Hansard, Thursday, 10 March 2022

1 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether he can provide an update on the number of lifts installed at pedestrian overhead bridges across Singapore in 2021; (b) how does this number compare to the number of lifts installed in 2019 and 2020; and (c) what is the projected annual number of lifts that will be installed at pedestrian overhead bridges for the next three years.

As of end 2021, a total of 77 pedestrian overhead bridges (POBs) have been retrofitted with lifts as part of LTA's lift retrofitting programme. Of these, 26 and four POBs were retrofitted with lifts in 2021 and 2020 respectively.

In 2018, LTA completed Phase 2 of its lift retrofitting programme for 41 POBs, primarily near public transport nodes. LTA was preparing for Phase 3 of the lift retrofitting programme in 2019. Preparatory works, such as site investigations and technical studies, have to be done before commencing construction, hence, it takes about 14 to 22 months to retrofit lifts at POBs.

Phase 3 focuses on POBs near places, such as healthcare institutions, so that lifts installed will benefit a high number of seniors and commuters with mobility challenges. This phase, which started from 2020, will see around 60 POBs being retrofitted with lifts. The remaining 30 lifts will be installed progressively over the next three years.

Mr Darryl David.

Thank you, Madam. I would also like to thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for his reply. Just one supplementary question. I understand that perhaps with time, the cost of installation of the lifts would come down. I would like to enquire from the Senior Parliamentary Secretary if MOT explores other alternative technologies for this. For example, conventional lifts use a certain electrical motor and mechanism, but would hydraulic lifts, for example, be a possible solution if the cost of installation of the hydraulic lifts would be a bit more economical and, therefore, allow for the Budget to be better used to serve the same purpose?

Madam, the Member had also asked a similar question in 2018. At that time, we shared that a pair of lifts at POBs can cost up to $4 million for installation and about $40,000 a year to maintain.

Indeed, over the years, we have explored different or better ways of providing such facilities. But, of course, we have to also consider the high usage and that it is cost-efficient to maintain. Currently, I am happy to share that, with experience and technologies, we have been able to bring down the cost. So, it now costs about $2 million to $3 million to install a pair of lifts. The costs also include site investigations and the technical things that need to be done, apart from the actual cost of the lift per se. Unfortunately, the maintenance has gone up from $40,000, as shared in 2018, to about $45,000 now, because of labour and other associated costs.

LTA will continue to explore more cost-efficient ways to provide barrier-free access at our POBs when we retrofit them. I seek the public and Members' understanding that there is still a cost involved and priority will definitely be given to areas where we can benefit more commuters with such needs.

2 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many cases of stray animal abuse in the community are reported in the past three years; (b) whether the numbers are rising each year; (c) what are the common types of abuse and most common types of animals affected; and (d) what is the Ministry's approach towards deterring abuse of stray animals.

Madam, from 2019 to 2021, NParks received 654 pieces of feedback about alleged stray animal abuse. Upon investigation, 12 cases of animal abuse could be substantiated with evidence and enforcement actions were taken against the offenders. Based on the data, we do not see a rising trend in stray animal abuse cases and there are no common types of abuse observed. Most of the cases reported involved stray cats.

We take a serious view of all acts of animal abuse. NParks investigates all cases of feedback on animal abuse and will take enforcement action as appropriate. Individuals who are found guilty of animal abuse can be charged under the Animals and Birds Act. First-time offenders can face a maximum fine of $15,000, or a jail term of up to 18 months, or both.

In addition, NParks works closely with stakeholders such as animal welfare groups and veterinarians, to promote responsible interactions with animals. For example, NParks conducts outreach at pet-related events and community walkabouts and develops educational resources and programmes as part of its efforts.

Safeguarding the welfare of animals is a shared responsibility. Members of the public can play their part by reporting suspected cases of animal abuse to NParks and providing information that might help to facilitate investigations.

Mr Yip Hon Weng.

Thank you, Madam. I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Out of the cases of stray animal abuse over the past three years, how many animal abusers were caught? How can we better educate and create better awareness amongst community feeders about animal abuse, especially about signs and symptoms of abuse?

Madam, of the 654 pieces of feedback, upon investigation, 12 cases could be substantiated. Enforcement actions were taken. To the Member's other query, most of the reported cases of stray animal abuse involve injured or dead animals that were found by members of the public. These injuries could have been caused by other circumstances, such as attacks by other animals, disease or accidents. For many of these reported cases, NParks was unable to find sufficient supporting evidence and proof that they were cases of animal abuse.

So, for members of the public who come across such cases, please let NParks know. We have a 24-hour hotline at the animal response centre, 1800 476 1600, or go to the OneService app. And please include any information that might facilitate investigations.

Mr Louis Ng.

Thank you, Madam. I thank the Minister of State for the reply as well. Could I ask two clarifications? One, I understand we are reviewing the penalties for animal cruelty and abuse. Could I just check what is the time frame for this review and when we could expect amendments to the Animals and Birds Act? And two, whether MND is also considering to include mandatory treatment orders as part of the penalties under the review?

Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member for the two supplementary questions. Indeed, we are reviewing the Animals and Birds Act. We are consulting internally and will consult stakeholders when ready. We assure Members that we are working on it, including the penalty framework.

The second question is around the mandatory treatment order. This is something that if the Member has views on, he can write to us with, as part of the consultation.

3 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Prime Minister whether the Government will (i) study the doubling of paternity leave by several multinational companies in Singapore to examine the effect on employability, productivity and family relationships of the employees in these companies and (ii) consider doubling the paternity leave for all fathers.

Mdm Deputy Speaker, international research shows that paid parental leave, which includes paternity leave, benefits employers in terms of talent attraction, employee retention and productivity. Paternity leave is also associated with stronger relationships between fathers and their children, as well as with their wives.

The Government has progressively enhanced parental leave schemes to better support parents and, particularly fathers, in playing a bigger role in raising their children. In 2017, we made the second week of Paternity Leave mandatory and increased Shared Parental Leave from one to four weeks. Fathers can now take up to eight weeks of leave in total in their child's first year, to bond with their newborns and care for their wives.

However, supporting the caregiving needs of parents must be balanced with the manpower and operational needs of employers, as I had explained in my Committee of Supply (COS) speech last week. A more sustainable approach is for companies to develop a family-friendly culture. We are heartened that some companies in Singapore are leaning forward to offer additional paternity leave, on top of legislated provisions. There are also other ways to provide more flexible leave options for staff; many companies have signed up to the Tripartite Standards on Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs.

We welcome these progressive companies to share their experiences and best practices with other companies. As the needs of companies vary, employers, in partnership with their employees, are best placed to assess and implement the family-friendly arrangements suited to the company's context. We will continue to work with tripartite partners to review the scope for more parental leave provisions and build a Singapore that is Made For Families.

Mr Louis Ng.

Thank you, Madam. I should first say we all welcome the Leader back to the House and we are glad she has recovered well. I have two clarifications. One is, I am just wondering whether the Government is going to review our parental leave policy, not immediately overnight, but, eventually, try to equalise it. I worry what message we are sending to our society when we say that mothers have 16 weeks of maternity leave and fathers have two weeks. Then, we are saying who is supposed to look after our children.

In line with that, the second clarification is, there are studies now that show that our policies reinforce the gender stereotypes. So, I hope the Government can study some of these studies that are out there and also do additional studies to see whether our policies really do reinforce the gender stereotypes.

Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member for his clarifications. I would say that we agree that it is very important for fathers to be involved, especially at the early stage when the children are just born, for them to bond with the children and to be there for the wife and the family. As I had indicated at COS and earlier, we will continue to work with the tripartite partners to review the scope for more parental leave provisions.

I think the key adjustment that we need to make is a mindset change. It is a mindset change partly on the part of fathers, partly on the part of employers. Employers are key. We have found, for example, if we look at the statistics for the taking of parental leave, that there has been an improvement, but it is still not where we want it to be. For example, in 2016, the take-up rate was 47%; in 2017, it was 53%; in 2018, it was 53%; in 2019, it was 55%. You can see that it is improving, but it is not where we would like it to be.

Firstly, we hope that more and more fathers will see themselves playing a vital role when their children are born and take up the paternity leave. The second part of the equation is also how the employers respond. This is very important because if someone applies for paternity leave and you find that the supervisor is not supportive or the colleagues are not willing to cover, it makes it very difficult for the father to take that paternity leave as well.

