Government’s Response to the “2026 Review of Salaries for Political Appointment Holders and Members of Parliament”
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Screen-free Children: Reclaiming Childhood in the Artificial Intelligence Era›Matter Raised On Adjournment Motion5 turns · 3,014w
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The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah)15 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, I move, "That Parliament do now adjourn."
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Ng Shi Xuan.
Mr Ng Shi Xuan (Sembawang)2164 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, at my introduction at Bukit Canberra last year, I spoke about healthy minds and healthy bodies for our children. Today, I want to return to that idea, starting with screen-free children. Childhood, below the age of 18, is the one stage of life where children should be free. Free to play, free to wonder, free to make mistakes, and free from unnecessary pressures and anxieties.[+21 sentences] Increasingly, that means being screen-free too. Not because screens are inherently bad, but because childhood development requires experiences that no screen can fully replicate. This Adjournment Motion is not about opposing screens as tools for education or communication. Rather, it is about ensuring that children have meaningful alternatives to screens, and that those alternatives remain affordable and accessible to every family. Our television at home broke down when my first child was born and we never replaced it. Friends and volunteers who visit are still caught off guard by a living room with no TV console. Today, my three children use screens purposefully to video call their grandparents, to watch a science experiment before trying it themselves or to find song lyrics so that we can sing together. Screens are tools, not companions. We got lucky with a broken television. I know how easy it is to hand a child a screen and buy yourself 20 minutes to shower or simply catch your breath. For families who have less time, less space and fewer alternatives, the screen might feel like the only option. This is what brings me to this Motion today. In my maiden speech, I said that Singapore is what it is today because we invested heavily in human capital, our only enduring competitive advantage. Yet, some of the foundations of human capital are built much earlier through play, social interaction, curiosity and resilience. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly capable of processing information, the qualities that make us distinctly human – empathy, curiosity, judgement and resilience – will matter even more. Watching my children as they grow, I have noticed this. The moments they were the most alive, most curious and most connected to each other and to me were never in front of a screen. They were in the playground, in conversations, in disagreements and in laughters. But screens are crowding out these experiences that were developing the very human qualities in them. You do not need to look far to see this. In coffee shops, parents and children can be sharing a meal yet entirely apart on their screens. Research globally and in Singapore similarly links excessive screen use with poorer physical activity, weaker social interaction, behavioural challenges and poorer mental wellness.[+10 sentences] This speech is about reclaiming childhood in the AI era. It takes a kampong to raise a child and reclaiming childhood will likewise require a whole-of-Government effort. My recommendations today span the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), the Ministry of National Development (MND), the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) because no single Ministry can solve this challenge alone. Mr Speaker, every hour spent on a screen has an opportunity cost. It is an hour not spent running, climbing, reading, exploring, creating or interacting with others. The concern moves beyond what children are consuming online to what they are no longer doing because of screens. If we are serious about reducing children's screen dependency, we must focus not only on restrictions but also on replacements. This is not about asking the Government to choose between regulation and alternatives. We need both. Regulation reduces harm while community, play and family support create meaningful alternatives to screens. Together, they give our children the opportunity to reclaim childhood. I have four recommendations: first, strengthen community programmes as meaningful alternatives to screens; second, improve our playgrounds and apply the Play Values Framework more broadly, recognising playgrounds as developmental infrastructure; third, strengthen screen-time guidance, engagement and social media safeguards for children below 18; and fourth, strengthen whole-of-Government coordination on childhood development.[+11 sentences] My first recommendation is for MCCY to strengthen community programmes to support young parents who are often stretched for time. Over the past year, we piloted three initiatives in Naval Base that illustrate what this could look like. The first is Sembawang Budding Rangers. This is a child-centred outdoor learning and nature exploration programme run by our Youth Network. Following the forest school methodology, children come together for three hours every fortnight to “touch grass”. One participant, five-year-old Jingyi, developed a much deeper appreciation for nature after just two sessions. During one of them, she saw a dead bird and told her father that, “She didn’t like to see the dead bird in the forest, she felt very sad”. When her father told her that forests may be cleared for housing in Singapore, she was upset and full of questions. She has now taken it upon herself to tell her classmates not to waste paper because she explains, “Otherwise, we have to chop more trees”. She is five. No app taught her to grieve for a bird, or to connect that grief to a bigger picture or to try to change the behaviour of the people around her. The second programme is LumiPals, a 10-week programme developing social and creative skills among children aged four to six.[+9 sentences] Parents have noticed greater curiosity, confidence and willingness to speak up, exactly the qualities they worry are diminishing in today's digital environment. The third initiative is our "Stop the Scrolls, Start the Talks" conversation cards. Sometimes, the answer is not another app. Sometimes, it is simply a conversation. We launched the cards with two local eateries in Sembawang to encourage families to reconnect over meals, and the early response has been encouraging. These initiatives are not meant to replace parents. They are meant to support parents. Mr Speaker, I believe MCCY, working through the People's Association (PA) and community partners, has an important role in seeding and expanding regular programmes, such as Budding Rangers and LumiPals, across Singapore. This should be a concerted effort to engage children weekly and not restricted to school holidays, such as the current PA Kiddies programmes. We introduced these programmes because many parents have told us that while resources and ideas exist online, they often lack the time, confidence or support to organise such activities themselves. Such programmes also already exist privately, some would say, but outdoor programmes can cost anywhere between $250 and $800 per child.[+5 sentences] Meaningful alternatives to screens should not depend solely on a family's ability to pay. Existing community programmes are helpful but there is scope to make them more coordinated, visible and responsive to these young families’ needs. Therefore, I hope to see a holistic review of our community programmes for young children in Singapore, including making more affordable outdoor and tactile play programmes in the community available. Community centres, grassroots organisations and local partners are well placed to provide these meaningful alternatives to screens within every neighbourhood. My second recommendation is to continue improving our playgrounds and neighbourhood play spaces. With around 72% of Singapore's playgrounds located within Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates, I welcome HDB's Play Values Framework, which recognises the developmental importance of play.[+10 sentences] As the framework is progressively implemented, I hope the Government will continue to strengthen play value alongside established safety benchmarks, expand mixed age group playgrounds where practical, and incorporate more open and flexible play spaces into future estate designs. Not all play requires equipment. Some of my fondest childhood memories growing up in Yishun came from an open field outside Block 137. All I needed was a ball and some room to run. In a densely planned city, these simple spaces are becoming increasingly precious. Playgrounds and open spaces are developmental infrastructure. If we want our children off screens and outdoors, we must give them somewhere worth going. My third recommendation is for MOH and MDDI to strengthen screen time guidelines and social media regulation. Sir, there is no lack of literature today on the harms associated with excessive screen and social media use among children. Much of it reinforces what our existing screen use guidance already recognises. An MOH-convened expert panel also found that one in three social media users aged 15 to 17 already spend more than three hours a day on social media.[+1 sentence] This brings us back to the opportunity cost I spoke about earlier. What else could those hours have been spent doing? I welcome Minister Josephine Teo's announcement last month that legislation will be introduced early next year to require stronger safeguards for teen users, potentially including daily time limits, restrictions on direct messaging, autoplay and infinite scroll.[+2 sentences] I also welcome the Government's willingness to raise the minimum age of access to 18, where platforms are unable or unwilling to provide adequate safeguards. A recent development in the US is instructive. In August, Meta reached a landmark settlement of up to US$17 billion with US states over allegations concerning the impact of its platforms on young users.[+24 sentences] Meta agreed to introduce safeguards, including daily time limits, nighttime restrictions, stronger age assurance and restrictions on certain engagement features for users under 18. Interestingly, some of the tougher safeguards will apply only if other major platforms adopt comparable measures. Meta's argument is simple – if restrictions apply to only one platform, young users may simply migrate to another. This raises three questions for MDDI. First, will these safeguards apply consistently across designated social media services so that use does not simply migrate from one platform to another? Second, how will child development expertise inform the design of these safeguards? Third, how will MDDI assess whether the measures are actually reducing problematic social media use rather than merely achieving platform compliance? I welcome the Government's measured and targeted approach and recognise that no single intervention will solve the problem. But measured should not mean slow. Technology evolves rapidly, and our safeguards must focus not merely on compliance but outcomes and be capable of keeping pace. Mr Speaker, regulation alone cannot reclaim childhood. But without a healthier digital environment, our efforts in families, communities and neighbourhoods will always be fighting an uphill battle. That is why I hope MDDI will continue to move decisively in strengthening safeguards for our children. My fourth and final recommendation is to strengthen whole-of-Government coordination on childhood development through a National Childhood Framework. Grow Well SG, launched by MOH, MOE and MSF, is a meaningful multi-Ministry initiative to coordinate the health and development of our children. I commend the Ministries for this initiative. But Grow Well SG, for all its strengths, is primarily a health promotion strategy. Childhood, however, extends beyond health. It also encompasses play, nature, community, family relationships and increasingly, the digital environment in which our children are growing up. Countries, such as Finland, Australia and New Zealand, have developed broader frameworks for child well-being. In this vein, I urge the Government to consider expanding the Grow Well SG framework into a broader National Childhood Framework. The framework could bring together the work of MCCY, MND, MDDI, MOE, MOH and MSF under a shared vision for childhood development. It should articulate the experiences that every child in Singapore should have access to, regardless of postal code or household income, and provide a long-term roadmap towards that vision. Mr Speaker, Singapore plans decades ahead for our economy, our infrastructure, our healthcare system and our defence. If human capital remains Singapore's greatest competitive advantage, then childhood deserves the same quality of long-term, cross-Government thinking.[+8 sentences] Grow Well SG provides a strong foundation. A National Childhood Framework could become the next step in that journey. Mr Speaker, I began this speech with a broken television, but it healed my children’s childhood. I did not plan for it but I have come to believe it was one of the best things that happened to my family. I think about Jingyi, who grieved for a bird that she had never met and went home to tell her classmates to stop wasting paper. She is only but five years old, and she already understands that the world outside the screen is richer and worthwhile protecting. I think about the children of LumiPals, who started to speak up louder, clearer and more confidently. They are simply children, given the opportunity to do what children have always done – to grow, connect and surprise us. Today, I have argued that reducing screen dependency requires meaningful alternatives. Regulation reduces harm, while community programmes, play-friendly neighbourhoods and family support create healthier choices.[+2 sentences] Taken together, they help reclaim childhood. If human capital remains Singapore's greatest competitive advantage, then childhood is where that investment begins. Our children will grow up as digital natives and screens will remain important tools, but they should never become their companions. Reclaiming childhood will require heavy coordination across Government because no single Ministry can do it alone.[+2 sentences] It is no child's play. It is an investment in Singapore's future.
Mr Speaker5 words
[+1 sentence]Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam.
The Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, and Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam)826 words
[+13 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank the Member, Mr Ng Shi Xuan for his speech and in particular, for sharing his personal experiences and reflection. I think his story about the broken television and the story about little Jingyi give us some things to think about. I understand that many parents especially are very concerned about the impact of social media, of digital technology, of AI and screen time on their children. And this is also something that we as a Government are concerned about. I know they think about this; they talk about this; and they feel that more should be done. And Mr Ng Shi Xuan earlier gave four recommendations for us to look at. Actually, all of them are things that we are in agreement with; we are in alignment with. In fact, they are very aligned to the efforts that the Government has already been working on. And in fact, Mr Ng also made references to some of this in his speech. First, he made a recommendation in relation to strengthening of community programmes and to provide alternatives to screen times for the children. We are in agreement with this. We do feel that it is important to have a lot more community programmes, so that parents have alternatives that they can bring their children to. In this regard, we have actually been building on our efforts with PA. PA has rolled out the PA Family PLAYGround programmes.[+1 sentence] The National Family Festival is also quite alive and translating into a lot of activities in the community, all intended to bring meaningful family bonding activities for families. And so, this is something we can definitely scale and look into. We also have the "Screen Smart from the Start" campaign and in this, we have the bescreensmart.gov.sg portal, where we actually have resources for parents, there are digital parenting programmes, and also a lot of activities in the community that you can look out for – in the libraries, HPB programmes.[+8 sentences] So, these are things that we can build on. I am happy to hear that Mr Ng himself has programmes in Naval Base – the Sembawang Budding Rangers, LumiPals, and the "Stop the Scrolls, Start the Talks" conversation cards. I think these are good things that we can definitely build into some of the existing efforts and scale them and have more presence in the community. The second recommendation he makes is about improving the playgrounds. We agree that physical environment is very important. It matters, and this is the feedback we will take back. But we are actually already working with different agencies and Ministries to improve access, for families to have easier access to playgrounds and also other family-friendly spaces, like parks and sports facilities. So, this is something that is already in the works. Third, Mr Ng suggested we strengthen screen time guidelines as well as our social media regulations. He is already aware that MOH and MDDI are already working together in looking at the impact of social media on the mental health of young people.[+7 sentences] We are already working with social media platforms to strengthen some of these safeguards. We have been answering a few Parliamentary Questions this Sitting on how we are doing it. We have already indicated our broad framework and how we will be approaching this matter. When we have more information and it is better cooked, we will inform you. We will keep the public updated about the developments on this matter. The fourth proposal that he made is for a national childhood framework. We note his proposal to study some of the frameworks that are already being done in other countries. Actually, Grow Well SG is something that we look at as a holistic approach.[+6 sentences] It is something that we look at holistically. We do learn lessons from other jurisdictions and contextualise it for Singapore's needs. We are working with different Ministries. These are some things that we will continue to build on and enhance. We will take his feedback, take it back and see how we will continue to improve on these efforts. But indeed, the whole intent of Grow Well SG is to have it holistic, child-centric and have multiple Ministries and a whole-of-Government approach towards looking at a child's development holistically. I just want to assure Member that this is an effort that the Government will continue to be committed to look at. We are committed to helping children grow to be healthy, confident and resilient, especially in this digital and increasingly AI-driven world.[+4 sentences] We will take a multi-Ministry, whole-of-Government and whole-of-society approach. Everybody has a role to play in this. We certainly look forward to continue working with the community and advisors and Members, like Mr Ng, to continue enhance the work that we are already doing. Adjourned accordingly at 5.21 pm.
Government’s Response to the “2026 Review of Salaries for Political Appointment Holders and Members of Parliament”›Ministerial Statements59 turns · 31,635w
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Mr Speaker5 words
[+1 sentence]Coordinating Minister for Public Services.
The Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence (Mr Chan Chun Sing)48 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order No 44, I move, "That the two Ministerial Statements on the Government's Response to the '2026 Review of Salaries for Political Appointment Holders and Members of Parliament' delivered on 8 September 2026 be considered by Parliament."
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Yeo Wan Ling.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol)1740 words
[+14 sentences]Mr Speaker, I rise to speak on the Government's response to the recommendations of the Committee reviewing the salaries of political office holders. But as a labour Member of Parliament (MP), I want to begin with what I have been hearing from our workers. The reaction on the ground is not a comfortable one. Before this debate, I ask our union leaders to speak candidly to workers in the land transport sector, our taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) drivers, bus and rail workers, and ask them what they thought. One worker put it very simply to us in Mandarin: "不是要同甘共苦吗，怎么选这个时机？" Are we not supposed to share the good times and the difficult times together? Why choose this time? I thought that question captured something very important. It was not simply a question about salary adjustments. It was a question about timing and about whether workers feel that we are sharing the same realities that they are experiencing. Some workers told us that while Singapore's economic numbers may look healthy, that is not necessarily how the economy feels to them on the ground. Workers' wages have gone up but so have their everyday expenses. Some told us that after accounting for the higher cost of living, they do not feel substantially better off, even with the support that the Government has provided. Workers worry about jobs, about business conditions, and about what restructuring and artificial intelligence (AI) may mean for their livelihoods, and against that backdrop they ask, why now? Others told us that public service should fundamentally be motivated by a desire to serve and ask why further increases were necessary when political salaries are already at levels they consider substantive. Some could understand salaries being reviewed and adjusted, but felt that 9% was too high, instinctively comparing it with their own annual increments, which are considerably lower.[+24 sentences] And some ask another interesting question: why wait so long so many years between the adjustments? Would it not be better to review salaries more regularly rather than wait ten or fifteen years and have a much larger headline number? These are sentiments we must take seriously. I understand them not only because workers tell me so. I understand them because I sit at the tables where their wages are negotiated. Mr Speaker, as a unionist, I have sat across the table from employers negotiating collective agreements, annual increments and bonuses. In many of the collective agreements I have worked on, annual increments are lower than 9%. I see the same realities in our progressive wage negotiations. I chair the tripartite Progressive Wage Model (PWM) clusters for food services and retail. Every increase has to be carefully worked through among unions, employers and Government, balancing our ambition to uplift workers with productivity, sector conditions and what businesses can sustain. So, I know how hard-won wage progression can be and how closely workers watch their wages, because every improvement matters to them and their families. That is why I understand the immediate reaction when workers see up to 9% – and I do not dismiss it. But there is something else that my experience negotiating wages have taught me. When we negotiate wages, we never look only at the headline number. We ask what sits behind that number. What is the benchmark? How does the pay move? What are the economic and manpower conditions? What can be sustained and what outcomes are we rewarding? These are questions we ask when negotiating a collective agreement for our transport workers or working through progressive wages for our lower-wage workers. So, these are also the questions I asked when I looked at the review. First, what does the 9% actually represent? I understand why workers instinctively compare it with their own annual increment, but they are not quite the same comparison. Workers' annual increments are part of regular wage progression and accumulate year after year. Political salaries, by contrast, have not been adjusted for 15 years and importantly, that period begin not with an increase, but with a substantial downward restructuring in 2011.[+1 sentence] The annual salary of an entry level MR4 Minister was reduced by 37%, but that does not by itself justify any particular adjustments today, nor does it tell us that 9% is the right number, but it does tell us that we should look at the whole period than just one number in isolation. The Committee has now recommended that the MR4 reference benchmark be updated from $1.1 million to $1.8 million.[+3 sentences] That is a significant movement in the benchmark. I also understand why workers will look at that number and ask questions. But here too, the time period matters. Spread over the 15 years since 2011, the movement in the benchmark works out to be about 3.6% a year.[+1 sentence] Over the same period, wages grew about 4.3% a year for the median worker pegged at P50, and 4.6% a year at P20 which represents workers at the lower-end of the wage distribution. Put it another way, since the 2012 review, incomes of Singapore Citizen earners have risen by about 80% at the median and 87% at P20.[+9 sentences] And that progress has not simply been a story of annual increments. Over these years, to sustain tripartite efforts, unions, employers and Government have worked to reshape wages and work through progressive wages, skills and career ladders, stronger links between wages, productivity, responsibilities and outcomes, and better employability for our senior and vulnerable workers. We have strengthened support for lower-wage workers through Workfare, given platform workers, formal recognition and stronger protections, and strengthened workplace fairness through legislation. These changes did not happen by accident. They reflect years of tripartite work to help our workers earn better wages, stay employable, be better protected and have a share in Singapore's progress. Of course, these percentages translate into very different dollars at different salary levels, but taken over the same period, they give us a more meaningful context for understanding how wages have moved over time. Mr Speaker, the 9% is only one number workers are looking at. That is also the benchmark itself. Here again, our experience in the Labour Movement is useful. In wage-setting, a benchmark is not the same as your paycheck. It is a reference point within a salary structure, and under the revised framework, Ministers can be paid within a range of 75% to 125% of the reference salary for their grade.[+3 sentences] So, I think it is important to explain plainly what the benchmark means. It does not mean that every MR4 Minister will now be paid that amount, nor is it a target salary that every Minister will eventually receive. The Government has decided not to move existing Ministers immediately to the new benchmark. The immediate adjustment is up to 9% and there will not be further special adjustments simply to close the gap. Subsequent salary movements will depend on, rightfully, performance and responsibilities.[+15 sentences] Mr Speaker, that distinction matters. But the benchmark must still have a credible basis and Singaporeans are entitled to scrutinise it. Mr Speaker, this brings me to what, for me, as a unionist is the heart of the matter. A wage framework does not make a number right simply because a formula exists. What matters is that there is a credible basis behind it. We know this from our work in the Labour Movement. Sometimes, we bargain hard over what may look like a small difference, because behind every percentage point is somebody's livelihood. Political service, of course, is not the same as an ordinary job. And government is not a business. So, the considerations cannot be identical, but I believe that the same discipline must apply: the basis must be clear; the framework transparent and movements in actual pay must be explainable. There is also something we should learn from the long gap between reviews. Regular review does not mean regular increase. Depending on circumstances, a review can result in an increase, no increase, or even restraint. But reviewing the framework regularly means that when salaries move or do not move, Singaporeans can understand why. There is also one other part of the framework that matters to me from a labour perspective. Part of the political remuneration is linked to how Singapore and Singaporeans are doing: whether people have jobs and whether their real incomes are growing, whether Singaporeans lives are improving, and that Singaporeans are able to realise their dreams and aspirations.[+9 sentences] I think that that is important. If political remuneration is tied to Singapore's progress, then our workers' progress must be part of that picture. Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister and Minister Chan have set out the Government's basis for the review earlier. I do not intend to repeat their explanations. My responsibility is to consider those explanations through the same lens I bring to wage negotiations and I ask myself a simple question, "Can I explain the basis for this outcome clearly to our workers?" I also agree with workers on one fundamental point. Political service must ultimately be motivated by a desire to serve. No salary framework can create that motivation and no salary level can substitute for it, but service and a proper remuneration framework are not contradictory. Mr Speaker, I begin with the worker who asked, "不是要同甘共苦吗？" For our workers, "同甘共苦" is something they must be able to experience and feel in their wages, their jobs, their prospects and in knowing that we are all moving forward together, through bad times and good. It is right that we scrutinise the numbers, the benchmarks and the wage framework. We should not lose sight of why we have this framework in the first place – to enable capable people to step forward to serve, and together with every Singaporean to build a better tomorrow.[+5 sentences] And that work continues long after this debate has concluded. As a labour MP and unionist, I will go back to the negotiating table tomorrow, pushing for better wages, better jobs, better livelihoods, better protection for our workers. And like every Member in this House, I will go back to my community and my constituents this evening to listen to serve and to continue building that future together. Because ultimately that is what "同甘共苦" means to me – through good times and bad, we will remain in this together. Mr Speaker, it is with this responsibility in mind that I support the Government's response to the review.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied)2535 words
[+13 sentences]Mr Speaker, I refer to the Prime Minister's Ministerial Statement of two days ago on the 2026 Review of Salaries for Political Appointment Holders and Members of Parliament. I will make a few points. First, I will reflect on the 2026 Committee's report and the Government's response to it, including some observations on the challenge of attracting private sector leaders into politics. Second, I will speak about the gap between the norm annual salary for Ministers, which is used as a key reference point in the Committee's report and the total renumeration actually received by Ministers in practice. Third, I will speak about the reality of being a Workers' Party (WP) candidate and how this intersects with MP's allowance in response to the Prime Minister's point about attracting good candidates into politics. Fourth, I will speak about the job scope of Mayors in view of the inclusion in the Committee's report. And finally, I will ask why the renumeration for legislative assistants and secretarial assistants to Members of Parliament have not been reviewed. At the outset and as established by the WP in 2012, our position on political salaries is aligned with the three broad principles affirmed by the committee: (a) that political salaries should be competitive enough to attract people of the necessary calibre; (b) that political service is a calling, with its own ethos; and (c) that political renumeration should be transparent. Like in 2012, the point of divergence is on the formula that the Committee has adopted in its report. The WP favours the one it laid out in Parliament in 2012, which, in our view, went further to address the overly emotive elements surrounding discussions on political salaries by pegging it to a more accessible reference point for the public. On this point, our view remains unchanged. We take the view that pegging Ministerial salaries to a multiple of an MP's salary, which is in turn derived from a public sector appointee's salary, is preferred to one that bases Ministerial salaries from a discount to the median salary of the top 1,000 earners in Singapore. Under our 2012 proposal and with the passage of time, the increases to a Minister's total salary would be more modest. The Government chose not to increase political salaries in both 2017 and 2023, aware of the public sensitivities of doing so. It has been about 15 years since salaries for Ministers and Members of Parliament were reviewed.[+14 sentences] To that end, the Prime Minister's response to the Committee's recommendations reveals that the Government accepts the salary increases in full for all political appointment holders, including Members of Parliament. However, in the case of Ministers, a more calibrated and measured approach has been taken by the Prime Minister, in response to the Committee's recommendations. At its core, one of the perennial challenges in Singapore, as framed by the Prime Minister, with regard to political salaries, is determining what would be the appropriate renumeration to attract high quality private sector individuals to join political leadership as Ministers. From the evidence so far however, only a small handful have taken the plunge. The majority of Ministers continue to be sourced from the public sector. For some, it can be said that joining the Government as Ministers from the public sector potentially opens the door to a wage increase from the salary they previously earned in the Civil Service, a reality that is often overlooked when the focus is on ensuring that individuals drawn from the private sector can receive a competitive salary as Ministers. Even so, the issue does beg the question of whether it is the salary or the reality of political service today that dissuades many high-earning private sector individuals from joining politics. For some, it would not be out of order to suggest that no amount of money will persuade them to trade their suits and ties for grassroots activities and to immerse themselves in municipal concerns and the rough and tumble of politics, since all Ministers must first be elected as MPs. By the same token, I believe this House would agree with me when I say that Singaporeans would not be well-served by any individual who winces at undertaking political groundwork even if he or she is a corporate titan or a private sector high-flyer. For public service is indeed a calling with its own ethos and with deep meaning and purpose for those who immerse themselves in it. The Committee has referenced its recommendations to wage increases for Singaporeans at the 50th and 20th percentiles of incomes since 2012. This is arguably a plausible and useful comparison to consider. But employing the same reasoning to adjust the MR4 Minister's total annual salary norm produces a much more significant absolute quantum of increase. This increase has not gone unnoticed by members of the public, and it is an increase which the Committee itself considers significant. Under the proposals in the Committee's report, the annual MP allowance package will increase from $192,500 to $259,000, an increase explained largely by inflation.[+1 sentence] For comparison, the 2012 framework set the annual MP allowance at 17.5% of the MR4 Minister benchmark, or $192,500, which was marginally less than what MPs used to be paid before 2011. An entry-level Minister's annual reference salary, on the other hand, will increase from $1.1 million to $1.8 million dollars under the Committee's proposal.[+2 sentences] To be clear, a Minister also earns an MP's allowance. In percentage terms, the proposed in the MR4 Minister reference salary is about 64%, compared with about 35% for an MP. In other words, the percentage increase for an MR4 Minister is roughly 1.8 times that of an MP. That could explain why the Prime Minister has proposed a first-step increase of up to 9% and has committed that paying a Minister $1.8 million as laid out in the committee's report is not a target.[+1 sentence] The WP agrees with this more sober approach to raising Ministerial salaries, compared to the Committee's recommendation and notwithstanding the WP's differing position on how the underlying figure is derived. The Prime Minister has also said that by the end of this term of Government, he expects most Ministers who remain at MR4 to be at the lower-end of the new salary range, at about $1.35 million.[+3 sentences] I would like to clarify with the Prime Minister whether this means that after the initial adjustment of up to 9%, there will be no further general or across the board adjustment, and that any subsequent increases will be based solely on individual performance and responsibilities? Onto my second point. There appears to be some public confusion about the variable component of the MR4 Minister's total salary norm as expressed in the Committee's report. At $1.1 million dollars today, the MR4 reference annual salary assumes 13 months of fixed pay and seven months of variable pay.[+4 sentences] The variable components comprise the annual variable component, performance bonus and National Bonus. The Government has clarified that the $1.1 million is an all-in reference figure comprising fixed and variable components. A Mothership post on Tuesday reported that the bonus component was "up to" seven months in total a year, taking reference from the norm annual salary for Ministers. This is correct. However, we know that the 2012 framework for political salaries contemplated variable components, or a total bonus of up to 13.5 months a year, with the actual amount depending on the annual variable component, performance bonus and the National Bonus. We also know that the Government disclosed that from 2013 to 2017, actual variable payments of the bonus to Cabinet Ministers averaged 9.7 months a year, not seven months as assumed by the annual salary norm in the Committee's report. In Parliament in February this year, WP's Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Eileen Chong asked for the ranges of performance bonus, National Bonus and annual variable component received by Ministers from 2018 to 2024. She did not receive a helpful reply from the Government, with only a range provided for the annual variable component at 0 to 1.5 months.[+15 sentences] That being the case, would it not be useful for the purposes of transparency, which is a principle this House agrees to with regard to political salaries, to disclose how actual total remuneration received by MR4 Ministers has compared with the annual salary norm since the new formula was introduced in 2012? This would provide a more accurate picture of what Ministers have actually received in practice, as distinct from the annual total salary norm used by the Committee as a key point of reference. In conjunction with this point, the Committee's proposal calls for a wider range of salaries at each Ministerial grade to accommodate a greater diversity of talent. While potentially giving the People's Action Party (PAP) more flexibility in recruiting political candidates from the private sector, as alluded to by the Prime Minister, I would caution that this increased flexibility will also contribute to a concomitant increase in public scrutiny about the total annual salaries of individual Ministers in concert with the principle that salaries ought to be transparent. It would follow that this information should be published accordingly in a practical format that promotes public understanding of the total salaries earned by Ministers. Onto my third point. The Prime Minister observed in his Ministerial Statement that a proper MP allowance would enable both the PAP and the WP to recruit and field strong candidates. I note the Prime Minister's view that the presence of the Opposition has resulted in a higher quality of debate in this House. This is good for Singapore as Parliament is an important platform to ventilate different views and for the Opposition to serve as an effective check and balance on the Government. However, at this point in our nation's political history, in my view, the raison d'etre of both the WP and the PAP is very different. Simply put, a sufficient MP allowance is not a reason Singaporeans choose to stand on the WP ticket and remuneration is not the device or platform through which the WP attracts candidates or can attract candidates. The point I wish to make is not that the MP remuneration is unimportant, it is that remuneration is not what drives an individual Singaporean to become a WP candidate. The WP fields candidates who not only believe in a more democratic and balanced political system, but they are prepared to stand behind their convictions against significant odds while working for Singaporeans on the ground. The reality is that winning an election for the Opposition in a one-party dominant state, where the PAP remains electorally dominant, represents a gargantuan challenge, both personally and professionally. For WP candidates, there can be no assumption of electoral success, particularly given the structural advantages enjoyed by the incumbent governing party. No WP candidate can reasonably take for granted that he or she will win and become an MP, let alone approach the decision to stand for elections on the basis of achieving some degree of parity insofar as his or her renumeration prospects are concerned. We believe that our political system and our country is strengthened and not weakened by a strong and sensible Opposition in Parliament, where at least one third of the seats ought to be in Opposition hands.[+7 sentences] A good Opposition plays a critical check and balance role and represents an important ballast in our political system. In our view, this also plays an important role in uniting our people, something that will become increasingly important for Singapore in the years to come. On to my fourth point. It remains unclear to many Singaporeans what the job scope of Mayors is, requiring their renumeration which continues to be linked to the political salary framework, as laid out in the committee's report. The WP raised this issue in our last General Election manifesto, which we put before Singaporeans at the polls. I have also previously questioned in this House the scope of a Mayor's responsibilities, given that many functions previously performed by Community Development Councils (CDCs) have gradually been devolved to other organisations, including Social Service Offices and other Government agencies. The 2026 review Committee has itself recognised that such considerations for community-related roles, such as MPs and Mayors, may differ from those for full-time political appointment holders. The committee has recommended that the Government study establishing a basis for sizing these payments for these roles that is de-linked from the MR4 benchmark while remaining adequate for these roles to be carried out faithfully and effectively. The Government has accepted the recommendation and will undertake such a study.[+1 sentence] Beyond confirming when the study is likely to be completed, I asked the Government to include in its study the office of the Mayor and to explain its scope, role and function. For clarity, the Minister for Public Services has confirmed that office holders receive one wage in addition to their MP's allowance. It would follow that two out of five Mayors today receive a full Mayor's salary since the other three Mayors are office holders.[+3 sentences] Paradoxically, this treatment in the case of Mayors who are also political office holders only amplifies the public interest on the real job scope of Mayors. Fifth and finally, I note that the remuneration and manpower support for Legislative Assistants and Secretarial Assistants to MPs have not been reviewed as part of this exercise. In March this year, the Government expressly confirmed that the 2026 Committee would not review the allowances of Legislative Assistants and Secretarial Assistants because this fell outside of the Committee's terms of reference. The Government also confirmed that these allowances were last updated in 2007 – almost 20 years ago.[+8 sentences] It is appropriate to ask why the remuneration for these assistants should remain static. Their allowances should also increase to accommodate inflation, similar to how the Committee determined the rise in MP allowances. Mr Speaker, none of us are here by virtue of our own efforts. While our families will always represent a bulwark of support, there are many, many other unseen contributors behind the scenes. Legislative Assistants and Secretarial Assistants are in this category and they help MPs discharge their responsibilities to their constituents or this House. They do so regardless of party affiliation. It would be a travesty to overlook these individuals when considering the resources necessary for MPs to discharge their responsibilities effectively. I therefore urge the Government and Parliament to review the allowance provided to Legislative Assistants and Secretarial Assistants to MPs, and to do so without delay. To summarise, my clarifications notwithstanding, the WP supports the increase in salaries to MPs in view of inflation, and agrees with the decision of the Prime Minister not to increase the salaries of Ministers beyond up to 9%.[+1 sentence] Even though the Committee has recommended to continue pegging Ministerial salaries to the median salary of the top 1,000 earners in Singapore with a discount, the WP takes the view that a multiple of an MP's salary pegged at that of a senior public servant combined with a more modest variable component would better serve Singapore and Singaporeans, and continue to attract good people to politics in this country we all call home.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Prof Kenneth Poon.
Prof Kenneth Poon (Nominated Member)1026 words
[+6 sentences]Mr Speaker, I agree that we should continue to attract capable and committed Singaporeans from different backgrounds to public service. Remuneration should never be the principal motivation for entering political office. But neither should we create unnecessary barriers that make it difficult for capable Singaporeans, particularly those with families and financial commitments, to step forward to serve. I would like to focus my comments on one of the recommendations, which is the proposal to explore the inclusion of a robust Quality of Life measure in the National Bonus framework. And as I speak, I declare my interest as a former Board Member of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). I welcome this proposal. Today, the National Bonus is determined by four economic and labour-market indicators: citizen unemployment, real income growth at the median, real income growth at the 20th percentile and real GDP growth.[+5 sentences] These are important measures. Together, they ask whether our economy is growing, whether Singaporeans have jobs and whether incomes are rising, including for those at the lower end of the income distribution. The proposal to introduce Quality of Life presents us with an opportunity to ask a broader question: how should we measure whether Singaporeans are doing well? Sir, I believe that a Quality of Life measure should be part of the answer. And we do not have to start from scratch. The NCSS has been measuring Quality of Life in Singapore for some years, using internationally established instruments, and so, we now have national reference data.[+12 sentences] Could we use this opportunity to consider a broader framework of social progress? There are international precedents. New Zealand's Treasury, for example, uses a Living Standards Framework that considers multiple domains of individual and collective well-being. I am not suggesting that we import New Zealand's framework. Singapore has our own circumstances, priorities and social compact. But there is value in the underlying idea: economic performance and social progress are related, but they are not the same thing. I would offer four dimensions of social progress for consideration. First, material adequacy: do Singaporeans have enough to meet their essential needs? The National Bonus already monitors real income growth at the 20th percentile. This tells us whether lower-income Singaporeans are making economic progress. But growth and adequacy answer different questions. A household's real income can rise and yet remain insufficient to meet its essential needs. Could we therefore consider developing an Essential Household Expenditure Basket?[+18 sentences] Our Household Expenditure Survey published by the Department of Statistics already provides rich data about what households spend on housing, food, transport, healthcare, education and other needs. I am not proposing now what should go into the basket. Rather, could we establish a periodically updated measure of the resources required to meet a carefully defined set of essential household needs? We could then ask not only whether lower-income Singaporeans' incomes are rising, but whether fewer households lack the resources necessary for a basic but adequate standard of living. Second, access: can Singaporeans obtain essential services when they need them? One distinctive feature of Singapore's social compact is that wellbeing is not determined by household income alone. Singaporeans benefit from substantial public investment and support in areas such as housing, healthcare, education and social services. Social progress could therefore consider timely and effective access to essential services that I mentioned earlier, such as healthcare, public housing and preschool places, as well as early intervention and disability services. The precise measures require careful consideration. But the principle is important. For a parent waiting for early intervention for a child, a patient waiting for a necessary operation, or a family waiting for suitable housing, a service being available technically is different from being able to access it when needed. Third, social connectedness: do Singaporeans feel that they belong? A successful society is more than a collection of economically successful individuals. We are members of families, neighbourhoods, communities and a nation. We could therefore consider people's sense of belonging, the strength of their social support networks, or whether they feel connected to their communities. This matters because material living standards can rise even as people become more isolated from one another. Our economic indicators would not tell us if this were happening. Fourth, subjective wellbeing: do Singaporeans themselves feel that their lives are going well? This brings me back to the Committee's proposal. I support the inclusion of a robust Quality of Life measure, but not all indicators need to be objective.[+1 sentence] Objective indicators tell us about the circumstances in which people live. A subjective measure allows Singaporeans themselves to tell us how they experience their lives.[+1 sentence] Sir, I am not proposing today that these four dimensions be directly added to the National Bonus formula. I am suggesting that as the Government develops its Quality of Life measure, we take the opportunity to develop a broader framework for understanding social progress.[+11 sentences] There are technical questions to resolve. And any measure used must be robust, consistent over time and resistant to gaming. We should also be careful about holding the Government accountable for outcomes over which they have limited influence. But these challenges should not prevent us from asking the larger question. Our existing National Bonus indicators provide a strong picture of economic progress. The Committee's Quality of Life recommendation gives us an opportunity to complement this with a clearer conception of social progress. Mr Speaker, in conclusion, economic indicators tell us whether Singapore is prospering. Social indicators can tell us whether Singaporeans are flourishing. I have suggested four questions for consideration: do Singaporeans have enough to meet their essential needs? Can they access essential services when they need them? Do they feel that they belong? And do Singaporeans themselves judge their quality of life to be good? So, as Government considers and develops the proposed Quality of Life measure, will it consider a broader social progress framework incorporating objective as well as subjective measures? If we can do this well, the National Bonus will continue to recognise the importance of a strong economy, jobs and rising incomes, whilst also recognising the reason these ultimately matter: to enable Singaporeans, their families and our communities to flourish.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Liang Eng Hwa.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang)2038 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, in 2007, about a year after I entered Parliament, the Government moved a Motion to adjust the salaries of political appointment holders.[+25 sentences] At the time, I did not take part in that debate. At that time, I was not entirely convinced that ministerial salaries should be pegged to the market. Although I understood the reasoning behind it, one question remained in my mind: was this the best approach? Twenty years have passed. I am older now, with more life and work experience and I hope, a little more wisdom. I know this remains an emotive issue, but I believe it is still necessary to share my views. Mr Speaker, besides having the privilege of serving as a Member of Parliament, I have also worked in the financial sector for more than 30 years. My years of political service and corporate work have given me the opportunity to understand, from two different perspectives, the distinction between national leadership and corporate leadership. As Members of Parliament, our responsibilities include holding the Government to account and reviewing policies. We also have the opportunity to work closely with Ministers and observe how they analyse issues, formulate policies, manage crises and make major decisions. In my professional work in finance, I have also worked extensively with corporate management teams, giving me a deep understanding of the business acumen and judgement required of corporate leaders, as well as the responsibilities and pressures they bear. My experience across these two fields has made me deeply aware that the duties and responsibilities borne by political and corporate leaders are fundamentally different in both nature and scale. A corporate leader must run the company well, manage profits and costs, and be accountable to customers, employees and shareholders. A political leader, however, bears responsibility for the entire country. This encompasses economic development, national security, people’s livelihoods, social cohesion and more – ultimately ensuring that Singaporeans' lives and livelihoods are protected today and in the future. We all know that Singapore has many inherent constraints. We are a tiny nation with no natural resources and a limited domestic market. Therefore, governing Singapore well is a formidable task. The Prime Minister and Ministers must constantly confront structural constraints and external shocks, assess developments accurately, weigh the national interest, and make decisive and sound decisions at critical moments. This is why our nation-building journey has never been smooth and why we have faced severe crises from time to time. How the Government’s leaders respond to crises is one of the most direct tests of leadership. Over the past few decades, whether during the 2008–2009 Global Financial Crisis or, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I witnessed how the Government’s leadership team responded in a steady, decisive and pragmatic manner, working at every turn to cushion the impact on Singaporeans’ lives and the economy. The international environment and the rapid pace of technological change will become even more complex. The Government's leadership team will undoubtedly face many tests again. Beyond the Government's effective crisis management, I have also seen, over the years, its foresight and ability to execute long-term plans while preparing for adversity in times of stability. More than 20 years ago, before energy security became a major issue, we had already begun planning and building a liquefied natural gas terminal, giving Singapore more diversified sources of natural gas. Before biomedicine became a major industry, the Government had already committed substantial resources to building Biopolis and nurturing a research, talent and industry ecosystem.[+1 sentence] Today, Singapore has built an internationally competitive ecosystem in biomedicine and scientific research. To strengthen Singapore's position as an international financial centre and business hub, we began planning and developing Marina Bay decades ago, laying the foundations for the vibrant global city we see today. Before water security became a widely recognised global concern, Singapore had already begun developing NEWater.[+30 sentences] At the same time, we have pursued long-term urban planning and preserved important green spaces and nature reserves. Behind these decisions lies a steadfast conviction: that this Little Red Dot must continue to survive, continue to develop, and continue to shine on the world stage. This requires Government leaders who are prepared to look further ahead, invest resources today, shoulder responsibility and act with the long term in mind. By the same token, the substantial national reserves we have today did not materialise out of thin air. They are the result of successive Governments maintaining fiscal discipline and prudent financial management over the long term, building them up bit by bit. Today, managing and safeguarding this vast national asset is an exceptionally weighty responsibility. This requires not only sound institutions and system, but also capable Ministers with good judgement and a deep understanding of the economy, finance and markets to provide stewardship and oversight, and to make the right decisions in the country's long-term interests. These many experiences have strengthened my conviction that: Singapore needs a political leadership team of the highest calibre and capability. This is one of our key advantages. However, high-quality and capable political leadership can never be taken for granted. How do we ensure that the best people are willing to enter public service and shoulder the responsibility of leading the country? First, they must of course possess a spirit of service, as well as integrity, honesty and the right values. A spirit of service and integrity are non-negotiable prerequisites. I believe no one would disagree with this. The next consideration is talent and ability. Ministers bear the weighty responsibility of governing the country and safeguarding the people. We need leaders with ability, resolve and perseverance. But we also know that outstanding people often have a corresponding market value. They are sought not only by the Government, but also by companies and other organisations eager to recruit and retain them. Therefore, if the salaries of political appointment holders remain disconnected from the market over the long term and the gap continues to widen, I fear that it will become increasingly difficult for future Governments to attract outstanding people into politics to lead the country. Mr Speaker, I believe most people would agree that, in the workplace, a person’s ability, experience and judgement, as well as the responsibilities he bears, should command a reasonable market value. We must then ask if that person chooses to enter politics, does his or her existing market value suddenly disappear? Should his and her abilities, experience and professional value, as well as the opportunities he gives up, be disregarded entirely? This is a question that deserves serious pondering. Of course, I fully agree that entering politics is, first and foremost, a public service. Holding public office also entails a degree of personal sacrifice. I have no disagreement with that. However, I believe that a spirit of service and reasonable remuneration are not mutually contradictory concepts. The two can certainly coexist. In my view, the existing ministerial salary framework is the balance that we are seeking. The current framework uses market pay as a reference point and applies a 40% discount to reflect the dedication and sacrifice inherent in public service. In this round of adjustments, the Prime Minister has gone further by moderating the increase, such that serving Ministers will initially receive only a one-off salary adjustment capped at 9%.[+19 sentences] Mr Speaker, over the years, Singapore has been fortunate to have successive generations of outstanding and capable leaders who have taken the country forward. Through working with the Prime Minister and Ministers, I have come to appreciate deeply that they are willing to take on this responsibility because of their sense of mission and dedication to Singapore. Let me cite Minister Vivian as an example. I have worked with Minister Vivian for more than 20 years. He is the anchor Minister for Holland–Bukit Timah GRC and Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency (SMC). Since becoming Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2015, I have seen him represent Singapore with distinction on the international stage. He possesses keen strategic insight, thinks clearly, communicates forcefully, and consistently demonstrates a clear understanding of Singapore's strategic interests. As Minister for Foreign Affairs, he also keeps an extremely demanding schedule, travelling around the world throughout the year to protect Singapore's interests, expand our international space and strengthen partnerships. A few weeks ago, I asked Minister Vivian how he coped with such a packed and gruelling travel schedule year after year. He smiled and told me that, on some mornings, the first thing he had to ask himself upon waking in a hotel was: Which country am I in? What time zone is this? What engagements and agenda do I have today? This also shows that ministerial responsibilities demand not only intellectual capacity, but also energy and stamina. Let me give another example. During his 20 years as Prime Minister, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong led Singapore through several major crises, while driving economic transformation, strengthening social protection and further consolidating Singapore's position as an international financial and business centre. In my interactions with Senior Minister Lee, I have keenly felt his profound sense of mission and responsibility towards Singapore. Let us also consider Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's journey in politics. More than a decade ago, before Prime Minister Wong entered politics, when he was the Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority, I had the opportunity to meet him in my capacity as a banker. Even then, he left a deep impression on me. He had not only a deep understanding of how the energy market operated, but also a firm grasp of the technical issues underlying power generation and energy systems. He later played a direct role in bringing Singapore's liquefied natural gas terminal project to fruition, giving us multiple sources of natural gas and further strengthening our energy security. Since taking office in 2024, Prime Minister Wong has led Singapore with calmness and steadiness through an increasingly turbulent global environment.[+5 sentences] At the same time, he has refreshed our economic strategies, strengthened pro-family policies and continued to enhance social protection, laying the foundations for Singapore’s competitiveness and resilience in the next phase. He has said that when he was invited to enter politics, his original intention was simply to serve diligently and give back to the country; he never imagined that he would one day become Prime Minister. Later, when the fourth-generation leadership team chose him as successor, he ultimately put the country first and took on this immense responsibility. These examples reinforce my belief that those who genuinely choose to enter politics must first possess a sense of mission to serve the country. At the same time, we should not therefore assume that the personal opportunity costs they bear do not exist. If we compare the salaries of the Prime Minister and Ministers with those of corporate executives, and then consider the responsibilities and pressures borne by each, I believe many would agree that: the sacrifices made by political appointment holders in fact far exceed the 40% discount reflected in the current salary framework.[+2 sentences] Mr Speaker, as a small country, our margin for error in national governance is far smaller than that of many larger countries. We must therefore do all we can to avoid taking a meaningless pathway or paying needless costs. Particularly in major national strategies and public policies, an error of judgement or a wrong turn could carry an enormous cost and might even set the country on a path of non-return. For this very reason, when selecting and bringing in national leaders, we cannot compromise on the quality of leadership.[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, ministerial salaries have remained unchanged for 15 years. I agree that it is time for an adjustment.[+2 sentences] I understand that many people still face a psychological hurdle in accepting that the salaries of political appointment holders should be linked to the market. Twenty years ago, I faced the same hurdle. Twenty years on, I believe this is the right decision. If we want Singapore to continue to have an outstanding political leadership team in the decades ahead, we must establish a reasonable and sustainable system that encourages capable people of integrity and a strong sense of mission to step forward and serve the country.[+1 sentence] I support the Ministerial Statement.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Azhar Othman.
