Hansard, Thursday, 5 March 2026

1 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry has any substantiated information that Singaporeans have served in the Israeli Defense Forces in 2025; (b) if yes, whether such service is in breach of our laws and whether any action will be taken; and (c) how does the Government monitor and advise citizens against being involved in foreign military conflicts.

2 Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the claims that two Singaporeans served in the Israel Defense Force will be investigated; (b) if identified, whether these individuals will be prosecuted under section 125 of the Penal Code 1871 or any other relevant legislation; and (c) whether their citizenship will be deprived should they hold dual citizenship.

3 Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs in light of reports that two Singaporeans with multiple or dual nationalities served in the Israel Defense Forces (a) how is the Ministry verifying whether any Singaporeans have served or are serving in any foreign military without authorisation; (b) if verified, what action will be taken; and (c) how will policies be reviewed to mitigate risks of unauthorised foreign military involvement by Singaporeans.

Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 1 to 3 on today's Order Paper, together?

Please proceed.

Thank you, Sir. Sir, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is aware of a foreign news report stating that two Singaporeans were among those who fought for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the conflict in Gaza. The Ministry has no substantiated information confirming that any Singaporean has served, or is serving, in the IDF.

Our position has always been quite clear and publicly stated: Singaporeans should not participate in any foreign armed conflict not involving Singapore. Our loyalties as Singaporeans should only be to Singapore and we should only ever engage in military action in defence of Singapore.

If Singaporeans are found to be fighting or even planning to fight in foreign armed conflicts, these persons will be dealt with sternly in accordance with our laws. We have stated that and have detained people in the past for that reason. And they can be dealt with under the Internal Security Act if they are found to be a threat to our national security. Those found holding multiple citizenships may also be deprived of their Singapore citizenship.

Ms Hazlina.

I thank the Coordinating Minister. Two supplementary questions from me. One is, in the event that these conflicts occur, the Minister mentioned that they do, how are the nationality obligations dealt with with the other state and what other upstream measures would the Ministry be considering to tighten the issuance of guidelines for clarity as to Singapore's stand?

Can I ask the Member to repeat her first part of the question?

I was hoping to better understand in the event that it is found that a Singaporean is involved in this case, how would Singapore be speaking with the other country in which there is involvement and what is the approach to that?

Anyone with a Singapore citizenship who is found to be engaging in a foreign armed conflict, as I have said earlier and I have said previously publicly, and my Ministry has also stated, will be dealt with in accordance with our laws. That could include being charged and that could certainly include being detained under the Internal Security Act if they are considered to be a threat to national security. And many have been detained on those grounds in the past and we have publicised them.

If we come across credible evidence of such persons, we will normally engage with foreign counterparties to try and get such persons to Singapore, but people can appreciate, that has its own challenges. If they are within Singapore, there is no issue; we will deal with them, as we have dealt with in the past.

On the second part of the question, on how can we make it clearer, I think we have made it very clear. The simple answer is, "Don't do it", and there is zero tolerance for it.

Mr Fadli Fawzi.

I thank the Minister for the answer. I have two supplementary questions. First, is section 125 of the Penal Code relevant and applicable against Singapore Citizens who serve in the IDF and other foreign militaries? If not, what amendments are necessary to render section 125 relevant to penalise the act of serving in a foreign military?

The Member said that he had two supplementary questions. I assume that question comprises both questions, is it?

Well, whether section 125 applies really depends on the facts and that would require investigation. In the past, we have often used the Internal Security Act as well. In our view, given the positions we have stated, the current legal framework, including the Internal Security Act, is adequate.

Mr Dennis Tan.

I thank the Minister for his reply. I just have one supplementary question. Would the Government be seeking clarification with the Israeli counterparts to verify the allegations as reported in the press?

The Government has asked the Israeli government. We have not received a response. And one must understand that there are obviously difficulties that other governments may face in complying with this request. We have made these sorts of requests and other sorts of requests to various governments. Sometimes, we get answers; sometimes, we do not get answers. Because while it is an offence under Singapore law and we consider it to be contrary to our national interests, it may not be an offence in Israel, nor may it be an offence in other countries. And persons who may be doing these things in other countries, whether in Ukraine or Russia, in the Middle East or elsewhere, or for Israel, may not be under any legal obligation to declare either their dual citizenship or any other fact relating to themselves.

And in such situations, those governments will not be able to even force them to give answers. They may well know that there are citizens or they may not even know because even their dual citizenship need not be reported. So, the Israeli government, or for that matter, the Ukrainian government or the Russian or other governments, may not even know that these people hold the dual citizenship. And any requests would then have to be made to all their soldiers, "Let us know all your dual citizenships." And such a request is probably not enforceable.

I am just sketching out to the Member the difficulties that foreign governments will have in complying with any such request.

It is fairly credibly reported that a lot of American citizens fight for Israel and that is not contrary to either American law or Israeli law. So, I assume that under Israeli law, people with dual citizenship can fight for Israel. Which means that if the Israeli government seeks to find out such information, the soldiers may not be obliged to give that information. I do not know; I am speculating. And if so, then there will be difficulties in getting the information – not just by the Israeli government, but other governments too. But we have reached out, we have not gotten a response.

If we get any credible information, we will take action. It does not matter to us whether you are fighting for Israel or Ukraine or Russia or some other Middle Eastern country or a terrorist organisation. It is not acceptable and we will take action if we find you.

4 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the number and percentage of Singaporeans above 65 years old who have registered a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) and how does this compare with overall adult uptake; and (b) whether the Ministry has completed its consideration of the suggestion to further extend the waiver of the LPA Form 1 filing fee for Singaporeans beyond 31 March 2026.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is pleased to announce that we will make Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) Form 1 applications free of charge for all Singapore Citizens, even after the current fee waiver ends. This is to encourage more Singaporeans to plan early for their future.

As of 20 February 2026, 404,000 or about one in seven Singapore Citizens have made an LPA. Amongst those aged above 65 years old, 197,000 or about one in four have done so. In the last few years, with the launch of the Office of the Public Guardian Online portal and more visible legacy planning campaigns island-wide, we have seen a healthy uptake of LPA applications. But many still have not made an LPA.