That mindset shift is something we are in transition because we see more fathers wanting to be involved; employers need to be on board. Which is why both at COS and now, I am reiterating, as indeed Mr Ng is, that it is actually better for your organisation if you are family-friendly. It is better for your organisation if you support fathers to take paternity leave, and, of course, mothers as well. This is something that we need to work with the tripartite partners on. Mr Louis Ng can be reassured that this is an area of work we will continue to look at.

4 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health, given the commitment to strengthen the Singaporean Core in the nursing profession, whether the Government will review the total compensation of Singaporean nurses to bring it more in line with nursing wages in developed countries.

In setting salaries of most occupations, the salient consideration is the conditions of the local market, while taking into consideration the international market, if relevant.

In this regard, MOH regularly reviews the salaries of nurses and other healthcare staff to ensure market competitiveness. Nurses' salaries take into account both local and global references.

As I mentioned yesterday in my Committee of Supply speech, in 2021, we enhanced nursing salaries in the public healthcare sector by 5% to 14%, to be implemented over two years, including one tranche that will be given out this year. We had also increased funding support to the community care sector to ensure that nurses' salaries in the community care sector remain competitive as well.

Beyond base salaries, nurses also receive the Nurse Special Payment (NSP) in December every year. The NSP quantum is reviewed annually to ensure that nursing pay remains attractive.

Through competitive salaries and non-monetary means, we will ensure that nursing remains a viable career prospect for Singaporeans.

The following question stood in the name of Dr Lim Wee Kiak –

5 To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the Ministry doing to ensure that increases in petrol prices are not profiteering; and (b) whether oil companies can claim a rise in crude oil prices as the basis for raising petrol prices just one day after the war broke out in Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

Question No 5.

Since the start of the year, global oil prices and domestic pump prices have been rising as a result of the Russia-Ukraine tension and retailers here have been adjusting their pump prices periodically. Soon after the war broke out, three retailers raised pump prices further on 24 to 25 February, while the remaining two retailers did not adjust prices. Overall, the increase in petrol and diesel prices reflect the rise in the price of crude oil over the past months.

While pump prices are set by the market, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) keeps a close watch to ensure an open and competitive market. If there is evidence of anti-competitive behaviour, such as coordinated price increases, CCCS will investigate and take firm enforcement action under the Competition Act.

Well-informed consumers are also a key deterrent against unreasonable pricing. Fuel Kaki, a retail petrol price comparison website, which is developed by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), empowers consumers to compare not just the retail pump prices, but also the effective price of petrol across retailers, based on the various discounts and rebates applicable to them.

The Government will continue to monitor price movements in the retail petrol industry.

Leader of the Opposition.

Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Just one question for the Minister for Manpower. In view of the steep rise in the price of petrol and diesel, is the Government looking at the prospect of a support package for private hire drivers, taxi drivers, private hire bus drivers, not too dissimilar from the aviation support package announced at this year's Budget to alleviate the cost of work for them?

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. We are watching the situation very closely. Even as we speak, I think that there are a lot of developments today and volatility in terms of the pricing, looking also at the oil futures. These are all the various factors we take into consideration.

At this particular point in time, we think that the current slew of measures, the support packages and so on, appear to be having some impact in supporting them. As I have said in my previous Committee of Supply speech, we will not hesitate to roll out more. But at this particular point in time, we need to monitor the situation very, very closely.

6 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for National Development (a) how is the space allocation for heavy vehicle parking lots calculated and decided for each town; (b) how often is this reviewed to ensure that there are sufficient lots to meet residents' needs; and (c) whether the MOM and the companies in sectors that employ lorry drivers are included in the review process to shift heavy vehicle parking lots away from HDB housing estates.

As of December 2021, there are about 42,100 Heavy Vehicle (HV) lots islandwide, and about 32,400 HVs registered under LTA's Vehicle Parking Certificate (VPC) scheme. Hence, there are sufficient lots for all HVs islandwide.

We recognise that some HV drivers may prefer to park near where they reside. However, locating HV parks (HVPs) in or near residential areas comes at a high opportunity cost, as the land could otherwise cater to housing or other community needs. Residents have also raised noise and safety concerns due to heavy vehicle traffic arising from these HVPs. As the competition for land intensifies, it will be increasingly difficult to have HVPs in or near residential estates, where the tradeoffs are more acute. Today, the majority of HV lots are already located in industrial areas and privately operated.

As the Member has also pointed out, we have been reviewing our plans to progressively reduce the number of public HVPs in or near residential areas, to free up land to meet other development needs. Any injection of public HVPs in or near residential areas will need to be considered carefully.

HV drivers play an important role in our economy. We are, therefore, working closely with agencies like MTI, MOT, ESG and LTA, to ensure that there remain sufficient HV lots islandwide which are accessible to drivers, as we phase out some of our public HVPs in or near residential areas.

As part of this process, we take into consideration feedback from industry stakeholders, like HVP operators and HV-operating businesses, to address business needs and possible constraints. We will continue our efforts to engage stakeholders from HV-operating sectors, like the private bus and logistics sectors.

Ms Carrie Tan.

Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I would just like to clarify this: it looks like a multi-Ministry effort to review the allocation of space in Singapore for HVPs. And I am just wondering whether there is an expectation by the Ministries that employers need to be responsible for the cost of commute of the HV drivers to get to and from their residence to their parked vehicle, wherever that may be located, and whether this expectation of these commuting costs has been communicated to the employers of HV drivers.

Madam, I thank the Member for her question and welcome her back to Parliament as well. Indeed, these are the issues that the various sector leads, the various Ministries and agencies, are discussing with their HV operating businesses. Some of these will be dependent on the specific sectors, for example, in the logistics sectors, buses for ferrying workers and passengers will be very different from sector to sector.

And these are, indeed, the issues that we have been discussing with the different stakeholders. If there are specific issues or questions that the Member has encountered, please write to us. We would be happy to take a look at the specifics.

7 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the Government's modelling for the expected hospital bed occupancy rates over the next five years; (b) what is the hospital bed occupancy rate it considers a safe upper limit; and (c) how does the Government derive this figure.

Mdm Deputy Speaker, based on MOH's modelling, the annual average public hospital Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR) over the next five years would be around 80%.

A sustained BOR of less than 85% in the hospitals is, generally, recommended by academic communities and the healthcare authorities, overseas and here, to ensure patient safety. Sustained BORs above the 85% threshold may increase the risk of poor clinical outcomes due to the reduced access to hospital care.

Based on our experience, operating with a BOR of less than 85% has allowed for hospitals to have sufficient bed capacity to respond to sudden increases in bed demands, for example, during mass casualty situations and pandemics.

While there may be temporary increases over the recommended annual average BOR of 85%, our public healthcare institutions (PHIs) have mitigated the risks by managing patient flows, introducing measures, such as the use of telehealth technologies, to reduce the need for in-person consultations and right-siting care into the community and ambulatory settings.

Mr Leon Perera.

I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answer. Just one supplementary question. Given that that is the long-term planning parameter – 80% to 85% occupancy – is there a prescribed plan or series of steps from MOH to the hospitals as to what are the contingency plans when this 85% ceiling is breached? For example, setting up augmented facilities within the same building or transferring patients to the private sector, or any other types of steps when that happens.

Madam, yes, there is. There have been for many years and those plans have been activated a number of times, including in the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether the Ministry has plans to help small and medium enterprises which may be adversely affected by significantly increased fuel and energy costs due to the conflict in Ukraine.

Mdm Deputy Speaker, the conflict in Ukraine poses limited direct risks to our energy supplies as Singapore's energy sources are diversified. Nevertheless, as Singapore is heavily reliant on the global market for our energy supplies, we will be affected by the high and volatile global gas prices resulting from the conflict. Electricity prices are likely to remain elevated, or increase even further, in tandem with the escalating global energy costs.

Businesses are, understandably, concerned about higher costs. EMA has taken measures to safeguard our energy security and moderate the impact of the conflict.

I have shared them before These include: one, ensuring that electricity generation companies (gencos) have sufficient fuel reserves; two, establishing a Standby Fuel Facility (SFF) which gencos can tap on to produce electricity; and three, introducing the Temporary Retail Electricity Contracting Support (TRECS) scheme.

We have extended TRECS from March to May 2022 and will extend it further if necessary. We are also working with gencos and electricity retailers to offer longer-term, fixed price contracts to consumers who wish to have more price stability.