Mr Azhar Othman (Nominated Member)1394 words
[+8 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise today to address this House on a matter that touches the very heart of our social compact – the remuneration of our political office holders. I acknowledge that the Prime Minister has rightly framed that this is an emotive issue and indeed, it is. Let me begin by affirming what we all agree upon. I do not stand here to suggest that our leaders should toil for paltry sums. I fully accept the Government's three foundational pillars: first, that competitive pay is essential to prevent a debilitating talent drain to the private sector; second, that the "clean wage" principle, with its full transparency and absence of hidden perks, is a gold standard of integrity that we must defend; and third, that a performance-linked component ensures our Ministers remain relentlessly focused on the economic vitality of our nation. These are not trivial points. They are the architecture of a professional, corruption-free governance system that has served us well. However, Mr Speaker, the question before this House is not whether we should pay our office holders well. The question is: what is the appropriate, defensible and principled basis for determining "how much is enough"?[+1 sentence] Let me begin with the benchmark itself. I wish to scrutinize the MR4 benchmark, which ties Ministerial salaries to the median income of the top 1,000 Singaporean earners, with a 40% discount.[+8 sentences] So, I ask this House: why do we anchor national leadership compensation to the very apex of the private sector? The private sector exists to maximize shareholder value. It is a realm where cost-cutting, including the difficult decision to retrench workers, is often a necessary strategy for survival. But the Government, Mr Speaker, is not a corporation. The Government's mandate is fundamentally different from that of a private equity firm. Our leaders have a duty to protect jobs, not to eliminate them; to strengthen the social fabric, not merely to rationalize it; and to think in decades, not in quarterly earnings. If we are to look for comparators, should we not look across the globe to successful, stable democracies? The data is instructive. The heads of government in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Germany and Belgium – nations with comparable standards of living and governance standards – receive remuneration that is, at most, four to seven times their nation's median worker salary.[+9 sentences] Mr Speaker, international news agencies have reported that Singapore already stands apart at the top of this list, paying our political leaders more than any other country. We are told that this adjustment is necessary to account for the opportunity costs of attracting top CEOs who earn between $6 million and $7 million. We must be clear. Public service is a calling, not a market transaction. The skillsets required to shepherd a nation through existential threats – pandemics, geopolitical fragmentation and climate change – are fundamentally distinct from those required to maximise a company's bottom line. One manages capital, the other manages the hopes and aspirations of millions of citizens. To equate the two is to misunderstand the moral weight of public office. We are also told that salaries have been frozen for 15 years and that an adjustment is simply overdue. But Mr Speaker, a delay in a review does not automatically justify a massive, uncompromising catch-up adjustment. A more gradual and modest path, particularly given the 9% phased increase is already in motion, would have demonstrated fiscal prudence and social sensitivity.[+6 sentences] Because, Mr Speaker, we must look at the ground we walk on. Today, we are witnessing the profound and disruptive rise of AI. Singaporeans are deeply anxious about housing costs, the trajectory of healthcare inflation, retirement adequacy and the relentless creep of the cost of living. In this climate, the Government must be exquisitely sensitive to the widening distance between the lived reality of the ordinary Singaporean and the remuneration of those who govern them. Perception matters as much as policy. That is why I now turn to my constructive proposal. If we accept the premise of a clean wage, we must also accept the premise of shared risk. I propose that we adjust the structure to a fixed salary of 45% and a variable component of 55%.[+2 sentences] Why this ratio? Because the fixed 45% already represents a substantial, dignified and generous sum that no office holder would struggle to live on. The remaining 55% should be explicitly, transparently and heavily weighted toward national performance metrics that directly affect the median citizen – real median income growth, unemployment rates and housing affordability.[+21 sentences] Under such a model, if the nation thrives, our leaders thrive with it, justly so. But if the nation faces headwinds, our leaders share in the national sacrifice. That is solidarity. And it ensures that the variable component is not a mere bonus, but a genuine reflection of the social contract between the governed and those who govern. Let me speak in Malay in my next speech. (In Malay): Mr Speaker, allow me to share a brief reflection from my travels. In the course of my work, I had the chance to witness many forms of governance across many nations. I have seen countries led by extraordinarily able individuals who lifted their people from despair into prosperity. I have also seen nations where poor leadership – driven by entitlement, corruption, or incompetence – squandered generational wealth and eventually left their people in dire situations. I have witnessed a country collapse into chaos, rise again with a change of government and then slide backward once more when complacency set in. The lesson, Mr Speaker, is this: good governance is critical. Singapore has been profoundly blessed because we have been led by great men and guided by leaders who are visionaries. (In English): Mr Speaker, allow me to share a brief reflection from my travels. In the course of my work, I have had the privilege of witnessing governance across many nations. I have seen countries led by extraordinarily able individuals who lifted their people from despair into prosperity. I have also seen nations where poor leadership, driven by entitlement, corruption or incompetence, squandered generational wealth and left entire populations destitute. I have witnessed a country collapse into chaos, rise again with a change of government and then slide backward once more when complacency sets in. The lesson, Mr Speaker, is this: good governance is critical. We have been profoundly blessed in Singapore. We have been managed by giants and navigated by visionaries. Singapore has been fortunate to have been served by Prime Ministers who led with conviction, empathy and resilience. The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, together with his pioneering team, transformed Singapore from a developing nation into a first world country within a single generation. Mr Goh Chok Tong and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in their respective terms of leadership, continued to build on that foundation and helped raise the living standards of Singaporeans.[+1 sentence] As the Prime Minister has noted, Singapore has also benefited from the capable and steady leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Senior Minister K Shanmugam and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, whose contributions to our national resilience and international standing deserve recognition. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has likewise demonstrated calm and purposeful leadership in guiding Singapore forward, with a clear commitment to ensuring that no Singaporean will be left behind.[+5 sentences] This is a principle this House can recognise and commend. We should guard carefully against allowing the achievements of the past to create any sense of entitlement in the present. The responsibility before us is a serious one. If our system rewards only status or if those who govern become too distant from the economic realities of the average citizen, we may weaken the very trust and stability that have long defined Singapore. Let me conclude, Mr Speaker, on this note. My position is not that our Ministers should be paid poorly.[+1 sentence] Far from it. They should be remunerated fairly and with dignity – they sacrificed a lot, their families sacrificed a lot – so that pay is never a barrier to capable and public-spirited Singaporeans entering public service. At the same time, let us ensure that the rewards of leadership remain meaningfully connected to the well-being of the median Singaporean.[+1 sentence] Let us recognise excellence, but let us preserve humility, solidarity and a closer understanding of the lives of the people we serve.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Mariam Jaafar.
Ms Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang)2535 words
[+13 sentences]Mr Speaker, in Malay. (In Malay): Yesterday, I had a chat with a makcik (auntie) who runs a stall in a coffeeshop in my constituency, Woodlands. When I mentioned this debate, she laughed and said, "nak (child), that kind of money, cik won't even come close to smelling that much money in twenty years, let alone one". She was not angry. She was just stating the distance, honestly, the way she states the price of her nasi campur (mixed rice). I told her I would carry that honesty into this House. So, let me start there, before I explain why I support what the Government has put forth. To me, public service and especially political leadership, is three things held together at once: a responsibility, a privilege and a sacrifice. A responsibility – because the decisions our political leaders make affect the lives of every Singaporean. A privilege, because very few Singaporeans will ever be entrusted with the opportunity to shape the future of our country. And a sacrifice – not only of income and career opportunities, but of privacy, family life, time. I ask us to hold all three at once, because much of the unease comes from holding only one. When Singaporeans hear a seven-figure salary, I understand why the first reaction might be: that is a lot of money. The revised benchmark is roughly 26 times the median gross income of around $69,000 a year.[+12 sentences] For many Singaporeans, it is a number that feels like it belongs to a different universe. That feeling is not envy. It is a reasonable instinct about fairness. I would never tell my makcik or any Singaporean feeling squeezed by the cost of living: housing, healthcare, school fees, or our mature workers and youths worried about job security and the impact of AI, that the number should not make them uncomfortable. But discomfort with the number cannot be the end of the conversation. We must also ask the harder questions. If not this, then what? If not now, then when? If we allow the gap between political leadership and every serious alternative to widen year after year, until it begins to affect the willingness of capable people to serve – who do we think will step forward? Somebody will. The question is who, why, and how many. At its core, this is a question about the kind of political leadership Singapore needs going forward, and whether our compensation structure gets in the way of building it. The Government has accepted the review committee's recommendations, reaffirmed the core principles of the framework and updated the benchmark.[+9 sentences] I support that. But I want to be precise about what a benchmark is. (In English): A benchmark is a reference point, not an entitlement. (In Malay): A benchmark is a reference point, not an entitlement. It tells us where the market has moved. It does not tell us what we must pay. A framework should provide discipline. But applying it still requires judgement. (In English): A framework should provide discipline, but applying it still requires judgement. (In Malay): The Prime Minister has looked at that benchmark and exercised restraint: a one-off adjustment of up to 9%, not an immediate leap to the new figure.[+5 sentences] I support that judgement precisely because he did not simply follow a formula. We should not want a Prime Minister who pays Ministers because a spreadsheet says so. We should want a Prime Minister who has the room, and takes the room, to decide what is appropriate and takes into account all factors including the lived realities of ordinary Singaporeans. And I might add, who holds himself to no lower a standard than he is asking this House to accept. At this juncture, I would like to seek a clarification from the Minister. Will the Prime Minister claim tax relief on his donations? In my view, the Prime Minister should not be financially worse off as a result of his decision to personally donate his salary increase to suitable charities. There is a second change that I think matters just as much: widening the salary ranges.[+29 sentences] This is especially timely as we renew our political leadership. When someone first steps into political office, we know the weight of the job they are taking on – but we do not yet know how they will carry it. A system should not treat appointment as proof of performance. A wider range gives the Prime Minister room to bring in people with deep experience and substantial expertise, and to recognise people who prove themselves exceptional. It also means we do not have to assume, on day one, that every new office holder is already a fully proven performer. Equally we should not assume that excellence in one sector – whether public, private, the labour movement, academia or civil society – automatically translates into excellence in political leadership. People enter political leadership from very different sectors, with very different pay structures and very different trade-offs. Some may be coming with decades of experience and a substantial pay package behind them. Others may come with less experience or from sectors where remuneration is much lower. They should all have a fair opportunity to serve. But we do not want entry into politics to feel like striking the lottery. Public office is not a prize. It is a responsibility. At the same time, we should not allow the financial structure to exclude capable Singaporeans simply because they come from sectors or backgrounds that pay less. A wider range allows us to recognise the responsibility when someone takes office and then lets performance speak for itself. Appointment should open the door. Performance should determine how far someone progresses through it. I think that is a healthier principle for a system that is renewing its leadership. Mr Speaker, I have spent my entire career in the private sector, and I have seen what senior compensation can and cannot do. Compensation matters – it can draw someone to consider a role. But it has not, in my experience, usually been the only reason someone chooses to actually take it or not. Even in the private sector, people weigh purpose. They weigh the calibre of the people and the culture of organisation they will work with. They weigh their parents' needs, their spouse's feelings, their children's parent teacher meetings, and what little personal time they have left over. They ask whether what they might contribute is worth what they would give up. What more in politics? Political leadership asks for an unusually large sacrifice of privacy and family time in exchange for an unusually large share of responsibility. So, I will not stand here and argue that Ministers should be paid what the market pays top chief executive officers (CEOs). Government is not a company and political leadership is not simply another executive role. The framework recognises the ethos of public service through a 40% discount to the benchmark, and I am glad it does.[+10 sentences] But I will say this plainly: money should never be the reason someone enters public service. And it should never be the unnecessary reason someone does not. (In English): Money should never be the reason someone enters public service, and it should never be the unnecessary reason someone does not. I hear a version of the same sentence quite often from capable people across many fields. I am sure everyone in this House has heard something similar. It goes something like this, "I'm glad you are doing it because I wouldn't." (In Malay): I am glad you are doing it, because I would not. (In English): It is usually meant as a compliment and take it as one, but I also listen to what sits underneath it. These are people who respect the work, people who could possibly contribute as MPs, as political office holders and people who have looked honestly at what public life would ask of them and decided they cannot make that choice. That "no" never makes the news. Nobody writes a headline about the leader who never comes forward, but every time I hear that sentence, I ask myself what exactly made the answer no, and whether money was an unnecessary part of it. I do not know how many of those decisions a potential 9% adjustment would change, but I do know that we should not make the choice harder than it already is or needs to be.[+10 sentences] (In Malay): There is a Malay proverb: "melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya" – you shape the bamboo while it is still a shoot. We cannot wait until we are short of leaders to start thinking about whether the kind of Singaporeans we need, to take our country forward are willing and able to come forward. As we confront a more complex and challenging future, Singapore needs political leaderships that draws on the most capable people from different backgrounds – from the public service, private sector, business, law, medicine, academia, technology, civil society and other fields. In my work and interactions with global companies and their leadership teams, global chief executive officers (CEOs) repeatedly point to Singapore as the case study – the place where governance just works. But it does not happen by accident, and it is not built by the civil service alone, or by political leadership alone. It works because of both together. Our public service gives us enormous institutional capability. But there are decisions only political leaders can make – decisions involving difficult trade-offs, where the consequences may not become clear for years, and where someone must ultimately be willing to take responsibility for the choice. We should want the best people we can find to take on that responsibility. (In English): Mr Speaker, if we ask this House and our fellow Singaporeans to recognise the sacrifice, we must also be honest about performance, because the two cannot be separated. Our system already ties part of remuneration – 35% – to performance, and I support that principle. The National Bonus is built on objective indicators, median income growth, income growth for our lowest earners, unemployment and gross domestic product (GDP), and I welcome that the targets behind them are being tightened further.[+1 sentence] I also welcome the introduction of a quality-of-life measure, and I hope the Minister will share more on the thinking of how this will be developed. What is perhaps somewhat less understood is the individual performance bonus and how individual performance of our political office holders is assessed. This is quite relevant, as under the revised arrangement, the Prime Minister will now also have the discretion to make subsequent salary adjustments tied to individual performance and responsibilities.[+11 sentences] But I would resist the temptation to think of performance only in numbers that fit neatly on a scorecard. The truest test of political leadership are harder to tabulate. Did they make the difficult call before it became the obvious one? Did they prepare Singapore for a crisis before it had a name and prove their mettle in a crisis? Did ordinary lives actually get better because of what they did? Did they leave our institutions stronger than they found them? And when something went wrong on their watch, did they stand up and take responsibility? These things are harder to measure than profit or share price than GDP, unemployment rate or income growth, but difficult to measure does not mean impossible or optional to assess. I am not asking for individual assessments to be made public. Confidentiality serves a legitimate purpose, but confidentiality should never become vagueness about principle. Singaporeans are entitled to know that the bar for our political leaders is exceptionally high and they should have confidence that exceptional performance is generally recognised, and that poor performance has consequences. Can the Minister confirm that a robust structure exists to assess and recognise performance? Can the Minister provide clarity on the principles used to assess Ministerial performance?[+10 sentences] Mr Speaker, I began this speech with how public service is about responsibility, privilege and sacrifice, but I want to correct myself. It goes beyond responsibility. There is a Malay word "amanah", something entrusted to you that you did not create and do not own, but which you are responsible for protecting and must one day account for. An amanah is not a gift and is not simply a wage. It is something valuable placed in your hands by people who trust you to safeguard it, and an amanah that is never accounted for is not really an amanah at all. The same instinct that tells us to trust our leaders with real responsibility must also require us to hold them to real account; you cannot have the first without demanding the second. Sir, I reach for a Malay word because it is the one I grew up with at home in the mosque from my parents and grandparents, but the concept is not uniquely Malay. Every community has its own way of describing a trust that is bigger than the person who holds it and that must be handed on in better condition than it was received. That is what public service is supposed to mean in any language. Mr Speaker, this is where I land. We should recognise the sacrifice because it is real and it falls not only on those who serve, but on the families who stand beside them. We should honour the privilege because very few people will ever be entrusted with it, and we should demand the amanah – the accountability, the standard, the humility that must come with it. Updating the benchmark does not lighten that demand.[+1 sentence] It sharpens it. And widening the range does not weaken accountability, it strengthens the principle that appointment is not the end of the test, it is the beginning of it.[+4 sentences] The purpose of a credible system is not to tell those that are already in office that they are owed more. It is to make sure that when the Prime Minister looks for the next generation of Singaporeans willing to serve, including the ones who right now are telling a friend, I am glad you are doing it because I would not. Money is not the unnecessary reason they quietly closed the door, and it is to ensure that those who prove themselves exceptionally have room to be recognised. I will go back and tell my nasi campur makcik in Woodlands the same thing I have told this House. Her instinct to question the number is fair and always will be. But the question is really about the kind of political leadership Singapore needs, and whether we have a system that can continue to attract capable Singaporeans, judge them fairly, recognise performance and hold them to the trust we place in them.[+6 sentences] And whether we get the balance right will ultimately be judged not by what we debate today, but by whether the people we entrust with leadership continue to live up to that trust. Recognise the sacrifice, honour the privilege, demand the amanah. (In Malay): Iktiraf pengorbanan. Hargai penghormatan. Tuntut amanah. That is what I came into this House believing public service means it is what I still believe and hold today.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh.
Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh (Nominated Member)2127 words
[+19 sentences]Mr Speaker, political salaries will inevitably stir strong reaction. It is never entirely comfortable for any Parliament to debate how political office holders should be paid. Singapore has chosen a clean wage approach. Political remuneration is published. There are no hidden perks, and the framework is independently reviewed and debated in this house. We may disagree about the benchmark, the discount or how performance should be rewarded, but that transparency is itself a strength we should not take for granted. I also acknowledge the Prime Minister's decision to donate the full increase in his salary for the next five years or during his term. That is a personal decision, but the gesture should be recognised and it sends a clear message about his intentions that the salary increases are not about personal financial gain, but about ensuring that Singapore can continue to draw from and recognise capable people willing to serve. But today, we are discussing a compensation system with implications well beyond any one individual's intentions and potentially beyond a single term. So, my questions are not simply whether political office holders are paid too much or too little, they are whether we are valuing the right skills, rewarding the right outcomes and enabling capable people with the motivation to serve to step forward. I have three areas for the Government to consider. First, are we using the right reference group to benchmark Ministerial compensation? I accept the principle that Ministers should be compensated adequately. We should not design a system in which only those who are independently wealthy or willing to make very large financial sacrifices can afford to serve. The question is therefore how we determine what fair compensation should look like. There are two questions here that should be this that should be kept distinct. The first is what constitutes fair compensation for the role of a Minister and the second is a recruitment question – how broad a pool of potential candidates should compensation seek to keep open? What someone could earn elsewhere is relevant to the recruitment question, but it does not by itself tell us what the role of a Minister is fairly worth. These questions are related, but they are not the same today. The MR4 benchmark is based on the median income of the top 1,000 Singapore Citizen earners, before applying the 40% discount for political service. The occupational breakdown is quite concentrated: 54.1% are in senior management positions; another 35.3% are in financial services; and the remaining 10.6% are professionals, such as lawyers, accountants, doctors and engineers.[+13 sentences] How comparable are these roles to that of a Minister? A corporate executive may run a large and complex organisation, but the mandate is still bounded by organisational performance with economic outcomes as a central priority. For a Minister, economic performance is also critically important, but it is only one part of the mandate. A Minister must reconcile economic performance with distributional consequences, social cohesion, land constraints, national security resilience and inter-generational trade-offs. A financial trader may also earn very large sums by taking a leveraged position or exploiting arbitrage opportunities. That may require exceptional judgement, but it is very different from leading institutions, designing national policy and reconciling competing interests over long horizons. The fact that the role is highly paid does not by itself make it comparable to that of a Minister. My point, Sir, is not that people from these professions should not be recruited into political office. Some may make excellent political leaders. My question is why income should determine membership in the comparative group in the first place. The primary benchmark starts with those who earn the most and uses their earnings as its reference point. I suggest testing a different approach. Start with roles that reflect the skills, judgement, complexity and weight of responsibility we expect of political office holders, and that includes responsibility for decisions affecting Singaporeans, both today and far into the future. Then, examine what people in those roles actually earn. I am not suggesting we abandon the current approach, but perhaps future reviews should test the top 1,000 benchmark against a role-based comparator constructed on this basis.[+7 sentences] Whichever comparator group we use, there is a related question: how representative is a single year's income of what those individuals typically earn over time? If somebody earns $3 million today, do they typically command that income for three years, five years or 10 years? Or do earnings fluctuate because of bonus cycles, equity, realisation, business profits, or particularly good years? Persistence may also differ across occupations. Some partnerships in professional services have retirement or tenure limits. Professionals whose earnings depend heavily on personal practice, such as surgeons, may also face a finite period of peak earning capacity. So, annual realised income is not necessarily representative of long-term compensation. And because Ministerial service typically unfolds over several years, we should also ask whether a one-year snapshot gives a representative picture of what people in that comparative group earn over a similar period. That is why I suggest examining three- or five-year average earnings, rather than relying only on a single year's realised income.[+2 sentences] If the same people consistently command similar incomes over several years, then a one-year snapshot may be reasonable. But if there is substantial turnover of volatility, it tells us what someone earned in that year is not necessarily what people in comparable roles typically earn over a longer period. On the second question, Sir, how wide the talent pool we should keep open.[+8 sentences] Minister Chan has said that pay should ensure capable people are not deterred, but also that financial reward should not be their primary attraction. I agree wholeheartedly. Hence, if political office is already fairly compensated and someone is still unwilling to serve unless we come close to matching an exceptional private sector income, then that may tell us something about the importance of financial return in that person's decision. Political compensation need not be designed to closely match every opportunity a potential candidate might have outside government, but neither should lower pay become a test of commitment – which brings me to the second area: the ethos of public service and what we reward. The public may understandably worry that high salaries will attract people for the wrong reasons, or that financial incentives may crowd out the motivation to serve, but research on motivation and meaningful work suggest that the relationship is not so simple. Being fairly compensated need not diminish how deeply people care about the purpose of their work. Those who experience their work as deeply meaningful or as a calling are often willing to persist through difficulty and contribute beyond what is formally required. But their willingness to give more should not itself become a reason to pay them less. There is a difference between someone willingly accepting sacrifice because of a sense of service and designing a compensation system that requires financial sacrifice as evidence of that service. And this leads me, Sir, to question the 40% discount, which the Committee's report describes as reflecting the ethos of political service. But if we first establish an appropriate benchmark based on genuinely comparable roles, I am not convinced that the logic warrants a discount to begin with.[+5 sentences] Political office also imposes burdens many comparable leadership roles do not – intense public scrutiny, loss of privacy, reputational risk and the possibility that family members are drawn into unwanted public attention. In labour markets, unusually demanding or unattractive features of a job can justify a compensating premium. So, why should political office automatically require a discount? The question here is what the work is, responsibilities and its distinctive burdens are fairly worth. But once we establish a credible role-based benchmark, these distinctive burdens should also be reflected in that adjustment. In my view, they support a compensating premium rather than an automatic discount.[+11 sentences] That addresses the level of pay, but the separate question is how we assess performance and what we choose to reward through pay. The current National Bonus uses four indicators covering economic growth, unemployment and income growth at the median and lower end. These are important measures, and I welcome the Committee's recognition that quality of life should be considered, and the Government's agreement to explore this. That is a useful step forward. But Sir, the current measures largely tell us how Singapore is performing now. Some of our most difficult challenges unfold over much longer horizons: demographic sustainability, social mobility, climate adaptation, social cohesion. It is possible for a government to perform well on growth, employment and current incomes, while long-term capacities continue to decline. So, I ask whether the Government would consider assessing our progress on indicators that reflect Singapore's capacity to thrive over the medium and long term. I am not suggesting that we simply add total fertility rate (TFR), climate outcomes or social mobility as annual targets for the National Bonus. Many of these outcomes move slowly, and they are affected by many factors and are only partly within Government's control. So, not everything that is important should become a key performance indicator (KPI), and not every KPI should become a bonus target. Instead, I suggest that the Government develop a long-term national stewardship scorecard alongside the National Bonus framework, assessing three-to-five-year progress towards long horizon outcomes and milestones.[+7 sentences] The Government can then decide which measures belong in financial incentives and which are better used for public accountability. The broader question is whether our framework should assess not only how well Singapore performs today, but whether today's leaders leave Singapore stronger for tomorrow. My third area, Sir, concerns MPs. I support the Committee's recommendation to study a basis for MP allowance that is delinked from the MR4 benchmark. There is obviously some overlap in roles because Ministers are also MPs. But an MP is not simply a fractional Minister. The parliamentary and representative role itself should be valued on its own terms. So, as with Ministerial compensation, we should begin with the role itself, its responsibilities, its weight of decisions, the time commitment, constituency responsibilities, legislative work and public accountability. Then, identify an appropriate comparative group and develop a standalone MP benchmark.[+12 sentences] But Sir, I think we should go one step further. We should also ask whether being an MP should be financially and professionally sustainable as one's primary commitment. I am not arguing that MP should be prohibited from holding another job. There is indeed value in members remaining connected to professions, businesses and communities outside politics, but neither should our system assume, that MP must maintain a substantial second career while carrying demanding parliamentary and constituency responsibilities. This is partly about burnout. Public service is not strengthened if members are routinely stretched to the point where they cannot continue giving their best over many years, but it is also about who can realistically enter politics. A system that works best for people with unusually accommodating employers, flexible careers, or considerable financial resources may unintentionally narrow the political talent pool. A sustainable MP role could make political service more realistic for mid-career Singaporeans, people with family responsibilities and those whose occupations cannot easily accommodate two demanding roles. This should matter regardless of political affiliation. If we want Singaporeans to have good choices at the ballot box, we should also ensure that capable Singaporeans have a realistic choice to put themselves forward. Mr Speaker, my suggestions are therefore not principally about finding a higher or lower number. They are about improving the architecture of the system. First, identify roles that fairly reflect the skills, judgement and the weight of responsibility expected of our political office holders, and test the top 1000 benchmark against a role-based comparator. Second, examine the trajectory and persistence of earnings rather than relying only on a one-year snapshot when establishing the compensation benchmark. Third, once we have a credible comparator, replace the application of a political service discount with an adjustment that reflects the distinctive burden of political office.[+2 sentences] In my view, those burdens support a compensating premium. Fourth, complement measures of current national performance with longer horizon over with a longer horizon view of stewardship. Fifth, develop a standalone role-based framework for MP remuneration. And sixth, review whether the MP role itself is sustainable so that those who step forward can continue giving their best to Singaporeans over the long term.[+2 sentences] Ultimately, the question is not simply about how much we pay. It is whether the system fairly recognises the skills required, the weight of responsibility and the distinctive burdens of political leadership, whether it rewards stewardship of both the present and the future, and whether it keeps the door open to capable Singaporeans who have both the ability and the motivation to serve.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Tan See Leng.
The Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) (Dr Tan See Leng)1829 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, allow me to begin with some personal reflections. For more than three decades before entering politics, I was in the private sector, practising first as a doctor. I later became involved in the business of healthcare as an entrepreneur, a founder of a healthcare enterprise, and subsequently as the head of a global private healthcare conglomerate Medicine has a way of teaching you what truly matters.[+23 sentences] When I was a young student, my mother fell seriously ill, and this was the reason why I changed the course of my life and chose to study medicine instead. Medicine taught me a profound lesson. We always see, assess, we address the person holistically, before you diagnose, before you assess his problem. Before you even think about a diagnosis, you make efforts to listen and to comfort. Before you prescribe, you understand. In those days in the 1980s, we were taught as students that we cure seldom, we relieve often, but we must always, always comfort our patients. Over the years, my responsibilities grew beyond the consult room. I was privileged to lead healthcare organisations and businesses, with the opportunity to shape not just individual patient care, but healthcare systems that served hundreds of thousands of people. It was deeply meaningful and fulfilling work. It challenged me intellectually. It stretched me as a leader and yes, it also rewarded me handsomely. Yet, with each new responsibility came the same enduring lesson. My career decisions are my own but they have far-ranging effects on the people that I care about. To begin with, my family, my loved ones, my patients as well as employees, my business partners, stakeholders and investors – and the list goes on. My career trajectory was exciting. I was able to build, consolidate, reinforce a global platform to deliver more accessible and specialised care to patients around the world. I also had opportunities to do important deals, successfully acquire, integrate companies and put Singapore's healthcare industry onto the world map. For someone who came from humble beginnings, I did not have an easy time filling these multiple roles. There were multiple twists and turns, and inevitable hard knocks. At times, the road ahead seemed daunting and the burdens I carried too heavy. But I was fortunate, blessed to meet many people along the way. Many of them became good friends, partners, mentors, supporters; all helpers in my travails. People often ask me why I left all this behind. The truth is there was not a single defining moment that led me to leave my fulfilling career for the hurly-burly of politics. It was a gradual but a growing inner realisation that whatever experience I had accumulated over those years in the private sector could perhaps be put to good use in a different way, not just to change a few lives at a time or to build an organisation, but to give back to my country and my people.[+31 sentences] And so, when the opportunity came to serve, I stepped forward. I have often wondered how things would have been like if I had the opportunity to serve earlier, come in into politics in my 40s and not in my 50s. I have never regretted my years as a practising family physician nor have I regretted as a healthcare entrepreneur, for those years when you struggled through, shaped me into who I am today. But throughout my three decades in the private sector, I have also always viewed public service as a special calling; a special but tough calling. And true enough, that is what I found out when I came into the Government in 2020. The Government is unlike any organisation I have ever worked in. Every issue has multiple, many facets. No problem you encounter is a simple one. Each and every decision you make involves intense deliberation and consideration. And often you find yourself choosing between difficult trade-offs because each policy potentially affects millions of lives and far into the future. For me, the learning curve was not just steep; it was humbling. And Members of the House, it still is today. Even after decades of experience in leadership, I find myself having to learn something new every single day – learning how the Government really works, how policies intersect, learning to listen better, balancing competing interests and learning that good intentions alone are never enough. In fact, I still ask myself sometimes: did I make the right choice coming into politics? Have I given up too much? Am I really doing good to justify my choice of public service? The reality is that political service demands significantly more from those who choose to serve. The hours are longer. The responsibilities are heavier. Every decision is scrutinised, and there is little separation between public duty and private life. Running a Ministry is not a matter of chance or ruling of the dice, like "tikam tikam". You cannot make spur of the moment decisions: "Anyhow also can". It takes time, measured, calibrated deliberation to make the right policy calls. It takes careful consideration. There are times I wish I could have been better equipped for public office. Perhaps, if I had a longer runway, I could, in time, have contributed more, been more useful to Singapore. But Members of the House, therein lies the conundrum. For young professional executives, it is not easy to step away from careers that they have spent years, sometimes decades, building. Careers providing for loved ones, pursuing new opportunities, negotiating ambitious deals, climbing the corporate ladder. Give up all this and make a hard pivot into full-time public service just before you reach your peak in the private sector. This reflection brings me to the issue before us today. Speaking only for myself, no realistic level of Ministerial salary could have matched what I was earning before I joined the Government.[+9 sentences] And I could have gone on earning, chasing, making exciting new deals, setting up new enterprises for many more years had I stayed in the private sector. The reality is, had money been my primary consideration, I would have never entered politics. But I just felt I had to give back to the country and the people who had given me so much. I know that my own circumstances are unique. I cannot speak for everyone who is faced with the dilemma of either continuing to pursue their own careers or stepping into the uncertainties of public office. In my case, by the time I entered politics, I had already spent decades building many companies in the private sector. I had achieved more than what I have ever dared to dream of when I first started my business as a young 27-year-old. I had the financial security and independence to make decisions entirely based on my own political convictions with less regard for the personal financial consequences of my decision. I recognise that this is a privilege that most Singaporeans will not have. Imagine then, I had a lot of brilliant surgeons who were my colleagues in the private sector and in the public sector. But someone like my colleague, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, when he entered politics, or my former colleague, Dr Ng Eng Hen, their Ministerial salaries could never have matched what they gave up financially.[+15 sentences] Or perhaps an entrepreneur whose company is just taking off or someone in finance who has burnt countless midnight candles over many years and is finally starting to see big rewards for his hard work. Or a rapidly rising mid-career executive supporting ageing parents while raising his own children. These are exactly the kinds of people whose experiences Singapore might benefit from if they chose public service. People who come into politics in their prime have enough runway to learn the ropes from their seniors and then make lasting contributions to Singapore. I can assure the House, based on my own experience, that when we ask such talents to enter public service, we are also asking them to make considerable changes to their lives. And undoubtedly, for their spouses, their loved ones and their children, there would be some sacrifices as well. Yet, and yes, we hope many will still answer the call. But please do not forget that at a personal level, there is much that they must be prepared to give up as well – time, future opportunities, personal goals, privacy. Financial remuneration then becomes one of the many opportunity costs on that list. And inevitably some will conclude that the sum total is just too high for them to walk away. If that happens too often, Singapore loses, not because these people whom we reach out to lack the heart to serve but because the personal price becomes too great. And that is why this debate is not about whether public service should be motivated by money. There is no question – it must never be motivated by financial profit. Nor is it about ensuring that Ministers can earn what they would have earned in the private sector. That is simply not possible, not only for someone like me but also younger professionals and corporate leaders, as that is the reality. The question is more fundamental: can Singapore continue to have people of ability, integrity and experience from every walk of life in political service?[+1 sentence] Not only those who have already made their fortunes, but also those in the prime of their working lives, when they are freshest and perhaps more valuable over the long run. If we make entry into the public service come at too high a personal cost for too many capable Singaporeans, then over time, we will indeed narrow the pool from which our country can draw its leaders from. And Members of the House, that would be a far greater cost than any salary we debate in this House.[+6 sentences] Ultimately, public service is a high calling. But even callings require deliberate choices. Our responsibility is to ensure that when good Singaporeans are given the privilege to serve, their answers will depend on their willingness and ability and less on whether their own families or their loved ones would also have to share steep financial costs. Mr Speaker, I count myself fortunate that when I was asked to serve, I was in a position to say yes. It has been, it is, it will always be a privilege to serve our beloved country and our Singaporeans. My hope is that when younger Singaporeans in the private sector are asked the same question in the future, we will not have made it unnecessarily harder or progressively more difficult for them. Because at the end of the day, the strength of our Government depends not on what we pay those who serve but on whether we can continue to recruit the best people to serve.[+1 sentence] And that, Mr Speaker, hon Members of the House, that is an investment in Singapore's future that will always be worth making.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Haresh Singaraju.
Dr Haresh Singaraju (Nominated Member)743 words
[+9 sentences]Mr Speaker, as a family physician myself, I echo Dr Tan's points on what medicine teaches, especially service and seeing one as a whole person. My speech will touch on the latter. Sir, for 60 years, Singapore has been led by people able to act, one hard decision at a time. Two of the hardest have been who leads next and how they are paid. Pay is a private matter for most of us; in Government it cannot be. The leaders we need are not only the ablest, they are the ones with the character to take a hard decision and pay the price for it early. Pay does not make such people; it decides whether enough of them come forward. The Committee has reported, the Government has responded. What I want to speak is what should come with that response. The Minister named three principles the framework rests on: calibre, commitment, clean.[+3 sentences] I add a fourth: clear. A clear Government says what it is set out to do and whether it did it. Today, part of political pay is fixed, the rest moves. Part depends on four national numbers: how fast economy grows; how fast real incomes grow for the family, for the middle and for the lowest fifth; and how many citizens are out of work; part depends on the Prime Minister's view of each of them.[+3 sentences] Both are fair, but the plainest test of a Government is whether it reaches the outcomes it has set for itself. The Government already reports those outcomes, every two years it publishes the Singapore Public Sector Outcomes Review, how we have fared in health, housing, jobs and schools. It is a good report, but it tells us how we fared, it does not say what we set out to reach, so nothing in it can be missed. My first ask is therefore for each outcome the Government already reports, say what it aimed for, what it reached and what it did not, on one page that anyone can read.[+13 sentences] Where an outcome takes 10 years or so, say so, and show the milestones. Where it cannot be shown for security or for talks still underway, say that too. Be open on what can be open. The Minister said governing well means being upfront with our people. I agree. This is what upfront looks like on paper. It helps the Government more than it checks it. A promise made in public is more likely to be kept. A missed, explained with a plan to fix it is honesty; and honesty is how a country learns. Singaporeans will be critical. We are. But we know the difference between a Government that tells them and one they had to find out about, and they will give credit for the first. Yes, the ballot box holds the Government to account, but five years is a long time to wait to find out what is working. My second ask is the one I care about most: measure whether Singaporeans are living well.[+5 sentences] The four numbers tell us whether Singapore is growing and whether Singaporeans are earning. They do not tell us whether Singaporeans are living well. I see the gap in the clinic every week, a patient with a job, a flat, children to raise and parents to care for, whose income is rising, and yet is not living well. The outcomes review tells us more, but it moves no one's pay. The Committee saw this and suggested a quality-of-life measure. The Government agreed to explore a robust one.[+13 sentences] That is one of the most important sentences in the whole response, and it has had the least attention. Sir, that robust measure has to be built, so I ask three things. Who will build it? When will this House see it? And whether it will be published, even if it never counts towards a bonus? Whether it moves a bonus matter to a few, whether it moves a Budget matters to everyone. Sir, allow me to say a few words in Tamil, please. (In Tamil): Mr Speaker, Singapore doing well is not the same as Singaporeans living well. Political pay rests mostly on the first. I humbly ask the Government to start measuring the second as well. (In English): Sir, in translation, Singapore doing well is not the same as Singaporeans living well. Political pay rests mostly on the first. I ask the Government to start measuring the second.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Christopher de Souza.
Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah)2159 words
[+20 sentences]Sir, every political system must answer one unavoidable question. How should those entrusted with the highest offices of government be remunerated? Every political system has to compensate its political office holders. Do we look at other countries? Sometimes, yes; sometimes, no; often, no. Take the United Kingdom (UK), for example, once a byword for rectitude and probity among its public servants. Ministerial salaries there have been frozen for years, causing them to fall significantly in real terms over time. Britain has repeatedly found itself in difficult situations. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson became embroiled in controversy over a Conservative Party donor financing the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat. Unfortunately, the questions do not end when politicians leave office. In other words and in other countries, many senior public officials routinely move between government and major corporations, investment banks, lobbying organisations and other private firms. To them, public office is often merely one chapter in a much longer professional career. For example, former UK's Prime Minister Tony Blair went on to build an extensive portfolio of advisory appointments, consultancy work and speaking engagements after leaving 10 Downing Street. This phenomenon is not unique to the UK. In the United States, the Americans called it the revolving door. Even former Presidents have earned substantial sums through books, speaking engagements and corporate deals after leaving office. Again, there is nothing inherently unlawful about any of thisthis, but ‒ and here is the nub ‒ it illustrates a very different model of politics from ours. Financial rewards may not come during public office, they come afterwards in some other countries. Such a system creates different incentives. If politicians know that their future careers may depend on relationships built while in office, the public will inevitably wonder whether today's decisions are made solely in the national interest or whether tomorrow's opportunities are also at the back of the minds of their leaders. From the beginning with the founding Prime Minister, Singapore deliberately chose a different path. Rather than expecting Ministers to rely on gifts, outside interest or other lucrative opportunities after leaving office, Singapore compensates them transparently through a clean wage, one that is sufficient to ensure that they are not incentivised to look elsewhere to make up the difference. It means every Singaporean knows exactly how Ministers are remunerated. There are also no hidden allowances, no need to spend one's time in office preparing for the next career.[+5 sentences] You try to cultivate outside interest for personal gain before you leave office, you could well be invited to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. Our system preserves the independence of our Ministers as good government requires. Political courage to push for the right thing, to see it through for the long term has been critical to Singapore's success. Finding good people is paramount but keeping them in means setting up political careers for longevity. We ask our Ministers to make difficult decisions that may not always be popular – building reserves instead of spending them, restructuring industries before crises emerge, investing for future generations, making choices whose benefits may only become apparent years later. They must be able to do so without worrying about planning or pleasing benefactors, cultivating future employers or positioning themselves for life after politics. This is what our model of Ministerial salaries seeks to guarantee: that Ministers owe their loyalty, judgement and decisions to one group only ‒ Singaporeans.[+3 sentences] I turn now to the load on Parliament. Everyone in this House – Speaker, staff, Members, the whole team – the increased load on Members. And here I speak as a backbencher and not in my capacity as Deputy Speaker. Be it Government MPs, non-Government MPs, Non-Constituency MPs, Nominated MPs, one cannot disagree that the load has increased exponentially over the last 15 years.[+23 sentences] One need only look at the Motions, Adjournment Motions and Parliamentary Questions filed, the number of supplementary questions, the number of Committee of Supply cuts that traverse multiple multi-faceted areas of legislation. Across all facets, Members of this House must make increasingly difficult trade-offs and find more nuanced solutions. Another aspect of this increased load is the accessibility of the MP. When I first had the privilege of joining this House in 2006, accessibility to MPs was by and large limited to personal interactions – physical interactions, market visits, home visits and community events. These are all still valuable, significant and important. But the world has changed. Social media, email and messaging platforms have expanded the platforms and opportunities for access to MPs. And rightly so. MPs should be contactable, answerable and able to lend a listening ear and come up with joint solutions in partnering residents through difficulties. So, this is not a complaint. It is an expression of the rightful duties we must all discharge in this House. We owe a duty to each and every resident we serve. But the flip side of that is exponential increases in time and effort deployed in shepherding and tending to our people's aspirations and concerns. Put together, no one can seriously argue that the load on such Members has not increased significantly. Thankfully, nobody takes up a legislative role in this House for monetary reasons. And this, I think I see convergence in Mr Pritam Singh's position and my position. One must be quite mistaken to be attracted to this work for the wage. It is a vocation, calling and duty, not merely a career. There is an ethos of public service which must undergird political service. Then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong put it well during the last major debate on this topic in 2012. I, too, was in this House. The ethos of public service, he said, is critical if you are coming into politics. I agree. I agreed then, and I still agree today. So, on the question of MPs just going on inflation as the basis for the increase in remuneration for Members of this House is, in principle, the correct thing to do.[+1 sentence] I support that. I also agree that the increase should not be designed to compensate existing MPs for the exponential increase in the work by paying longer serving MPs more than first-term MPs.[+15 sentences] We should all start on this footing together, no matter your vintage or number of years in this House. And equally, the allowance must never dilute the ethos of public service. Sir, principle. Mr Speaker, if we can agree on the facts, we naturally then turn to the principle. I had spent some time speaking about the workload of Members of the House because for our political office holders, this is the foundation of their work. A political office holder is an MP first, before taking on leadership positions in the Executive or in Parliament. If we can all agree that Parliamentary responsibilities have increased, then by natural extension, what more those in leadership positions, in Parliament or in the Executive? I have had the privilege of working with various Ministers over the last two decades. Their work is extremely demanding. If anything, policy-making today is even more multi-faceted, multi-jurisdictional and multi-dimensional than 10 or even 15 years ago. In fact, the increased load in legislative work in this House translates into corresponding greater loads outside the House, in the Executive, Cabinet and so on, in having to formulate, explain and enforce policies. So, what do we do? The present framework arose from the review undertaken in 2011. The revision then was downward, not upward. Downward. Political salary norms have thereafter remained unchanged for 15 years.[+1 sentence] That is a long time. A significant quote in Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's Statement in this House on Tuesday was this: "The idea that we can have less capable Ministers sitting above a first-rate civil service and everything will somehow continue to work, is a fantasy." I completely agree.[+47 sentences] Indeed, then-Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said during the 2012 Debate, and I listened to it first-hand here, "Ministers should be paid properly so that Singapore will have capable and committed leadership over the long term." Marrying those two quotes, one in 2026, one 14 years ago; we have the premise for what we have to advance today. One can look at remuneration from a purely numbers perspective or from a perspective of responsibility. When I was asked to come into Parliament, I had no idea what an MP's allowance was, so it was not a determining factor. I think I am in convergence with Mr Pritam Singh on saying that. But having been in Parliament, I now better understand the full breadth and depth of our Executive and Legislature. I appreciate that the responsibility of the office must at least be somewhat commensurate to the remuneration of the office holder, with a substantial discount to reflect the ethos of public service. Let me give some examples of men from previous Governments with whom I have had the privilege of working. The first is Prof S Jayakumar. It is impossible to fully articulate in a form of words Prof Jaya's contributions to Singapore – in Law, in Home Affairs, in his analysis of Pedra Branca, his acumen and decision to storm SQ117 and take out the hijackers. Calm, collected, surgical. I have watched him when I had the privilege of overlapping with Prof Jaya in this House from 2006 to 2011. Former Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, a man I deeply respect. He was Admiral, the first one-star Chief of Navy, then Minister, then Coordinating Minister for National Security. He had the responsibility to make tough decisions to keep Singapore safe as Minister for Defence and Minister for Home Affairs. I have learnt first-hand from Senior Minister Teo. I travelled with him – North Africa, the Gulf, Europe – always looking over the horizon to ensure we are safe in Singapore. Intelligence networks, defence networks. On a flight from Cairo to Paris, we are at 33,000 feet in the air, both dog tired from multiple meetings in North Africa. What was Senior Minister Teo doing? He took out Jane's Defence Weekly and other defence journals. He was reading up on next generation weapon systems for Singapore. His focus was to go to the ends of the earth to keep Singapore safe and secure. How do we quantify that? You cannot. That is why remuneration is not an attempt to put a dollar value on a person's contribution. It is, in my view, rather, an attempt to have a sensible framework where responsibility is recognised and the ethos of public service remains firmly embedded. Facts, principle, I have dealt with both, Sir. I now turn to conviction. Everyone in this House serves with conviction. Not only the political office holders. Backbenchers too serve with conviction. Look, for example, at Mr Liang Eng Hwa. We have been teammates, comrades for 21 years. First as Holland-Bukit Timah GRC teammates, then he fought for Bukit Panjang in 2020. He won. Tough fight. Worked his guts out. Contracted nose cancer, concentrated on his recovery, went back to work, fought in 2025 and won with an even better margin. He continues to serve religiously and diligently. This is conviction. That is what binds all Members of this House together. There is a Member in this House who has had to fight cancer twice and faithfully continued to keep Singapore as his precious cause. He is still here in this House today, fighting for Singapore alongside a newer team. Conviction. At this juncture, Sir, allow me to say something about our Legislative and Secretarial Assistants. It is a matter that, in fact, I brought up to head of Public Service, Minister Chan Chun Sing this week. While they were not mentioned in the report, it should be emphasised that demands on them have correspondingly increased, along with increased demands on every Member of this House. I do hope their allowances will be re-assessed.[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, Sir, I conclude. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday, "It is ultimately about whether Singapore will continue to have the quality of political leadership we need to take our country forward." That, to me, is the essence and soul of this debate.[+2 sentences] I have been an MP for 20 years. Ours is a vocation, a calling, a duty. Let us remember – no amount could ever recompense leaders, like Prof Jayakumar, Senior Minister Teo and so many others like them.[+5 sentences] We need giants like these going forward. Looking around at this House today – do we have the equivalent ability, dedication and conviction now? Yes. We certainly have them – in individuals and as a team together. And we will need to also look for the next generation of leaders. The report plus the two Statements on Tuesday display how in Singapore, courage, conviction and principle are put ahead of political expediency. I am willing to put myself behind this initiative and I enjoin the whole House to support it.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Assoc Prof Terence Ho.
Assoc Prof Terence Ho (Nominated Member)1005 words
[+27 sentences]Mr Speaker, it has been 15 years since the salary of political appointment holders and MPs were last revised. In the meantime, prices and wages in Singapore have risen considerably. A revision of salaries is therefore timely. However, the argument to raise salaries, particularly those of Ministers and political office holders, is not an easy or straightforward one to make. There are at least two reasons for this. First, because we want leaders who serve out of sense of duty and passion for the country rather than pecuniary considerations; and second, because political talent and capability cannot simply be measured by the market wage that one commands. The argument for higher pay must be framed sensitively in a way that the public can understand and accept. The Government must be particularly careful to avoid giving the impression that the only talent who are valued are those who command high salaries or that would be impossible to attract capable, competent people to political office without high wages. Otherwise, the argument for raising Ministerial wages will not land. Broadly speaking, potential recruits to political office could fall into one of three groups. The first are those for whom salary matters little. Among them are some who have already accumulated considerable wealth so that pay is no longer a key consideration for them. The second group may come from sectors and occupations that do not pay premium wages, or they may have yet to reach the senior, high-paying position within the organisations. For them, taking up political office may not entail a financial sacrifice and could in some cases mean an increase in income. But for the third group, compensation may be a deciding factor in whether they try for political office. These could be senior permanent secretaries in the public sector or successful professionals or executives in the private sector for whom any significant drop in pay could affect their financial commitments. While I do not know the size of the third group, appropriate compensation can help ensure that we do not unnecessarily narrow the pool of senior professionals from whom political leaders might be recruited. This matters to Singapore for the reasons the Prime Minister highlighted in his Ministerial Statement – that Singapore needs capable leadership and the best mix of talent to steer the country forward. I see a parallel between this issue and another that has been recently discussed, which is whether greater financial support for parenthood will be effective in raising Singapore's fertility rate, To address the birth rate, many Singaporeans have expressed the view that money alone cannot move the needle. For people to start and grow families, they must want children and see parenthood as meaningful. Yet for many couples, the cost of raising children is an issue and more generous financial support could, for some, tilt the balance in favour of starting a family or having another child. Likewise, pay cannot and should not be the principal motivation for someone to seek political office. Yet for some, the financial sacrifice, on top of other sacrifices, may be what tilts the balance one way or the other. We have to hold in our minds two concepts – the idealism of service and the pragmatism of pay. Both may be pertinent to someone weighing up an entry into politics. Let me now turn to the larger issue of how to expand the pool of talent for political office, which is so critical to Singapore's continued success. Just like the fertility challenge, there is a need to factor in both financial and broader considerations. Many of us would like to see more leaders and senior professionals from the private sector step forward to serve. But for those new to political or public service, it would usually be appropriate for them to start in junior political appointments rather than lead a Ministry in the first instance. The salary scales of junior political office holders must therefore be sufficiently flexible to accommodate them. One possibility that could be considered as a transitional arrangement for those taking especially large pay cuts – for instance, giving them 60% of their last drawn pay, subject to an appropriate cap and limited to the first two or three years before their pay reverts to the normal benchmark for their substantive appointment.[+1 sentence] Promising private sector candidates should be encouraged to step forward to contest elections and serve in political office without the assumption or expectation that all or even a majority must remain in office for the long haul. Some may wish to serve for a limited period while others may find that political office is not a good fit after all. There should be no stigma attached to going back to the private sector after a term as an office holder.[+3 sentences] Nor should we look only to the private sector. As my fellow Nominated Member of Parliament Mark Lee reminded me, our political leadership can be further strengthened by perspectives from the non-profit sector. I am glad that we have Parliamentary colleagues from this sector and I hope to see more people with non-profit backgrounds serve in political office in future. The overall aim is to lower the barriers to entry for individuals while giving Singapore a wider pool of potential political talent, from which future Cabinet Ministers may be drawn.[+2 sentences] The Government will also benefit from the diversity of ideas and experiences that those from the private and non-profit sectors bring during their time in office. It is certainly not my place to advise any political party on how it should go about its recruitment, but I hope that public discourse will go beyond the question of how much political office holders should be paid to the broader question of how Singapore can continue to attract people of ability, integrity and commitment from diverse backgrounds to step forward and serve. Ultimately, the objective is not high pay in itself, but a wider and stronger pool of people willing and able to take on the responsibilities of political leadership.
Mr Speaker47 words
[+7 sentences]Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 3.20 pm. Order. Order. Sitting accordingly suspended at 3.00 pm until 3.20 pm. Sitting resumed at 3.20 pm.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (Mr Lawrence Wong)5392 words
[+28 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank all Members who have spoken in this debate. I will respond to the broader issues that have been raised and Minister Chan will address the specific issues relating to the salary framework. I have listened to all the speeches earlier and I am glad there is considerable common ground across this House. This was also the case when the Parliament debated political salaries in 2012. Then, there was broad agreement that salaries should be competitive enough to enable us to recruit people of the necessary calibre while incorporating a substantial discount to reflect the ethos of service. We have heard essentially the same principles affirmed in this debate, by People Action's Party (PAP) MPs, by Mr Pritam Singh of the WP and also the Nominated MPs who spoke up. That common ground is important. It means that the central question before us is not whether political service should be competitively remunerated, or whether there should be a discount for public service. We agree on both. The differences are over how the framework should be calibrated and how the revised framework should be implemented. So, there are two distinct issues: first, what should be the structure for political salaries, which was the focus of the review Committee; and second, given the Committee's recommendations, how should the Government implement them. Let me first deal with the structure. Some Members asked whether the benchmark should continue. To refer to the top 1,000 Singaporean earners, and whether the resulting reference salary is too high. The review Committee did not simply take the existing formula as given. It examined the framework afresh. It considered whether the reference group remain relevant, whether it contain a sufficiently broad range of occupations and professions, and whether the resulting salary levels were fair and reasonable. And there is an important point here. The benchmark does not mean that we intend to recruit our political leaders only from these 1,000 individuals. Plainly, we do not. The benchmark is a reference point. It seeks to capture in a broad and objective way the opportunity cost faced by the sort of people we hope will step forward for political service: people with the ability and experience to take on very demanding national responsibilities whether they come from the private sector, the public service, the professions or elsewhere. After reviewing the evidence, the Committee concluded the basic formula remains sound while recommending several refinements. And this is not the conclusion of one committee alone. This is now the third time we have convened an independent review committee on political salaries. The first Committee in 2012 proposed the formula. The Committee in 2017 affirmed the formula. The present Committee has examined it again and reached the same broad conclusion. Under the formula which has not changed, the MR4 reference salary rises from $1.1 million to $1.8 million. Seen on it on its own, that is a substantial increase, but we should also understand why the gap has opened up, because the benchmark has effectively remained unchanged for 15 years, while salaries elsewhere in the economy have continued to move.[+8 sentences] And it is not just the private sector. Consider senior Permanent Secretaries and Appellate Judges. Their remuneration is determined under different frameworks for different roles, but their reference salaries are now higher than the MR4 benchmark. Not just the current MR4 benchmark but also the revised MR4 benchmark of $1.8 million. I am not suggesting that these other salaries should be lower. Quite the opposite. We need first rate people in the Civil Service and Judiciary, just as we need them in political leadership. Nor am I saying that ministerial salaries should just match theirs. The point is that different remuneration frameworks constructed for different senior public responsibilities have arrived at broadly comparable orders of magnitude and the Ministerial benchmark continues to be lower than what we pay for other positions carrying the highest levels of public responsibilities, because political service incorporates a more substantial discount. There is a perception that civil servants joining politics enjoy a pay increase.[+2 sentences] I want to dispel that myth. That does not happen. There is no increase when civil servants join politics. Sometimes, it is even a pay cut, and when you look at the earnings over subsequent years for civil servants, if they had stayed on and done well, they would very likely have earned more in the Civil Service, as I have explained just now.[+41 sentences] Some Members have noted that there are countries which pay their ministers less but nevertheless achieve good governance outcomes. So, they ask why should political salaries go up further? It is a fair question, but as several Members have also noted, international comparisons of political salaries have to be treated with care. First, headline salaries alone do not tell the full story. We have to look at each system in its entirety. In many countries, the overall remuneration of office holders extend beyond the official salary. There may be pensions allowances, housing, or other benefits, as well as arrangements that provide support after political office. These do not appear in the headline salary, so comparisons based simply on the published annual salary can be misleading. More importantly, different countries organise political leadership and government in very different ways, reflecting their own traditions and institutions. For example, in some countries, responsibilities are distributed across national, regional and local governments. In Singapore, we are a city state with a single national government, where a very wide range of responsibilities, economic, social security and municipal all come together at the centre. There are also differences in how political leadership is developed. In many countries, governments and ministers change more frequently. Some ministers may come in from the private sector, serve for a few years, and then return to their previous careers. Others spend much of their time and energy managing politics and the immediate electoral cycle. The ministers then rely more heavily on the civil service or teams of advisors to develop and carry the policy agenda. We see this when we exchange notes with our overseas counterparts. Singapore has developed a different model. Yes, our Ministers are politicians. They must contest elections and win the confidence of voters, but once elected and in office, they are expected to govern, to master their briefs, lead their Ministries, and do so with a longer-term perspective. So, they cannot just preside over the Ministry as a non-executive chairman. They have to set the tone and direction, make the big decisions. They direct the work of their teams, and that means empowering their officers, bringing out the best in them, helping to clear roadblocks and obstacles, and working together to get things done. And when major reforms are needed, our Ministers have to lead from the front. They develop the case for change, bring the public along, work through the implementation and see the reforms through. In Singapore, we expect our Ministers to be effective politicians, effective executives and effective leaders. That is how we have operated our system and that is how we have achieved exceptional results. I am not saying that our model is better or that others should follow us. Every country must develop arrangements that work in its own circumstances. The relevant question for us is not, can another country make a different model work? Clearly, some can. The relevant question is, what arrangements will enable Singapore to sustain high-quality political leadership over the long term. If we fail to attract enough good people into political leadership, there will be consequences. The problems will not appear overnight. Government does not stop functioning because good people choose not to enter politics. But the effects accumulate gradually, through successive rounds of recruitment and leadership renewal. Over 15, 20, 25 years, the difference will be visible – in the quality of political leadership, in the decisions the Government makes and eventually, in the quality and effectiveness of the Civil Service as well. By the time such deterioration becomes obvious, rebuilding the system will be much harder. Perhaps, even impossible. We do not claim that the present formula is perfect. That is why there will continue to be regular independent reviews. The Committee itself has identified areas for study, which we accept as a Government – like a quality-of-life indicator for the National Bonus and different benchmarks for the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Mayors and MPs.[+12 sentences] The WP had proposed a different formula earlier and continues to prefer their formula. Members, especially the Nominated MPs in this Debate, have raised many useful suggestions. There may well be further ideas beyond this debate as we reflect on the framework and gain more experience over time. The Government remains open to suggestions. We will study all of them carefully. When the next review Committee is convened in five years' time, it can consider these issues afresh, together with how the framework has operated in practice. Today's discussion will not be the end of the discussion we have on political salaries. The framework can and should continue to evolve, where there are good reasons to improve it. But while we do so, while we continue to evolve and improve the framework, we still need one that can operate today. The structure before us, tested through two previous independent reviews and refined by the latest Committee, is principled and transparent and it provides a sound basis for us to proceed. Aside from the structure, I want to focus on the Government's response – what we have decided to do in this term of Government. Because this is what will matter over the next few years and where the changes will actually be felt. There are several ways the Government could have responded to the Committee's recommendations.[+1 sentence] One option was to defer. But we have already held back from making the recommended adjustment in 2017.[+5 sentences] We have deferred the review in 2023. So, if we defer once more, the gap will only widen. The larger it becomes, the harder it will be to correct later on. Several Members have said this is not a good time to make an adjustment, reflecting also the sentiments we have heard from workers and their constituents. I understand the concerns. But there is never going to be a politically convenient time to adjust political salaries. We convened the review Committee in December 2025.[+3 sentences] We initially expected its work to conclude around March or April this year. Of course, the conflict in Iran erupted earlier in February. So, we decided then that our immediate priority had to be managing the immediate consequences for Singapore arising from that conflict. Since then, we have rolled out two support packages to help businesses, households and families.[+8 sentences] The conflict in the Middle East has not ended. It may not end any time soon. But our domestic economic situation has stabilised. That is why I decided we should now deal with this issue rather than defer it yet again. We could always hope that next year will bring a better moment. But the world may just as easily become more difficult next year. And if every difficult circumstance becomes a reason not to act, then we will keep putting the issue off. There will come a point where restraint ceases to be prudence and becomes neglect. Furthermore, as I have mentioned, the need for leadership renewal is already pressing and urgent.[+7 sentences] We have to tackle the issue head on. So, we decided not to go with this first option. A second option was to move all serving office holders immediately to the new benchmarks. No one in this House suggested that, but I read a CNA commentary saying, why should the Government not just bite the bullet and make a clean move right away? I do not think that would be right either. The present office holders are at a range of different salary points and grades. There is no need to automatically and immediately move everyone up to the new benchmark just because the framework has been updated. But neither is it reasonable to leave their salaries unchanged indefinitely. That is why I decided on a one-off adjustment of up to 9%. That takes into account the fact that the salary structure has been frozen for 15 years.[+9 sentences] After that, we return to the normal process of salary adjustments based on individual performance and responsibilities. I say "normal" because these are adjustments a Prime Minister already does each year and I will continue to do so. These sorts of adjustments are tied to individual performance. To Mr Pritam Singh's question, they are not general, they are not across the board. So, over a period of time. For the office holders who do well, they will eventually reach the salary ranges based on the new benchmarks. But it is going to be performance-based. I can determine this approach for Ministers and other office holders. But under the framework, the Prime Minister's salary is pegged at two times the MR4 benchmark. Once the MR4 reference salary is updated, the Prime Minister's reference salary moves accordingly. That is why for the next five years, I have decided to donate the full increase in my salary to good causes.[+15 sentences] Let me clarify that when I said donate the full increase, that includes any tax benefit arising from the donations. I will not benefit financially from this salary change. As I said in my speech, after five years, I will continue to donate to good causes, quietly and without publicity, because I do not want to make an open-ended commitment that creates an expectation that my successor should do the same. That deals with the second option. A third possibility was to ignore the formula and choose a lower benchmark, just because $1.8 million appears too high. Again, I do not think that would be the right way to proceed. If we appoint an independent committee to determine the appropriate benchmark, we should not then arbitrarily change its conclusion because the number is politically awkward. Instead, we have dealt with their concern through implementation. We are accepting the framework, but moving towards it gradually. As I explained on Tuesday, based on this approach, I expect most office holders to move to the lower-end of the new salary range by the end of this term of Government. For an MR4 Minister who continues to be an MR4, that would be around $1.35 million. If we were to make an inflation adjustment, like we are doing for MPs, the MR4 reference salary would be $1.5 million, just on inflation adjustment alone. So, we are not giving Ministers a larger immediate adjustment than MPs. In fact, we are taking longer to catch up. Let me also put the expenditure involved in perspective. Minister Chan explained in his speech that even if every office holder received the full one-off adjustment of 9%, the additional expenditure would be $5 million.[+3 sentences] The actual amount will be lower because the adjustment will be differentiated. That is for the up to 9% adjustment. Thereafter, the expenditure will of course depend on the subsequent salary adjustments to be made every year. Currently, the salaries for all political office holders cost around $55 million.[+26 sentences] The expenditure varies from year-to-year, depending on the number of office holders appointed, promoted and the National Bonus paid out. As a share of GDP, that salary expenditure is lower today than it was 10 years ago. In recent years, the overall salary bill as a share of GDP has been stable, and I intend to keep it broadly at this level going forward. To sum up, our response to the Committee's recommendations is a measured one. The new benchmark sets a framework for the longer term, but we are not moving Ministers straight to the new figure. We are making a one-off adjustment now and then allowing salaries to move gradually in line with individual performance and responsibilities. I believe this strikes the right balance. We keep the framework relevant for the future without overcorrecting for the present. We address a gap that has been built up over many years, but we do so progressively and with restraint. This is fair, this is responsible, both to the office holders serving today and to Singapore's need to continue recruiting capable people to serve in the years ahead. Some Members have noted that the wider salary ranges recommended by the Committee gives the Prime Minister greater discretion to adjust salaries. That is so there will be more room to differentiate salaries according to performance and roles and responsibilities, and also more room when recruiting someone with substantial experience from outside the Government. I value that flexibility as Prime Minister, but I also recognise that greater discretion means greater responsibility on my part to exercise judgement carefully and fairly. Ministers are not all the same. They have different strengths and experiences. They perform at different levels and take different amounts of time to grow into their roles. Some are particularly strong at policy work. Some are better at execution and delivery. Others have the ability to bring people together, explain difficult issues or build trust with stakeholders and the public. Part of my responsibility as Prime Minister is to understand these strengths, develop every individual and put people in roles where they can contribute most effectively, bring out the best in each and every one of them and ensure that we work effectively together as a team. Singaporeans will naturally formed their own views about how Ministers are doing. Some of this is visible from their public work. I receive direct feedback too, sometimes from MPs, occasionally even from members of the public. I listened carefully to every view and feedback, but I should add, not everything a Minister does is visible from the outside. Some of their most important contributions are made quietly, resolving difficult issues within Government, working through disagreements between agencies, helping their fellow colleagues or handling sensitive matters that cannot be discussed publicly. As Prime Minister, I see more of this overall picture. When I assess Ministers, I do not do so based on one speech, one controversy or one set of headlines.[+3 sentences] I look at their overall performance over time and I discussed the assessments with my senior colleagues, the Deputy Prime Minister, the two Senior Ministers and the Coordinate Ministers. Speaking from my own experience, I recognise that leadership takes time to develop. People can learn, grow and become more effective with experience, guidance and mentoring. My approach has been to give new office holders time and support to grow into their roles and develop their strengths. But if there is sustained underperformance, at some point, I will have to make a change.[+7 sentences] Up to now, I have not had to do that. But it has happened before and it can happen again. If so, I will deal with it firmly, but also sensitively and with respect for the individual concerned. Sometimes, it is also a matter of fit. A person may perform much better when given responsibilities that play to his or her strengths. Part of leading and managing the team is getting the roles and the combinations right. Of course, if there is a serious issue of conflict or conduct or integrity, then the standard is very clear. Ministers are held to the highest standards and where those standards are breached, they will have to leave.[+13 sentences] In my speech on Tuesday, I explained in some detail how Ministers are assessed and disclosed the broad distribution of grades and the range of individual bonuses paid last year. I fully appreciate that there will be greater interest in the distribution of salaries and performance bonuses. Beyond what we have already shared, I will consider whether more information can be disclosed. But we should also be careful not to turn Ministerial assessment into a public popularity contest and then start comparing and ranking individuals year by year. That is not going to be productive, and that is not how I want the Cabinet to operate. I do not want Ministers working in silos, focusing narrowly on their own issues or building up their own profiles. Even the most capable Minister cannot succeed alone. No one can. I want Ministers to work as a team, to look beyond their own portfolio, support one another and to solve problems together. And some of the most important decisions may take years to bear fruit, or they may be difficult and unpopular today but absolutely necessary for Singapore's longer-term interest. If the Ministers are judged mainly by what is visible and popular now, we risk encouraging the wrong behaviour and that would not produce better Government. When I speak about the team, it is not only the Ministers in Cabinet. I mean the wider team of office holders as well, including our Mayors. WP has proposed to abolish the office of Mayor. But look at the value that the CDCs and Mayors have brought to our communities and to Singapore, mobilising a wider network of volunteers, responding to local needs and contributing to initiatives, like the CDC Vouchers and the Jobs Nearby scheme.[+33 sentences] I would not want to give up any of these contributions. I am proud of all our Mayors and what they do for Singapore. I want our Mayors to keep strengthening our communities and build a more cohesive and caring Singapore. So, everyone in this team has a role to play. I value the contribution each of them makes and the different ways in which they serve Singapore and Singaporeans. In the end, as Prime Minister, I have to exercise judgement. I decide whom to appoint and promote, what responsibilities to entrust to them and how their performance should be recognised. And I take responsibility for these decisions. But again, it is important to emphasise we serve Singapore as a team. And ultimately, that is how Singaporeans should judge us – how the Government as a whole performs. They should assess whether we have made the right decisions, tackle the difficult issues, improve their lives and have taken Singapore forward. If we fall short, Singaporeans can choose another team to govern. That is the final accountability in our system. Many Members in this debate have emphasised that politics must be a calling and that people should not enter public life for the money. I agree fully. Politics is not just another career. It is a choice to take responsibility for our country and for the lives of our fellow citizens. And ultimately, it means putting the interest of Singapore ahead of your own. Of course, there are many honourable ways to serve Singapore. I respect those who decide that politics is not for them. Our challenge is that Singapore still needs enough good people who are prepared to take this path of political leadership at the national level. We want people with the character to be entrusted with public authority, with the competence and ability to lead, who are prepared to put themselves before voters and accept public scrutiny, and who are willing to make difficult decisions for the longer-term good of Singapore. If too many capable people conclude that political service asks for sacrifices which are just too great, then over time, we will have fewer people prepared to step forward. Eventually, the quality of our leadership will suffer and Singapore will suffer the consequences. Because we are adjusting political salary, some have suggested that the PAP Government somehow operates on this basis that higher pay will attract people into politics. Or someone messaged me right after my speech; a friend said, even with the revised benchmark, the people I talk to and whom you are trying to bring in, they are not going to come forward. So, why adjust salaries at all? I am sure Members have heard such an argument. But these arguments start from the same mistaken premise that the purpose of the salary framework is to entice people into politics with money. It is not the case. Mr Pritam Singh said, for WP, the MP's allowance is not the key to recruiting candidates. This is not unique to the WP and no one has a monopoly on virtue. All PAP candidates, too, step forward because they want to serve Singapore and their fellow Singaporeans. That is my key pre-requisite when I identify candidates to be fielded in any election. So, to be very clear, for the PAP and the PAP Government, we do not believe in using higher pay as an incentive to draw people into politics.[+1 sentence] Both Minister Chan Chun Sing and I made that quite clear in our speeches. In fact, no one should enter politics for the money. Competitive salaries do not create the motivation to serve. But they can make it possible for someone who already has that motivation in the first place to step forward.[+7 sentences] In other words, motivation to serve, responding to the call must come first. We have to persuade good people that Singapore needs them; that the work matters; that they can make a difference. Then, if someone is prepared to step forward, remuneration becomes a practical consideration. Consider the people whom we hope to bring into political leadership who are in their 40s. They may be civil servants, business leaders or professionals who have already built successful careers. They would also have built their lives around that career, mortgages to service, children to provide for, parents to support and other commitments based on the incomes that they have been earning. Entering politics would already involve considerable disruption and sacrifice. We should not require them to completely upend the financial responsibilities that they have legitimately taken up for their families. So, the purpose of the salary framework is to ensure that on top of all the other sacrifices involved, we do not make the financial costs unnecessarily high for them.[+47 sentences] That is what this is about. I think about my own experience when I entered politics in 2011. I agreed to step forward and that meant resigning from the Civil Service. At that point, I did not know where I would contest, whether I would be elected, what responsibilities I might be asked to take on or what I would be paid. No one told me, "If you win, this is the position you will get. This is the remuneration package." No one. It was a complete leap of faith. Only when I resigned did I fully appreciate one consequence. I was just short of 15 years in the Civil Service. You need 15 years to keep your pension. I was just short. I lost my pension. So, some well-meaning friends have since asked me if you had stayed on, today, you might well have become a Permanent Secretary, maybe even earlier. You could have kept your pension, earned more and faced far less public scrutiny, all while still serving Singapore. Do you regret your decision? My answer is no. I valued my years in the Civil Service greatly and I continue to have the highest regard for those who serve Singapore in that way. But political service is a different kind of responsibility. You are not just helping to carry out decisions or implement decisions. You have to make the difficult choices, set the strategic direction, bring people along and ultimately, take responsibility for the outcomes. That is why I chose this path. The same is true of my colleagues. We step forward to do what we can for Singapore and to serve our fellow citizens. When the PAP considers prospective candidates, we have our tea sessions. You have all heard about drinking tea with the PAP. What may be less well-known is that we also ask candidates to write something about themselves. It is an old practice and one we have kept till today. And I think it is a good practice. I went back to look at what I had written back in 2011. I wrote that having worked as a civil servant, I knew that for Singapore to succeed, every generation must throw up its own leaders; people prepared to take ownership of our country and to serve their fellow citizens. And I wrote that I would like to be part of that team, to make a difference where it counted and to contribute to Singapore's development. That is how I felt then. It is still how I feel today. I know there will be fellow Singaporeans who feel the same way. People who see a need for our country, who are prepared to answer the call to serve and who will take responsibility for Singapore. These are people who will say, "Yes, I know this path is not easy but someone has to do it, and I am prepared to be that person." There are Singaporeans like that. I believe so. Our task is to find such people, persuade them to step forward and sustain a political system that enables them to serve with commitment and purpose. Mr Speaker, I deliberated long and hard over this decision to adjust political salaries. I understand the circumstances Singaporeans are facing. The cost of living has risen. Many worry about jobs, livelihoods and what the future may bring. These concerns are real, and the Government will continue to do all we can to support Singaporeans, especially those who need more help. But governing is not only about dealing with the pressures of today. It is also about taking responsibility for the future, and one of our most important responsibilities is to ensure that Singapore continues to have capable political leadership in the years ahead. Let me summarise some of the key points that have been exchanged in this debate. First, we agree on the key principles, as I have said earlier, that salaries must be competitive while incorporating a substantial discount for public service. Second, we broadly agree on the moves to be made in this term of Government. Where we differ is mainly on the formula, and therefore the appropriate MR4 reference salary for the longer term. But in this term of Government, there is no practical difference because the Government is taking a gradual and restrained approach in implementation, moving ministerial MR4 salaries initially to $1.2 million and even by the end of this term to $1.35 million.[+1 sentence] If we were to use WP's formula, we would arrive at a similar figure. If we were to update the MR4 benchmark by inflation, we will get a higher figure of $1.5 million.[+1 sentence] For all intents and purposes, within this term of Government, we agree on the implementation approach. Beyond that we will have to consider the circumstances then. And five years from now there will be another independent review.[+15 sentences] The committee then will look at the framework afresh, taking into account developments at that time. In politics, there is always a tendency to highlight differences and exaggerate them. But I want to come back to these areas of common ground because they are important. Because as I have emphasised, this issue is ultimately not about me, the present Cabinet or even the PAP Government of today. We cannot know which party will form the Government many years from now. But whoever governs Singapore will face the same challenge – to persuade good people to step forward and to assemble the strongest possible team for our country. Whatever our differences, all of us have an interest in ensuring that Singapore continues to be well-governed. Singapore has been fortunate to have capable and committed political leaders across successive generations. Mr Azhar Othman said it very well. He said we are profoundly blessed and I am sure everyone in this House agrees with that. We inherited a system built by those who came before us. Our responsibility is not merely to benefit from it, but to keep it strong for the generations that follow. And that means putting in place a framework that gives future Governments and future Prime Minister's, whoever they may be, the ability to sustain the quality of political leadership that Singapore will continue to need. Sir, I believe this is the responsible course to take. And I ask Members for your support to make the right decision for Singapore.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Chan Chun Sing.
