Hansard, Tuesday, 7 April 2026

1 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the recent magnitude and speed of adjustments in diesel and petrol prices are in line with refined wholesale prices; and (b) whether the Government is considering temporary or permanent diesel and petrol pump price adjustment mechanisms to mitigate the impact of pump prices on consumers and businesses.

2 Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the Government's projections on electricity price increases over the next six to 12 months in light of rising global oil and gas prices; and (b) what measures are in place to shield households from sudden spikes in electricity prices.

3 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry given Australia's 2025 review of the Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct Act found retailers systematically raise prices faster than they lower them, and recommended symmetrical cost-pass-through obligations requiring retailers to both pass on cost decreases and justify price increases against underlying costs, whether the Government will adopt similar safeguards to protect energy consumers during and after the Strait of Hormuz disruption.

4 Ms Diana Pang Li Yen asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what factors explain differences in effective petrol prices across retailers after discounts and promotions amid recent global oil price volatility and regional supply disruptions; and (b) whether the Ministry will review whether existing measures on petrol price transparency and current market conditions are sufficient to support fair competition and allow consumers to make informed choices.

5 Mr Foo Cexiang asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Government has observed significant impact to sectors other than oil and gas due to the Middle East situation; and (b) what are the support measures to be implemented in order to mitigate adverse impact and assist businesses facing price and supply challenges.

6 Mr Foo Cexiang asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) is actively monitoring the price increases by petrol companies; and (b) how will the CCCS ensure that the Middle East situation is not used as a convenient excuse for anti-competitive behaviour amongst petrol companies.

7 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how does the Government assess whether global trade disruptions are temporary or indicative of longer-term shifts; (b) what factors inform such assessments; and (c) how do these assessments shape adjustments to Singapore’s economic strategy.

8 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in light of damage to key liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Qatar (a) what is the estimated impact on household expenditure in Singapore over the next three years; (b) what measures will the Government roll out to help businesses and households manage price shocks; and (c) what thresholds will necessitate fiscal intervention.

9 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry what is the scope of the Government’s contingency plans in the event of a disruption in energy supplies or a prolonged period of high energy prices.

10 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether a severe shortage of fuel supply for electricity generation will trigger a declaration of a High-Risk Operating State under the Singapore Electricity Market Rules; (b) how many months can current national fuel reserves sustain electricity generation if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed; and (c) under what conditions will the Standby LNG Facility reserves be released to power generation companies.

11 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry given Singapore’s reliance on global energy markets (a) what is our quantified exposure to prolonged Strait of Hormuz disruption; (b) what is the projected pass-through of rising oil prices into household costs over the next six to 12 months; and (c) beyond energy, what critical imports such as food, logistics, aviation are most at risk, and what diversification strategies are in place.

12 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in light of rising global energy prices and resulting increases in fuel, utilities and logistics costs (a) what is the Government’s assessment of how such costs are passed through to businesses and consumers; (b) whether price adjustments are justified and proportionate; and (c) what measures are in place to ensure fair and timely pass-through of cost reductions and prevent unjustified price increases.

13 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in light of ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the disruption to global crude oil and feedstock flows (a) what is the Government’s assessment of the impact on supply into Singapore’s refineries; and (b) how will this affect refinery utilisation rates, downstream output including fuels and petrochemicals, and Singapore’s overall position as a refining and trading hub.

14 Mr Lee Hong Chuang asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in light of the current economic climate, how can the Government ensure that energy support measures like subsidies or grants are precisely targeted to help to most vulnerable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) without creating market distortions or giving unfair competitive advantages across sectors.

15 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in light of disruptions arising from the conflict involving Iran (a) whether the Government has reassessed the balance between efficiency and resilience in Singapore’s energy and supply chain strategy; and (b) if so, how is the reassessment being operationalised across industries.

16 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how the Government is monitoring food price movements in response to the Middle East conflict; and (b) whether more frequent reporting on such movements will be shared publicly to help consumers understand price changes and prepare earlier accordingly.

17 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the Government's assessment of the impact of the USA, Israel and Iran war on Singapore's energy supply and costs for the next 12 months; and (b) what is the Government's strategy to mitigate the risks and impact of supply disruption and sharp rises in prices.

18 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether damages to Qatar’s Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities have material impacts on Singapore’s short and medium term LNG supply; (b) whether alternative sources and procurement arrangements are sufficient to offset any shortfall; and (c) whether the declarations of force majeure arising from these disruptions will have significant impacts on Singapore’s downstream industries, including electricity generation and industrial users.

19 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry weather the current energy supply shocks arising from conflicts in the Middle East are expected to accelerate Singapore’s efforts to diversify its energy mix, including increased investments in alternative energy sources such as nuclear energy.

20 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the current Middle East conflict has highlighted risks to Singapore from supply fragmentation and energy nationalism, including export restrictions by producer countries; and (b) how Singapore is strengthening its long-term energy security strategy in response.

21 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry whether the Government can provide a holistic assessment of the macroeconomic impact of the Middle East conflict thus far on Singapore, including (i) inflation pass-through (ii) growth risks (iii) household cost pressures and (iv) policy responses, under both baseline and adverse energy shock scenarios.

22 Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in light of recent impact of the Middle East conflict on global energy supply (a) what national-level measures are in place or being considered to encourage energy conservation; and (b) what immediate interim support or adjustments can households, workers and businesses expect at this time.

23 Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the status of Singapore's helium supplies following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz; and (b) whether the Government has contingency plans to help the semiconductor industry access sufficient helium supplies for production.

24 Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Government will consider further regulating petrol station operators to ensure that changes in petrol prices, especially increases, are linked to actual market conditions; and (b) if not, why not.

25 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the escalating conflicts in the Middle East (a) what is the potential impact of the disruptions in supply chains on Singapore; and (b) what are the mitigating measures to maintain stability in our prices and access to supplies.

26 Dr Charlene Chen asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry given the possibility of a prolonged Middle East conflict (a) what is the Ministry’s latest assessment of the risks to Singapore’s long-term economic stability and job security in trade-dependent sectors; and (b) what specific progress has been made in diversifying energy imports and boosting the national stockpile to buffer against protracted supply chain disruptions.

27 Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the Government’s assessment of the impact of the Iran war on the (i) rising price of oil and (ii) cost of business, especially energy businesses; and (b) whether there are measures the Government will be taking to address these concerns.

28 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how has the Middle East conflict impacted Singapore’s trade volume and GDP growth forecasts for 2026; and (b) what specific measures are being implemented to support local businesses, particularly SMEs, facing the consequences of the disruption of energy supplies and global trade routes.

29 Dr Charlene Chen asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the Middle East conflict (a) how is the Ministry monitoring the impact of fuel price volatility on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with high transport and energy costs; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider targeted temporary support, including energy grants or enhancements to the Energy Efficiency Grant (EEG), to help businesses manage cost spikes and mitigate downstream impact on consumers.

30 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the Ministry’s assessment of Singapore’s ability to withstand current oil price shocks arising from the Middle East conflict; and (b) how the Government will support households and businesses facing cost-of-living pressures arising from the conflict in the short, medium and longer term.

31 Ms Elysa Chen asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in light of recent disruptions to global liquefied natural gas supply chains arising from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East (a) whether the Government can assure Singaporeans that backup plans are in place to maintain energy security; and (b) whether households and businesses should expect any increase in energy prices in the coming months.

32 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what proportion of Singapore’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports currently transit through the Strait of Hormuz; (b) how many days of national consumption can our existing oil and LNG stockpiles sustain; and (c) what contingency plans are in place to mitigate prolonged Middle East supply disruptions.

33 Assoc Prof Terence Ho asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the risks of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East affecting oil prices, whether the Ministry plans to review (i) its targets for renewable energy and (ii) its approach or timeframe for the deployment of other alternative energy sources including nuclear power.

34 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry what lessons can be drawn from the current oil crisis to inform Singapore’s long-term energy-security strategy.

35 Mr Lee Hong Chuang asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the current conflict in Iran affecting energy prices (a) what is the outlook and strategy for ensuring Singapore’s energy security; and (b) what intervention measures will the Ministry be prepared to take if oil prices continue to spiral as a result of a prolonged conflict.

36 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the Government’s assessment of how rising fuel prices are affecting SMEs and Singaporeans who depend on their vehicles for daily income, including private hire drivers and delivery riders; (b) what support is available to these segments; and (c) what safeguards are in place to ensure that fuel price increases do not disproportionately burden consumers through excessive pass-through.

37 Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry whether there are plans to accelerate (i) the review of applications for or (ii) expand the scope of the Energy Efficiency Grant, to help businesses navigate recent volatility in energy costs and ensure energy stability.

38 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Ministry will ensure that increases in global oil and gas prices do not disproportionately impact domestic electricity tariffs; (b) if so, what are its plans; and (c) what mechanisms are in place to moderate cost pass-through to consumers, if any.

39 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry what are the Ministry’s plans to ensure that industries disproportionately affected by rising energy costs receive targeted and timely support, if any.

40 Ms Lee Hui Ying asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in view of rising energy prices, whether the Government will consider (a) lowering the fuel excise duty; and (b) introducing interim measures to help households and businesses cope with the impact of current rising fuel costs.

41 Ms Poh Li San asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the increase in petrol and diesel prices due to the Middle East conflict, whether the Government will consider support measures for local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are heavy users of petrol and diesel, especially those in the construction and transportation sectors.

42 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry given elevated oil prices and a potential for significant increases in electricity prices, whether the Ministry is making plans to help (i) small and medium enterprises to cope with the sudden shock and (ii) consumers, especially those who have to rely on fuel and electricity to make a living.

43 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in view of the conflicts in the Middle East and disruptions to global trade routes (a) what is the potential impact on Singapore's cost of living, especially for the lower-income groups; and (b) whether support measures will be considered.

44 Mr Alex Yam asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in light of rising oil prices arising from the conflict in the Middle East and the possible knock-on effects on inflation and business costs (a) what measures are in place to cushion the impact on households and businesses; and (b) whether the Government is prepared to provide further targeted assistance should prices rise significantly.

45 Dr Hamid Razak asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Ministry has assessed the impact of current fuel excise duties on consumers amid recent global fuel price increases; (b) whether temporary adjustments to fuel duties have been considered as a stabilisation measure; and (c) if so, what criteria or thresholds would guide such a policy review.

46 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance given rising fuel prices and their knock-on effects on food, transport and utilities (a) how does the Government assess the adequacy of existing support measures for middle- and lower-income households; and (b) whether additional targeted assistance will be considered if inflationary pressures persist.

47 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government has assessed how external shocks such as the conflict involving Iran might propagate through the economy in uneven ways across sectors and income groups; and (b) how support measures, if any, will be adapted to these differentiated impacts.

48 Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what is the Government’s assessment of the impact of the Iran war and the worsening geopolitical environment on (i) businesses (ii) livelihoods and (iii) overall rising costs of living; and (b) whether there are measures the Government will be taking to address these concerns.

49 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in view of the recent escalation in oil prices and the potential downstream impact on food prices (a) whether the Government is prepared to bring forward U-Save rebate benefits and CDC vouchers meant for the later part of this year and January 2027; and (b) what additional measures can the Government provide to mitigate the impact of any sudden spike in inflation.

50 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what has been the increase in electricity prices to households charged by electricity retailers over the past month; and (b) in view of expected increases in electricity tariffs, whether the Government is considering increasing household support measures to mitigate the impact of higher utilities costs in Singapore.

51 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Ministry will consider a temporary reduction in fuel excise duties to alleviate the impact of the current energy price surge on the net earnings of transport-dependent businesses and individuals; and (b) what specific measures are being implemented to assist such businesses and individuals.

52 Mr Ng Chee Meng asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance given the rising fuel prices and expected increases in electricity prices in Singapore (a) whether the current U-Save rebates are likely to remain adequate to offset HDB households’ utilities expenses and cushion the impact on middle- and lower-income households; and (b) whether the Government will consider providing some support to taxi, private hire car drivers and delivery platform riders.

53 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment how Singapore is strengthening its position as a resilient global hub amid ongoing geopolitical instability and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, including in areas such as supply chain reliability, food security innovation and energy transition.

54 Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in view of the Iran war potentially affecting food production in certain parts of the world, will SFA be stepping up its stockpiling and adjusting its food import diversification strategy in case of a prolonged conflict and longer-term impact on global food supplies and food prices.

55 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether Singapore's strategic food reserves meet the Government's adequacy targets; (b) given that nearly half of globally traded urea and sulphur transit the Strait of Hormuz, whether the Ministry has assessed the impact on Singapore's food import prices; and (c) what measures have been taken since the closure on 2 March 2026 to buffer possible future food price increases.

56 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in light of recent global developments affecting food supply chains (a) what mechanisms are in place to stabilise or moderate the impact on food prices for consumers if disruptions occur across multiple import sources simultaneously; (b) whether the Ministry has tested its contingency plans to address such disruptions under simulated conditions; and (c) if so, what are the findings from such tests.

57 Ms Lee Hui Ying asked the Acting Minister for Transport in light of recent fare adjustments by Grab and ComfortDelGro (a) whether the Ministry was consulted prior to the implementation; and (b) what regulatory oversights and concrete safeguards are in place to prevent private hire and taxi operators from passing down the burden of rising fuel costs to commuters.

58 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Acting Minister for Transport in light of recent global energy price volatility (a) what is the estimated impact of higher petrol and diesel prices on the monthly operating costs of private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers, taxi drivers and delivery riders; and (b) whether there are contingency measures to provide targeted relief should prices remain elevated.

59 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Acting Minister for Transport in view of high energy prices arising from the latest conflict in the Middle East, whether the Ministry will announce (i) road tax rebates for motorcycles, private hire vehicles, taxis and commercial vehicles and (ii) petrol duty rebates for private hire and taxi drivers.

60 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) what is the Ministry's assessment of the prolonged Middle East conflict’s impact on (i) Singapore’s sea and air freight reliability and (ii) our transport hubs; and (b) what specific measures are being taken to help affected Singapore-flagged vessels, Singapore carriers and shipping companies including mitigating surging transportation and other associated costs.

61 Mr Foo Cexiang asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether Singapore has been engaging with other countries, especially ASEAN nations, to foster closer cohesion and forge stability in the face of the ongoing global conflicts.

62 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Government assesses that global inflation dynamics have shifted from a cyclical to a more structurally volatile regime, in light of repeated geopolitical shocks; and (b) if so, what is the Government's plan to ensure that its policy adapts beyond short-term stabilisation.

Mr Speaker, as I will be delivering a Ministerial Statement together with my colleagues later on, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 1 to 62 in my Ministerial Statement.

Yes, you may.

Thank you, Sir.