The Government has a suite of measures to support businesses, especially SMEs, to cope with higher costs. The Small Business Recovery Grant (SBRG) will help eligible firms in sectors most badly affected by COVID-19. Businesses which need financing support can also tap on ESG's programmes, such as the Temporary Bridging Loan, the Enterprise Financing Scheme, the SME Working Capital Loan, to ease their cashflows. To enable businesses to continue to upgrade themselves, we have enhanced the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit and expanded the range of solutions under the Productivity Solutions Grant.

I would like to assure this House that the Government is monitoring the situation very closely. We are prepared to put in place further measures to safeguard our energy security and assist affected businesses, as well as employees and staff alike, should there be a need to.

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

[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix, unless Members had asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn.]

[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [7th Allotted Day]. (proc text)]

[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]

[(proc text) Head I (cont) – (proc text)]

[(proc text) Resumption of Debate on Question [9 March 2022], (proc text)]

[(proc text) "That the total sum to be allocated for Head I of the Estimates be reduced by $100." – [Mr Seah Kian Peng]. (proc text)]

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

Chairperson, I thank Members for their thoughtful suggestions. We share the same vision of a more caring, inclusive and resilient Singapore.

We are now into the third year of our fight against COVID-19. It has been a test – not only for our healthcare systems, but also our social structures and support systems. Hence, first and foremost, I thought to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to all our social workers, social service professionals and volunteers. Throughout the pandemic, many of you stepped up – went the extra mile to care for and support Singaporeans in need, providing a critical line of social support in the community. We are deeply grateful.

At MSF, we set up the National Care Hotline and rolled out key support schemes to protect individuals against income shocks and to meet their immediate needs, such as the Temporary Relief Fund (TRF) and COVID-19 Support Grant (CSG), where we disbursed a total of $440 million in assistance, supporting around 470,000 individuals.

Subsequently, under the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG), we have disbursed around another $60 million so far; so, in total, $500 million. This has supported around 27,500 individuals. At the same time, we also created over 5,000 jobs and skills opportunities in the social and early childhood sectors in the past year, including for persons with disabilities.

Singaporeans from all walks of life, joined hands and we rose against the biggest crisis of our generation. We saw families and individuals supporting one another. Neighbours extending a helping hand. Corporates and community organisations stepping up, joining hands with the Government. This spirit of working together has helped and enabled us to overcome crisis after crisis – from our Independence till today.

Several Members have asked about the Government's plans to uplift the low-income in Singapore – Mr Leon Perera, Mr Seah Kian Peng and Ms Ng Ling Ling.

It begins with Singapore's Social Compact, which Minister Lawrence Wong explained in the Budget speech. Our Social Compact is enabling. The Government creates conditions for growth and an enabling environment that provides affordable and quality education, healthcare and housing for all Singaporeans.

Individuals work hard, doing the best for themselves and their families and this brings us dignity. Family members support one another through the ups and downs in life – our first line of support. Together, with the support of a caring community, the Government provides an extra hand to uplift Singaporeans in need – the low-income, the vulnerable and persons with disabilities; the citizens that MSF cares for, among others.

Social mobility becomes possible even if inequality is unavoidable. It is Singapore's vaccination against permanent entrenchment. But we must remember that in Singapore's early days, housing, education and healthcare were nowhere near what we have today, not in terms of accessibility and much less in terms of quality.

As a young nation, Singapore did not have much. But our pioneer leaders had the wisdom to prioritise education, housing and healthcare as the foundations of our Social Compact, alongside the CPF system for all Singaporeans – with discipline, decade after decade. Equally important, the Government successfully attracted investments into Singapore, creating job opportunities. Our forefathers worked hard because they took pride in being able to provide for their families in those hard times.

Family members, in turn, helped one another, because social assistance was very basic and reserved for the neediest. Neighbours and friends often chipped in. Just like the present crisis, everyone stepped up. Individuals, families, communities and the Government, all working together, hand in hand.

Our Social Compact remains relevant, but has evolved over the years.

By the early 1990s, we introduced schemes like Edusave and MediFund that benefit many Singaporeans today. HDB housing grants were also expanded. Today, eligible first-time homebuyers can receive grants of up to $80,000 for new flats or up to $160,000 for resale flats – making public housing affordable.

We invested heavily in our preschools, schools and higher education system to give every Singaporean child the opportunities to succeed. This has proven to be one of the biggest enablers of our society. Through education, we enable Singaporeans to be self-reliant, as they gain skills and employment. And this, in turn, supports the building of assets, like housing and savings through the CPF, enabling them to care and provide for their families with dignity and, eventually, in retirement.

Today, a Singaporean child can receive over $180,000 of education subsidies from the preschool years till the age of 16.

Our tax and benefits system remains progressive. Low- and middle-income households continue to receive more benefits relative to taxes paid.

We have come far. Today, around nine in 10 own their own homes. Even among the low-income, home ownership remains high. Our public healthcare system provides affordable, quality medical treatment for every citizen and is well-recognised internationally.

On average, the Government spends over $230,000 in healthcare subsidies for each Singaporean over their lifetime. An educated and trainable workforce has continued attracting investments. Wages have grown, even after accounting for inflation, while many other advanced economies struggle with wage stagnation. Intergenerational mobility in Singapore is higher than that in North America and Europe, including for younger cohorts born from 1985 to 1989.

Major shifts in policy have always been accompanied by efforts to enhance social assistance. Already, more is being done to protect Singaporeans against the rapid disruptions across economies. We must not allow inequality to be entrenched, as seen in many advanced economies.

Going forward, addressing social needs will become even more complex. We did this over a decade ago when globalisation struck the world full-blown. Workfare and ComCare were rolled out and new features of our social security system, like Silver Support and MediShield Life, were introduced. Recently, we announced the expansion of the Progressive Wage Model to uplift more low-wage workers.

ComCare is a key component of our social safety nets. ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance, or SMTA, enables families to tide over temporary periods of difficulty. When clients improve their circumstances, for example, after landing a new, better paying job, Social Services Offices (SSOs) can exercise flexibility to provide extended assistance. This gives them time to stabilise their finances and strengthens the incentive to gain self-reliance. Because ultimately, we want them to bounce back together and stronger.

Hence, in Budget 2022, to be even more enabling, we have also expanded training subsidies for ComCare recipients, making it easier for them to reskill and access good job opportunities. For example, they may take up a Digital Marketing course to move into in-demand job roles, via the new SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme announced at MOE's Committee of Supply (COS).

Before subsidies, they would have to pay $10,000. After subsidies, they pay less than $1,000, which can be further offset to as little as to no cost, using their SkillsFuture Credit. Eventually, with employment, they can build their assets through housing and CPF.

We also know some in our society require permanent support. For them, we provide ComCare Long-Term Assistance. Together with philanthropy, the generosity of the public and corporates, we have made it possible to care for them as a collective. This exemplifies our shared ethos of a caring society.

To ensure its adequacy, we review the ComCare coverage and quantum every two to three years. When doing so, we reference data on households' daily living expenses and seek input from experts and community stakeholders.

While we strengthen our support at the policy level, we must also ensure that Singaporeans in need can access them.

Many low-income families are often time-strapped, having to juggle multiple needs and demands. We do not want this to become a barrier for them to seek assistance. This is why we started a major effort to bring assistance closer to families in a more comprehensive, convenient and coordinated manner.

From 2013 to 2015, we set up an islandwide network of 24 Social Service Offices, or SSOs. We have also been streamlining processes and facilitating data-sharing. For example, we will put together a schemes bundle to strengthen support for ComCare families with school-going children. Once their ComCare applications are approved, they will not need to submit separate applications to access other support schemes, like MOE Financial Assistance, covered by the bundle.

Through the enhanced SupportGoWhere portal, clients can also apply for ComCare SMTA online, instead of visiting the SSOs in person. Finally, we have made a fundamental shift in our paradigm. Instead of waiting for clients to turn up at our offices, we want to turn up at their doors, so that we can address issues upstream. Hence, we have started scaling up Community Link (ComLink) nationwide.

Under ComLink, families with children living in public rental housing will be supported by a team of befrienders. They will be the single touchpoint for these families, journeying with them, nudging them towards longer-term goals. Minister Desmond Lee and Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua will share more.

Even through the early days of ComLink and working together with the community, we have enabled families to uplift themselves and improve their circumstances. Singaporeans like Mr Azman and his family are one example.