The Coordinating Minister for Public Services (Mr Chan Chun Sing)4110 words
[+33 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, first, let me thank all Members from all sides of the House, including the WP, for your support and suggestions. We also thank fellow Singaporeans who have given us their feedback before and after Tuesday's Ministerial Statements on how we should manage and communicate this issue sensitively as we are talking about sums that are unfamiliar to many. More importantly, we are talking about public trust, fairness, transparency and accountability to Singaporeans. Let me now build on what the Prime Minister has laid out and respond to Members' specific comments, bearing in mind what this framework is ultimately about, why it matters to fellow Singaporeans and our duty to leave behind a better system for the next generation. Mr Speaker, Sir, let us start with what this debate is fundamentally about. Beyond all the numbers, beyond all the formulas, it is about building a system to give future generations a better chance to assemble a strong team to take Singapore forward, come what may. Our world is going to be more uncertain, more volatile, messier. Our people will have many more options, many more challenges to overcome. The fundamental question is: what will be the system that gives us the best chance to assemble a team of people willing and able to take Singapore forward? Sir, many have pointed out and we agree – financial compensation cannot be the number one consideration for political service. We agree with that. For someone who wants to step forward, he or she must first ask if he or she, his or her family, will want to undergo the public scrutiny, the loss of privacy, the uncertainties of being elected, the demands of public expectations, the potential of failure and the stigma that may come with it, especially for someone with a clearer and more certain career path. But for anyone considering this, the most important factor is this: that is the burden of responsibility to get it right for Singapore and Singaporeans. This is not a business venture; it is about the lives and livelihoods of Singaporeans. If a business fails, we can start a new one. But if Singapore fails, we are finished. Then perhaps, after all of these considerations, that person may ask about his practical concerns about his financial remuneration, such that it will not be too prohibitive for his or her family. Mr Speaker, Sir, I share these because these are the realities and the difficult decisions that people who come for our tea sessions must answer themselves frankly before they even step forward. So, it is a tall order to get someone to step forward. Money should not be the primary consideration, but even if it is one of the many practical considerations, we should still discuss this openly, honestly, and frankly – to ask ourselves not just how to get the individual to step forward, but how to build a system that maximises our chances of getting enough people of the right commitment and caliber to step forward. Sir, so the fundamental question is what are we doing to build a strong team for the future? And we cannot build a strong team simply by hoping that people we need can afford to step forward. We must have people with different strengths and experiences to be able to tackle different challenges. And there will be many more of them in the coming years. We need a diverse team, comprising younger Members who bring fresh energy and ideas and perspectives, and who can develop over time to build the trust and bond with fellow Singaporeans; experienced colleagues who bring judgement and can take on more significant responsibilities, and have room to grow. But we also must not exclude established individuals with deep experience, who can contribute substantially from day one. Finding that combination is hard enough. We should not make it harder, not just for this Government but for any government, by narrowing the field even before the selection begins. The wider the pool, the more choices we have, the greater our chances of finding and composing the team that Singapore deserves. So, the point is not simply about finding enough people willing to take on that responsibility. It is about finding enough good people to choose from so that we can build a strong team for the challenges ahead. That is what market-benchmarked remuneration is meant to support. It cannot guarantee a strong team or certainty in results, but it can widen the field from which we can choose from to maximise our chances of success. Likewise, the goal of the political salary framework is to give us the range and flexibility to choose and secure a strong and diverse team.[+19 sentences] As many Members have said, pay will never be the be-all and end-all. But we also cannot pretend that it is not irrelevant. Members Liang Eng Hwa and Terrence Ho have rightly noted, capable Singaporeans will have options. Sir, today, capable Singaporeans can and have built successful careers not just in Singapore but also overseas. They can serve in the private sector, the public sector, the people sector, academia, social sector, or run thriving businesses. Many of them are doing meaningful and exciting work, earning good incomes and contributing without having to enter politics. But we all agree that political service asks something more from all of us, and this is the sentiment that was echoed by many Members including Minister Tan See Leng, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Ms Mariam Jaafar and Mr Christopher de Souza. And as I shared on Tuesday, higher pay will never adequately compensate for what they have to give up. Nor should it. And we have to be frank – actually, the more political appointment holders are paid, the greater the scrutiny they will be under, the higher the expectations and demands. Our objective, as the Prime Minister has stated, is not to enrich anyone. It is to give ourselves the means to keep the field broad enough to form a strong team, rather than be constrained to choose from those who can afford to step forward. So, in this regard, the fundamental point is: Singapore does not just need enough people to fill the positions. We need enough good people to fill the positions and to choose from. Let me now explain and elaborate on how this framework works. Sir, having set out what the framework is, let me go into the details. Over the past few days, there has been considerable discussions of the headline figure and many other numbers. Let me try to clarify some misconceptions. Sir, $1.8 million is not what every Minister will be paid. As Members Ms Mariam Jaafar and Ms Yeo Wan Ling have noted, the new MR4 benchmark is a reference point and not an entitlement. It is not the actual salary of every Minister.[+1 sentence] Let me elaborate on two points. First, for serving MR4 Ministers, there is no immediate move from $1.1 million to $1.8 million. The one-off adjustment now is capped at up to 9%, differentiated by individual circumstances, including performance and when the person's salary was last adjusted. A Minister currently at $1.1 million will receive no more than about $1.2 million, with subsequent adjustments depending on performance and responsibilities.[+1 sentence] To put into context, this is equivalent to an average of 0.6% per annum over the last 15 years. Second, beyond the immediate adjustment this October, there is no intention to move all Ministers to $1.8 million in the near term. As the Prime Minister has stated, we expect most MR4 Ministers to be at the lower end of the new salary range by the end of the term. This means $1.35 million, and not $1.8 million.[+8 sentences] So, for an MR4 Minister receiving the reference salary of $1.1 million today, these are the three figures to remember. They are: $1.1 million today; up to $1.2 million after the one-off adjustment in October; and maybe, around $1.35 million for most MR4 Ministers by the end of the term, subject to performance. These widened salary ranges cater to three archetypes: the new entrant, the experienced contributor and the established individual with unique qualities to add to our team. A new appointment holder would typically enter nearer the lower end of the range and not the mid-point. Only those with substantially more experience may be appointed at a higher point within this range. This need for flexibility has been echoed by Member Assoc Prof Terrence Ho, who gave suggestions to further mitigate the pay cuts and to facilitate porosity with the private sector after a political stint. Member Ms Mariam Jaafar also rightly pointed out that a wider range allows us to recognise the responsibility when someone takes office and then to subsequently let performance speak for itself. Mr Speaker, Sir, let me also clarify that the $1.1 million, $1.2 million and $1.35 million annual salaries benchmarks that we have been discussing are not guaranteed sums. Only about 65% of the annual salary is fixed, with about 35% being variable.[+13 sentences] So, take for example a Minister at the $1.2 million reference salary benchmark. What this means is that he or she will receive about $780,000 as a fixed sum; the remainder will be variable. Depending on performance, both his and the national, he may receive a variable bonus of up to $420,000 if he performs well and if the targets for the National Bonus indicators are met. Mr Pritam Singh asked for transparency about the bonus paid to political appointment holders as it may vary from the norm. Indeed, in strong years, when Singapore performs well and National Bonus targets are far exceeded, actual bonus may then exceed this norm. In weaker years, the Minister could get zero bonus as well. That variability is by design. It is what makes the framework accountable and not misleading. So, if we look at the last few years, the National Bonus has ranged from less than one to more than five. On average, it is about three. And the basis on which the bonus varies is clear. The four indicators, their target thresholds and the payout matrix are publicly available, as I had shown on the slides on Tuesday, 8 September. This basis for this assessment is also open and verifiable. The National Bonus not only looks at whether the economy grows, it looks at whether Singaporeans have jobs, it looks at whether real incomes are improving, after factoring in inflation. And since 2011, the National Bonus payout has ranged from 0.75 months in low years to 5.63 months in better years.[+31 sentences] From next year, the targets for all three socio-economic indicators on jobs and incomes will be tightened. I asked my staff to do a back-testing. If we have applied these tighter targets over the past 10 years, the National Bonus would be about one month lower each year, on average. This is an important shift. It means the National Bonus will weigh even more heavily on the socio-economic progress of Singaporeans than the more abstract GDP numbers. As stated on Tuesday, the Government will also accept the Committee’s recommendation to study a Quality of Life indicator. Both Members Dr Haresh Singaraju and Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh have expressed support for such a measure, and Member Prof Kenneth Poon has also given suggestions on the broader aspects of social progress. I thank all Members for your suggestions. We agree with the many things that the Members have said. We want to see how we can broaden the indicators but yet at the same time, the indicators must be something from which we can collect data and have a stable series for us to set the targets. But as many Members have also pointed out, it is not so easy to set such indicators because some of the things are qualitative rather than quantitative. Some of the factors are multi-year results rather than single year results. And we certainly do not want to set the wrong KPIs to encourage or drive the wrong behaviour. I have always learnt since young that some important things in life cannot be measured and we must be careful not to make important only what we can measure. I think we can agree on that. So, the Public Service Division will look into all this seriously before we come back with a proposal on what is feasible and what is possible, balancing all the considerations that the various Members have set out. I want to touch on Member Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh talked about in terms of the bonus structure of the two horizons. And indeed, as the Prime Minister has said and I will reiterate: the job of the Cabinet, the job of the leadership team is not just about meeting the KPIs on a yearly basis, the here and now. In fact, in my years in public service, I have learnt one very important thing. Sometimes, when we have pre-empted the problem and the public does not even need to deal with it or get to know of it, that to us is the mark of success. The mark of success is not how well we do the firefighting. The mark of success, very often, more often than not, is how we have prevented the fire in the first place. All this takes a longer-term horizon. All this takes a beyond the here and now perspective. And all these are not easy to manage or to quantify. But I think all of us can agree that perhaps all these are even more important than all those factors that we can quantify here and now. So, this requires a sense of balance and care. We also thank Member Mr Azhar Othman for his suggestions to vary the variable component in the salary package. We have heard two different perspectives. There is one perspective that calls for a higher variable component, perhaps a bit more like the private sector. There is also another perspective that calls for a smaller variable component or a higher fixed component, given the nature of the job. The Committee has considered all this and on balance, they felt that the current two third, one third split is about right.[+12 sentences] We will continue to look at this as we gain more experience running this framework. Member Dr Haresh Singaraju also suggested to have clearer targets published to ascertain the effectiveness of political leadership. We understand and we can share with him this sentiment. But as I have mentioned, governance is not just about a series of KPIs, and certainly not a series of KPIs for this year alone. So, we will have to be careful how and what we publish, but I think he has raised a very important point. There are many things that we may not be able to publish. How do we account for the tough negotiations that the Ministry of Trade and Industry has to undertake behind the scenes to secure our trade agreements? How do we share with the public the sensitive things that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence or the Ministry of Home Affairs has to work behind the scenes to keep the threats at bay? And hopefully, we never have to tell Singaporeans one day that the threat has emerged without us knowing. So, we will try and we will continue to keep our minds open on what are the KPIs that we can share and how to share with fellow Singaporeans in such a way that you will not distort our perspective of thinking long-term and managing issues, preempting issues before they catch fire. Sir, some Members may understandably also be concerned about the financial impact arising from the updates to the framework. As the Prime Minister has shared, the impact is expected to remain stable. Assuming the maximum 9% adjustment, overall spending on political appointment holder salaries is expected to remain below 0.05% of government expenditure and below 0.01% of GDP.[+1 sentence] I have asked my staff to check. Even if with the new benchmark fully implemented, we will still spend less as a percentage of government expenditure and GDP than what we did in 2011.[+3 sentences] So, the 0.05% of government expenditure and the 0.01% of GDP, we can take it from the perspective that this is our investment in the leadership team for Singapore for the future. Mr Speaker, Sir let me now address some other specific points raised by various Members. Member Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh raised several suggestions on the benchmark, including whether the discount was necessary and using the role-based comparators rather than the top 1,000 earners. As the Prime Minister said, the top 1,000 was never intended to identify jobs comparable to the Ministers.[+4 sentences] It served as a broad proxy. If we go back a bit in history, to when this framework was first started, actually, we chose a certain number from certain vocations. But that was deemed to be too narrow and that is why over time, we have expanded to this new framework. While we agree with the Member that we would like to find job roles that are more comparable, rather than just from a financial perspective. Then, the question is, how do we identify those roles and will we get back to the same situation when we first started, where we were looking at, perhaps leadership positions in companies, senior doctors, lawyers, and so forth, and then we had fewer vocations, fewer people. But at the end of the day, regardless of which formula and which benchmark we choose, we still need to ask one basic question: will this benchmark, will this framework allow the Prime Minister, any Prime Minister, to have the range and the flexibility to bring in that three archetypes that I talked about?[+27 sentences] The new entrant with potential, the experienced colleague to continue to stay, the established individual who is prepared to come in and join us, having had a successful career somewhere else. So, we will continue to study this. On the idea of doing, it on a multi-year basis, we have also considered that. It is a fair idea because as many have said, the performance of the Government cannot be measured year by year. Then, the question is, how many years and what to do if there is a change of government. So, those are practical difficulties as we consider these particular suggestions. I have been to different Ministries, from the Ministry of Social and Family Development to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Education, and now the Ministry of Defence. And I would say that in all the Ministries the time cycle for results are all very different. When I was in the Ministry of Social and Family Development, someone asked me, how do you define success? Is it how much ComCare you have given out? How many people you have helped? I said no. In fact, the more ComCare we have to give, it is not a mark of success. The mark of success is how little we need to give out ComCare. But that is a shorter-term goal. The real mark of success for the Ministry of Social and Family Development is when we help somebody, will that child one day grow up feeling confident, independent and say, "I can take care of myself and my family". That is a generational thing. When I was in the Ministry of Education, what defines the success of the Ministry of Education? Surely, not the Primary School Leaving Exams (PSLE) scores or the GCE "A" Level scores. It is whether one generation later, our young people grow up and have the confidence, look at the world and say, "Whatever challenges there may be out there, I will be able to overcome them, either individually or with my Team Singapore". Success will be that even when the chips are down, our younger generation will say, "I will be here in spite of". These are long-term challenges that are hard to measure. In the Ministry of Defence, when I returned last year, some of the projects that I initiated and work on 20 years ago are now coming on stream. So, we are fully cognisant of the challenges of using a single year measure, but we are also cognisant of the challenges of using a multi-year assessment metrics. We will have to find that balance. Ultimately, as Member Ms Yeo Wan Ling has said deep inside each of us, every Singaporean will have to answer the question, "Has this team delivered? Has this team provided a better future for me and the next generation?" And that is our ultimate test. On the standalone framework for the MPs and the Mayors, we agree with the Committee's recommendation that we should examine the benchmark. We agree that it is not so intuitive to say that the MP allowance – and it is not a pay, it is an allowance – is a fraction of the MR4 benchmark. So, we will study this and we will talk to various stakeholders to try and see what a better benchmark can be.[+8 sentences] But I want to emphasise one thing. We did not say that it is a MP salary. We say it is a MP allowance, because the MP allowance is to help the MP to conduct his or her work in the constituency. Generally, in Singapore, in our system, we believe that it is important, it is useful for MPs to have a full-time job somewhere so that they can represent the diverse perspective from their different backgrounds, rather than be a full-time MP. The allowance is not so much as to make up for the sacrifices they have to put in from their job. The allowance is more to help them in their constituency work. But we accept – any MP who put in the hard work to take care of the constituency will very likely have to pay a certain price in terms of their own career progression. And I thank MPs from all sides of the House who have stepped forward to do this. Members Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Christopher de Souza spoke on allowances for Legislative Assistants and Secretarial Assistants. We did not make any change in this exercise because it was not under the terms of reference for the political salaries. But we will certainly look at how we can update this. I will certainly task the relevant agencies to take a look at this, to update this as necessary.[+18 sentences] Mr Speaker, Sir, maybe I should round up the discussion. After we have settled all the technicalities, let us come back to why we are here in this Chamber, why we are discussing this. We are all here, spending time, discussing this very serious issue, not because any one of us would want to benefit from this framework personally. As many Members have said, we have a responsibility to make sure that we have a framework that gives Singapore the best chance to succeed in the years to come. The best chance for any Prime Minister to assemble a team that is worthy of Singapore. As the world becomes more complex, as our people have more challenges, more options, we have to ask ourselves the hard questions – how do we inspire the people to step forward and how do we try to lower the barriers when their commitment to serve is clear? That is what we are talking about. All these adjustments do not guarantee success, but they will give us a better chance to assemble the team necessary. Ultimately, it is about leaving behind a better system to give ourselves maximum chance to find those leaders that Singaporeans deserve. Mr Speaker, Sir, let me conclude. This debate is ultimately not what MPs will get for their allowances, this is not about what Ministers will earn, it is about what Singapore can achieve and want to achieve. Whether our people have opportunities, whether our people can continue to look to the future with confidence and whether the next generation will inherit a better Singapore where we can continue to defy the odds of history for us to be a shining beacon in a turbulent world. We cannot promise any of these outcomes. No Government can. But we can give Singapore a better chance of achieving them. The leadership Singapore needs tomorrow must be built today. This is what we owe to the next generation and this is what we must do right by Singapore and for Singaporeans. Thank you, Speaker, Sir.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh239 words
[+14 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have two clarifications and I direct them to Minister Chan. I refer to the PAP's comparison of WP and the then-Committee's proposal in 2012. Assuming both models account for the fixed and maximum variable salary component, for the WP, it came up to about $1 million, and for the Committee's proposal that was accepted by this House, it came up to $1.4 million. The first question is with regard to the time period 2018 to 2024. The Government had put on record what was the average performance bonus component, annual variable component and National Bonus for the years 2013 to 2017. That would allow members of the public to calculate what the variable component of the Ministerial salary was and how many months it came up to. I heard the Minister. I think he gave us some indication of the National Bonus. However, the other components are still unknown. No Member in this House can now file a Parliamentary Question and ask for these numbers again because the Standing Orders do not allow us to ask the same question in the course of the same session of Parliament. Can the Minister then share this information with us for the years 2018 to 2024? Because that information was provided earlier on. The second question is, assuming the maximum variable bonus under the current proposal of the 2026 Committee, what would be the salary at MR4?
Mr Chan Chun Sing624 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I will respond with three points. First, on the calculations. We have done the calculations based on the formula that WP proposed in 2012 for the 2011 review. The range of the numbers, depending on what the Member assume to be the National Bonus, is about $1.5 million, compared to what the Committee has recommended, which is $1.8 million.[+10 sentences] If the Member takes the expanded range of what the Committee has proposed, plus or minus 25%, generally, we are in the same ballpark. But it is not so much the numbers that are important, it is the philosophy behind them that is important. And the philosophy is not so very different. The Committee uses a certain pool of people to come up with a benchmark, plus a discount, to arrive at the number. It is market-based. The WP's formula is also market-based, because if we trace back the roots of where we get the MX salary, that is market-based. That is why when the two converge, the two numbers will easily converge to what it is; and it is all within the range, once we expand the range to give the Prime Minister the flexibility. And as the Prime Minister has said, even if we just use the inflation indexing, we will come back to somewhere within the range. But those numbers are not important because, as the Prime Minister has said, there are only three relevant numbers for this term of Government. First, we are at $1.1 million now. After 15 October 2026, those whose performance deserve it may get up to $1.2 million. And if performance warrants it, responsibility warrants it, by the end of the term, those who have fulfilled the criteria may get up to $1.35 million.[+22 sentences] These are way below whichever benchmark, whether from the WP's formula or from the Committee's formula. This is my first point. The second point as to what the components of the bonus matrices are, as I have explained, I have shared with you, the National Bonus cannot be determined beforehand. The National Bonus is an outcome of the four indicators based on the chart that I have shown on Tuesday. In a good year, if the National Bonus goes above three months, it means that Singapore has done well on those four indicators. In years where we did not do so well, it will be below the three-month average. That is why I gave Members the range – from less than one to five point something. That is public knowledge because that framework is very clear. The 13th month is also clear – the Non-Pensionable Annual Allowance. The non-pensionable component, that is also public knowledge. The only thing within that component that the Member talked about is the individual performance bonus. The Prime Minister has said that he will see how to make available more information on that individual. But speaking frankly, I think we have very strict Prime Ministers. I have worked with both of them. When they assess the Ministers' performance, they have been very fair. They have been very strict. I am not at liberty to reveal the exact number, but I have helped them and I can assure you that they have been strict and fair in how they assessed their people's performance, the Members' performance. But most importantly, after all is said and done, how much do we budget as a Government? That, as the Prime Minister has said, has remained stable. If we compare it with 2011, we are not anywhere near the 2011 numbers as a percentage of Government expenditure or as a percentage of GDP. That is how we must be disciplined. That is how we have been transparent with fellow Singaporeans.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh185 words
[+4 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I refer to the 2018 reply. With regard to the performance bonus component, which is the component which Minister Chan was referring to about the Prime Minister looking at how this number would be shared with the public, it has already been shared in a certain format. I referred to how The Straits Times reported it. For performance bonus, the range was from three to six months a year, with the average across all the political office holders over five years at 4.3 months. So, what one does is, you add 4.3, you add the National Bonus, you add the annual variable component, you get 9.7 months of the variable component for Ministerial salary.[+5 sentences] Nine point seven months is above the seven months which is used as a salary norm. That leads me to the question that is unanswered. I will repeat it. Minister may have overlooked it. It was the second question, which is at its highest for variable bonuses, which I believe is still at 13.5 months, what would the MR4 number look like under the 2026 Committee's proposal?
Mr Chan Chun Sing233 words
[+8 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have shared, the National Bonus ranges from 0.7 to 5.6. Within that range, depending on the year, you will just add that. That is the National Bonus. That one, we have no prerogative to change, because it is based on the framework. What every Minister gets will be the National Bonus plus the individual. The individual bonus changes, based on the Prime Minister's assessment of the individual every year. I would not be able to tell you for that individual, what he will get in each year, because each year, he has two components. The 13th month and the non-pensionable component, that is relatively fixed. If there is a good year and we exceeded the target, the Minister will be able to get more than the three months' norm as a National Bonus, which is what I have shared with the Member.[+1 sentence] The other thing, as I have shared, now we have tightened the targets for all the socio-economic indicators. If we have back-tested this, it would have tightened the National Bonus by a month.[+3 sentences] But the figures that I have given the Member is what it is, which is that there is a range depending on the performance of the socio-economic indicators and the national performance in terms of GDP. That is how we calculate the National Bonus component. We add that to the individual bonus components.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh)182 words
[+9 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have two clarifications to the Prime Minister and Minister Chan. It is related to two topics. One is in terms of the structure of the review and second is in terms of the assessment of the effectiveness of the review going forward. The first question is, to ask the Prime Minister and Minister Chan, will there be a regular debate like this? Because I find that this is a very important and useful exercise for those in the Chamber and also, the public. Will there be a regular debate every five years on this review report, even if there is a deferment? Second is in terms of the assessment of the effectiveness of the review, going forward, whether future independent reviews can draw on anonymised evidence about recruitment experience, the backgrounds of those stepping forward, and the financial and non-financial barriers they face. I think this would help Parliament and the public assess whether the framework is actually widening the pool of capable and committed people willing to serve, so, as more of an assessment going forward.
Mr Lawrence Wong114 words
[+5 sentences]Sir, just as a Point of Order before I respond to Mr Saktiandi. This is not to open up a new round of debate. Members can ask clarifications on our Statements. You are not asking new questions and having yet another round of debate. So, let us be clear on the Standing Orders and as a Point of Order for everyone. To Mr Saktiandi's specific questions, yes, we will continue to debate this matter.[+1 sentence] As I have mentioned, this is not going to be the last word on salaries. There will be many opportunities to discuss further. And second, yes, we will continue through subsequent review committees to get as much feedback as possible.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Azhar Othman.
Mr Azhar Othman (Nominated Member)214 words
[+12 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. Prime Minister, one of my primary concerns is about future leaderships. In my speech, I mentioned that, the government, if mismanaged, generations of wealth can be squandered within one government. So, my point is this: in the Prime Minister's leadership in planning forward, what are the mechanisms to ensure that no Government can squander one time? That is the first question. The second question is this, and a recommendation as well, I attended the SME Conference, and Fandi Ahmad was there, and they made an avatar of him because he has 30 years of experience playing football. And the avatar will kind of guide the others to do so. In that sense, can we have an avatar of Senior Minister Lee, Mr K Shanmugam, the Prime Minister and many of the established politicians. The whole idea is that they have so much experience and the young political office leaders need a lot of catching up to do. I do not think tea is enough. They have got so much tea to drink, in that sense. But I think that is the way to move forward using AI to help young political officers leaders even to learn faster, because the learning curve is getting shorter with the new challenges we face.
Mr Lawrence Wong135 words
[+2 sentences]Sir, I thank Mr Azhar for the suggestion. Indeed, knowledge management is very important, and we will tap on all the senior colleagues, whether through avatars or other ways in which they can impart their experience and knowledge to the younger ones, and that is how we can continue to keep our system going strong. On the first point about systems and processes and institutions to ensure that we do not squander our wealth, we do have that. It is enshrined in our Constitution through the Reserves principles, through our fiscal rules and more importantly, at the end of the day, through our entire system and our emphasis on incorruptibility and keeping our system clean and making sure that we never get into money politics.[+1 sentence] The PAP will continue to emphasise and uphold this system.
Mr Speaker73 words
[+4 sentences]Before I call on the next Member, I again want to remind Members. The Prime Minister is right when he raised the earlier point that this is a time to clarify any of the speeches that are made by the Prime Minister and Minister Chan. So, clarifications to what they have spoken on and not to start a new debate on things which were not addressed in their Statements. Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh.
Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh113 words
[+4 sentences]Thank you, Speaker. I have a question for Minister Chan. Minister, since the Government will be studying a new basis for MP remuneration, will that study also look beyond the quantum of the allowance to the sustainability of the role itself, including workload, well-being and whether MPs can continue giving their best to their constituents and Parliamentary duties? I would also ask if he sees some urgency in this issue rather than waiting for another five years for that study to be done together with the remuneration, but given that these are quite the pertinent issues, whether he might consider or whether the Government would consider looking into this sooner rather than later?
Mr Chan Chun Sing12 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, the answer is yes, the Government will look at it.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh53 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, I do not mean to take liberties with the Standing Orders, but my second question was pertaining to the Committee's report, which was the subject of the Prime Minister's Ministerial Statement. It is about the figure for the salary at MR4, provided the maximum variable bonus is applied of 13.5 months.
Mr Speaker7 words
[+1 sentence]Which I believe Minister Chan has addressed?
Mr Pritam Singh12 words
[+1 sentence]But he did not give an answer to what that number was.
Mr Speaker31 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Chan, do you want to — I think it is a summation of the numbers, the broad ranges that were given, but I will let Minister Chan give his response.
Mr Chan Chun Sing83 words
[+9 sentences]Mr Speaker, I think I have answered the question. I just want to emphasise one point. Fixed plus variable equals the norm. Fixed plus variable equals norm. It is not total plus variable and then that becomes a new number. I just want to clarify that and I want to emphasise that. Fixed plus variable is the norm. Will people get slightly or below the norm? Yes, depending on the National Bonus, depending on the individual performance as the Prime Minister will assess.
Mr Speaker5 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Singh, one last one.
Mr Pritam Singh64 words
I will try again: 13.5 months is the variable bonus; the proposal from the Committee is based at seven months. So, if the Minister says seven months is the variable, and including the fixed component, it is equal to $1.8 million.[+1 sentence] I am asking if it is fixed plus 13.5 months, which is the maximum allowable under the framework, what would that number be?
Mr Chan Chun Sing9 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, there is no fixed plus 13.5 months.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Darryl David.
Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio)133 words
[+5 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. In both their speeches, the Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister Chan reference a couple of elements in the reports, which stated one of which was that quality of index could be considered in any review moving forward, and also another element was how we could possibly review or delink other roles, such as Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Mayor and MPs from the Minister's role. I have two clarifications, Sir, for Coordinating Minister Chan. First of which is, could Coordinating Minister Chan shed more light on how the Government would probably incorporate these two elements moving forward? And then more importantly, should the Government incorporate these elements, how can we ensure that we still have a framework that is grounded in realism that is robust and that is relevant to Singapore?
Mr Chan Chun Sing84 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I think when we convene the work for this review, all the comments by the Parliamentarians will be taken into account, and I am sure that the people doing this review will also talk to the relevant stakeholders so that we can come to a new consensus on what this new framework will be, and how do we benchmark the allowances to the MPs and also the other community-related roles. We will convey all this to the staff doing the work.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Prime Minister.
Mr Lawrence Wong182 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, perhaps a quick response to what Mr Singh had asked. Because as I understand it, he was asking about the fact that actual salary received by an office holder may differ from the norm because of the variable components, and there is data on the National Bonus, but not on the individual performance bonus in past years. I do not have the data with me in terms of what exactly the minimum-maximum was in those years, but what I have said in my speech, and I reiterate again, I do intend to look at how, given the interest in where the salary bands are, where Ministers lie in terms of the salary ranges and how the variable payouts will be, to see how we can provide more information to the public where these payouts are concerned. I will not be able to tell you this individual is at what grade, what performance bonus, obviously. But giving such information in broad ranges, I think that is reasonable.[+1 sentence] We will consider and study how we can provide such information in the future.
Mr Speaker50 words
[+1 sentence]Alright, I think there are no more clarifications. Pursuant to Standing Order 44(2), the Motion to consider the two Ministerial Statements delivered on 8 September 2026, on the Government's response to the "2026 Review of Salaries for Political Appointment Holders and Members of Parliament" lapses at the conclusion of debate.
Adjournment›Motions1 turns · 24w
· 0 highlighted
motion-3031
Speaker not recorded24 words
[+2 sentences]. (proc text)]
Challenges Faced by Employers in Implementing Enhanced Childcare Leave, Tracking Usage of the Leave and Accreditation for Work-life Friendly Workplaces›Oral Answers to Questions19 turns · 2,923w
· 19 highlighted
oral-answer-4206
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre49 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) when the announced expanded childcare leave will commence; (b) how the Government will monitor take-up rates by (i) parent, sector and firm size and (ii) adverse employment outcomes following leave; and (c) whether the Government will publish these outcomes regularly.
Ms Poh Li San47 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Government will evaluate the impact of the additional childcare leave policy on the wider workforce after implementation, including to evaluate employees who are not eligible for childcare leave, especially those who have caregiving duties for elderly parents.
Mr Lee Hong Chuang46 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government has conducted studies on the challenges employers face in managing operations when employees take childcare leave; and (b) if so, how will these challenges be addressed when implementing the announced increase in childcare leave.
Ms Cassandra Lee60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance given that the “Made for Families” mark enables companies to identify themselves as championing family values, whether the Government will consider publishing a clear set of criteria that employers must meet to be accredited and eligible to display the mark, including expectations relating to family-friendly workplace practices and norms in the workplace.
The Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development (Ms Indranee Rajah)35 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer the Parliamentary Questions (PQs) filed by Mr Andre Low, Ms Cassandra Lee, Mr Lee Hong Chuang and Ms Poh Li San in today's Order Paper together?
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Please proceed.
Ms Indranee Rajah398 words
As announced by the Prime Minister at the National Day Rally, the Government will enhance child-related leave, financial support, caregiving and housing measures to provide greater confidence and assurance to Singaporeans in starting and raising families.[+4 sentences] These enhancements are the first set of recommendations from the Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup. Parents have asked when the Childcare Leave enhancements will take effect. This will take some time. Legislative amendments are required, and we are working with our tripartite partners on the implementation details. We also need to give employers time to manage the operational impact of the Childcare Leave enhancements. We will share more details by early next year.[+1 sentence] We hear employers' concerns about the operational challenges of implementing the increased Childcare Leave, as well as the impact on the rest of the wider workforce. As announced, the Government will reimburse employers for the full duration of all child-related leave, up to a cap.[+6 sentences] Employers may use this increased reimbursement to support covering arrangements, including by hiring temporary staff or recognising employees who take on additional covering responsibilities. We are also studying ways to better support companies with backfilling arrangements. The longer-term solution to this issue is for workplaces to recognise and accept that leave for caregiving needs, such as parental leave, is now part and parcel of normal human resources (HR) policy and to plan and design their workplace norms and practices around this. This would include job redesign, flexible work arrangements, short-term covering arrangements and where appropriate, artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. All employees, not only parents with children, but also singles and married persons without children will benefit from improved workplace culture and norms that help them to better balance work and personal responsibilities, including caregiving needs. To this end, we are working with employers, tripartite partners and other stakeholders to foster work-life friendly practices and will study Ms Cassandra Lee’s suggestion for an accreditation mark to recognise work-life friendly workplaces. Specific to Childcare Leave, we track Childcare Leave take-up rates among parents, which are based on employer claims, and publish them annually in the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF's) Family Trends Report.[+1 sentence] We will also identify barriers companies face in facilitating leave-taking to develop practical solutions that are tailored to the needs of different sectors and firms to address these. The Workgroup will share its full set of recommendations in early 2027.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Low.
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre (Non-Constituency Member)221 words
[+9 sentences]I thank the Minister for providing a clearer timeline. That is very welcome. I think many parents are looking forward to further details. I have two supplementary questions. First, as the leave is expanded, beyond monitoring take-up rates, how will the Government monitor and prevent parents of Singapore Citizen children from otherwise being disadvantaged in hiring career progression and performance assessment in the workplace, or even retention, because employers are expecting them to take more leave, especially given that the risk may be compounded because parents are generally older, more senior and command higher salaries in the workforce? So, how will the Government ensure that these factors do not make parents less attractive employees for small businesses? And the second supplementary question is, I understand that the Minister has mentioned that they are also working on support for businesses beyond just the reimbursement of the leave cost. Perhaps the Minister could give a little bit more detail on what practical support can help smaller employers especially and especially if parents, for example, in a five-person company, make up half of the workforce? I think the impact of expanded Childcare Leave will be disproportionate on these businesses and so, how will the Government provide practical support to these companies such that operational practicalities do not then discourage parents from taking the leave?
Ms Indranee Rajah572 words
[+17 sentences]I thank Mr Low for his supplementary questions. In a sense, both supplementary questions are linked because they have to do with how the employee is regarded in the workplace. That is one. And how to deal with the fact that the employee is out of the workplace. The Workgroup is currently working on another big piece. During the National Day Rally, we announced the financial support, but another big piece has to be the change in the workplace norms and practices, which I mentioned earlier in my PQ reply. I think one big part of that has to be a change in mindsets and we have to engage employers on that. And the signal that we are sending to all employers is that the workplace of today has changed; we cannot work on the same paradigm and model as we have for the last 10 and 20 years. So, we need to find a new way of working and we fully understand that employers have revenue targets, they have sales targets, they have company objectives that need to be met. That is one side of the equation. Then, you have employees who need to take time out, and this is not just parents with young children. Our population is ageing. Many singles look after parents, older parents and actually, even married couples with young children have to look after older parents, and married couples without children also have to do that. So, it means that the workplace of today and tomorrow has to be a lot more flexible. Apart from mindset change, the question is how do we get the employers, the HR managers and the middle management on board with this. So, the Workgroup is looking to see how we can build capability, how we can upskill companies and bring them on board for this. Then, there is the question of backfilling – which is because there is a gap, so, somebody has got to do the work when someone is taking leave, whether it be parental leave or caregiving leave. Step one is that the Government now says that it will provide or it will pay for all parental related leave.[+2 sentences] So, the employer can use that to pay those who could be colleagues in the company who are covering for the ones taking leave. That is one way. Another, maybe to get people from outside to backfill, but in order to do that, you need advanced planning and working arrangements. So, step one is really to alleviate the financial burden on the employers, but I think in the longer term, we also need to work with the tripartite partners on how you can have sustainable backfilling.[+1 sentence] In other words, companies should not do as they are doing today, where the moment somebody is taken out, you are struggling to fill the gap. Companies should be planning on the assumption that there will, at any given time, be a gap – whether it is one for which advanced notice can be given, like Shared Parental Leave because you know in advance, or things like Childcare Leave where you do not know when your child is going to be sick and you may need to take leave at very short notice.[+2 sentences] Companies should operate on the basis that either one of these two scenarios can happen. We will work with them to see how they can operationally manage the backfilling.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Poh Li San.
Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang West)72 words
[+1 sentence]I thank the Minister. I support the enhancements in the latest childcare support policies. However, it may cause an unintended divide between parents and non-parents at the workplace, especially for non-parents who are frontline workers or have heavy caregiving duties for senior parents who would have to step up, cover duties.[+1 sentence] Will the Government study how non-parents and workers with genuine caregiving needs be better supported, such as a more caregiving leave?
Ms Indranee Rajah359 words
[+16 sentences]I thank Ms Poh Li San for that question. Indeed, it is correct that there will be a need for more caregiving, not just among younger parents, but as I mentioned earlier, for those who have ageing parents, because our population is ageing. I had experienced that myself personally as well. So, I think that the key thing that the Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup is looking at the parental side of the house, but I think the Government as a whole is also looking at caregiving in general, including for seniors. So, that may be a separate conversation and stream of work, but they come together in the workplace. In terms of how to deal with it in the workplace, it comes back to changing the workplace in recognition of the fact that there will always be a need for somebody to step out. That would include things like job, redesign, job sharing and most importantly, flexible work arrangements. One of the problems we have today is that most employers and in fact, many people equate flexible work arrangements with work-from-home and they are not interchangeable. Flexible work arrangements is a much broader concept than work-from-home. It can include flexi-time. So, for example, if you need to take your parent or your child for medical appointment earlier in the morning, you could either put back the hours later or during lunchtime, or you go back at the same time, but maybe you make it up at home. All this really needs employers to have conversations with their employees, because every sector is different. How you might do backfilling or flexible work arrangements in the retail sector or in the hospitality sector is very different from how you would do it for professional services. Also, for uniform services, it would be different. And if you are doing advance manufacturing or precision engineering, it will also be different. So, you can see the enormity of the task that we have before us. What we intend to do is to approach it sector by sector, get the trade associations and chambers on board, and work on it using the tripartite model.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Lee Hong Chuang.
Mr Lee Hong Chuang (Jurong East-Bukit Batok)344 words
[+18 sentences]I thank the Minister for the answer. I also want to thank the Government for the financial support that will be given to not only the parents, but also the employer. However, I have two supplementary questions. Before I start my supplementary questions, I also want to qualify that Childcare Leave may not be equal to annual leave. Many a times annual leave, you can plan for it. But for Childcare Leave, the moment that you need it, maybe tomorrow or instantly, if you have to go, you will have to go. But to a lot of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those who have 10 and fewer people, sometimes due to operational constraints, these parents are not able to go. So, they cannot use up their Childcare Leave. Are there any other ways or means we can help these parents as well? For example, allowing them to encash the Childcare Leave so that they can pass this money to their parents, their grandparents, or to bring their kids to alternative care, and so on and so forth. So, there will be some thought that we need to put into it. That is my first supplementary question. My second supplementary question is that there are a lot of young parents now starting on their own businesses and SMEs. We see, for instance, a young couple setting up store in a hawker centre or in some of these small little shops. So, when the wife gets pregnant one day and after giving birth, the couple is entitled to Childcare Leave. So, my question right now is, I heard the Minister mention just now that we allow companies to hire some part-time workers to support. But are we going to build up this part-time worker pool as like those fractional assignment kind of workers? Those are professionals, but these are on the ground where we may wish to bring down the age of the youths or the students to allow them to support some of these businesses, especially for SMEs with less than 10 employees.
Ms Indranee Rajah345 words
[+5 sentences]The Member raises important issues, which other people have also asked about. On the question of Childcare Leave and annual leave, the Member is correct. Annual leave, you can plan for. Childcare Leave, some of it you can plan for, but some of it obviously you cannot, because you do not know when you might suddenly need it. So, it goes back to what I said earlier about having workplace norms and practices which actually factor this in advance, to see how you can backfill if somebody needs to take time-off. The Member had suggested maybe having them encash the leave. Encashing the leave does not take care of the need for time.[+4 sentences] If it is something which you just need someone to look after the child, then, we are already ramping up for infant care and childcare, and that was also part of the National Day Rally announcements. We are trying to see how we can increase childcare and infant care, and also student care. So, that is one part of it. And that is when the child is not ill. But if the child is suddenly taken ill, the child is not going to be going to infant care, childcare or student care. And no amount of money given to the parent to encash the leave is going to help the child who is at home without somebody to look after them.[+5 sentences] In that scenario, the answer is that the parent does have to go out from work at short notice and look after the child, which leaves a gap, which means that the workplace must be one that caters for such gaps at short notice. And that is reason why we need to work with the tripartite partners on this. On the second question, yes, we are also looking at parents who have their own business. That is an additional reason why we need some time to work through the operational details. So, the short answer is, we will look at that, but this is something where we are having ongoing discussions.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Cassandra Lee.
Ms Cassandra Lee (West Coast-Jurong West)226 words
[+11 sentences]I thank the Minister for raising this. I am heartened by the Government's recognition that workplace culture needs to change for this to work. In fact, today, CNA has published a report reflecting Singaporeans' sentiments that Singapore's hustle culture makes it difficult to feel confident about starting a family while building their careers. It is a monumental task indeed, but one that is much needed. Aside from voluntary cultural changes, I will make reference to schemes, such as the Progressive Wage Mark, which require employers to meet clear criteria before they can be accredited and display the mark. Would we consider similarly requiring employers to display "Made For Family" marks and in order to do so, they need to meet minimum standards on family-friendly workplace practices? This is so that the mark becomes a meaningful signal to employees and jobseekers of what they can actually expect in that workplace. My second supplementary question, the Minister mentioned earlier about how if a child is sick, it is necessary, therefore, to allow the parent to take Childcare Leave away from workplaces. I make reference to my suggestion previously in Parliament about sick bays in childcare centres. That will allow, at least, the parent some time so that there is some flexibility between leaving work immediately and making arrangements to leave work in a few hours' time. For consideration.
Ms Indranee Rajah134 words
[+1 sentence]I thank Ms Cassandra Lee. For the first one, on the accreditation, we will study that, so we are actively looking at that.[+3 sentences] It is a question of how onerous it is you make it for the employer. We will already be asking them to change workplace norms and practices; I do not want them to treat accreditation as though it was the Primary School Leaving Examination, that you would have to hit a number of points and so on, and that would put additional stress on them. We will find the right way to do this. On the second one, the suggestion for sick bays in childcare centres, I will certainly ask Senior Minister of State Goh Pei Ming, who is at the Ministry of Social and Family Development, to look into this.
Refundable Working Mother's Child Relief Top-up for Middle-income Working Mothers Who Have Reached Personal Income Tax Relief Cap›Oral Answers to Questions8 turns · 921w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-4207
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo46 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Ministry will consider a refundable Working Mother's Child Relief top-up or refundable childcare credit targeted at middle-income working mothers with three or more Singapore Citizen children who have reached the $80,000 personal income tax relief cap.
The Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah)129 words
The Member's suggestion is targeted at higher-income working mothers. The $80,000 personal income tax relief cap was introduced to make our personal income tax system more progressive.[+2 sentences] Currently, the relief cap of $80,000 does not affect the vast majority of working mothers, including those with more children. Supporting Singaporeans in starting and raising families is a top priority for the Government. At this year's National Day Rally, the Government announced a new SG Child Support Package which, taken together with the existing benefits, will provide around $70,000 in direct financial support for every Singaporean child.[+1 sentence] We will also significantly reduce preschool fees and keep fees affordable across student care centres in primary schools. The Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup's full set of recommendations will be published in early 2027.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Tan.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast)272 words
[+11 sentences]I thank Minister for the reply. My first supplementary question will be, can the Minister provide the number of working mothers who reached the $80,000 personal income tax relief cap in the latest year of assessment and who have three or more children? The Minister did mention in her reply that this is not a big group. The the reason why I have filed this Parliamentary Question (PQ) was because many of the middle-income working mothers have approached me on this matter. My PQ was not targeted for higher-income working mothers, but the middle-income working mothers, who have both childcare needs, who have three or more children or larger families, and many of them are also taking care of the seniors. So, for them, if you look at the way the tax cap works, some of them will hit the income tax cap of the $80,000 with the other reliefs, like the Qualifying Child Relief or the Eldercare Relief, before they hit the Working Mother's Relief. That could be because of the number of children they have as well. So, if the Minister could give a view of how many of these women fall in that category. The reason this does not target the higher-income women is because the higher-income women will never reach the Working Mother's Child Relief. They would have hit the cap much earlier, so they would not have even touched the Working Mother's Child Relief. So, that is the reason I am asking, because it is precisely the sandwich class that have not been able to tap on this because of the fact that they have more children.
Ms Indranee Rajah203 words
[+5 sentences]I thank Ms Tan for her question. As I have shared earlier, the 80% personal income tax relief cap is intended to make our personal income tax system more progressive. There are currently 13 personal income tax reliefs, and each one serves a worthy objective. Taken together, they may unduly reduce the taxable income for some individuals with high income, and that goes against the progressivity intent. So, I think for the middle income, they would by and large be covered. Because amongst those currently claiming the Working Mother's Child Relief, about eight in 10 can claim it fully without being affected by the cap. And for mothers with more children, about seven in 10 individuals claiming the Working Mother's Child Relief on two or three children, are in fact, not affected by the cap. So, after studying the pattern of reliefs claimed, we decided to limit the total reliefs that one can claim to $80,000 from the year of assessment 2018, because the relief cap does not affect about 98% of tax resident individuals.
Mr Speaker5 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Tan, a short one.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo50 words
[+2 sentences]Speaker, thank you for your indulgence. I would just ask that, although that percentage seems small, if the Ministry of Finance could consider and review this in terms of a refund, some sort of refundable model that could help these women, just to tap on the Working Mother's Child Relief.
Ms Indranee Rajah214 words
[+1 sentence]We are never closed to ideas, but what I would just like to highlight is what we have since done, after reducing the cap or bringing the cap down, was to give all mothers more. And you can see that in the recent package that was announced at the National Day Rally. So, now all mothers, not just the low-income, but also the middle-income ones and the higher-income ones, will get the $10,000 Baby Gift, the $2,000 credits per child per year, the Child Development Account First Step Grant, the co-matching, the $10 top-up to the Post-Secondary Education Account, as well as the existing benefits like the MediSave Grant for Newborns, of $5,000.[+3 sentences] In effect, what we have done is that, although we have put in place the cap, we are actually giving a lot more to all, which would include that group that would be affected by the cap. That is the intent and the design to make it more broad-based. As I said, we are not closed to ideas, but I just wanted to explain the intent and the rationale for the current policy.
Study on Veterinary Price Transparency and Workforce Trends›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 512w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-4208
Mr Yip Hon Weng60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development regarding escalating veterinary costs and manpower shortage (a) when will studies on veterinary price transparency and workforce needs be completed; (b) whether clinics will be required to provide itemised estimates and publish indicative prices for common procedures; and (c) when will decisions on local training pathways and recognition of overseas-trained veterinary technicians be made.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi) (for the Minister for National Development)97 words
The Veterinary Practice Act was passed by Parliament in April this year. Since then, the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) has been working to establish the Veterinary Council and operationalise the registration and accreditation frameworks. AVS will partner the Veterinary Council, as part of the review of the Code of Ethics for Veterinarians, to consider how price transparency can be further enhanced. In addition, AVS is working with the Ministry of Education and the institutes of higher learning to study strategies to meet Singapore's long-term veterinary manpower needs, including the feasibility of establishing additional local training pathways.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Yip.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang)141 words
[+5 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for his reply. My supplementary question is on affordability. Vet fees are rising in Singapore. A simple visit to the vet can cost a few hundred dollars and consultation fees, going to a 24-hour vet hospital can cost even more. Ultrasound can cost $300 to $500, a hospital stay can cost about $200 to $500 a night.[+3 sentences] I spoke on the Veterinary Practice Bill in April this year and during that debate, the Minister did mention that they will monitor the effect of the new regulations on cost. I want to ask the Ministry and the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, is there any progress to this? And in the spirit of transparency, will the Ministry consider publishing common procedures and associated costs and certain fees benchmarks as how we do in healthcare?
Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi212 words
[+3 sentences]I thank Mr Yip for the supplementary question. Indeed, it reflects a growing desire for pet ownership, as well as the rising expectations of animal health and welfare standards as well. Mr Yip alluded to us discussing the Veterinary Practice Act which came into force earlier this year. The intent of the Act is really to strengthen regulation of veterinary professionals, including upholding standards of professional competence, conduct and ethics, and certainly, with a view to protect public interests and maintain confidence in the profession. I just wish to reassure Mr Yip that the review is ongoing and AVS is working with the Veterinary Council. And at the same time, it is taking a view towards ensuring that moving forward, the standards continue to be increased to ensure price transparency, including some of the things that Mr Yip has mentioned, potentially studying the prospect of itemisation, fee disclosures, as well as cost communication to the pet owners, so that they can make informed decisions, build trust trust between pet owners and vets, and promote professionalism and fairness across the board. So, in relation to price transparency, as well as watching over the cost, it is something that is in the review that is ongoing and we will share more information when ready.
Sectors and Worker Groups Experiencing Material Effects of 12.5% US Tariff›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 632w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-4209
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre53 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) (a) beyond optical instruments and chemical products identified as tariff-exposed, which Singapore manufacturing sectors and worker groups have experienced material effects from the 12.5% US tariff; and (b) what economic, trade or employment indicators will trigger additional employment and adjustment support.
The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Mr Foo Cexiang) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade))272 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has concluded its Section 301 investigation into imports associated with forced labour and imposed a 12.5% tariff rate on imports from Singapore. About one-third of Singapore's domestic exports to the US, or around $9.5 billion, are exposed to this 12.5% tariff. This is about 3% of our total domestic exports globally. In addition to optical instruments and chemical products, the other products in Singapore that are affected by the 12.5% tariff include offshore drilling and production platforms, and precious metals. Furthermore, the additional 2.5% in tariff compared to the earlier 10% tariff imposed under Section 122 is equivalent to an estimated 0.7 percentage point increase in Singapore's overall effective tariff rate with the US.[+1 sentence] We are assessing a range of economic indicators, including sectoral economic performance and labour market structure metrics, as well as firms’ outlook and expectations. We are also actively engaging businesses and the Labour Movement so that we can detect early signs of difficulties faced by businesses and workers if they arise. Thus far, the impact of the US' Section 301 tariff on our economy has been muted.[+1 sentence] Nonetheless, the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce has been working closely with our tripartite and industry partners to study the impact of the tariffs and help businesses adapt. In October last year, we launched the Business Adaptation Grant (BizAdapt) to support eligible enterprises in redesigning their business operations and strengthening supply chain resilience. And at this year's Budget, we also announced higher grant support levels for schemes, such as the Market Readiness Assistance grant, to help our firms diversify and grow in overseas markets.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Low.
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre (Non-Constituency Member)204 words
[+8 sentences]I thank the Minister of State for the response. I have two supplementary questions. The first is relating to workers that might be affected by the tariffs. I understand that the Government tracks broad metrics across both business outcomes and worker outcomes. I want to ask specifically if the Government is also tracking beyond redundancies, whether there are workers that are materially affected in terms of being furloughed or having their working hours or earnings reduced in some way, and whether any specific assistance will be extended to workers affected in such a way? The second supplementary question is, I understand in response to a related question that Member, Mr Yip Hon Weng, asked in the August Sitting, Deputy Prime Minister Gan had responded that one of the measures that was announced earlier this year was the one-off SME cash grant that was announced in July. But I understand that that was conceptualised primarily in relation to the economic conditions in the earlier half of this year relating to the Middle East conflict and the energy crisis. So, are there any more specific one-off cash grants that the Government is considering specifically in relation to the impact that might transpire from the US' tariffs?