Therefore, we want to continue to urge Singaporeans to make their LPA. Best to do so while we are still fit and healthy, and even more so as we know our population is ageing. Having an LPA in place will allow Singaporeans and our loved ones to have peace of mind, knowing there is someone we trust who will have the legal authority to make decisions on our behalf, when we no longer can.

Mr Yip.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for the very good news that it is going to be free. Besides reducing the cost barrier, some members of public, especially seniors who still find it difficult to understand what an LPA is and why it is important to make an LPA, can MSF do more in terms of stepping up public education and awareness of LPA, as well as perhaps making the process easier by having it in different languages and having more support to help seniors?

Mr Speaker, we agree with the Member that public education is important. We have been doing that consistently and we will continue to step up on it. We have been working very closely with various agencies, including the Agency for Integrated Care, the Central Provident Fund Board, the Ministry of Health. In terms of running inter-agency campaigns, we are also working very closely with People's Association and various grassroots organisations on the ground, tapping on their various target audiences and their own lists, their own contacts, to make sure that we are able to get messages to as many Singaporeans as possible. We will continue to double down on those efforts.

As the Member mentioned, we are also working on making sure that in terms of the languages, we are able to reach out to all our target audiences. We are also working on simplifying the messaging of our campaigns. Sometimes, in the LPA process, there can be some legal terms, medical terms, so we are trying to simplify those so that we are able to help make sure Singaporeans understand the importance and the urgency of making the LPA.

Of course, I will make this call in this House as well: wishing all our Members of Parliament to support this effort and help carry the messages down to their own constituencies.

Assoc Prof James Lim.

Thank you, Speaker. My question has to do with the LPA process as structured by the Office of the Public Guardian. One of the difficulties that we had faced in this last minute rush to the prior deadline, was that when we organised LPA sessions for residents, we face difficulties with the site being very dragging. I understand that this may be a question that perhaps is better directed toward GovTech, but we are wondering, on the side of the Office of the Public Guardian, whether there has been any indication that the site has encountered difficulties? And if so, whether there are plans to upgrade the capacity of the site going forward?

Mr Speaker, maybe I would like to ask the Member to clarify, because we definitely want to improve the website to make sure that it is a lot more user friendly and intuitive. If the website is draggy, there can be a few reasons why it may be so. It may be a function of trying to recall from a database, pulling from other Government agencies' databases to complete the form filling. It may also be because of other reasons, including the applicants' computer system. So, useful to know where exactly is the observation and we can follow up on that.

If I may suggest, the details can be given to the Minister of State subsequently. Minister of State, my wife and I have done our LPAs.

5 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what specific clarifications Singapore is seeking from the US on the scope, product coverage and customs implementation of the temporary tariff imposed under section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974; (b) how Singapore's exports under the US–Singapore Free Trade Agreement will be treated; and (c) when will the Ministry issue sector-specific guidance to businesses, including re-exporters on compliance and mitigation steps.

6 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what quantitative indicators or thresholds such as, export orders, Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for new exports, retrenchments in trade-exposed sectors, will trigger additional support measures in response to heightened tariff uncertainty; and (b) whether any measures being studied will be sector-targeted, such as the electronics, precision engineering, logistics sectors rather than broad-based.

7 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update in its assessment of the impact on Singapore arising from the new 15% tariff imposed on all goods entering the US from 24 February 2026; and (b) whether the Ministry can negotiate for exemptions based on the increasing US goods trade surplus with Singapore.

Mr Speaker, I have also done my LPA.

May I have your permission to answer oral Questions Nos 5 to 7 by Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Dr Choo Pei Ling, as well as the written question filed by Assoc Prof Terence Ho for the 10 March 2026 Sitting, as they all relate to the United States (US) tariffs.

Please proceed.

Mr Speaker, on 20 February 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the US' "reciprocal" tariffs that were imposed on the US' trading partners under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. On the same day, the US announced a tariff of 10% under section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 on all US imports for 150 days. The US Customs and Border Protection started collecting this 10% tariff from 12.01 am on 24 February 2026, US time.

While US President Donald Trump announced via a Truth Social post on 21 February 2026 that the tariff rate would be raised to 15%, the US has yet to issue an official directive on this increase.

The immediate direct impact of these tariff developments on Singapore's economy is not expected to be significant, given that the current section 122 tariff of 10% is broadly unchanged from the previous 10% "reciprocal" tariff that had been imposed on Singapore's exports to the US since April 2025.

Those sectors with a greater dependence on the US for final demand and whose exports are covered by the section 122 tariff, such as the precision engineering cluster and some segments under the general manufacturing cluster, could see a greater impact from any tariff increase.

There remains considerable uncertainty. It is unclear if the current 10% section 122 tariff will be raised to 15%. It is also unclear what the overall tariff landscape will be after the current 150-day timeline. At the same time, we may see sectoral tariffs under section 232, as well as tariffs imposed under different legal authorities in due course.

We will continue to monitor such developments closely and engage our US counterparts to ensure that our economic interests are safeguarded.

We will also continue to work with our tripartite and industry partners through the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce (SERT) to gather feedback on how businesses and workers are affected. For instance, SERT convened last week to discuss the tariff developments and preliminary sentiments of businesses and workers.

The Government is committed to helping our businesses and workers navigate the changes arising from these tariff developments. In October 2025, SERT launched the Business Adaptation Grant (BizAdapt) to help businesses affected by the tariffs to evaluate the impact, optimise their supply chains and reconfigure their operations. The GRaduate Industry Traineeship (GRIT) was also launched as a temporary scheme to help fresh graduates gain industry-relevant experience and skills amid economic uncertainty, so that they are better equipped to transition into full-time employment subsequently. At Budget 2026, the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance announced that support levels under BizAdapt would be raised from up to 50%, to up to 70%. We stand ready to provide further support, as needed.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister of State for her answers. I have one supplementary question. Usually, after section 122, it usually proceeds with section 301 and 232 investigations, and the concern is whether bigger tariffs may come in later.

So, the question I have is: given that sort of situation that section 122 is temporary and may be followed by further investigations or additional trade measures, as President Trump has indicated, to 15%, could the Minister of State elaborate on how the Government is preparing Singapore businesses for the possibility of more persistent tariffs or sector-specific measures? Which I have raised many times, my concerns about sector-specific tariffs or measures.