63 Mr David Hoe asked the Minister for National Development (a) aside from demand, potential disamenities, fire safety, exit capacity and structural loading, what other constraints may limit the conversion of unde-rutilised HDB multi-storey car park (MSCP) spaces for community uses; and (b) whether such constraints apply to the MSCP at Clementi Peaks.

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) periodically receives requests to repurpose multi-storey car parks (MSCPs) for alternative uses. This matter was also raised by the Member for Sengkang Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, during the Committee of Supply (COS) 2026 debate for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth last month.

As MSCPs are built for vehicle parking, HDB would need to carefully evaluate proposals to repurpose these MSCPs. They have to bear in mind considerations, such as residents' needs and safety. The assessment also includes the factors cited by Mr David Hoe, such as having enough lots to meet the demand for parking over time, potential disamenities to residents and technical considerations including fire safety requirements, exit capacity and structural loading.

Revenue considerations, including opportunity costs from forgone income that Assoc Prof Jamus Lim mentioned at the COS debate last month, are not a factor in HDB's assessment. It is important for me to clarify this point, so that members of the public have the correct set of facts and do not form the wrong impression based on what Assoc Prof Lim said.

In the case of Clementi Peaks, the project was completed less than four years ago in July 2022. Parking needs have not yet fully stabilised and it is too early to consider converting the parking spaces to other uses at this juncture.

Mr David Hoe.

Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Senior Minister of State for her response. I would like to seek clarification on how the Ministry assesses what it means when parking needs have been stabilised? What criteria or benchmark are we looking at? And how did we arrive at these criteria and benchmark?

Secondly, I would like to ask also, as a Member of Parliament to Clementi Division, at Block 463 MSCP, on my numerous visits to this carpark, I have noticed that it has been severely under-utilised to a point that there are no cars on Level 7. And oftentimes, I see that residents are doing their jogs, children are cycling, parents are teaching their children how to cycle. I understand that in the current situation, current circumstance, that it is not ready to be repurposed. I would like to seek the Senior Minister of State on what alternatives can I then give to my residents? Because when they look at me, they are just asking for space and we do have space at Level 7 of the MSCP, but it is severely under-utilised with no cars at Level 7 on occasional visits.

On Mr Hoe's first question, parking demand can change and evolve over time, especially in a new estate. You could have changes in household sizes and with that, changing in parking needs. That is why it can take quite a number of years before parking demand in a new estate stabilises. That is the case for Clementi Peaks, which I mentioned was completed less than four years ago.

So, HDB does not recommend conversion of parking spaces into alternative uses during the early years of developments, because with premature conversion where the parking spaces are removed permanently, this could lead to parking shortages in the later years should the parking demand grow.

On Mr Hoe's second question, our HDB estates are designed with playgrounds, with community spaces, with open lawns. And residents can use these places for leisure. For under-utilised space in MSCPs, these are incidental spaces, and they are not designed and intended for community activities and gatherings. But where the opportunity arises, HDB can consider repurposing suitable carparks into alternative uses, subject to meeting the parking needs of residents, which I mentioned earlier, as well as technical feasibility.

Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.

I thank the Senior Minister of State for her clarification on how revenue considerations are not critical. I am very gratified to hear this. And yet, in my experience, HDB has seemed very reticent to appeals for change of use. Perhaps the Senior Minister of State could clarify a clear set of criteria for appeals of change of use that HDB takes into consideration, that Town Councils can submit to ensure that such requests will be taken into account seriously.

I thank Assoc Prof Lim for raising the questions. Could I first ask the basis for the statement that the Member made on 5 March, last month? Because, and I quote, the Member had mentioned that, "One objection is that there is an opportunity cost to foregone income, since such lots could generate potential revenue and this has sometimes been MND's response to requests for converting car park spaces to other uses, such as community gardens".

Could I first clarify if there was correspondence with the Ministry of National Development (MND) that suggests that this is why the Member thinks that the MND is not allowing the conversion of the MSCPs?

Thank you for the request. This was conveyed to me by Town Council staff. If I was mistaken in this statement, I will retract that request. But nevertheless, I think the general spirit of my question remains, which is that in prior requests that the Town Council has made requesting a change of use, MND has cited various reasons for not permitting this change of use. And hence, my request for asking for a clear set of criteria.

Thank you, Assoc Prof Lim. The Member might want to check with his Town Council staff, because I have a copy of correspondence between the Member as well as the HDB staff. The Town Council staff might have been copied. This was in relation to a request that the Member made in 2021. The HDB staff, and I quote the email that was sent back to the Member, it says, "We refer to your request to install playgrounds and cloud kitchens on multi-storey car parks in Sengkang". The email then goes on to say, "HDB provides residential car parks primarily to meet the parking needs of HDB residents". Then, it goes on to say that "HDB does look into requests for conversion of car park lots into alternative non-parking uses at suitable sites, if the carparks are assessed to be sufficient to meet parking needs after the conversion of the lots. In addition, as MSCPs are not designed upfront to support non-parking facilities in terms of their structural loading, we also have to assess if it is technically feasible to support other non-parking uses. Aside from this, there are other considerations, such as regulatory requirements, fire and safety, building safety standards, for instance, suitability of location and potential disamenities to residents that the non-parking uses may create".

So, I think by citing these four reasons and considerations in the email between HDB and the Member, I think it quite amply explains what are the considerations that HDB has, and in the Member's proposal to repurpose those MSCPs for community use, if the Member is able to address the considerations that HDB has, I think we would be happy to facilitate those requests.

64 Mr Alex Yam asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in light of the US launching a Section 301 investigation into excess industrial capacity that includes Singapore on the grounds of global semiconductor capacity despite Singapore running a trade deficit with the US (a) what is the Government’s assessment of the basis for Singapore’s inclusion; (b) whether Singapore sectors may face tariffs; and (c) what engagements are underway to safeguard Singapore’s trade interests.

65 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what assessment has the Government made of the potential economic impact on Singapore arising from the US Section 301 investigation into alleged excess industrial capacity among several economies including Singapore; and (b) whether this could affect key export sectors such as electronics, semiconductors and precision engineering.

66 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry following the US Section 301 investigation into Singapore’s semiconductor capacity (a) how is the Ministry addressing US concerns and highlighting Singapore’s bilateral trade deficit with the US; and (b) what strategies are being deployed to diversify Singapore’s trade relations and mitigate the economic impact of potential US punitive tariffs.

67 Mr Mark Lee asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in light of the expanding Section 301 investigations by the US into forced labour risks across global supply chains (a) how does the Government assess potential implications for Singapore-based companies and our foreign workforce framework; (b) whether domestic sectors reliant on migrant workers may face increased scrutiny; and (c) what guidance will be provided to local companies for compliance and supply-chain due diligence.

68 Mr Mark Lee asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in light of the US initiating Section 301 investigations into structural excess industrial capacity in manufacturing sectors across several economies including Singapore (a) what is the Government’s assessment of potential implications for Singapore’s trade-oriented industries; (b) which sectors may face heightened scrutiny or trade risks; and (c) what guidance will be provided to help businesses prepare for possible actions arising from such investigations.

69 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in consultations with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to correct the significant discrepancy between the reported US$27 billion bilateral trade surplus in the USTR Federal Register Notice and the US$27 billion deficit recorded by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer oral Question Nos 64 to 69 and written Question Nos 67 and 68 in today's Order Paper, and the oral question filed by hon Member Mr Victor Lye for the 8 April Sitting, as they all relate to the United States' (US') Section 301 investigations?

Please proceed.

On 11 and 12 March 2026, the Office of the US Trade Representative initiated two investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The first investigation involves 16 economies for structural excess capacity and production in certain manufacturing sectors, while the second investigation involves 60 economies for not adopting or effectively enforcing a ban on the importation of goods produced wholly or in part with forced labour. Singapore and all the other 15 economies involved in the first investigation are subject to both investigations.

The US Trade Representative's Federal Register Notice on the investigation into structural excess capacity had highlighted that Singapore enjoyed a bilateral trade surplus with the US in both goods and services amounting to US$27 billion in 2024. The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has clarified that it was the US which ran a trade surplus of US$27 billion with Singapore in 2024. The US Trade Representative has since removed this inaccurate statement from its Federal Register Notice.

As the US Trade Representative's investigations are ongoing, we should not speculate on the basis for or outcomes of these investigations. It would also be premature to comment on the potential impact on our export sectors or workers at this juncture, as the details are not yet available.

The Singapore Government will continue to engage the US constructively in the course of these investigations and will provide further updates when ready.

In the meantime, the Section 122 tariff of 10% imposed on Singapore's exports to the US since 24 February 2026 remains unchanged.

The Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce will continue to gather feedback on how businesses are affected and address specific concerns as they arise. The Government will also strengthen resilience of our trade-exposed sectors by helping companies diversify the markets that they serve and deepening Singapore's trade and investment linkages with like-minded partners.

Mr Yam.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I know the Minister of State indicated that while it is still undergoing investigation, we should not speculate. I know also from her reply that they have removed the wrong classification of our trade deficit with the US. Having done so, has the trade team on the US side provided any indications to MTI on the reasons for our inclusion?

The second question is, moving beyond the particular issue of Section 301, beyond our existing agreements with actors like the US, are there plans for MTI to also accelerate diversification into emerging markets or strengthening our regional supply chain so that we reduce our exposure to unilateral trade actions such as this?

My last supplementary question is, given Singapore's inclusion despite the trade deficit, does the Ministry assess that the traditional indicators of trade imbalance are no longer the primary basis for such investigations? And what precedent does this set for future act actions against economies, such as ours, which are small and open?

To the first and also the third question, the US has not given us reasons on why they have included Singapore under the Section 301 investigations and neither do we know if other countries might have similar perspective. It is, I think, too early for us to speculate on the reasons as well as the outcomes of the investigations.

To the Member's second question, indeed, Singapore has been and will continue to strengthen the diversification of our trade linkages. This was covered at great length at the recent Committee of Supply debate under MTI.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Three questions.

First, given that the Section 301 actions can sometimes be broad-based, how is Singapore engaging with our US counterparts to ensure that our firms are not inadvertently affected by measures aimed at other economies?

The second clarification is, given Singapore's role as a regional base for multinational corporations, has the Government observed any early shifts in investment decisions or supply chain strategies arising from these developments?

And lastly, beyond tariffs, could the Minister of State comment whether firms in Singapore actually face increased compliance costs or increased administrative burdens arising from such investigations now or going forward? And how are we supporting them, possibly in the future, in navigating these complexities?

It is actually premature for us to give any meaningful and useful advice to companies that may potentially be affected by the Section 301 investigations. We are following up with the US authorities to try to better understand the reasons as well as the coverage of these Section 301 investigations.

And in the meantime, for firms that require support, we ask that they give the feedback direct to MTI or through the trade associations and chambers, the Singapore Business Federation, for example. We have been keeping in touch with them. Also, there is a Business Adaptation Grant, which remains available to help companies understand the implications of the US tariffs on their businesses.

Mr Yip Hon Weng.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I declare I work in a global investment firm that has investments in semiconductors and manufacturing companies.

Given the US Section 301 investigations reflect a more unilateral approach to trade enforcement, could the Minister of State elaborate on how Singapore is safeguarding its interest within a rules-based trading system that appears to be under strain? What considerations shape our current approach in engaging with the US, and how does this protect Singaporean jobs and economic stability, particularly in sectors such as semiconductors?

This has been covered extensively at the recent Committee of Supply. It is still very relevant and current. In the interest of time, I ask that the Member refer to the details that were covered back then.

Mr Mark Lee.

I thank the Minister of State for the clarification. I think there are many times that she has mentioned that investigations are still underway and details are still unclear. But I would still like to ask the Minister of State to comment on whether the Government has assessed the extent that Singapore exports and also our re-exports into the US are exposed to heightened forced labour scrutiny, particularly where upstream inputs are originating from higher-risk jurisdictions.

On Singapore being investigated for import of goods passing through Singapore made for wholly or partially with forced labour, I would like to emphasise a few points. First, Singapore takes a strong stance – we also criminalise forced labour in Singapore under various laws, including the Penal Code and the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act. Forced labour is also prohibited under the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore. Relevant Government Ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Singapore Police Force, play their part in investigating complaints of suspected breaches in these domestic laws.

Preventing the importation of goods produced with forced labour requires an effective international regulatory framework to investigate and positively identify such goods. This issue is transnational in nature, and there is no international agreed available framework for such investigations at the moment. Singapore will continue to work with international communities through appropriate international platforms like the International Labour Organization, as well as bilaterally with like-minded partners, including the US, to address this issue.

Mr Dennis Tan.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. In light of the Minister of State's reply just now, can I ask whether the Government is able to reply to my written Question No 67, and update on whether the Government will be represented at the upcoming public hearings for the US Trade Representative's investigations into overcapacity and forced labour under Section 301?

Economies that are subject to Section 301 investigations may choose to submit written comments, participate in public hearings and engage in bilateral consultation with the US Trade Representative. We also note the deadline for submission of written comments and requests to appear at public hearings for both the investigations will be coming up soon.

To the question of whether companies will be attending or participating: no, they are not required to participate in the hearings. But we do encourage companies who have feedback or inputs to provide that to MTI so that we can represent them sufficiently.

Mr Dennis Tan.

Thank you, Speaker. Just a clarification. Will the Government be represented at the upcoming hearing, bearing in mind the submission deadlines?

The answer is yes; we will be attending the hearings.

70 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence whether the Ministry will consider (i) formally recognising the contributions of SAF personnel involved in recent repatriation flights from the Middle East and (ii) developing exhibitions or public education initiatives to highlight the choices and personal courage required to organise such repatriation efforts from active warzones.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has a framework to recognise all our units and personnel who have participated in operations. We will similarly do so for the recent mission undertaken by the SAF in service of our nation.

Within the bounds of operational security, the SAF will profile the mission planning, execution and the background training that enabled the SAF to execute this mission. All missions involve risks. All missions are enabled by the consistent investment in training and equipping over the years.

We thank Singaporeans for their support of our SAF. Our SAF remains ready to execute our missions in service of our nation.

Mr Speaker, Sir, this mission was made possible by the collective efforts of many across the SAF and other agencies, including those beyond the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). Besides the air crew who mounted the flights, there was also a team of headquarter planners, intelligence analysts and policy staff, some of whom are non-uniform officers, who worked at short notice to develop a safe flight plan, obtain diplomatic clearances and formulate various contingency scenarios and responses. We had a military medical team deployed to ensure the safety and well-being of those on board, commercial personnel from our defence partners, including ST Engineering Defence Aviation Services and ST Airport Services, deployed alongside our uniform engineers to support aircraft maintenance and cargo management. Locally, our Full-time National Servicemen ensure that the aircraft was prepared and equipped in a timely manner for the two flights.

Mr Christopher de Souza.

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. My supplementary question arises out of our deployment of our Multi-Role Tankers Transport. I think our airmen and soldiers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and MINDEF should be commended. It was a complex high-altitude mission, and it was successful.