Mr Foo Cexiang101 words
[+4 sentences]I thank the Member for his clarifications. As I mentioned in my reply, the current assessment of the impact of the tariffs is that it is currently muted. But as Members are aware, we are still in negotiations with the US. So, we will continue to assess the impact of the current tariffs as well as any future potential tariffs. For his suggestion on whether we are looking at workers beyond just redundancies but also increased working hours or reduced pay, that is something that we will study and if required, we stand ready to support our businesses and our workers.
Effectiveness of Suicide Prevention Programmes and Factors Accounting for 50% Rise in Suicide Deaths Among Adults aged 30 to 39›Oral Answers to Questions8 turns · 1,751w
· 12 highlighted
oral-answer-4210
Ms He Ting Ru66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry will review how provisional suicide statistics are compiled and communicated, given upward revisions in the finalised 2023 and 2024 figures; (b) what factors account for the 50% rise in suicide deaths among adults aged 30 to 39 over that period; and (c) whether targeted intervention is planned for this age group.
Ms He Ting Ru75 words
asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what is the Ministry's assessment of the effectiveness and adequacy of suicide prevention strategy and programmes, particularly (i) for youth, given that suicide has remained the leading cause of death among those aged 10 to 29 for seven consecutive years and (ii) for men, who account for the majority of suicide deaths; and (b) how does the Government plan to address these findings.
The Senior Minister of State for Health (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health)15 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, may I have your permission to answer Question Nos 8 and 9 together, please?
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Please proceed.
Mr Tan Kiat How284 words
[+5 sentences]Sir, before I begin to answer the questions, I also like to share with the House that, coincidentally, today is World Suicide Prevention Day. I am sure all of us would like to take this opportunity to grieve with those who have lost loved ones, honour the courage of those who have held on and encourage those who are still struggling. To Ms He's questions, the data on suicide deaths is published by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority annually, based on data from the Report on Registration of Births and Deaths. For youths, suicide can appear as a leading cause of death because deaths from illnesses are uncommon at these ages. And male suicide rates are also observed to be significantly higher across nearly all developed economies. Overall, Singapore’s suicide rate is generally lower compared to other developed economies. We note the increase in suicides among those aged 30 to 39 in 2024, following a relatively stable trend in the preceding years.[+5 sentences] Every suicide is painful. We must continue to prevent suicides as best as we can. However, suicide is multifactorial. Based on a study by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) last year, suicide may be associated with ongoing physical health issues, breakdown in significant relationships or a combination of factors. Poor mental health is also a contributor of suicide. Strengthening mental resilience and encouraging early help-seeking are therefore key to suicide prevention. These are being implemented through the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy.[+2 sentences] Broader yet salient factors to prevent suicides are a stable society, peace and stability, supportive family environment, supported by a good education system, public housing and healthcare system. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of our measures.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms He.
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang)364 words
[+11 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. I would also like to note that I believe the House would also like to express their appreciation for the professionals and practitioners who have been working very hard in what is a very challenging role in both supporting those who are experiencing suicidal thoughts, and also their families and loved ones are also affected by that. I would like to ask some supplementary questions in relation to the topic that is before before the House today. The first being that as the Senior Minister of State pointed out, male suicide deaths around the world have been observed to be higher. I believe I asked why and what are the factors, in the Ministry's assessment, that this is the case. Understanding the reasons why would help us to address that. Which leads me to my second supplementary question. I believe there have been calls from groups, such as The Project Hayat, who released a White Paper for a national suicide prevention strategy. So, I would like to ask as well whether the Senior Minister of State can share some timelines in relation to when this will be released on a national level by the Ministry. And the third supplementary question relates specifically to the revision of statistics. We understand that sometimes, there has to be some revision between the provisional statistics and also the final statistics that have been released. But advocates and also people who are active in the space have shared that this has been quite challenging, especially in the wait. I believe the numbers show a 35% to 40% difference between the provisional statistics and the eventual ones, and these have been uptakes.[+2 sentences] So, naturally there is a lot of concern, and I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State to share what are the reasons why there have been such a big gap? And what is actually being done to make sure that firstly, that the gap in time is less and also whether there is anything else we can do to ensure we are not looking at figures between 35% and 40%.
Mr Tan Kiat How943 words
[+8 sentences]Sir, I thank the Member, Ms He, for her three supplementary questions. And I agree with her. Behind every suicide statistic is a person, and family and friends who care for them; and every suicide is something that we care deeply about. This morning, I was with the Samaritans of Singapore, speaking with the counsellors and volunteers at the frontline, speaking to people who have lost loved ones to suicides, and speaking to suicide survivors. And it is hard work. This is something that requires the collective effort of society, not just the Government, but also community organisations and for all of us to play an important role. And so, I thank the Member for raising this important issue. Let me address her third question first, which is a more technical question regarding the provisional numbers. The reason why we publish the figures in a timely manner, even though those might be provisional and would be updated later on, is to ensure there is transparency; that there is in enough information out there – for the purpose of transparency, for us to make decisions and to understand the trends and understand how we can better support those who are in need. The reason why there is a time lag between the provisional numbers and the ones that are to be updated later on is because the provisional number of deaths reported in the annual report on Registration of Births and Deaths are based on those confirmed to be suicides at the time of the publication of the report.[+10 sentences] At the time of the publication, there could, in addition, be a number of unnatural death cases which are still pending an outcome from the coroner's inquiry. So, they are pending the coroner's inquiry. These cases are captured in the same report under the header "Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings not elsewhere classified". We are transparent in publishing all the figures but some of the figures in that category have not been confirmed as suicide by the coroner. Some of these cases may then subsequently be classified as suicides after the coroner's inquiry and the number of suicides for that year will be updated. So, it is a process that we go through and we are working very closely with the different agencies to ensure those numbers are updated in a timely manner. But really, we publish those figures on a regular basis for transparency reasons. So, that is the third supplementary question. For the other two supplementary questions. The first one on men, the Member is right to highlight men. For many years, men have made up the majority of suicide deaths.[+2 sentences] And we have seen similar patterns across the world internationally. One difficult reality is that sometimes the person who needs help may be the one least likely to ask for it. But we cannot design a system that depends only on someone putting up their hand. So, we are taking a holistic approach: making sure to reduce stigma to improve suicide literacy, but also to help families, friends, colleagues and communities to recognise distress and connect someone to help.[+23 sentences] There was a very nice, lovely Forum letter in Lianhe Zaobao today written by someone who has spent time volunteering in suicide prevention work. His message is, I think, a very timely one. He asked are we prepared to listen when we ask someone "How are you?". And oftentimes, the person may express distress, but are we really willing to listen? That applies to all of us – colleagues, friends, classmates. We are working together with community partners to make sure that those in distress know where help is. There is no point having services and help available, but they are not reachable. Which brings me to the reply to Ms He's second question. Whether there is a formal strategy, I think it is a separate matter. But practically, we are already implementing many of the programmes together with our community partners across different initiatives, focusing not just at the point of help. Someone in distress who has symptoms and has signs even before they pick up the hotline to call, or even before they show up in our hospitals or medical institutions. And how are we building the mental health and resilience in our population, especially young people from early age, whether through The Youth Resilience plan, building up resilience in our young people, strengthening protective factors over the longer term. Or post-crisis youths; those who are discharged from hospitals, because the crisis does not end there. How do you prevent them from having distress and social triggers again? When they are discharged from hospital or out of institutions, how do we work with community partners to better support them to get back to living? And how do we make sure that we mange crisis in a much more coordinated manner across different parties: healthcare, education institutions, community groups, volunteer groups. We are working on those and efforts are in place. And fourthly, suicide literacy. We are investing a lot more to raise literacy on suicide, not just people who are going through distress and thinking about help, but also family, friends and colleagues around them on how to show support and pick up changes in behaviour, changes in perhaps attitudes and perspectives on life. So, we are raising suicide literacy. Underlying all this is building up the research and data to support and inform our initiatives. These things are in progress. We are working hard on those initiatives with our community partners and more importantly, I think, it is a reminder that it is a whole-of-society, whole-of-community effort.
Criteria to Distinguish Prohibited Political Advocacy from Expressions of Humanitarian Concern in Assessing Artists’ Conduct Relating to International Conflicts›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 830w
· 10 highlighted
oral-answer-4211
Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information in assessing artists’ conduct relating to international conflicts, will the Ministry clarify (a) the criteria used to distinguish prohibited political advocacy from expressions of humanitarian concern; (b) how the artists' intent and the context of the expression are taken into account; and (c) will licensing conditions will be reviewed to exclude peaceful expressions of support for humanitarian causes.
The Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Minister for Digital Development and Information)146 words
[+2 sentences]Sir, the Government recognises the humanitarian impact of international conflicts and that artists may wish to express concern for those affected. Such expressions are not, in themselves, prohibited. While humanitarian concerns can be expressed in different ways, it should not undermine public order, national security or stability in Singapore. This condition is made clear in the Arts Entertainment Classification Code issued by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which all licensees are required to comply with. Moreover, Singapore should not be used by foreigners as a platform to further political causes, including those relating to conflicts or political issues overseas.[+1 sentence] Artists performing in Singapore, both locals and foreigners, are expected to comply with our laws and the conditions of their licence during their event. Besides the intent of their actions, IMDA will consider the likely impact of their performance to assess if the conditions are met.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Hazlina.
Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim (East Coast)163 words
[+8 sentences]Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Senior Minister of State for the response. I have two supplementary questions. I will start by outlining how much Singapore cares. Singapore cares beyond our water's edge. Singapore cares for safe spaces for expression, especially when it comes to culture, arts and causes, and Singaporeans are increasingly even more empathetic towards social causes, and even more so for our safety and security as well. On that note, perhaps I could seek clarification from the Senior Minister of State, could he show and share an example where a performance with a social cause was actually allowed, with clarity, when it comes to a concert that was being held in Singapore by an international artist? And second, since Massive Attack and leading up to Guns N' Roses, what upstream or downstream changes or approach have been changed, reviewed or taken place? Because as the House would know, it is hard to hold a candle in the November rain.
Mr Tan Kiat How453 words
[+7 sentences]Sir, on rain, we certainly hope to have some rain, given the haze condition now in Singapore. The Member asked two supplementary questions. Let me reiterate the principle first before I address the two questions. I would like to reiterate what I just said in my reply. Humanitarian concern itself is not prohibited. We should separate the cause from the content and the conduct. That is the core principle behind the licensing framework and the classification framework. The line is crossed when conduct or content undermines public order, national security or stability, or where foreigners use Singapore as a platform to further political causes.[+2 sentences] Given that principle, I hope that Members can also understand that any assessment has to be contextual, because that is the prevailing assessment of the agencies and the regulator, at a point in time. As I shared earlier, we have provided approvals for performances. For example, on 16 May 2026, an event called "To The Unforgotten", a variety event, classified R18, some mature content.[+1 sentence] The event was meant as a celebration of humanity and solidarity with various groups around the world. It featured a song, poem and multimedia on the Israel-Gaza conflict. And we have another example, it was a play, "6 Microlectures on Genocides".[+1 sentence] They had multiple stagings, the latest staging in May last year, also classified R18, with mature themes. The play comprised short works that explore themes of genocide, war crimes and contemporary conflicts. And another example is a stand-up comedy tour called "Namaste", a couple of years ago in September 2024, classified Advisory 16, some mature content and coarse language, and contained a segment where the comedian spoke about the Israel-Gaza conflict.[+9 sentences] So, having material and content on causes itself is not prohibited. The licensing framework is designed to protect young people from unwanted content but allow people to make decisions on what they can watch. But at the same time, having some boundaries on the kind of content that may stir up public disorder or national security considerations. That is the approach that we have taken and we will continue to be principled on that. In terms of the processes, it is really a point that I had made earlier, assessments are very contextual. I encourage applicants to engage the agency, IMDA, early. And IMDA will also engage relevant agencies if their inputs are needed. The earlier that the applicants engage IMDA, the earlier conversations can start, and the earlier we can give clarity and guidance on the kind of content that may be approved and the kind of content that we may have some concerns over. So, clarity and guidance can be provided, but I encourage applicants to reach out to IMDA early.
Monitoring Uptake and Youth-safety Risks of Emerging Social Apps›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 1,018w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-4212
Mr David Hoe65 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) how does IMDA monitors the Singapore uptake and youth-safety risks of emerging social apps such as Setlog and BeReal, including features like time-sensitive prompts, camera-first design and closed-group sharing; and (b) what criteria or indicators determines when such services have significant reach or impact and should be designated under the Codes of Practice for Online Safety.
The Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Digital Development and Information)190 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) closely monitors developments in the online landscape and tracks emerging safety risks for young users, including those highlighted by the Member. To do so, IMDA draws on a range of sources, including public feedback, industry engagements, market data and developments in other jurisdictions.[+3 sentences] Like many commercial digital products, apps and social media services come and go. We therefore focus our regulatory efforts on types of online communication services that have become widely used in Singapore and where safety risks have been clearly flagged. These include social media services and app stores. Under the Broadcasting Act, IMDA may direct a social media service or app store to disable Singapore users' access to egregious content, such as content that advocates or instructs on suicide or self-harm. A social media service with significant reach or impact in Singapore may also be required to comply with the Code of Practice for Online Safety – Social Media Services. IMDA considers various factors as laid out in the Broadcasting Act, including the extent and nature of the effect that the service has on people and communities in Singapore.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Hoe.
Mr David Hoe (Jurong East-Bukit Batok)201 words
[+6 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the Minister of State for her response. I will be first to admit that sometimes, I feel like I am still doing the catch-up game, especially knowing what social media apps that our youths are using, and if it was not for the youths that I have interacted with, I would not have known that Setlog and BeReal are the two apps gaining the most popularity that our young people are using. Against this backdrop, I have three supplementary questions. The first, given such emerging apps that are gaining popularity that are not on the designated list, how can parents be assured or how can parents know whether such apps have the adequate protection for children? Second, could the Government consider to provide periodic guidance for those apps that are gaining popularity, but not on the designated list, on what are some of the key features and potential risks that caregivers, parents and teachers should look out for? And thirdly, given the speed of popularity of such apps that that our young people are engaged with, I would like to understand how fast does IMDA assess and to put them on the designated list?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam560 words
[+6 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for the questions raised. His questions really stem from a very profound concern about how the social media platforms and things online are developing fairly quickly, sometimes ahead of regulation and ahead of what parents can understand. I recognise this, and indeed, this is something that is of concern. In response to his questions, perhaps I will break it up in two parts. The first part is what is already available now, and what the Ministry for Digital Development and Information is doing. I want to highlight the fact that today, we already have some safeguards in place that would protect our young from inappropriate content or harmful content, and things that they may not be appropriate for their age. For one, we have the Code of Practice for Online Safety for the app distribution services. So, there is already a gateway there, in that there are age assurance measures that already have to be put in place and this will effectively take away those who are below a certain age from exploring some of the applications which are not suitable for them.[+12 sentences] We also have a framework that we already have put in place in terms of assessing and identifying some of the emerging issues or apps or products out there. These are already ongoing workstreams, there is a framework. I believe the Member is really concerned about some of these things that are already in place. We do regularly track this. What we look at, as mentioned earlier, are data, feedback from people, we look at emerging data from overseas, we also study market trends. So, there are frameworks in place and when we decide whether we want to impose certain regulations, we will have to look at what is the extent and nature of the effect on the population. These are some of the considerations. So, I want to assure the Member that this is something that is already ongoing and there is a framework that we apply to assess what regulations need to be put in place. On the second part, as the Member rightly points out, this is something that is going to be almost like a "whack-a-mole" situation. Things are just going to evolve. And therefore, we have to take a multi-pronged, whole-of-society approach in this. The Member rightly pointed out that it will be useful for parents to be alerted to some information about trending things that they should be keeping a lookout for. In this, we have already worked on a national campaign, "Screen Smart from The Start", which is intended to provide parents with the information with fundamental guidelines, so that they can build healthy digital habits among their children. This is something that is going to be continuing to be built on and evolved.[+1 sentence] It does bring in different partners. We already have IMDA's Digital for Life portal, which provides some of these resources.[+2 sentences] We are working with different partners to constantly provide digital parenting workshops and conversations for different age groups, different communities, and hopefully, this is something that we can do together as a whole of community. On that note, I hope that the Member understands that this is something that is going to be a work-in-progress, and we do welcome and encourage support from parents as well as the larger community.
Surveillance and Monitoring of Mechanisms Installed under "Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges"›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 836w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-4213
Dr Neo Kok Beng55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information in respect of the Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges (GUIDE) (a) how many incidents of denial of services were attempted; (b) what are the surveillance and monitoring mechanisms that are in place; and (c) what are the strategies and measures to ensure resiliency of services.
The Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Minister for Digital Development and Information)133 words
Globally, most submarine cable disruptions result from accidental damage caused by fishing and anchoring activities. Industry data indicates about 100 to 200 such incidents occurring worldwide each year. Singapore's international connectivity has nevertheless remained resilient due to the diversity and volume of our connections to other countries.[+3 sentences] International cooperation is essential because submarine cables span multiple jurisdictions and issues can be transboundary. For example, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has information-sharing arrangements with partner governments and industry stakeholders to monitor submarine cable systems. Operators must also promptly notify IMDA of cable incidents affecting their systems, and repair cable cuts and restore affected services expeditiously.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Neo.
Dr Neo Kok Beng (Nominated Member)118 words
[+5 sentences]I thank the Senior Minister of State. I have two supplementary questions. First, since the submarine cables is very important in the resiliency of our data services and our digital infrastructure, I would like to ask what enforceable measures are available to us, in the case that it is damaged in the international waters. The second supplementary question, I understand that the guide is a non-legally binding voluntary measures as initiated by the Ministry of Defence. I would not ask the Ministry of Defence, but I will still ask the Senior Minister of State: is there any way that we can turn this agreement into a formal treatise, so that we have much more legal power on this?
Mr Tan Kiat How528 words
[+9 sentences]Sir, I thank the Member Dr Neo for his two supplementary questions. Let me just take a step back to provide more some context to this matter. Firstly, I agree with Dr Neo that international connectivity through submarine cables is critical. It is important for our digital economy and very important for many aspects of the industry and our daily lives even. Every time we download something or we talked about social media, what my colleague Ms Rahayu spoke about, requires data to flow and data flows across the world through submarine cables primarily. Our approach has been two-fold. One, is to enhance resilience through diversity and connectivity because we cannot control whether the cables will be cut in which part of the world. The cables are transboundary, they go through different jurisdictions and we cannot control things outside our jurisdiction. So, first and foremost, to minimise disruption, we are building up diversity of our submarine cables that come through Singapore and interconnect one another and build up the volume, so that if one cable is cut somewhere in the world, cable operators have the option of diverting traffic to other options that they have. Through the Digital Connectivity Blueprint that we launched in 2023, we had indicated that Singapore is committed to provide landing space and resources to enable submarine cable landings to double within the next 10 years.[+3 sentences] From 2023, the next 10 years. So, building up the diversity and resilience. That is the first point. The second is that we also work closely with the industry and we require cable operators to monitor cables for faults, report them within an hour of detection and ensure speedy repairs. That is one of the obligations that we have placed on our cable operators, even though some of the cuts may be outside our territorial waters, but those obligations still apply on our cable operators.[+4 sentences] Thirdly, we are working with like-minded countries, for example, in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), IMDA chairs the ASEAN Working Group of Submarine Cables, and is a member of the International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience. Both platforms seek to strengthen cooperation on submarine cable protection, resilience and repair, as well as promote information sharing and exchange of best practices. We had a fuller reply in January this year on our cooperation with neighbouring countries. That is important, because I mentioned earlier the cable cuts, may, most of the time, happen outside our jurisdiction and we have to work very closely with all like-minded parties and it is a shared outcome, a mutual interest that we will work on. Lastly, on the point of GUIDE, I just to add on that GUIDE brings countries which agree on shared principles and potential areas of defence, where defence establishments could collaborate on enhancing the security of critical underwater infrastructure. It has been signed by 17 countries, including Singapore, and we will continue to work closely with countries that have expressed interest to sign up.
Effectiveness of Age-assurance Requirements for Social Media Services›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 795w
· 11 highlighted
oral-answer-4214
Dr Charlene Chen51 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) how the effectiveness of age-assurance requirements for social media services will be evaluated after their implementation; and (b) whether the Ministry will publish data on their effectiveness, including the extent to which they reduce access by users below the prescribed minimum age.
The Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Digital Development and Information)49 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, the question by Dr Charlene Chen on the Government's proposed measures to enhance safeguards for children on social media platforms, has been addressed in the written reply to Question No 41 at the 8 September Parliament Sitting. The Member may wish to refer to the answer given.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Chen.
Dr Charlene Chen (Tampines)192 words
[+7 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the Minister of State. Could the Minister of State share the Ministry's current assessment of whether available age assurance technologies are sufficiently mature and reliable for this purpose; and how confident is the Ministry that all designated social media services will be able to implement measures that meet Singapore's requirements; and what happens if a platform's proposed method does not meet Singapore's requirements by the implementation deadline? I have two more supplementary questions. The next one, in the written reply, the Minister referred to measures that are robust and effective. So, could the Minister of State clarify the specific criteria and performance thresholds that the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will apply? So, for example, accuracy, resistance to circumvention; and whether these standards will be published before implementation as well? My final supplementary question, could the Minister of State clarify how feedback from youths will influence the final requirements, in particular, which aspects of the proposed approach would remain open to change, and will the Ministry publish the main concerns raised by our youths and explain how these have been reflected in the final framework?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam501 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for her questions and her interest. Some of the questions she asked are fairly specific in nature. The discussions and negotiations with the social media platforms are still ongoing, and we would have to provide information at the later date when ready. But what I can inform the Member is this.[+1 sentence] Firstly, this approach of actually putting in age assurance measures is not new to Singapore. We have actually done so with the Code of Practice for Online Safety for the apps distribution services and so, we have an idea of how to go about doing this, and we do see already there are existing mature technologies that they can already apply and use. We will use our same broad requirements for the app distribution services while we are negotiating for the requirements for the designated social media services. We note the Member had mentioned also concerns on personal data for example, there are already currently technologies that will be able to actually effectively manage age assurance measures, but also take into account data protection of personal data for everyone, but in particular for children.[+4 sentences] These are things that the social media platforms can also deploy and learn from. So, these are things that are being cooked, and we will then update members accordingly with more information as we roll out more information on this matter. The other point that the Member had asked about was the conversations and discussions with our young people. It is a very meaningful engagement that we have had. The Minister and myself have met many young people as part of our efforts to actually understand their perspectives on how we should introduce the age assurance measures and the approach we should take, with regard to the social media platforms.[+4 sentences] A couple of very interesting findings. Firstly, the youths are actually very sensible and they are actually more mature than we think. They actually are very open to have safeguards in place. They know and understand the need for the safeguards, and many of them, in our conversations, also expressed their worries for their younger siblings, younger friends. They do agree that there needs to be some sort of measures in place. But what they hope and what they prefer to have is not to be totally cut out. So, they are generally supportive of our tiered approach, but they do wish for us to have a calibrated approach to this.[+5 sentences] I think it is important as we are setting up frameworks and position for matters that affect our young people. We do take into account their considerations. This would be one touch point, one data point. There have already been information that we have gotten from expert panels. We are studying what is happening overseas. All these will be helping us in actually forming a meaningful approach for our youths here in Singapore. So, these are all still in the works and we will provide more information when available.
Adapting Shared Responsibility Principles Framework to Authorised-transfer Scams›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 944w
· 11 highlighted
oral-answer-4215
Dr Hamid Razak55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance given that investment scams recorded the highest losses among scam types in the first half of 2026 (a) whether MAS is reviewing if shared responsibility principles can be adapted to authorised-transfer scams such as investment scams; and (b) if so, what criteria would guide such a review.
The Minister for National Development (Mr Chee Hong Tat)280 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, the number of scam cases and amounts lost have decreased in 2025 and in the first half of 2026. Nevertheless, scams are still a concern and as noted by the Member, investment scams recorded the highest losses among all scam types. The Government has stepped up efforts to combat scams involving self-effected transfers, including investment scams. For example, online messaging platforms will be required to implement measures that make it more difficult for unknown contacts to engage users without the end-users' consent, and to display warnings alerting users to the potential scam risks posed by such contacts. Major retail banks have progressively implemented cooling periods for higher-risk activities, such as adding of payees, raising of transaction limits and making large transfers that result in draining of accounts, to give consumers an opportunity to re-consider whether the transfer they intend to make is legitimate. The Government will also continue to drive public education efforts to help the public better protect themselves against investment scams and make more informed financial decisions.[+1 sentence] Sir, the Shared Responsibility Framework (SRF) focuses on phishing scams involving unauthorised transactions. It is not suitable for scams involving self-effected transfers.[+3 sentences] Defeating such scams requires all parties to exercise vigilance: the messaging platforms to make it more difficult for scammers to engage victims; and the banks putting in place cognitive breaks to give time for victims to reconsider. And importantly, individuals can take practical steps to protect themselves and approach every investment opportunity with care and caution. For example, please check whether it is indeed a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)-regulated financial institution offering the investment product and contact the financial institution directly through its official contact channels.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Hamid Razak.
Dr Hamid Razak (West Coast-Jurong West)146 words
[+5 sentences]Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Minister for his response. I do appreciate the preventative strategy that MAS is taking in educating our residents. I thought to ask this question particular with respect to SRF, because, today, it hinges on the fact that a scammer acquires the credentials through a fabricated platform and therefore, investment scam victims would not get the benefit of being protected through this framework. But today we have artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake platforms that then allow victims to do the transaction themselves because they think they are making an authorised or a valid transaction. So, I am wondering whether MAS will review this framework to see whether some changes can be made so that scam victims that are affected by investment scams through this sort of AI-generated deepfake images and platforms can also get the claims seen through this framework.
Mr Chee Hong Tat460 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Speaker, I addressed this question about impersonation scams yesterday during Question Time, and I shared several measures in which the stakeholders, from the regulators to the messaging platforms to the banks to consumers, should all take to protect consumers against such risks and to reduce the risk of the deepfakes and the AIs succeeding in these impersonation scams. So, we will certainly keep on reviewing our measures, because as I mentioned yesterday as well, this is a cat and mouse game. Whatever countermeasures we put in place, the scammers will find new ways of trying to break through these safeguards. So, we have to continuously review our systems and to be vigilant. The Bill that was passed yesterday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Bill that deals with countermeasures against scams would also help, I think, to strengthen the deterrence against scammers and also to enhance the protection for consumers.[+8 sentences] Sir, I would also like to just briefly mention that in this regard, the bad guys that we are dealing with here are the scammers. Therefore, we should really point the attention of our deterrence measures and our penalties towards this group of individuals – the scammers. The financial institutions (FIs) are our partners. We work closely with them and in fact, I want to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the FIs and, in particular, the many employees working in the FIs who are a very key part of this overall defence against scams. Members would have read reports from the media about how some of the staff in our FIs have been on their guard and sometimes, taking measures to try and protect consumers, at the risk of being scolded sometimes by the consumers, because they will block what they think are suspicious transactions and the consumers are not happy. They would vent their frustrations toward the staff, but the staff helped to prevent some of these scams from happening. Afterwards, of course, the consumers are appreciative. But during that time when they were trying to get the transaction through, there was some unhappiness. I think it is important to recognise this: that the FIs and the staff working in the FIs are trying their best to work together with us to try and reduce the risk of scams. I must also add that the FIs have also leaned forward to try and help on a discretionary basis to provide goodwill payment. That means this is not part of the SRF. This is what they do on their own – goodwill payment – on a case-by-case basis, based on the financial situation of the victims, especially those who come from more vulnerable backgrounds.[+1 sentence] The banks, the FIs will try to do more to help them.
Ensuring Fair and Accessible Dispute Resolution Processes for Unauthorised Banking Transactions for Consumers Without Legal or Financial Expertise›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 901w
· 10 highlighted
oral-answer-4216
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng68 words
asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how does MAS ensure that the dispute resolution processes for unauthorised banking transactions are accessible and fair to consumers without legal or financial expertise; (b) whether clearer guidance and assistance can be provided to this group of consumers; and (c) whether banks should bear a greater burden of proving adequate fraud-prevention safeguards before liability is assigned to such consumers.
The Minister for National Development (Mr Chee Hong Tat)189 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) requires banks to provide clear channels for customers to report unauthorised transactions and to handle such disputes in a fair manner. This includes promptly commencing investigations and pending the outcome, not requiring customers to pay for the disputed transaction and its related charges. Banks are expected to clearly explain to customers how liability has been assessed.[+1 sentence] Payment card schemes also have established rules to protect customers. Customers who promptly raise disputes with their card issuers will generally not be liable for unauthorised transactions with merchants that do not enable the 3-D Secure (3DS) protocol. Instead, the merchant involved will be liable for the loss. If customers were assessed to be responsible for the loss following investigations, banks may offer goodwill payments to customers taking into account the circumstances of each case, including the customer's financial situation and whether they come from vulnerable backgrounds.[+1 sentence] Sir, where customers disagree with a bank's assessment on liability, they can escalate the matter to the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre which offers an independent and affordable avenue for dispute resolution without the need for legal representation.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Phua.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar)307 words
[+13 sentences]I thank the Minister for the answer, and I do agree that the Ministry of Home Affairs Bill yesterday was of great help and that FIs are indeed our partners. Especially that they do lean forward to our residents who are especially vulnerable. But I just want to read an extract from a resident of mine who has no access to pro bono services because he is not poor enough or low-income enough, and this is what he said: "When I became a victim of fraud. I naively assumed that the facts would speak for themselves. I did not authorise the transactions, did not click on any phishing links, did not disclose any OTPs, and reported the matter immediately upon discovering the fraud. I thought that would be enough. Instead, I discovered that an ordinary consumer is expected to navigate a very complex web of banking regulations, contractual terms and legal arguments simply to protect their rights." He said, "Throughout this process, I have had to review pages of submissions and banking documents, understand banking regulations and liability frameworks, interpret terms and conditions, prepare legal and factual submissions, and respond to arguments made by large financial institutions with access to legal compliance and fraud specialists. I subsequently realised that I had failed to raise potentially significant arguments during adjudication, simply because I did not know enough to appreciate their relevance at the time." This has led my resident to ask how many ordinary Singaporeans who do not qualify for pro bono legal services, how many of them would realistically be able to defend themselves? Is our system stacked against the ordinary consumer without legal aid? I feel for this and I also know what the Government is doing. So, I just want to hear the Ministry's comments on this and how we can maybe improve the situation.
Mr Chee Hong Tat335 words
[+7 sentences]Mr Speaker. I understand what Ms Denise Phua is saying, because there are indeed a range of different types of cases. Some instances, the individual involved may be partially responsible for what happened because they did not take enough care, they did not do enough to protect themselves. They, in fact, sometimes proactively participate in some of these, thinking that they were able to make an investment, and later on it turned out to be the wrong decision. But in some cases, and as Ms Phua shared, it is somebody who is genuinely being scammed and the person did not authorise the transaction. And that is why I think the system, to be fair to all stakeholders, need to have a rigorous process to assess the facts of each case before deciding what is the response. So, I hope Ms Phua will agree with me that the rigour in the system is actually a good thing, because that is what we can then do to help the genuine cases even more, while not opening up in a way a floodgate and encouraging the wrong types of behaviours and moral hazard in the system – because then that will mean we have less resources available to help the genuine cases. That is the first point I want to make about the rigour of the process. But the second one is I want to assure Ms Phua is this, and I mentioned it in my main reply, that we do not design a system whereby the individual would need to receive legal assistance on a pro bono basis to be able to help represent himself or herself, because this is where the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre comes in. Through this centre, it will offer an independent and affordable avenue for dispute resolution without the individual involved having to get legal representation. So, this is one way in which we can provide some assurance to individuals who are caught and have a genuine case for dispute resolution.
Screening and Intelligence-led Measures to Identify Visa-exempt Visitors Intending to Engage in Vice-related Activities›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 445w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-4217
Ms Diana Pang Li Yen72 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what screening and intelligence-led measures are used to identify visa-exempt visitors who may intend to engage in vice-related activities; (b) how do authorities detect repeat visits or successive arrivals by persons linked to the same vice operation; and (c) whether no-boarding directives, entry restrictions or other safeguards will be strengthened to prevent such persons from entering Singapore.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs (Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim) (for the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs)181 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, Singapore adopts a risk-based, multi-layered approach to identify travellers who may intend to engage in unlawful activities, including vice. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) leverages data analytics to conduct pre-arrival risk assessments using advance passenger information, intelligence, watchlists and other available information to identify travellers of interest or other factors, such as patterns of travel, that may warrant further scrutiny. Travellers arriving at our checkpoints who are assessed or profiled to present a higher risk will also be subjected to further interviews and checks, before ICA determines whether to grant them entry.[+1 sentence] ICA continually reviews and strengthens its border security capabilities to address evolving threats, including those posed by transnational vice syndicates. In January this year, ICA introduced a new upstream measure by issuing No-Boarding Directive (NBD) notices to airlines operators at Changi and Seletar Airports, which requires the operators to prevent persons identified as prohibited or undesirable travellers from boarding flights bound for Singapore.[+1 sentence] NBD notices may be used across a range of cases involving identified prohibited or undesirable persons, including those who are engaged in vice-related activities.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Pang.
Ms Diana Pang Li Yen (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights)40 words
[+2 sentences]I thank the Minister of State for the answer. Are you seeing an increasing number of visitors coming to Singapore after the opening of certain visa-free countries that the number of burglaries and scams are happening more here in Singapore?
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim150 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, I thank Ms Diana Pang for the question. Foreigners seeking entry into Singapore and who are assessed to have the intention to engage in vice-related activities in Singapore will be deemed as undesirable persons. Having said that, the ICA does not track those foreigners who are on visa-free entry and who are engaging in illegal activities in Singapore.[+1 sentence] Nevertheless, with traveller assessments now extended further upstream during pre-arrival, checks have become more robust. In 2025, approximately about 45,000 foreign visitors were refused entry at Singapore's checkpoints. This represents about a 38.3% increase from around 33,000 foreign visitors who were denied entry in 2024. These foreigners were assessed to pose immigration or security risks, or believed to have the intention to come to Singapore to work illegally.[+1 sentence] ICA works together with the Singapore Police Force on a whole-of-Home Team effort to prevent such vice-related activities from taking root in Singapore.
Forced Labour Links in Their Regional Operations›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 534w
· 10 highlighted
oral-answer-4218
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong57 words
asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) (a) whether the Ministry has conducted formal inquiries with Singapore-registered or headquartered companies that have been specifically named in foreign legislative hearings or international investigative reports for alleged forced labour links in their regional operations; and (b) if not, whether it will consider doing so.
The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Mr Foo Cexiang) (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade))161 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, Singapore does not condone the use of forced labour. We criminalise forced labour in Singapore under various laws. Should we receive specific information regarding Singapore-registered or headquartered companies having forced labour links in their operations here or overseas, we will investigate companies suspected of breaching our domestic laws relating to such practices and take enforcement actions if warranted. Singapore-registered or headquartered companies are also expected to comply with the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions that they operate in.[+2 sentences] Forced labour in supply chains is a transnational issue. Effective enforcement against such practices would require international cooperation. Singapore has consistently played a constructive role in advancing international labour standards to address the issue of forced labour at source, including working with the international community and through organisations such as the International Labour Organization.[+1 sentence] We will continue to do so. We will also review our domestic regulatory approach to ensure that it remains relevant in helping to address this issue.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Tan.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang)151 words
[+7 sentences]Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I have three supplementary questions. First, when a Singapore-linked company is named in the foreign legislative hearing or a major international investigation, is there a standing process for the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) to seek clarification from that company and to follow up with that company subsequently to ensure adequate corrective measures are taken? Two, what steps are taken generally to ensure our companies do not fall foul of foreign regulations in this area, given the reputational risk to Singapore and Singapore companies? And does the Government issue former guidance to Singapore companies on supply chain due diligence when operating in a higher-risk jurisdiction? My third supplementary question, where Singapore-linked companies operate extensive overseas supply chains, does the Government consider there to be a heightened responsibility to ensure that labour standards are being independently monitored and verified?
Mr Foo Cexiang163 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. The three supplementary questions by the Member are linked, so I will take them together. First, as I mentioned in my main reply, we do not condone the use of forced labour in Singapore, and our legislation prohibit this and these are our national legislation here. We do not have extraterritoriality in relation to these regulations. However, we inform Singapore-based companies that operate overseas that they need to comply with the laws of the jurisdictions that they operate in.[+1 sentence] At the same time, we cooperate with other jurisdictions, including at the International Labour Organization level, to make sure that our companies comply with those regulations. Second, should we receive information that our companies are involved in such illegal activities overseas, when necessary, we engage them to understand what it is to ensure that firstly it does not take place in Singapore, and secondly, that they are cooperating with the jurisdictions that they are in to support the investigations there.
Identifying Singaporeans Involved in Overseas Vape Production or Distribution Networks›Oral Answers to Questions6 turns · 309w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-4219
Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim43 words
asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether local enforcement agencies work with their overseas counterparts to identify Singaporeans involved in overseas vape production or distribution networks; and (b) what enforcement action can be taken against such persons.
The Minister of State for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health)52 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, generally, Singapore's criminal laws apply to acts committed in Singapore only. That said, we work with our overseas counterparts to share information on illegal activities and conduct joint operations from time to time. However, if vape production, distribution and consumption are not illegal in those countries, cooperation will be limited.
Mr Speaker6 words
[+2 sentences]A short supplementary question. Ms Hazlina.
Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim (East Coast)36 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Speaker. Thank you to the Minister of State. Could the Minister of State share how many Singaporeans have since been identified through these cooperations and the enforcement taken out of these cooperations as well?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam111 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, in many jurisdictions the manufacture, sale and distribution of vaping products are not prohibited activities under their local laws. Therefore, foreign authorities would generally not take enforcement action against individuals for such activities nor systematically share such information with us. So, we have very limited information on that. And consequently, we do not have data, we do not maintain data on the number of Singaporeans who may be involved in vape production or distribution overseas, or on related overseas enforcement actions. But where we do come across information suggesting breaches of Singapore's laws, we do then look at the information and take appropriate follow-up actions within its enforcement remit.
Mr Speaker61 words
[+3 sentences]Order. End of Question Time. The Clerk will now proceed to read the 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.]
Impact of China's Offshore Trust Tax Rules on Singapore's Family Office and Trust Management Sector, Ensuring Tax Compliance and Maintaining Legitimate Competitiveness›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 116w
· 0 highlighted
written-answer-24738
Mr Yip Hon Weng57 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how China's new tax rules for offshore trusts may affect Singapore's family-office and trust-management sector; (b) how MAS and IRAS will ensure relevant institutions manage tax-compliance risks and meet Singapore's tax-transparency and anti-money-laundering requirements; and (c) how Singapore will preserve its legitimate competitiveness in light of these rules.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister)59 words
[+1 sentence]This question has been addressed in a reply at the Parliament Sitting on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Effect of China’s Tax Enforcement on Offshore Trusts and Wealth Structures on Singapore's Wealth Management Sector", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Extending Post-secondary Education Account Top-up to Students Turning 18 in 2026 and Transitional Support for Affected Junior College Students›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 169w
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written-answer-24739
Ms Yeo Wan Ling57 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government will consider extending the $10,000 Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) top-up under the SG Child Support Package to Singapore Citizen students turning 18 in 2026; and (b) whether transitional support can be provided for this cohort, particularly second-year Junior College students entering post-secondary education in 2027.
Ms Indranee Rajah112 words
[+5 sentences]As announced at the National Day Rally, all Singapore Citizen children will receive a $10,000 top-up to their Post-secondary Education Account (PSEA) in the year they turn 17, to help defray their higher education costs. We opted to set the eligibility cut-off at age 17 as it broadly coincides with the completion of secondary school and the transition towards post-secondary education. This will apply to Singaporean children turning 17 starting from 2026. We hope that Members will understand that all policies require an eligibility cut-off. Hence, no matter which date is chosen, it is inevitable that some will narrowly miss the eligibility window, as would be the case for the PSEA top-up.
Reviewing Qualifying Child and Child Tax Reliefs (Disability) to Support Parenthood amid Inflation and Rising Child-raising Costs›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 182w
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written-answer-24740
Mr David Hoe67 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government will review the Qualifying Child Relief and the Child Relief (Disability), including when the quantum of each relief was last reviewed and what their inflation-adjusted values are today; and (b) whether the amounts or designs of these reliefs should be updated to remain meaningful amid inflation, rising child-raising costs, and broader efforts to support parenthood.
Ms Indranee Rajah115 words
[+5 sentences]The Qualifying Child Relief and Child Relief (Disability) were last increased in the Years of Assessment 2009 and 2015 respectively, as part of the broader Marriage and Parenthood package. Over the years, the Government has strengthened support for families, such as through enhanced parental leave and greater support to defray child-raising costs. For example, the new SG Child Support Package announced at this year's National Day Rally which, taken together with existing benefits, will provide around $70,000 in direct financial support for every Singaporean child. We will continue to review how to better support Singaporeans in their marriage and parenthood journey. The Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup will publish its full recommendations in early 2027.
Ensuring Prompt Payments Reach Subcontractors in Public Contracts and Requiring Major Contractors to Report on Subcontractor Payment Performance›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 115w
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written-answer-24741
Mr Victor Lye52 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Government will consider (i) tracking that payments made promptly by public agencies to principal contractors are subsequently paid promptly to subcontractors and suppliers engaged to deliver the same public contracts and (ii) requiring major public contractors to report their subcontractor payment performance.
Mr Jeffrey Siow63 words
[+1 sentence]The question has been answered in the answer to Question No 71 in the Parliament Sitting on 10 September 2026. [Please refer to "Studying United Kingdom's Public Procurement Subcontracts and Payment Spot Checks Processes for Local Public-sector Contract Application", Official Report, 10 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 37, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Projected Liability Shortfall of Pioneer Generation Fund and Measures to Ensure Long-term Fund Sustainability›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 184w
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written-answer-24742
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik56 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) why the projected liabilities of the Pioneer Generation Fund had exceeded its remaining balance by about $785 million; (b) what assumptions or cost drivers accounted for this shortfall; and (c) what steps will be taken to ensure the fund's long-term sustainability without over-reliance on annual Budget top-ups.
Mr Jeffrey Siow128 words
[+7 sentences]As at 31 March 2026, the estimated liabilities of the Pioneer Generation (PG) Fund exceed its balance by about $0.9 billion. This shortfall is attributable to two factors. First, healthcare costs and MediShield Life premiums have risen faster than expected, and these account for the main shortfall. Second, scheme enhancements, such as CareShield Life Additional Participation Incentives, have contributed to the shortfall marginally. The PG Fund is designed to support long-term commitments and outlays that will materialise over many years. Its estimated liabilities will change over time, and we do not seek to match the Fund balance exactly to these liabilities at any one point. But the Government will make fund top-ups as needed and ensure that the commitments made to our seniors remain fully funded over time.
