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDCs) Code of Practice (Fifth Edition). Preschools are to exercise more stringent measures when the PSI level is higher. For example, outdoor activities will be minimised when the PSI is above 100 and ceased when the PSI is above 200. Regardless of the PSI level, all preschools are required to have an enclosed room with an air purifier to accommodate children who may become unwell due to the haze, and to ensure that children with chronic heart or lung conditions have their medication with them. ECDA will work closely with the Haze Task Force chaired by the National Environment Agency to determine whether these measures need to be enhanced and when centre closures need to be considered due to the haze situation.
Breakdown of Rehousing Outcomes of Rough Sleepers by Housing Pathways and Retention Rates, and Publication of PATH Pilot Project Outcomes›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 228w
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written-answer-24581
Dr Wan Rizal66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in each of the past three years, how many rough sleepers supported by Government-funded or Government-supported programmes moved into stable housing, broken down by housing pathway; (b) what proportions remained stably housed after six and 12 months; and (c) whether these outcomes will be published when evaluating the recently funded Partnership to Tackle Homelessness (PATH) pilot projects.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M162 words
[+7 sentences]Prior to the middle of 2025, data on rough sleepers was not centrally collated but resided with different community partners. Based on data gathered since then, about half of the rough sleepers in the central database moved to stable housing and shelter arrangements. Their housing pathways include transitional shelters, welfare homes, public rental flats or returning to live with their families. We do not have data on the proportion who remained stably housed at the six- or 12-month mark. Projects under the Partnership to Tackle Homelessness Fund aim to strengthen community partners' capabilities and test new approaches to tackling homelessness. By doing so, the projects will improve partners' ability to support rough sleepers towards better outcomes, including stable housing where relevant. As the projects address different needs, such as employment, work-readiness and social support to those reluctant to seek help, each project will track outcomes relevant to its focus rather than assessed against a common target, such as housing placement or stability.
Planned Increase in Childcare and Infant Care Capacity and Educator Workforce Growth by Residential Area›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 181w
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written-answer-24582
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre69 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in view of the expected increase in demand for Government-supported preschool places following the newly announced subsidies that will reduce childcare and infant care fees (a) what additional childcare and infant care places and educator capacity by residential area are planned to meet this demand; and (b) what annual milestones have been set to ensure such capacity is available in time.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M112 words
[+4 sentences]Since 2025, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has been working with anchor operators to add almost 40,000 new preschool places by 2029, of which close to 6,000 places will be for infant care. We will also recruit 1,800 more infant care educators by 2030, to cater to the expected rise in demand for infant care as services become more affordable for families. In addition, we will expand the network of Government-supported preschool operators, to give families more options for affordable quality preschool places close to where they live. As part of this effort, ECDA will introduce a new grant to help eligible preschool operators make the transition onto the Government-supported network.
Data on Availability of Mother Tongue Languages in Early Childhood Development Agency-licensed Preschools and Ministry of Education Kindergartens›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 102w
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written-answer-24583
Mr Fadli Fawzi33 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development what percentage of Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA)-licensed preschools and Ministry of Education kindergartens offer Mandarin, Malay and Tamil as a mother tongue language, respectively.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M69 words
[+4 sentences]99% of about 1,800 Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA)-licensed preschools and Ministry of Education kindergartens offer at least one Mother tongue language (MTL). Of these, 95.1% offer Chinese, 31.6% offer Malay and 16.8% offer Tamil. The provision of MTLs in preschools takes into account factors, such as enrolment demand and the availability of qualified MTL educators. ECDA continues to work with preschool operators to support access to MTL learning.
Data on Costs Covered by Assistive Technology Fund Subsidy and Median Age of Recipients Reaching Lifetime Cap, and Review of $40,000 Cap for Recurring Replacement Needs›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 173w
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written-answer-24584
Mr Cai Yinzhou71 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the average proportion of the cost covered by the Assistive Technology Fund subsidy for a prosthetic device and its maintenance over a recipient's lifetime; (b) what is the median age at which recipients reach the $40,000 lifetime cap; and (c) whether MSF will review the cap as prostheses require recurring refitting and replacement that draw on the same lifetime balance.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M102 words
[+5 sentences]The Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) provides means-tested subsidies of up to 90% for persons with disabilities to purchase eligible assistive technology devices and prosthetic devices, subject to a lifetime cap of $40,000. The subsidies can also be used for the repair and replacement of parts. To date, no ATF recipient who utilised the fund for prosthetic devices has reached the $40,000 lifetime cap. The Ministry of Social and Family Development has no plans to revise the lifetime cap at this time. Persons with disabilities who have reached the cap may appeal to SG Enable for additional subsidy support on a case-by-case basis.
Social Media and E-commerce Platform Accountability, Detection and Reporting Measures for Sales of Illegal Health Products via Live-streaming›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 297w
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written-answer-24585
Mr Shawn Loh59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) to what extent are social media and e-commerce platforms held accountable for the sale of unregulated or illegal health products conducted via live streaming on their platforms; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider working with platforms to detect and report prohibited health and medical marketing claims during live broadcasts.
Mrs Josephine Teo238 words
[+12 sentences]Commercial advertising in Singapore is self-regulated through the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP) administered by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS). SCAP applies to all advertisements for goods and services appearing across all media. While compliance is voluntary, SCAP complements existing laws. When an advertisement breaches the law, such as in the promotion of illegal health products, ASAS refers it to the relevant authority, namely the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in this instance. HSA regulates the sale, supply and advertising of health products, including activities conducted through e-commerce and social media platforms. These regulatory requirements apply regardless of whether products are promoted through online listings, social media posts or live-streaming. HSA conducts online surveillance and works closely with e-commerce and social media platforms to detect and remove illegal health product listings and non-compliant promotional content. HSA has also increasingly used technology, including automated tools, to support faster detection. In 2025, HSA detected and removed 2,358 listings of illegal health products from local e-commerce and social media platforms. Platforms have generally been responsive to HSA's requests to remove offending content and HSA takes enforcement action against sellers and advertisers where warranted. Live-streaming presents additional enforcement challenges because the content is real-time and transient. HSA will continue to work with platforms to strengthen their capabilities to detect, report and remove illegal health product sales and prohibited or misleading health and medical claims, including those made during live broadcasts.
Data Centre Energy Demand and New Generation Capacity, Assessment of Overseas Data Processing via Optical Fibre, and Options for Regional Network Financing›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 185w
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written-answer-24586
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat74 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what proportion of new generation capacity sought by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) is attributable to projected data centre demand; (b) whether processing data overseas and returning the results via optical-fibre has been assessed as an alternative and what was concluded; and (c) if so, whether a regional optical-fibre network with financing arrangements equivalent to the ASEAN Power Grid will be advanced to enable this.
Mrs Josephine Teo111 words
[+5 sentences]The compute capacity provided by data centres in Singapore is crucial for supporting Singapore's digital economy and artificial intelligence developments. Our data connectivity to many countries, including through subsea cables running on optical fibre, enables cross-border data flows in and around the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region. This allows companies to tap on compute capacity beyond Singapore. To support Singapore's growth, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) plans for sufficient generation capacity to meet Singapore's overall projected electricity demand.1 From 2025 to 2032, Singapore's peak electricity demand is projected to grow from 8.2 gigawatt up to 11.9 gigawatt. This accounts for growth in energy-intensive sectors, such as semi-conductors and data centres.
Extending Age Assurance Measures, Minor-Safe Defaults and Crisis Escalation Standards for High-Risk AI Companion and Mental Health Chatbots Across Access Channels›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 230w
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written-answer-24587
Mr Yip Hon Weng70 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information in view that app store age assurance measures can be bypassed through web-based or account-free access at the point of download (a) why has the Ministry not required equivalent age assurance measures at the point of access to high-risk AI companion and mental health chatbots; and (b) whether common age assurance, minor-safe defaults and crisis escalation standards will apply across access channels.
Mrs Josephine Teo160 words
[+7 sentences]Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots can be accessed through different channels, including mobile apps distributed through app stores and services accessed directly through the Internet. The app store is therefore an important gateway for access. The Broadcasting Act allows the Infocomm Media Development Authority to direct an app store to disable Singapore users' access to egregious content – including apps that advocate or instruct on suicide or self-harm. Additionally, the Code of Practice for Online Safety – App Distribution Services requires designated app stores to implement age assurance measures and minimise the risk of users, especially children, being exposed to harmful content. They are expected to review apps and app updates before release on their service to ensure compliance with the app store’s content guidelines and standards. Some AI chatbots can also be accessed directly through websites or other channels. The Ministry of Digital Development and Information is studying further safeguards to better protect younger users across different modes of access.
Assessment of Interactions with Strangers, Subsequent Off-platform Contact and Associated Harms to Youths from Online Gaming Platforms›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 239w
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written-answer-24588
Miss Rachel Ong63 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information following the 2022 to 2023 survey of youths aged 10 to 18 years on online gaming, whether the Ministry has assessed (i) the prevalence of interactions with strangers through gaming platforms and subsequent off-platform contact (ii) how such interactions and associated harms vary by age and (iii) the nature and severity of any reported harms.
Mrs Josephine Teo176 words
[+8 sentences]The 2022 to 2023 Youth Gaming Survey covered youths' gaming habits and the potential risks and dangers that youths may be exposed to in online gaming. As habits take time to be shaped, the survey's findings are still useful as reference. It found that 14% of respondents aged 10 to 18 years old had engaged strangers outside of gaming. This included chatting with strangers about non-gaming related topics, sharing information with strangers or meeting strangers in person. Among respondents aged 13 to 18 years old, 17% of respondents experienced in-game bullying from other players while 38% of respondents sometimes or frequently came across vulgarities or violent content in games. We recognise concerns about harms that online video games can pose, including unwanted interactions. Victims of online harms, including online harassment and online stalking, can now seek timely and effective relief through the Online Safety Commission which began operations in June 2026. We will continue to monitor the nature and severity of harms on different online gaming platforms, while studying further protections for children and young users.
Addressing Migration of Youths to Unregulated Platforms Following Proposed Increase in Minimum Age for Social Media Access›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 116w
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written-answer-24589
Ms Cassandra Lee50 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information given the Government's willingness to consider raising the minimum age for access to some social media platforms to above 13 years old, how does the Ministry intend to address concerns around the migration of younger users to unregulated platforms outside this framework.
Mrs Josephine Teo66 words
[+1 sentence]This question has been addressed in the written response on the Government's proposed measures to enhance safeguards for children on social media platforms, at the 8 September 2026 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to "Requesting Meta to Deploy Teenage Usage Restriction in Singapore", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Availability of Economics Curriculum in Secondary Schools, and Economics and Financial Literacy Content at G1 and G2 Levels›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 229w
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written-answer-24590
Mr David Hoe52 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) what considerations determine which secondary schools offer Economics in their curriculum; (b) whether the Ministry will consider expanding access to Economics courses in more secondary schools; and (c) whether Economics, or related economic and financial literacy content, can be made available at G2 and G1 levels.
Mr Desmond Lee177 words
[+8 sentences]Secondary schools that wish to offer economics as an "O" level school-initiated elective subject can apply to the Ministry of Education (MOE). They consider factors, such as student demand, availability of economics teachers and implications to their existing subject offerings. MOE does not have plans to require more schools to offer economics, but will continue to support schools that wish to introduce the subject where there is sufficient demand and capability. All students learn age-appropriate economic and financial literacy concepts. For example, at the primary level, they learn about needs versus wants, saving and budgeting. In secondary school, these concepts are infused into subjects, such as food and consumer education (FCE) and social studies taken by all students. In FCE, students are guided to become responsible and discerning consumers through practising simple financial planning and understanding the responsible use of credit. In social studies, secondary students learn how the Singapore Government supports citizens' economic well-being through policies and programmes, such as the Central Provident Fund and SkillsFuture, and how trade and investment contribute to Singapore's economic growth.
Effectiveness of Learning Support Programme and Learning Support for Mathematics and Strengthening Community Partnerships Beyond Schools›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 227w
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written-answer-24591
Mr David Hoe59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) how many and what proportion of pupils in the Learning Support Programme and Learning Support for Mathematics attain the relevant foundational literacy or numeracy benchmarks by the end of Primary 2; (b) whether outcomes differ by socio-economic background; and (c) what effective approaches can be reinforced through partnerships with community organisations outside school.
Mr Desmond Lee168 words
[+8 sentences]In the last three years, about one in 10 Primary 1 students were offered the Learning Support Programme or Learning Support for Mathematics (LSM) programme, or both. Students who do not achieve the benchmarks by end of Primary 2 continue to be supported. For example, the LSM programme has been extended to P3 and P4 since 2023 to help more students achieve the required benchmarks. About half of the students in the support programmes achieved the benchmarks by the end of Primary 2. For those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, it is about two in five. Schools and school-based student care centres (SCCs) also work with community partners to provide additional support and enrichment. For example, Big Heart SCCs collaborate with the National Arts Council, National Library Board and Youth Corps Singapore to provide free learning support and enrichment for disadvantaged students. Self-Help Groups also offer community- and school-based academic support through the Collaborative Tuition Programme and homework supervision, while university volunteers provide mentoring, academic coaching and enrichment activities.
Oversight and Standardisation of Anti-bullying and Anti-harassment Policies Across Institutes of Higher Learning and Protocols for Victim Protection and Disciplinary Action›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 309w
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written-answer-24592
Dr Charlene Chen43 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) what specific oversight does the Ministry exercise over anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs); and (b) whether the Ministry provides guidelines to tertiary institutions on standardised protocols to protect victims and penalise perpetrators.
Mr Desmond Lee266 words
[+11 sentences]My response will address the questions raised by Members to address the Ministry of Education's (MOE's) oversight over bullying in our institutes of higher learning (IHLs). [Please refer to "Standardised Protocols for Reporting, Investigating and Providing Support for Cases of Bullying and Harassment in Institutes of Higher Learning", Official Report, 10 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 37, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] MOE and our IHLs adopt a zero-tolerance stance against bullying and harassment. All IHLs have disciplinary frameworks to address bullying. While the details may differ across institutions, our IHLs' disciplinary action is calibrated based on the nature and severity of the misconduct, the harm caused and the student's level of culpability. Aggravating or mitigating factors are also taken into account. All IHLs have codes of conduct that set out expected standards of behaviour for students. Our IHLs educate all students on respectful conduct, encourage them to look out for one another and speak up when they witness bullying or harassment. When an incident is reported, the IHL will investigate the matter, establish the facts and take appropriate restorative and disciplinary action based on the circumstances. Depending on the severity of the misconduct, this may include counselling, suspension or expulsion. IHLs also provide counselling and other support for affected students. While MOE does not prescribe a single, standardised protocol for all IHLs, we expect every IHL to have robust disciplinary processes and appropriate support for affected students, and we will continue to work closely with the IHLs to strengthen these policies and practices as needed.