My supplementary question is borne out of my request that an exhibition be included, of this exercise, in the syllabus of the Officer Cadet School's Air Wing or Specialist Command School, so that NSmen and our soldiers, both men and women, can learn from the courage and the complexity of these successful multi-faceted rescue operations and evacuation operations.

So, would the Minister for Defence consider providing an inclusion of syllabus in the teaching of the commanders in our National Service, where we can glean extremely good lessons from successful missions such as these. And I state on record again, these men and women should be immensely commended.

Mr Speaker, Sir, we thank Mr Christopher de Souza for his support of our men and women in service. The answer to both questions is yes. We intend, like in any operation, to debrief the team thoroughly and then we will share the relevant lessons with our servicemen, including those that may not be made publicly available.

On his other question about sharing some of these facets of the work with the wider public, we will certainly do so as we have done so in the first tranche with the media, including our local newspapers and broadcast media, to highlight some of the work that is done behind the scenes to enable this mission.

And finally, I would just like to thank all Members for your support, because as the Chinese saying goes, "台上一分钟，台下十年功". For the SAF to be able to mount an operation successfully, even if it is one minute on the stage, it requires 10 years of hard work behind the stage. [Applause.]

71 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what lessons have the Ministry learnt from network disruptions experienced by a major telecommunications company in Singapore for three consecutive days; (b) whether the Ministry is aware of any disruptions of emergency or essential services contributed by the network disruptions; and (c) what steps are being considered by IMDA to prevent or minimise similar occurrences in the future.

72 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information arising from the recent service disruptions affecting Singtel customers over three consecutive days, whether IMDA will review and strengthen its requirements on telecommunications network resilience, including ensuring that failover systems are robust and effective under real-world conditions.

73 Dr Neo Kok Beng asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information in view of the recent Singtel mobile service outage on 16 March 2026 which caused much business and personal disruption, whether the Ministry will consider introducing regulations to require telecommunications networks to facilitate temporary mobile service switches to subscribers affected by disruptions.

74 Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what are the causes of the 16 March 2026 disruption on Singtel’s mobile network; (b) how many users were affected; and (c) whether IMDA has any plan to review the minimum level of redundancy required for telecommunications networks, given increasing reliance for mobile services.

Mr Speaker, my response will cover the questions raised by Ms Poh Li San, Dr Neo Kok Beng, Mr Ang Wei Neng, Mr Melvin Yong and Ms Elysa Chen in today’s Order Paper, as well as related questions filed by Ms Joan Pereira1, Mr Gerald Giam2 and Mr Alex Yeo3 for tomorrow's Sitting. If Members are satisfied with the response, they may wish to withdraw their questions after this session.

Sir, between 16 and 18 March 2026, Singtel experienced difficulties with its mobile service network. Based on preliminary reports, an incident on 16 March affected more than 600,000 Singtel mobile customers. While services were progressively recovered, the disruption lasted for about nine hours. The cause of the incident was attributed to a mechanical fault at one of Singtel’s network facilities.

A separate incident reported on 17 March affected about 2,000 Singtel mobile customers and was attributed to a software bug from a planned IT system update.

On 18 March, some Singtel mobile customers experienced intermittent connectivity issues during peak network traffic in the late afternoon. Singtel indicated that these issues were resolved within an hour.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is investigating the incidents. Thus far, there is no evidence that the incidents were due to cyberattacks. IMDA is also investigating whether calls to emergency services were affected by the incidents, even though there are no such reports thus far.

I would like to assure Members that the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and IMDA take all service disruptions seriously, and we recognise the concerns raised. Service providers are held to high service standards through the Telecommunications Act and the Telecom Service Resiliency Code. For example, service providers are required to ensure that service incidents are resolved within one hour, failing which IMDA may take enforcement actions and impose financial penalties. Among other measures, service providers are required to conduct regular audits on key telecom infrastructure for resilience. They are also required to uphold stringent quality of service standards, such as ensuring more than 99% nation-wide outdoor mobile service coverage at all times.

While disruptions cannot always be prevented, IMDA requires key service providers, like Singtel, to put in place robust measures to contain their impact and ensure speedy recovery. This includes providing redundancies and failover systems for core network functions.

IMDA also regularly reviews its regulatory frameworks to ensure that they remain relevant. This includes updating regulations to protect our submarine cables in 2022 and to enhance the cybersecurity of key telecom operators in 2023. IMDA is reviewing telecom service resilience regulations to ensure they remain effective.

It has been about three weeks since the incidents. We note that Singtel has provided one-time rebates for affected mobile subscribers as part of their service recovery. In the meantime, IMDA’s investigations are ongoing. It will publish its findings after investigations are completed and will not hesitate to take strong regulatory action should any lapses be identified.

We also thank Members for their suggestions. These will be assessed for the ongoing review of telecom service resilience regulations, together with other suggestions that IMDA or the industry have put forward.

Minister Teo, I assume that your response covers Parliamentary Question Nos 71 to 74 in today's Order Paper?

Yes, Sir.

Thank you. Mr Ang Wei Neng.

Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Minister for the comprehensive reply. Can I just ask for clarification on the three incidents of Singtel disruption? It was reported by the press that they were totally unrelated. What was the preliminary investigation based on the finding of IMDA? Secondly, did IMDA or MDDI require Singtel to do the compensation as what they had done in service recovery or is it purely their own effort? And thirdly, will the service recovery be part of the requirement by IMDA or MDDI for other telecom companies (telcos) with similar incidents?

Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his questions. Because investigations are still ongoing, I will not want to prejudge the outcome. We do not rule out entirely that the incidents are related in some way, but the extent of the relations is yet to be firmly established, so it is better to let the investigators complete their work. It is clear, however, that, for now, there is no evidence to suggest that any of the incidents that have been reported were cyber-related.

As to the question that the Member raised about the compensation, this was done on Singtel's own volition. Around the world, if we look at various jurisdictions, we do not know of anyone that require telcos to make compensation for service disruptions. [Please refer to ​"Clarification by Minister for Digital Development and Information", Official Report, 7 April 2026, Vol 96, Issue 27, Correction By Written Statement section.]

Part of the reason is because in most markets, telecom services are quite competitive. Meaning that from the provider standpoint, there is an interest on their part to maintain goodwill with their customers. And so, in this instance, Singtel has decided that the service disruption lasted long enough. It impacted a wide swath of people. Many of their customers were inconvenienced. And they decided that they would offer a one-time rebate as part of their own service recovery.

Mr Melvin Yong.

Sir, I thank the Minister for her answers. I have two questions.

First, whether IMDA currently mandates stress testing or simulation of failover systems under peak or adverse conditions and if not, whether such requirements will be introduced following IMDA's review. Second, even if such continuous incidents are infrequent, the impact of such disruptions on both consumers and businesses is significant, and I feel there should be greater safeguards. So, will IMDA consider introducing more stringent resilience benchmarks on the telcos?

Mr Speaker, the short answer to the Member's question is yes. The stress testing obviously has to take place, but as we complete the investigations, we may find that there are parts of a system where the stress testing is not as good as it needs to be. So, this will then inform our understanding of the extent to which we need to then strengthen the regulations and put in place the right set of obligations and expectations.

I can assure the Member that we will take this very seriously.

Just to say that our telecom networks have become much more complex. We continuously introduce new service enhancements. From 3G to 4G to 5G and of course, in today's context, the system is also needing to respond to greater user needs, for example, in AI-enabled tools. We fully appreciate what the Member has said. Members of the public, whether businesses or individuals, are depending on these services, so in terms of their reliability, the expectation is certainly rightly high.

I would like to provide some context to assure the Member that we track these performance issues very carefully. If we look at telecom incidents and look at the period 2016 to 2020, compared to 2021 to 2025 – two big blocks, because annual numbers may not be fully reflective. If we look at five-year blocks, it was an average of eight incidents in the period 2016 to 2020. In the more recent five-year period, 2021 to 2025, that has come down to an average of six incidents per year. The average duration of the incidents has also come down from eight hours to six-and-a-half hours.

Is there room for improvement? The answer is yes. And part of the purpose of investigations is to arrive at a better understanding of how the system components are interacting with one another and where we need to strengthen the measures.

Dr Neo Kok Beng.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister for the reply on the telcos, especially on the stress tests and the redundancies. I would like to ask whether the telcos network exist independently, by themselves, or are interconnected with other telcos operators'. If IMDA in view of resiliency of our telephone network, would they consider regulations for them to work together, such that if there is any outage, there will be automatic switch-over from one telco to another telco, so that services to the subscribers are not disrupted? A simple example would be like we move to another country or we visit another country, and then we auto roam. I am a telco engineer, so I know a little bit.

Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his suggestion, and we will continue to study it. But preliminarily, I would say that, even if there was mobile switching available. It would not be able to respond to all kinds of service disruptions. It depends on which part of the network has gone down. And maybe some parts of the network can be switchable between telcos, some parts of the network will not be able to do so.

There maybe other kinds of mobile switching options available, but they will inevitably involve some cost, and it is not clear that subscribers are willing to pay for these additional features. That is something that we also have to keep in mind.

I should add that in the Singapore context, wireless services are readily available. So, looking at the issue from the point of view of a user, if you are able to get to a wireless network, there are also messaging services that you can rely on. That is the option that many people currently rely on and remains something that is quite viable.

Mr Alex Yeo.

Sir, I thank the Minister for her answers. I just wanted to ask the Minister, for outages, as we have spoken in this House, consumers and businesses are most affected. One of the things that, if we hear from the ground, is that there is no real-time live information on how long the outages are going to be, what is the reasons for it and so on.

I understand, like in Australia, they have a live outage register. Would the IMDA consider mandating telcos to provide real-time live information whenever any of these outages occur, rather than for consumers and businesses to wait for them to issue a press statement before finding out more information about these issues?

Mr Speaker, I think service providers can certainly improve the timeliness of their updates to their subscribers as well as to members of the public. Today, quite a lot of the information on outages is crowdsourced. There is something called "Downdetector" that people very frequently refer to. By and large, it is quite reliable and it gives a very good sense of what is going on.

But I take the Member's point. In terms of our investigations, in terms of how we assess the incident response by the service providers, we will also look at how well they have done in terms of communicating with their subscribers and members of the public.

Last supplementary question, Mr Gerald Giam.

I thank the Minister for the replies. Sir, the fines paid by telcos for service disruptions go into the consolidated fund, so they do not directly benefit affected consumers and businesses. The $5 to $10 goodwill rebates given out by Singtel and GOMO are not legally mandated, and these amounts may be small compared to the losses suffered by customers.

I understand that in some European countries, consumers actually do have a legal right to compensation in the event of service failures.

If the Ministry will not mandate compensation, what accessible recourse is available to consumers and small businesses to recover financial losses due to these network failures, given that legal action may be prohibitive? How will the Ministry ensure that financial penalties for service lapses are high enough to act as a genuine deterrent, rather than a cheaper alternative to investing in network reliability, especially at the higher end of the reliability range?

And next, given the recent history of state-sponsored cyberattacks on our telcos, did IMDA and the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) conduct their own independent and thorough cybersecurity investigations beyond Singtel's internal investigations to arrive at their own conclusions and if so, did they uncover anything new?

Mr Speaker, the telco service providers have different commercial arrangements. In some instances, with bigger customers, they may indeed have built into their contracts conditions upon which compensation would be due. We are not privy to all the details of these arrangements. But I can say to the Member that they do exist. Some customers may already be seeking damages from the telco service providers when an incident of this nature happens.

He may be referring to individual consumers. And when he talks about some European jurisdictions, we are only aware of the United Kingdom and Germany having in place arrangements that he may be referring to. In these two countries, the regulators require compensation, but the scope is quite limited, such as for loss of service for broadband or landline only, which the incidents that took place in March for Singtel, would also not have qualified. [Please refer to ​"Clarification by Minister for Digital Development and Information", Official Report, 7 April 2026, Vol 96, Issue 27, Correction By Written Statement section.]

Nonetheless, it is not a common requirement. We are prepared to look at the suggestion.

I would just add two points. One is that on their own volition, because of competitive reasons and the need to maintain customer goodwill, in this instance, Singtel has decided to pay a one-time rebate to their customers. I think a competitive market does have this effect on the service providers. They know not to assume that the customers cannot change providers. That is one feature of the way the market works that gives the consumers some assurance that the service providers need to be up to mark in terms of service resilience and reliability.

The other thing is that in response to the earlier question by Mr Melvin Yong, I had cited how the regulations have also helped to reduce the number of incidents as well as the average duration per incident. And we will continue to look at how regulations can be strengthened in support of such improvements.

Finally, to the question posed by the Member regarding state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat actors, whether IMDA does its own investigations. The short answer is that IMDA, together with CSA, will have to look very seriously into these issues. We have, on previous occasions, updated the public about findings that could be made known. Of course, the work continues.

75 Ms Kuah Boon Theng asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) how many Advance Medical Directives (AMDs) have been registered to date; and (b) to make it easier to sign an AMD, whether the Ministry will consider removing the requirement that AMDs must always be signed before a doctor, even when there are no concerns that the individual may lack mental capacity.

76 Ms Kuah Boon Theng asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether the Ministry will reassess the need to continue prohibiting doctors from asking their patients if they have an AMD, especially as the Registrar of AMDs is contactable during office or clinic hours, and doctors may otherwise experience difficulties ascertaining their patient's AMD status if the certification of terminal illness occurs after the Registrar's regular office hours.

Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer Question Nos 75 and 76 together?

Please go ahead.

Thank you. As of February 2026, more than 84,500 individuals have signed the Advance Medical Directive (AMD). The decision to make an AMD must be taken seriously as it is a legal document stating that an individual does not want to use any life-sustaining treatment to prolong his life in the event that he is terminally ill, unconscious or requires life-sustaining treatment. Hence, safeguards are in place to protect the interests of individuals. For example, a witnessing doctor ensures that the individual understands the medical implications of making an AMD, is not being coerced and is of sound mind.

Strict confidentiality of AMDs are maintained to ensure that the knowledge of an AMD does not inappropriately influence treatment decisions before a patient is certified terminally ill. We have established operational processes to ensure that AMD search requests made by doctors receive prompt attention, including after regular office hours.

Ms Kuah.

I thank the Minister of State for the information she has provided. By way of supplementary question, I would like to ask if the Minister of State will agree that, in general, the take-up rate for AMDs has been quite slow compared to Lasting Power of Attorney (LPAs). I am glad to see that the numbers have now been boosted to 84,000, but I know it is had a very, very long roll-out, bearing in mind that this legislation is now 30 years old.

I accept that what the Minister of State has said, that it is good for those who want to sign an AMD to get advice from their doctors on the implications. But I will make the argument that lawyers, too, are able to give the same advice, of course, provided that the individual has mental capacity and there is no issue of their lack of understanding.