And whether Singapore has a clear contingency playbook. I know the Minister of State has mentioned about the SERT and BizAdapt, which is very good, and I hope we can do even more to help our businesses. But the question is on a broad level, a macro level, whether Singapore has a clear contingency playbook should global trade conditions deteriorate further, and on top of that, the additional concern that we are facing out of Middle East, and with the Strait of Hormuz and other possibilities that may arise?

Mr Speaker, we are watching the situation closely. And through SERT, we are keeping close touch with businesses and the workers and industry partners of various sectors to understand the impact and the implications of the tariffs and the great uncertainties.

Indeed, like Mr Saktiandi said, there could be further changes to the tariff landscape.

Just let me highlight that thus far, the tariffs' impact on Singapore's economy, we have assessed it to be rather limited. I think we are very thankful that there have been measures put in place and there is some resilience in various sectors. The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) is also doing its part, in partnership with the Government, to advise companies. For example, SBF has published a playbook to guide companies on key actions to take, such as how to sense-make the impact through risk-mapping, to take action, such as re-configuring their supply chains, and also planning ahead by digitalising and innovating to build long-term resilience.

We stand ready to roll out further measures to support sectors that are affected, when necessary.

Dr Choo Pei Ling.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thank you to the Minister of State for the reply. Beyond seeking exemptions and supporting affected businesses, how is Singapore strengthening the resilience of our trade model, in light of these new US tariff measures? Additionally, how can Singapore continue to position ourselves as a trusted and reliable economic partner, amid rising trade tensions?

Mr Speaker, Dr Choo Pei Ling's questions require very long answers, but I know that we are short of time. I actually suggest that she refer to my speech in the Ministry of Trade and Industry's (MTI's) Committee of Supply (COS).

But just to highlight a few key points, Singapore will continue to safeguard and expand our economic space by deepening, diversifying and also defending our economic interest, and also our trade linkages with all our trading partners.

We have a robust network of partnerships with like-minded countries that share our commitment to free, fair and open trade, and we will continue to deepen our collaborations with them. In addition to strengthening trade links with key trading partners, we are also pursuing closer trade relations with emerging markets, such as Latin America, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, and also furthering our cooperation in growth areas through digital and green economy agreements, such as the EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement.

We encourage businesses to continue tapping on our 29 Free Trade Agreements, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. And as I mentioned at the MTI COS, we are strengthening our regional bloc-to-bloc engagements. These are all done very deliberately with a long-term interest of diversifying and deepening Singapore's network of trade relations.

8 Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) what lessons in relation to crowd management, shuttle service patterns and communications about disruptions have been learnt from the recent closures of the Circle Line; and (b) how will these lessons be applied where train service closures are needed during the multi-year renewal programme for the North East Line.

Mr Speaker, for the ongoing service adjustments along the Circle Line for tunnel strengthening works, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has kept commuters informed well in advance through publicity and community engagement efforts. At the affected stations, crowd marshals were also deployed to guide commuters and manage the crowds.

We also started the replacement shuttle bus services two weeks early to allow commuters to familiarise themselves with alternative routes before the service adjustments, which improved the situation significantly in the initial period.

With these measures in place, we have kept wait times and loading for trains manageable. Most commuters continue to be able to board the first train, other than at certain busy stretches where higher crowding is observed even without the planned closures.

We have not decided yet if scheduled closures are going to be needed for the North East Line improvement works, but we will incorporate these lessons and feedback from commuters in refining our provision of alternative travel options for future service adjustments.

Mr Fadli Fawzi.

I thank the Minister for the answer. Will the Ministry consider having shuttle buses that go beyond the impacted section of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line? For example, if Kovan to Hougang was closed, can we have shuttle buses that go from Kovan to Punggol Coast, to make it more convenient for commuters, or maybe increasing the frequency of trains on the other non-impacted sections of the line, so that we can reduce the waiting time and convenience cost to the commuters?

Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his suggestions. I think when the time comes for us to look at what are the supporting services that we will put in place for the North East Line's works, we will certainly consider those suggestions that he has given us.

9 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) what is the current percentage of steel rings installed for the Circle Line tunnel reinforcement works; (b) whether any technical issues have been encountered to date; and (c) whether the Ministry can bring forward the April 2026 completion date to reduce the daily 10 to 20 minute travel delay per trip for affected commuters.

Mr Speaker, the tunnel strengthening works for the Circle Line are progressing as planned. As at end-February 2026, about 50% of the required steel rings have been installed.

Works are being carried out at a pace that will ensure the safety of our workers and commuters, and we remain on schedule to complete them by 19 April 2026, which is what we have committed. We will continue to monitor and adjust our train and shuttle bus services to minimise inconvenience to commuters.

Mr Giam.

I thank the Acting Minister for the reply. Just two supplementary questions. First, is there any chance that it can be brought forward, so that commuters do not have to be inconvenienced for so long?

Secondly, a 10- to 20-minute delay in a trip translates to about two and a half hours of extra travel time per week for commuters along the Circle Line who go to and from work, and in view of this time loss and the extra distance travelled in fares for alternative routes, has the Ministry considered requiring operators to provide fare rebates or discounts for commuters affected by these service adjustments, as a form of accountability for the inconvenience caused and reimbursement for the extra cost incurred for this, and also for future Mass Rapid Transit rail renewal works?

Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his question. We are trying our best to keep to the project timelines. At the moment, our assessment is that it remains on track, that it is not possible for us to bring the project timelines forward. This is really because the works are complex and we want to ensure that the safety of the workers and the people involved are prioritised. So, we are not rushing the project. We are on time to do so.

On his second question, I think what we have done is to provide alternatives for our commuters as far as we can. There are adjustments that commuters will have to make in terms of their travel routes, but there are alternatives on both the train and the buses, and these are sufficient for us to accommodate the alternative travel plans that commuters need to make, whenever we have to do these works.

Going forward, we will have to do these works across the board, for the network, in a more intensive and widespread fashion, because our train network is ageing. And so, we seek the commuters' support and understanding that this is quite normal. I think no other train system in the world offers travel rebates when doing such maintenance works; and I think it is commonly accepted that this is part of the way we try to do our best to sustain the efficiency, the reliability, as well as the financial sustainability of the public transport system.