Data on Undergraduate Programme Changes at Autonomous Universities, Tuition Grant Adequacy for Programme Changers and Consideration of Additional Subsidised Semesters›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 158w
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written-answer-24593
Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) how many Singapore citizen undergraduates changed programmes within or between autonomous universities in each of the past five academic years; (b) how many incurred non-subsidised fees after exhausting their tuition grants before completing their new programme; and (c) whether the Government will consider granting up to two additional subsidised semesters for a student's first programme change.
Mr Desmond Lee96 words
[+5 sentences]The Ministry of Education (MOE) provides subsidies for Singapore Citizens taking their first undergraduate degree at our autonomous universities (AUs). When a student applies for a mid-course transfer, the student’s subsidy eligibility for the new course takes into account the subsidy previously received. Prior to any course change, AUs provide advice to students on the academic and financial implications of such changes to help them make an informed decision. MOE does not track information on individual course transfers. Students who require additional support beyond their MOE subsidy eligibility may approach their AUs for additional financial assistance.
Evolving Assessment Frameworks for Institutes of Higher Learning, AI Literacy and Academic Integrity Following Discontinuation of AI-detection Tools›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 92w
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written-answer-24594
Ms Cassandra Lee62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education given recent announcements by two autonomous universities on discontinuing the use of AI-detection tools due to concerns over their reliability, whether the Ministry will provide further guidance to Institutes of Higher Learning on how assessments should evolve where AI use is permitted, so as to balance the development of AI literacy with assessment rigour and academic integrity.
Mr Desmond Lee30 words
[+1 sentence]The Ministry of Education will provide an oral answer to this Parliamentary Question (PQ), together with other PQs that have been filed on this topic, at the next available opportunity.
Requirements for Supporting Letter from Grassroots Adviser for Temporary Occupation Licence Applications and Availability of Appeal Channels›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 229w
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written-answer-24595
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis69 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Law for Singapore Land Authority's (SLA's) Temporary Occupation Licence applications (a) what events require a supporting letter from the constituency's grassroots adviser; (b) why are such letters required for religious or other events; (c) what appeal channels exist for rejections; (d) whether SLA will accept a letter from the elected Member of Parliament as an alternative where the two differ; and (e) if not, why.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai160 words
[+7 sentences]The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) assesses Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) applications for events on state land taking into consideration the nature of the proposed activities and the potential impact on the community. The SLA takes into account a range of considerations, including the inputs of relevant stakeholders, the purposes for which TOL is sought, as well as the views and representations of relevant parties. In respect of certain activities, such as religious and community events, which might cause local disamenities, such as noise or traffic congestion, a supporting letter from the constituency's grassroots adviser is also sought. Grassroots advisers work with grassroots organisations to foster social cohesion, which has a nexus with such activities carried out in the community. Appeals against the outcome of applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants are welcome to submit any supporting reasons, representations, letters of support or appeal, and any other relevant information for SLA's further assessment. All of this will be considered.
Measuring Productivity Improvements from Government-supported AI Capability Investments and Key Findings Across Sectors›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 143w
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written-answer-24596
Ms He Ting Ru42 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) (a) how does the Ministry measure productivity improvements for businesses attributable to Government-supported artificial intelligence capability investments; and (b) what are the key findings from such measurements, including a breakdown across sectors.
Dr Tan See Leng101 words
[+5 sentences]For businesses that receive Government support for their artificial intelligence (AI) investments, we measure improvements in process efficiency and/or labour productivity. The specific indicators would depend on the project concerned. As the support measures are relatively new, there is insufficient data to assess their impact at this point. The Government will also track the rate of AI adoption among businesses as well as sectoral productivity trends. Nonetheless, it would not be possible to isolate the impact of AI as sectoral productivity outcomes are influenced by a combination of factors including demand conditions, workforce skills, management practices and wider digital transformation efforts.
Data on Employer Sign-off Delays for Electrician Licence Applicants, Assistance Rendered and Alternative Assessment Proposals›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 123w
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written-answer-24599
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song70 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) over the past year (a) how many complaints Energy Market Authority (EMA) received regarding employers delaying sign-offs on work logs or testimonials for electrician licence applicants; (b) how many of these applicants EMA successfully assisted; (c) how EMA rendered such assistance; and (d) whether it will consider adopting digital logbooks or an independent technical panel to assess trade competencies directly.
Dr Tan See Leng53 words
[+2 sentences]Applicants for electrician licenses do not need their employers to sign off on the work logs or testimonials that are submitted to the Energy Market Authority (EMA) as proof of relevant practical experience. Over the past 12 months, EMA did not receive any complaints regarding employers delaying signoffs on work logs or testimonials.
Consumer Protection Safeguards and Timely Return of Completed Customer Materials Held by Photography Studios Upon Sudden Cessation of Business Operations›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 151w
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written-answer-24600
Dr Choo Pei Ling59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) (a) whether the Government has considered if adequate consumer protection safeguards exist for customers' completed photographs, albums and other materials held by service providers, such as photography studios, when a business ceases operations abruptly; and (b) whether measures can be taken to facilitate the timely return of such materials.
Dr Tan See Leng92 words
[+3 sentences]The recourse available to consumers on the treatment of their completed photographs, albums and other materials when a service provider, such as a photography studio, ceases operations abruptly, would depend on the contractual agreements between the parties. Customers should refer to the terms and conditions of their contracts to understand their rights and the obligations of the service provider. Consumers who wish to retrieve their completed materials from the businesses may approach the Consumers Association of Singapore for assistance or obtain independent legal advice on the avenues for recourse available to them.
Implementing Post-project Environmental Audits for Major Habitat-affecting Developments Covering Mitigation Compliance, Tree Retention, Biodiversity Outcomes and Lessons Learnt›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 171w
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written-answer-24604
Mr Victor Lye65 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will introduce a post-project environmental audit for major developments affecting natural habitats, setting out (i) whether the environmental mitigation measures committed to during planning were fully implemented (ii) the number of trees retained and successfully transplanted (iii) biodiversity outcomes compared with those predicted in the Environmental Impact Assessment and (iv) lessons learnt to improve future developments.
Mr Chee Hong Tat106 words
[+4 sentences]As part of the Government's Environmental Impact Assessment framework, projects that undergo environmental studies will need to undertake a detailed Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (EMMP). This sets out detailed mitigation measures, monitoring programmes, reporting requirements and emergency procedures that will apply during development and guide the contractors' work to minimise impact to biodiversity. The Developing Agency will appoint an independent EMMP consultant to develop EMMP, carry out regular inspections of the project site and submit regular monitoring reports to relevant technical agencies on compliance with the measures under EMMP. Where there are non-compliances with EMMP, the relevant agencies will investigate and take the necessary actions.
Implementation of Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forest and Land Use Commitments in Domestic Land-Use Planning and Establishing Progress Reporting Mechanisms›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 178w
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written-answer-24605
Miss Rachel Ong62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) how Singapore interprets its commitment under the 2021 Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 in the context of domestic land-use planning; and (b) whether the Government has established indicators or reporting mechanisms to assess and publicly report Singapore's progress towards that commitment.
Mr Chee Hong Tat116 words
[+4 sentences]Singapore's endorsement of the 2021 Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use affirms our commitment to develop our city sustainably and protect nature that thrives in our midst, and reflects our long‑standing approach to balancing development and conservation as a highly urbanised city‑state with limited land. Under our City in Nature efforts, we are expanding nature parks to buffer our nature reserves, restoring habitats, integrating greenery more intensively into our urban environment and strengthening ecological connectivity between green spaces. These efforts support biodiversity conservation, ecosystem health and climate resilience within Singapore's urban context. We have established key targets to track our progress under City in Nature, which we have provided updates on over the years.
Recourse Available and Payment Protection Measures for Unpaid Subcontractors upon Insolvency, and Data on Reported Cases in Past Three Years›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 112w
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written-answer-24611
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik69 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) what assistance and recourse can be provided to a subcontractor left unpaid when engaged by another subcontractor which went under liquidation; (b) whether the Ministry will consider measures to protect such parties who fall outside the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act upon the paying party's insolvency; and (c) how many such cases were reported in the past three years.
Mr Chee Hong Tat43 words
[+2 sentences]Once a firm enters liquidation, the insolvency framework under the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act applies. An unpaid subcontractor can submit its claim to the appointed liquidator, who will distribute the firm's available assets among its creditors in accordance with the insolvency framework.
Establishing Government-vetted Handyman Services Panel for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities Across Housing Types to Mitigate Risk of Scams›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 124w
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written-answer-24612
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider establishing a panel of Government-vetted handyman services for seniors and persons with disabilities living alone in all residence types including condominiums, private estates and other private properties, to provide reliable home repairs at transparent rates and mitigate the risk of scams or trust issues often associated with unregulated commercial advertisements found in the open market.
Mr Chee Hong Tat58 words
[+3 sentences]There are existing resources that residents may refer to when engaging contractors for home improvement and repair works. For example, the Housing and Development Board's and some town councils' websites provide information on contractors who may be engaged for home repair services. Residents living in strata-titled properties may also approach their Management Corporations or Managing Agents for referrals.
Data on Environmental Impact Assessments Commissioned, Project Outcomes and Recommendations Adopted Since 2019, and Transparency and Public Participation Since 2020›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 121w
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written-answer-24613
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong57 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) have been commissioned since 2019; (b) of these (i) how many led to substantial project changes or cancellations and (ii) how many recommendations were fully adopted; and (c) since 2020, how many EIA-related planning projects included public dialogues, published feedback summaries and post-consultation modifications.
Mr Chee Hong Tat64 words
[+1 sentence]This question was addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply to the questions asked by Mr David Hoe and Mr Cai Yinzhou on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Impact of Additionally Reclaimed Land on Development of Green Spaces", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Data on Annual Visitors in Pulau Ubin for Past Five Years and Balancing Increased Visitation with Heritage and Biodiversity›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 143w
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written-answer-24614
Ms Valerie Lee56 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) what were the annual visitor numbers to Pulau Ubin over the past five years; (b) whether the Ministry has any targets or aspirations for visitor numbers to Pulau Ubin; and (c) how does the Ministry intend to balance increased visitation with preserving the island's rustic character, biodiversity and heritage.
Mr Chee Hong Tat87 words
[+3 sentences]From 2021 to 2025, Pulau Ubin received an average of over 320,000 visitors annually, with higher visitor numbers in the years immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic, which coincided with restrictions on overseas travel. The National Parks Board works closely with the Friends of Ubin Network to organise initiatives, such as the annual Pesta Ubin festival and Ubin Day, as well as learning journeys for schools. Our focus is to enable visitors to experience and appreciate the island, while safeguarding its rustic charm, natural environment, biodiversity and heritage.
Future Land Use Plans for Kovan Hub 206 in Next Five Years›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 49w
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written-answer-24615
Ms Sylvia Lim35 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether there are any development plans within the next five years for the land on which Kovan Hub 206 is sited; and (b) if so, what are they.
Mr Chee Hong Tat14 words
[+1 sentence]There are currently no development plans within the next five years for the site.
Future Land Use Plans for Former Paya Lebar Kovan Community Club Site at Hougang Street 21›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 87w
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written-answer-24616
Ms Sylvia Lim43 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether there are any development plans within the next five years for the land on which the former Paya Lebar Kovan Community Club at Hougang Street 21 is sited; and (b) if so, what are they.
Mr Chee Hong Tat44 words
[+3 sentences]The former Paya Lebar-Kovan Community Club at Hougang Street 21 is sited on land zoned "residential" in the gazetted Master Plan 2025. Agencies have plans for the land to be developed for residential use in the near term. Details will be announced when ready.
Number of Corals Transplanted and Monitoring Corals' Survival and Progress Towards 100,000 Target Timeline›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 138w
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written-answer-24617
Mr Cai Yinzhou55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development regarding the 100k Corals Initiative (a) how many corals have been transplanted to date and at which locations, measured against the target to plant 100,000 corals; (b) what is the survival rate of those transplanted corals; and (c) whether the initiative is on track to meet its projected timeline.
Mr Chee Hong Tat83 words
[+3 sentences]Launched in December 2024, the 100k Corals Initiative is currently in its initial phase, which focuses on developing and refining coral propagation, husbandry and outplanting, that is, returning nursery-grown corals to reefs, methods to support larger-scale restoration efforts. As of June 2026, the National Parks Board (NParks) has outplanted about 2,000 corals at Kusu Island and the Sisters' Islands, and observed a survival rate of more than 80%. NParks remains on track to meet the target of planting 100,000 corals in Singapore's waters.
Data on Non-citizen Quota of HDB Flat Rental in Neighbourhoods by Nationality›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 126w
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written-answer-24620
Mr Pritam Singh56 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) with regard to the HDB's Non-Citizen Quota for Flat Rental, what is the current percentage at the neighbourhood level for each neighbourhood respectively; and (b) how many HDB units, in part and in whole unit respectively, are rented out to (i) Singaporeans (ii) Malaysians and (iii) non-Malaysians in total.
Mr Chee Hong Tat70 words
[+3 sentences]As of August 2026, about 2% of neighbourhoods have reached the Non-Citizen Quota for renting out of whole flats. Of the approximately 59,000 whole flat rentals across all neighbourhoods, about 20% were rented out to Singaporean and Malaysian tenants, and the remaining 80% were rented out to tenants with at least one non-Malaysian foreigner. For the approximately 117,000 flats with bedroom rentals, the proportions were about 52% and 48% respectively.
Reducing Traffic Congestion Along Balestier Road Towards Central Expressway for Emergency Ambulances›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 96w
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written-answer-24621
Mr Shawn Loh56 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport whether the Land Transport Authority will consider moves to reduce traffic congestion along Balestier Road towards the Central Expressway, which is frequently used by emergency ambulances towards Tan Tock Seng Hospital and KK Women’s and Children's Hospital, such as by removing the permission for roadside parking, and if so, by when.