Mr Azman and his family had been working as delivery personnel to support their two children. They lived in a 1-room rental flat and had incurred various arrears. With the help of ComLink befrienders and their SSO coordinator, they were encouraged to take small, actionable steps to improve their circumstances. They were also supported with ComCare assistance which enabled them to cope with their daily expenses and arrears, while they re-enrolled their son in student care and moved into a larger 2-room flat. The befrienders and SSO also referred the family to various programmes, enabling them to achieve financial independence in the long term. Today, Mr Azman no longer requires ComCare assistance and his family is on the path towards home ownership.

We will continue to strengthen the ecosystem of support so that more Singaporeans like Mr Azman and his family can be uplifted. Because, ultimately, our goal is to enable all Singaporeans to flourish – whatever their race, religion, differently abled or not.

This brings me to my next point on the role of families as a core pillar of our Social Compact.

Chairperson, strong families continue to be the bedrock of our society – a key pillar of strength and our first line of support, complemented by the community and enabled by the Government.

The love and care that family members devote to one another are irreplaceable. In the face of adversity, our families protect and guide us back onto the right path, like a shining beacon, like a compass, always pointing towards the true north. Values that we treasure as a society – like love, care and concern, commitment and respect – are cultivated and transmitted through the family.

Strong families also nurture resilient individuals who do well for themselves and their families and who, eventually, we hope, give back to the community. This is a virtuous cycle that we want to perpetuate and preserve. Our collective efforts have enabled many Singaporeans to form and raise strong families. Family remains a core part of Singapore's identity and values.

Findings from MSF's latest "Social Attitudes of Singaporeans" survey show that Singaporean families continue to be close-knit. The strength of our families was also demonstrated through the pandemic. Families found new ways to support one another, making extra effort to show their love and concern.

At the same time, we recognise the pandemic's uneven effects on different families. Those who were more vulnerable felt the strain more acutely. There were also instances of domestic violence and greater mental health concerns, exacerbated by the stressors brought upon by the pandemic.

Furthermore, as Mr Seah Kian Peng highlighted, longer-term challenges lie ahead even as we continue grappling with COVID-19. Although families have remained strong, the geopolitical uncertainty and changing nature of work are but some examples of new stressors placing a strain on more families. Marriage rates have declined over the past twenty years and couples are having fewer children. We are also seeing a higher proportion of divorces among more recent marriage cohorts.

We must preserve our family core. The Government will journey alongside and support all families in Singapore.

First, we will fortify the foundations of all families. Second, we will strengthen support for families with additional needs.

Members, including Mr Murali Pillai and Ms Ng Ling Ling, have underscored the importance of strengthening our family core upstream. I cannot agree more.

We must start early by fortifying the foundations of all families. This begins as early as when a couple commits to getting married. We must enable couples to build their marriage on a sound foundation with shared values, common understanding and trust.

Marriage is a huge commitment – one of the biggest decisions that most of us will ever make in our lives. When two people become joined as one, it can be a big transition. There are times when differences arise and may not be resolved easily. The couple may then benefit from seeking counsel from a trusted person, who has journeyed with them from the start.

This is why we are piloting the Journey with You (JOY) initiative. We will partner selected solemnisers to mentor newlywed couples in their first year of marriage. This complements the suite of marriage preparation and enrichment programmes that help couples prepare for and strengthen their marriages. We have found early success in a similar programme for the Muslim community called Bersamamu, led by Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim, then in MSF.

With the foundations of a strong marriage, couples will be more confident and ready for parenthood. We will also continue supporting couples on their parenting journey, by making Singapore a great place for raising families. We will enhance the quality, accessibility and affordability of our preschools. At the community level, MSF will support the Families for Life movement. We will integrate our ecosystem of support for families with children, especially across the social-health domains, as I shared at MOH's COS yesterday.

As Dr Tan Yia Swam mentioned, we must also bolster support for our extended families – they provide an additional layer of comfort. We recognise that many extended families were unable to gather as often during the pandemic. The eventual easing of safe management measures (SMMs) and resumption of in-person activities would allow for extended families to gather, while staying safe.

Intergenerational ties must remain strong. Let us show appreciation for our grandparents, grandaunts and granduncles. We invite Singaporeans to do so, by joining Families for Life's annual "Celebrating Our Grands" initiative.

We also recognise that every family's journey is unique. Some face greater challenges and pressures, often beyond their control. We will do more to enable these families.

Earlier, I spoke about our comprehensive range of support for low-income families. In addition to those, we have also expanded other national initiatives – like KidSTART and UPLIFT; and enhanced the Fresh Start Scheme. Coordinated via ComLink, they support low-income families across multiple domains; enabling the Government to adopt a family-centric approach, rather than being agency-driven.

Next, for families showing early signs of stress, the Strengthening Families Programme @ Family Service Centre, or we shorten it to call it FAM@FSC, brings together marriage and divorce support programmes and family counselling to support them in a more integrated and accessible manner. We will scale up to 10 FAM@FSC centres by the end of the year.

For families with more complex needs, we provide specialised support. We will press on with our efforts to tackle family violence. The Government has accepted the 16 recommendations from the Taskforce on Family Violence. They will be implemented over the next few years.

I thank Mr Faisal Manap for his suggestion to strengthen social safeguards for gambling at Singapore Pools outlets. We will continue reviewing social safeguards to ensure they stay relevant whilst balancing the need to divert gamblers from illegal operators which pose significant law and order, and social concerns. We will also continue working with the National Council on Problem Gambling to promote public awareness of the harms of excessive gambling.

Families with members who are persons with disabilities may also face unique challenges. We have ramped up support for them over the years through our Enabling Masterplans. Today, we have a more inclusive education system for students with special needs, enhanced employment support for persons with disabilities and a growing ecosystem of support for caregivers. Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua will share more on how the Enabling Masterplan 2030 will achieve an even more inclusive Singapore.

We cannot build an inclusive and caring society without everyone getting involved. We especially want to encourage Singaporeans who have done well to give back to society. I was glad to know that community donations have increased over the past decade, from about $1 billion in 2011 to over $1.5 billion in 2019, coupled with a rise in volunteerism.

I agree with Ms Denise Phua that we can help volunteers play a more active role in uplifting those with less. Hence, we launched the MSFCare Network in January, bringing together over 3,000 volunteers and partners across almost 80 volunteering opportunities under a single umbrella Network.

In fact, there are many families who are leading by example. Some foster children, providing a nurturing environment for them to flourish. Others adopt children in-need, giving them love and stable homes.

Mr Seah Kian Peng asked about the review of the Adoption of Children Act.

MSF has consulted the public and stakeholders. We studied best practices around the world and intend to adapt some of them for Singapore, such as mandating pre-adoption assessments and criminalising undesirable practices. We plan to introduce the Adoption of Children Bill this year.

We hope more families will be encouraged to step forward to achieve our shared vision of a more caring, just and equal society.

Chairperson, in our work at MSF, beyond families, we join hands with many organisations in the social service sector whichnshare our vision of building a resilient society, underpinned by strong families.

During my engagements with social service professionals, a common theme that emerged was the need to place the family at the centre of our interventions, to engage collaboratively with the families so that they feel involved and empowered to turn their lives around. I would like to share an example of the inspiring work of Big Love Child Protection Specialist Centre.

Last year, Big Love worked with a family, where the father had repeatedly hit his children and spouse. After ensuring the children's safety, the centre worked with both parents to help them understand how their actions have negatively impacted their children. They also taught them to care for their children safely and responsibly. The centre also built a network of community support around the family, joining hands with NUH, Rotary Family Service Centre and Children's Wishing Well charity.

Through a family-centric, collaborative approach, Big Love was able to help the family address their issues and heal. There has been no recurrence of harm since. The father also spends more time with his children now. Big Love's success is a testament to the critical role that our partners play on the ground in our endeavour to build strong families.

I agree with Mr Seah Kian Peng that we must grow the capabilities of our many Social Service Agencies (SSAs), like Big Love, to support them in the good work that they do. We want to enable them to continue delivering quality, innovative and sustainable services to build strong families and meet growing needs.

From April onwards, SSAs will be able to tap on the Community Capability Trust to fund their capability- and capacity-building efforts, for instance, in digitalisation or research and evaluation.

We have also seen corporates stepping up to support SSAs during the pandemic. For example, Amazon Connect worked with WE CARE Community Services to remote-enable their call centres.