Addressing Persistent Driving Centre Lesson Shortages, and Measures to Expand Instructor Capacity and Ease Pricing Pressures›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 185w
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written-answer-24745
Ms Elysa Chen61 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) to the Ministry's knowledge, what factors have contributed to persistent lesson slot shortages at driving centres; and (b) whether LTA will work with driving centres to consider measures to expand instructor capacity or ease weekend and off-peak pricing pressures for students seeking timely access to lessons.
Mr K Shanmugam124 words
[+7 sentences]Wait times to secure lesson slots at the driving schools are driven by high demand from learners and supply factors, such as the availability of driving instructors and circuit space. To improve lesson supply, the Traffic Police (TP) has permitted the employment of foreigners as driving instructors. As of August 2026, there are 905 instructors across the three driving schools, up from 865 instructors in 2025. Driving schools have also opened additional weekend lesson slots and deployed additional training vehicles. TP will continue to work with the driving schools on additional measures to improve lesson availability. Under the Road Traffic Rules, fees charged by driving schools for instruction must be considered fair and reasonable by TP. This includes enrolment, theory and driving lesson fees.
Reviewing Exclusion Criteria for Public Awards Recognising Civic-mindedness and Courage›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 165w
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written-answer-24746
Mr David Hoe66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what exclusion criteria apply to public awards recognising civic-mindedness or courage, including Home Team's public spiritedness and lifesaving awards; (b) what is the policy intent of these exclusion criteria; and (c) whether the criteria will be reviewed so that separate commendable acts can be considered on their own merits where appropriate.
Mr K Shanmugam99 words
[+4 sentences]The Home Team recognises individuals who have demonstrated outstanding acts of public spiritedness. Nominees are assessed based on the extent of their involvement in the act, the risk to their personal safety in stopping a crime or preventing loss of life and the outcome of their intervention. To safeguard the integrity of the awards, nominees must not be under investigation or facing Court proceedings for any conduct that runs contrary to the spirit of the awards. The Home Team periodically reviews its award criteria to ensure they remain relevant and reflect the values we wish to recognise and uphold.
Strengthening Enforcement Measures and Public Education on Lane Discipline for Large Vehicles›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 155w
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written-answer-24747
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs building on the Traffic Police's enforcement and public education efforts on lane discipline, whether enforcement will be intensified against all large vehicles, including off-service public buses that fail to travel in the extreme left lane, except where necessary to overtake, turn or avoid bus lanes during operating hours.
Mr K Shanmugam93 words
[+1 sentence]As stated in our reply to the Member's Question No 30 on 4 February 2026, the Traffic Police will continue to enforce the requirement for all large vehicles, including off-service public buses, to keep to the extreme left lane except when overtaking, turning or avoiding an operational bus lane. [Please refer to "Statistics on Motorists Booked for Failing to Keep Left and Plans on Intensifying Public Education and Enforcement", Official Report, 4 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 16, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Attribution of Laundered Assets to Identifiable Victims, Using Auction Proceeds to Compensate Victims and Establishing Criminal Proceeds Victim Compensation Fund›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 151w
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written-answer-24748
Mr Cai Yinzhou72 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs regarding forfeited assets from a money laundering case being auctioned (a) whether any of the laundered monies have been attributed to identifiable victims in Singapore; (b) whether any portion of the proceeds can be used to compensate victims of related predicate offences; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider a victim compensation fund drawn from forfeited criminal proceeds.
Mr K Shanmugam79 words
[+1 sentence]Thus far, no identifiable victims in Singapore could be attributed to the auctioned forfeited assets arising from the 2023 money laundering case. On the remaining questions, the Member may wish to refer to the Ministry of Home Affairs' answer to oral Parliamentary Question on 28 February 2025. [Please refer to "Percentage of Financial Crime Cases with Confiscated Assets Returned to Victims and Forfeited by Government", Official Report, 28 February 2025, Vol 95, Issue 155, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
Establishing an ASEAN Early-warning Network and Medical Support Arrangements for Emerging Infectious Diseases›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 267w
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written-answer-24749
Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim70 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether Singapore will work with ASEAN members to establish a regional early-warning network for emerging infectious diseases, with terms of reference that would include setting (i) common standards for sharing samples and data (ii) target timelines for identifying unusual outbreaks and (iii) arrangements for Singapore laboratories to provide testing support when neighbouring health systems face limited capacity during outbreaks.
Mr Ong Ye Kung197 words
[+9 sentences]There are existing mechanisms in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to enhance our collective capabilities to detect and respond to emerging infectious diseases. For example, the ASEAN Emergency Operations Centre Network and the ASEAN Biological Threats Surveillance Centre (ABVC) are platforms that enable ASEAN member states to share communicable disease intelligence. Disease surveillance information shared to the ABVC is published on an online dashboard that is updated daily. Our National Public Health Laboratory also maintains longstanding collaborative ties with their counterparts in ASEAN member states, facilitating information exchange, sharing of technical experience, sharing of reference biological materials and confirmatory testing. ASEAN is in the process of establishing the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED). Once established, ACPHEED will play a central role in coordinating regional communicable disease surveillance efforts. Notwithstanding the above, a pandemic crisis is a global and not a regional event. Global efforts to conduct disease surveillance, genome sequence high risk and novel pathogens, notify and share them promptly with the world, are essential to effective pandemic preparedness and response. The key platform today is the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data, which Singapore is actively involved in.
Assessment of Wisdom Tooth Surgery Accreditation Standards and Progression Pathways for General Dentists›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 268w
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written-answer-24750
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik68 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the new certificate of competency framework for wisdom tooth surgery recognises the experience of general dentists who have safely performed such procedures for years; (b) whether the requirement to log 30 cases within three years risks incentivising unnecessary surgery; and (c) what progression pathways exist for accredited general dentists to take on more complex cases.
Mr Ong Ye Kung200 words
[+9 sentences]The Certificate of Competency (COC) framework announced recently by the Singapore Dental Council aims to progressively raise the proficiency standards of wisdom tooth surgery at the primary care level. We recognise that general dentists, especially the less experienced ones, will benefit from further training beyond what they had received during their undergraduate education before they perform higher-risk wisdom tooth surgery. This will ultimately enhance safety and benefit patients. At this stage, we are starting with a voluntary framework and inviting experienced general dentists to help us confirm and define the competency standards. They will also service as supervisors to junior dentists. We have, for now, defined sustained competency as having successfully completed 30 wisdom tooth surgeries over the initial three-year accreditation period. This is a patient volume which, based on the Ministry of Health's record, most general dentists can comfortably fulfil without leading to unnecessary treatments. It is to be validated and confirmed within this phase of voluntary implementation. After the standards are defined and confirmed, our intention is to recognise the experience of general dentists who have a sufficiently long history of practice in wisdom tooth surgery, and especially those who have helped us validate and define the COC.
Assessing Criteria for Medication Assistance Fund Subsidy for Zero-income Households›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 163w
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written-answer-24751
Dr Hamid Razak74 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health regarding the Medication Assistance Fund (MAF) (a) whether the Annual Value threshold is considered in conjunction with the Monthly Per Capita Household Income (PCHI) for zero-income households when determining the subsidy level; (b) if so, what methodology is used to calibrate the adequacy of the Annual Value threshold; and (c) whether the current calibration accurately reflects such households' ability to afford MAF medications.
Mr Ong Ye Kung89 words
[+5 sentences]Patients receiving subsides under the Medication Assistance Fund scheme are currently means-tested using monthly Per Capita Household Income (PCHI) only, including those with zero income. The Ministry of Health (MOH) recognises that PCHI alone may not fully account for a household's financial means. MOH will continue to review our means-testing approach to ensure that it remains appropriate. Where a patient faces financial difficulties, there are avenues to apply for additional assistance beyond means-tested subsidies. No Singaporean will be denied access to appropriate care due to an inability to pay.
Role of Peer and Community Support Networks in Mental Well-being and Strengthening Lower-barrier Avenues Complementing Formal Mental Health Services›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 287w
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written-answer-24752
Dr Choo Pei Ling63 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) how does the Ministry assess the role of peer, community and informal support networks in supporting mental well-being; (b) whether there are plans to further strengthen lower-barrier avenues of support for individuals who may not be ready to seek professional help; and (c) how such efforts complement formal mental health services.
Mr Ong Ye Kung224 words
[+11 sentences]Peer, community and informal support networks are an important part of Singapore's mental health ecosystem. Family members, friends, colleagues, peers and community volunteers are often the first to notice when someone is struggling. They can provide emotional support, encourage early help-seeking and, where appropriate, offer initial support while guiding individuals to suitable services. Many individuals may not be ready to seek professional help immediately. To provide lower-barrier avenues of support, the Ministry of Health has established First Stop for Mental Health services, including the national mindline 1771 and mindline.sg. These services allow individuals to seek information, guidance and support, including anonymously if they prefer. Where needed, they also encourage individuals to seek formal mental health services and facilitate referrals with the individual's consent. Beyond these services, we are strengthening community capability through efforts to improve mental health literacy, reduce stigma and equipping more people with basic mental health skills. These include programmes, such as the Health Promotion Board's Peer Support Training Programme and the Agency for Integrated Care's online Mental Health Awareness modules. These efforts complement, rather than replace, formal mental health services. Together, they support earlier identification of concerns, encourage timely help-seeking and ensure that individuals receive the level of care that best meets their needs, from community and peer support for those with milder concerns, to professional assessment and treatment where required.
Reviewing Healthier SG Capitation Payments for General Practitioners' Expanded Work Responsibilities under Healthier SG›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 228w
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written-answer-24753
Ms He Ting Ru60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has received and reviewed any feedback from general practitioners that capitation payments under Healthier SG may not adequately reflect the time and resources required for their expanded scope of work; and (b) what plans does the Ministry have to address any such feedback going forward.
Mr Ong Ye Kung168 words
[+9 sentences]The Ministry of Health (MOH) has been receiving such feedback, particularly from some general practitioners (GPs) caring for patients with more complex chronic needs. We appreciate the commitment of these GPs and the time and effort they have devoted to these patients. However, patient care needs and clinic workflows vary, and the time and effort spent per patient are uneven. MOH therefore sets a funding rate that is fair and sustainable across the diversity of patients and participating Healthier SG GP clinics. MOH also tiers the funding rates, with a base fee and higher payments for patients who have received more care. We also provide additional remuneration to GPs for vaccinations and health screenings. In 2025, MOH provided about $350 million to GP clinics under Healthier SG and the Community Health Assist Scheme, averaging over $140,000 per clinic. This is a significant investment in primary care. We will continue to review our funding policies to ensure that GPs are fairly remunerated for their enhanced role under Healthier SG.
Review of Healthier SG Chronic Tier Benefits Including Revised CHAS Income Eligibility and Higher Subsidies Amid Rising Healthcare and Living Costs›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 129w
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written-answer-24754
Ms He Ting Ru64 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health in view of rising healthcare and living costs, whether there are plans for the Ministry to review the Healthier SG Chronic Tier benefits, such as through (i) revising the income eligibility criteria for the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) and (ii) increasing the subsidy quantum for CHAS, Merdeka Generation, and Pioneer Generation cardholders.
Mr Ong Ye Kung65 words
[+3 sentences]The Healthier SG Chronic Tier was introduced in 2024, while the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) was last reviewed in 2025, with enhancements to dental and vaccination subsidies. The Ministry of Health reviews the policy parameters of the Healthier SG Chronic Tier and CHAS from time to time. We will continue to monitor the overall affordability of primary care and review the schemes, where necessary.
Data on Quantity, Value and Disposal Costs of Medication Wastage in Public Healthcare Institutions in Past 10 Years and Wastage Reduction Measures›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 243w
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written-answer-24755
Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) for each year in the past decade, what is the quantity and value of unused, unwanted or expired medication returned by patients to public healthcare institutions; (b) what is the annual cost of disposing such medication; and (c) what measures are being taken to reduce medication wastage.
Mr Ong Ye Kung184 words
[+9 sentences]The Ministry neither tracks medication returned by patients nor disposal costs of such items in public healthcare institutions. However, there are measures in place to help reduce medication wastage. Firstly, public healthcare institutions generally supply patients with sufficient medication to last until their next appointment and do not provide excess medication. For newly prescribed medications, a shorter duration may be dispensed initially and subsequently refilled if there are no side effects. Secondly, together with patients or their caregivers, pharmacists will review the prescribed medication regime including adherence to medication, at relevant transition points of care to identify medications that are no longer required and minimise unnecessary wastage. As excess medication is not routinely dispensed, returned medications are more commonly due to patients passing on. Lastly, public education efforts play an important role in reducing medication wastage. The Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore conducts outreach and public education activities to encourage patients not to over-collect medications. Complementing these efforts, the Ministry of Health "Know Your Meds" Series educates patients on how to keep track of their medication supplies and avoid overstocking which might result in wastage.
Update on Consular Assistance for Singaporeans in Nepal and Tibet Flash Floods and Adequacy of Overseas Consular Mission for Disaster Response›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 240w
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written-answer-24756
Mr Fadli Fawzi67 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether an update can be provided on the number of Singaporeans who have requested and received assistance from the Ministry in relation to the flash floods in Nepal and Tibet; and (b) whether the Ministry has assessed the need to increase Singapore's network of consular missions abroad to improve the Ministry's ability to respond and assist Singaporeans during disasters overseas.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan173 words
[+8 sentences]The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) reached out to almost 100 Singapore Citizens (SCs) and Permanent Residents known to be in Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, to check on their safety and well-being. MFA is also providing consular assistance to the families of nine SCs who are still missing. Singapore currently has a diplomatic footprint of over 50 Overseas Missions, supplemented by a network of Non-Resident Ambassadors and Honorary Consuls-General. When a crisis occurs in places where we do not have diplomatic representation, MFA works with foreign Governments and other partners to provide consular assistance to Singaporeans in need. For major incidents, we may deploy Crisis Response Teams, as we have done in the case of the Nepal and China floods. MFA regularly reviews our diplomatic footprint to balance the need for broader coverage against our resource constraints as a small country. Earlier this year, we opened an Embassy in Mexico City. Next year, we will set up an Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Consulates in Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia.
Data on Schools with Return Right Beverage Container Return Machines Installed and Plans for Expanding into Schools Without Return Machines›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 110w
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written-answer-24757
Ms Valerie Lee57 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how many Return Right Beverage Container Return Scheme machines are currently located in schools; (b) whether there are plans to install these machines in schools that do not have them; and (c) if not, what is the rationale for siting return machines away from such points of consumption.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien53 words
[+1 sentence]This question has been addressed in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment's answer to Written Question No 30 on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Expanding Reverse Vending Machine Accessibility near Coffeeshops and Supermarkets for Convenient Container Returns", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions section.]
Risk Assessment and Surveillance Measures of Imported Food Products Following Overseas Food Safety Incidents›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 172w
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written-answer-24760
Ms Gho Sze Kee55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment when significant food safety incidents involving food products are reported overseas (a) whether the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) routinely reviews the risk profile and surveillance measures for the same food products and their sources imported into Singapore; and (b) what factors determine whether additional measures are taken.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien117 words
[+4 sentences]The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) monitors food safety incidents around the world daily. When SFA identifies food safety incidents or receives notifications of food recalls from overseas authorities, SFA will assess the risk profile of the affected food products and their sources, based on factors, such as nature and severity of the overseas food safety incident and type of population affected. Based on the risk profile, SFA will take additional measures as necessary to protect consumers, in line with its risk-based approach to ensuring food safety. This may include engaging overseas authorities for further information, recalling affected products, testing similar food products in the Singapore market and subjecting future imports of similar food to inspections and testing.
Outcome Indicators for Partnership to Tackle Homelessness (PATH) Fund Pilots and Shelter Upgrades, and Use of Findings in Future Funding Decisions›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 186w
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written-answer-24761
Dr Hamid Razak55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what outcome indicators the Ministry will use to evaluate the Partnership to Tackle Homelessness (PATH) fund's 11 new-initiative pilots and six shelter-upgrade projects for rough sleepers; and (b) whether findings from these projects will inform funding decisions ahead of the next application window in March 2027.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M131 words
[+4 sentences]As shared in the previous Written reply to Question No 1922 by Dr Wan Rizal, the Partnership to Tackle Homelessness (PATH) Fund supports projects that strengthen community partners capabilities and test new approaches to tackling homelessness. [Please refer to "Breakdown of Rehousing Outcomes of Rough Sleepers by Housing Pathways and Retention Rates, and Publication of PATH Pilot Project Outcomes", Official Report, 9 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 36, Written Answers to Questions section.] The projects address different types of support needed, including employment, work-readiness, social support and improvements to shelter facilities. The funding decisions for the next application window will not be contingent on the findings from the first tranche of projects under PATH Fund. The intent of the Fund is to encourage more ground-up experiments and innovations from the sector.
Data on Weekly Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children by Age and Level of Need Compared, and Changes Linked to Enrolment and Capacity›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 162w
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written-answer-24762
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim68 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the average weekly Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) intervention duration per child, by age and level of need; (b) how this duration compares with medically recommended intervention intensity for medium-to-high needs; (c) whether intervention duration has changed in recent years; and (d) if so, whether this change is associated with enrolment relative to capacity.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M94 words
[+5 sentences]The Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) supports children who require medium to high levels of early intervention (EI) support. Children in EIPIC have different needs and intervention can take different forms. The support needed by each child, including intervention duration, is therefore determined by a transdisciplinary team of EI and allied health professionals at the EIPIC centre, based on the needs of the child. This team regularly reviews and adjusts the plans according to the child's progress. Children in EIPIC typically receive between five and 12 hours of intervention each week.
Financial Assistance for Single-income Unwed Mothers and Dedicated Support Framework Beyond Existing Single Parent Support Measures›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 217w
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written-answer-24763
Mr Gabriel Lam65 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how many single-income unwed mothers currently receive ComCare assistance or any other forms of financial assistance from the Government; and (b) apart from the two-pronged approach to support single unwed parents, whether the Ministry is considering introducing a specific support framework or support tier for this group that is distinct from divorced or widowed single parents.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M152 words
[+5 sentences]Among all single unwed mothers who gave birth to children between 2021 and 2025 and remained single as of 2025, about 20% received ComCare Short-to-Medium or Long-Term assistance in 2025. Government benefits that support the growth and development of children are extended to every Singapore citizen child, regardless of their parents' marital status. These include subsidies for education, healthcare, childcare, infant care, the Migrant Domestic Worker Levy Concession and the SG Child Support Package announced at the 2026 National Day Rally, which provides families with stronger and more sustained financial support to help raise their children from birth through the growing years. As the needs and archetypes of lower-income families vary, we do not intend to introduce a specific support framework for single unwed parents. Instead, lower-income households that need social assistance may approach the Social Service Offices for support, irrespective of their marital status, for their needs to be assessed holistically.
Requiring Longer Notice for Unilateral Termination of Preschool Enrolment to Allow Families Adequate Time for Alternative Arrangements›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 208w
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written-answer-24764
Mr Alex Yeo71 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development given that preschool operators and centre licensees must give six months' notice before ceasing operations while most service agreements commonly require only one month's notice, whether the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will consider requiring a longer notice period in cases where preschool centres unilaterally terminate a student's enrolment, in order to allow families adequate time to seek alternative preschool and childcare arrangements.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M137 words
[+7 sentences]The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) does not intervene in the contractual agreement between parents and preschools at the point of enrolment. In general, preschools seek to retain their enrolled children as far as possible. We strongly encourage preschools who are unable to support a child or meet a family's needs to engage parents on the situation before proceeding with the withdrawal process for the child. Unlike a preschool cessation which impacts all enrolled children and families, such withdrawals affect individual children with varying circumstances. Hence, prescribing a standard notice period for all withdrawal cases could constrain preschools' operations and their ability to respond appropriately to the circumstances of each case. Affected parents can use the LifeSG preschool search service to secure an alternative preschool placement. ECDA can also render further assistance should parents need more support.
Proportion of Child Development Account Co-Matching Grant Utilisation Among Children of Unwed Single-income Mothers and Additional Holistic Support Beyond Existing Measures›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 249w
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written-answer-24765
Mr Gabriel Lam69 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what proportion of children of single-income unwed mothers fully utilise the Government's Child Development Account co-matching grant, compared with children from dual-income married households; (b) whether the Ministry has assessed if the co-matching structure presents greater challenges for single-income families; and (c) what additional support, beyond existing targeted support, is being considered to address the needs of such families holistically.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M180 words
[+6 sentences]As of 2 September 2026, about 30% of children of single unwed parents had reached the maximum Child Development Account (CDA) co-matching grant limit, compared to about 70% of children from married households. This is based on data for children born between 1 September 2016 and 31 December 2020, who are now at least six years old, by which age the CDA co-matching grant would have been fully utilised in most instances. We recognise that lower-income families, including some single-income families, may face greater difficulty saving to benefit from the co-matching structure. This was why the First Step Grant was introduced, to provide upfront financial support for early childhood expenses without requiring parents to first deposit their own funds. In addition, as announced at the National Day Rally 2026, under the new SG Child Support Package that will be provided to all Singapore Citizen children, a larger proportion of support will be given via direct cash grants instead of co-matching. Irrespective of marital status, lower-income families are further supported through higher means-tested subsidies for services, such as education and healthcare.
Protecting Against Unauthorised AI-generated Likeness in Advertisements and Operationalising Online Safety Commission's Mandate over Inauthentic Material Abuse›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 319w
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written-answer-24766
Mr Yip Hon Weng59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information in light of paid advertisements using AI-generated likenesses and voices without consent (a) whether platforms will be required to verify advertisers and obtain consent attestations before publication; (b) whether persistent disclosure and expedited removal will be mandated; and (c) when the Online Safety Commission's powers over inauthentic material abuse will commence.
Mrs Josephine Teo260 words
[+12 sentences]The Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) adopts a consistent approach in considering whether advertising content is acceptable, regardless of whether artificial intelligence (AI) is used. Under the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP), advertisers are responsible for ensuring that their content is legal, decent, honest and truthful. Advertisers should disclose AI use where necessary to avoid misleading consumers. They should not portray a person or their property without consent and ensure all endorsements or testimonials are genuine. ASAS adopts a complaints-based approach in reviewing potential advertising breaches and can get advertisers to amend or withdraw non-compliant advertisements. Beyond SCAP, the Government also issued new and enhanced Codes of Practice under the Online Criminal Harms Act on 17 August 2026 to strengthen safeguards against online advertisements that impersonate individuals. Designated online services are required to verify advertisers' identities and prevent and promptly remove the publication of suspected scam advertisements. The Online Safety Commission (OSC) provides relief to victims of online harms under the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act (OSRAA). This currently covers the most prevalent and severe harms, namely intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse, doxxing, online harassment and online stalking. OSC can act on online material generated using AI and that meets the thresholds for these five harms. Inauthentic material abuse is one of the further categories of online harm under OSRAA that will be progressively implemented, as the OSC builds its capabilities in a sustainable and scalable way. We will provide more details on the commencement of this online harm for relief under OSRAA in due course.
Singapore's Position on Joining WAICO, Implications of Pax Silica Signatory Status and ASEAN Consensus on AI Governance Initiatives›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 120w
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written-answer-24767
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis65 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether Singapore has received an invitation to join the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO); (b) whether the Government intends to join WAICO; (c) whether Singapore's position as a signatory of the Pax Silica initiative precludes Singapore from joining WAICO; and (d) whether there is an ASEAN consensus on joining WAICO or the Pax Silica initiative.
Mrs Josephine Teo55 words
[+1 sentence]This question has been addressed in the Oral reply to Singapore's position on WAICO and Pax Silica at the 9 September 2026 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to "Singapore's Strategic Position on Pax Silica AI Coalition and World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization", Official Report, 9 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 36, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
Government and Commercial Data Compromised in LiteLLM Supply Chain Attack and Measures to Prevent Recurrence›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 256w
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written-answer-24768
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song58 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what types of data owned by the Government or commercial entities in Singapore were compromised in the artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain attack on LiteLLM; (b) what remedial actions were taken to safeguard any personal and Government data lost; and (c) what is being done to prevent a recurrence.
Mrs Josephine Teo198 words
[+12 sentences]LiteLLM is widely used open-source artificial intelligence (AI) software. Hackers compromised it by using login details stolen in an earlier breach to add malicious code to software updates. GovTech used scanning and detection tools to identify the affected Government agencies and informed them quickly. The attack was confirmed to have compromised only one user account, which supported a small number of agencies. The affected agencies changed any login details that might have been exposed and checked their system records for signs of unauthorised activity. There is no evidence that any Government data, including personal data held by the Government, was stolen or compromised. The Government does not have a complete picture of how the incident affected commercial entities. Each company should check its own systems, fix any problems and make any required reports. The Singapore Cyber Emergency Response Team has published an advisory on the incident and can provide cybersecurity guidance and help where needed. Attacks on software supply chains are an ongoing threat. The risks cannot be removed completely. However, the Government will keep reviewing and improving how it prevents, detects and responds to such attacks, so that similar incidents are less likely and cause less harm.
Proportion of Secondary School Students Admitted Through Direct School Admission Across Various Domains, and Complaints Received Regarding Selection Process›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 222w
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written-answer-24769
Mr Saktiandi Supaat71 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) for each of the past three admission exercises, what proportion of students admitted through Direct School Admission (DSA) to secondary schools were for talents in (i) sports, (ii) performing arts, (iii) leadership and uniformed groups, (iv) languages, humanities, mathematics or science and (v) other domains; (b) how many complaints relating to DSA selection processes were received each year; and (c) what were the principal complaints.
Mr Desmond Lee151 words
[+7 sentences]The Direct School Admission for secondary schools (DSA-Sec) provides a pathway for students to gain admission to secondary schools based on their interests, aptitude and potential, beyond their performance at the Primary School Leaving Examination. The proportions of applications and admissions have been comparable in the past three years. For the 2026 DSA-Sec Exercise, about four in 10 applications were for Sports and Games, two in 10 for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and two in 10 for Performing Arts. The rest were spread across Leadership and Uniformed Groups, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Language and Humanities, and Visual Arts, Design and Media. Over the past three years, an average of about nine pieces of feedback per year was received. The main concern was on schools' selection processes. Based on the Ministry of Education's review of each case, we have found the schools to have conducted their selection processes rigorously, objectively and professionally.
Distribution of Student Participation in MP Attachment Programme Across Constituencies Including Opposition Wards, Selection Criteria and Transparency of Selection Process›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 134w
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written-answer-24770
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat64 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) how many students participated in school-organised attachments to Members of Parliament (MPs) at Meet-the-People Sessions, such as the MP Attachment Programme, in each year since 2020; (b) what percentage were attached to MPs in Aljunied GRC, Hougang SMC or Sengkang GRC; (c) who selects the constituency, and on what criteria; and (d) whether the criteria will be published.
Mr Desmond Lee70 words
[+5 sentences]Some schools may organise learning experiences for specific student groups where students attend Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS). The objective is to provide students with age-appropriate exposure to community issues. Such decisions, including the choice of constituency, are made by schools based on their learning objectives and practical considerations. The Ministry of Education does not track students' participation in MPS. Students may also participate in community activities in their own personal capacity.
Offering Computing in Secondary Schools and Providing Institutional Support and Dedicated Curriculum and Pedagogical Resources›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 253w
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written-answer-24771
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat70 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) whether Computing can be offered as a core subject in secondary schools; (b) how many secondary schools teach Computing in-house and how many via the centre-based programme; (c) what proportion of the cohort takes Computing; (d) whether Computing can be given its own Curriculum Planning and Development Division post and Master Teacher portfolio; and (e) whether Computing will become a subject before upper secondary.
Mr Desmond Lee183 words
[+10 sentences]The Ministry of Education (MOE) recognises the importance of developing digital and artificial intelligence (AI) literacies in students. Our approach is to equip all students with foundational digital and AI literacy through existing subjects and programmes, such as "Code for Fun", while providing opportunities for interested students to study Computing in greater depth. At the lower secondary level, our students pick up computational thinking skills through the learning of mathematics. International benchmarking studies have found our students to be strong in computational thinking. From the 2026 Secondary 3 cohort, upper secondary students can offer G1, G2 and G3 Computing as an elective subject based on their strengths and interests. MOE has no plans to introduce Computing as a standalone subject before upper secondary level. Students from over 110 secondary schools offer G1, G2 or G3 Computing. These include students from over 40 schools who offer G3 Computing at four centres. Collectively, they make up about 13% of the Secondary 3 cohort. There are dedicated Computing curriculum officers and a senior specialist in MOE, as well as Senior Teachers and Lead Teachers for Computing.
Students at Institutes of Higher Learning Billed for Full Tuition and Other Fees When on Mandatory External Internships and Consideration of Fee Proration›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 135w
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written-answer-24772
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) whether there are students at autonomous universities and other Institutes of Higher Learning who are billed for full tuition and other compulsory fees during semesters spent on mandatory full-time external internships with no regular coursework; (b) what services do these fees fund during such periods; and (c) whether fee proration will be considered for these periods.
Mr Desmond Lee73 words
[+3 sentences]Institutes of Higher Learning typically derive the semester fees based on the total cost of the degree or diploma programme nett of subsidies, if any, spread evenly over the standard number of semesters required to complete the course. The standard number of semesters includes the duration of mandatory full-time internships that form part of the course graduation requirement. As such, there is no need for fee proration while students are on such internships.
Breakdown of Enrolled Students with Special Educational Needs by School Type from 2015 to 2025›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 113w
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written-answer-24773
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim49 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education for each year from 2015 to 2025, what is the proportion of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) as a share of total enrolment, broken down by school type (i) Government (ii) Government-aided (iii) independent (iv) Special Assistance Plan and (v) Integrated Programme schools.
Mr Desmond Lee64 words
[+4 sentences]Around 7% of the student population in General Education schools have Special Educational Needs (SEN). All schools have students with SEN and can support them. The student population with SEN has risen gradually across all school types. In 2025, it is 8% for both Government and Government-aided Schools; 3% for Integrated Programme Schools (which includes Independent Schools) and 4% for Special Assistant Plan Schools.
Formal Recognition of Student Participation in External Activities Not Offered by Schools as Co-curricular Activities to Support Diverse Student Interests and Talents›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 215w
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written-answer-24774
Ms Valerie Lee68 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider allowing students who participate regularly and intensively in structured co-curricular activities (CCAs) outside school, particularly those not offered by their schools, to have these activities recognised as their CCAs, given that the Ministry already recognises external activities under the Leadership, Enrichment, Achievement, Participation and Service (LEAPS) 2.0 framework and seeks to cater to students' diverse interests and talents.
Mr Desmond Lee147 words
[+6 sentences]Schools design their Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) programmes to support students' holistic development. Beyond helping students discover their interests and strengths, CCAs provide authentic settings in which they develop character and put into practice values learnt in the classroom, such as teamwork, resilience, empathy and leadership. CCAs also bring students together, enabling them to forge friendships and develop a strong sense of belonging to their school community. While students may pursue their interests through external activities, it remains important for them to participate in and benefit from a school-based CCA. For students interested in CCAs that their schools do not offer, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth have introduced several strategic partnership CCAs that are open to students across schools. Some schools have also partnered to offer multi-school CCAs where there is insufficient demand to sustain such activities within a single school.
Proportion of Primary 5 and Secondary 3 Students Experiencing Sleep Deficiency on School Days and Variations Across Different Student Groups›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 115w
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written-answer-24775
Dr Choo Pei Ling52 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) what proportion of Primary 5 and Secondary 3 students surveyed in 2025 have slept below the recommended duration for their age on school days; (b) whether this proportion has changed since 2023; and (c) whether there are significant differences in sleep sufficiency across different student groups.
Mr Desmond Lee63 words
[+4 sentences]The Ministry of Education monitors the sleep trends of students through regular surveys. Based on our latest survey in 2025, Primary 5 and Secondary 3 students reported getting an average of seven hours of sleep on school days. This is a slight improvement of about 15 minutes more in 2025 compared to 2023. Generally, younger students reported getting more sleep than older students.
Electricity Demand Drawn from Grid versus On-site Generation and Proportion of Green Energy Commitment from Local Renewable Generation versus Imported Sources for DC-CFA2›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 206w
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written-answer-24777
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis78 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) regarding data centres awarded under the second Data Centre-Call for Application (DC-CFA2) exercise (a) what is the amount of electricity demand to be drawn from the grid versus on-site generation when commissioned, and their share of the total data centre demand; (b) what proportion of their green energy commitment will come from Singapore-based renewable generation, versus imported electricity or market-based instruments; and (c) how will this be verified.
Dr Tan See Leng128 words
[+5 sentences]The data centres which have been provisionally awarded capacity under the second Data Centre Call for Application (DC-CFA2) exercise will have a combined capacity of 200 megawatts (MW). This will represent around 12% of Singapore's total data centre capacity. The electricity demand of the data centres will be primarily drawn from the national grid, supplemented by on-site solar. More than half of this capacity will be powered by Singapore-based low-carbon power generation from building‑integrated/building-applied photovoltaics (BIPV/BAPV) and fuels, such as biomethane, ammonia and hydrogen. These data centres will be required, as a condition of their capacity support, to report their overall electricity consumption and substantiate the proportion of this electricity consumption that is generated from low-carbon sources to the Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Economic Development Board.
Providing Grant Support for Research and Development Expenses Incurred in Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 172w
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written-answer-24778
Dr Neo Kok Beng49 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) whether the Government will provide grant support for specific research and development expenses incurred in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), such as testing and trials that cannot be done or are not suitable to be done in Singapore.
Dr Tan See Leng123 words
[+4 sentences]The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) enables companies to tap on the complementary strengths of both Singapore and Johor to jointly attract investments. Enterprises establishing or expanding operations in the JS-SEZ can benefit from existing Government schemes, such as the Enterprise Development Grant, that support Singapore companies in pursuing new market opportunities and transforming their businesses. Support for overseas research and development (R&D) activities, such as testing and trials, will be considered against the company's overall R&D roadmap and business objectives, with clear pathways for capabilities and economic value to accrue back to Singapore. The Government will continue to review our suite of enterprise support measures, including for R&D, to ensure they continue to meet businesses' needs while supporting value creation in Singapore.
Sharing Access to Laboratories and Equipment at Institutes of Higher Learning to Support Startup and SMEs Research and Development›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 436w
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written-answer-24779
Dr Neo Kok Beng53 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) whether the Government will consider working with Singapore universities, polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education and research institutes to provide laboratory access to startups and small and medium enterprises, which may need access to specific equipment and instruments for their research and development.
Dr Tan See Leng383 words
[+12 sentences]This question was addressed by the reply to Questions No 81 to 82 for oral response during the Parliament Sitting on 10 September 2026. [Please refer to "Shared Facilities Available for Deep Tech Startups and Ventures", 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 Government is committed to fostering a pro-innovation environment that enables businesses, including deep tech startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to support research and development (R&D) and deployment of emerging technologies. The Government does work closely with our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and research institutes to provide startups and SMEs with access to shared R&D facilities, equipment and technical expertise. Key initiatives include the Centres of Innovation established in partnership with the IHLs and platforms operated by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), such as Innovation Factory@Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology. Specialised facilities are also available, such as Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) and Class 100 compliant laboratories through the National Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP) Labs, advanced cleanroom infrastructure and industry-grade tools through national platforms, such as the National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre (NSTIC) and the National Quantum Federated Foundry (NQFF), as well as shared life sciences, chemistry and engineering facilities through A*STAR's A*StartCentral. Companies can also use the A*STAR Scientific Equipment and Services Finder (A*SEF) to identify and access more than 1,500 scientific equipment and related services across A*STAR. For regulatory sandboxes, the Government's approach is to design sector-specific frameworks that are tailored to the needs of each industry, as the risks, stakeholders and regulatory considerations differ significantly across industries. A single national sandbox policy may not adequately account for these differences. Several agencies already operate sandboxes tailored to their respective sectors. For example, the Energy Market Authority has introduced a regulatory sandbox for energy innovations, including novel business models in the electricity sector. In the digital and technology space, the Infocomm Media Development Authority has supported experimentation through initiatives, such as the GenAI Sandbox, which allows enterprises to trial generative AI solutions before wider adoption. The Government will continue to assess the needs of emerging technologies and industries and, where appropriate, establish shared R&D facilities and regulatory sandboxes to support technology development, testing and adoption.
Study of Indoor Heat in Vulnerable Flat Types and Estates, and Targeted Grants or Retrofits for Affected Households›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 220w
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written-answer-24780
Mr Saktiandi Supaat60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB has studied indoor temperatures in top-floor, west-facing and older public-housing flats during periods of extreme heat; (b) which flat types and estates are most vulnerable to excessive indoor heat; and (c) whether additional grants or retrofit programmes for heat-reflective coatings, shading, ventilation and energy-efficient cooling will be considered for affected households.
Mr Chee Hong Tat160 words
[+6 sentences]The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has observed that top-floor units and units located at the ends of the blocks are generally more prone to indoor heat. HDB incorporates design features to reduce heat. These include orientating blocks in the north-south direction where possible, carrying out environmental simulations to achieve natural cross ventilation and wind flow, installing a secondary roof above the main roof to provide additional shading for top floor units, and adopting polystyrene foam insulation in the external walls to reduce heat transfer to units located at the ends of blocks. By 2030, HDB units will also benefit from the use of cool coatings on building facades that will reflect the sun's heat and reduce surface heat absorption. Beyond physical design, HDB has developed a heat advisory to provide residents with practical tips on keeping their homes cool. These include decluttering to maximise cross-ventilation, appropriate placement of fans, and opening windows and doors to facilitate better air flow.
Study of Facilities Management Contractual and Payment Practices Towards Specialist Service Providers and Adequacy of Facilities Management Procurement Guidance›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 169w
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written-answer-24781
Mr Victor Lye62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Building and Construction Authority has studied contractual and payment practices between facilities management (FM) companies and specialist service providers, particularly SMEs, including payment periods, back-charges, pass-through liquidated damages and termination provisions; and (b) whether the Government considers existing FM procurement guidance sufficient to encourage equitable allocation of risks throughout the FM supply chain.
Mr Chee Hong Tat107 words
[+5 sentences]The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has obtained and incorporated feedback from facilities management (FM) companies and specialist service providers in updating the Guide on FM Procurement (Guide). The Guide, last updated in July 2026, promotes good practices across the FM supply chain, including prompt payment practices and performance-based incentives and deductions. BCA will continue to review and update the Guide periodically, and stakeholders are encouraged to share feedback and suggestions with BCA. To further encourage equitable risk allocation, BCA has published sample contract clauses for buyers to place reasonable limits on the liabilities of service providers. BCA also organises industry workshops to promote collaborative contracting practices.
Outcomes of Cat Fosterer Pilot Including Intake and Rehoming Numbers, Duration of Fostering and Impact of Recognised Fosterers in Reducing Pressure on Shelters and Community Cat Populations›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 113w
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written-answer-24784
Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim54 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development whether the cat fosterer pilot will track (i) the number of cats taken in, rehomed or returned (ii) the time each cat remains in foster care and (iii) whether recognised fosterers reduce pressure on shelters and community cat populations, with these outcomes published, before making the scheme permanent.
Mr Chee Hong Tat59 words
[+2 sentences]The two-year pilot scheme for cat fosterers will track the number of approved applications and the number of cats fostered and rehomed to inform the longer-term approach to recognising cat fosterers. The National Parks Board will also seek feedback from the wider community and engage key stakeholders, including fosterers and animal shelters, when reviewing the outcomes of the pilot.
Designating Surface Season Parking Lots for Oversized Commercial Passenger Vehicles Within HDB Estates and Raising Height Limits for Covered Car Parks›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 117w
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written-answer-24785
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis57 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB can consider designating a small number of surface season parking lots within housing estates for oversized commercial passenger vehicles that cannot access multi-storey, sheltered or basement car parks due to height restrictions; and (b) whether HDB can consider raising the height limit for entry into covered car parks.
Mr Chee Hong Tat60 words
[+1 sentence]The Member may wish to refer to the written reply given by the Ministry of National Development to a related question posed by Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim on 8 January 2025.
Mandatory Elements of NParks Biodiversity Impact Assessment Guidelines, Justification for Deviations, Independence of Compliance Reviews and Strengthening Mandatory Requirements›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 184w
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written-answer-24788
Miss Rachel Ong60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) which elements of NParks' Biodiversity Impact Assessment (BIA) Guidelines are mandatory, if any; (b) how deviations are justified and assessed; (c) who reviews BIA adequacy and compliance with mitigation and monitoring measures; (d) whether such reviews are independent of developers and consultants; and (e) whether the Government will consider making key elements mandatory.
Mr Chee Hong Tat124 words
[+3 sentences]Under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) framework, where an EIA is required, developers must consult relevant technical agencies on the scope of the EIA. Developers and their appointed consultants also conduct targeted engagements with nature groups and technical experts to seek input on the scope and findings of the studies To provide developers and industry professionals with greater clarity on how to assess the impact of development works on biodiversity, the Biodiversity Impact Assessment (BIA) guidelines were published in 2020 and updated in May 2024. The National Parks Board works closely with the developers and their appointed consultants to review the adequacy of biodiversity studies, drawing reference from the BIA guidelines and taking into account the feedback from the nature groups and relevant stakeholders.
Guidelines for Condominium Delivery Drop-off Shelving to Improve Resident Convenience, Minimise Delivery Waiting Time and Avoid Food Waste›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 119w
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written-answer-24789
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song51 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will issue guidelines under the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act encouraging Management Corporations Strata Titles to provide delivery drop-off shelving when condominium residents are temporarily unreachable, in order to improve residents' convenience, minimise delivery personnel's waiting time and avoid food waste.
Mr Chee Hong Tat68 words
[+3 sentences]Under the Building (Strata Management) Act, the Management Corporations Strata Title (MCSTs) are empowered to manage their estates, including making decisions on the provision of amenities, such as delivery drop-off shelves. MCSTs can refer to the Last-Mile Delivery Guide for Developments issued by the Land Transport Authority and the Urban Redevelopment Authority on 1 September 2026. This guide is available online and has also been circulated to MCSTs.
Projected Annual Housing Demand and Minimum Occupation Period Resale Supply for 2027 to 2040 Informing Gillman Barracks and Maju Forest Development Decisions›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 118w
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written-answer-24790
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre44 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB can share its projected annual housing demand, household formation and Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) resale supply for 2027 to 2040; and (b) how these projections specifically informed decisions to develop Gillman Barracks and Maju Forest.
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.]
Data on Number of Unselected Sale of Balance Flats due to Ethnic Integration Policy Quota over Past Five Years and Review of Quota Policy›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 114w
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written-answer-24791
Dr Hamid Razak60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) over the past five years, how many Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) remained unselected at the close of selection while applicants remained in the queue but could not book them because of Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) quotas; and (b) whether HDB evaluates if such outcomes warrant changes to how the quotas are applied.
Mr Chee Hong Tat54 words
[+3 sentences]Flats offered in Sale of Balance Flats exercises may remain unselected due to various reasons. We are unable to isolate the effect of Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) quotas. We intend to retain EIP quotas as they are in place to ensure that the Housing and Development Board blocks and neighbourhoods reflect Singapore's multi-ethnic character.
Duration of Changi Coastal Boardwalk Partial Closure, Full Reopening Timeline, Public Feedback and Expediting of Work›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 138w
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written-answer-24792
Ms Valerie Lee62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) how long has the Changi Coastal Boardwalk been partially closed; (b) what is the current target date for the entire Boardwalk to be fully reopened and walkable from end to end; (c) how many feedback cases have been received regarding the closure; and (d) whether the works on the Changi Coastal Boardwalk can be expedited.