The advantage of being able to remove this requirement that one of the witnesses must be a doctor will mean that those who are interested to make end-of-life decision-making will have a one-stop shop, they will be able to see the lawyers, and have both their LPAs and their AMDs signed at the same time and have access to the advice to make informed decisions.

So, I hope this is something that the Ministry is open to doing – to remove the requirement that one of the witnesses must be a doctor, so long as there is no issue of lack of mental capacity.

And I believe that for Question No 76, which I have raised, it is about the fact that doctors are not allowed to ask their patient, "Have you signed the AMD?". I hope to receive the Minister of State's reply to that.

I thank the Member for the questions. In relation to the first matter, as I have explained, and I think the Member is fully aware, the reason we require that a doctor be present for the purposes of this is, because there are clinical implications, there are clinical treatments that may require some explanation from the medical perspective, as well as the fact that you need to also ensure the soundness of mind of the individual.

I note the points raised, and actually, we are reviewing the whole AMD process to increase uptake and awareness on this; and also to streamline the processes to make it a lot simpler and accessible to the public.

On the second point, actually, I did mention it. It is really a function of confidentiality. It is an important safeguard. You would appreciate the seriousness of the implications of an AMD. Firstly, because with an AMD, you want to make sure that it is only triggered at the point where the patient is certified to be terminally ill. We want to ensure that this does not get raised inappropriately. This is governed by the AMD Act and within the Act, there are exceptions, safeguards that say that the doctor can talk about this as a concept, to describe and explain the process, with a view to protect against the inappropriate use of this matter.

Also, in our assessment, in terms of how the protocols are put in place, we are very conscious that this is a very time-sensitive process in a directive. And from our records, it does appear that it has been properly exercised. But if there is any further feedback in specific circumstances, feel free to raise it to us and we can look at how we can continue to improve the process as we are reviewing this.

Ms Kuah.

I thank the Minister of State. I just want to assure you that I fully agree that there is a time and place to ask that question, whether an AMD has been executed and it should not be done at insensitive junctures where the circumstances have not arisen for an AMD to be relied upon.

But to the question of confidentiality, I do think that when you are in a position to ask the patient himself or herself, there should not be a concern that there is an issue of confidentiality, because you are asking that information from the patient. But currently, the doctors are not even allowed to do that.

And in my question, the scenario I painted is that, very often, those conditions where an AMD may be triggered often arrives in very inconvenient moments, like in the middle of the night. And the feedback I have obtained from doctors is that they literally have to wait because they are not allowed to ask the patient, they are not allowed to ask family members who have that information, and they have to wait until they have the opportunity to call the Registrar to obtain the information.

So, I hope there would be some interest in trying to remove that requirement, but of course, re-affirm that it must still be information that is sought at the appropriate time and place.

I will just reiterate the point I mentioned earlier. From our assessment, there have been very prompt responses, even outside office hours, in terms of following through with a request for the search. So, in terms of the process, it is something that we have been monitoring and it is something that is done very promptly. So, it is not something that causes any inordinate delay. But like I said, if there are some specific circumstances, please let us know.

I would also highlight that in discussions with patient, when the patient is still very conscious and lucid, clearly nothing stops the doctor from having conversations. And in fact, as I highlighted, the exception in section 15(2), I believe, of the AMD Act allows for the doctor to have a conversation about AMD broadly, to explain the concept, to explain the directive.

So, this is something that I think does not stop the doctor from having that robust discussion, especially as they also discuss things, like Advanced Care Planning and LPA. They can, indeed, talk about the concept, so that the patient is aware of it and may want to choose it. But I think there are some concerns about it.

I note the point, however, and this is feedback that I will take back to my colleagues to see if there are some other areas for which we can sharpen this further.

77 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health in view of the target of 40,000 married couples between 2024 and 2027 against 674 screened at end 2025 under the regarding the PaREnthood genetic DIsease Carrier Test (PREDICT) Programme (a) what are the reasons for the low screening rate; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider including couples planning to get married, like those already on the HDB Fiancé/Fiancée Scheme.

The Parenthood Genetic Disease Carrier Test (PREDICT) programme is a pilot project to enhance prenatal screening of carriers of recessive genetic disorders, such as spinal muscular atrophy and Pompe disease. While it is offered to almost all couples that KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) is attending to, fewer than 1,300 couples showed interest and wish to participate in the pilot programme.

These couples were then invited to undergo genetic counselling so that they understand how to interpret the results and potential implications. Many couples did not complete the mandatory genetic counselling or decide not to proceed after the genetic counselling. So, today, about 800 couples have gone through the tests. The earlier target set was obviously too ambitious, and we will review both the target and the pilot with KKH and Temasek Foundation, which is funding the programme.

Dr Choo.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the Minister for the reply. I have three supplementary questions.

The first one, beyond awareness, what does the Ministry see as the key reasons why couples are not taking up PREDICT?

Second, whether the Ministry has considered if earlier touchpoints, such as at the point of the Registry of Marriage or Registry of Muslim Marriages applications may be more effective in reaching couples? And if not, whether this is something the Ministry would consider?

Third, whether the Ministry has considered what role incentives could play in improving uptake?

Okay, the key reasons for not taking up. Because this is a preconception test, KKH does not really come into contact with preconception couples. They come into contact with pregnant couples. So, therefore, the only contact points they have are the fertility clinics and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinics. The couples there, I believe, just want to get pregnant. So, if you tell them about genetic tests and possible illnesses their child may have, I think they are probably not in the frame of mind to process the information. And for many of them, I would think, love children and they will say, "Regardless of the situation, I am going to love the kid", and good for them.

The second reason, I strongly suspect – we have not done any study about the reasons – is actually insurance. That if you are tested positive for a genetic condition, couples will ask, "Then what happens to my insurance?"

And thirdly, I think PREDICT covers just too many diseases, 80 diseases. May be more than 80. And for about 100 genetic conditions. It is just too much for couples to digest.

This programme was designed between the Temasek Foundation, the sponsor, and KKH. As the Member may know, I take a particular interest in genomics because I think it has the potential to transform and improve our healthcare system. This Parliamentary Question has piqued my interest. I think the Ministry of Health (MOH) will want to dive into this PREDICT programme. I think it has the potential.

Members might be aware of some of the protocols that we have set up – one for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), and recently, for BReast CAncer genes (BRCA) 1 and 2 – and there are certain principles that we adopt when we implement genomics in healthcare.

Number one, you have to address the issue of insurance – and Members might know, we are in the process of drafting a new Act that will come to this Chamber to approve – so that genetic data cannot be used for insurance underwriting. And that will provide the assurance to many couples.

Number two, we think it is more likely to be successful if you take a disease-specific approach, like FH or breast cancer, that is clearly linked to certain genetic conditions, and if tested positive, we know what the treatment pathway is, what the implications are, and the doctor can advise the patient what exactly to do or not to do. But to lump 80 diseases into one test, I think, it may be too much.

So, MOH will take an interest in this. We will study how to implement this better because I think there is great potential for us to improve this.

The following question stood in the name of Ms Gho Sze Kee –

78 To ask the Minister for Education whether schools are resourced and equipped to (i) deal with any possible negative impact of posting group (PG) banding and (ii) promote inclusivity, interaction and friendships across different PGs in the same class.

Question No 78, please.

Posting Groups (PGs) are used to facilitate students' entry into secondary schools and guide students to take subjects at appropriate levels at the start of Secondary 1. Students admitted through different PGs may take subjects at similar levels, depending on their individual strengths.

Under our Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB), our secondary school students are placed in mixed form classes, where they spend around a third of their curriculum time taking common subjects, such as Art and Character Citizenship Education with peers from different subject levels and combinations. This approach gives students more opportunities than under the previous streaming system to interact with and to learn with classmates with different strengths and interests.

Outside the formal curriculum, there are other group settings, such as co-curricular activities (CCAs) and Values-in-Action projects, for our students to interact with peers within and across schools.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) is mindful of potential challenges that some students may face, including with social interactions in a more diverse classroom setting. And this is why we provide teachers with resources and professional development opportunities to support students in Full SBB schools. For example, our teachers use termly check-in surveys to understand their students' interests, emotional well-being and peer support networks, which in turn, help them to foster a positive classroom culture.

Mr Hoe.

Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for her response. I have two supplementary questions.

First, whether there are any specific guidance or professional developments to teachers managing a mixed PG classroom. Specifically, I ask this because prior to mixed PG classroom, teachers would teach a class with similar profile, specifically in subjects like Character and Citizenship Education and Design and Technology. Given a mixed PG classroom now, teachers then would have to engage in a classroom with wider student profiles.

Second, if there is professional development or guidance given, what is the current take-up rate and training that teachers have gone through and have we gotten any feedback from teachers about the usefulness of such training in helping them to manage a mixed PG classroom with students of different learning profiles?

I thank the Member for his question. I will try and answer both questions in just one answer.

One of the concerns for mixed form classes is the emotional well-being and support systems for all of our students, because they come from different backgrounds and may have different life experiences. So, a lot of our focus in terms of supporting our teachers is in providing them with tools and strategies to understand and monitor our students' emotional well-being. As I mentioned, the termly check-ins do focus on their emotional well-being and peer support systems, and we also provide teachers with tools to help map out their students' peer support networks.

Every student, every child and therefore every mixed form class will be unique. We are also observing how many of our teachers are coming up and developing their own approaches in managing more of these mixed form classes. MOE will help to share these best practices across the teaching profession, so that across the board, our teachers are more equipped in future to deal with and manage mixed form classes, regardless of how every mixed form class looks like in future.

79 Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim asked the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) what are some community support mechanisms available to help individuals process the impact of international conflicts; and (b) how are global conflicts abroad being unpacked domestically to maintain social harmony and cohesion in Singapore.

Mr Speaker, Singapore is a diverse society, and we understand that some Singaporeans relate strongly to events abroad, including international conflicts. Our approach has been to foster better understanding of these developments and to explain the implications for Singapore and Singaporeans. The Government strives to make such information available in a timely manner, including through Statements to this House.

It is also important to provide space for civil dialogue on these issues and to allow Singaporeans to contribute in constructive ways. This can deepen mutual understanding between communities and promote social cohesion. Our Racial and Religious Harmony Circles organise inter-ethnic and interfaith initiatives to build trust across communities, such as the Peace and Harmony Dialogue in October 2024 that discussed the Gaza situation; and more recently, a youth seminar in January 2026 that sought to empower youths to act against extremism in the digital age. The Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF), established by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura or MUIS), provides channels for all Singaporeans to help. In 2024, our Harmony Circles organised the Harmony-in-Action fundraising campaign supporting RLAF's Gaza efforts, raising half a million dollars.

For those in our Muslim community who need a listening ear or someone to discuss these issues with, they can approach our asatizah, who are trained to provide counselling and appropriate guidance. One example is Asatizah Solace Care, a service initiated by the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association (PERGAS), which provides a free, safe and confidential platform for individuals and families seeking emotional and spiritual support to talk about any concerns.

Ms Hazlina.

Thank you, Speaker. I also thank the Acting Minister. I have two supplementary questions, one in English.

Thank you for acknowledging the need for space and to unpack complex situations. We all process things differently. One clarification to ask is, is this service that the Acting Minister has mentioned also available to communities beyond the Malay/Muslim community, given that it cuts across different groups?

And in Malay, please, Speaker.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker and Acting Minister, the whole of Singapore remains concerned, as mentioned, with many feeling confused, worried and also troubled by this multi-faceted Middle East conflict.

My first question – what are the Government's observations on the impact of this Middle East conflict so far, particularly on our Malay and Muslim communities, whether emotionally, spiritually or mentally?

Secondly, besides the plans that have already been shared as well as the platforms mentioned earlier, what are the further plans perhaps to collaborate with bodies such as Malay/Muslim Organisations (MMOs) and Indian Muslim Organisations (IMOs), as well as the support given to them to jointly address the effects of this situation?

Sir, I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. Yes, indeed, the Asatizah Solace Care is open to all. In fact, they have been very supportive all these years and I am thankful to all the asatizah for playing this role. This is where we see our asatizah go down to the ground. They really roll up their sleeves and also try to share perspectives from what they know and how we can journey through together. And I am happy to share that they are very well aware and really plugged into the context of Singapore, as well as having a deep understanding of Islamic principles and what we ought to do in our lives as Muslims.

And also, with this in mind, they are also connected to the multiracial setting. Many of them are in settings like the Harmony Circles or even in some of the aspects of how we build our community together. So, anyone can approach them. If any fellow Singaporeans or any community leaders need their support, we welcome you to seek some guidance and opinion from the asatizah in the Asatizah Solace Care.

With regard to the second supplementary question, let me answer in Malay.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] We do not see every issue in isolation, but we look at them holistically in terms of how we can continue our country's development. We understand that this conflict can bring about a profound impact. There are conflicts that do not affect us as severely and there are others that are more complex for us to handle as a society. So, we do not take lightly the impact of any conflict on our country, our people, including the minority groups, even though they may not experience the impact or receive more detailed insights in this aspect.

How can we provide support to those who are affected as well as community organisations, including IMOs, MMOs and also our asatizah or religious teachers?

As I mentioned, we have a multi-level approach. Firstly, in Parliament, if we look at it, we have already discussed these issues in Parliament. We also have approaches like conducting dialogues at various levels. Some are conducted in safe spaces and others are organised with community organisations and their members. If the issue is more complex and requires a more customised approach, we will also design it as such, where we see each issue as important and how we as a society can address it.

But I am also heartened to see the maturity in the thinking and the stance of Singaporeans. They prioritise national interest when dealing with these issues. We may have different positions and opinions, but when we discuss issues of national interest, many in our community agree that we should put our national interest first.

So, when we look at the support provided – for example, to our asatizah – we provide them with training through continuing education and training, which is CET. Under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme, they undergo programmes to improve and prepare themselves in engaging our community. This includes how they can provide emotional and spiritual support to the community, including issues related to the current conflict. We also have engagements through PERGAS and MUIS, where our religious teachers share their views and experiences, and how we can relate these to our national interest, as well as life as a Muslim in our country.

At the grassroots level, we also have Harmony Circles, where our religious teachers and other community or religious organisations come together to discuss relevant issues, including the ongoing conflict, and think about how we can prioritise harmony and our life as a cohesive society.

Therefore, this is the journey that we have charted over past decades until today. We will continue to improve it and develop relevant networks and approaches, because we can see that the world today has changed and we need support from all our people to develop our country, so that we can continue our efforts to build a cohesive and harmonious nation.

80 Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether an update can be provided on the take-up rate of the new Shared Parental Leave since 1 April 2025.

The take-up rate for the new Shared Parental Leave scheme is not yet available. The Shared Parental Leave scheme was introduced on 1 April 2025. Following their Maternity or Paternity Leave, parents have up to a year after their child's birth to utilise their Shared Parental Leave. Thereafter, their employers have an additional three months to submit their claims to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). MSF will be able to provide an update on the Shared Parental Leave take-up rate for the 2025 birth cohort in mid-2027.