10 Ms Cassandra Lee asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) over the past three years, what proportion of fires arose from electrical sources and cooking in homes and commercial premises; (b) how many involved Fire Safety Code breaches or non-compliant batteries; and (c) what plans the Ministry has to strengthen fire safety frameworks and measures and ensure effective enforcement, to reduce fire incidents.

From 2023 to 2025, the proportion of fires attributable to unattended cooking or electrical origin in residential premises was 68%, 65% and 59% respectively. The corresponding figures in commercial premises were 66%, 72% and 67% respectively.

Over the same period, five fires in residential premises and 11 fires in commercial premises involved breaches of the Fire Code. For fires involving batteries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) does not track whether the batteries were compliant with the prevailing regulatory requirements.

The Member may wish to refer to the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA's) response to the Adjournment Motion on "Fire Safety in Our Homes" on 12 January 2026, regarding our approach towards fire safety in homes and tackling fire safety risks in general.

Ms Lee, I will allow a short clarification.

Thank you, Speaker. I just ask because I encountered fire safety issues in my constituency. Batteries will become more prevalent. The Ministry has said in the Budget that you will step up on public education, as well as strengthening the regulations on online sale advertisement of active mobility devices (AMDs). I ask the Ministry what is the Ministry's strategies, viz a viz fires involving compliant batteries. Is the Government considering strengthening regulations like more stringent mandatory battery certification framework, regardless of its application?

Secondly, are there plans to strengthen cross-agency efforts to raise awareness of fire safety in homes and housing estates, including at common corridors?

Mr Speaker, I would like to make a differentiation in response to the Member's questions. When we mention batteries, compliant or non-compliant batteries, I am referring, in my earlier reply, generally to power banks, for example. Those we do not track. And I think the House can appreciate why it is very difficult and perhaps not cost efficient for SCDF to track those cases. It is also sometimes very difficult to ascertain after the fire has taken place whether the particular item is compliant or not.

But if we are talking about AMD batteries, then those are tracked. I think previously we have mentioned that AMD fires account for less than 5% of all fires, but the impact, be in terms of injuries and fatalities, is disproportionately higher, and therefore, it is something that is of concern. I think recently the Ministry of Transport has moved the Bill to that regard.

In terms of cross-agency efforts, I again refer to the Adjournment Motion. I have spoken quite extensively previously in terms of how the Ministry of Home Affairs and SCDF works very closely with all our counterparts, including the People's Association, in terms of community outreach, in terms of working even with schools, for example, as well as Town Councils, in terms of some of the real actions on the ground in terms of enforcement and regulation.

Order. End of Question Time. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Order of the Day.

[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.]

[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [6th Allotted Day]. (proc text)]

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

[(proc text) Head O (Cont) ‒ (proc text)]

[(proc text) Resumption of Debate on Question [4 March 2026] (proc text)]

[(proc text) "That the total sum to be allocated for Head O of the Estimates be reduced by $100." ‒ [Ms Mariam Jaafar]. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Question again proposed.(proc text)]

Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam.

Mr Chairman, my speech covers the Ministry's initiatives to bring care closer to the community, how we are strengthening our environment and ecosystem for healthy living and our efforts to improve our population's health.

As our society ages, improving our population's health and preventive care is critical for longer, healthier lives. We have embedded preventive healthcare into the community through Healthier SG and AgeWell SG to support residents while they are still relatively young and healthy, and as they age.

Mr Alex Yeo and Dr Hamid Razak would be pleased to know that the development of Healthier SG Care Protocols related to frailty and functional health, such as for osteoporosis and dementia are progressing well and would be rolled out in 2028. These care protocols will ensure evidence-based care is provided more consistently through Healthier SG general practitioners (GPs).

Ms Mariam Jaafar also spoke about improving community health, in particular the north region. Our data shows that in the north, the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension is above the national average, and residents engage in less physical activity. While we continue to review reasons for these trends, we are simultaneously stepping up our preventive care efforts in the region.

We will start off with Woodlands Town. First, we will enhance the Community Health Posts (CHPs) in the town. Secondly, we will improve access to specialist-supported care in the community. Thirdly, we will support residents to engage in healthy living activities by opening up community spaces for exercise programmes, introducing digital wayfinding in Healthy 365 and empowering local community health advocates.

As seniors age, visiting polyclinics and hospitals can be difficult due to mobility issues. Many also ignore symptoms that are not yet serious or urgent. Consulting a healthcare professional early can lead to earlier identification of issues, which in turn leads to earlier intervention and better health outcomes. We agree with Dr Haresh Singaraju's view that it is important to connect patients to community resources, and we are enhancing accessibility of health services by bringing care directly into the community.

I am pleased to announce that NHG Health has been progressively enhancing 11 CHPs across Woodlands Town since the start of this year. These enhanced CHPs, which are located within Active Ageing Centres (AACs), will be opened once a week. All residents, including non-seniors, can walk-in to these enhanced CHPs to access services such as: general health advice, basic health assessments and social prescriptions which include linking up residents with community programmes and resources, support for preventive health and disease management; including health coaching, medication review and chronic disease and frailty management programmes, and support for caregivers and post-discharge follow-ups for patients returning home from hospitals.

These services are provided by NHG Health's community health teams comprising community nurses and health coaches, who will bring in pharmacists, dietitians and therapists based on residents' needs. They also work closely with GPs in the region and healthcare professionals in hospitals to provide coordinated care for residents with chronic diseases and frailty. For example, residents with diabetes receive ongoing support at enhanced CHPs through glucose monitoring and personalised health counselling, with the community health teams regularly updating the residents' specialist doctor on their progress and any changes in their condition. This ensures interventions can be made early if needed.

For seniors who are already at the AACs for programmes, they can also consult healthcare staff easily without needing to make a separate visit. We have also noticed that some patients miss specialist appointments due to work schedules or limited mobility. To address this, Woodlands Hospital will launch a new initiative starting end of this month to provide specialist-supported care for patients in the community through the enhanced CHPs in Woodlands and direct teleconsultation with individuals.