Mr Chee Hong Tat76 words
[+4 sentences]To ensure public safety and facilitate maintenance works, two sections of the Changi Coastal Boardwalk have been closed since December 2020 and July 2026 respectively. Works on most of the closed sections are expected to complete by the fourth quarter of 2026. A smaller section requires more extensive works and will take longer to complete. Since 2020, the National Parks Board has received 36 feedback cases related to the closure of sections of Changi Coastal Boardwalk.
Balancing Competing Objectives in Proposed Western Island Planning, and Publishing Planning Principles and Criteria before Major Land Reclamation›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 90w
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written-answer-24793
Ms Cassandra Lee54 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) how the Government intends to balance competing objectives including economic development, energy security, national defence, environmental conservation and long-term resilience in planning the proposed Western Island; and (b) whether the Government will publish the principles and criteria that will guide these decisions before major reclamation works commence.
Mr Chee Hong Tat36 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.
Additional Assistance, Further Grace Period and Enforcement for Unlicensed Pet Cat Owners After Mandatory Licensing Transition Period›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 130w
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written-answer-24794
Ms Gho Sze Kee61 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development following the end of the two-year transition period for mandatory pet cat licensing (a) what assistance will be provided to owners of unlicensed cats; (b) whether any further grace period or transitional arrangements will be available for licensing and microchipping; and (c) what enforcement approach will be taken towards owners whose cats remain unlicensed thereafter.
Mr Chee Hong Tat69 words
[+1 sentence]This question was addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply to the question asked by Mr Abdul Muhaimin on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Recourse for Cat Owners Who Missed Deadline to Apply for Cat Licences Due to Pet Animal Licensing System Downtime", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Land Reclamation Sand Import Sources for Past Five Years, Future Procurement Plans, and Social and Environmental Mitigation Safeguards for Reclamation Projects›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 125w
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written-answer-24795
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre61 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) in the past five years, which countries has Singapore imported sand from for land reclamation and the quantity from each country, respectively; (b) what countries will sand be imported from for current or planned reclamation projects; and (c) whether public procurers must assess and mitigate social and environmental harms from extraction in source countries.
Mr Chee Hong Tat64 words
[+1 sentence]This question was addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply on 8 September 2026 to the questions by Ms He Ting Ru and Mr Fadli Fawzi. [Please refer to "Data on Cambodian Sand Import in Past Five Years, and Framework for Responsible Sourcing and Sand Extraction in Source Countries", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions section.]
Post-implementation Environmental Audit for Pulau Tekong Polder, Publishing of Findings and Implications for Future Empoldering Projects›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 185w
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written-answer-24796
Mr Cai Yinzhou60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development following the completion of the Pulau Tekong polder (a) whether a post-implementation environmental audit will be conducted to compare actual environmental outcomes against the predictions in the project's Environmental Impact Assessment; (b) whether such findings will be published; and (c) how will they inform the assessment of the use of empoldering for future reclamations.
Mr Chee Hong Tat125 words
[+5 sentences]An Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan (EMMP) was implemented for the Pulau Tekong polder project, which set out detailed mitigation measures and monitoring programmes to minimise the impact of construction works on the environment. The appointed EMMP consultant carried out regular monitoring of the project site in accordance with the measures put in place under the EMMP. Surveys were also regularly carried out to monitor the intertidal habitats, which showed that there were no significant changes to these habitats before and after construction. In addition, the operation of the polder is expected to have negligible impact on the surrounding environment. The insights drawn from the Pulau Tekong polder project will inform agencies' assessment of the use of the empoldering method for other land reclamation projects.
Review of City Direct Service Departure Times, Peak Hour Alignment and Extended Morning and Evening Windows›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 154w
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written-answer-24797
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport in respect of City Direct Services 654, 671, 677 and 682 (a) what determines their first and last departure times; (b) whether LTA has assessed if their morning departure windows align with peak travel hours; and (c) whether LTA will consider extending morning and evening departure windows for commuters with earlier or later working hours.
Mr Jeffrey Siow94 words
[+3 sentences]City Direct Services (CDS), including Service 654, 671, 677 and 682, provide an alternative travel option to the MRT for some commuters during periods of highest travel demand to and from the city centre. To meet commuter needs during the morning peak, CDS are typically timed to depart slightly before the peak of peak, to reach the city centre at around the same time as commuters who use the MRT during that period. As with all other bus services, the Land Transport Authority will periodically review and adjust CDS timings based on ridership demand.
Update on Stakeholder Engagement, Design Finalisation and Implementation Timeline for Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle Differentiated Licence Plates›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 92w
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written-answer-24798
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether an update can be provided on the finalisation of the design and implementation approach for differentiated licence plates for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles following the stakeholder engagement conducted earlier this year; and (b) when the Ministry expects these differentiated licence plates to be rolled out.
Mr Jeffrey Siow37 words
[+1 sentence]Based on public feedback from engagements conducted earlier this year, the Land Transport Authority and the Singapore Civil Defence Force are studying additional options for the differentiated licence plate designs for electric vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles.
Peak-period Capacity Utilisation of Sengkang City Direct Services and Consideration for Increase of Trips to Relieve Crowding›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 81w
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written-answer-24799
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim52 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport (a) what was the average peak-period capacity utilisation of City Direct Services 654, 671, 677 and 682 respectively, for each year since 2023, broken down by morning and evening peaks; and (b) whether LTA will consider increasing trips on Sengkang City Direct services to relieve peak-period crowding.
Mr Jeffrey Siow29 words
[+2 sentences]The average loading of City Direct Services 654, 671, 677 and 682 are in Table 1. There are no plans to increase the number of trips at the moment.
Assessment of City Direct Service Coverage Gaps in Buangkok and Sengkang, and Considerations of Additional City Direct Route›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 97w
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written-answer-24800
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim47 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether LTA has assessed coverage for Buangkok and other parts of Sengkang that are not served by Services 654, 671, 677 or 682; and (b) if so, whether LTA will consider introducing an additional City Direct route to serve these areas.
Mr Jeffrey Siow50 words
[+3 sentences]City Direct Services (CDS) provide an alternative travel option for some commuters to the city centre. To ensure that they are well utilised, CDS operate routes with high peak demand and, where it is possible, to offer competitive travel times to rail. They are not intended to serve all areas.
Funding for AI-Generated Singapore National Day Films and Policy on Supporting Gen-AI Creative Work›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 110w
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written-answer-24801
Mr Fadli Fawzi55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether any funding was provided by the National Arts Council or any other Government agency for the two Singapore-made films created using AI that premiered on National Day; and (b) what is the Government's position on providing financial support for creative work that uses generative AI.
Mr David Neo55 words
[+3 sentences]No funding from the Government was provided for "Trace Project" and "Bersama Majulah", two Singapore-made AI-generated films that premiered on National Day 2026. The use of generative AI does not, in itself, determine whether a project may receive Government funding. Funding agencies assess projects against the objectives and assessment criteria of their respective funding schemes.
Preservation of Sites, Monuments Study and Conservation Plans for Lee Rubber Godowns›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 147w
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written-answer-24802
Mr Fadli Fawzi68 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the Preservation of Sites and Monuments division has studied the historical value of the Lee Rubber Godowns; (b) if so, whether there are any plans to conserve the site; and (c) if there are no plans, why does the division not consider the Lee Rubber Godowns to be a site of sufficient significance worthy of study for preservation.
Mr David Neo79 words
[+3 sentences]The National Heritage Board has assessed that the site does not have the requisite national importance and historic significance to be considered for preservation as a National Monument. Notwithstanding, the Urban Redevelopment Agency has engaged the owner to explore the feasibility of retaining one of the Lee Rubber Godowns as a heritage marker in the proposed park. Where physical retention is not possible, agencies will work with the owner and relevant stakeholders to document and commemorate the site's history.
Government Support and Case Management for Residents Engaged with e2i for over a Year Without Employment›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 276w
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written-answer-24803
Ms Elysa Chen55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) what Government support, if any, is available to residents who have engaged National Trades Union Congress' Employment and Employability Institute's (e2i) job-matching services for over a year without securing employment; and (b) how the Ministry is strengthening case management and skills-matching support for this group of long-engaged jobseekers.
Ms Jasmin Lau221 words
[+9 sentences]The Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) oversees employment, career and skills support for jobseekers and works with partner organisations, including the National Trades Union Congress' Employment and Employability Institute, to provide career matching services. Most jobseekers who receive employment support through SWDA and its partners secure new jobs within a year. We recognise that a prolonged job search can be discouraging. For jobseekers who require more time or support, career coaches will work with them to review their career goals, identify viable career pathways, broaden their job search and assess relevant training needs. Beyond career coaching, jobseekers can tap on a broad range of placement and training programmes to strengthen their employability and transition into new roles. These include Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) and the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP), which support jobseekers to reskill or upskill for new job opportunities. Employers hiring long-term unemployed Singaporeans through CCPs receive enhanced salary support of up to 90%, while long-term unemployed Singaporeans who participate in SCTP receive up to 95% subsidy on their course fees. The Government will continue to strengthen employment, career and skills support, with the formation of SWDA as an important step to bring together employment facilitation and skills development capabilities. This will enable more coordinated, personalised and targeted support for jobseekers, including those who undergo longer job searches.
Review on Flexible Foreign Worker Quota Calculations for Startups, High-growth Firms and Event-based Staffing Needs Based on Three-month Local Employee Average›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 132w
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written-answer-24804
Mr Shawn Loh47 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry has considered providing more flexibility on foreign worker quota calculations based on the last three-month average number of local employees, particularly for startups, high growth companies, or companies looking to staff up quickly for events or special projects.
Ms Jasmin Lau85 words
[+3 sentences]The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) calculates a company's foreign worker quota based on the latest three-month average number of local employees in the company. To support the manpower needs of businesses, MOM exercises flexibility for newly set-up companies by granting foreign worker quota based on the number of local employees in the latest month instead of using a three-month average. On a case-by-case basis, MOM also considers appeals from companies for flexibility in computing foreign worker quota based on the specific circumstances of the company.
Flexible Grace Periods for Foreign Worker Quota Calculations to Reduce Compounding Impact of Voluntary Local Employee Departures›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 150w
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written-answer-24805
Mr Shawn Loh45 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry has considered providing more flexible grace periods for companies to replace local employees who voluntarily leave a company, before the companies' foreign worker quotas are impacted, to reduce the potentially compounding impact of such labour disruptions.
Ms Jasmin Lau105 words
[+4 sentences]The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) calculates a company's foreign worker quota based on the latest three-month average number of local employees in the company. This is intentionally done to smoothen the impact of changes in the company's local workforce numbers and provide a degree of stability for its foreign worker quota. A company can approach MOM to request for flexibility in computing foreign worker quota based on the number of local employees in the latest month once they hire a replacement local employee. MOM will assess this based on supporting documents submitted, such as employment contract and Central Provident Fund contribution of the replacement employee.
Cases of Migrant Domestic Worker Security Bond Forfeitures since 2021, Abscondment Cases and Financial Support for Employers Facing Hardship›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 174w
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written-answer-24806
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis72 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) how many Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) security bond forfeiture cases are there annually since 2021; (b) what is the number of cases involving absconding MDWs and the proportion of employers who filed police reports and had their bond fully or partly forfeited despite reasonable efforts to track their MDW; and (c) whether financial support will be considered for employers facing hardship from the unilateral abscondment.
Ms Jasmin Lau102 words
[+5 sentences]The security bond serves to ensure that employers remain responsible for the upkeep and repatriation of Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs). From 2021 to 2025, there were a total of 45 cases of Migrant Domestic Worker (MDW) security bond forfeiture, or nine cases per year on average. Of the 45 cases, 15 cases involved MDWs who went missing. For all 15 cases, employers had half of the $5,000 security bond forfeited ($2,500), in recognition that they had made reasonable efforts to locate their MDWs. The Ministry of Manpower does not have plans to provide financial support employers in fulfilling their security bond liabilities.
Real Median Wage Growth Against Productivity Growth and Measures to Sustain Singapore's Strong 2026 Economic Performance›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 151w
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written-answer-24807
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye49 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower in light of Singapore's stronger-than-expected economic growth in 2026 (a) whether real median wage growth is expected to keep pace with productivity growth; and (b) how will the Government ensure that economic and productivity gains translate into sustained real wage growth for workers.
Ms Jasmin Lau102 words
[+4 sentences]The Government and our tripartite partners have taken the long-standing principle that real wage growth should be in line with productivity growth. From 2015 to 2025, real median income of full-time employed residents grew by 2.1% per annum while labour productivity grew by 2.3% per annum. While Singapore's macroeconomic growth in 2026 has been stronger than expected, it is uneven across sectors and firms. The National Wages Council, which has been convened in August 2026 to formulate wage guidelines for the upcoming 2026/2027 cycle, will take into account recent economic performance, the prevailing economic outlook and other relevant factors in its deliberations.
Review of 2025 WorkWell Leaders Impact Measure Findings and Updating Tripartite Advisory on Workplace Mental Well-being›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 167w
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written-answer-24808
Ms He Ting Ru52 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has reviewed recent findings from the 2025 WorkWell Leaders Impact Measure on the organisational factors driving workplace well-being and performance; and (b) whether the Ministry will work with its tripartite partners to update the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces accordingly.
Ms Jasmin Lau115 words
[+5 sentences]The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has reviewed the findings from the 2025 WorkWell Leaders Impact Measure. For example, a key finding is that providing support for employees' needs beyond the workplace (for example, caregiving) boosts organisational well-being. This is consistent with the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Health and Well-being at Workplaces, which recommends that companies review their human resources and workplace policies to support employee mental well-being, including through the provision of flexible work arrangements. MOM reviews the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Health and Well-being at Workplaces periodically in consultation with our Tripartite Partners and relevant stakeholders. We will draw on evidence from a range of sources, including the WorkWell Leaders' findings, for future updates.
Platform Worker Safety Risks from Incentive Structures Encouraging Excessively Long Hours and Job Rushing›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 127w
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written-answer-24809
Ms Yeo Wan Ling38 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry has studied and found any evidence of platform incentive structures that encourage platform workers to work excessively long hours and rush to complete jobs, thereby potentially compromising their safety.
Ms Jasmin Lau89 words
[+3 sentences]The Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) investigations into accidents involving platform workers have not found any evidence that these accidents were due to overwork or workers rushing to complete jobs. The Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for Platform Services, which MOM worked with platform operators and the Labour movement to develop, sets out that platform operators should not set any limit, penalty or bonus incentives for platform workers to complete a job within a certain time. The ACOP also highlights that platform workers should not neglect safety for monetary incentives.
Assessing Safety Incident Risk Among New Delivery Riders and Implementing Support Measures to Encourage Safety Training›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 116w
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written-answer-24810
Ms Yeo Wan Ling48 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has studied whether new delivery riders are at higher risk of safety incidents; and (b) if so, whether the Ministry will consider putting in place more support measures to encourage such new delivery riders to attend safety training.
Ms Jasmin Lau68 words
[+4 sentences]The Ministry of Manpower has not conducted studies on whether new delivery riders are at higher risk of safety incidents. Nevertheless, the Platform Worker Safety Workgroup is studying measures to improve platform workers' safety. This includes training for both new and existing platform workers, support for safer driving and riding behaviours, safety technology and data collection and analysis. The workgroup is expected to conclude its work by end-2026.
Adequacy of Ecological Corridor Width and Greater Forest Retention at Gillman Barracks Development in Light of Environmental Impact Assessment Recommendations and Biodiversity Considerations›Written Answers to Questions3 turns · 186w
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written-answer-24812
Miss Rachel Ong50 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) why the minimum ecological corridor width for Gillman Barracks is 30 metres when the Environmental Impact Assessment Study (EIA) recommends 60 metres; and (b) whether the Government would consider widening it to at least 60 metres as per the recommendation in the EIA.
Miss Rachel Ong62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Government will consider retaining larger parts of Gillman Forest, particularly (i) higher-elevation areas where housing potential may be constrained by building-height limits or engineering considerations and (ii) secondary forest areas next to Telok Blangah Heights with significant presence of critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable flora and fauna; and (b) if not, why not.
Mr Chee Hong Tat74 words
[+4 sentences]The rezoning of Gillman Barracks for residential use did not receive any objections during the statutory consultation period for the Draft Master Plan 2025. The current set of conceptual plans for Gillman Barracks are not the finalised plans. We are continuing to engage and take in feedback from stakeholders, including looking at ways to retain more greenery than what is set out in the current plans. We will share the finalised plans when ready.
Extending Working Mother's Child Relief and Parenthood Tax Rebate to Unwed Working Mothers›Written Answers to Questions3 turns · 240w
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written-answer-24813
Mr Gabriel Lam68 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how many submissions relating to the eligibility criteria for Working Mother's Child Relief have been received from unwed working mothers under the Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup's engagement; (b) whether the Workgroup's recommendations expected in early 2027 will consider the eligibility of unwed working mothers for the relief; and (c) if not, why this issue falls outside its scope.
Mr Gabriel Lam56 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how many submissions relating to the Parenthood Tax Rebate have been received under the Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup's engagement; (b) whether the Workgroup's recommendations expected in 2027 will consider extending the rebate to unwed mothers; and (c) if not, why this issue falls outside its scope.
Ms Indranee Rajah116 words
[+5 sentences]The Marriage and Parenthood (M&P) Reset Workgroup has received a wide range of feedback from Singaporeans through its engagements and feedback channels, including feedback on tax measures, such as the Working Mother's Child Relief and the Parenthood Tax Rebate. The Workgroup does not require members of the public who provide feedback to disclose their marital or employment status. As such, we are unable to say what number of submissions were made by unwed working mothers. In this recent engagement exercise, the number of submissions on each of these issues is less than five. The Government is reviewing M&P-related tax measures under the M&P Reset Workgroup and will release its full set of recommendations in early 2027.
Impact of Proposed Western Island Merger on Semakau Landfill Capacity, Operations and Long-term Waste Management Planning›Written Answers to Questions3 turns · 144w
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written-answer-24814
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong47 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment regarding the proposed merger of the western islands (a) how will Semakau Landfill operations be affected; (b) whether its projected lifespan to 2035 and beyond remains unchanged; and (c) whether a site for a successor landfill has been identified.
Ms Cassandra Lee57 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment given the projection that Semakau Landfill will reach full capacity around 2035 (a) how will this factor into the Government's planning for the proposed western island; and (b) whether the proposed reclamation will depend on or be affected by decisions on the future use or closure of the landfill.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien40 words
[+2 sentences]The National Environment Agency will work with the relevant agencies on the future plans for Semakau Landfill. It will continue to pursue measures to extend the lifespan of Semakau Landfill through waste reduction, recycling and the reuse of waste residues.
Alternatives to Land Reclamation for Proposed New Western Island Through Higher-density, Vertical or Underground Infrastructure, and Technical, Safety and Economic Constraints of Alternatives›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 117w
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written-answer-24897
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) (a) whether, before undertaking substantial land reclamation for the proposed new western island, the Ministry has assessed the feasibility of maximising existing industrial islands through higher-density, vertical or underground infrastructure; and (b) what technical, safety, environmental or economic constraints limit the use of such alternatives.
Dr Tan See Leng62 words
[+1 sentence]Please refer to the response to Parliamentary Question No 113 for the 8 September 2026 Sitting. [Please refer to "Proportion of Vacant Industrial Land on Jurong Island and Tapping This Space Before Land Reclamation for New Western Island", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Intended Purpose of Section 45 of Employment Act 1968›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 136w
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written-answer-na-24302
Ms Gho Sze Kee51 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower in light of the recent Employment Claims Tribunals decision interpreting section 45 of the Employment Act 1968 (a) whether the Government will clarify the intended purpose of section 45; and (b) whether the provision remains necessary and consistent with the Government's policy on retrenchment benefits.
Ms Jasmin Lau85 words
[+3 sentences]The recent Employment Claims Tribunal judgement published on the case of JIF versus JIG states that section 45 of the Employment Act should not be understood to generate any statutory entitlement to retrenchment benefits. As part of the ongoing review of the Employment Act, the tripartite partners are studying ways to strengthen support for retrenched workers and provide greater clarity to employers on their obligations, including in relation to section 45 of the Employment Act. We will provide an update when the review is completed.
HDB's Role in Ensuring Fire Safety at Coffee Shops and Eating Houses, and Fire Insurance Requirements Imposed on Stallholders›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 249w
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written-answer-na-24360
Ms Sylvia Lim43 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) what role does HDB perform in ensuring fire safety at coffee shops and eating houses within HDB blocks; and (b) what are the respective fire insurance requirements imposed on operators of businesses and on individual stallholders.
Mr Chee Hong Tat206 words
[+10 sentences]The Housing and Development Board (HDB) works closely with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) on fire safety matters for coffee shops within HDB blocks. Before commencing renovations, coffee shop operators are required to engage a qualified person and submit their fire safety plans to SCDF for approval, as well as their renovation drawings to HDB for approval. Before occupation is allowed, the operator must obtain a Fire Safety Certificate from SCDF. After operations have commenced, HDB conducts annual fire safety inspections and advises operators on good fire safety practices. Operators are also required to submit kitchen exhaust system servicing reports when renewing their tenancy or outdoor refreshment area licence. This ensures that kitchen exhaust ducts are properly maintained and cleaned, reducing the risk of grease build-up that can cause fires to spread. These checks are in addition to SCDF's scheduled and unannounced inspections of these premises. On fire insurance, owners of privately-owned HDB shops are required under the terms of their lease with HDB to purchase basic fire insurance. Tenants of shops let out by HDB are required to take up fire insurance for HDB's fixtures and fittings, and public liability insurance of at least $1,000,000. Non-compliance may result in non-renewal or termination of tenancy.
Ensuring Safety, Support and Preparedness for Potential Threats at Schools for Students and Staff, and Early Intervention for At-risk Youths›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 101w
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written-answer-na-24643
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo40 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education in light of recent school violence incidents overseas, what measures (i) safeguard students and staff (ii) strengthen early intervention for at-risk youths and (iii) ensure Singapore's schools remain safe, supportive and prepared for potential threats.
Mr Desmond Lee61 words
[+1 sentence]This question has been addressed by the Ministry of Education's answer to written Parliamentary Question No 23 on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Training and Effectiveness of Support for School Leaders and Staff to Manage Crises", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Changes in Estimated Lifetime Cost and Funding Position of Pioneer Generation Package›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 217w
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written-answer-na-24645
Ms Gho Sze Kee55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how have the estimated lifetime cost and funding position of the Pioneer Generation Package changed since the establishment of the Pioneer Generation Fund in 2014; and (b) what are the reasons why there is a current estimated difference between the Fund balance and its remaining liabilities.
Mr Jeffrey Siow162 words
[+6 sentences]At the inception of the Pioneer Generation (PG) Fund in 2014, $8 billion was set aside based on estimated funds required to fulfil the commitment to PG seniors. As of 31 March 2026, the PG Fund had an estimated liability of $5.75 billion, compared with a balance of $4.84 billion. The difference has arisen mainly because healthcare costs and MediShield Life premiums have increased faster than expected. There have also been enhancements to the support provided to PG seniors, including the CareShield Life Additional Participation Incentives, which have added modestly to the Fund’s liabilities. The Government closely monitors the Fund's balance, estimated liabilities and utilisation trends to ensure the sufficiency of the Fund. We do not seek to keep each Fund's balance exactly matched to its estimated liabilities at any point, but will make top-ups as needed taking into account the size of any estimated shortfall and the overall fiscal position to ensure that we meet the commitments made to our seniors.
Differences by Firm Size on Ability to Accommodate TG-FWAR Requests and Main Operational Barriers Faced by SMEs›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 271w
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written-answer-na-24652
Dr Charlene Chen62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower since the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (TG-FWAR) took effect (a) whether the Ministry has information on any identified differences by firm size, particularly among SMEs, in the ability to accommodate TG-FWAR requests; (b) what are the main operational barriers faced by SMEs; and (c) whether existing support for firms adequately addresses these barriers.
Ms Jasmin Lau209 words
[+9 sentences]The Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (TG-FWAR) took effect in December 2024. It sets out the process for employees to make formal requests for flexible work arrangements (FWAs), and for employers to consider these requests on business grounds. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not mandate the reporting of FWA requests, so as not to impose significant compliance costs on businesses. As such, MOM does not have data on the small and medium enterprises' (SMEs') ability to accommodate FWA requests. However, MOM's survey of firms found that SMEs were less likely than non-SMEs to offer FWAs. In 2025, nearly seven in 10 SMEs had offered at least one type of scheduled FWA, compared to around eight in 10 non-SMEs. Common operational constraints faced by SMEs include leaner staffing and limited scope to redistribute work when employees request flexibility to take on different work hours or a reduced load. SMEs can tap on the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+) to redesign jobs to better manage their staffing needs, and the Productivity Solutions Grant to offset the costs of purchasing information technology (IT) solutions that enable more dynamic and flexible manpower scheduling. Tripartite partners will continue to monitor and support employers in accommodating FWA requests from their employees.
Thresholds for Justifying a Permanent New School and Lead Time to First Primary 1 Intake›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 269w
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written-answer-na-24670
Ms Gho Sze Kee64 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) what demand and capacity thresholds the Ministry uses to determine when a new primary school is required in an area, including the projected size of the primary-school-age population and duration of demand needed to justify a permanent new school; and (b) what is the typical lead time from identifying the need to the school's first Primary 1 intake.
Mr Desmond Lee205 words
[+9 sentences]The Ministry of Education (MOE) regularly reviews the demand and supply of primary school places at both the national and local levels. In doing so, we consider factors including the current and projected number of school-going children, planned housing developments, capacity in nearby schools and accessibility for residents. As circumstances differ across areas, we do not just apply a single population threshold or fixed duration of demand. Instead, we assess each case holistically, including the local context and projected longer-term demand. A new school requires substantial investment, and must have sufficient students over time to support a good range of educational programmes and co-curricular activities. We would therefore build one when we project that there will be a sustained demand that cannot be adequately met by nearby schools. Apart from building new schools, MOE may expand the capacity in existing schools where possible, to address short-term increase in demand in an area. From identifying the need for a new school to its opening, time is required for planning and design, construction, staff recruitment and pre-opening preparations. We generally do our projections and announce new school several years in advance of the first Primary 1 intake, to give parents and residents clarity on future school provision.
Proportion of Preschool Places Offered by Anchor and Partner Operators by 2030›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 245w
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written-answer-na-24692
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik67 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what proportion of preschool places does the Government intend to bring under Anchor and Partner Operators by 2030; (b) whether the Ministry will track and publish the number of independent preschool closures as this share grows; and (c) whether current arrangements for families displaced by abrupt closures are adequate, particularly on the recovery of prepaid fees and deposits.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M178 words
[+8 sentences]We intend to expand the network of Government-supported preschool operators and have places to cater to more than 80% of preschoolers by 2030. As part of this effort, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will introduce a new grant to help eligible preschool operators that wish to transition onto the Government-supported network. This will allow a broader range of operators, including smaller operators, to benefit from Government support while continuing to offer families with quality preschool options. The preschool sector is dynamic, with centres opening, restructuring and closing for various reasons. ECDA monitors the sector closely, including on preschool closures, and will publish information where appropriate. In the event of cessation, preschools must assist parents in securing alternative care arrangements to minimise disruption and manage any outstanding financial matters, such as refunds of fees and deposits to parents. ECDA may also assist affected parents who require help with alternative preschool placement. Parents who require further assistance with matters concerning deposit or fee refunds may seek assistance from the Consumer Association of Singapore or approach the Small Claims Tribunal.
Retrenchment Trends in Singapore's E-commerce and Tech-enabled Sectors›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 256w
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written-answer-na-24815
Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim67 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has observed an increase in retrenchments in Singapore's e-commerce and tech-enabled sectors; (b) what new or enhanced support measures are being considered for affected workers whose skills may not transfer easily to other industries; and (c) whether companies undertaking regional retrenchments that affect Singapore-based employees are required to report about the support offered to affected local workers.
Ms Jasmin Lau189 words
[+8 sentences]In the past four quarters, the number of retrenchments in Singapore's e-commerce and tech-enabled sectors fluctuated within the range of 480 to 580, below the peaks observed in 2023 and 2024. Retrenchments were driven largely by business reorganisation or restructuring. The six-months re-entry rate among retrenched residents within these sectors improved, from 53% in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 61% in the first quarter of 2026. The Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) offers a suite of programmes to support retrenched workers to re-enter employment. In particular, jobseekers who require significant reskilling can participate in career conversion programmes (CCPs), the Mid-Career Pathways Programme (MCPP) and the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programmes (SCTP). For example, the CCPs provide employers with up to 90% salary support to train mid-career career switchers who may not have the full set of skills required to take up new roles immediately. SWDA also works closely with sector agencies and industry to refresh the jobs and opportunities offered through these programmes. Companies undertaking regional retrenchments that affect Singapore-based employees are required to declare the support provided to affected workers as part of the Mandatory Retrenchment Notification.
Verification of Declared Salaries against Qualifying Salary for S Pass Holders in Services Sector›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 156w
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written-answer-na-24817
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat50 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) what is the distribution of declared salaries of services-sector S Pass holders relative to the qualifying salary; (b) whether declared salaries are routinely verified against IRAS and salary crediting records; and (c) how many salary kickback prosecutions since 2021 involved S Pass holders.
Ms Jasmin Lau106 words
[+5 sentences]Based on the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM's) data as at July 2026, the fixed monthly salaries for S Pass holders in the Services sector at the 25th percentile, 50th percentile and 75th percentile are $3,550, $4,200 and $4,970 respectively. MOM performs risk-based audits, which include verifying the declared salaries against data from various sources. The collection of salary kickbacks is an offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA). Under EFMA, offenders may face up to two years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $30,000, or both. Since 2021, MOM has prosecuted about 30 employers for salary kickbacks involving over 100 S Pass holders.
Government-paid Family Care Leave for Single Employees Who Are Primary Caregivers of Elderly Parents or Dependants with Disabilities›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 249w
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written-answer-na-24818
Miss Rachel Ong52 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower in light of enhanced Government-paid childcare leave announced at National Day Rally 2026, whether the Government will consider mandatory and Government-paid family care leave for single employees who are primary caregivers of elderly parents or dependants with disabilities, to reflect caregiving responsibility rather than parental status.
Ms Jasmin Lau197 words
[+7 sentences]The Government recognises the diverse caregiving needs of working Singaporeans, including those caring for elderly parents or dependants with disabilities. In evaluating how best to support them, we consider how these needs can be met in a sustainable way that also accounts for employers' operational needs. Based on feedback from working caregivers, flexible work arrangements (FWAs), such as flexible hours, part-time employment and job sharing, are often what caregivers find most useful, as they allow caregivers to manage recurring caregiving responsibilities rather than just discrete leave days. This preference for flexibility is reflected in the Ministry of Manpower's 2024 Survey on Employees' Working Conditions, which found that FWAs were the most influential work-life harmony factor in job choice, ahead of leave benefits and employee support schemes. The Tripartite Guidelines on FWA Requests, launched in 2024, set out a formal process for employees to request FWAs and for employers to consider them on business grounds. Employers can tap on resources from TAFEP and the Institute of Human Resource Professionals for implementation support. The Government will continue to regularly review our support for working caregivers, as part of our broader efforts to build an inclusive and supportive workplace culture.
Review of Source-country Restriction for Foreign Confinement Nannies›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 120w
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written-answer-na-24819
Ms Diana Pang Li Yen51 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) how often does the Ministry review the source-country restriction for foreign confinement nannies; (b) why are Work Permits currently limited to Malaysian nannies; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider allowing suitably qualified nannies from other countries, subject to appropriate training and necessary safeguards.
Ms Jasmin Lau69 words
[+4 sentences]The Confinement Nanny scheme was established to meet Singaporeans' demand for Malaysian confinement nannies to provide short-term post-partum care services. Our assessment is that the current arrangement is sufficient to meet the needs of households. As such, we have no plans to expand the scheme to other source countries. Households who wish to hire confinement nannies from other countries can already do so through the Migrant Domestic Worker scheme.
Effectiveness of Career Guidance, Traineeship and Work-based Learning Initiatives in Helping Fresh Graduates Secure Sustainable Employment›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 202w
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written-answer-na-24820
Dr Wan Rizal46 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has assessed the effectiveness of career guidance, traineeship and work-based learning initiatives in helping fresh graduates secure sustainable employment; and (b) what challenges are faced by graduates who remain unemployed or underemployed six months after graduation.
Ms Jasmin Lau156 words
[+6 sentences]Based on the Graduate Employment Survey in 2025, nine in 10 graduates responded that they were satisfied with the career guidance services and programmes offered by their institution of higher learning. We have also observed positive outcomes from traineeships and work-based learning initiatives. So far, close to half of trainees under the GRaduate Industry Traineeships programme who have completed their traineeships have secured employment, with more likely to do so in the coming months. The employment outcomes for fresh graduates generally continue to improve beyond the six-month mark, as more graduates subsequently secure jobs. Unemployed and underemployed graduates may face different challenges, including limited work experience in their target sector, weak interview skills or a slower hiring environment in certain industries. We will continue to support these graduates to improve their employability and seek employment through the career guidance, traineeship and job matching services and programmes by the Skills and Workforce Development Agency and its partners.
Learnings from Fractional Work Pilots Led By Alliance for Action on Empowering Multi-Stage Careers for Mature Workers›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 210w
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written-answer-na-24821
Ms Cassandra Lee55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) what are the key systemic learnings from the fractional work pilots led by the Alliance for Action on Empowering Multi-Stage Careers for Mature Workers (AfA-EMW); and (b) whether the Ministry will consider expanding these fractional work models to younger caregivers and parents balancing career transitions with domestic responsibilities.
Ms Jasmin Lau155 words
[+7 sentences]The Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment (TWG-SE) convened the Alliance for Action on Empowering Multi-Stage Careers for Mature Workers to bring together diverse stakeholders to co-create innovative prototypes in support of senior employment. These prototypes aim to support employers to develop age-friendly jobs and workplace practices so that workers are empowered to stay productive and relevant. Some of these prototypes have focused on flexible work arrangements, such as fractional work, which enable employees to contribute through a reduced scope of responsibilities or range of tasks, while allowing employers to continue accessing these workers' expertise and experience. The prototypes are ongoing and will conclude later this year. It is premature to draw definitive and systemic conclusions at this stage. The TWG-SE will take reference from the prototypes when making its recommendations in due course. The Ministry of Manpower will subsequently consider how findings from these prototypes could support other workforce segments, including parents and younger caregivers.
Secondary Employment for Work Pass Holders Granted Security Officer's Licence›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 100w
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written-answer-na-24824
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song37 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether secondary employment is permitted for Work Pass Holders granted a Security Officer's Licence; and (b) if not, how the Government enforces compliance to detect and address any unauthorised practices.
Ms Jasmin Lau63 words
[+4 sentences]Work Pass Holders granted a Security Officer's Licence can only work for their designated employer. They are not allowed to engage in secondary employment by taking on another job. The Ministry of Manpower takes a serious view towards such illegal employment activities. We will investigate upon receiving any complaints and take enforcement action against the employers and Work Pass Holders involved, if warranted.
Addressing Gaps Between Interest in Religious Learning and Actual Participation in Part-time Islamic Education›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 112w
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written-answer-na-24825
Mr Saktiandi Supaat53 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs following MUIS' ongoing 2026 study on participation in part-time Islamic education (a) which demographic groups currently show the largest gaps between interest in religious learning and actual participation; (b) what barriers have been identified; and (c) how does MUIS intend to improve access for underserved groups.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad59 words
[+3 sentences]The study is currently ongoing, with the full findings to be released later this year. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore will work with the Islamic Education Workgroup, which brings together representatives from across the Islamic education sector, to draw on the study's findings to better meet the community’s religious learning needs. We will share more information when ready.
Public Health Implications from Children Missing Out on Vaccines in National Childhood Immunisation Schedule›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 226w
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written-answer-na-24826
Mr David Hoe74 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has studied the public health implications of the dropout rates between primary-course and 18-month booster coverage for DTaP, Hib and polio vaccines under the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule; (b) what reasons have been identified for delayed or missed boosters; and (c) whether Healthy 365 or HealthHub can be used to send targeted reminders to parents to improve timely uptake.
Mr Ong Ye Kung152 words
[+6 sentences]The vaccination coverage for the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and polio vaccines have been consistently high. Among resident children aged two years, the coverage for the primary series and the booster dose have been maintained at about 97% and 90%, respectively. The lower coverage for the booster dose at two years of age may be due to delays in vaccination when the children are sick, or parents missing appointments. To ensure that these children are provided with the recommended vaccines, reminders are sent via HealthHub notifications and letters to parents, and catch-up vaccination is provided in primary school. By seven years of age, the coverage for the booster dose increased to about 96% or higher. As the vaccination coverage remains high, local diphtheria, tetanus, Hib and polio cases have remained low in the past 10 years, with very few or no cases reported in young children.
Clear Disclosure of Treatment Costs and Options before Consent for Patients in Non-subsidised Wards›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 171w
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written-answer-na-24828
Ms Elysa Chen62 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health for patients in non-subsidised wards (a) what mechanisms ensure they are given clear disclosure of treatment costs and options before consent; (b) how they are being monitored for continuity of care when transferred between specialists; and (c) what support exists for their caregivers who are required to make complex medical decisions.
Mr Ong Ye Kung109 words
[+6 sentences]For hospital admissions, patients will undergo financial counselling, including given information on estimated bill size, prior to admission. Doctors are required to explain the expected benefits and risks of treatments and procedures, including any available alternatives, before consent is taken. Where care is transferred, the usual practice is for the referring doctor to provide clinical information to facilitate continuity of care and remains accountable for the patient until the transfer is completed. The clinical care team will guide caregivers in making difficult and complex decisions. Fortunately, many trust our doctors and clinicians, which facilitate such decision making. These practices are the norms in all wards, regardless of subsidy levels.
Effectiveness of School-based Vape Deterrence Measures›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 249w
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written-answer-na-24829
Ms Elysa Chen59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health regarding the 245 students who were referred to HSA for vaping in a single quarter (a) whether the Ministry has assessed if this is an indicator of effectiveness for existing school-based deterrence measures; and (b) what concrete steps will the Ministry take to reverse this trend among minors.
Mr Ong Ye Kung190 words
[+8 sentences]School-based interventions are a key part of our efforts to address vaping. The referrals to Health Sciences Authority (HSA) reflect the vigilance of schools and the institutes of higher learning (IHLs) in detecting vaping-related offences and their close coordination with HSA. Referral numbers alone are therefore not used as a measure of the effectiveness of school-based deterrence measures. We have stepped up our measures to address vaping among youths since September last year through a multi-pronged approach of prevention, enforcement and rehabilitation. On prevention, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) works closely with the Ministry of Education and HSA to educate youths on the harms of vaping, strengthen their ability to resist peer pressure and reinforce anti-vaping messages through the school curriculum, orientation programmes and peer-led initiatives. For youths caught vaping, they are subject to HSA enforcement actions as well as disciplinary measures by their schools and IHLs. These are complemented by counselling and intervention programmes to address underlying causes and support behavioural changes. Those who need help to quit vaping can contact HPB's QuitLine for cessation support, and resources are available to help parents speak to their children about vaping.
Assessing Children’s Sleep Health Beyond Sleep Duration under Grow Well SG›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 150w
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written-answer-na-24830
Dr Choo Pei Ling46 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether, in evaluating Grow Well SG, the Government will assess children's sleep health beyond sleep duration, including sleep quality and regularity; and (b) how do these measures relate to longer-term health and developmental outcomes.
Mr Ong Ye Kung104 words
[+5 sentences]As a population health programme, Grow Well SG focuses on encouraging adequate sleep, with evidence-based recommendations for various age groups. We do not track sleep quality or regularity as these dimensions are more complex and not suited as a measurement at the population level. Adequate and regular sleep supports children's overall health and development, including their concentration, mood and readiness to learn. Parents and caregivers play an important role in helping children establish these habits, particularly as their routines and needs evolve as they grow. The Government will continue to monitor and review research on longer-term health and developmental outcomes associated with children's sleep.
Addition of Healthcare Providers to List of Overseas Hospitals Participating in MediSave Scheme›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 120w
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written-answer-na-24833
Mr Fadli Fawzi65 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether any new healthcare providers have been added to the list of overseas hospitals participating in the MediSave scheme since 2010; (b) what key lessons has the Ministry learnt since the implementation of the overseas MediSave scheme; (c) whether there are plans to expand the scheme further; and (d) if not, why not.
Mr Ong Ye Kung55 words
[+1 sentence]This question has been addressed in the answer to Question No 40 in the Parliament Sitting on 9 September 2026. [Please refer to "Accreditation Criteria for Overseas Hospitals Under MediSave Scheme", Official Report, 9 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 36, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Carded Athletes Who Have To Self-fund or Raise Private Donations to Participate in Major International Competitions›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 215w
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written-answer-na-24836
Dr Wan Rizal71 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth in each of the past three years (a) how many carded athletes have to self-fund or raise private donations to participate in major international competitions; (b) what are the reasons such competition costs fall outside existing support schemes; and (c) whether funding frameworks will be reviewed so that participation in major competitions is not dependent on an athlete's financial means or fundraising ability.
Mr David Neo144 words
[+9 sentences]Carded athletes receive calibrated financial and programme support. This includes grants to defray training costs and loss of wages, support for local and overseas training and competitions, and sports science, sports medicine and other athlete support services. SportSG supports more than 1,700 carded athletes across more than 50 sports today. SportSG provides these funding primarily through the National Sports Associations (NSAs). NSAs are the official governing bodies responsible for developing and supporting their athletes, including working with them to prioritise which local and overseas competitions they should go for. Athletes may also choose to participate in competitions beyond those prioritised by their NSAs through self-funding or donations. We do not track the number of athletes who do so. The Government reviews our support to carded athletes regularly. We welcome support from private donors and sponsors, corporate partners and the wider community for our athletes.
Usage and Adoption of Voice-to-text, Speech Recognition and Multimodal AI Tools›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 192w
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written-answer-na-24842
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Government tracks the usage and adoption rates of voice-to-text, speech recognition and multimodal AI tools, including Singapore-developed models, such as the Southeast Asian Languages in One Network (SEA-LION) and Multimodal Empathetic Reasoning and Learning in One Network (MERaLiON), among seniors accessing digital Government and community services; and (b) if so, what are the current rates.
Mrs Josephine Teo126 words
[+5 sentences]The Government does not centrally track the adoption rates of voice-to-text, speech recognition and multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) tools among seniors, as these capabilities are deployed across multiple platforms, services and devices. The Government has supported the development of SEA-LION and MERaLiON to build AI capabilities that better reflect Singapore's and Southeast Asia's linguistic and cultural context. We support their use where they can improve accessibility and service delivery to enhance the lives of Singaporeans, including our seniors. For example, MERaLiON's empathetic and multilingual speech capabilities are being used to power the AI voice assistants of Lions Befrienders – a Social Service Agency primarily serving seniors – to engage seniors in more natural conversations. This helps caregivers understand seniors' needs better and provide more timely assistance.
Safeguards for Use of Wearable Devices that Covertly Record or Apply Facial Recognition to Individuals in Public Spaces›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 195w
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written-answer-na-24843
Mr Cai Yinzhou68 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Ministry has studied how other jurisdictions have adopted or proposed device or capability-specific safeguards to address wearable devices that can covertly record or apply facial recognition to individuals in public spaces; and (b) if so, whether the Ministry will review the adequacy of current frameworks, including the Personal Data Protection Act 2012, in light of such studies.