Mr Ng.

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. But is there any inkling on what is the take-up rate among new fathers? And at the same time, are there any considerations that the Government can put in to encourage or to support new fathers in applying for Shared Parental Leave?

Speaker, I thank the Member for his questions. As I said in my main reply, we do not really have the data in terms of the claims yet. It is still early days. In fact, on 1 April this year, we have just introduced the 10-week Shared Parental Leave. So, we do not really have the data to be able to speak definitively on that yet.

But having said so, I think the key message that we want to send through the Shared Parental Leave is that parenthood is a shared journey. It is a shared responsibility between both the father and the mother. More importantly, we do want to encourage fathers to take a more active role, in terms of taking care of not just the children in the first year, but beyond that, throughout our children's growth stage.

I think that is something that is very important. MSF continuously works with our partners, including partners such as the Centre for Fathering, to develop programmes and do public outreach to encourage our fathers to do more in terms of playing an active role in our children's development.

I also want to take the opportunity to say that beyond the Shared Parental Leave scheme, to encourage our fathers to do more, we do need to look beyond, perhaps at a societal reset in terms of how our workplace norms need to change, to balance more of family needs. I think these are some of the objectives that the work group chaired by Minister Indranee looking at marriage and parenthood will be looking at.

81 Ms Hany Soh asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether the Ministry has observed an increase in medical consultations due to haze-induced symptoms from year to date.

Mr Speaker, for this year, to date, there has been no significant increase in attendances for haze-relevant conditions at the public hospital Emergency Departments and polyclinics.

Ms Soh.

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I understand from a few seniors whom I have interacted with in Woodgrove recently that a number of their peers were unable to join them for their regular outdoor qigong and brisk walking activities due to respiratory-related health conditions lately. In this regard, I wish to ask, has the Ministry noticed that seniors have been particularly more prone to exacerbations of respiratory conditions during the haze period lately, given their higher vulnerability to air pollutants?

Also, how can initiatives, such as the Community Health Posts, which are intended to bring healthcare closer to residents, especially our seniors, be further enhanced to better support them during the haze periods? Some examples which I wish to recommend are through proactive respiratory health monitoring, targeted education on haze precautions, expanded onsite support services or integrating with telehealth and frailty screenings at the Community Health Posts.

Indeed, for haze and a lot of the other conditions, there may be different vulnerable groups. It may be because of their age; it may be because of their existing medical conditions. We do try and keep an eye out for some of these things and see if there is a need to give special attention or some support.

I thank the Member for raising the Community Health Posts. The Community Health Posts have been put in place for a broader approach to healthcare, especially for seniors, so that they can have immediate access within the community at the Active Ageing Centres, for example. It is an "always on" sort of setting. We are intending to make sure that there are regular engagements, and this includes services, such as telemedicine, as well as the delivery of medical services and also perhaps medication. Indeed, in situations where there are more immediate or sudden crises or events, they will definitely be meaningful platforms to be additional touchpoints for seniors.

82 Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the whole-of-Government data architecture permits proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) or data analytics platforms from foreign-headquartered vendors to process citizen data; and (b) if so, what legal and technical safeguards ensure that such data cannot be compelled for disclosure by a foreign government under that government's domestic laws.

Mr Speaker, the Government uses best-in-class technology solutions, including those from international vendors, to deliver effective digital services for citizens and to support our public officers' work.

We have established comprehensive safeguards to protect citizen data when working with any vendor. Our risk-based approach ensures that data access is granted strictly on a "needs-basis" following the principle of least privilege. Vendors are expected to implement robust technical safeguards such as non-retention of data, encryption as well as access and identity management. Data residency may also be required, depending on the sensitivity of the data. This is coupled with proper governance frameworks and contractual agreements on how the data can be accessed, used, stored and retained.

These help to prevent vendors from accessing, using or disclosing government data where they are not permitted to do so, including in response to demands from foreign governments.

Our approach combines global expertise, technical safeguards, legal protections and ongoing oversight to ensure that citizen data remains secure. We continuously monitor vendor compliance, conduct regular security assessments and update our frameworks to address emerging risks and maintain public trust.

Mr Low.

I thank the Minister of State for the response. I would like to share that the primary reason for me to ask this Parliamentary Question was driven by concerns I have over a specific vendor, which is Palantir Technologies, which, over the last five years or so, has become the preeminent supplier to governments around the globe of artificial intelligence, data and security solutions.

I am not sure if the Minister of State is at the liberty to disclose if we do have any ongoing contracts with Palantir, but I think even if the answer is no, the broader concern remains that overseas legislation like the United States' Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act compels these US-based companies to disclose data in their legal system from foreign countries. Even with data residency in mind, the Act still compels them to disclose this data.

What assurances can the Minister of State give that we will not be subject to such compulsions?

I thank the Member for the question. I understand that the Member may have filed a separate Parliamentary Question on Palantir for the Ministry of Finance (MOF), which I will leave for MOF to answer.

I would like to add that he is right. Legal and contractual agreements aside, the reality is that no matter what legal provisions the contracts may contain, some jurisdictions like, as he mentioned, the US, may have legislation or regulations, including with extraterritorial reach, that empower government agencies to require companies or entities within their jurisdictions to provide certain information. This could include Singapore Government data.

Such legislation or regulations can override contractual obligations. This is why the Government's approach is to rely not solely on contractual provisions, but also on other risk mitigation measures, which I have mentioned, such as technical controls and safeguards as well as governance frameworks, which limit what use cases and categories of information may be used with non-government provided tools and platforms.

83 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower what is the current 10th, 20th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 80th percentile of the gross monthly income from work (excluding employer CPF) of full-time employed Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs), excluding Associate Professionals & Technicians (APTs).

In 2025, the gross monthly income from employment, excluding employer Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions, of full-time employed resident professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) was about $4,500 at the 10th percentile, $5,400 at the 20th percentile and $6,000 at the 25th percentile. The median income was $8,400. At the higher end, incomes were about $12,100 at the 75th percentile and $13,900 at the 80th percentile.

Mr Tay.

I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the response. I have just one supplementary question for the Ministry of Manpower that in the light of these wage levels of our PMEs, in the course of reviewing some of our existing employment labour laws as well as regulations to factor this in, so that such PMEs are adequately represented, protected and covered.

I thank the Member for the question. The short answer is yes, we constantly monitor the wage levels, including our operating environment and make sure that our laws and regulations are fit for purpose and relevant.

84 Ms Valerie Lee asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Government is coordinating planning efforts across industrial activities and development in the Loyang and Changi North Industrial estates and the Changi aviation sector in order to minimise congestion and disamenities to nearby residents and impact on the environment; and (b) if so, what is the scope and timeline of such coordination efforts.

Mr Speaker, the Government coordinates planning efforts across all land uses to minimise disamenities and environmental impact to the area. For example, JTC works with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to carry out Transport Impact Assessments for major industrial developments to support transport demand from companies, their workers and nearby residents.

JTC has no plans to develop new industrial estates in Loyang and Changi North in the near term.

The Member may refer to the Ministry of Transport's reply to oral Question No 35 at the 3 March 2026 Sitting, which outlines the Government's efforts to mitigate the impact of congestion in the area. [Please refer to ​"Efforts to Alleviate Traffic Congestion During Peak Hours along Loyang Avenue and Adjacent Roads", Official Report, 3 March 2026, Vol 96, Issue 23, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]

Ms Lee.

Thank you, Speaker and the Minister of State. First, I would like to thank LTA for partnering closely with me as I represent concerns and frustrations of residents in Pasir Ris and Changi, particularly on the ground where the impact of increased industrial and aviation activities is most keenly felt.

I have one supplementary question. In terms of future planning, not just for the Loyang and Changi North industrial estates, will the Government review, and strengthen buffer zones and land and road use strategies to ensure that further industrial expansion does not come at the expense of residents' liveability?

I wish to give assurance to the Member that the Government, whether it is JTC, LTA or other organisations and entities that develop different parts of Singapore for industrial, residential and commercial purposes, will always look holistically at the impact not just on businesses and industrial land users, but also the residents around.

85 Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry is concerned that million-dollar HDB resale flat transactions have surged by 54.7% to 1,594 units in 2025, even as overall price growth moderated to 2.9%; and (b) what measures is the Government considering to moderate such transactions and to safeguard public confidence in public housing affordability.

Mr Speaker, resale flat prices are set by the open market at prices agreed between buyers and sellers, depending on the flat's location and attributes.

In 2025, about 6% of resale flats transacted above $1 million.

The resale market continues to provide a wide range of flats at different price points, catering to different budgets and needs. In 2025, there were 4-room resale flats with leases of 70 years or longer in Tampines and Punggol going for around $650,000 to $700,000. In Sembawang and Yishun, such flats were available below $600,000. In Jurong West and Woodlands, there were options below $550,000. For eligible first-time resale buyers, HDB provides housing grants of up to $230,000, further reducing the amounts they need to pay.

Sir, based on the flash estimate for the first quarter of 2026, resale prices declined slightly by 0.1%. We expect the resale market to continue to moderate due to a robust supply of new Build-To-Order (BTO) flats, including Shorter Waiting Time flats, and a larger number of flats finishing their minimum occupation period (MOP) and entering the resale market from this year 2026, and we will see further increases in 2027 and 2028.

Mr Muhaimin Abdul Malik.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for the reply. I have two supplementary questions.

First, with over 13,500 flats reaching MOP in 2026 located in mature estates, is the Ministry concerned that this could paradoxically increase the number of million-dollar transactions rather than moderate prices, given that these newer flats in desirable locations are precisely the type commanding such prices?

Second, several Members of Parliament have spoken about the income ceiling for BTO eligibility, which has remained at $14,000 since 2019. Could the Minister share whether the ongoing review on income ceiling is also examining whether households that exceed the ceiling are being pushed into the resale market and contributing to price inflation there?

Mr Speaker, if we look at the resale flats that have reached MOP and are entering the market for this year and also in 2027 and 2028, there is a spread. Not all the flats are in mature estates. Some are in different parts of Singapore. Some are nearer to MRT stations. Some are further away. So, I think there is a good spread of different flats with different locations, different attributes that buyers can look for, depending on their needs and their budgets. So, that was my point made earlier. We provide a range of options that cater to different groups of buyers.

Sir, the second question, I think we have discussed this during the recent Committee of Supply, and I have responded to cuts from Members that we are reviewing the income eligibility criteria, not just for BTO flats but also for executive condominiums.

Order. End of Question Time. Introduction of Government Bills. Minister for Manpower.

[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) "to amend the Central Provident Fund Act 1953", (proc text)]

[(proc text) presented by the Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash) on behalf of the Minister for Manpower; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]

[(proc text) "to amend the Securities and Futures Act 2001", (proc text)]

[(proc text) presented by the Minister for National Development (Mr Chee Hong Tat) on behalf of the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]

[(proc text) "to amend the Info-communications Media Development Authority Act 2016 to enhance the provisions relating to fair and efficient market conduct and effective competition in the media industry, to reduce regulatory burden on the media industry, to provide for additional powers of the Info-communications Media Development Authority and to amend the Telecommunications Act 1999 for alignment and related purposes", (proc text)]

[(proc text) recommendation of President signified; presented by the Minister for Digital Development and Information (Mrs Josephine Teo); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]

[(proc text) "to provide in accordance with treaties for co-locating border clearance of people and goods travelling by train on cross-border railways between Singapore and Malaysia and for other coordination arrangements at the border, and for other matters connected therewith, and to make related and consequential amendments to certain other Acts", (proc text)]

[(proc text) presented by the Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]

[(proc text) "to make miscellaneous amendments to certain Acts administered by the Ministry of National Development and to validate past collections of fees and charges by certain statutory bodies", (proc text)]

[(proc text) presented by the Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi) on behalf of the Minister for National Development; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]

Order. Ministerial Statements. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry.

Mr Speaker, Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam, Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow and I will deliver a Ministerial Statement each on the impact of the Middle East situation on Singapore.

Our Ministerial Statements will address Parliamentary Question Nos 1 to 62 in today's Order Paper, as well as written Parliamentary Question Nos 1 to 12, and related Parliamentary Questions (PQs) filed for subsequent Sittings. May I have your permission to take clarification at the end of the three Statements? And as this is a whole-of-Government approach, may I also seek your permission to allow relevant political officeholders to respond to clarifications pertaining to their respective areas of responsibilities?

Yes, you may proceed.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Sir, the conflict between the United States (US)/ Israel and Iran has entered its sixth week and spread across the wider Middle East. Within days of the conflict, Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. It has also attacked close to 20 vessels. Last month, only about six vessels on average passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day, compared to around 135 in normal times. President Trump has said recently that the US has almost accomplished its goals in Iran, but it is still not clear when the conflict will end and when the Strait will be reopened.

In the near term, the closure of the Strait has caused a global shortage of energy supplies, including crude oil and gas.

Before the conflict, one quarter of the world's supply of seaborne oil and one-fifth of its gas transited through the Strait. More than 80% of these flows were bound for Asia. Such a severe choking off of supply is unprecedented. It is the worst disruption since the 1973 oil embargo.

The fuel shortages have caused a surge in global energy prices. Since the onset of the conflict, Brent crude oil prices have doubled from US$71 per barrel just before the conflict, to a peak of US$141. Similarly, spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices have also doubled, from US$11 per million British Thermal Units (MMBtu) to as high as US$22/MMBtu.

The disruption extends to other key products too, particularly those that use oil and natural gas as feedstock or starting materials. One example is fertilisers.

Most fertilisers are made using natural gas – and the Middle East is a key global producer of fertilisers, second only to Russia. Nearly a third of the world's fertiliser trade is shipped through the Strait. The supply disruption has led to soaring fertiliser costs. If farmers reduce or stop fertiliser use, crop yields will fall, raising global food prices.

Other industries are also affected. This includes aluminium, which is used to manufacture cars, airplanes and many other products, as well as helium, which is needed for producing semiconductor chips and cooling magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.

These disruptions are cascading through the global economy.

Higher fuel and raw material costs will raise business costs, some of which will pass through to consumers through higher prices. Higher energy prices have also increased transport and shipping costs. Airfreight rates between Asia and Europe have almost doubled since the conflict began. This will eventually push up costs of other items including food and grocery supplies.

Rising business costs and consumer prices will, in turn, dampen demand and slow down the global economy. Many Asian currencies have weakened against a stronger US dollar, compounding inflation and growth risks in these countries. All of these pressures could intensify further in the coming weeks.

As a small and highly open economy, Singapore will not be able to insulate ourselves completely from this crisis. We must respond with a coordinated, multi-agency effort to cushion the impact on our people and our economy.

This is why we have convened the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee (HCMC), chaired by Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam and comprising several Ministers.