Mr Jeffrey Siow40 words
[+1 sentence]With the availability of sufficient alternative parking spaces in the vicinity, the Land Transport Authority intends to remove the stretch of roadside parking along Balestier Road near the Central Expressway by end-2026, which will reduce traffic congestion in that area.
Evaluating Feasibility of Bus Rapid Transit System in Tuas South›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 142w
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written-answer-24622
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport regarding the feasibility study for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system at Tuas South (a) what are the criteria and timeline used to evaluate the BRT's feasibility; (b) whether similar medium-capacity systems, such as trams, have been considered; and (c) what is the intended passenger capacity of conventional and tram-like BRT systems being studied.
Mr Jeffrey Siow83 words
[+3 sentences]The viability of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system for Tuas South will be determined based on projected public transport ridership, land and infrastructure requirements of the system, and its impact on existing traffic. As part of the feasibility study, we will look at different vehicle types to determine the optimal system design. We are considering BRT systems because they are potentially more economical, flexible and faster to implement than rail or tram systems, which require dedicated infrastructure, such as tracks and signalling.
Ensuring Foreign-Registered Vehicles Comply with Singapore's Sunshade Requirements on Singapore Roads›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 77w
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written-answer-24623
Dr Neo Kok Beng20 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport whether foreign-registered vehicles that do not meet Singapore sunshade requirements are allowed on Singapore roads.
Mr Jeffrey Siow57 words
[+2 sentences]Foreign-registered vehicles on Singapore's roads are required to meet vehicle standards stipulated under the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic 1949, which Singapore and our neighbouring countries, including Malaysia and Thailand, are signatories to. The improper use of sunshades that obscure a driver's vision, whether in a local or foreign-registered vehicle, is not allowed under these standards.
Enhancing Transparency in People's Association's Commercial Space Tender Awards and Streamlining Transparency Standards Across State Landlords›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 277w
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written-answer-24627
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) why the People's Association does not publish information on tender bids and awards for commercial space in the same manner as the Singapore Land Authority; (b) how many such tenders were awarded in the past three years; and (c) whether a common disclosure standard will apply to all state landlords.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai218 words
[+10 sentences]I am answering in my capacity as the Minister charged with the responsibility for the People's Association (PA). PA puts out tenders on a regular basis in respect of its various contracting requirements. In the main, these are for a broad range of requirements, such as the procurement of goods and services to support PA's operations and programs, as well as for items, such as building works and estate maintenance services, or for revenue contracting purposes, such as tenancy of commercial premises or rights ownership. PA publishes the notices of bids and awards of all these tenders online via the Government Electronic Business system and where applicable, its established website, in line with the practice of all Government agencies. The number of tenders for commercial spaces conducted in this manner average approximately 23 per year. In addition to the above, there are also tenders that are administered by PA's grassroots organisations (GROs). For these tenders, the invitation for bids, are published on the PA grassroots e-mart system or PA corporate website. They are conducted by the local GROs in accordance with streamlined financial rules that uphold principles of open competition. PA regularly review our processes to strengthen governance. The total number of tenders for commercial spaces undertaken by GROs as described above approximate 70 per year on average.
Data on Covered Table Tennis and Badminton Courts Provided in Sport Singapore-operated Facilities and Assessment of Facility Supply Against Booking Demand›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 246w
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written-answer-24628
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim51 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what was the number of covered table tennis and badminton courts in SportSG-operated facilities per 100,000 residents in (i) 2006 (ii) 2016 and (iii) 2026; and (b) whether the provision of such facilities has kept pace with demand as measured by bookings.
Mr David Neo195 words
[+7 sentences]We have steadily expanded our sport facilities over the years to meet Singaporeans' sporting needs. Under the Sport Facilities Master Plan, which was launched in 2013, we have added more badminton courts and table tennis facilities across ActiveSG facilities, alongside expanding access to the Ministry of Education school facilities under the Dual-Use Scheme (DUS) and free-to-play sport spaces. Rather than planning our sporting facilities based on a fixed ratio of facilities to residents, SportSG takes a practical approach and considers factors, like town population size, popularity of sports, utilisation rates, availability of space, proximity to other sport and recreational amenities, as well as feedback from residents. Currently, there are around 170 DUS indoor sports halls, as well as 150 ActiveSG badminton courts and 90 ActiveSG table tennis tables. In 2025, the average utilisation of badminton courts and table tennis tables was 98% and 61% respectively. SportSG will continue to monitor the supply and demand situation, including from private sports facilities, and plan our facilities accordingly. In March this year, we announced that we will be building 50 additional multipurpose courts over the next five years, to address the growing demand for badminton and pickleball courts.
Reviewing Town Selection Criteria Regarding Warm Meals @ North East Programme and Implementation Timeline to Extend Scheme to Sengkang›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 131w
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written-answer-24629
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis68 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) why the Warm Meals @ North East programme, jointly funded by North East Community Development Council (CDC) and OCBC, excludes Sengkang despite it falling within North East CDC's catchment; (b) what is the timeline in which the stated plan to extend the scheme to Sengkang will be implemented; and (c) what were the factors behind the initial town selection.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai63 words
[+4 sentences]The Warm Meals @ North East program does not exclude Sengkang. North East CDC is working on the implementation of the program in Sengkang. This was in the public announcements of the program, as well as reported in the media following the announcements. Once the implementation details, including the timeline, are finalised, this will be made known to the relevant agencies and stakeholders.
Reviewing Future Work Permit Applications of Departed Migrant Domestic Workers Under Unresolved Police Investigation›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 223w
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written-answer-24630
Ms Diana Pang Li Yen64 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry is informed when a migrant domestic worker leaves Singapore while a police investigation involving the worker remains unresolved; (b) whether the matter will be flagged for further assessment in any future Work Permit application involving the worker; and (c) what safeguards apply where there is no criminal conviction or other formal finding of wrongdoing.
Ms Jasmin Lau159 words
[+5 sentences]The Singapore Police Force will notify the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) when a migrant domestic worker (MDW) is suspected to have committed a criminal offence, regardless of whether or not the MDW has left Singapore. Where MDWs who are being investigated by the Police are assessed to be of flight risk, their passport may be impounded to prevent them from leaving Singapore during investigation. Information provided by the Police on an MDW's involvement in investigation will be taken into consideration in the assessment of any future work permit applications for the MDW. To help prospective employers to make an informed decision in hiring an MDW, MOM allows past employers to provide their contact details and serve as a referee for their ex-MDWs. When applying to hire an MDW, prospective employers can check the foreign domestic worker eService and reach out to past employers who have offered to be referees to find out about their experience with hiring the MDW.
Impact of Prolonged Caregiving Responsibilities on CPF Retirement Adequacy and Additional Measures to Mitigate Losses in Retirement Savings›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 216w
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written-answer-24631
Mr Gabriel Lam55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has assessed the impact of prolonged caregiving responsibilities for elderly or infirm family members on caregivers' CPF retirement adequacy, particularly where caregivers reduce their working hours or leave the workforce; and (b) whether additional measures are needed to mitigate the resulting loss in retirement savings.
Ms Jasmin Lau161 words
[+7 sentences]We are unable to quantify the impact of prolonged caregiving responsibilities on caregivers' Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings, as we do not track the duration and extent of employment adjustments attributable to caregiving, which are personal family arrangements. We support caregivers to remain in or return to work if they wish to do so. Doing so will enable them to earn income and increase their CPF savings for retirement. There are employment facilitation and reskilling measures to support caregivers who are ready to re-enter the workforce. We also support working caregivers in managing work and caregiving commitments by setting guidelines on flexible work arrangements, which are offered by around seven in 10 firms. Working family members of caregivers can top up the caregivers' CPF savings if they wish to do so. Eligible caregivers can also benefit from Government schemes, such as the Workfare Income Supplement, Silver Support Scheme and Matched Retirement Savings Scheme, as well as the Budget 2026 CPF Top-Up.
Addressing Retirement Adequacy Gap Faced by Women Caregivers›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 230w
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written-answer-24632
Mr Gabriel Lam50 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has assessed whether prolonged caregiving responsibilities disproportionately affect the retirement adequacy of women, particularly those who reduce their working hours or leave the workforce to care for elderly parents; and (b) whether additional measures are needed to address this gap.
Ms Jasmin Lau180 words
[+7 sentences]Based on the Comprehensive Labour Force Survey, women make up the majority of residents outside the labour force primarily due to caregiving for parents, although the proportion has declined from 72.2% in 2021 to 59.9% in 2025. However, we are unable to quantify whether prolonged caregiving responsibilities disproportionately affect the retirement adequacy of women, as we do not track the duration and extent of employment adjustments attributable to caregiving, which are personal family arrangements. We support caregivers to remain in or return to work if they wish to do so. Caregivers returning to the workforce can tap on employment facilitation and reskilling support. We also support working caregivers in managing work and caregiving commitments by setting guidelines on flexible work arrangements, which are offered by around seven in 10 firms. Working family members of caregivers can top up the caregivers' Central Provident Fund savings if they wish to do so. In addition, eligible caregivers can benefit from schemes, such as the Workfare Income Supplement, Silver Support Scheme and Matched Retirement Savings Scheme, as well as the Budget 2026 CPF Top-Up.
Breakdown of Mental Disorder Work Injury Compensation Claims by Age, Gender and Industry, Claim Outcomes and Compensation Amounts Awarded›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 153w
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written-answer-24633
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan67 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower based on the total number of work injury compensation claims for mental disorders under the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019 annually from 2020 to 2025 (a) what is the breakdown of claimants by age, gender and industry; (b) how many have been successful in their claims; and (c) what is the median and range of claim amounts awarded to successful cases.
Ms Jasmin Lau86 words
[+6 sentences]From 2020 to 2025, there were a total of 47 work injury compensation claims for mental disorders. Of these claims, about 90% were made by claimants below the age of 55. Close to 80% of claimants were female. Collectively, Administrative and Support Services, and Health and Social Services accounted for more than 60% of the claims. Of the 31 claims that have concluded, 18 claims were successful. The median amount of compensation awarded is around $14,000 and the compensation amount ranges from around $5,000 to $77,000.
Measurable Workplace Mental Health Outcomes from Well-Being Champions Network and Addressing Career Disadvantage and Workplace Stigma›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 262w
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written-answer-24634
Mr Yip Hon Weng62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) which measurable improvements in help-seeking, workplace stigma and employee retention have resulted from the Well-Being Champions Network since 2023, including a breakdown of outcomes by sex; (b) whether cases of workers suffering career disadvantage after disclosing a mental-health condition or seeking support are tracked; and (c) whether voluntary guidance remains sufficient to address such disadvantage.
Ms Jasmin Lau200 words
[+7 sentences]The Well-Being Champions Network (WCN) is a community of practice for individuals to exchange best practices and access resources and training, to strengthen mental well-being within their organisations. To encourage participation in the WCN as a capability building network, the Ministry of Manpower does not require organisations to report on their mental well-being performance. Thus, data on help-seeking behaviour, workplace stigma and employee retention is not available. That said, WCN has gained significant traction since its launch in 2023, growing steadily from an initial 145 companies to 800 today, comprising over 2,000 champions and covering an estimated workforce of 300,000 employees. Employees who have experienced career disadvantage following disclosure of mental health conditions or after seeking support may seek assistance from the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), TAFEP received fewer than five complaints on disability and mental health per year over the past five years. Employers are expected to abide by the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices and ensure that employment decisions are based on objective, job-relevant considerations. With the Workplace Fairness Act coming into force in 2027, this will strengthen protections against workplace discrimination by prohibiting adverse employment decisions based on mental health conditions.
Assessing Demand and Effectiveness of GRIT and GRIT@Gov Programmes›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 108w
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written-answer-24635
Ms Gho Sze Kee46 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower for an assessment of the effectiveness of and demand for the GRaduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) and GRIT@Gov programmes, including (i) the latest trends in applications and programme uptake and (ii) feedback from participating employers and industry partners on the programmes.
Ms Jasmin Lau62 words
[+1 sentence]This question has been addressed by the reply to Question Nos 72 and 73 in the Order Paper for 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Employment Outcomes and Further Help for Fresh Graduates Who Have Completed GRIT Programmes", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Ensuring Haze Protection Measures for Workers Working Outdoors During Prolonged Haze Conditions›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 163w
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written-answer-24636
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye54 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower in view of the increased risk of transboundary haze, whether the Ministry will step up targeted inspections of sectors with large numbers of outdoor workers during a prolonged haze episode, to ensure that measures, such as work rotation, indoor rest breaks and appropriate respiratory protection, are duly implemented.
Ms Jasmin Lau109 words
[+5 sentences]The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is monitoring the haze situation closely and is already conducting inspections, including at workplaces with large numbers of outdoor workers, to ensure employers put in place adequate measures to protect their workers. Should the situation worsen, MOM will step up these inspections. Where serious lapses are found, MOM will take enforcement action. Depending on the air quality, the measures that employers should put in place include rotating or redeploying workers, providing indoor rest breaks and adequate hydration and deferring non-essential work. If the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index exceeds 200 and prolonged or strenuous outdoor work is unavoidable, employers should provide workers with appropriate respirators.
Data on Transitions Between Employed and Self-Employed Workers by Age Group in Past Five Years›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 119w
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written-answer-24637
Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh56 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower for each of the past five years, whether the Ministry can provide the number and proportion of local residents who changed employment status (i) from employee to own-account worker or employer and (ii) from own-account worker or employer to employee, with breakdowns by age group, where such data is available.
Ms Jasmin Lau63 words
[+2 sentences]The number and proportion of employed residents who changed employment status from employee to own-account worker or employer, or vice versa, declined overall between 2021 to 2025, as shown in Table 1 below. This occurred alongside a broader reduction in job switching over the same period.1 Tables 2 and 3 below provide the corresponding breakdowns by age group for each direction of movement.
Breakdown of AI Capability Building Support Disbursed to Employers under Workforce and Enterprise Development Schemes by Quarter, Share of Total and Sector›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 249w
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written-answer-24638
Ms He Ting Ru54 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower in each of the last four quarters (a) how much support was disbursed to employers under workforce and enterprise development schemes for artificial intelligence capability building; (b) what proportion this represented of total support paid to employers; and (c) which sectors received the highest amounts of such support.