Starting with diabetes and asthma, selected patients can choose to receive specialist-supported outpatient care at an enhanced CHP through teleconsultation with the hospital care team. Instead of travelling to Woodlands Hospital for their appointment, they will be able to see a health coach or nurse at the enhanced CHP to manage their condition and will receive support from the specialist doctor through teleconsultation. With regular monitoring of health conditions, nurses are able to pick up early signs of poor control and work with specialist doctors for early treatment and help patients avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.

Woodlands Hospital has also started rolling out teleconsultation for selected patients who have undergone colonoscopy screening with low-risk screening results. Instead of making a trip to Woodlands Hospital, patients can choose to teleconsult their specialist doctor from anywhere, including at the CHP, if they need help. This option will be further expanded to other specialties and procedures in Woodlands Hospital.

With these services, patients will be better supported by the community care teams in their neighbourhood, while requiring fewer visits to Woodlands Hospital. This will help patients access required care in a more flexible way, while working around other commitments. NHG Health estimates this will save about 500 physical specialist outpatient clinic visits. This is expected to increase further as the initiative expands.

Even as we are bringing healthcare services closer to the community for greater accessibility, we agree with Ms Mariam Jaafar that health begins with individual choices and we can design a healthier ecosystem to support individuals to make better personal health choices in different settings.

One key setting is the immediate neighbourhood that residents live in. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) conducted a study and found that residents are more likely to participate in health activities held in everyday surroundings that are accessible, green and fit seamlessly into their busy lives. They also value social experiences that are fun and community driven.

These insights point to the need for a collaborative, ground-up approach with local community partners. They understand both residents' needs and preferences and the community spaces within the neighbourhood. They also play critical roles in facilitating access to neighbourhood facilities and spaces, encouraging participation in activities and building social connections that will make healthy living appealing and sustainable.

Thus, HPB will work with local community partners so that residents will find it easier to access and participate in healthy living activities. From April 2026 onwards, more residents will be able to join workout and exercise sessions in familiar, convenient and spacious locations including community halls, plazas and malls near their homes, such as 888 Plaza and Fu Chun Community Centre.

In tandem with holding more activities in the community, we will help residents explore and make greater use of existing neighbourhood amenities themselves. HPB will enhance the Healthy 365 mobile app with wayfinding and gamification features to connect residents to nearby opportunities to stay healthy and active in their everyday environment. For example, residents may be prompted to complete a brisk walk along park connectors or trails within their neighbourhood and complete digital "check-ins" at designated points. This feature will roll out progressively from June 2026. Residents can continue to receive rewards when they track their participation via the Healthy 365 app.

Beyond the infrastructure, what will be key is the software – the networks and bond of the community. We want residents to look out for one another and encourage relatives, neighbours and friends to participate in healthier lifestyles that will build healthier people and healthier towns.

HPB will support local community stakeholders, who have deep understanding of residents' needs and community resources, to co-design healthy lifestyle programmes. This includes developing a citizen-centric playbook from June 2026 to help partners effectively plan relevant activities for residents.

Through collective ownership, residents will benefit from healthy lifestyle programmes and activities that are tailored to them. We will also jointly monitor progress to continually refine and improve on the initiatives. HPB will explore how to expand successful elements to other towns.

Besides ground-up, community-led initiatives, we are looking at ways to mitigate lifestyle risk factors to improve the health of our people. One example is a cohort smoking ban or tobacco-free generation policy as mentioned by Ms He Ting Ru. This means to restrict the access to all tobacco products for a specific birth cohort onwards.

Through our current multi-pronged approach of policy measures, public education and cessation support, we are making good progress in reducing the prevalence of smoking. Prevalence has declined over the years, to 8.4% in 2024 and even lower in young adults aged 18 to 29 years at about 5%.

We are also continually reviewing our tobacco control policies, including the tobacco-free generation policy which some other countries are exploring. Adopting a cohort smoking ban requires serious consideration. We remain open to the policy and will study its effectiveness, impact and how it may be implemented in Singapore's context.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is focusing our attention on combating the scourge of vaping. Hence, for now, we will continue to monitor international developments and learn from the experiences of other countries in how they implement a cohort smoking ban. Mr Chairman, allow me to say a few words in Malay.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Adopting healthier lifestyles is something that we need to work towards collectively in our community. The National Population Health Survey 2024 showed that our Malay/Muslim community has some areas to improve on. First, health screening. Chronic disease screening among Malays fell nearly 10 percentage points, from 64% in 2019 to 55% in 2024. Breast cancer screening rates went down from 29% in 2019 to just 18% in 2024. When chronic conditions and cancer are not detected early, serious complications may arise, which will require more intensive and costly treatment.

I understand that topics on health, such as screening, can be daunting. Thus, it helps to be able to speak to trusted healthcare workers in a familiar setting to guide us along. For many in our community, the mosque is such a setting that provides this support. I am therefore pleased to announce that the two mosques in Woodlands, An Nur Mosque and Yusof Ishak Mosque, will be partnering with NHG Health to provide CHP services by September 2026. A range of services, from general health advice and basic health assessments, to support for preventive health, disease management and post-discharge follow up will be provided.

We will tailor these services to our community's needs, for example, consultations can be conducted by community nurses and health coaches who are fluent in Malay to help minimise communication barriers, especially for seniors. NHG Health will also seek feedback from asatizahs to include faith-based guidance into health workshops. By bringing healthcare services to familiar settings frequented by our community, and partnering with religious and community leaders, healthcare will become more accessible to our community

To further encourage health screening among our Malay/Muslim community, since May 2025, the HPB has trialed the Jom Check! (Let's Check!) programme. This programme provides individual support in small group settings to help residents enroll in Healthier SG and book health screening appointments. This is done in collaboration with many healthcare partners. So far, 16 sessions have been organised islandwide, reaching more than 300 residents. We have received positive feedback. Thus, HPB will scale up Jom Check! to reach out and benefit more residents.

Small actions, like going for regular health screenings now, can avert bigger problems in future. This is easier to do with Healthier SG, as eligible enrollees can enjoy special subsidies for Healthier SG screening tests. Today, about 57% of eligible residents have enrolled into Healthier SG. This percentage is higher for those aged 60 and above, at approximately 70%. Our community also registered the highest growth in enrolment over the past year. This is very encouraging. For those who have not yet enrolled, I highly encourage you to take that crucial step and enroll today.