We will focus on the following areas. First, securing our supplies, such as LNG and diesel for power, as well as other essential fuel products like jet fuel and motor gasoline; strengthening our economic resilience, by helping businesses to preserve their productive capacity and capability, and facilitating their transformation where necessary; providing targeted help for those most affected by the crisis, including businesses in the energy and chemicals cluster, platform workers and low-income families; and helping workers with training and employment support, as well as providing households with broad-based help to address cost-of-living concerns. Minister Shanmugam will share more later on how we are organising ourselves to coordinate our national response.

Mr Speaker, Sir, what do these developments mean for our economy?

In February this year, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) upgraded Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for 2026 to 2.0% to 4.0%, on the back of the strong growth momentum seen in the fourth quarter of 2025, supported by robust artificial intelligence (AI)-related demand. Early data indicates that economic activity continued to be resilient in the first quarter of 2026. However, growth in the coming quarters is likely to be affected by the ongoing conflict.

While the conflict impacts many sectors, some sectors will feel it more than others.

In manufacturing, the most direct impact will be on industries that rely on natural gas, crude oil and crude oil derivatives as feedstock. Our refineries have adjusted by reducing their run rates and brought in shipments from sources outside of the Middle East. Downstream chemical firms will also be affected. Some firms, such as PCS have already declared force majeure due to upstream supply disruptions.

Beyond the energy and chemicals cluster, higher fuel and electricity prices will also affect a wider range of industries, including electronics, precision engineering and other energy-intensive clusters.

In services, outward-oriented sectors like air and sea transport, as well as tourism, will be affected by higher costs and weaker demand. On the other hand, domestically-oriented sectors, such as retail, food services and private land transport will face higher operating costs, including utilities and fuel.

Taken together, these sectoral impacts will weigh on economic activities in the coming quarters, although the extent remains uncertain as the conflict is still unfolding. MTI will continue to monitor developments closely and will update our GDP forecast in May.

Let me now move to the impact on Singaporeans. As we import nearly all our energy, the spike in global oil and natural gas prices will inevitably raise fuel and electricity costs for Singapore. About 95% of Singapore's electricity is generated from natural gas, whose price is mostly pegged to market prices.

The regulated electricity tariff, which most Singapore households pay, increased by 2.1% to about 27.27 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for the second quarter of 2026. The increase is modest relative to the spike in fuel prices. But that is because the tariff is based on fuel prices from the first 10 weeks of the preceding quarter, from January to the middle of March. That means only a small portion of the recent surge in fuel prices has been captured in this tariff adjustment. Fuel makes up about half of the tariff, so higher fuel prices will flow through to electricity prices. We should therefore expect a much sharper increase in the next tariff adjustment, which will fully reflect the higher costs of fuel.

These cost increases will feed through to broader inflation in Singapore. We had earlier forecast Consumer Price Index (CPI)-All Items and Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS') Core Inflation to come in at 1.0% to 2.0% in 2026, after inflation broadly eased in 2025. However, the Middle East situation has driven up global energy and commodity prices, which will drive up global inflation. Consequently, we now expect Singapore's overall inflation for 2026 to be higher than earlier projected.

If the conflict is protracted, higher inflation in our source markets could also lead to further increases in import prices over time. These pressures will be felt by households in more expensive electricity, transport and daily necessities. Lower-income households will be more affected, as a larger share of their spending goes towards essentials. MAS will take these developments into account in its upcoming assessment of the inflation outlook, which it will release on 14 April 2026.

Mr Speaker, the crisis is unlikely to be over anytime soon, and we must be prepared for its effects to persist for some time. Even more worrying is the risk of escalation, including further damage to energy infrastructure, or a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. This could trigger a global energy crunch – slowing global growth and pushing up inflation worldwide.

This crisis has reminded us again of how interconnected and how fragile the global system is. We need to be prepared for more frequent inflation shocks and supply chain disruptions in a world of heightened geopolitical contestation.

We will strengthen our resilience by building up inventories and diversifying our sources of supply, but Singapore will always remain dependent on imports for our supplies. It is therefore critical that we continue to strengthen our partnerships with like-minded countries and uphold an open and rules-based trading system. As a trading nation, keeping faith with our partners and maintaining our credibility is crucial. We must foster the free flow of energy and goods as far as possible.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has spoken to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. They jointly affirmed our commitment to support the flow of essential goods, including petroleum oils, such as diesel, and LNG between our two countries. Prime Minister Wong has also spoken to New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to reaffirm our commitment to strengthen supply resilience and mitigate disruptions. Singapore and New Zealand concluded an Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies last October, which is a timely framework to ensure the continued flow of critical goods between our two countries.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers and Economic Ministers have discussed and underscored the importance of maintaining stable, open and reliable global energy supply chains, as well as the importance of minimising disruptions to the flow of essential supplies, including food. Singapore and 10 fellow members of the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership also issued a Joint Statement last week, reaffirming the importance of not imposing restrictive trade measures, including ex port restrictions, tariffs and non-tariff barriers, on essential goods.

Mr Speaker, may I now say a few words in Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, this crisis will not end in the short term, and Singapore must prepare early and not be complacent. As a small open economy, we cannot be completely unaffected. Rising external costs will ultimately impact businesses, households and prices.

We will strive to ensure stable energy and food supplies, strengthen economic resilience to cope with the crisis and provide necessary assistance to the most severely affected businesses, platform workers and low-income families. We will also provide training and employment support for workers and help families cope with cost-of-living concerns. Most importantly, whether businesses or individuals, all must respond calmly to changes.

The Government will strengthen inter-agency coordination to safeguard supplies, stabilise the economy and mitigate the impact. As we have done before, let us stay resilient and united, as we weather this crisis together.

(In English): Sir, the Government recognises that the impact of this crisis will be felt by households and businesses. We will do what is necessary to support them through this period. Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow will share more on our support measures.

At the same time, all of us – Government, businesses and households – will need to do our part.

Households can do our best to conserve electricity, use climate vouchers to purchase more energy efficient appliances and adopt simple measures, such as using fans instead of air-conditioning and taking public transport instead of driving. Businesses can also conserve energy by tapping on schemes, such as the Energy Efficiency Grant, and investing in more efficient equipment.

Periods of disruption, such as this, will test the resilience of countries and economies, but they also create impetus for firms to transform, diversify and deepen their capabilities.

We must press on with the recommendations of the Economic Strategy Review – including building global leadership in key growth sectors, such as advanced manufacturing and modern services, supporting firms to diversify and internationalise, and accelerating enterprise transformation through technology and innovation, so that our economy remains resilient and competitive in a more challenging global environment.

This also means making our energy and supply chains more resilient, deepening partnerships with like-minded countries and staying open and connected to the global economy. If we stay disciplined, deepen our trust in each other, preserve our capabilities and use this period to sharpen our competitive edge, Singapore will be well placed not only to weather this crisis, but to emerge from it stronger. [Applause.]

The Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister for Finance, and the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, will also be making related Ministerial Statements. I will allow Members to raise points of clarifications on all Statements after Minister Shanmugam's Statement.

Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister for Finance.

Mr Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister has set out how the Middle East conflict will affect Singapore's economy. I will now explain what the Government is doing to support our businesses, our workers and our households through this period.

On 12 February 2026, the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance presented our largest Budget on record, at $155 billion. We could not know about the conflict that would break out in Iran, but we could see many uncertainties ahead and therefore, the need to provide greater reassurance and support in this Budget.

Hence, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced substantial broad-based support measures, including a Corporate Income Tax rebate, Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers and the Cost-of-Living Special Payment. We provided more support for lower-wage workers and households, such as enhancements to the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme, and better support for lower-income families through ComLink+.

We also enhanced U-Save rebates, giving 1.5 times the regular amount – or up to $570 this financial year. The first tranche of U-Save rebates will be disbursed in April. This will help defray the increase in utility bills from April to June. A second tranche of U-Save rebates will be disbursed in July. This should help to defray the much sharper increase in utility bills from July to September that we expect with the spike in oil prices.

Sixteen days after the Budget, the US and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iran. This current situation in the Middle East remains highly uncertain. We cannot predict how exactly events will unfold or when the conflict will end.

What we do know is that Singaporeans are already feeling some of the effects on the ground. In Singapore, petrol and diesel prices have already risen sharply in tandem with global oil prices and are likely to remain elevated for some time. And while the impact has not yet fully filtered through for items, such as electricity and food, we have to brace ourselves because we know, from experience, that this will come.

The Government is not waiting to act. We will supplement what was announced at the Budget with a further package of support measures. These provide targeted support to those who are the most heavily and directly affected. We will also provide broad-based support for businesses and households.

Let me go through each of these in turn.

First, support for the domestic transport sector. The sharp increase in fuel prices had an immediate effect on the earnings of platform workers, private hire car drivers and taxi drivers. The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has worked with platform and taxi operators on fuel vouchers and fare adjustments, which have helped to cushion the impact. To provide further relief, the Government will disburse $200 in cash to active platform workers, private hire car drivers and taxi drivers from the end of the month.

For certain essential bus services, such as those for school students, seniors and persons with disabilities, the Government will provide temporary assistance to co-fund cost increases, to enable these services to continue operating without disruption. The respective Government agencies will provide more details.

Several Members have asked if the Government will consider reducing fuel or diesel subsidies across the board. [Please refer to clarification later in the debate.]

We do not think this is the right move. It is too blunt an approach and it could also be regressive. At the same time, we want to preserve the price signals for consumers to use energy more efficiently.

More fundamentally, as an open economy, we must allow fuel prices to reflect market realities. If prices are artificially suppressed, importers may choose to divert fuel to where prices are higher and over time, this can tighten supply and leave us worse off. Instead, our targeted approach provides direct support to those who are directly affected and this allows us to channel more help to those who need it most.

Second, let me talk about support for businesses.

Higher energy and logistics costs will continue to be felt by businesses across the economy for some time. Our small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in particular, are more vulnerable to sudden cost increases.

To help businesses manage cashflow, we will enhance the Corporate Income Tax rebate announced at Budget from 40% to 50% for the Year of Assessment 2026. We will also raise the minimum benefit that a company with at least one local employee will receive, from $1,500 to $2,000. The total benefits cap for each company will be raised from $30,000 to $40,000. We will disburse this enhancement quickly, as early as the end of this month.

Even as we roll out immediate relief, this challenging period is also a timely reminder for all our businesses to build longer-term resilience against high and sustained energy prices. We will support them to do so.

Businesses that invest in energy efficiency will reduce their exposure to volatile energy prices and lower their long-run operating costs. We currently have an Energy Efficiency Grant which applies to six designated sectors, for example, food services, retail, manufacturing and construction. Companies in these sectors can make use of the Grant to invest in new, energy-efficient equipment.

We will now expand the base tier of this grant to all sectors and extend this support for another year, to 31 March 2028, so that more companies can benefit.

Additionally, some companies in the Energy and Chemicals sector have been badly affected by feedstock supply disruptions. Our agencies are engaging these firms and assessing how best to provide targeted support to preserve critical capabilities for our economy.

Finally, as a responsible buyer, the Government is prepared to share the cost increases directly related to fuel costs, for critical Government projects where any delays or stoppages would clearly affect the public interest. This includes major Government infrastructure projects, such as the Cross Island Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line and new Housing and Development Board (HDB) Build-To-Order (BTO) projects. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will issue a circular with more details shortly.

Third, let me talk about support for households.

We are tracking the prices of food and other essential goods and services very closely. So far, rising fuel prices have not yet fully percolated into wider price increases across the economy. But given the uncertainty in the Middle East, it is still too early to update our projections of inflation in Singapore, or to quantify the full impact on households.

But we know the situation has amplified cost of living anxieties for Singaporeans. Therefore, to reassure Singaporeans that the cost increases in the impending months can be managed, we will bring forward the disbursement of the $500 CDC vouchers announced in Budget this year from January 2027 to June 2026.

We will also increase the Budget 2026 Cost-of-Living Special Payment by $200 for all eligible Singaporeans. This will bring the total quantum of the Special Payment to between $400 and $600 per person. About 2.4 million Singaporeans will receive this additional payment in cash, which will be disbursed in September. Mr Speaker, may I now say a few words in Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] With tensions in the Middle East and rising energy prices, we understand Singaporeans' concerns.

The Government announced several support measures today to provide timely help for our people. We will also strengthen assistance for those most directly affected. For example, taxi drivers and platform workers will receive a cash relief of $200 from the end of April.

The Government will also provide more help for businesses and households, including by bringing forward the disbursement of the $500 CDC Vouchers from January 2027 to June this year. The Cost-of-Living Special Payment assistance to be distributed in September will also be increased by $200.

We still do not know how long this crisis will last nor do we know how big the impact will be. But the Government will continue to closely monitor the situation and take additional measures when necessary to help Singaporeans.

The Government has always managed national resources prudently and responsibly, building up Reserves first. Therefore, when crises arise, the Government has the capability to help our people, ensuring no one is left behind.

Regardless of what kind of crisis we encounter, as long as everyone unites and works together, we will be able to overcome the difficulties.

(In English): Mr Speaker, the Government has put together a substantial first response to the energy crisis caused by the Middle East conflict. We do not know how long the conflict and its economic impact will last. But the Government is alive to the situation. We have drawer plans, and as events develop, we can put them into action and do more if the situation calls for it.

This package adds up to close to $1 billion in additional measures, on top of what has previously been committed in Budget 2026. It is much larger than our immediate response in 2022, after war broke out in Ukraine and caused a similar surge in oil and gas prices. To fund these measures, the Government will work within the amount approved in the Supply Act last month in the first instance, and seek Parliament's approval for the supplementary budget later on.

Mr Speaker, this is neither the first crisis we have weathered, nor will it be the last. What Singaporeans can count on is a Government that is well-prepared, builds sufficient buffers, anticipates problems and thus is ready and able to respond swiftly with solutions. We will always make sure that no Singaporean is left to bear his or her burden alone. [Applause.]

Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs.

Thank you, Sir. Mr Speaker, as the Prime Minister said last Thursday, we stood up the HCMC, soon after hostilities started.

At the Civil Service level, there is the Homefront Crisis Executive Group (HCEG). The HCEG coordinates across Government agencies, to anticipate potential emergency scenarios, ensure the necessary contingency plans are prepared and respond to the impact of any homefront crisis or emergency. The HCEG reports to and receives directions from the HCMC.

The HCMC is a structure that was formalised after the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003. Its role was set out and explained in Parliament in 2004 by then-Minister for Home Affairs Mr Wong Kan Seng. Structurally, and organisationally, from the time it was set up, the Minister for Home Affairs has been designated as the chair of the HCMC.

The Prime Minister asked that the HCMC be stood up some weeks ago to deal with the current crisis. Deputy Prime Minister Gan is the Advisor to this HCMC. The key Ministries and their Ministers all play an important role. We have also brought in newer officeholders to complement the team. They will bring additional perspectives as they deal with specific issues related to the ongoing situation.