Ms Jasmin Lau195 words
[+8 sentences]The Government supports companies to build artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities through a range of enterprise and workforce transformation schemes. These include schemes that specifically strengthen enterprise capabilities in AI, such as the Enterprise Compute Initiative (ECI), as well as broader programmes, like the Productivity Solutions Grant, the Enterprise Development Grant and the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package, which support projects that help firms to upgrade, innovate, grow and transform their business, including AI projects. These schemes are available to Singapore-based firms, across all sectors. For AI-specific schemes, we track the projects supported and the grant support provided. As some of these schemes, such as ECI and Champions of AI, were only launched in 2025 or 2026, it is too early to provide meaningful disbursement figures. We will be able to report these after the schemes have been running for a longer period and more projects have been completed. For broader schemes, AI adoption is often embedded within wider business transformation projects, and we therefore account for the support as part of the overall project. Where relevant, we can identify projects involving AI, but the total grant support would not represent funding for the AI component alone.
Assessing "First to Board, First to Use" Shared Priority Bays for Mobility Aid Users and Young Child in Strollers›Written Answers to Questions3 turns · 168w
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written-answer-24639
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim49 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport (a) what considerations led to the trial of the "first to board, first to use" shared priority bay between commuters using personal mobility aids and commuters travelling with a young child and stroller; and (b) what are the Ministry's success metrics for the trial.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim51 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether pre-trial consultations were conducted for the trial of the "first to board, first to use" shared priority bay between commuters using personal mobility aids and commuters travelling with a young child and stroller; (b) if so, with whom; and (c) if not, why not.
Mr Jeffrey Siow68 words
[+1 sentence]The Questions were addressed in the written reply issued for Question 98 for Oral Answer at the 9 September 2026 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to "Consultations with Wheelchair Users for "First to Board, First to Use" Shared Priority Bay Pilot on Public Bus Services", Official Report, 9 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 36, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Data on Minimum Occupation Period Waiver Appeals by Compassionate Grounds, Approval Rates, Conditions Imposed and Carry-over Policy Flexibility›Written Answers to Questions3 turns · 196w
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written-answer-24640
Mr Victor Lye66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) in each of the last five years, aside from growing family size, how many appeals has HDB received from households seeking exemption from the minimum occupation period due to (i) caregiving responsibilities for elderly parents (ii) disability or medical circumstances (iii) divorce or custody arrangements and (iv) other compassionate grounds; and (b) how many such appeals have been approved.
Mr Victor Lye60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development where appeals for waiver of the minimum occupation period (MOP) have been considered and approved by HDB (a) what kinds of conditions, if any, were stipulated or imposed; and (b) whether HDB will consider the flexibility of allowing the remaining MOP to be carried over, with a penalty loading, to the next flat purchase.
Mr Chee Hong Tat70 words
[+1 sentence]These questions have been addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply to a similar question asked by Mr David Hoe on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Flexibility in HDB's Minimum Occupation Period Framework for Families to Upgrade to Larger Flats when Family Size Increases", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Conducting Strategic Environmental Assessments and Public Engagement for Western Island Project›Written Answers to Questions3 turns · 172w
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written-answer-24641
Mr Jackson Lam45 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development in relation to the western island project (a) whether the Government will conduct a strategic and cumulative environmental assessment covering the full 50-year project; (b) how this differs from project-level assessments; and (c) when findings will be made public.
Mr Jackson Lam46 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development in respect of the western island project (a) when public engagement will begin; (b) whether alternative development scenarios and their trade-offs will be shared before a preferred option is chosen; and (c) how feedback will meaningfully shape the final plan.
Mr Chee Hong Tat81 words
[+1 sentence]This question was addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply to the questions asked by Dr Charlene Chen, Ms He Ting Ru, Mr Low Wu Yang Andre, and Mr Sharael Taha on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Assessing and Mitigating Environmental, Heritage and Community Impacts of Reclamation for New Western Island and Southern Islands Projects", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Regulating Live-stream Pressure Tactics, "Dark Patterns" and Unfair Trade Practices, and Introducing Additional Consumer Protection Measures›Written Answers to Questions3 turns · 441w
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written-answer-24642
Mr Shawn Loh58 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) whether the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) could review whether interactive pressure tactics during live-stream broadcasts, such as manipulated real-time stock counters, flash countdowns and automated social proof notifications, fall under actionable dark patterns and unfair trade practices under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003.
Mr Alex Yeo70 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) given the time-compressed decision-making for consumers during livestream selling (a) whether the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore's May 2026 enforcement action against online retailers that used misleading website features known as "dark patterns" extends to livestream sellers; and (b) whether the Ministry will introduce further consumer protection measures relating to social commerce, such as extending a mandatory cooling-off period.
Dr Tan See Leng313 words
[+13 sentences]Under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 (CPFTA), it is unfair practice for a business to make false or misleading representations, or exert undue pressure on a consumer to enter into any transaction in both physical and online settings, including livestream broadcasts. The usage of urgency cues by livestream sellers is not, by itself, an unfair practice. Features, such as stock counters, countdown timers and social proof notifications, may serve legitimate commercial purposes by informing consumers about stock availability, time-limited promotions or purchasing activity. Whether a particular feature is an unfair practice depends on the specific facts and circumstances, including whether the urgency is genuine and whether the information presented is false or misleading. Consumers who have encountered potential unfair practices in livestream commerce, should approach the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) for assistance. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) will not hesitate to take enforcement action against businesses engaging in egregious unfair practices. For example, CCS took action against PRISM+ last year, in relation to problematic features on its website which created false urgency in order to pressure consumers into hasty purchases. The Government will also work with CASE to raise consumer awareness of unfair practices and help them to make more informed decisions. Businesses and marketers, including livestreamers, should take note and abide by the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice, issued by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) under CASE. The Code sets out detailed guidelines on ethical advertising and marketing practices via social media, and is available on ASAS's website. In March 2025, the Government convened an independent Consumer Protection Review Panel to review key consumer concerns and measures, including those arising from online commerce and introducing mandatory cooling-off period. The Panel is expected to publish its findings and recommendations later this year. The Government will study the Panel's recommendations and consider the necessary additional measures.
Expansion Plans for SG Youth Plan Co-Living Pilot Given Excess Demand over Available Units›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 95w
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written-answer-24737
Dr Choo Pei Ling45 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the Government's SG Youth Plan co-living pilot will be expanded if demand continues to exceed available units; and (b) what criteria will be used to assess whether there is sufficient unmet demand to justify expansion.
Mr David Neo50 words
[+1 sentence]The question has been addressed in the response to Oral Parliamentary Question No 19 from the Parliament Sitting on 9 September 2026.
Sustainability of AI-led Economic Growth and Potential Risks in Event of Major Correction in Global AI Asset Valuations›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 644w
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written-answer-na-24336
Mr Liang Eng Hwa53 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) (a) whether the strong AI-led economic growth seen in the last four quarters can be sustained; and (b) what are the potential risks and disruptions to the Singapore economy should there be a major correction in global AI-investment and asset valuations.
Mr Gan Kim Yong591 words
[+24 sentences]My response will cover the question raised by Mr Liang Eng Hwa in today's Order Paper, as well as questions by Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui and Mr Saktiandi Supaat for subsequent sittings. If the Members are satisfied with the response, they may wish to withdraw their questions after this session. [Please refer to "Impact of Global AI Capital Expenditure and Expansion on Singapore's Economic, Wage and Jobs Growth", Official Report, 9 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 36, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] Artificial intelligence (AI)-related activity is expected to contribute significantly to Singapore's economic growth in the near and longer term. In the near term, strong global capital investment in AI infrastructure has benefited outward-oriented sectors that are plugged into the related supply chains. These include the electronics and precision engineering clusters of the manufacturing sector, as well as the machinery, equipment and supplies segment of the wholesale trade sector. A slowdown in global AI capital expenditure could weigh on growth in these AI-linked sectors. Downside risks to global AI capital expenditure include tighter financial conditions globally, which could make financing more costly for these investments. In turn, a sudden fall in global AI-related capital spending could trigger a loss of investor confidence, which could result in sharp corrections in global financial markets, with negative spillovers on global economic activity. Even as we keep a close watch on the AI-related risks, we would like to assure Members that Singapore's economy is well diversified. Apart from the AI-linked sectors mentioned earlier, other sectors, such as information and communications, professional services, real estate and construction, are also expected to support gross domestic product growth for the rest of 2026. For AI to propel our longer-term economic growth, we are supporting our enterprises, which are at different stages of readiness, to increase AI adoption and undertake AI-driven transformation to raise productivity and innovation. We are also supporting our workers to build the skills and confidence to work with AI, take on redesigned roles and move into new and higher-value opportunities. We have observed early signs of progress. A recent Ministry of Manpower's survey found that around three in 10 firms had adopted AI. Of these, about seven in 10 reported improvements in worker productivity1. AI is also complementing, rather than replacing, labour, with more firms redesigning existing roles and creating new AI-related jobs, rather than reducing headcount. This is consistent with a recent Ministry of Trade and Industry's study, which found that firms using AI saw higher revenue and total employment, with those that deepened their AI capabilities seeing even higher gains2. Beyond economy-wide AI adoption, we are building up our research, engineering and commercialisation capabilities. As announced at Budget 2026, we are launching National AI Missions in Advanced Manufacturing, Financial Services, Connectivity and Healthcare. We will work with industry and research partners to translate the AI research into deployable applications, drive AI-enabled transformation at scale and build new businesses. Alongside this, leading AI companies, including Google DeepMind and OpenAI, have also set up research labs in Singapore to anchor substantive research and engineering work here. These further strengthen our local research ecosystem, create high-quality jobs for Singaporeans and build on our broader investments in AI compute and talent. The Government will continue to monitor the impact of AI on our economy, including enterprise-level AI adoption and its effects on firm performance. Through the National AI Council, we will coordinate our national AI efforts and ensure that AI-driven growth benefits the wider economy.
Access to School-based Student Care Centres for Children Affected by Phased Intake Arrangements at Their Zoned Primary Schools›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 126w
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written-answer-na-24355
Dr Choo Pei Ling63 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education for new towns such as Tengah, whether children unable to secure a place in their zoned primary school due to phased intake arrangements, such as Pioneer Primary School, which will not have Primary 4 and Primary 5 classes in 2027, can access student care at their zoned school or alternative arrangements, given school-based centres serve only enrolled students.
Mr Desmond Lee63 words
[+2 sentences]As all primary schools have a school-based Student Care Centre (SCC), children including those living in new towns, like Tengah, have access to the SCC in the primary school where they are enrolled. School-based SCCs serve only the school's enrolled students, so that places are prioritised for them and the school and SCC operator can work closely to support their safety and well-being.
Better Support for Smaller Construction Firms Facing Financial Strain from Rising Costs and Competition from Foreign Firms›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 204w
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written-answer-na-24378
Ms Poh Li San52 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development in view of the rise of business closures in the first seven months of 2026, with the construction industry seeing the sharpest rise in shutdowns, how can the Government better support smaller construction firms which face financial strain from rising costs and competition from foreign firms.
Mr Chee Hong Tat152 words
[+5 sentences]While data from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) showed a rise in construction firm closures in the first seven months of 2026, this was attributable in large part to a higher number of defunct companies being struck off by ACRA in the first quarter of 2026. Except for the first quarter of 2026, the number of new construction firms formed has exceeded the number of firm closures in every quarter since 2021. The Government has introduced various measures to help construction firms, including smaller firms, manage cost pressures and strengthen their competitiveness. These include co-sharing increases in the cost of key construction materials and extending project loans for domestic construction projects undertaken by local firms under the Enterprise Financing Scheme. Smaller firms can also tap on the Productivity Solutions Grant and Built Environment Technology and Capability Grant for co-funding support to build new capabilities, adopt technology and improve business competitiveness.
Reviewing Employment Act to Clarify Notice Requirements for Employees Terminated at End of Probation›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 239w
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written-answer-na-24649
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye58 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower following a recent observation by the General Division of the High Court that the Employment Act is silent on what constitutes a contract of service for a specified period, whether the Ministry intends to review the Act to clarify notice requirements for employees whose employment is terminated at the end of probation.
Ms Jasmin Lau181 words
[+9 sentences]The High Court judgment referred to by the Member states that an employment contract with a probation period is not automatically a fixed-term contract that expires at the end of the probation period. Instead, it depends on the specific provisions within the contract. This is consistent with the Employment Act. The Employment Act does not define what constitutes a fixed-term contract, and this is intentional. The Act recognises that employment relationships take varied forms, and whether a contract expires at a fixed date or continues indefinitely is a matter for the contracting parties to determine. The High Court's judgment is therefore aligned with the existing legislative intent. Both employers and employees are required to observe the employment contractual provisions on the notice of termination. Where the contract does not contain any specific provisions, Section 10 of the Employment Act sets out minimum notice requirements for termination, and these apply to both fixed-term and unspecified-term contracts, including during the probation period. The Ministry of Manpower will continue to work with tripartite partners to review our employment regulations to ensure they are fit-for-purpose.
Update on Foreigners Working as Outsourced Workers in Food and Parcel Delivery Sectors›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 220w
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Mr Pritam Singh66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower in view of the Platform Workers' Trilateral Group's recommendations that platform operators should share the list of outsourced workers with the Government for checks when requested (a) whether the Ministry has been actively requesting such a list of foreigners working in the food and parcel delivery sectors; and (b) if so, how many foreigners are working in these sectors, respectively.
Ms Jasmin Lau154 words
[+5 sentences]The Platform Workers Trilateral Group had recommended that food delivery platform operators strengthen the prevention and detection of illegal activities in the sector, including outsourced companies employing illegal foreign workers. As part of this, food delivery platform operators should share their list of outsourced workers with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) when requested, so that MOM can verify that the outsourced foreign workers hold valid Work Passes and are not engaged in illegal arrangements. Based on MOM's ground operations and enforcement findings, none of the cases of foreigners working illegally have stemmed from outsourced companies. MOM has therefore not found it necessary to request the list of outsourced foreign workers from platform operators thus far. Instead, MOM has been working with the Singapore Police Force to tackle foreign workers renting local platform workers' accounts to moonlight illegally, including recently taking down a syndicate that provided modified apps and accounts to facilitate such illegal activity.
Disparities in Promotion, Remuneration or Career Progression Experienced by Employees Utilising Flexible Work Arrangements Compared with Those Who Do Not›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 160w
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written-answer-na-24651
Dr Charlene Chen51 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has data or research on disparities in promotion, remuneration or career progression experienced by employees who utilise flexible work arrangements compared with employees in comparable roles who do not; and (b) if so, whether such data and research can be shared.