NCSS and stakeholders from the people, private and public sectors are also working to refresh the Social Service Sector Strategic Thrusts, or 4ST. The refreshed roadmap will set out the sector's commitment to building more future-directed services and capabilities over the next five years. It will also advocate for more strategic partnerships between corporates, SSAs and other community partners. More details will be released later this year.

These sector-wide developments will also benefit our social workers, who are at the heart of our social service sector and our Family Service Centres, or FSCs.

Mr Leon Perera and Mr Louis Ng asked about support for our social workers and FSCs. FSCs are resourced based on the number and complexity of active cases. FSCs can hire more social workers if caseloads increase and allocate cases based on the workers' experience and complexity of cases. FSCs can tap on their accumulated programme reserves to hire additional manpower. In FY2020, 68% of FSCs had an average of at least 1.5 years of programme reserves.

MSF works closely with FSC leadership to monitor the caseloads and hiring, and adopt supervision practices that support the welfare of our social workers. In this manner, MSF balances between being prescriptive and allowing FSCs flexibility and autonomy to respond to needs, while looking after our social workers' interest.

Finally, our commitment to support families must also involve the community. Together with the Government and families, they care for those in need and reinforce the transmission of social values that we treasure, from one generation to the next. Last year, we celebrated the contributions of Singapore Women to our families and our society.

Building on this momentum, I am pleased to announce that we will dedicate 2022 as the Year of Celebrating SG Families, or YCF. YCF will rally Singaporeans to celebrate the important role that families play in our lives, encouraging families to spend time together and galvanise whole-of-society support for families.

This movement will be led by Families for Life, with the support of the Government as well as our community and commercial partners. YCF will comprise three components. First, MSF will engage the public and stakeholders via the Alliance for Action to Strengthen Marriages and Family Relationships and their partners, to explore how we can jointly act to strengthen families. The feedback will be consolidated into a Celebrating SG Families Plan, which will set out our society's commitment and support for families. We will unveil the Plan at the CIFA Regional Symposium & MSF Asian Family Conference 2022, in November.

Second, families can look forward to celebratory events, programmes and useful family resources, with three themes – Celebrating Families; Championing Family-Friendly Workplaces and Culture; and Caring for Families.

Finally, we will launch legacy projects that will last beyond YCF, symbolising the importance that we place on families in our society. We will start with the FamilyTrees planting initiative this Saturday. Parents can commemorate the birth of their baby by planting a tree – a reminder of the enduring role that families play in our lives. Families can also look forward to a National Family Week during the June holidays. Fun-filled events, promotions and family life education programmes will be lined up, including a family carnival; hopefully, with very little SMMs. YCF will also see the launch of a new family zone at Gardens by the Bay this July. We will share more in the coming months. Chairman, in Malay please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Chairman, families are the bedrock of our society. During difficult and challenging times such as during this pandemic, it is our families that we turn to for support and strength.

I am thankful that family and family values continue to be treasured by Singaporeans, including the Malay/Muslim community.

However, families will inevitably, face stressors along the way. In this regard, the Government has worked with the community to strengthen the family institution.

Three years ago, we started the Bersamamu Programme, for Muslim solemnisers, the Kadi and Naib Kadi, to journey alongside Muslim soon-to-wed couples and newlyweds during their first two years of marriage. Today, more than 14,500 couples have benefited from this programme.

We will continue to strengthen support to all families, especially those who need additional assistance. We will scale up KidSTART nationwide progressively and enhance support for families with children living in public rental housing through Community Link, or ComLink.

It is heartening to see families which have done well coming forward to contribute. For example, many Malay/Muslim families have become foster parents to children in need. Others have adopted these children. Seeing them open their hearts, their families and their homes readily to children in need is, indeed, heartwarming and admirable.

To rally Singaporeans in celebrating the important role that families play in our lives, I am pleased to announce that MSF will dedicate 2022 as the "Year of Celebrating SG Families" (YCF). YCF will involve Government agencies, corporates and community partners, including the M3 agencies – namely MUIS, MENDAKI AND MESRA – as well as individuals and M3@Towns. There will be a range of celebratory events, programmes and useful family resources to look forward to. We will share more details soon.

Strong and stable families shape individuals with resilience to strive and succeed. This is key to propelling the Malay/Muslim community forward. I will elaborate more on the support for the Malay/Muslim community in my MCCY speech.

Mdm Chairman, the coming month of Ramadan represents the best opportunity for the Malay/Muslim community to continue strengthening our familial and community ties, while adhering to SMMs. Let us continue to support one another, especially those in need. Together, I am confident that we can build the best future for ourselves and our families.

(In English): Singaporeans have weathered many trials together since Independence. We will be tested with many more trials to come, but our spirit of working together will keep us strong, no matter the challenges ahead.

In our work at MSF, we will continue supporting and uplifting families at every stage of their lives. When families are strong, our nation, too, will be able to chart our way forward on a firm foundation for generations to come. [Applause.]

Minister Desmond Lee.

Mdm Chairman, Minister Masagos Zulkifli spoke about families as an important anchor of our society.

We want all our families and every Singaporean to succeed. Over the years, we have put in place many programmes and schemes to enable Singaporeans to do well in areas, – such as housing, healthcare, education, employment, skills, social support and more, and provided additional help to those who have less.

But some families face an array of challenges that may prevent them from seizing the opportunities in front of them – debt and financial difficulties, health problems, job instability, children struggling in school, family conflict, mindset barriers, housing insecurity, mental health issues and more. These are often complex, deep-seated and interlocking, unlike the kinds of difficulties that most families face from time to time, and they cannot be resolved by one Government agency, community partner, one social worker or on its own.

Ms Ng Ling Ling asked how MSF will better support such families and Mr Leon Perera also made a few suggestions.

Policies, programmes and partnerships are important, but paradigms and processes are crucial, too. The way that our ecosystem works together and integrates together to deliver social services matters.

As Minister Masagos Zulkifli said, we are making a fundamental shift in our paradigm. We want to be proactive in our approach, put the family at the centre, tap on their strengths and that of the community around them, organise our collective resources around them and try to go as far upstream as we can, so that we provide holistic support that addresses their various needs. This is a deep shift in how we deliver social services, from a programme- or agency-centric approach, towards a family-centred one.

The transformation will take time and we have already started work a few years ago; improving inter-agency processes and officers' capabilities, building systems and enabling platforms and, importantly, strengthening and building relationships of trust within local networks on the ground to provide holistic support to families in need.

We call this our "3C"s approach, which we have shared in Parliament over the last few years – providing Comprehensive, Convenient and Coordinated support. Comprehensive – in addressing presenting issues, as well as deeper root causes; Convenient support – so that families can focus their energies on improving their lives; and Coordinated – across different agencies and partners.

Through this approach, we seek to empower the family to secure a brighter future – by, first, stabilising their circumstances, then enabling them to grow in self-reliance by building up skills and resources and, ultimately, to achieve social mobility.

Let me illustrate how we are translating this paradigm shift into action, using a "fly-through" of a hypothetical ComCare client – let us call her Mrs Tan.

Mrs Tan is a working mother with school-going children and she recently lost her job. Her first step might be to visit Workforce Singapore (WSG), to find work, amongst other organisations. But WSG officers do not just help Mrs Tan look for a job or upskilling opportunities. They also find out about her situation. And when they realise that she is in financial hardship, they will proactively link her up with a Social Service Office (SSO). That is what we are training our frontline officers to do – to identify the various needs of a client, beyond their presenting issues and connect them with the relevant support. Going forward, we will extend this training to our community partners and volunteers, so that families can get comprehensive support as soon as possible.

WSG can link Mrs Tan up with an SSO using Case Connect, our new online platform which we launched last year. Through Case Connect, agencies can refer cases to one another, share case updates, discuss next steps and bring in more partners if required. This makes it a lot easier for our colleagues to coordinate with one another and keep track of all case updates to have greater impact.

The SSO then assesses Mrs Tan for ComCare assistance. To do this, they can use another digital system – One Client View, or OneCV, which was also launched last year. OneCV allows our frontline colleagues to pull the client's relevant information, with the client's consent, from other agencies seamlessly.

For instance, Mrs Tan does not have to submit her CPF statements or her children's birth certificates for her ComCare application. Instead, she just provides her consent for the SSO to draw the relevant data from Government agencies backend. We will continue to enhance Case Connect and OneCV and extend them to more organisations progressively.