With your permission, Mr Speaker, may I ask the Clerks to distribute an Annex, which shows the composition of this HCMC? Members may also access these materials through the MP@SGPARL App.

Please proceed. [A handout was distributed to hon Members. Please refer to Annex 1.]

There are 13 members in this HCMC and their names are in the Annex.

Over the past month, both the HCMC and the HCEG have met several times. The HCMC has been looking at a broad range of issues, including energy and food resilience, including supply chain resilience; resilience for other essentials; security developments, both domestic and external; support measures for Singaporeans and public communications; and foreign affairs and our diplomatic relations.

In response to the heightened threat environment, from the security perspective, we have put in place additional measures. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has increased checks at our checkpoints upon the escalation of the conflict, and Police have also stepped up patrols at areas of concern.

We also activated contingency plans to repatriate Singaporeans in the Middle East affected by the conflict. Flights were organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). They were executed at short notice and required close coordination between the Ministries.

MFA began assessing evacuation routes upon the escalation of hostilities, given the possibility of prolonged airport or airspace closures in the region. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura or MUIS) have also been engaging Singaporean residents in the Middle East, as well as key partners, such as the Association of Muslim Travel Agents Singapore, for Umrah and Haj arrangements in the light of this conflict.

You have heard about the impact of the conflict from Deputy Prime Minister. I will highlight a few points.

More than half of our total crude oil imports comes from the Middle East. Prior to the crisis, about 9% of our natural gas would have been imported from Qatar, if it had carried on as per normal through the year. Many other critical supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz, including helium and aluminium. We can no longer rely on such supplies in the same way.

I will speak in a little more detail about two key sectors: first, fuel and energy; and second, food supplies.

First, on fuel and energy security. Since the start of the conflict, several countries have announced export restrictions on fuel or implemented fuel rationing measures. We have not done so. So far, there has been no need to do so. Global energy majors and trading companies have a sizeable presence in Singapore. We are the world's third largest oil trading hub and the sixth largest refinery export hub. These capabilities were built up over decades. It is the result of a deliberate long-term strategy.

Today, they underpin our energy and fuel resilience. Because of this, we are deeply connected to global flows of energy. That gives us access to diverse sources of energy and fuel supplies. So, we are able to respond to disruptions more flexibly.

We continue, so far, to have access to crude oil. And we have been meeting our domestic needs and international obligations for fuels. However, we do not know how long the disruptions will last. As Minister Tan See Leng said a fortnight ago, we need to brace ourselves for a bumpy ride ahead. No one can say what the situation will look like, or will be like if there are more serious disruptions and if they last longer.

We have secured crude oil supplies from alternative sources. But we have to pay prevailing prices, which are much higher.

Brent crude has surged as high as 70% since the increase in hostilities on 28 February. Singaporeans are feeling the impact in higher prices as fuel and energy costs rise.

Prices are likely to remain high even after hostilities cease. Damage to infrastructure in the Middle East will take time to repair. We have already seen damage to large oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other places. Even if the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens tomorrow, global oil and gas export capacity will not return to pre-conflict levels quickly.

In the broader term, we are concerned about broader disruptions to global supply chains which can affect goods critical to Singapore's economy and essential services. MTI is monitoring the situation closely and working with the industries.

As for electricity, we have taken steps to reduce risks to disruption of our supplies, to meet our electricity needs. And there are four aspects to this.

First, our sources are diversified. Apart from the Middle East, we also import LNG from Australia, one of our key suppliers; the US; and Mozambique. GasCo was set up last year to centralise gas procurement for the power sector. GasCo has begun buying replacement natural gas to replace the disrupted supply from Qatar.

Second, while 95% of our electricity is generated from natural gas, our power plants can switch from natural gas to diesel when needed.

Third, and relatedly, we have fuel reserves. These reserves comprise a mixture of natural gas and diesel. Some are owned by the Government. Some are owned by power generation companies.

We are also planning to increase our fuel reserves. It will be costly, but we think it necessary. We have so far not tapped on our fuel reserves nor have we implemented fuel rationing.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) also requires power generation companies to have pre-arranged contractual access to additional fuel.

Fuel suppliers are required to deliver the fuel to the power generation companies within a set number of days upon activation. And we are prepared, if necessary, to direct the power generation companies to exercise their legal rights to secure the additional fuel. That said, securing the additional fuel by the power generation companies may be subject to force majeure events. Some of the additional fuel may be sourced from overseas and may be subject to supply disruptions again.

Fourth, EMA has strengthened regulatory requirements on electricity retailers in 2023. This ensures that they are sufficiently hedged and will be better able to handle an extended period of gas price volatility.

The position we put ourselves in before the crisis and the steps we have taken since the crisis have helped us remain relatively stable. Nevertheless, if the supply disruptions increase and if more suppliers are unable to supply fuel or gas, then potential disruptions to our domestic energy and electricity supply cannot be ruled out. However, this remains a low-probability scenario for now, though we continue to monitor developments closely.

But prices will go up. The Deputy Prime Minister spoke earlier on the regulated electricity tariff. Even though the cost of gas accounts for almost half of the regulated tariff, this has so far only partially transmitted to the tariff price. If the conflict is prolonged, then we have to expect much sharper increases in electricity prices.

The situation has caused many countries to take a closer look at their energy security. I will make two points on our situation.

First, on refineries. As I said earlier, we are a major refining centre. When countries began imposing controls on their export of fuel, many asked us if we would still be able to supply them with refined fuel products. Some of these countries supply crude oil and other essential products to us. In turn, we supply them with refined products, which they need. This creates a mutual interdependence. It keeps Singapore relevant in the international energy trade. And this has enabled us to have continued access to crude oil.

Some have also questioned the role of refineries over the medium term, given our green transition.

We remain committed to de-carbonising our economy. But as stated before, our path to net zero will depend on technological breakthroughs and sustained international cooperation.

For now, the priority worldwide is energy security. Countries everywhere need to keep the lights on. Fossil fuels remain part of the global energy mix. Because renewable energy is not yet able to meet all of the demand.

In that context, Singapore will continue to play a role as a refining hub. And we will continue to work with our refineries to improve their energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint.

Second, we must continue to press on with our efforts to diversify our sources of energy. We have made good progress on domestic solar energy deployment. We have already achieved our 2030 target of two gigawatt-peak in 2025. At the Committee of Supply debate in March, the Government announced that it would raise the target to three gigawatt-peak.

In the near term, we will continue to deploy solar energy domestically and pursue electricity imports from the region. In the medium to long term, we are assessing other sources of energy to diversify our fuel mix.

One potential source is nuclear energy. Advanced nuclear energy technologies have the potential to provide safe, reliable and clean baseload power. Nuclear fuel is energy dense and can be efficiently stockpiled. Five uranium pellets one-inch-tall can generate the same amount of electricity as one Olympic-sized swimming pool of natural gas.

But adopting nuclear energy requires very serious consideration. It needs to be studied very carefully to ensure that it is safe for deployment in or around Singapore.

We have been building up the technical expertise to evaluate the technology as it develops. And we are partnering overseas governments and companies who are leaders in this field. We really need the best expertise on this. We will continue to study this very carefully and rigorously. And there are dedicated teams in the Government that are doing this.

Let me now turn to food security.

Our primary concern is with inflationary pressures on our food products. Natural gas is a key feedstock for fertilisers. With disruptions to gas supply, fertiliser prices will go up. Food crops and animal feed will therefore cost more, and the price of our imported food products will rise. As fuel costs go up, it will also cost more to transport and store food products.

Singapore maintains strategic food stockpiles. That will help us mitigate the impact of any unforeseen supply disruptions. Meanwhile, we are relooking at our supply chains with a view towards strengthening them.

However, we are only able to maintain stockpiles of essential food types. Singaporeans should be prepared for supplies of some foods from some countries to be unavailable and will have to exercise flexibility in choosing alternatives.

There have been questions about the extent of Singapore's fuel reserves and food stockpiles. As a policy, we do not disclose these. That is deliberate. Disclosing such details would reveal where our limits lie and that could be used against Singapore in times of crisis.

What matters is that we have sufficient buffers and contingency plans in place. And we regularly review and strengthen these arrangements to ensure that they remain robust.

Sir, in conclusion, the HCMC will continue to closely monitor the situation. We will respond as a whole-of-Government to take care of Singapore and Singaporeans. We will work together to get through the crisis and emerge stronger – as we always have. [Applause.]

Sir, the questions will be taken by the Ministers who deal with their respective areas.

Senior Minister of State Jeffrey Siow.

Mr Speaker, I would like to make a clarification for my speech. I earlier said that several Members have asked if the Government will consider reducing fuel or diesel subsidies.

I misread. What I meant to say was that several Members have asked if the Government will consider reducing fuel or diesel duties. It is the exact opposite of what I actually said, so I thought I should clarify.

That is an important clarification.

Before I call on hon Members for clarifications, I just wish to point out that pursuant to Standing Order No 23, Members may seek clarification on the Ministerial Statements, but no debate shall be allowed thereon.

Members can seek your clarifications by way of asking questions. So, I seek Members' understanding to keep your clarifications clear and concise so that the Ministers can answer as many clarifications as possible. Likewise, I will ask the Ministers to also keep your answers clear and concise.

To make our discussions clearer, more focus and efficient, I propose to structure our clarifications as follows.

Firstly, clarifications on energy and trade-related matters. These could include petrol, electricity and their impact on trade and the economy.

The second group of clarifications will include the impact on local businesses and households and the support measures for them.

And the third group of clarifications will be on general security issues and related matters.

So, I ask for Members' cooperation to group your clarifications according to the subject matters I have listed. This will give clarity to our discussions, make it easier to follow and understand the answers provided, and allow for deeper and more focused examination of the issues and suggestions from Members.

I assure Members that I will give you sufficient opportunity to make your clarifications on the different topics. There is no need to make all your clarifications at once.

Once again, the first basket of clarifications will be energy and trade-related matters. I will then move on to the second group of clarifications on the impact on local businesses and households and the support measures for them. And finally the third group of clarifications will be more security issues and related matters. I thank Members for your cooperation.

The first group of clarifications. Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have three clarifications related to the first set of questions, Mr Speaker.

My first supplementary question: Singapore is a price-taker. I am very concerned about inflation pass-through. With the Middle East situation, there are unknowns. I would like to ask the committee and Government for their view about the risk of export restrictions of energy supplied by our partners, especially in the region.

Second, can the Government share its view on food resilience, especially with some concerns about seafood and fish supply, with the risk that diesel shortages for fishermen in the region may affect supply? The concern is whether seafood is regarded also as an essential in the Government's definition.

Third, I noticed that our measures, as the Senior Minister of State has shared earlier, are calibrated in some ways. For now, it looks very sound. It is also a testament to our long-term focus in terms of macro policy mix. My question is, our macro policy mix to address this supply shock is very clear, but what is the likelihood of the inflation pass-through continuing into 2027 and even into 2028, and if there is a need for off-Budget measures where further tranches are needed? I think the Senior Minister of State mentioned there is always a possibility and ability to do that, but what is the possibility of off-Budget measures coming?

Lastly, on our ability to maintain our strong Singapore dollar policy to mitigate imported inflation. That has always been the case, but I think going forward, I am aware that MAS will be releasing its policy statement in April later on. But I think it is very important for us to continue to maintain our strong Singapore dollar policy to control inflation pass-through. As I have stated earlier, inflation pass-through is of utmost importance.

Minister Tan See Leng.

Speaker, given the brevity of time, I will dispense with the thanking. I will take the first question on energy and his point about the fact that we are price-takers and how we are thinking of the possibility of the risks of export restrictions by some of our partners.

Perhaps to curate the point more, I think you are referring specifically to natural gas, because that is how we are powering up our entire country and our economy.

As everyone knows, 95% of our electricity comes from natural gas. We import natural gas primarily through piped natural gas from our immediate neighbours like Malaysia, as well as LNG from around the world.

At this particular point in time, there is no upstream disruption from the piped natural gas supply. For LNG, we continue to source the whole world through GasCo, which, if Members recall, it was the previous Government, in this Chamber, that we pass an amendment to our Electricity Act, allowing us to form GasCo and then to centralise the procurement of gas. So, this has come in quite presciently, so that today, we are able to, through GasCo, source for supplies of LNG from all over the world.

We have now diversified our LNG supplies beyond the Middle East. We source them from Australia, from the US, from Mozambique and even as we speak, we continue to look for new markets.

For us, diversification has always been one of the key strategies. Of course, we also now look for alternative sources, renewable energy or otherwise, but that will take a bit more time.

Having said that, we have also ensured that our generation system, our generation companies (gencos) can run both on natural gas and on diesel. So, in the event that we do not have enough natural gas, the gencos will be required to switch to diesel to run and power up. We have conducted regular audits every quarter on these gencos to ensure that the advanced combined cycle gas turbine can switch to diesel. Thus far, our audit statistics have shown that we are 99.9% ready in switching. [Please refer to ​"Clarification by Minister for Manpower", Official Report, 7 April 2026, Vol 96, Issue 27, Correction By Written Statement section.]

We have also established stockpiles, but as I have also shared before, given the constraint of land that we have within our country, there is a fiscal limit as to how much stockpiling we can do. Of course, we have also explored whether we could put it on the waters, get these very large crude carriers or use the floating storage regasification units. But then again, space and the cost to maintain these very large crude carriers would not be, at this particular point in time, that economically feasible.

But I want to assure the Member and all Members of the House that we constantly establish close relationships, dialogues, conversations with like-minded partners.

The key in point, as the Deputy Prime Minister shared, our Prime Minister has also issued a joint statement with the Prime Minister of Australia, Prime Minister Albanese, to establish ties and to ensure that we can continue to get supply of LNG from Australia. I hope that reassures the Member.

On resilience, Senior Minister of State Zaqy.

I thank the Member for his question. On seafood specifically, we do not see immediate risk. We have diversified our food imports. We have also got local production of seafood readily available.

At this point, as both the Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister have shared, our main risk for agriculture lies in fertiliser. And in the short term, no impact, but we think there could be secondary impact, as the Member has shared with diesel and other energy prices, just with other sectors. So, we are monitoring the situation and we will keep everyone posted as things happen.

Mr Supaat, your question on the support measures, I will defer it to the next bucket for Acting Minister Siow to respond. Mr Pritam Singh.

Mr Speaker, for this first part of questions, I have two clarifications, which are directed at Ministers who are dealing with questions pertaining to energy security.

In a Facebook post about a week ago, the Minister-in-charge of Energy, Science and Technology warned about the possibility of fuel shortages that could not be ruled out in the medium to long term, and that Singaporeans and businesses should prepare for significant turbulence in the months to come; and the Minister also projected up to a five-year repair time for Qatar's LNG facilities.