Ms Jasmin Lau109 words
[+6 sentences]The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) monitors the career-related experiences of resident employees who use flexible work arrangements (FWAs) through a nationally representative survey. The survey is not designed to compare these employees directly with those in similar roles who do not use FWAs. In 2025, about 6% of resident employees who used FWA reported being passed over for promotion, receiving fewer job responsibilities, and/or receiving poorer performance evaluations. Within this group, being passed over for promotion was the most common reported experience. The survey did not assess whether using FWAs is associated with differences in remuneration. MOM will continue to monitor employees' experiences and review relevant policies, where necessary.
Accreditation Criteria for Overseas Hospitals Under MediSave Scheme›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 294w
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written-answer-na-24655
Dr Hamid Razak57 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what are the accreditation criteria for overseas hospitals under the MediSave scheme; (b) how frequently are these criteria reviewed; and (c) whether the Ministry will assess if increased patient flow via the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link warrants changes to the accreditation framework.
Mr Ong Ye Kung237 words
[+11 sentences]My response will also address a similar question raised by Mr Fadli Fawzi filed for a subsequent sitting. If MP is satisfied with the response, he may wish to withdraw the question from that Sitting. [Please refer to "Addition of Healthcare Providers to List of Overseas Hospitals Participating in MediSave Scheme", Official Report, 10 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 37, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] The use of MediSave for overseas elective treatments is intended to give patients wider choice. As part of the extension, participating overseas hospitals must have an approved working arrangement with a MediSave-accredited institution in Singapore. The local centre must refer the patient, provide pre-admission clinical assessment and financial counselling to interested patients. Such partnership applications must be approved by the Ministry of Health (MOH). Since the scheme was introduced in 2010, no new local providers have been accredited, and one local provider withdrew from the scheme in 2023. Currently, two Malaysian hospitals, Mahkota Medical Centre and Regency Specialist Hospital, participate through their MediSave-accredited local partner, HMI Medical Centre. MOH has been monitoring the implementation of the scheme. Utilisation has generally remained low, at an average of 300 claims per year from 2023 to 2025, mainly for Obstetrics and Gynecology treatments. In view of the expected increase in cross-border patient flow with the Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link, MOH is currently reviewing the scheme.
Incorporating Successful Practices from SPARk Clinic Into Mainstream Primary Healthcare›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 166w
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written-answer-na-24658
Mr Lee Hong Chuang66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether successful practices from the Supporting PWDs with Accessible Resources and (k)are (SPARk) Clinic, such as longer consultations and sensory friendly care, will be incorporated into mainstream primary healthcare; (b) if the pilot proves successful, whether similar clinics will be expanded to other polyclinics; and (c) what factors will determine the pace of expansion.
Mr Ong Ye Kung100 words
[+4 sentences]The multi-Ministry Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) was set up in January 2026 to strengthen community-based support for PwDs, and this includes improving access to healthcare. Through our engagement with SPARk Clinic, it is encouraging to learn that there has been a higher uptake of preventive health screening and improved management of chronic conditions in PwDs. As part of the broader Taskforce efforts, the Ministry of Health is reviewing how to make healthcare more accessible and inclusive for PwDs, starting with primary care. More details will be announced through the Taskforce by end of 2026.
Boundaries for Permissible Filming in Public›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 280w
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written-answer-na-24665
Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh56 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what avenues of recourse are available where an individual deliberately films an identifiable person in public, continues after that person has objected, and subsequently publishes the footage online; and (b) whether there is a need to raise public awareness on the boundaries of permissible filming in public.
Mrs Josephine Teo224 words
[+7 sentences]Individuals who feel harassed or threatened by persistent filming may have avenues of recourse, depending on the circumstances, the nature of the conduct and what is subsequently done with the footage. While filming another person in a public place, including after the person has objected, is not inherently unlawful, the Protection from Harassment Act provides recourse against harassment and stalking, and the Penal Code contains offences relating to voyeurism and the distribution of voyeuristic images or recordings. Where there is reason to believe that criminal conduct is involved, affected individuals should lodge a Police report or call "999" if immediate Police assistance is required. Where the footage is subsequently published online, additional avenues of recourse may apply. Under the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act, victims of specified online harms, such as online harassment, doxxing or online stalking, can seek relief from the Online Safety Commission, which can issue directions to stop the online harm or to mitigate and prevent further harm to the victim. Members of the public should exercise responsibility and give due regard to the wishes and privacy of others, particularly where a person has clearly objected to being filmed, and when deciding whether to publish identifiable footage online. The Government will look into whether more needs to be done to raise public awareness of responsible conduct when filming in public.
Assessing Mobile Connectivity Quality in New HDB Towns Before Issuance of Temporary Occupation Permits›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 182w
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Dr Choo Pei Ling74 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will consider enhancing its Quality of Service framework to better capture usable connectivity and reliability, in addition to signal coverage; and (b) whether mobile connectivity in car parks and other common areas in new HDB towns, including Tengah, can be assessed more proactively as part of the town planning and development process, before issuance of Temporary Occupation Permits.
Mrs Josephine Teo108 words
[+4 sentences]In new Housing and Development Board (HDB) towns, including Tengah, mobile network operators work closely with HDB and relevant agencies from the planning stage to incorporate mobile network requirements into the development. This helps facilitate the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure and accelerate the provision of mobile coverage once blocks obtain their Temporary Occupation Permit. As residents move in and usage patterns evolve, the Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA) continues to work with operators and agencies to address localised issues and to ensure operators meet the standards for mobile coverage. IMDA also monitors indicators, such as network capacity and throughput, as part of its overall assessment of network performance.
Carpool Matching Scheme Pilot as Transport Option to Address School Bus Shortage and Congestion for Pupils Living within Same Neighbourhood›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 115w
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written-answer-na-24669
Assoc Prof Terence Ho61 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education given the shortage of school bus drivers and rising costs of school bus services, whether the Ministry will consider piloting an opt-in carpool matching scheme in primary schools to connect parents living in the same neighbourhood, with a view to providing an additional transport option for families, reducing school-gate congestion and shortening travelling time for pupils.
Mr Desmond Lee54 words
[+3 sentences]Parents are encouraged to consider primary schools nearer to home and take into account the transport options available when choosing a school for their child. Parents may make private arrangements with other families whom they know to carpool. The Ministry of Education has no plans to pilot a carpool matching scheme in primary schools.
Interaction Opportunities of Lower Primary Students with Peers from Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 172w
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Mr David Hoe53 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) what opportunities do lower primary students currently have for sustained interaction with peers from different socioeconomic backgrounds; and (b) whether Ministry will consider strengthening such opportunities, particularly for schools serving areas with limited public housing and at ages when CCAs and other cross-school activities are less available.
Mr Desmond Lee119 words
[+6 sentences]Most primary schools have a good mix of students, reflecting the neighbourhood around them. Through their everyday school experience, students learn, play and build friendships with classmates from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The Ministry of Education (MOE) will continue to encourage greater mixing among students from different backgrounds. MOE takes an age-appropriate approach to students' holistic development. Lower primary students generally do not participate in CCAs and cross-school activities, as the priority is to help them make a smooth transition from pre-school to primary school, and build strong foundations for learning and social-emotional development. As they grow older, they will have more opportunities through co-curricular activities, school programmes and cross-school activities to interact with peers including those from other schools.
Making Secondary 1 Admissions More Equitable by Removing Affiliation Advantage›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 209w
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written-answer-na-24673
Mr David Hoe55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education given concerns that the current Secondary 1 admissions advantage for affiliated pupils may disadvantage applicants from non-affiliated primary schools, whether the Ministry will consider making admissions more equitable by (i) removing the affiliation advantage or (ii) capping the difference between affiliated and non-affiliated entry requirements at two Achievement Level points.
Mr Desmond Lee154 words
[+5 sentences]Affiliated schools contribute to our variegated education landscape, with their long history and distinctive school culture. In recognition of this, affiliated schools are allowed to accord some priority to affiliated students, which provides them with the opportunity to consistently imbue their school values, ethos and culture into their students, foster a strong school spirit and school tradition, while still adhering to the admission framework set by the Ministry of Education (MOE). To keep our schools open to all students, regardless of their backgrounds or connections, since 2019, MOE has required affiliated secondary schools to reserve at least 20% of places in each Posting Group at Secondary One for non-affiliated students. As the Cut-Off Point (COP) for each school is determined by student demand and choice patterns, MOE does not cap the difference between the COP for non-affiliated students and affiliated students. MOE will continue to regularly review the Exercise and make adjustments when needed.
Supporting SPED Schools and Middle-income Families Affected by Discontinued One-way Transport Services›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 277w
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written-answer-na-24674
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong70 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has information that some Special Education (SPED) school bus operators will be discontinuing one-way transport services; (b) if so, how will affected SPED schools be supported in monitoring bus operators to prevent forced two-way fare bundling; and (c) whether targeted support will be provided to middle-income families who fall outside means-testing thresholds but face bus fare increases due to the discontinuance.
Mr Desmond Lee207 words
[+9 sentences]All school bus operators serving Special Education (SPED) schools offer both one-way and two-way transport services. However, such school bus operators may require vehicle retrofitting, specialised vehicles, trained bus attendants and customised transport arrangements to accommodate their higher needs. These requirements can limit the pool of suitable operators. To manage their overhead costs and maintain a commercially viable service, most operators across mainstream and SPED schools charge only a slightly lower fare for one-way transport than for two-way transport. In some cases, there are operators that charge the same fare for both options. Social Service Agencies (SSAs) operating SPED schools work with their bus operators to set pricing guidelines that balance these constraints while keeping school bus transport service sustainable. The Ministry of Education (MOE) recognises the importance of keeping school bus services affordable and regularly reviews assistance schemes to support families in managing transport costs. When financial assistance is needed, eligible SPED students may receive up to 80% subsidy on school bus fee through the Ministry of Social and Family Development's Enabling Transport Subsidy (ETS) and/or apply for school-based financial assistance through their schools. MOE will continue to work with SSAs and relevant agencies to improve the affordability of school bus services over the longer term.
Measures to Minimise Significant Differences in School Bus Fees Across Mainstream Schools›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 213w
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Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong63 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) what measures are in place to minimise significant differences in school bus fees across mainstream schools; (b) whether the Ministry provides a standardised evaluation framework for awarding or extending school bus service contracts which also addresses fee disparities; and (c) how transparency and affordability for parents are safeguarded regarding school bus fee structures and variations between schools.
Mr Desmond Lee150 words
[+8 sentences]Primary schools appoint their respective school bus operators through a competitive bidding process. The Ministry of Education (MOE) provides all primary schools with a common set of evaluation considerations for the school bus service contracts. Schools assess operators' proposed maximum fares alongside non-price factors, such as operators' track record and fleet capacity, and their ability to fulfil the school's requirements. MOE has a range of measures to help reduce operators’ costs. These include exemption from Certificate of Entitlement requirements for school buses, a 50% road tax rebate for eligible operators, and additional foreign worker quotas to support the recruitment of drivers. However, school bus fares may vary due to route distance, vehicle capacity and ridership, among other factors. For transparency, schools publish the appointed operator's maximum fares for different distance ranges. In addition, financial assistance is provided to primary school students from lower-income households who are taking school bus services.
Measures to Deter Abuse of HDB Grant Schemes›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 127w
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Mr Lee Hong Chuang54 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry will outline its measures to deter the abuse of HDB grant schemes; (b) whether further investigations will be conducted to identify additional weaknesses; and (c) how will the Ministry apply lessons from the Auditor-General's Office report across other HDB schemes, to prevent similar lapses.
Mr Chee Hong Tat73 words
[+1 sentence]This question was addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply to the question asked by Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik on 4 August 2026. [Please refer to "Number of Flats Wrongly Allocated and Subsequently Forfeited under Married Child Priority Scheme in the Lapse Recorded in FY2025/2026 Auditor-General's Report", Official Report, 4 August 2026, Vol 96, Issue 33, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Particulate Concentration to be Modelled at East Coast Park Boundary for Sand Infilling for "Long Island" Project›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 208w
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written-answer-na-24680
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat68 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development in relation to sand infilling for "Long Island" (a) what particulate concentration will be modelled at the East Coast Park boundary and at the nearest residential facade; (b) whether any particulate concentration will require sand infilling to be suspended, and at what reading; and (c) whether any part of East Coast Park will be closed to the public and for how long.
Mr Chee Hong Tat140 words
[+6 sentences]The Environmental Study for preparatory works at "Long Island" assessed that there could be up to minor ambient air quality impact from sand infilling operations. Dust levels will be closely monitored at stations located at residential and recreational areas near the East Coast and benchmarked against the baseline air quality data and Singapore's air quality targets, in accordance with the Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan. Members of the public can continue to access park facilities and beaches along East Coast Park throughout the preparatory works. Preparatory works will be confined to a designated work area in the sea, cordoned off with floating barriers for public safety. Sea users are advised to maintain a safe distance from the barriers. Safety advisories will also be put up at East Coast Park and on agencies' websites prior to the commencement of preparatory works.
Residents' Concerns over Unsolicited Door-to-door Approaches by Property Agents, Especially at HDB Estates Approaching MOP›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 221w
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written-answer-na-24681
Mr Alex Yeo76 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development in light of the industry-led memorandum of understanding (MOU) covering property flyers distribution at HDB estates (a) whether the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has plans to similarly engage the industry on unsolicited door-to-door approaches by property agents, particularly at new HDB estates approaching the end of their minimum occupation period (MOP); and (b) whether a CEA-administered do-not-solicit notice placed on residents' doors with penalties for non-compliance can be considered.
Mr Chee Hong Tat145 words
[+6 sentences]The number of complaints to the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) on unsolicited door-to-door approaches by property agents has remained low. Property agents may carry out door-to-door prospecting as part of their overall marketing efforts. When doing so, they are expected to conduct themselves professionally, and exercise judgment and restraint. For instance, they should respect a home owner's wish not to be disturbed if a “Do Not Disturb” sign has been put up outside the home. Where concerns have been raised, such as from residents in Housing and Development Board estates approaching the minimum occupation period, CEA has issued notices to remind agents to maintain proper conduct, and may also take disciplinary action in the event of breaches to the Code of Ethics and Professional Client Care. CEA will continue to monitor feedback and work with the industry to assess whether additional measures are required.