The SSO assesses that Mrs Tan qualifies for ComCare. But she may need other assistance, too, for example, support with school fees for her children, from MOE. So, we have set up what we call Streamlined Assessment Protocols, or SAPs. These allow ComCare families to easily access different forms of support based on just one means-testing assessment, rather than being assessed separately for each scheme. We have done this across six agencies so far, covering schemes on digital access, rental housing, healthcare, education and childcare. For Mrs Tan, once the SSO officers assess that she qualifies for ComCare, they will also assess whether her children are eligible for Student Care Fee Assistance (SCFA) and MOE financial assistance (FAS).

OneCV and SAPs will reduce the number of times that clients have to be interviewed and means-tested. They also reduce the administrative load for our frontline colleagues. However, in some cases, SAPs still require families to submit separate applications for different schemes, which can be administratively cumbersome.

Ms Joan Pereira and Mr Leon Perera will be glad to know that we will further streamline this process, so that eligible ComCare families automatically receive help from the relevant schemes, doing away with additional applications for each scheme. Since 2018, eligible ComCare clients automatically receive MediFund assistance and bursaries for full-time Polytechnic and ITE students. We will expand on this effort, to build a "schemes bundle" to support families with school-going children. By the end of the second quarter of this year, ComCare clients like Mrs Tan, whose children are in Government or Government-aided schools, will automatically receive MOE Financial Assistance, without needing to apply at their children's schools.

Mrs Tan's Primary school-age children are enrolled at an MSF-registered Student Care Centre (SCC). So, they will also automatically qualify for maximum SCFA subsidies for 12 months. This applies to children with special needs who attend special SCCs, too. This schemes bundle covers Mrs Tan's children from Primary school to pre-tertiary studies, including after-school care. She need not worry about submitting and tracking multiple applications.

We will progressively bundle together more schemes that cover other domains. For instance, by the end of 2022, eligible ComCare clients will be automatically referred for the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) for medical and dental subsidies at participating clinics. We expect 30,000 ComCare families to benefit from the schemes bundle that we will progressively roll out. Mrs Tan's example illustrates how we are organising support around the needs of families, rather than have them come around our agencies or programmes.

We will continue to make our processes even more convenient for families by digitalising our social services, while ensuring that in-person support remains available for those who prefer face-to-face interactions. Today, we have the SupportGoWhere portal, which consolidates information across Government schemes into one website for easy reference. But users still need to approach the various agencies separately to apply for the schemes. So, we will enhance the SupportGoWhere portal so that users can also check their eligibility for different schemes, apply for assistance directly and receive prompt updates on their application on a single platform.

By the second quarter of 2022, families can apply for ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) and submit relevant documents through the portal directly instead of having to apply in-person at an SSO. They will then receive a phone or video call from SSO officers to understand their situation and assess their application. For those who prefer to speak to an SSO officer in person, they can still visit the SSO. We will progressively support more schemes application on this portal. These improvements will reduce the burden on families-in-need, allowing them to better focus on longer-term goals.

These are the ways that we are transforming our delivery of social services, to provide more comprehensive, convenient and coordinated support. This approach is exemplified by our flagship initiative, which we launched in 2019 – Community Link, or ComLink for short – which several Members spoke about.

ComLink supports families with children living in public rental housing to achieve three long-term outcomes that we mentioned earlier – stability in meeting basic needs; self-reliance where they can support themselves; and finally, social mobility, so that they can improve their circumstances.

ComLink embodies the proactive family-centric approach that we are moving towards. We proactively reach out to families to understand their needs and aspirations. We draw relevant data across agencies, with the families' consent, to get a 360-degree view of their situation as best as possible. We work with the family and across agencies to develop goals and a dynamic common action plan. And we then bring in customised programmes and services tailored to their needs, with the support of community partners, donors, corporates and volunteers.

Throughout this process, the family is working with us on their action plans and taking greater charge of their future.

We announced during last year's COS that we will scale up ComLink nationwide to support over 14,000 families over the next few years. Mr Faisal Manap asked how we can build strong relationships with these families. Let me share some of the new ideas that we are trying out and what we have learnt so far. My colleague, Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua, will then elaborate on our progress in scaling up ComLink.

As I have explained, ComLink goes beyond episodic transactions with families, towards building longer-term relationships with them, partnering them, empowering them to grow. This is a much more impactful but intensive approach, involving many agencies and partners. As we scale up ComLink, we expect to run up against significant fiscal and manpower constraints.

To find ways to better manage our resources while ensuring greater impact, we have been running learning pilots with some of our ComLink families since last year. We are streamlining our front-end interactions with the families. Instead of burdening families with the need to interact with many different agencies and their frontline officers, we assign a pair of befrienders to each family to serve as a constant touchpoint. These befrienders journey with the family, celebrating their achievements and encouraging them through setbacks. Over time, they build rapport and trust, allowing them to better understand the family's unique circumstances and encourage the family towards their goals. The befrienders share their understanding of the families with the SSO. SSO officers then serve as overall coordinator, pulling in other agencies to support the family where necessary and aligning agencies' efforts and their schemes and programmes around the family's common plan.

We have seen good results from our befriender pilot. With befrienders, we can consolidate the manpower needed for public outreach across different agencies and programmes. But more importantly, families and befrienders have the opportunity to develop trust and deeper relationships and the families are often more motivated to follow through on their plans. We will, therefore, scale up the pilot this year to support more ComLink families.

Given how closely befrienders work with ComLink families, we agree with Mr Don Wee that befrienders must be trustworthy and adequately trained. Many of these befrienders are referred to us by community partners. And MSF interviews and conducts suitability assessments on all befrienders. We also have a training roadmap to equip our befrienders with the skills, knowledge and tact to support families. As a start, our volunteer befrienders will be paired with MSF colleagues to befriend these families. This way, we tap on both the expertise of our colleagues and the energies of the community.

Looking ahead, we will strengthen backroom integration across agencies. Many ComLink families are also supported by other programmes, such as KidSTART for children up to six years old, UPLIFT for Primary and Secondary school students, or M3's Project DIAN for Malay-Muslim families. Agencies that run these programmes often carry out similar functions. For instance, they need a database to support the families' progress and a system to train and manage volunteers. We will, therefore, try to consolidate some of these common systems and processes across agencies and manage them centrally. This will also reduce coordination costs and enable us to provide more integrated support as we gear our systems to look at the progress of families more holistically, instead of along agency- or programme-specific lines.

To sum up, I have set out the many things that we are doing to transform our social service delivery ecosystem along our new paradigm. These are not technical fixes or technical changes. These manifest the shift that Minister Masagos Zulkifli talked about in our social service paradigm.

At the same time, this will also empower our frontline colleagues and social work professionals so that they, too, can focus on the most meaningful part of their mission – to support their clients through their challenges.

Finally, we hope that our efforts will also galvanise the wider community to join us, with the assurance that their contributions will have greater impact. From community and religious groups to corporate partners, many give their time and resources generously to tackle inequality; ComLink and our other efforts to strengthen social service delivery help them achieve greater social impact by better identifying the specific needs of low-income families, through befriending and data integration across agencies; and minimising duplication and wastage across agencies, through stronger coordination of our efforts.

Through asset-based community development and tighter social, health and community collaboration, we focus not only on the needs and gaps that exist in our society, but also the strengths that we can grow, nurture and tap on. This means building up resources in the community, investing in our families and creating the conditions that enable families to achieve their aspirations.

We need all the help that we can get. We invite everyone to join the MSFCare Network, which Minister Masagos Zulkifli launched earlier this year, to explore volunteering and giving opportunities and connect with like-minded people in making a difference to our society.

Let us work together to build a caring and cohesive society, so that all families can be more resilient and benefit from our society of opportunities. [Applause.]

Minister of State Sun Xueling.

Minister Masagos Zulkifli had earlier spoken on the important role that families play in our lives and society and on how we will make Singapore a great place for families. Families provide the basic ingredients for us to grow into resilient and caring individuals. When family relationships are strong, they provide a safety net for individuals and a safe harbour to go home to. Families can also empower us to contribute meaningfully to society and lead happy and fulfilling lives.

MSF is committed to providing support to build strong families and strong family relationships. Today, I will elaborate on three key areas of our efforts to do so. First, we celebrate and support families with varying needs throughout all stages of their life journey. Second, we will continue to build a fairer and more inclusive society where men and women can realise their career and family aspirations. Third, we will continue to invest heavily in early childhood development, so that every child can have a good start in life.