A second key issue is obesity. Thirty-two percent, or about one in three people in our community, is obese, a rise of nearly 10 percentage points from 24% in 2020. This is a major concern, as obesity increases our risk for developing multiple chronic conditions. The National Nutrition Survey shows that calorie intake, as well as consumption of sweet foods and drinks, is highest among our community. We also consume a high amount of saturated fat. This could be due to the excessive use of cooking oil. However, I am confident that we can make small, sustainable changes that is in line with our lifestyle and culture. Indeed, in our culture and religion, balance is important. Taking care of our body is a sacred responsibility. Let us reduce our intake of sugar, sodium and saturated fat and eat a healthy, balanced meal.

The Government, together with MUIS, MENDAKI, PA MESRA under M3 and partners from the Jaga Kesihatan, Jaga Ummah network (JKJU), will continue to support efforts to enhance our community's health and well-being. I am heartened when I see our community making steady progress. Through the efforts of Focus Area Five (FA5), more than 90,000 people have participated in various programmes in 2025.

We are now in the holy month of Ramadan which is an ideal time for our community to resolve to lead a healthier lifestyle. We will continue to work with our partners to reach out to the community. Come, let us all take the first step today and enrol in a health programme.

(In English): Mr Chairman, our goal is to ensure that the path to a healthier life is wide enough for everyone to walk on. Through our initiatives, no one has to navigate their health journey alone. By working hand-in-hand with our community partners and residents, we can build a Singapore where healthy living is inclusive, accessible and a lived reality for every one of us.

Minister Ong Ye Kung.

Mr Chairman, three years ago, in April 2023, I informed the House that Singapore would become a super-aged society in 2026 – this year. This is when 21% or more of our population will be 65 and above.

So, if you consider, in June 2025, last year, already 20.7% of our population was 65 and above. And that percentage has been going up by about one percentage point every year. So, we should have crossed 21% by now. So, as I speak, Singapore is a super-aged society. So, welcome to super-aged Singapore.

When was the exact point of transition? Actually, I do not think anybody knows. We can do an estimation. What happened at that exact moment? Nothing dramatic. There was not a Singapore Civil Defence Force siren or anything. It came and went.

Ageing does not arrive with a bang. Neither is it a whimper. It progresses quietly, with a real and profound impact. And at MOH, we feel it very strongly in the hospitals, in the emergency department, in nursing homes, and we are doing our best to manage the workload and care for all our patients.

More importantly, we foresaw this demographic transition years ago and took as many early actions as we can. This includes raising the Goods and Services Tax to strengthen our fiscal position; increasing the retirement and re-employment ages; building many more age-friendly streets and 2-room Flexi and senior apartments; and bolstering financial security for seniors through Silver Support, Central Provident Fund (CPF) LIFE and MediShield Life.

These policies are long in the making. They have helped cushion the impact of this very profound demographic transition.

But arguably, the most complex task to prepare for an older population is to sustain and to transform the healthcare system. These are the two topics I want to talk about today – sustain and transform. Let me first touch on sustaining the healthcare system.

Rising demand for care means the healthcare system must expand its capacity. We will become bigger, which we are doing. At the Opening of this term of Parliament, the MOH Addendum set out the target of adding 2,800 more public acute and community hospital beds between 2025 and 2030. We are on track.

However, meeting rising demand and running a larger system will cost more. And if we do not manage this carefully, rising healthcare spending can strain public finances and household budgets alike. In fact, if we are really extravagant, if we are not careful about it, it will cripple our system.

How do we ensure healthcare remains affordable? I think we need to start at the very top to ensure that the national healthcare bill is under control. Otherwise, it is like the Titanic sinking, and you are pouring water out of the deck. It must be floating.

National healthcare expenditure – that is the hospital bill of the nation. That bill, remember this, is always and ultimately paid by the people, whether through healthcare charges, through taxes, through insurance premiums, through medical security contributions. Ultimately, it is always paid by the people.

So, a government can claim that "we provide cheap or even free healthcare". It is actually not very true. The truth is healthcare is never really free, even if patients do not pay anything at the point of delivery. They will just pay in some other ways. A sick nation that consumes healthcare indiscriminately will incur a large and wasteful bill and it will be very costly to the population, to the households, to the patients, to the people.

With your permission, Mr Chairman, may I display a couple of slides on the screens, please?

Go ahead. [Slides were displayed for hon Members. Please refer to Annex 1.]

Thank you. This is a scatter chart of different countries and you can see Singapore is an outlier, in the bottom right corner. Let me interpret this chart. The vertical axis measures how much the population spends on healthcare. Developed economies, shown by the different dots on screen, typically spend around 9% to 12% of gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare, with the United States (US) – outlier in the other direction – spending 17%. Singapore spends below 5%.

The horizontal axis is average lifespan. This is an internationally accepted and generic measure of health outcomes. And Singapore has one of the highest lifespans in the world. But of course, beyond lifespan, there are many other measures of health outcomes and across all these measures, Singapore is comparable to or even better than many developed economies.

So, how did we become an outlier like this? I think it has a lot to do with our S+3M healthcare financing system that Members are familiar with. And MediSave is the linchpin of that system.

Singaporeans and our employers set aside part of our monthly income into MediSave. The Government also provides top-ups from time to time for various segments of the population, and we did that again this Budget. And we then use MediSave to co-pay directly for a small part of the cost of healthcare. So, even for a modest co-payment, it goes a long way to instil discipline and reduce unnecessary consumption on both the supply as well as the demand sides.

We do not have to look very far to imagine what happens when that discipline is eroded. You just look at private healthcare in Singapore. The discipline of co-payment was weakened because of overly generous insurance, including the IP riders. As a result, private hospital bill sizes have been rising rapidly, and private insurance premiums have been escalating very quickly. Once that genie is out of the bottle, it is difficult to put it back. But it will not stop us from trying. We will try.

In our S+3M system, multiple payers pull their weight to pay for this national healthcare bill. Apart from co-payment, we have insurance schemes like MediShield Life. It plays a sizeable role. A big part of it is also paid by charity dollars. We thank all the donors and philanthropic organisations.