Declined Requests for Town Councils to Undertake Repairs and Redecoration of HDB Multi-storey Car Parks›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 212w
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written-answer-na-24682
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik52 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development in the past three years (a) how many requests by Town Councils to undertake repairs and redecoration works for multi-storey car parks on HDB's behalf has HDB declined, and on what grounds; and (b) what criteria does HDB apply in deciding whether to approve such requests.
Mr Chee Hong Tat160 words
[+6 sentences]The Hoousing Development Board (HDB) car parks are not part of the common property managed by Town Councils. Therefore, HDB generally manages the repair and redecoration (R&R) works for Housing and Development Board (HDB) multi-storey car parks (MSCPs), while Town Councils manage the R&R works for residential blocks. On occasion, HDB may receive requests from Town Councils to undertake R&R works to MSCPs on behalf of HDB, which HDB will assess. In assessing such requests from Town Councils, HDB considers factors, such as the need for the proposed works, whether there are overlaps with HDB's planned works and whether the proposal achieves value for money. In the past three years, HDB received two requests from Town Councils to undertake R&R works for MSCPs on HDB's behalf. In both cases, HDB did not approve the works for proposed car parks where they overlapped with HDB's planned or ongoing works or where HDB was able to undertake the works at lower cost.
Conducting Environmental Impact Assessments at Master Planning Stage›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 96w
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written-answer-na-24685
Miss Rachel Ong32 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development whether, for forested or ecologically sensitive sites, Environmental Impact Assessments and public engagement can be conducted at the master-planning stage, before land is slated for development.
Mr Chee Hong Tat64 words
[+1 sentence]This question was addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply to the questions asked by Mr David Hoe and Mr Cai Yinzhou on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Impact of Additionally Reclaimed Land on Development of Green Spaces", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Selective En bloc Redevelopment for Older HDB Estates with Large Surface Car Parks and Potential for Land Intensification›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 137w
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written-answer-na-24686
Mr Pritam Singh63 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB would consider additional Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) projects at older HDB estates with large surface carparks and significant potential for land intensification to build new BTO flats before the launch of the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS) in the next decade, so as to retain as many secondary forests across Singapore as possible.
Mr Chee Hong Tat74 words
[+1 sentence]This question was addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply to the questions asked by Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin, Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat, Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong, and Mr Cai Yinzhou on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Land Planning Assessment and Decision-making for Ecologically Significant Sites", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
HDB Flats that Retain Original Master Antenna TV Conduits or Points that No Longer Serve an Operational System›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 132w
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written-answer-na-24688
Ms Cassandra Lee49 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many HDB flats retain original master antenna television conduits or points that no longer serve an operational system; (b) who is responsible for inspecting and maintaining them; and (c) whether HDB will consider removing corroded or redundant installations at no cost.
Mr Chee Hong Tat83 words
[+4 sentences]Following the cessation of analogue television transmissions in 2019, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) removed obsolete Master Antenna Television (MATV) system components, such as rooftop antennas. The MATV components inside the flats, such as conduit pipes, were not removed to avoid causing inconvenience to residents. As these components are within the flats, HDB does not inspect or maintain them. Flat owners may remove them at their own cost or seek help from support organisations in the community if they require financial assistance.
Proposed Flexibility on MOP for Owners Who Bought 2-room Flexi Flats When Single and Subsequently Required Larger Flats after Family Formation›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 136w
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written-answer-na-24689
Dr Choo Pei Ling66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development to support pro-family policies announced at the National Day Rally, whether HDB will consider greater flexibility specifically for owners who bought a 2-room Flexi flat when single and subsequently married and had children, where the flat is no longer suitable for the enlarged household, to move to a larger flat before fulfilling the Minimum Occupation Period, with safeguards against speculation.
Mr Chee Hong Tat70 words
[+1 sentence]This question has been addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply to a similar question asked by Mr David Hoe on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Flexibility in HDB's Minimum Occupation Period Framework for Families to Upgrade to Larger Flats when Family Size Increases", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Protocols for Staff Transition when Preschools Cease Operations›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 165w
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written-answer-na-24690
Dr Hamid Razak44 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what safeguards does ECDA have in place to ensure staff transition when a preschool ceases operations; and (b) how are centres assessed to be at higher risk of closure identified and supported before closure occurs.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M121 words
[+6 sentences]Preschool operators are expected to fulfil their obligations as employers under prevailing employment laws. In the event of a cessation, they need to give the necessary notice period and pay any outstanding salaries. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) also refers affected educators to the Education Services Union and the National Trades Union Congress's Employment and Employability Institute for employment support where needed, such as job placements and training support. Preschools are privately operated. As with any sector, preschool operators may decide to close, expand or restructure based on their business considerations. ECDA's focus is to ensure that parents and children are supported when a preschool ceases to operate, including by assisting affected parents who require help with alternative preschool placement.
Applications Filed under Sections 126A and 126B of Women's Charter 1961 since January 2025›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 159w
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Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong58 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how many applications have been filed under sections 126A and 126B of the Women's Charter 1961 since 2 January 2025; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider extending the graduated enforcement remedies under section 126B to parents whose custody or care and control orders are breached under section 126A.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M101 words
[+4 sentences]Since the enhanced Enforcement of Child Access Orders (ECAO) measures came into force on 2 January 2025, there have been 53 applications under section 126B of the Women's Charter as at 31 July 2026. The Family Justice Courts does not capture data on number of applications filed under section 126A of the Women's Charter. The enhanced ECAO measures under section 126B broadened the enforcement regime for child access to improve its effectiveness and incorporate less confrontational measures. We will continue to study the effectiveness of these measures and whether a broader range of enforcement measures should be extended under section 126A.
Enhancing Mandatory Co-parenting Programme to Prioritise Preserving Parent-child Bonds and Addressing Hostile Co-parenting Post Divorce›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 152w
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written-answer-na-24694
Ms Diana Pang Li Yen57 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Mandatory Co-Parenting Programme for parents with children under 21 covers co-parenting concerns, parenting plans and the mitigation of divorce's impact on children; and (b) whether the programme will be enhanced to prioritise preserving parent-child bonds, addressing hostile co-parenting and preventing children from being drawn into disputes.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M95 words
[+5 sentences]The Mandatory Co-Parenting Programme encourages parents with children under 21 to make informed decisions that prioritise children's well-being, even as the parents contemplate divorce. It covers topics, such as co-parenting skills, managing emotions and keeping the divorce peaceful. These help to mitigate the impact of divorce on children. As part of the programme, the parents meet with a counsellor to discuss co-parenting plans, and the counsellor may recommend additional interventions based on the family's needs. An example is the Children-in-Between programme, which offers practical tips to better understand their children's needs and reduce co-parenting conflict.
Impact of Means-testing for Disability Schemes on Continuity of Support as Recipients' Incomes or Circumstances Change›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 268w
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Mr Cai Yinzhou74 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development as disability support is intended to maintain independence across life stages (a) whether MSF has assessed how the use of means-testing across disability schemes affects continuity of support as a recipient's income or circumstances change; and (b) whether providing such support on merits of universal access, as how HDB's Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) programme is designed, would better serve the purpose of sustained lifelong accessibility.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M194 words
[+10 sentences]Government subsidies for disability services, such as Day Activity Centres and Adult Disability Homes, are means-tested to ensure that higher subsidies are directed to households who need them most. The Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) follows the same principle. Homeowners pay a share of the cost of improvement items based on their flat type, a proxy for means. To enable continuity of support in means-tested adult disability services, subsidy levels are adjusted gradually across income bands to minimise abrupt increases in costs and support continuity of care as household circumstances change. Those who continue to face difficulties with their bills can receive additional support from various community funds to further offset the cost. Not all support measures for persons with disabilities are means-tested. All persons with disabilities have access to employment support, transport concessions and subsidies for courses supported by SG Enable, regardless of means. We recognise that disability services can be costly for persons with disabilities and their families who care for them. Under the Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities, we are reviewing ways to make disability support services more affordable. More information will be announced later this year.
Factoring in Debt Repayment Arrangements When Assessing Applicants for ComCare Eligibility›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 105w
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written-answer-na-24696
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui51 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Social Service Offices can take into account applicants’ mandatory debt repayments under the Ministry of Law’s Debt Repayment Scheme or other court-approved arrangements when assessing ComCare eligibility so that financial need is assessed based on actual disposable income after such repayments.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M54 words
[+2 sentences]The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has answered a similar Question at the November 2024 Sitting. The Member may wish to refer to that reply.
Usage and Forfeiture of Child LifeSG Credits›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 171w
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written-answer-na-24697
Mr Cai Yinzhou71 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) year-on-year since the Child LifeSG Credits scheme began, what proportion of credits has expired without being used and the total value forfeited; (b) how many appeals for reinstatement of expired credits were received; (c) of which, how many were successful; and (d) whether the Government will consider measures, such as auto-utilisation, opt-out extension or reinstatement on appeal to reduce forfeiture among families.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M100 words
[+4 sentences]The total unused Child LifeSG Credits (CLC) disbursed in July 2025 is $15.6 million, which is 7% of credits disbursed. The Ministry of Social and Family Development received about 50 appeals for the reinstatement of expired CLC, of which nine were successful due to extenuating circumstances, such as death of the trustee. The Ministry issues multiple reminders to utilise the credits through our social media platforms, the LifeSG app and short message service messages, including a final reminder before the credits expire. This gives ample notice to recipients to use the credits within the 12-month validity period and avoid forfeiture.
Number of PUB Enforcement Inspectors for Investigating Unlicensed Plumbing Works›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 103w
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written-answer-na-24698
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song53 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the current manpower strength of enforcement inspectors within PUB tasked with investigating unlicensed plumbing works; (b) in the past year, how many reports of unlicensed plumbing works have been received; and (c) how many enforcement actions have been taken against unlicensed plumbers.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien50 words
[+3 sentences]The Public Utilities Board (PUB) has a standing team of enforcement inspectors, and flexibly deploys other officers as necessary to investigate reports of unlicensed plumbing works. In the past year, PUB detected 47 unlicensed plumbing works. Of these cases, PUB has taken 46 enforcement actions, with one case under investigation.
Opportunity for Home-based Food Businesses to Participate in Temporary Fairs under Controlled Framework›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 94w
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written-answer-na-24699
Ms Valerie Lee63 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) will consider allowing home-based food businesses to participate in temporary fairs under a controlled framework, such as requiring food-safety declarations or consumer waivers, particularly for lower-risk products, so as to provide these small businesses with opportunities to reach customers and test-market their products while maintaining appropriate food safety safeguards.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien31 words
[+1 sentence]The Singapore Food Agency will consider the Member's suggestion for home-based food businesses to participate in temporary fairs, taking into account food safety risks given the wider consumer base of fairs.
Proportion of Textiles Collected via Recycling Bins Processed Overseas›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 157w
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written-answer-na-24700
Mr Jackson Lam55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what proportion of textiles collected via recycling bins here is processed overseas due to a lack of local infrastructure; (b) whether Singapore intends to develop domestic textile recycling capacity; and (c) what support is planned for social enterprises facing rising processing costs and falling resale values.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien102 words
[+5 sentences]Recycling textile waste is challenging due to the highly varied materials and fibre blends used. Most of the textiles collected are resold or reused in overseas markets, given the lack of local capacity to process textile waste. Our efforts are thus focused on reducing textile waste and maximising reuse opportunities in the first instance. We have supported organisations, such as GreenSquare and The Fashion Pulpit, to encourage consumers to extend the lifespan of textiles through repair, reuse, swapping and responsible donation. We will nonetheless continue to monitor developments in textile recycling technologies and assess the need to develop domestic textile recycling capacity.
Key Drivers for Recent Retail Closures and Business Restructurings, and Relocations to Neighbouring Countries›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 395w
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written-answer-na-24701
Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim69 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) in light of recent retail closures, restructuring and relocations of business from Singapore to neighbouring countries (a) what has the Ministry assessed to be the key drivers; (b) whether similar trends are emerging across manufacturing and retail sectors; and (c) what measures are being considered to strengthen Singapore's attractiveness as a business and manufacturing hub while safeguarding local jobs.
Dr Tan See Leng326 words
[+13 sentences]Businesses regularly review and optimise their operations in response to changing market conditions. Drivers for businesses' relocation or restructuring include cost, technology and supply chain considerations. For example, a company may shift its production to regional countries for cost optimisation while retaining its headquarters here to benefit from Singapore's ecosystem for functions, such as product development, regulatory and quality oversight, distribution and supply chain planning. The Government closely monitors the economic conditions to ensure that we remain an attractive hub for businesses and sustain the supply of good jobs for our people. In the first half of 2026, the economy expanded by 6.1% on a year-on-year basis, following full-year growth of 5.3% in 2024 and 5.0% in 2025. In particular, the manufacturing sector grew by 7.3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, and 12.5% in the second quarter of 2026. Although the retail trade sector did not grow as fast as manufacturing, it recorded year-on-year growth of 2.5% in the first quarter of 2026 and 1.0% in the second quarter of 2026. In both sectors, the number of new business registrations exceeded the number of business cessations over the first half of the year. On balance, Singapore's value proposition to businesses remains strong. In 2025, the Economic Development Board secured $8.9 billion in total business expenditure commitments, with the majority coming from investments in headquarters, professional services and research and development, and $14.2 billion in fixed asset investment commitments, including about $12.1 billion from manufacturing-related projects. These investment commitments were on par with recent years. We do not take the competitiveness of our economy and our attractiveness to investors for granted. In line with the Economic Strategy Review recommendations, the Government will continue to strengthen Singapore's position as a leading business hub by supporting businesses and workers to pivot, grow and seize opportunities in growth areas, such as advanced manufacturing, AI, high-value trust-based services as well as pursue emerging technologies, such as quantum and space.
Number of EMA Enforcement Inspectors Tasked with Investigating Unlicensed Electrical Works›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 154w
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written-answer-na-24705
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) (a) what is the current manpower strength of enforcement inspectors within the Energy Market Authority tasked with investigating unlicensed electrical works; (b) in the past year, how many reports of unlicensed electrical works have been received; and (c) how many enforcement actions have been taken against unlicensed electrical workers.