Chairperson, families have played a central role in supporting us through the ups and downs in the past two years of the pandemic. In the face of COVID-19 measures, we all have found ways to adapt and care for our family members to the best of our abilities.

It is thus timely to celebrate and strengthen the important role that families play in our lives, as Mr Murali Pillai, Ms Ng Ling Ling and Mr Seah Kian Peng have mentioned.

Since 2014, about 58,000 parents have benefited from our evidence-based parenting programmes in MOE Primary and Secondary schools. In 2021, we started the Families for Life @ Community initiative (FFLC), in Nee Soon Central and Choa Chu Kang, to bring these programmes into the community so that more families can benefit. We will progressively introduce FFLC to more towns from 2022.

Building on MSF's sustained efforts to strengthen families, we will designate 2022 as the Year of Celebrating SG Families (YCF). During YCF, we will scale up family bonding activities and continue to offer family enrichment programmes to equip couples and families with skills to cope with common stressors.

Families for Life (FFL) will continue to disseminate the "Family and Me" preschool resource packages to cultivate an appreciation of family from a young age and nurture family values through family songs, activities and big books. We expanded this to around 50% of preschools last year and will reach out to remaining preschools by 2025.

YCF will also build on the work of the Alliance for Action to Strengthen Marriages and Family Relationships (AFAM), which I chair. Mr Gan Thiam Poh had asked for an update.

AFAM was set up last year to co-create and implement solutions with key stakeholders and community groups in six Focal Areas (FAs). Allow me to share the preliminary direction for each FA.

FA1, otherwise known as FAM Connections, led by FFL, will increase awareness and adoption of resources and evidence-based programmes on marriage and parenting. FFL will work closely with the Centre for Fathering, Mums for Life, the People's Association and many other ground-up groups.

We will also work closely with faith communities via FA6, or Faith and Families, which will organise cross-sharing of experiences and learning points by religious organisations on their efforts to strengthen marriages and family relationships.

For the other focal areas, FA2, Support for Young Couples, will strengthen the delivery and uptake of marriage preparation and enrichment programmes. We also aim to guide newly-weds in considering fertility health issues.

FA3, or Parenting Together, will engage parents to identify key child-raising challenges, especially as young children grow up in the digital age and face mental well-being challenges. We will encourage more parents to take up evidence-based parenting programmes, such as Triple P and Signpost.

Alongside FA3's work, MSF and MOE will develop resources to empower parents to support their child's mental health and well-being under the Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being, which I had touched on during MOE's COS.

Even as we celebrate families this year, we recognise that family relationships are a constant work-in-progress. Mr Melvin Yong asked about how MSF will support stressed families.

FA4, Support for Single Parents, and FA5, Support for Families with Early Risks, will work closely with partners to deliver and develop initiatives that support families which may face challenges.

Mr Louis Ng asked about support for single unwed parents. This is a focus area under FA4, Support for Single Parents.

The Government provides Singaporean families with broad-based benefits to support their children's development, regardless of their parents' marital status. I would like to list out 12-line items which are benefits available for both married and unwed parents. They are MediSave Grants for Newborns, MediShield Life Coverage, Infant Care Subsidy, Childcare Subsidy, Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession, education subsidies, healthcare subsidies, Baby Bonus Children Development Account (CDA), including CDA First Step, Childcare Leave, Unpaid Infant Care Leave, Maternity Leave and Adoption Leave.

Our Marriage and Parenthood incentives aim to promote marriage and encourage parenthood within marriage. This reflects the desired and prevailing societal norm.

And these include the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, Working Mother's Child Relief and Parenthood Tax Rebate. Single parents who need additional social support can approach Social Service Offices (SSOs) and Family Service Centres (FSCs) for assistance.

Through FA4, Support for Single Parents, we are working with stakeholders and community partners to understand and address pain points that single parents have. We had conducted focus group discussions and understand that single parents face challenges with childminding, access to employment opportunities and in some cases, specific cases around housing. On childminding, MSF is partnering a Social Service Agency (SSA) to pilot a childminding service outside childcare centres' operating hours. We will share more information on this soon.

To support upstream efforts to prevent family violence, FA5 will develop initiatives to raise awareness and share information on the building of safe, respectful and healthy relationships.

FA5 will complement our broader efforts to tackle family violence. There has been a steady increase in the number of enquiries and new cases on family violence received by Family Violence Specialist Centres and the Integrated Services for Individual and Family Protection Specialist Centres in recent years. For instance, there were 2,906 enquiries in FY2018, of which 891 new cases were taken up. In FY2020, there were 4,574 enquiries, of which 1,103 new cases were taken up.

The Government has accepted, in principle, all 16 recommendations from the Taskforce on Family Violence which Mr Melvin Yong had asked about. Various agencies, including MSF, will work with our partners to implement them over the next few years.

For instance, as recommended by the task force, the MSF refreshed the Break the Silence public education campaign in November 2021 to increase awareness of the types of abuse, including non-physical forms of abuse, and to encourage survivors and bystanders to seek help.

Also, in line with the task force's recommendations, we are enhancing our approach to better rehabilitate perpetrators of family violence. This includes amending the Women's Charter to enable mandatory assessment and treatment orders to be made for perpetrators with mental health conditions that contributed to the risk of family violence.

While the primary responsibility for complying with rehabilitative Court orders lies with the perpetrator, we recognise the importance of strengthening rehabilitative approaches to encourage perpetrators to complete their rehabilitation. To provide more intensive and specialised support and rehabilitation for perpetrators, we will also deploy forensic-trained psychologists to community-based family violence specialist agencies by the end of this year.

Not all perpetrators require alternative accommodation – perpetrators assessed to have low-risk of recurrent violent behaviours may receive intervention while living in their family home. Others may prefer staying with other family members or friends.

To enhance the safety of survivors, we will implement a more structured referral system for social service professionals, so that perpetrators may be provided shelter, if they require accommodation. We will study the feasibility of a mandatory structured residential programme for the rehabilitation of high-risk perpetrators.

Chairperson, women have always been key pillars of our families and society. While Singaporean women have made considerable progress in the past decades, many still bear a disproportionate amount of family and caregiving responsibilities and may face glass ceilings due to gender stereotypes. Hence, our work to strengthen families must include efforts to support our women.

Mr Seah Kian Peng asked about the initiatives in the White Paper, which sets out concrete action plans to collectively realise our vision of a fairer and more inclusive society. We have been rolling out some of these plans over the past year.

For example, to protect women against violence and harm, we revised the sentencing framework for sexual and hurt offences, with increased penalties for some offences. We also released the report by the Task Force on Family Violence.

To address gender stereotypes through education, we refreshed the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum to help our students understand the equity of familial roles and gender stereotypes about careers.

Across all domains, we will consider changes to legislation and policies. But policies must be complemented by whole-of-society action and shifts in mindsets and behaviours. More policies and initiatives will be announced when the White Paper is presented to Parliament.

Chairperson, the Government is committed to supporting Singaporean families in their journey to raise their children. I will next be speaking on MSF's initiatives to give every child a good start in life, regardless of their family background.

We have been steadily building up preschool places. The number of full-day preschool places has more than doubled in the past decade – from 90,000 places in 2012 to around 200,000 as of end-2021. We will develop about 10,000 more full-day places by 2023, to meet the growing demand for preschools.

Ms Joan Pereira will be happy to know that these new preschool places are concentrated in areas with more young families. For example, in the two newer estates of Sengkang and Punggol, the number of infant and childcare places has increased by nearly 60% in the past five years.

By around 2025, eight in 10 preschoolers can have a place in our Government-supported preschools.

We will further lower fee caps at Government-supported preschools in the coming years, so that working families pay around Primary school fees plus after-school student care fees for full-day childcare in the medium term.

We agree with Mr Melvin Yong that the quality of early childhood education is critical to child development. Hence, we will continue to drive quality improvements in the sector, even as we make preschools more accessible and affordable.

Today, I will be sharing our plans to further raise the quality of early childhood professionals and programmes, to complement parental guidance at home.

We have increased the number of early childhood educators from 18,000 in 2018 to over 23,000 last year.

To better support the professional development of early childhood educators and leaders, we will provide clearer guidance on career and training pathways. While early childhood professionals have long been undertaking training, efforts have been uneven across the sector.