My first clarification, notwithstanding the expiry of LNG contracts with Indonesia in 2028, is the Government in touch with both Indonesia and Malaysia, which supply close to half of our piped LNG, to potentially increase supplies, and have there been any deliberations in this regard?

The second question pertains to energy security more generally. Does the war in the Middle East present an opportunity to potentially bring forward Singapore's plans of acquiring more renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity from our neighbours and in larger quantities than had been previously planned?

I mentioned the fuel shortages potentially ahead, because the threat of the escalation of the crisis in the Middle East is very real. If we follow the tweets, if we follow all of the news that is coming out, whether it is from the US or from Iran, from Israel, we can pretty much come to that same conclusion.

So, it is important for us as a country that while we can take some calm, but we should also be very pragmatic and very real about what the challenges are. And the fact is that because we do not produce any of these natural resources on our shores, we therefore have to be prepared for a possible worse-case scenario, not worst case, but a worse-case scenario compared to what it is today.

And to that end, we constantly reach out to our immediate neighbours to talk about piped natural gas (PNG), the continuous supply of PNG. Some of them are expiring in 2028. But at the same time we also establish a more diversified source country strategy so that it strengthens our position in terms of our resilience.

Some of the existing fields that we are drawing from, inherently, are also faced with dwindling reserves, within those reservoirs that we are tapping from. Of course, we are also discussing with our neighbours about the potential of exploring new areas for us to tap into.

Those conversations happen contemporaneously with our discussions on renewable energy imports. And to that end, if the Member recall, we have already awarded both conditional approval or conditional licensing of up to about 8.35 gigawatts of renewable energy. Our original target was six gigawatts – we have exceeded that.

Today, given this uncertainty, we are indeed ramping up the negotiations, the discussions with our counterparts to see how we can expedite both the completion of the feasibility studies as well as the commercial feasibility of laying of the subsea cables. Those are happening in progress.

So, I hope to give some positive news, but we are stepping up. Today, I am not at liberty to share that first.

Where we are, I cannot predict how long more this war will take. And what I think we should be sure about is that because we are open, we are connected. While this is an advantage for us, given the 150 oil majors that we have here, the third largest oil trading hub in the world, the sixth largest refinery complex in the world, but upstream, the crude still has to come from somewhere. [Please refer to ​"Clarification by Minister for Manpower", Official Report, 7 April 2026, Vol 96, Issue 27, Correction By Written Statement section.]

And if the Middle East as a source is choked, we will still not necessarily have that significant impact, but the impact downstream is that it will take a longer time for crude from other parts of the world to bypass the Middle East to come to us.

The quality of the crude, they are also different. And because of the differences in the quality of the crude, the run rates of our refinery complexes would also therefore have to be optimised. So, it is this whole cascade of the different refinery processes that we also have to take into account that is contributing, in some cases, amplifying this crisis.

But our modus operandi has always been, we do not impose export restrictions and we will still abide by the rules-based global trading framework.

Mr Edward Chia.

Thank you, Speaker. Given that the current energy crunch is disproportionately impacting Asia, does the Minister see this as opportunity to strengthen regional cooperation in energy resilience, including exploring ASEAN collaboration in nuclear energy, such as joint investments and joint operations in the nuclear power plant?

We certainly see an opportunity in every crisis. It is precisely what all of us do. Our entire team, fellow political officeholders, Government Parliamentary Committee members, that we constantly outreach to our like-minded partners to work even more closely with them.

The most recent visit two weeks ago to Japan with the Prime Minister, last week's visit to Australia and there will be many more of such outreach to many of our like-minded partners.

On the nuclear energy collaboration, it is not for want of or lack of trying. I think the Member will appreciate the fact that because we are so small and as the Coordinating Minister for National Security alluded to just now, we have to ensure that these advanced nuclear energy technologies are safe. They indeed are today. The physics work, the engineering work. It is just that there has not been a single site of deployment yet. I mean, there are some that is in the process of being commissioned, for instance, in China, and there are some coming up in the US. But we have not seen a single modular reactor site being put up and operating commercially.

And the Member will appreciate the fact that regardless of how we collaborate with the rest of the ASEAN member states, we will never put our population at risk of adopting a first-of-a-kind technology. We can be a fast adopter, but we cannot be the first-of-a-kind mover. I hope that gives the Member the context of what we are doing.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa.

Sir, my questions relate to the sharp spike in the diesel prices. Diesel prices are now north of $4 per litre, even more expensive than petrol, very unusual phenomenon, and it is severely impacting many of the transport, logistical business, construction business sectors as well. So, can I ask the Minister if he can share about why this phenomenon of diesel is being more expensive than petrol?

The Minister earlier shared that the Government's gencos can actually switch from gas to diesel. So, is that the reason why diesel has gone up because of the Government procurement of diesel?

More importantly, what can the Government do to help businesses that depend on diesel, which is a low cost fuel for the businesses to do their deliveries, including construction sectors. So, I am particularly happy that the Acting Minister Jeffrey Siow has just said about this construction sector, for the critical public sector projects, we will be co-sharing the cost increases for diesel. So, how can we enable or incentivise our other businesses to do that to help companies that are impacted by the cost increases of diesel?

Our diesel prices have risen mainly due to global factors. I mean the ongoing tensions involving Iran, as I have said a few times already, significantly increase the uncertainty and, of course, the risk to oil supply. And it pushes up the crude oil all over the world.

If you compare diesel, diesel is a very versatile fuel mix, because the strong demand from transport, from the shipping industry, and there is also some limited refining capacity that is possible using diesel. And as I have shared with you, even our combined cycle gas turbines, which the gencos use, can use diesel as a back-up. So, it is a very versatile use.

You will appreciate the fact that it is also easier to store diesel compared to natural gas, because the boiling point of natural gas, I think it is probably about minus 150 over degrees Celsius. So, to keep natural gas, you need that energy to keep it at that level. And if you put it in a floating storage regasification unit, there is a lot of boil-off of that gas. So, you got to use it.

LNG is not an easy fuel for you to store unlike diesel. When you talk about stockpiling, of course, a significant proportion of that amount is in diesel. So, you can appreciate that because of the versatility and in farm tractors in many of the agrarian countries around, that emphasis has always been on diesel.

That is why it has risen faster compared to petrol.

As far as the roll-out of support measures, Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow has already shared what are the measures. MTI will continue to keep a close watch on this space and if need be, the Government will not hesitate to come in, to act, to help.

Mr Fadli Fawzi.

I have several clarifications to make. Firstly, is the Government engaging the Iranian authorities to secure transit through the Strait of Hormuz for Singapore-flagged vessels similar to what other countries like Malaysia has done and will Singapore be open to paying a toll to pass through the Strait of Hormuz?

Secondly, is the Government considering further regulating petrol station operators to ensure that changes in petrol prices, especially increases, are linked to actual market conditions, and if not, why not?

And thirdly, what is the status of Singapore's helium supplies following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and whether the Government has contingency plans to help the semiconductor industry access sufficient helium supplies for production and also, does the Government foresee any delays in MRI procedures or increases in the price of MRIs for the rest of the year as a result of shortages in helium?

Minister Ong.

Let me address the issue on helium on MRI machines. Helium is used in small quantities as a cooling agent in MRI machines. They do not get topped up very frequently. So, our consumption of helium is actually small, and our supply of helium is largely not from the Middle East. So, MRI operations will not be affected for now.

Minister of State Gan Siow Huang.

I will take the question on helium for semiconductor. For the semiconductor sector, helium is used mainly in wafer fabrication for heat management, cooling and process stability. By and large, the wafer fabs here have a multi-source strategy for helium supplies. And wafer fabs in Singapore, in particular, they have, so far, not expressed immediate operational impact, but have started to activate more alternative supplies. We will continue to work closely with the industry to monitor their needs.

The question on security, the part about Strait of Hormuz and Iranian authorities, Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, do you want to answer now or do you want to do it at the last part? I suggest we do at the last part.

Mr Fadli Fawzi, I will direct the question to Minister Vivian Balakrishnan later. Mr Foo Cexiang.

I declare that I work in the logistics arm of the port. I have two clarifications.

First, will the measures to support the domestic transport and critical sector extend to the logistics and supply chain sector, such as the hauliers, as well as the port, because this is certainly a critical sector during this period?

Second supplementary question: the war accelerates a fundamental global supply chain shift that has been happening for several years, away from cheapest, fastest and the leanest to safest, most resilient, as well as the most trusted. So, the Economic Strategy Review recommendations are timely and should be implemented swiftly. But my question is, are they bold enough and do they go far enough in view of what has just happened in the Middle East? Will Singapore be able to not just survive disruption, but thrive because of it as a reliability hub for our region?

Speaker, I would like to respond to Mr Fadli Fawzi's earlier question on petrol prices at the petrol stations. Singapore has a competitive and open economy, and prices naturally would fluctuate in response to various factors, including changes in global supply and global demand. The Government does not dictate the prices or price changes of businesses, so long as the prices are set independently. Instead, the Government's approach is to ensure that the market remains competitive.

For the petrol stations, we also know that there are several players in the market. At present, there is no evidence to suggest that the market structure is not competitive. The entry of Cnergy operated by Union Gas is also an encouraging sign, as it provides more choices to consumers. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore will continue to watch closely the pump prices to make sure there is no anti-competitive behaviour by the businesses.

Mr Speaker, let me respond to Mr Foo Cexiang's two questions. The first is on the port and port services, and whether they can be considered as critical services. As I mentioned in my speech, what the Government agencies will do is to assess whether or not such services are critical parts of what we have to do and whether the direct impact of these services is due to the rise in prices. So, in this case, the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will assess that and make a case to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) for support.

On the Economic Strategy Review, indeed, I agree with the Member that there are opportunities for us to look at. The Economic Strategy Review is a plan for us to remake our economy for the next five to 10 years. It is a long-term strategy. One of the key things that we are looking at through the Economic Strategy Review is how to strengthen Singapore as a hub of flows. I think the energy crisis reiterates for us how important that strategy is. It is precisely because that Singapore is in the middle of energy flows that we are able to have energy security and to be able to be in the position that we are in.

Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh.

I thank the Ministers for their responses. I just wanted to clarify, in modelling some of these scenarios regarding our fuel sufficiency, I was wondering if these assessments include more materially longer or more severe kinds of scenarios than we typically model. And whether or not, the price reflects supply and demand, whether there is a price threshold and the duration for which the price of the commodities are sustained for that we are monitoring, before we implement more rationing measures.

We simulate models across chronological parameters as well as geographical parameters. So, our simulations run, particularly for power generation, our scenarios run on if one region is completely choked versus two regions versus multiple regions. And we build that simulation accordingly. I am not at liberty to share because it is a function of our own national security.

For the other simulation, we have simulated based on a three-month, five-month, one-year window. The parameters go into a lot of details, in terms of which are the sectors that are most exposed and then which are the sectors that get indirectly influenced by the cascading effect, and then to the more domestic sectors getting influenced.

So, there are multiple simulation scenarios. One of the key things is that our civil servants are very, very well adapt in managing all of these different scenarios. Like I said, I cannot go into the details because it is a matter of our own security.

Ms Poh Li San.

Speaker, I have three supplementary questions.

Supplementary question one: what is the Government's assessment of the overall food supply situation and how the does Government stabilise the prices of essential food items and curb profiteering, so that seniors and also low-income families can still afford their meals and food expenses?

Supplementary question two: the local bus transport companies are badly affected by the surge in diesel prices, and they are running diesel cost increases of more than $1 million per month for some of them. However, they are also bound by the prices locked in their contracts and are not able to increase their prices. These local transport companies are essential to ensure our workers can get to work on time. Other than transportation for school children and people with disabilities, how would the measures help such local transport companies tide through this crisis, especially if the war prolongs?

Supplementary question three: jet fuel supply has been severely affected and fuel prices have surged dramatically. The sustainable aviation fuel levy has been postponed to apply for flights from first January 2027 onwards. How will the impact on fuel supply and fuel prices impact Singapore as an air hub, especially if the war prolongs?

Speaker, I would like to respond to Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh's question regarding price threshold.

First, in the context of a petrol, which I mentioned earlier on, regulating or capping petrol or diesel pump prices will distort the market and actually will serve to benefit vehicle users and owners that consume more, and possibly people who are more well-to-do. This may not be a fair way of distributing our limited resources. It will also reduce the incentive for Singaporeans, as well as businesses to switch to more energy efficient modes of transport.

Instead, the Government's approach is to ensure that our fuel market remains well-functioning and competitive, so that fuel companies are incentivised to compete, innovate and become more efficient.

On electricity prices, on whether it is a price threshold, the electricity prices is something that the Government will continue to watch closely because it affects households and businesses directly. Again, our priority is to make sure that there are enough support measures, such as U-Save, CDC vouchers and targeted support measures for businesses that are more affected by the electricity price increase.

Senior Minister of State Murali Pillai.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to respond to the hon Member Ms Poh's third question on jet fuel. We are working with the aviation stakeholders to monitor the fuel supply for aviation hubs carefully to ensure that it remains stable.

There are no significant supply shortages for now as we have adequate fuel supply from the diversified sources. But if higher fuel prices persist, this will lead to increased cost pressures, which may filter to passengers and consumers in various sectors. We note that some airlines have made commercial decisions to raise ticket prices in response to the soaring cost of fuel. These remain commercial decisions which we do not intervene in. However, we will continue to work closely with the industry to monitor the situation and assess whether there is a need for the Government to take further measures.

Speaker, our Singapore Food Story 2 mitigates the impact of food supply disruptions on Singapore through its four pillars working together, which is diversification, global partnerships, stockpiling and local production.

Due to our efforts in partnership with other governments, for example, Thailand and Vietnam for rice cooperation, New Zealand and Australia for other food areas, as well as working with the industry to diversify our food sources over the years, importers can now pivot more readily to alternative sources, if needed.

If the situation worsens and food imports are severely disrupted, the stockpile of essential food items, as shared by the Coordinating Minister, that we have been maintaining and expanding will provide us time to restore food flows and sustain our population.

Finally, local farms can increase their production and provide us with a regenerative source of fresh food that is maintained during prolonged disruption.

This multi-pillar approach ensures that Singapore is able to meet our food needs and Singaporeans can continue to experience reasonable normalcy during disruptions. However, we also have to recognise that in a crisis, we will have to prioritise our efforts. It will not always be possible to have everyone's favourite food or favourite brand in every disruption, but what we can do is to provide the assurance of food supply where it matters most.

The Government is monitoring the developments in the Middle East and its impact on Singapore's food supply closely. Singapore imports most of our food and from many different sources – we have 180 countries and regions that we import from. The Middle East accounts for less than 1% of our total food imports. And food coming from major ports, such as the Strait of Hormuz, accounts for even less, at less than 0.5%.