Dr Tan See Leng95 words
[+5 sentences]The Energy Market Authority (EMA) takes a serious view of unlicensed electrical works, as such works may result in electrical safety issues that can potentially endanger lives. Currently, EMA has 11 inspectors who oversee electrical safety matters. From July 2025 to June 2026, EMA received 20 reports of alleged unlicensed electrical works. Investigations have been completed for six cases, while those for the other 14 cases are ongoing. Of the six cases, EMA has taken enforcement action against the parties responsible in four cases, while the other two cases were concluded with no contraventions found.
Government's Assessments of Emerging Technologies›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 168w
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written-answer-na-24706
Dr Neo Kok Beng42 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) (a) whether Government agencies perform assessments of emerging technologies regularly; and (b) if so, whether such assessments can be made available to industry and relevant companies to facilitate their insights and planning.
Dr Tan See Leng126 words
[+6 sentences]The Government regularly assesses emerging technologies to identify potential new sources of growth. The assessments are conducted in partnership with the research community and industry, and help inform Government strategies, such as the recent Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 (RIE2030) plan and recommendations by the Economic Strategy Review. Where appropriate, these plans are published and made available to the public. In addition, the Government organises events, such as the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH), for our investors, entrepreneurs and innovators to keep abreast of technology and industry trends in the global startup ecosystem. Besides Government-led efforts, Trade Associations and Chambers and private sector organisations also publish market outlooks and technology assessments. Companies can stay abreast of emerging technology trends and opportunities through these resources.
Consumer Protection for Livestream Commerce Transactions›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 282w
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written-answer-na-24707
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye40 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) given the growing popularity of livestream commerce, whether the Government will consider imposing greater consumer protection obligations on platforms that facilitate such transactions, including measures against misleading claims by sellers.
Dr Tan See Leng242 words
[+10 sentences]Under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003, it is unfair practice for a business to make false or misleading representations or exert undue pressure on a consumer to enter into any transaction in both physical and online settings, including livestream broadcasts. Consumers who have encountered potential unfair practices, including those in livestream commerce, should approach the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) for assistance. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) will not hesitate to take enforcement action against businesses engaging in egregious unfair practices. For example, CCS took action against PRISM+ last year, in relation to problematic features on its website, which created false urgency in order to pressure consumers into hasty purchases. The Government will also work with CASE to raise consumer awareness of unfair practices and help them to make more informed decisions. Businesses and marketers, including livestreamers, should take note and abide by the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice, issued by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) under CASE. The Code sets out detailed guidelines on ethical advertising and marketing practices via social media and is available on ASAS's website. In March 2025, the Government convened an independent Consumer Protection Review Panel to review key consumer concerns and measures, including those arising from online commerce and introducing mandatory cooling-off periods. The Panel is expected to publish its findings and recommendations later this year. The Government will study the Panel's recommendations and consider the necessary additional measures.
Proportion of Contracts under $4 billion Air Navigation Upgrade Programme Expected to be Awarded to Local Companies›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 224w
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written-answer-na-24710
Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport (a) what proportion of contracts under CAAS's $4 billion air navigation upgrade programme is expected to be awarded to local companies; (b) how small and medium enterprises can participate in the programme; and (c) whether CAAS plans to develop local capabilities to maintain and upgrade critical systems and avoid long-term over-reliance on overseas vendors.
Mr Jeffrey Siow165 words
[+7 sentences]The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will upgrade or replace over 30 air navigation services (ANS) systems over the next 15 years. These include the building of a new Singapore Air Traffic Control Centre complex as well as the upgrading of the Changi Control Tower. Contracts for all systems will be awarded competitively, in accordance with Government procurement principles, and based on considerations, such as technical merit, safety, security, operational resilience and value for money. Local companies, including small and medium enterprises, can participate in these projects as the main contractors, in partnership with main contractors or as specialist sub-contractors. CAAS is committed to building local ANS engineering capabilities for resilience. For key ANS systems, CAAS will require vendors to partner local strategic suppliers in the maintenance and continuous upgrading of the systems. CAAS will also establish an Engineering Development Centre to facilitate knowledge and technology transfer from original equipment manufacturers to local stakeholders, including for high-impact system customisations required for Singapore's operating context.
Standards for Frequency, Volume, Duration and Repetition of Announcements in MRT Trains and Stations›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 167w
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written-answer-na-24711
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song68 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry sets standards across rail operators for the frequency, volume, duration and repetition of announcements in MRT trains and stations; and (b) if so (i) whether the average proportion of journey times occupied by announcements has been assessed for each rail line and (ii) whether non-critical reminders can be shifted to visual channels to provide a more comfortable commuter experience.
Mr Jeffrey Siow99 words
[+4 sentences]Other than announcements related to service disruptions and emergencies which must be made at prescribed frequencies, rail operators have the flexibility to decide on the frequency, volume and duration of announcements in stations and onboard trains. This is so that they can make adjustments based on the operating context, site conditions including ambient noise which can vary across time and location, as well as commuter profile. Not all audio announcements can be shifted to visual channels, as some commuters may not be in a position to view the display panels. Audio announcements also remain essential for visually impaired commuters.
Graciousness Campaign on Public Transport to Focus on People on Personal Mobility Aids, Families with Children and People with Special Needs›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 131w
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written-answer-na-24714
Ms Elysa Chen35 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will consider launching a graciousness campaign on public transport focusing on (i) people on personal mobility aids (ii) families with children and (iii) people with special needs.
Mr Jeffrey Siow96 words
[+3 sentences]The Land Transport Authority and the Public Transport Council already work with Public Transport Operators and Social Service Agencies to promote a gracious and caring commuter culture on a continuous basis through the Caring SG Commuter Movement. We put special emphasis on persons using mobility aids, families with children and persons with special needs. Recent campaigns include raising awareness of the priority boarding doors for trains and the priority queues at lifts, to encourage other commuters to give way to those with greater mobility needs, such as wheelchair users or those travelling with children in strollers.
Ensuring Aircraft Engineers Are Not Penalised for Safety-related Delays›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 140w
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written-answer-na-24715
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat69 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport in view of an Australian ruling that an engineer was unfairly dismissed by his employer after Singapore Airlines complained about a 17-minute delay while clearing fault diagnostic messages on its aircraft (a) whether CAAS requires such disciplinary action to be reported where the aircraft is Singapore-registered; (b) if so, what action follows; and (c) how CAAS ensures engineers are not penalised for safety-related delays.
Mr Jeffrey Siow71 words
[+3 sentences]The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) does not require Singapore air operators to report disciplinary or employment actions involving their contractors' staff whether these occur in Singapore or overseas. However, if an individual's actions result in a safety incident whether in Singapore or overseas, CAAS will investigate and take enforcement action if appropriate. As no safety incident had occurred in this case, there were no grounds for a CAAS investigation.
Theory Test for Non-motorised Cyclists who Travel on Public Roads Shared with Motor Vehicles›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 114w
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written-answer-na-24716
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport given that power-assisted bicycle and e-scooter riders are already required to pass a theory test before riding on public paths and roads, whether the Ministry will consider introducing a similar cyclist-appropriate theory test requirement for non-motorised cyclists before they are allowed to travel on public roads shared with motor vehicles.
Mr Jeffrey Siow59 words
[+2 sentences]I thank the Member for the question. The Member may refer to our reply for Question No 78 for Written Answer at the 8 September 2026 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to "Review of Regulatory Framework for On-road Cyclists and Efforts to Enhance Road User Awareness", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions section.]
Construction of Lifts at Pedestrian Overhead Bridges in Eunos Ward›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 149w
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written-answer-na-24717
Mr Pritam Singh59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport in view of the completion of trial trenching works, when does the LTA expect to construct lifts at the following pedestrian overhead bridges in the Eunos ward of Aljunied GRC at (i) opposite Block 136 Bedok Reservoir Road (ii) opposite Block 151 Bedok Reservoir Road and (iii) opposite Block 613 Bedok Reservoir Road, respectively.
Mr Jeffrey Siow90 words
[+4 sentences]The pedestrian overhead bridges near Block 613 and Block 151 Bedok Reservoir Road are included in the current phase of the lift upgrading programme by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). LTA has completed feasibility studies and will commence construction for the two bridges, from 2027 and 2028, respectively. The pedestrian overhead bridge near Block 136 Bedok Reservoir Road is not being considered under the current phase as there is an existing barrier-free pedestrian crossing nearby. We will review if this bridge can be included in subsequent phases of the programme.
Metrics to Assess GIC's Performance against New Strategic Portfolio Changes›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 138w
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written-answer-na-24719
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre44 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government's approval of GIC's new Strategic Portfolio changes its risk appetite or long-term return expectations for GIC; and (b) what public metrics will enable Parliament to assess GIC's performance against the Strategic Portfolio.
Mr Jeffrey Siow94 words
[+5 sentences]The new Strategic Portfolio represents the Government's risk appetite and long-term return expectations for the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC). The Government's risk appetite remains broadly similar, and we expect GIC to outperform the Strategic Portfolio over the long term through active management. The Government holds GIC's Board accountable for GIC's performance. The primary metric for the Government to evaluate GIC's investment performance remains the annualised rolling 20-year real rate of return. GIC's annual report will continue to publish this and other relevant metrics that would allow us to better assess GIC's performance.
Extending Incentives to Support Caregivers of Children beyond their Parents›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 278w
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written-answer-na-24720
Ms Valerie Lee66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government will consider expanding incentives to support caregivers beyond parents, such as grandparents, extended family members and domestic helpers, who can play a significant role in raising children; and (b) whether the Government has any views on schemes, like Australia's Grandparent Child Care Subsidy, which provides additional childcare subsidies for grandparents who are primary caregivers.
Ms Indranee Rajah212 words
[+8 sentences]Caregiving arrangements vary widely across families depending on their circumstances and preferences. In some families, grandparents and extended family members play an integral role in caregiving while in others, they do not. To recognise and promote intergenerational support, we have today the Grandparent Caregiver Relief which provides a $3,000 tax relief to eligible working mothers who engage a parent, parent-in-law or grandparent to help with caregiving, while the Proximity Housing Grant helps couples live with or near their parents for mutual support. Households with children under 16 years old can also qualify for a concessionary levy for migrant domestic workers at a reduced rate of $60 per month. Australia's Grandparent Child Care Subsidy scheme provides additional childcare subsidies to eligible grandparents who are the primary caregivers of their grandchildren, in place of the parents, and is intended to defray the cost of approved childcare services. In Singapore, all Singapore Citizen children are already eligible for preschool subsidies, regardless of who their primary caregiver is. As announced by the Prime Minister at the recent National Day Rally, the Government will further improve the affordability of preschools for all Singapore Citizen children. The Government will continue to review our support measures to ensure that they remain relevant and responsive to the needs of families.
Factors Used to Determine Guaranteed Interest Rate of 3.5% for Endowment Funds›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 154w
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written-answer-na-24722
Mr Fadli Fawzi56 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how does the Government determine the guaranteed interest rate of 3.5% for Endowment Funds; (b) how frequently is this interest rate reviewed; and (c) how does this guaranteed interest rate differ from the fixed coupon rate of the Special Singapore Government Securities (SSGS) invested by non-Government Funds.
Mr Jeffrey Siow98 words
[+4 sentences]Endowment Funds receive a guaranteed interest rate from the Government pegged to long-term bond returns, reflecting the Funds' protected principal and perpetual investment horizon. The guaranteed interest rate is reviewed every two years to ensure it remains appropriate while providing Fund administrators with near-term certainty of the annual interest returns. In contrast, the Special Singapore Government Securities (SSGS) are issued with a fixed tenor. The interest rate for other non-Government Funds invested in SSGS is thus pegged to market instruments of comparable risk, such as Government securities, and of an equivalent duration to the tenor of the investment.
Cases of Singaporeans Being Targeted for Kidnapping or Other Violent Crimes Overseas›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 214w
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written-answer-na-24724
Mr Saktiandi Supaat67 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs in light of recent cases of Singaporeans kidnapped for ransom in Malaysia (a) whether the Government has observed an increase in Singaporeans targeted for kidnapping or other violent crimes overseas; (b) whether common methods of targeting victims have been identified; and (c) how Singapore is strengthening its cross-border law-enforcement cooperation against such threats.
Mr K Shanmugam147 words
[+7 sentences]There is no evidence to suggest that the recent kidnapping cases are related or are part of a broader trend of Singaporeans being targeted overseas for kidnapping or other violent crimes. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has not identified any common pattern in the methods used to target Singaporeans overseas. Nevertheless, members of the public should exercise caution when interacting with people they meet online who invite them to meet overseas, particularly if they do not know the person well. SPF maintains close and longstanding cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies, including the Royal Malaysia Police. This includes regular information exchange, established liaison channels and operational coordination, where necessary. SPF also works with regional and international partners through platforms, such as ASEANAPOL and INTERPOL, to share intelligence, coordinate investigations and support enforcement action against transnational criminal networks. We will continue to strengthen these bilateral and multilateral channels.
Measuring Whether Cycling Enforcement Changes Behaviour and Reduces Accidents›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 183w
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written-answer-na-24725
Mr Yip Hon Weng64 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs given that the number of accidents involving cyclists rose despite regular enforcement (a) how does the Traffic Police measure whether cycling enforcement changes behaviour and reduces accidents; (b) how do results determine the frequency, duration and locations of enforcement operations; and (c) what outcome thresholds would trigger redesign of enforcement.
Mr K Shanmugam119 words
[+5 sentences]The Traffic Police (TP) assesses the effectiveness of its enforcement efforts by monitoring accident and traffic violation patterns. This data is used to review TP's enforcement approach. If accidents or violations persist or worsen, TP may step up enforcement or adjust the locations and timings of enforcement operations. The decisions are made after a holistic review and are not contingent on any fixed outcome threshold. Beyond enforcement against errant cycling, TP works with the Land Transport Authority on broader measures to improve road safety for all road users, such as road engineering measures to address identified safety risks and public education campaigns for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to step up the promotion of road safety and safe cycling practices.
Platform-level Indicators to Assess Designated Services' Effectiveness in Reducing Scam Exposure›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 218w
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written-answer-na-24726
Dr Wan Rizal77 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs regarding the new Codes of Practice under the Online Criminal Harms Act (a) what platform-level indicators will be used to assess whether each designated service is effectively reducing scam exposure, cases and losses; (b) whether the Government will publish each platform's compliance status and performance indicators; and (c) what circumstances will trigger financial penalties or compliance orders where scam cases remain persistently high.