Mrs Josephine Teo127 words
[+2 sentences]The Member may refer to my replies to Ms Joan Pereira on 8 April 2026 and Mr Gerald Giam on 6 May 2026, which set out the Government's approach to wearable devices, including the safeguards under existing laws. [Please refer to "Regulation of Sale and Use of Smart Glasses with AI Capabilities", Official Report, 8 April 2026, Vol 96, Issue 28, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section; and "Regulating Smart Glasses and AI Wearables to Prevent Covert Recording and Unconsented Data Collection", Official Report, 6 May 2026, Vol 96, Issue 30, Written Answers to Questions section.] The Government continues to monitor regulatory approaches in other jurisdictions and will review our regulatory frameworks as technologies, risks and safeguards evolve.
Extent to Which School-based Assessments Award Marks for Students' Responses that Demonstrate Correct Conceptual Understanding›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 266w
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written-answer-na-24845
Mr Yip Hon Weng60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) how does the Ministry verify that school-based assessments award marks for responses demonstrating correct conceptual understanding even when they differ from expected answers; (b) how marking errors involving valid alternative answers are identified through moderation or appeals; and (c) whether common review standards will be introduced to distinguish conceptual errors from merely non-standard reasoning.
Mr Desmond Lee206 words
[+9 sentences]School-based assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. Its primary purpose is formative – to help teachers understand how well students are learning, give feedback and provide learning support. In marking tests, teachers award marks for valid responses even if the responses differ from model answers. When there are questions on how a response has been marked, such as when students review the marked scripts, schools have processes to review the marking and adjust the marks awarded, if necessary. Where a higher level of consistency in marking is required, such as in school-based examinations, schools have additional measures, including a standardisation process where teachers come together to review the marking criteria and mark sample scripts to standardise their marking approaches. Should teachers come across valid responses that have not been anticipated, the marking criteria will be adjusted to recognise these responses. The setting and marking of school-based assessment is managed at the school level, in keeping with the formative purpose and lower-stake nature of such assessments. The Ministry of Education provides professional development and guidance to schools to deepen teachers' assessment literacy and build a shared understanding of marking principles and practices. We will continue to support and guide schools in strengthening assessment practices.
Proportion of Resigning Teachers Joined Flexi-Adjunct Teaching Scheme›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 168w
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written-answer-na-24847
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat67 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) in each of the last five years, what proportion of resigning teachers joined the Flexi-Adjunct Teaching Scheme within 12 months; (b) whether a Flexi-Adjunct Teacher may decline form teachership or co-curricular duties and remain engaged; (c) how duties exceeding the paid hours are treated; and (d) whether those who resigned and those on no-pay leave are engaged on the same terms.
Mr Desmond Lee101 words
[+5 sentences]Over the past five years, around a quarter of teachers who resigned were engaged as Flexi-Adjunct Teachers (FAJTs) within a year of leaving the Education Service. Every FAJT performs both teaching and non-teaching duties, which may include form teachership, co-curricular activity duties or other responsibilities in the school. FAJTs are paid hourly for the work performed and their working hours are subject to a cap. Schools are guided to ensure that the duties assigned to FAJTs are within the paid hours. Education Officers who are on no-pay leave or resign to join the FAJT scheme are engaged on the same terms.
Plans for Revamp to Parent Volunteer Scheme in Ongoing Primary 1 Registration Review›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 73w
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written-answer-na-24849
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik52 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the ongoing review of the Primary 1 registration framework will include reviewing the parent volunteer scheme for Primary 1 registration given that some schools have discontinued it; and (b) if not, what safeguards exist to ensure parents unable to commit volunteer hours are not disadvantaged.
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.
Guidelines for Institutes of Higher Learning on Use of AI-writing Detection Tools›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 307w
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written-answer-na-24850
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry intends to establish common guidelines for Institutes of Higher Learning on the use of AI writing detection tools; and (b) whether such guidelines will include safeguards to ensure that students are informed of how these tools are used and are not penalised solely on the basis of AI detection scores.
Mr Desmond Lee248 words
[+11 sentences]This response also addresses questions filed by Ms Lee Hui Ying and Ms Cassandra Lee on this topic. [Please refer to "Review of AI Detection Tools and Academic Policies at Institutes of Higher Learning and Establishment of Transparent Student Appeals Process", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions section.] All the institutions of higher learning (IHLs) have policies governing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in assessment and academic work. These are aligned with the Ministry of Education's guidance that AI use should support learning and that guardrails are in place to uphold academic integrity so that assessment outcomes reflect the effort and intended mastery by students. IHLs clearly inform students whether and how AI may be used, as requirements may vary across assessments and assignments. They also have established processes for students to appeal assessment and disciplinary outcomes, including in cases of suspected unauthorised AI use. Students are given an opportunity to respond to any allegation or concern before disciplinary action is taken. IHLs assess whether AI detection tools add value to their broader assessment and academic integrity frameworks. Where such tools are used, detection scores alone do not determine academic misconduct. In cases of suspected misconduct, educators exercise professional judgement by reviewing the student's work and establishing the facts through appropriate follow-up. This includes engaging the student and where necessary, requesting evidence of the learning process, such as drafts or earlier work. Educators remain responsible for the final grading decision.
Standardised Protocols for Reporting, Investigating and Providing Support for Cases of Bullying and Harassment in Institutes of Higher Learning›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 111w
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written-answer-na-24851
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye52 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry has issued guidelines to Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) on (i) minimum standards or expectations when handling cases of bullying and harassment and (ii) standardised protocols for the reporting and investigation of such cases, protection and support of victims, and disciplinary action against perpetrators.
Mr Desmond Lee59 words
[+1 sentence]This question has been addressed by the Ministry of Education's answer to Written Parliamentary Question No 40 on 9 September 2026. [Please refer to "Oversight and Standardisation of Anti-bullying and Anti-harassment Policies Across Institutes of Higher Learning and Protocols for Victim Protection and Disciplinary Action", Official Report, 9 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 36, Written Answers to Questions section.]
Factors Affecting Students' Sleep Sufficiency›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 154w
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written-answer-na-24852
Dr Choo Pei Ling38 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry has studied (i) factors affecting students' sleep sufficiency, including school schedules and after-school demands and (ii) the relationship between sleep sufficiency and students’ daytime functioning, including alertness, concentration, and well-being.
Mr Desmond Lee116 words
[+5 sentences]The Ministry of Education (MOE) commissioned studies on adolescents’ sleep in 2021. These studies showed that adolescents' sleep duration and bedtime patterns are associated with a range of individual and environmental factors, including age and pre-bedtime activities, such as leisure use of electronic devices, that is, social media and gaming), studying or doing homework, and chatting or texting. International research shows that inadequate sleep can impair adolescents' cognitive functioning, such as sustained attention, working memory and mood. Adequate sleep is therefore important for students' learning, well-being and physical development. Under the Grow Well SG initiative, MOE will continue to partner relevant agencies, parents and the community to promote healthy sleep habits and support students' overall well-being.
Outcomes and Expansion Plans following Community Relations Unit Pilot Initiative in Tampines›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 177w
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written-answer-na-24856
Mr David Hoe58 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development following the one-year Community Relations Unit (CRU) pilot in Tampines (a) what outcomes have been achieved for severe hoarding cases, including cases resolved and use of enforcement powers; (b) whether the Ministry has decided to expand the CRU beyond Tampines; and (c) whether Clementi can be prioritised given recent severe hoarding cases.
Mr Chee Hong Tat119 words
[+6 sentences]The Ministry of National Development has expanded the Community Relations Unit's (CRU's) operations nationwide since 1 September 2026. CRU focuses on the most severe neighbour noise and hoarding cases, in both public and private housing estates. Enforcement is one of several measures used to address hoarding issues. CRU works with the New Environment Action Team network to more holistically and sustainably address the root causes of hoarding, beyond regulatory action. For severe hoarding cases, the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT) may order occupants to declutter their residential unit. Should this fail, CRU's Director-General may apply to the CDRT for CRU to declutter a residential unit, where CDRT has found the occupant to be causing unreasonable interference to their neighbours.
Inadequacy of Shade and Ecological Cover of Young Saplings That Replace Felled Trees›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 183w
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written-answer-na-24857
Mr Ng Shi Xuan66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development in relation to public sector development projects (a) whether replacement trees which are similar to the age, girth and canopy cover of the felled trees are required to be planted and if not, why not; and (b) how does the Government addresses or mitigates the inadequacy of shade and ecological function provided by young replacement saplings for the felled trees.
Mr Chee Hong Tat117 words
[+4 sentences]For public sector development projects, the National Parks Board (NParks) works with agencies to retain mature trees where feasible, unless the trees cannot be integrated or transplanted, or pose a risk to public safety. Where trees cannot be retained, NParks requires replacement trees to be planted within the development's green buffers and peripheral planting areas. NParks also works with agencies to ensure planting areas meet or exceed the standard widths and select appropriate replacement species for different purposes, including providing shade and visual relief, supporting biodiversity and strengthening ecological connectivity, accounting for the needs and circumstances of each project. Where feasible, species selection also takes into account the growth rates and canopy forms of the replacement trees.
Housing Support for Families with Members with Special Needs›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 245w
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written-answer-na-24859
Ms Valerie Lee53 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Government will consider additional housing support for families with members with special needs, across both public and private housing, including greater flexibility in housing grants, accessibility modifications, space and location; and (b) whether existing policies adequately recognise their higher and potentially long-term caregiving needs.
Mr Chee Hong Tat192 words
[+6 sentences]The Government recognises the important role that families play in caring for persons with disabilities (PwDs), including those with special needs, and supports them through a range of measures to meet their different needs. The Housing and Development Board has various schemes to help extended families live with or near one another for mutual care and support, such as the Family Care Scheme and the Proximity Housing Grant. To improve mobility and safety within homes, the Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) and EASE (Private Housing) programmes subsidise the installation of senior-friendly fittings, such as grab bars and ramps. Eligible PwDs may also tap on SG Enable's Assistive Technology Fund, which subsidises assistive technology devices and equipment that help them live more independently in their homes. In addition, the Ministry of Social and Family Development and SG Enable support PwDs to live in the community by providing community-based services, caregiving support and training for their family members, and community living options to alleviate caregiving demands on families. For example, the Home Support Programme will be rolled out later this year to help PwDs build the skills to live independently in their own homes.
Estimated Cost and Economic Benefit of Proposed Undersea Tunnel to Pulau Tekong›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 131w
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written-answer-na-24860
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song54 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the estimated financial cost of the proposed undersea tunnel to Pulau Tekong; (b) what specific civilian uses are being considered for the 500 hectares of reclaimed land; and (c) what economic cost-benefit assessments have been conducted to justify an undersea tunnel over existing ferry services.
Mr Chee Hong Tat77 words
[+4 sentences]Pulau Tekong is primarily used for military training today. We are studying the siting of civilian uses on Tekong, which could include utilities and other industrial uses. Compared to ferries, an undersea road tunnel will further enhance accessibility and open up more possibilities for both military and civilian uses on Tekong. Similar to other major infrastructure projects built by the Government, a study on the benefits and financial costs will be done before the project is implemented.
Update on Review of Regulation of Pet Sector Activities›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 168w
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written-answer-na-24862
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye60 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the review of the regulatory regime for pet sector activities, including pet grooming businesses; and (b) whether NParks will consider working with the Consumers Association of Singapore and other relevant stakeholders to address consumer protection concerns while safeguarding animal welfare under the new regulatory regime.
Mr Chee Hong Tat108 words
[+4 sentences]To further enhance animal health and welfare standards, the National Parks Board (NParks) is looking at possible refinements to the regulatory regime for pet sector activities as part of the ongoing review of the Animals and Birds Act. NParks is also updating the Code of Animal Welfare for pet groomers and developing guidance for dog trainers, with more details to be shared later this year. NParks strongly encourages prospective pet owners to adopt their pets from animal groups or to purchase them from licensed pet shops. Where disputes arise with pet sellers, consumers may approach the Consumers Association of Singapore to seek assistance in exploring avenues for recourse.
Success Rate of BTO First-timer Families Applying to Live With or Near Their Parents›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 141w
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Dr Charlene Chen64 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB has tracked, since the introduction of the Family Care Scheme (Proximity), the success rates of first-timer families applying to live with or near their parents broken down by town; and (b) where success rates are persistently lower in towns with constrained new BTO supply, whether the Ministry will review how the Scheme supports such families.
Mr Chee Hong Tat77 words
[+3 sentences]In the past four Build-to-Order (BTO) sales exercises, about six in 10 first-timer families who applied under the Family Care Scheme (Proximity) received a queue number. Success rates vary across projects and towns depending on flat supply, flat attributes and applicants' housing needs and preferences. Families who wish to live together or near each other may also tap on other available schemes, such as the Family Care Scheme (Joint Balloting), Three-Generation flats and the Proximity Housing Grant.
Biodiversity Studies for Tagore Forest›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 128w
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Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong45 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether baseline biodiversity studies have been conducted for Tagore Forest; and (b) whether the Government has studied conserving all or part of the forest as a buffer park to the Central Catchment Nature Reserve given its ecological importance.
Mr Chee Hong Tat83 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 "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.]
Impact of Western Island Reclamations on Singapore's Pledge to UN to Restore 80 Hectares of Forest, Marine and Coastal Habitats by 2030›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 161w
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Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) how the proposed western islands reclamation is consistent with the 20 national biodiversity targets submitted to the United Nations (UN) in October 2024 for a UN biodiversity conference, in particular the target to restore 80 hectares of forest, marine and coastal habitats by 2030; and (b) whether these targets will be revised.
Mr Chee Hong Tat102 words
[+5 sentences]To contribute to global targets under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Singapore submitted 20 national targets, taking into account our unique circumstances as a land-scarce and densely populated city-state. One of the targets is to restore at least 80 hectares of forest, marine and coastal habitats by 2030. We are on track to achieving our national targets. As of March 2026, we have restored 60 hectares of forest, marine and coastal habitats. For instance, the National Parks Board has embarked on a mangrove restoration project at Sungei Durian in Pulau Ubin, which aims to naturally restore around 8,000 mangrove plants over time.
Number of CCAs Remaining Unsold›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 144w
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Mr Fadli Fawzi61 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) as at 31 August 2026, what is the number of Community Care Apartments (CCAs) that remain unsold; (b) what are HDB's plans to sell these flats before completion; (c) whether HDB has any plans to convert such flats to regular 2-room flats if they remain unsold upon completion; and (d) if not, why not.
Mr Chee Hong Tat83 words
[+4 sentences]Since 2021, the Housing and Development Board has launched a total of around 1,100 community care apartment (CCA) units across five Build-To-Order (BTO) projects. On average, about seven in 10 CCA units were taken up by the end of each BTO selection exercise. Unselected CCAs are re-offered at subsequent Sale of Balance Flats exercises. The demand for CCAs has yet to stabilise, as it is a relatively new housing typology, with only one project at Harmony Village @ Bukit Batok completed thus far.
Young Children Found Unsupervised in Public Places Who Were Assessed To Be In Need of Care or Protection›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 258w
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Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik51 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in the past three years, how many cases of young children found unsupervised in public places were assessed as being in need of care or protection; and (b) what actions may be taken against parents or caregivers whose neglect endangers a child.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M207 words
[+8 sentences]The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) does not track statistics specifically on young children found unsupervised in public places who were assessed as being in need of care or protection. Where Police suspect that such cases may involve neglect, they would refer them to MSF for investigation. From 2022 to 2024, there was an average of 539 child neglect cases that required statutory intervention. When a child is found to be at risk due to neglect, MSF's immediate priority is to ensure the child's safety. Where the child can remain safely at home, MSF, a Child Protection Specialist Centre or a Family Service Centre will first implement safety plans, monitor compliance and work with the family to improve parenting practices to ensure adequate care and safety of the child. Where required, parents or caregivers may be referred for counselling and other community-based support services to strengthen caregiving capacity. Where serious safety concerns are identified, MSF and the Police will take expedited action, including removal of the child and placing them in an alternative care arrangement if necessary. Where there is sufficient evidence that a parent or caregiver may have committed an offence, the case may be referred to the Police and prosecution may be considered.
Continuation of Financial Support to SMEs That Are Offering Students with Disabilities Internship Placements›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 199w
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Miss Rachel Ong59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development following the end of the Global Ready Talent local-internship funding (a) whether the Ministry will continue to provide financial support to SMEs offering students with disabilities internship placements; and (b) whether it will work with SG Enable, Institutes of Higher Learning and trade associations to promote such support and facilitate applications.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M140 words
[+4 sentences]SG Enable works with the institutes of higher learning and inclusive employers across various sectors, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to curate and facilitate internship placements for students with disabilities. In addition, through the ITE-SG Enable Internship and Employment Support Programme, the Institute of Technical Education students with disabilities are supported through pre-internship training, internship placement and on-site job support. While the Ministry of Social and Family Development does not provide wage support for employers who offer internship opportunities to students with disabilities, funding support is provided to employers, including SMEs, to hire and retain persons with disabilities through the Enabling Employment Credit and the Open Door Programme. These broader measures help build a ready pool of inclusive employers who have the confidence and capabilities to support employees with disabilities, including offering suitable internship opportunities to students with disabilities.
Annual Enrolment Rate of Early Years Centres Relative to Available Capacity›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 178w
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Mr Liang Eng Hwa72 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) over the past five years, what is the annual (i) enrolment rate of Early Years Centres (EYCs) relative to available capacity and (ii) proportion of children graduating from EYCs that subsequently enrol in MOE Kindergartens and non-MOE kindergartens or other childcare centres, respectively; and (b) whether the EYC model needs to be reviewed to provide greater continuity from early years to Kindergarten 2.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M106 words
[+5 sentences]From 2021 to 2025, the average enrolment rate in Early Years Centres (EYCs) ranged around 60% to 70%. Among children graduating from EYCs, around three in four on average applied to enrol in the Ministry of Education Kindergartens (MKs). The MK-EYC partnership provides children aged two months to six years a continuum of quality and affordable preschool education, with eligible children in EYCs guaranteed a place at a partner MK. The Early Childhood Development Agency works closely with MOE to ensure children have a seamless transition from EYC to MK. We will continue to monitor outcomes from the MK-EYC partnership and undertake further reviews if needed.
Proposal for Work Permit Holders to Be Allowed To Work in Hawker Centres›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 236w
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Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) why work permit holders may be employed in coffee shops and food courts but not in NEA hawker centres, given all are cooked-food trades; (b) how many Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) and Long-Term Visit Pass Plus (LTVP+) holders work as hawker stall assistants as at 1 September 2026; and (c) whether the venue-based distinction will be reviewed.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien170 words
[+7 sentences]Hawker centres are a unique part of Singapore's cultural heritage and it is important to preserve the local identity and heritage of our hawker culture. Only Singaporean Citizens and Permanent Residents are allowed to be stallholders at our hawker centres, and stallholders are required to physically operate their stalls. This is unlike other licensed food shops, which may be managed by commercial entities that hire employees to run their outlets. Nonetheless, stallholders in hawker centres can hire eligible Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) and Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP+) holders, who are already part of the Singapore family nexus, to work as stall assistants. This strikes a balance between supporting stallholders' manpower needs and the preservation of hawker centres' local identity. As of 1 August 2026, there are about 300 LTVP and LTVP+ holders working as stall assistants in cooked food stalls in hawker centres. We will continue to monitor the situation and review our policies where necessary, to strike a balance between manpower needs and the Singaporean identity of hawker centres.
Feedback on Clarity of Instructions for Return Right Reverse Vending Machines›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 255w
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Mr Lee Hong Chuang66 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry has received feedback on the clarity of instructions for the Return Right Reverse Vending Machines, particularly on the placement of containers for barcode scanning; (b) whether clearer visual instructions or design improvements can ease user difficulties; and (c) what user testing was conducted to ensure first-time users could operate the machines easily and correctly.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien189 words
[+9 sentences]The National Environment Agency has received a very small number of feedback relating to the placement of containers for barcode scanning. There are clear instructions and step-by-step guides on how to use the reverse vending machines (RVMs) on the machines themselves, as well as on the Return Right website. The scheme operator, BCRS Ltd, has also been conducting workshops and roadshows, and deploying Return Right Ambassadors at RVMs, to educate the public on how to use them. The orientation of the containers does not matter as long as they are inserted into the RVM one at a time. Prior to scheme launch, BCRS Ltd conducted user testing with different stakeholder groups, such as seniors, to enhance the user experience at RVMs. For example, on-screen instructions were shortened and simplified after testing. BCRS Ltd is also continuing to improve the user interface, such as a recent enhancement to make refund options more visible. We will continue to take in feedback on how to make the return process simple for everyone. We also encourage everyone to extend a helping hand to those who might require assistance to return their beverage containers.
Volume of Fibre Imported into Singapore and Surplus Redistributed›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 160w
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Mr Cai Yinzhou71 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) in each of the last three years (i) what is the volume of fibre, comprising fresh vegetables and related produce, imported into Singapore (ii) how much surplus produce is redistributed or rescued through food-support channels (iii) how much such produce is discarded; and (b) whether the Singapore Food Agency or NEA tracks fibre loss across the supply chain from import to disposal.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien89 words
[+4 sentences]Over the last three years, Singapore imported an average of 560,000 tonnes of fibre per year, comprising fresh vegetables and related produce. Over the same period, an average of 639,000 tonnes of food waste was disposed of each year. This refers to all types of food discarded, including inedible portions, such as egg shells and bones, and is not limited to fresh vegetables and related produce. The amount of food that is redistributed or rescued, as well as fibre loss across the supply chain, are not tracked by agencies.
Appointing Food Court Operator at Jurong Island›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 192w
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Ms Valerie Lee69 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) following the closure of the food court at Jurong Island managed by JTC (a) what measures are being taken to secure a reliable operator given the island's unique operating constraints; (b) whether the process of appointing a new operator can be expedited; and (c) what interim measures are in place to ensure employees have stable and affordable meal options.
Dr Tan See Leng123 words
[+6 sentences]The original operator of the food court at Oasis @ Sakra had ceased operations on Jurong Island in August 2026, citing the limited catchment of customers and increase in operating costs. JTC is actively engaging potential replacements to operate the food court. JTC recognises the operating constraints on Jurong Island and will structure the tenancy conditions to reflect these realities and help support a commercially viable operation. JTC has also fitted out the food court to reduce upfront renovation costs and enable a new operator to commence operations quickly. In the interim, workers can continue to access alternative food options at Oasis @ Sakra, including KJM Curry House and Oasis Cafe. Some larger companies also provide in house dining facilities for their employees.
Utilisation Rates of EV Charging Points at Petrol Kiosks Relative To Public Car Parks›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 105w
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Mr Ng Shi Xuan50 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry has data on the breakdown of the utilisation rates of electric vehicle charging points at petrol kiosks relative to public car parks over the past three years; and (b) if not, whether the Ministry will consider collecting or tracking such data.
Mr Jeffrey Siow55 words
[+2 sentences]In 2025, electric vehicle (EV) chargers at petrol kiosks were used for around 4.5 hours a day on average, compared to around 3.5 hours a day at public car parks. From January to August 2026, EV chargers were utilised on average for about five hours a day for both petrol kiosks and public car parks.
Update on Study of Public Transport for Tuas South›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 159w
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Mr Low Wu Yang Andre52 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport regarding LTA's study of public transport for Tuas South (a) what options, including Bus Rapid Transit and rail, are being assessed; (b) what criteria will determine which option is selected; and (c) what is the intended use of the existing Gul Circle MRT station platforms and tracks.
Mr Jeffrey Siow107 words
[+4 sentences]We are focusing our study of public transport options for Tuas South on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems because they are potentially more economical, flexible and faster to implement than rail, while providing better capacity than regular bus services. The feasibility study for BRT systems will look at projected public transport ridership, land and infrastructure requirements, and its impact on existing traffic. As part of the study, we will look at different vehicle types to determine the optimal system design. The two additional platforms at Gul Circle Mass Rapid Transit station can be used to extend the East-West Line should there be a need in the future.
Update on Investigations into Fatal Segar LRT Station Accident›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 202w
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Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the status of investigations into the fatal accident at Segar LRT station; (b) when the findings are expected to be shared with the family and the public; and (c) whether LTA has completed its assessment of rope barrier systems or other physical barrier solutions at LRT platforms to improve commuter safety.
Mr Jeffrey Siow143 words
[+6 sentences]The investigation into the fatal incident at Segar Light Rail Transit (LRT) station on 18 May 2026 is still ongoing. I seek the Member's understanding that time is required for the investigations to be conducted thoroughly, to provide proper closure for the family and to ensure that the right safety improvements can be made. We are continuing to look for solutions that can further strengthen safety at our LRT platforms. The Land Transport Authority and the public transport operators are still studying available solutions for physical barriers at LRT platforms, including manually operated platform screen doors that do not need to be synchronised with trains doors. We will need time to carefully evaluate and trial any potential solutions. We have to ensure that they are safe, effective and suitable for the LRT operating environment, and do not inadvertently create new risks for commuters.
Studying United Kingdom's Public Procurement Subcontracts and Payment Spot Checks Processes for Local Public-sector Contract Application›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 270w
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Mr Victor Lye47 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government has studied the United Kingdom's requirement for 30-day payment terms to flow through qualifying public procurement subcontracts and payment spot checks; and (b) whether a similar approach could be piloted for major Singapore public-sector contracts.
Mr Jeffrey Siow223 words
[+9 sentences]My response will also address related questions on prompt payments filed by Mr Victor Lye in today's Order Paper and for a subsequent Sitting. If the Member is satisfied with the response, he may wish to withdraw his question after this session. [Please refer to "Ensuring Prompt Payments Reach Subcontractors in Public Contracts and Requiring Major Contractors to Report on Subcontractor Payment Performance", Official Report, 10 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 37, Written Answers to Questions section.] The Government recognises the importance of prompt payment throughout the supply chain, including payments from principal contractors to their subcontractors and suppliers. Timely payment supports business cash flow and strengthens supplier relationships. The Government is committed to paying our suppliers promptly. However, payments between principal contractors and their subcontractors or suppliers are commercial arrangements between private parties which the Government has less visibility on. The Government will continue to work with our trade associations and chambers to study the payment practices of other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, to strengthen payment practices. We are supportive of the workgroup set up by the Singapore Business Federation to develop a Prompt Payment Code of Conduct to encourage fair payment practices between businesses. The workgroup will study how the key learning points from overseas models and private sector practices can be adapted to Singapore's business environment.
Projected Funding for Enhanced Family Support Measures and Childcare Leave›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 74w
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Mr Liang Eng Hwa31 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance what is the projected funding needed for the enhanced family support measures and the childcare leave announced in the recent National Day Rally.
Ms Indranee Rajah43 words
[+1 sentence]The budget estimates for the enhanced family support measures and childcare leave are not yet finalised as the implementation details of the announced measures are still being worked out and other measures are also being studied by the Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup.
Pre-identification of Vulnerable Residents Unable to Evacuate Independently in a Fire, and Opt-in Protocol for Providing Such Information to Responders during Emergencies›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 329w
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Mr Yip Hon Weng61 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs following fatal HDB fires involving seniors (a) whether SCDF can identify beforehand residents who are unable to detect a fire, call 995 or evacuate independently; (b) if not, why not; and (c) whether an opt-in protocol making such information available to responders during emergencies will be piloted.
Mr K Shanmugam268 words
[+13 sentences]As fire incidents are dynamic and can evolve rapidly, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responders will need to assess conditions on site to prioritise individuals requiring rescue or evacuation. Where evacuation is necessary, SCDF prioritises residents on the affected floor and those living two floors above. Pre-maintained information on residents requiring assistance during fire incidents may not be the most updated and will need to be verified on site. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats are designed as a stand-alone fire compartment to limit fire spread prior to SCDF's arrival. In addition, home fire alarm devices (HFADs) are mandatory in all new homes since 2018. For existing HDB flats, HFADs are mandated for homes carrying out fire safety related addition and alteration works. All homeowners are encouraged to install HFADs, as early warning can be critical in allowing occupants more time to respond, evacuate safely and call for assistance. Seniors and residents with mobility impairments who are unable to evacuate independently should remain in their units, move to a safe room, close the door, call 995 and provide their location and await assistance. This approach is aligned with international best practices and reduces the risk of injury during evacuation. Those who are deaf, hard-of-hearing or otherwise unable to call 995 may contact SCDF by SMS at 70995. The community also plays an important role in supporting vulnerable seniors during emergencies. SCDF works with the People's Association's Community Emergency and Engagement Committees to regularly organise block evacuation exercises. These exercises help residents better understand their neighbours' needs and support those who may require assistance during an emergency.
Strengthening Awareness on National Security Threats and Attracting Talent through ISD Junior College and Polytechnic Scholarship›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 342w
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Mr Lee Hong Chuang69 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) how will the Ministry assess whether the Internal Security Department (ISD) Junior College and Polytechnic Scholarship strengthens youths' awareness of national security threats and interest in national security related careers; and (b) whether similar scholarships or exposure programmes by other public agencies will be encouraged, where appropriate, to build early awareness and attract talent.
Mr K Shanmugam273 words
[+10 sentences]The Internal Security Department (ISD) Junior College (JC) and Polytechnic Scholarship is part of ISD's ongoing initiatives to strengthen public awareness of Singapore’s internal security threats. These initiatives include partnering agencies through the SGSecure movement, community partners, such as the Religious Rehabilitation Group, and the Ministry of Education, to increase greater awareness among the general public and students, about the threats posed by terrorism, violent extremism and radicalisation. The JC and Polytechnic Scholarship is a new initiative to deepen awareness amongst our youths of our internal security threats and introduce pre-tertiary students to career opportunities with ISD. Launched in August 2025, the initiative attracted 231 applications. Ten students from various JCs and polytechnics were selected for the inaugural award in early 2026. In addition to a $2,500 cash prize, the recipients participated in a two-day immersion programme at ISD, where they gained deeper insights into ISD's work, including opportunities to engage with ISD officers. Participants shared that the Immersion Programme had deepened their understanding of ISD's work and internal security threats facing Singapore. They also expressed greater interest in a career with ISD, describing its work as deeply fulfilling and meaningful, contributing to the protection of Singapore's national security. The ISD JC and Polytechnic Scholarship complements similar efforts across the Home Team Departments to engage students early and raise awareness of the Ministry of Home Affairs' work and career opportunities, through a range of initiatives, including book prizes, internships, learning journeys, work attachments and job-shadowing opportunities for pre-tertiary and tertiary students. We will continue to consider other opportunities for early engagement, taking into account the nature of each Department's work and talent needs.
Stepping Up of Surveillance and Enforcement Actions against Online Investment Scams›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 337w
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Mr Liang Eng Hwa71 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs in view of the $170 million in investment scam losses in the first half of 2026 (a) whether MAS and the Police will step up surveillance and enforcement action against online investment scams; and (b) whether MAS and the Police will work with social media and messaging platforms to detect scam groups masquerading as investment learning communities.
Mr K Shanmugam266 words
[+8 sentences]In investment scam cases, scammers may approach victims using accounts not previously known to the victim to offer lucrative investment products. To address this, under the new Code of Practice for Online Messaging and Conferencing Services (COP) issued in August 2026, designated online messaging platforms must implement measures to alert users to potential scam risks posed by unknown contacts and require user consent before the user can be added into a chatgroup by an unknown contact. The new and enhanced COPs for Social Media Services and e-Commerce Services also require the designated online services to disallow the publication of advertisements offering financial services or products to Singapore users, unless the advertiser is licensed by any Singapore authority or authorised by a licensed entity to do so in Singapore. In addition, the Police work closely with online platforms to disrupt investment scam content, including those by scam groups masquerading as investment learning communities. When there is reasonable suspicion that the content is preparatory to or in furtherance of the commission of scams, the Police may issue Directions under the Online Criminal Harms Act to online service providers to restrict Singapore users' access to such content. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has worked with major retail banks to prevent scammers from profiting from investment scams by introducing additional friction for high value transfers. For example, banks have progressively implemented cooling periods for adding of payees, raising of transaction limits, and making large transfers that result in draining of accounts. This gives consumers an opportunity to re-consider their transfers or investments if they suspect that it is a scam.
Evaluation Criteria 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 · 123w
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Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng65 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport in respect of the "First to Board, First to Use" shared priority bay pilot on public bus services (a) what indicators will be used to evaluate the pilot; (b) what is the breakdown of users who are unable to board; and (c) whether structural design changes, such as additional wheelchair bays and foldable seating on public buses are being considered.
Mr Jeffrey Siow58 words
[+1 sentence]The Question was addressed in the written response issued for Question 98 for Oral Answer at the 9 September 2026 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to "Assessing "First to Board, First to Use" Shared Priority Bays for Mobility Aid Users and Young Child in Strollers", Official Report, 9 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 36, Written Answers to Questions section.]
Regulation and Assessment of MOE Kindergartens and Kindergarten Care Centres›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time3 turns · 390w
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Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan67 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) whether Kindergarten Care (KCare) centres in MOE Kindergartens (MKs) are licensed under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act; (b) if not, what standards govern staff qualifications, staff-child ratio and children's safety and well-being while in KCare; and (c) whether and how the KCare component is separately specified and evaluated when Student Care Centre operators for schools co-located with MKs are appointed.
Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan54 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) whether MOE Kindergartens (MKs) are assessed against the Early Childhood Development Centres Regulations 2018 and the Early Childhood Development Centres Code of Practice; (b) if so, by whom and how often; and (c) how many MKs have been assessed and how many required rectifications in the past decade.
Mr Desmond Lee269 words
[+13 sentences]My response will address the questions raised by Ms Eileen Chong on regulations and standards for MOE Kindergartens (MKs) and Kindergarten Care. MOE Kindergartens are directly operated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and are part of the primary schools they are located in. MKs are regulated under the Education Act, and are excluded from the Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) Act. MOE has put in place oversight structures and processes to ensure adherence to quality and safety standards in all schools, including MKs. All MKs also take reference from the ECDC Regulatory Standards prior to commencing operations. MKs conduct a yearly self-appraisal and undergo regular validation exercises by MOE that take reference from the Singapore Preschool Accreditation Framework under ECDA. MOE headquarters follows up to provide consultation and relevant support where needed. Kindergarten Care (KCare) centres are operated by student care centre (SCC)-KCare operators. These operators are selected by considering how well the KCare component meets MOE's guidelines on staff qualifications and training, staff-to-child ratios, as well as programme implementation, environment setup and standard operating procedures to safeguard children's safety, health and well-being. Pre-operations checks are conducted to ensure each KCare centre meets baseline standards before commencing operations. To ensure that KCare centres are held to standards comparable to those required by ECDA on similar childcare services, MOE has put in place a KCare Quality Assurance Framework that takes reference from ECDA's Code of Practice for kindergarten-level childcare services. MOE conducts regular appraisals to ensure standards are maintained. We will continue to work closely with ECDA in ensuring that our MKs provide quality preschool education for our children.
Government Grants and Programme Designs to Promote Family-Friendly Job Redesign and Flexible Work Arrangements›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time3 turns · 234w
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Ms Cassandra Lee47 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower whether Government-funded job redesign programmes, including the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+) under the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package, incorporate family-friendly workplace practices as a design principle so that redesigned roles support employee retention across different life stages and caregiving responsibilities.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling54 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Acting Minister for Manpower since the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests took effect in December 2024 (a) how many employers have tapped on Government grants, such as the Productivity Solutions Grant, to implement flexible work arrangements; and (b) how many workers have gained access to such arrangements as a result.
Ms Jasmin Lau133 words
[+7 sentences]Ms Cassandra Lee and Ms Yeo Wan Ling have filed two Parliamentary Question on Government grants for the implementation of progressive workplace practices. I will respond to these related questions together. Employers can tap on the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+) to fund workforce transformation projects that redesign roles and work processes to better accommodate employees across different life stages and caregiving responsibilities. This supports family-friendly workplace practices, such as flexible work arrangements (FWAs). Employers can also tap on the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) to offset the costs of purchasing information technology (IT) solutions and equipment, including human resource technology tools that facilitate FWAs. In 2025, about 7,900 unique entities were supported under Enterprise Singapore's PSG to purchase IT solutions. We do not track whether the purchases were used to implement FWAs.
Reducing Environmental Impact for and Documenting Heritage of Island Communities Before Western Island Project Reclamation Works›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time5 turns · 280w
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written-answer-na-24901
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Government will document the cultural and maritime heritage of the former island communities of Pulau Semakau, Pulau Sudong and Pulau Seking before reclamation; and (b) whether the Government will consult descendants of these communities as part of the stakeholder engagement announced for the proposed western island.
Dr Hamid Razak48 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development what criteria does the Ministry apply in deciding whether to avoid reclamation in ecologically sensitive areas rather than proceeding with reclamation and mitigation measures where environmental studies identify high-value marine habitats, including in relation to the proposed reclamation involving the western islands.
Mr Cai Yinzhou61 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development regarding the reclamation of the new western island (a) whether empoldering, as used at Pulau Tekong, is being considered as the primary reclamation method; (b) how the reduced fill volume of empoldering lowers environmental impact, including seabed disturbance and sand-extraction footprint, compared with conventional reclamation; and (c) what factors will determine the choice of method.
Mr Vikram Nair35 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development what steps, if any, will the Government take to protect marine life and biodiversity that may be impacted by the planned land reclamation to create the new Western Island.
Mr Chee Hong Tat81 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 "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.]
Shared Facilities Available for Deep Tech Startups and Ventures›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time3 turns · 430w
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written-answer-na-24902
Dr Neo Kok Beng70 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) (a) to the Government's knowledge, how many shared facilities, inclusive of equipment for research and development, are available for deep tech startups and ventures; and (b) whether the Ministry or relevant agencies will consider setting up shared facilities in emerging areas, such as quantum and space technology, and life sciences, such as clean room and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) laboratories.
Dr Neo Kok Beng34 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) whether the Government will consider implementing a national sandbox policy for emerging technologies or industries, where current legal or regulatory measures are not available.
Dr Tan See Leng326 words
[+11 sentences]The Government is committed to fostering a pro-innovation environment that enables businesses, including deep tech startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to support research and development (R&D) and deployment of emerging technologies. The Government does work closely with our institutes of higher learning (IHLs) and research institutes to provide startups and SMEs with access to shared R&D facilities, equipment and technical expertise. Key initiatives include the centres of innovation established in partnership with the IHLs, and platforms operated by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), such as Innovation Factory@Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology. Specialised facilities are also available, such as Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) and Class 100 compliant laboratories through the National Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP) Labs, advanced cleanroom infrastructure and industry-grade tools through national platforms, such as the National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre (NSTIC) and the National Quantum Federated Foundry (NQFF), as well as shared life sciences, chemistry and engineering facilities through A*STAR’s A*StartCentral. Companies can also use the A*STAR Scientific Equipment and Services Finder (A*SEF) to identify and access more than 1,500 scientific equipment and related services across A*STAR. For regulatory sandboxes, the Government's approach is to design sector-specific frameworks that are tailored to the needs of each industry, as the risks, stakeholders and regulatory considerations differ significantly across industries. A single national sandbox policy may not adequately account for these differences. Several agencies already operate sandboxes tailored to their respective sectors. For example, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) has introduced a regulatory sandbox for energy innovations, including novel business models in the electricity sector. In the digital and technology space, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has supported experimentation through initiatives, such as the GenAI Sandbox, which allows enterprises to trial generative artificial intelligence solutions before wider adoption. The Government will continue to assess the needs of emerging technologies and industries, and where appropriate, establish shared R&D facilities and regulatory sandboxes to support technology development, testing and adoption.
Clarification by Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information›Correction by Written Statement1 turns · 464w
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written-statement-3033
Speaker not recorded464 words
[+13 sentences][(proc text) The following statements were made in replies given by the Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How) for Question No 12 during Question Time at the Sitting on 10 September 2026: (proc text)] (a) The Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How): Globally, most submarine cable disruptions result from accidental damage caused by fishing and anchoring activities. Industry data indicates about 100 to 200 such incidents occurring worldwide each year. Singapore's international connectivity has nevertheless remained resilient due to the diversity and volume of our connections to other countries. [Please refer to "Surveillance and Monitoring of Mechanisms Installed under "Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges"", Official Report, 10 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 37, Oral Answers to Questions section.] (b) The Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How): Thirdly, we are working with like-minded countries, for example, in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), IMDA chairs the ASEAN Working Group of Submarine Cables, and is a member of the International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience. Both platforms seek to strengthen cooperation on submarine cable protection, resilience and repair, as well as promote information sharing and exchange of best practices. We had a fuller reply in January this year on our cooperation with neighbouring countries. [Please refer to "Surveillance and Monitoring of Mechanisms Installed under "Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges"", Official Report, 10 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 37, Oral Answers to Questions section.] I wish to make the following factual correction to my replies made during the Parliament Sitting of 10 September 2026. My replies should read as follows: (a) The Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How): Globally, most submarine cable disruptions result from accidental damage caused by fishing and anchoring activities. Industry data indicates about 150 to 200 such incidents occurring worldwide each year. Singapore's international connectivity has nevertheless remained resilient due to the diversity and volume of our connections to other countries. (b) The Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How): Thirdly, we are working with like-minded countries, for example, in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), IMDA chairs the ASEAN Working Group of Submarine Cables, and is a member of the International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience. Both platforms seek to strengthen cooperation on submarine cable protection, resilience and repair, as well as promote information sharing and exchange of best practices. We had a fuller reply in February this year on our cooperation with neighbouring countries.
Clarification by Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance›Correction by Written Statement1 turns · 439w
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written-statement-3035
Speaker not recorded439 words
[+9 sentences][(proc text) The following replies were provided by the Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah) for Question No 5 during Question Time at the Sitting of 10 September 2026 (proc text)]: (a) The Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah): he 80% personal income tax relief cap is intended to make our personal income tax system more progressive. There are currently 13 personal income tax reliefs, and each one serves a worthy objective. Taken together, they may unduly reduce the taxable income for some individuals with high income, and that goes against the progressivity intent. [Please refer to "Refundable Working Mother’s Child Relief Top-up for Middle-income Working Mothers Who Have Reached Personal Income Tax Relief Cap", Official Report, 10 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 37, Oral Answers to Questions section.] (b) The Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah): ll mothers, not just the low-income, but also the middle-income ones and the higher-income ones, will get the $10,000 Baby Gift, the $2,000 credits per child per year, the Child Development Account First Step Grant, the co-matching, the $10 top-up to the Post-Secondary Education Account, as well as the existing benefits like the Medisave Grant for Newborns, of $5,000. [Please refer to "Refundable Working Mother’s Child Relief Top-up for Middle-income Working Mothers Who Have Reached Personal Income Tax Relief Cap", Official Report, 10 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 37, Oral Answers to Questions section.] I wish to make the following factual corrections to my replies made at the Sitting of 10 September 2026. My replies should read as follows: (a) The Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah): he $80,000 personal income tax relief cap is intended to make our personal income tax system more progressive. There are currently 13 personal income tax reliefs, and each one serves a worthy objective. Taken together, they may unduly reduce the taxable income for some individuals with high income, and that goes against the progressivity intent. (b) The Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah): ll mothers, not just the low-income, but also the middle-income ones and the higher-income ones, will get the $10,000 Baby Gift, the $2,000 credits per child per year, the Child Development Account First Step Grant, the co-matching, the $10,000 top-up to the Post-Secondary Education Account, as well as the existing benefits like the Medisave Grant for Newborns, of $5,000.