But the biggest proportion, about half. of the national healthcare bill is paid through tax revenues, redistributed as Government healthcare subsidies. The Government health budget today is about 2.7% of GDP this year, and it is expected to rise to about 3.5% of GDP by 2030. This 0.8 percentage point increase is actually very significant. It means increasing the Government's health budget from about $22.5 billion this year to about $30 billion in 2030.

And beyond 2030, the Government's health budget will likely continue to grow. We must ensure that the increase can be supported by economic growth and by rising tax revenues. And at the same time, we must continue to maintain that discipline and avoid unsustainable levels of healthcare spending that we see elsewhere.

The next topic I want to talk about is transforming the healthcare system. A healthcare system for a young population is very different from one for an older population, for a super-aged society.

For a young person, sickness tends to be episodic. You are admitted to hospital, you get treatment, you get discharged and then you recover. Good health is the default. On the other hand, an older person's care journey is complicated and continuous. When well, they need preventive care; when sick, they need coordinated care because they tend to have multiple conditions; post discharge, they need rehabilitative care and follow-up care in the community. Good health is not a default; it is a continuous quest for an old person.

So, from episodic hospital care, we now need continuous multi-disciplinary care across settings. This shift is reflected in how we have allocated healthcare funding over time. Let me show another chart on screen. [Please refer to Annex 2.]

The chart on the left, the height of the chart is our Government healthcare budget in 2021. The right bar is 2024. Members can see that, overall, budget has increased by 1.5 times. But I want to draw Members' attention to the composition.

At the start of this decade, 2021, around three-quarters of our operational funding for the healthcare sector went towards acute hospital care – that is the white portion of the bar. The remaining one-quarter was spent on aged care and population health, including preventive and primary care.

Today, we move to the right, 2024. The budget is 1.5 times that of 2021, but the share of acute hospital care has fallen, from three-quarters to almost two-thirds – the remaining one-third going to aged care and population health.

Specifically, the share of funding for aged care rose from 11% to 13% – that is the green portion – between 2021 and 2024. Over the same period, the share for population health grew from 14% to 19%. These shifts are driven largely by our national programmes, Healthier SG and Age Well SG.

Looking ahead, how would this chart go? I think, almost certainly, the share of spending on aged care will grow further, because we need more nursing homes, senior care centres, rehabilitation services and hospice care. As for population health, we do our best to maintain this share at around 19%. With total spending rising, maintaining the share alone requires a strong commitment to continue to invest in population health.

Mr Chairman, today, my MOH colleagues and I will be speaking on further steps to transform healthcare and get ready for the future. Senior Minister of State Koh will speak about manpower. It is a key agenda, including how we will significantly shorten the time to train clinical psychologists. We are taking seven to eight years currently; we will reduce it to about five years. Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How will speak about anchoring care in the community through technology.

And Members heard Minister of State Rahayu speaking about population health and preventive care, including what we are doing in the north, where prevalence of chronic diseases is higher. There was a question by Ms Mariam Jaafar, she missed that part of the speech.

I should emphasise – this is in case she asks many clarifications later – preventive care and population health remain the overarching strategic thrust of what we are doing, anchored by Healthier SG and Age Well SG. I thank Ms Mariam Jaafar and Dr Haresh Singaraju for speaking about this. This is at the core of healthcare transformation and MOH agrees with many of the points they have raised.

I will now speak about three new initiatives to support healthcare transformation.

The first common topic this whole Committee of Supply (COS) and Budget debate – AI, once again. Ms Mariam Jaafar and Dr Choo Pei Ling spoke about how AI can strengthen healthcare delivery and we agree.

When it comes to AI in healthcare, we are guided by two principles.

One, care should be AI-enhanced, not AI-decided. Clinicians remain in the loop and healthcare remains a profoundly human endeavour.

Two, we take a practical, use case approach. AI should not be a hammer looking for a nail, a solution looking for a problem. We deploy AI where we know it will improve patient outcomes or the delivery of care, and where it can do so cost-effectively.

One such use case is in health screening. Around the world, many AI models have been trained to predict if a well person is likely to develop severe diseases in the near future. If we use it appropriately and responsibly, such tools are very useful. It helps the clinicians intervene earlier; it can delay or even prevent the onset of serious diseases.

MOH has developed such a model for our local context using anonymised patient data. With this model, by reviewing an individual's current health status, it can identify if he/she has a high risk – high risk defined by 75% or above – of developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes or high cholesterol, within the next three years.

We chose diabetes and high cholesterol because they are the key drivers of strokes and heart attacks, which affect 60 Singaporeans every day – every day, 60 Singaporeans either have a heart attack or a stroke. Many of these cases can be prevented if early actions were taken, such as through lifestyle adjustments and medication.

This AI risk assessment tool will be rolled out to doctors for all Healthier SG enrolees from early 2027. If the tool flags a patient as high risk, the doctor may recommend more significant lifestyle adjustments and instead of three-yearly check-ups, maybe annual check-ups. These additional screenings will continue to be subsidised under Healthier SG.

The second initiative, I think is an exciting and significant one, and a breakthrough, which is to use genomics to strengthen preventive care. Dr Hamid Razak asked about this.

We are born with our genes. They shape our biological blueprint and indeed, many diseases are linked to our genetic characteristics. But we need not be fatalistic about it. Genes are not our destiny. How we live, how we manage risk matters a lot.

So, we do not go fumbling through our genetic blueprint, hunting for blemishes and possible mutations that we know little about. It will create a lot of anxiety in all of us, and we will become a nation of hypochondriacs!

So, instead of shooting in the dark, we should focus on the parts of the blueprints that are illuminated by science.

This means taking a disease-specific approach, identifying genetic characteristics that we know drive certain diseases and for which we know there are established preventive interventions and treatment pathways.

This is what we did for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). We did that last year. FH is a genetic condition that increases the risk of heart attacks even amongst young people.

The FH genetic testing programme offers subsidised genetic testing for individuals with abnormally high cholesterol levels. And if they are tested positive, we will offer the same test to their immediate family members. This is what we call cascade testing. By doing so, we try to identify as many individuals as we can in Singapore with the FH genetic mutation. And then, we take steps to reduce their risk of future heart attacks and strokes.

We will now move on to our next genetic condition, which is hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC).