Mr K Shanmugam141 words
[+3 sentences]Indicators of each designated online service provider's effectiveness in combatting scams, such as the number of scam cases involving the designated online service, are published in the Singapore Police Force's (SPF's) scams and cybercrime briefs twice a year. SPF will provide updates on designated online services' compliance with the Codes of Practice under the Online Criminal Harms Act when ready. More details on new legislative proposals, including the application of financial penalties and the issuance of Compliance Orders pursuant to non-compliance with Implementation Directives, will be provided during the Second Reading of the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill. [Please refer to "Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Second Reading Bills section; and "Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill", Official Report, 9 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 36, Second Reading Bills section.]
Stepping Up Enforcement Efforts to Reduce Accidents Involving Cyclists›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 229w
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written-answer-na-24727
Ms Hany Soh57 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs in light of the reported increase in the number of traffic accidents involving cyclists in 2025 (a) whether the SPF will step up enforcement efforts against errant road users; and (b) how else does SPF plan to improve safety for all road users.
Mr K Shanmugam172 words
[+9 sentences]The Traffic Police (TP) regularly reviews its enforcement operations taking into consideration the latest accident and traffic violation patterns. Where appropriate, TP may step up enforcement against certain violations or adjust the locations and timings of enforcement operations. We are also taking some measures to improve road safety for all road users. We will be tightening the Driver Improvement Points System from January 2027 to strengthen deterrence and encourage safe driving behaviour and have deployed mobile Traffic Violation Enforcement Cameras to enhance TP's enforcement capabilities. We are trialling the Expressway Average Speed Enforcement system. The speed limiter regime for lorries is also being progressively expanded. These measures complement the amendments to the Road Traffic Act passed in August 2026 to enhance penalties and introduce new offences to deter unsafe road behaviour. Meanwhile, the Land Traffic Authority is expanding the Friendly Streets initiative with traffic-calming measures and safer crossings to all Housing and Development Board towns by 2030. We will continue to monitor the road safety situation and review our measures as necessary.
Singapore-registered Entities Using Purported Employment as Means for Foreign Intelligence Recruitment›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 115w
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written-answer-na-24728
Ms Hany Soh53 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Internal Security Department has detected an increase in the number of Singapore-registered entities using purported employment as a means for foreign intelligence recruitment; and (b) how can Singaporeans play a part in safeguarding against such subversion.
Mr K Shanmugam62 words
[+1 sentence]The Member may refer to the response to Question No 20, which was issued on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Safeguards to Prevent Foreign Actors from Using Singapore-based Institutions and Recruiting Former Public Officers for Covert Intelligence-gathering", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Review of Fire Safety Inspection Requirements for Residential HDB Blocks Especially Taller or More Complex Developments›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 191w
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written-answer-na-24729
Dr Charlene Chen60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry will review the fire safety inspection requirements for purely residential HDB blocks, including whether periodic independent inspections by qualified fire safety professionals should be required for taller or more complex developments, taking into account the evolving height, density and complexity of public housing.
Mr K Shanmugam131 words
[+5 sentences]Fire safety provisions for residential buildings are prescribed under the Fire Code in accordance with the scale, design and usage of each building. For tall Housing and Development Board blocks, the Fire Code requires additional fire safety measures, such as rising mains and fire lifts, to support the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in its firefighting operations. These measures must be kept in working order, and Town Councils are required to engage independent industry professionals to conduct regular inspections and tests on them. SCDF also carries out its own site inspections to verify that buildings remain compliant with the requirements. SCDF reviews the Fire Code on a regular basis to ensure fire safety requirements stay relevant and fit for purpose and remain aligned with the evolving standards of the built environment.
Reasons for Rise in Youths Investigated for Shop Theft›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 218w
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written-answer-na-24730
Mr Jackson Lam73 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what accounts for the 28.8% rise in youths investigated for shop theft in the first half of 2026; (b) whether diversionary or restorative justice approaches are used before formal charges; and (c) what is being done together with the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Education to address underlying emotional and family instability factors.
Mr K Shanmugam145 words
[+6 sentences]The rise in youths investigated for shop theft in the first half of 2026 could be contributed by a range of different factors, including improved detection methods. Where appropriate, the Police refer youth offenders who commit minor offences to social service agencies (SSAs) appointed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development. The SSAs will assess the youths' risks and needs and place them on diversionary programmes, such as the Guidance Programme (GP), where suitable. The GP involves the youths' families and schools in the youth's rehabilitation and supports them to build prosocial relationships. Youths emplaced on the GP receive a conditional warning in lieu of court prosecution. The Police also work closely with the Ministry of Education to educate students on the consequences of committing various crimes, such as shop theft, through talks in schools, joint advisories to parents and e-learning modules for students.
Factors for Persistent Oversubscription at Primary Schools with Reduced Intake Despite Increased Demand from New Housing Developments›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time3 turns · 474w
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written-answer-na-24731
Ms Elysa Chen55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) what factors account for persistent oversubscription at certain primary schools in Bishan, relative to neighbouring estates; (b) whether the Ministry will review catchment boundaries or intake allocation in areas with sustained demand imbalance; and (c) what support does the Ministry offer to parents balloted out of their first choice.
Ms Diana Pang Li Yen60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education given that some primary schools may reduce Primary 1 intake despite rising demand from nearby new housing developments (a) what criteria does the Ministry use to determine or reduce school-level Primary 1 intake; and (b) how are local population density, projected school-age cohorts and the availability of alternative schools within two kilometres considered in planning.
Mr Desmond Lee359 words
[+17 sentences]As mentioned in an earlier Parliamentary Question (PQ) in July, the Ministry of Education (MOE) regularly reviews the provision of Primary 1 places, taking into account demographic trends and upcoming housing developments. MOE ensures that there are sufficient Primary 1 places for Singaporean children at both the national and regional levels. Nevertheless, demand varies across schools depending on parents' preferences. Some schools may be oversubscribed while neighbouring schools have vacancies. Parents who are unsuccessful in securing a place in their preferred school may participate in subsequent phase(s) they are eligible for. If a child remains unplaced after Phase 2C (Supplementary), MOE will post the child to a school within reasonable distance from home, subject to vacancies. Currently, around 98% of Singapore Citizen and Permanent Resident children obtain a place in a primary school of their choice or within two kilometres of their home. This has been stable over the past few years. The Primary 1 intake for this year's Primary 1 Registration Exercise was adjusted because the cohort entering Primary 1 in 2027 and in subsequent years is getting smaller. This is part of MOE's broader effort to manage the impact of falling school enrolment. If this is not done, more schools may need to be merged, and this will affect the accessibility and geographical spread of schools across Singapore. The adjustments also help to ensure that our schools have sufficient student enrolment to offer a meaningful range of learning opportunities and programmes for their students. On the use of a new property address, the Vacant Possession Date (VPD) must be within two years of the child's entry into Primary 1. The child must reside in that address for at least 30 months, starting from the time the family moves into the new address. MOE uses the VPD because it is the legally binding commitment for delivery of possession by the developer, as indicated in the Sale and Purchase Agreement. MOE does not accept an expected Temporary Occupation Permit date, as it is an estimated date by the developer that can be subject to change depending on construction progress. We continually review our policies and will consider such feedback.
Reviewing Priority Pathways to Primary 1 Admission and Publishing Outcomes to Promote Equitable Access›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time3 turns · 131w
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Mr David Hoe55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will assess whether Phase 2B priority for parent volunteers may incentivise participation solely to secure Primary 1 admission for children; and (b) whether, in its ongoing review of the Primary 1 registration framework, the Ministry will consider restructuring or removing these routes to promote equitable access.
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education for schools that balloted in Phases 2A or 2B, whether the Ministry will publish (i) the proportion of each Primary 1 cohort admitted through each eligibility pathway and (ii) its assessment of how the pathways affect access for families without prior school affiliations and the socioeconomic diversity of the school.
Mr Desmond Lee21 words
[+1 sentence]The Ministry of Education has been reviewing the Primary 1 Registration Framework and will share the outcome of the review soon.
Environmental Impact Assessment and Mitigation Measures for Western Island and "Long Island" Development Plans›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time4 turns · 217w
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Ms Lee Hui Ying54 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development noting that the Southern Islands' reefs have been identified as a mother site that plays a critical role in sustaining Singapore's wider marine ecosystems, what steps are being taken to ensure that mitigation measures and nature-based rewilding efforts under the Western Island and "Long Island" plans are consistent.
Ms Lee Hui Ying29 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development what are the Government's current timelines for conducting public consultation and completing the environmental impact assessment for the proposed Western Island reclamation plans.
Mr Fadli Fawzi54 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Government has any plans to safeguard the approximately 8,000-year-old coral reef ecosystem in the waters off the proposed new Western Island, such as around Pulau Hantu and Pulau Semakau; and (b) whether these coral reefs will be protected from irreversible damage caused by land reclamation.
Mr Chee Hong Tat80 words
[+1 sentence]These questions were addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply to the questions asked by Dr Charlene Chen, Ms He Ting Ru, Mr Low Wu Yang Andre, and Mr Sharael Taha on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Revisions to Environmental Study on Long Island Development in Light of Feedback from Scientists and Nature Groups", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Impact of Global AI Capital Expenditure and Expansion on Singapore's Economic, Wage and Jobs Growth›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time3 turns · 726w
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Mr Saktiandi Supaat65 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) given the growing contribution of AI-related activity to Singapore's economic growth (a) whether the Ministry has assessed Singapore's growth sensitivity to a material slowdown in global AI capital expenditure; and (b) what observations have been made on the capturing of value-added AI growth by local (i) enterprises (ii) research and development and (iii) intellectual property.
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui67 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) given the growing contribution of AI-related activity to Singapore’s economic growth (a) whether the Ministry has assessed how much of this growth has translated into productivity gains, wage growth, new job creation and value capture by local enterprises in AI-related and adjacent sectors; and (b) how the Government will monitor whether AI-driven growth benefits the wider economy.
Dr Tan See Leng594 words
[+24 sentences]My response will cover the question raised by Mr Liang Eng Hwa in today's Order Paper, as well as questions by Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui and Mr Saktiandi Supaat for subsequent sittings. If the Members are satisfied with the response, they may wish to withdraw their questions after this session. [Please refer to "Sustainability of AI-led Economic Growth and Potential Risks In Event of Major Correction in Global AI Asset Valuations", Official Report, 9 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 36, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] Artificial intelligence (AI)-related activity is expected to contribute significantly to Singapore's economic growth in the near and longer term. In the near term, strong global capital investment in AI infrastructure has benefited outward-oriented sectors that are plugged into the related supply chains. These include the electronics and precision engineering clusters of the manufacturing sector, as well as the machinery, equipment and supplies segment of the wholesale trade sector. A slowdown in global AI capital expenditure could weigh on growth in these AI-linked sectors. Downside risks to global AI capital expenditure include tighter financial conditions globally, which could make financing more costly for these investments. In turn, a sudden fall in global AI-related capital spending could trigger a loss of investor confidence, which could result in sharp corrections in global financial markets, with negative spillovers on global economic activity. Even as we keep a close watch on the AI-related risks, we would like to assure Members that Singapore's economy is well diversified. Apart from the AI-linked sectors mentioned earlier, other sectors, such as information and communications, professional services, real estate and construction, are also expected to support gross domestic product growth for the rest of 2026. For AI to propel our longer-term economic growth, we are supporting our enterprises, which are at different stages of readiness, to increase AI adoption and undertake AI-driven transformation to raise productivity and innovation. We are also supporting our workers to build the skills and confidence to work with AI, take on redesigned roles and move into new and higher-value opportunities. We have observed early signs of progress. A recent Ministry of Manpower's survey found that around three in 10 firms had adopted AI. Of these, about seven in 10 reported improvements in worker productivity1. AI is also complementing rather than replacing labour, with more firms redesigning existing roles and creating new AI-related jobs, rather than reducing headcount. This is consistent with a recent Ministry of Trade and Industry's study, which found that firms using AI saw higher revenue and total employment, with those that deepened their AI capabilities seeing even higher gains2. Beyond economy-wide AI adoption, we are building up our research, engineering and commercialisation capabilities. As announced at Budget 2026, we are launching National AI Missions in Advanced Manufacturing, Financial Services, Connectivity and Healthcare. We will work with industry and research partners to translate the AI research into deployable applications, drive AI-enabled transformation at scale and build new businesses. Alongside this, leading AI companies, including Google DeepMind and OpenAI, have also set up research labs in Singapore to anchor substantive research and engineering work here. These further strengthen our local research ecosystem, create high-quality jobs for Singaporeans and build on our broader investments in AI compute and talent. The Government will continue to monitor the impact of AI on our economy, including enterprise-level AI adoption and its effects on firm performance. Through the National AI Council, we will coordinate our national AI efforts and ensure that AI-driven growth benefits the wider economy.
Consultations with Wheelchair Users for "First to Board, First to Use" Shared Priority Bay Pilot on Public Bus Services›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 324w
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Miss Rachel Ong62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether wheelchair users were consulted before the "First to Board, First to Use" pilot; (b) if so, how their feedback informed its design; and (c) how had the Ministry assessed the differing transport needs of wheelchair users, who may be unable to board without the wheelchair bay, and passengers with strollers, before proceeding with the pilot.
Mr Jeffrey Siow262 words
[+12 sentences]Before embarking on the trial, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) had consulted Social Service Agencies, such as SG Enable, the Handicaps Welfare Association and Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD). LTA's intent is to assess how to address situations where passengers who are already using the wheelchair bay cannot practically give way to someone who is about to board the bus. Today, conflicts and passenger unhappiness do arise, and bus captains are put in a difficult situation. The trial also enables us to get better feedback on how different commuter groups are impacted. Since the commencement of the trial, LTA has indeed received more feedback, particularly from groups, such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Disabled People's Association, as well as from parents with young children, which we appreciate. As of August 2026, there were three reported cases where wheelchair users were unable to board the bus because the wheelchair bay was occupied. This is approximately 0.005% of all trips on the 10 trial services taken by persons with disabilities in the same period. We recognise that buses with only one wheelchair bay can make it challenging to share the space. Newer public buses have two wheelchair bays and make up 25% of our fleet today. However, adding wheelchair bays means reducing the number of seats which also affects other passengers with needs, such as seniors. Foldable seats do not fully replace the number of seats removed. We will need to consider the impact across all commuters when reviewing the design of buses to increase the number of wheelchair bays further.