In Singapore, it is estimated that one in 150 individuals carry a gene mutation, such as the BRCA1 or 2, that are associated with HBOC. Such mutations substantially increase a woman's lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

From December this year, we will offer subsidised genetic testing to at risk individuals for HBOC, such as individuals with a family history of HBOC. They will undergo genetic counselling before and after the test. And if they test positive, we will also offer the test to their immediate family members – cascade testing.

We expect over 2,000 individuals to be eligible for the test annually.

We will make the test affordable. In addition to subsidies, the cost of the test can also be offset using MediSave.

For those found to have the mutation, they will be offered suitable preventive interventions. Typically, this means more frequent breast MRIs or mammograms or oral medication.

Patients will ultimately decide, in consultation with their doctors, which intervention is appropriate. A minority may opt for surgical interventions. Members may recall celebrity actress, Angelina Jolie, after she discovered she had the BRCA1 gene mutation, she underwent a double preventive mastectomy.

I came across women in Singapore who chose to undergo preventive mastectomy to reduce their risk of breast cancer, such as Ms Gwendalyn Too, and these women have demonstrated great courage.

Unfortunately, they lament that they cannot claim insurance for such surgeries, because MediShield Life generally does not cover prevention. And it is designed to be so for a good reason. It is to keep coverage focused and premiums affordable. Then private insurance takes dressing from MediShield Life.

Dr Hamid Razak and Ms Sylvia Lim asked about this. In fact, Ms Stefanie Thio – she is the founder of the non-profit organisation SG Her Empowerment (SHE) – has raised this issue with me several times.

I share the concerns.

With advances in medical science, the boundary between preventive and curative care is increasingly blurred. If a high-risk individual is unable to undergo preventive mastectomy, she has a high chance of eventually needing cancer treatments, including a curative mastectomy to remove cancerous cells in her breast or cancerous tissue in her breast.

There is, hence, a case for MediShield Life to be judiciously extended to cover certain selected preventive surgeries. We are prepared to do so when there is a clear clinical need, minimal risk of abuse, the procedure is suitable for risk-pooling, through insurance, and it does not financially burden the MediShield Life scheme.

Risk-reducing mastectomies for breast cancer prevention, and the removal of both fallopian tubes and ovaries for ovarian cancer prevention, fall within these criteria.

We will therefore extend MediShield Life and MediSave to cover preventive surgeries for HBOC later this year. I should add that breast reconstruction is also covered, no different from today. This will better support women to harness genomics to better take care of their health.

I think this is a meaningful policy change ahead of International Women's Day on 8 March. [Applause.]

The third initiative is to inject more flexibility in the use of MediSave to encourage early intervention and reduce downstream complications.

Assoc Prof James Lim was right to describe medical expenses as lumpy. Indeed, it is very well documented that hospital expenses escalate almost like a vertical wall towards the end of life. And so, even after accounting for inflation, the average Singaporean living up to their mid-80s spends almost four times as much on hospital expenses in the last 10 years of their life compared to the previous 10 years.

But that explains the existing design of the MediSave withdrawal system, and why the system is designed like that, why the scheme is designed like that. It has higher limits for more complex treatments and longer hospital stays, and you can draw on it as and when you need it. This meets the original objective of MediSave, which is to co-pay for major in-patient episodes, whether they happen unexpectedly or in old age.

With this design, after subsidies, MediShield Life and MediSave, nine in 10 Singaporeans pay less than $500 out-of-pocket for their subsidised in-patient bills.

However, it is human nature to worry about present medical expenses rather than lumpy potential, unexpected or future hospital bills.

Hence, as a relief valve, we have schemes, like Flexi-MediSave and MediSave500/700, to provide flexibility for chronic disease management for scans, for dentist visits, and so forth, without overly diluting MediSave's original objective of catering for these big lumpy hospital bills in old age or during emergencies.

But the situation has changed since MediSave was implemented in 1984. At that time, people in Singapore lived to about 73 on average. Today, we live to 85 and beyond.

On one hand, it continues to be important to preserve MediSave for big hospital bills. On the other hand, as people live longer, the need to spend on preventive care and chronic disease management also go up.

Hence, I can appreciate the repeated and various calls by Members to allow MediSave to be used more flexibly, to cover more chronic diseases, or as Mr Pritam Singh suggested, to pay for higher private insurance premiums.

But I also hold the realistic view that no matter how frequently MOH reviews the MediSave scheme, how much we liberalise and expand its usage, the public and Members of the House will continue to press me and MOH to liberalise the scheme every year during the COS and probably, outside of the COS.

It is the karma of the scheme – because it is designed to be the linchpin of the healthcare financing system. It must always navigate between present and future healthcare needs, between recurring disease management and the major hospitalisation episodes.

Trade-offs are inherent in the MediSave scheme. It is zero sum. Using more balances for recurrent medical expenses means having less in the future when we are hospitalised and vice versa. And when the tension becomes too severe, we will have to consider raising contribution rates so that you have a bigger pot to spend.

The tension is therefore deliberate and a design feature. It is a balance we must constantly and carefully manage, to ensure the system of co-payment is held together while ensuring affordability and keeping CPF contribution rates reasonable for everybody.

Hence, we continue to have ongoing, regular reviews to study where we can expand the use of MediSave and provide more flexible withdrawals. For example, we recently increased the Flexi-MediSave limit for seniors, and we doubled the annual limit for diagnostic scans.

This time, we will make further changes to the MediSave500/700 scheme. This scheme helps patients pay for their recurring costs of managing conditions on the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP). Mr Cai Yinzhou and Mr Gerald Giam asked about this.

Today, individuals with a simple chronic condition can use up to $500 a year, while those with complex chronic conditions can withdraw up to $700 per year.

To provide more support for preventive and chronic care in the community, we will raise MediSave limits from $500/$700 to $700/$1,000. This will benefit over 910,000 patients who currently tap on the scheme, roughly 20% of whom have annual bills exceeding the withdrawal limits.

We will also expand the list of conditions covered under the CDMP to include hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. In addition, we are studying whether we can include other chronic conditions, such as eczema, in the CDMP.

With the above enhancements, we will rename "MediSave500/700". It is actually a cumbersome name. Every time you change the limit, you change the name. We will rename it to "MediSave Chronic and Preventive Care Scheme", to reflect its scope of coverage. The changes will be effective January 2027.