Early childhood educators and leaders are crucial to driving the quality of education and care of our children. Today, it is my pleasure to announce the introduction of a Leadership Development Framework (LDF) to the sector. The LDF will guide educators to strengthen competencies in curriculum, pedagogy, as well as strategic and administrative leadership.

We will also enhance the Advanced Diploma in Early Childhood Leadership as a milestone course to better develop these competencies in our educators before they are appointed as centre leaders.

We will also do more to raise the quality of teaching and encourage the sharing of good teaching practices across the sector.

I am pleased to share that we are developing a new Quality Teaching Tool. While many preschools already have quality teaching practices, this tool will set a common standard across the sector and guide educators on the use of effective pedagogical practices, identified based on empirical research and ground practice.

We will also launch the Early Childhood Learning Communities, starting April this year. These learning communities will foster peer sharing of pedagogical knowledge and practices among senior educators and curriculum specialists, focusing on domain areas crucial to child development, including Social and Emotional Development, and Language and Literacy. Members of these Learning Communities will be nurtured to become future curriculum and pedagogical leaders, and to lead Communities of Practice to benefit some 300 early childhood educators within the next two years.

To ensure programme quality in preschools, the Government has also developed national curriculum frameworks to guide the development of their programmes and curriculum.

ECDA will review the Early Years Development Framework for children aged three and below to include areas, such as the learning of Mother Tongue languages. The revised framework will also provide more detailed guidance to support educators in creating learning experiences to develop important knowledge and skills like socioemotional skills in children. The refreshed framework will be ready by end-2023.

We recognise that some families face additional challenges and need additional support in developing their children's potential.

The Government is committed to strengthening support for children from low-income families so that we narrow the gap starting from their early years. In tandem with KidSTART's nationwide scale-up, we will deepen partnerships with corporate and community partners through the Growing Together with KidSTART initiative.

Ms Joan Pereira will be happy to hear that since the initiative began in 2019, we have received over $4 million in cash donations and sponsorships. Over 1,000 volunteers have stepped forward since 2016 to provide support for KidSTART families, including encouraging eligible families to join KidSTART and helping to pack and deliver essential items to families. I sincerely thank all our partners and volunteers for their contributions.

The Government is also committed to ensuring the adequate provision of early intervention, or EI, services for children with developmental needs.

To meet increased demand for subsidised EI services, ECDA will expand the number of places under the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children, otherwise known as EIPIC, through the construction of two new EI centres. ECDA will also increase the number of providers under the Enhanced Pilot for Private Intervention Providers, or PPIP programme, from 10 to 16. Chairperson, in Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the central role that families play in supporting us through the many ups and downs of life. As such, it is timely for us to designate 2022 as the Year of Celebrating SG Families to celebrate and support Singaporean families.

Last year, we set up the Alliance for Action to Strengthen Marriages and Family Relationships (AFAM) to work with key stakeholders and community groups to co-create and implement solutions to strengthen marriages and families, including families with young children and those with early risks.

To provide upstream support to parents of young children, MSF is supporting the Families for Life @ Community initiative by offering more marriage and parenting programmes that are conveniently accessible.

We will also press on with our efforts in tackling family violence and will implement the recommendations from the Taskforce on Family Violence over the next few years. For example, we will make legislative amendments to the Women's Charter to strengthen the protection and support for survivors of family violence as well as rehabilitation for perpetrators.

On early childhood education, we will further raise the quality of early childhood professionals and programmes. To do so, we will support the professional development of early childhood professionals and develop a Quality Teaching Tool to raise the quality of teaching. We will also review the Early Years Development Framework to support educators in creating enriching learning experiences for our children.

To provide more support to children in lower-income families, we will progressively scale up KidSTART nationwide from 2023. This will equip parents and caregivers with the knowledge and skills to support their children's well-being and development.

(In English): Chairman, in closing, it takes a whole-of-society effort to make Singapore a great place for families. MSF is committed to journeying with families through all seasons of life, providing nurturing learning environments for their children and paving the way to a fairer and more inclusive society.

We will continue to work closely with our partners to do so and invite all Singaporeans to join us in the Year of Celebrating SG Families. [Applause.]

Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua.

Mdm Chairman, my colleagues have shared how families are the bedrock of our society. In a supportive family environment, we can better navigate life's many challenges.

But some families, including families with persons with disabilities, lower-income families and youths-at-risk face complex stressors and unique challenges. It is our responsibility as a society to journey with these families, share their burden and help them regain confidence to pursue their dreams and aspirations.

I will share concrete steps that MSF is taking with our partners to support these families.

Persons with disabilities face unique challenges. Family members who are caregivers to persons with disabilities often make silent sacrifices and experience caregiver stress. We recognise these difficulties and have provided greater support to these families over the years.

Ms Denise Phua, Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song and Mr Mark Chay asked about the current support for persons with disabilities and the progress of the Enabling Masterplan.

We have provided greater support in several ways.

For example, 1,700 new job and training opportunities were created last year. This includes opportunities from the new Place-and-Train and Attach-and-Train programmes, which we will extend to December this year. The Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) has supported over 2,900 persons with disabilities between September 2020 and August 2021, which MOM will extend to September 2022 this year as well.

We also extended the School-to-Work Transition Programme in January last year and launched the Enabling Mark in October 2020 to recognise inclusive employers, amongst others.

In October 2021, we increased funding for Day Activity Centres (DACs) by $3 million, or 20%. This will allow our DACs to hire more care staff and to increase the quality of care for clients. We are similarly reviewing the Sheltered Workshop programme.

We have also kept assistive technology devices affordable for persons with disabilities and seniors through the Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) and the Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund, which Mr Pritam Singh raised.

From April 2019 to December 2021, the ATF benefited close to 7,000 persons, with 66% of beneficiaries from households with a per capita income of $800 or less. Permanent Residents are also eligible for the ATF, with differentiated subsidy rates in line with our position to provide more subsidies to citizens. From April 2019 to December 2021, about one out of 60 ATF beneficiaries were PRs who are seniors.

The most common claims included mobility devices like motorised and manual wheelchairs, hearing aids and daily living aids.

We recently increased the ATF subsidy for Singaporeans with per capita household income of between $801 and $2,000 and expanded the range of items that seniors can be subsidised for to include medical devices like oxygen concentrators and suction pumps.

More can be done to support persons with disabilities. I am co-chairing a cross-sector committee with Mr Gan Seow Kee, vice chairperson of the Singapore Business Federation, to develop our next edition of the Enabling Masterplan, or EMP2030. EMP2030 will set meaningful longer-term goals to foster a more caring and inclusive Singapore, which will continually be monitored to ensure that we are on track on our objectives.

Today, there is a gap in services for adult persons with disabilities who do not attend any regular disability service after graduating from Special Education schools. We aim to gradually close this gap. One of the ways is through piloting regional Enabling Services Hubs (ESH) and Enabling Business Hubs (EBH).

The Enabling Services Hubs (ESHs), co-funded by the Tote Board, provide persons with disabilities above 18 with a greater range of options for flexible social and learning activities.

Each ESH will identify and reach out to persons with disabilities and their caregivers in their region, understand their needs and link them to relevant support. Those at risk will be further supported by community befrienders. It will also provide on-site services such as continual learning programmes and social inclusion activities, for persons with disabilities and respite care for caregivers.

While the ESHs serve those with care needs, the EBHs support work-capable persons with disabilities who require customised and longer-term support to work. We will share more information on these pilots later this year.

Ms Rahayu Mahzam and Ms Yeo Wan Ling raised an important point about doing more as a community to support caregivers. Last year, NCSS, SG Enable and community partners formed the SG Together Alliance for Action (AfA) for Caregivers of Persons with Disabilities to co-develop a self-sustaining community support model for caregivers. We started with two pilot sites in Boon Lay and Kampong Glam and the AfA has begun to support the implementation of two projects.

Project 3i is a caregiver-led initiative to provide social and emotional support for caregivers that is integrative, individualised and intentional. It will connect caregivers to form community networks and support caregivers through peer mentorship and professional support.

The second project is Community Circles, where a small group of friends, neighbours, or volunteers forms a "circle" of support around caregivers, to provide practical and emotional support.

These projects have initiated an ecosystem of community and peer support that reaches out to caregivers. We will evaluate the outcomes from the pilots and facilitate collaborations, so that more networks can be established to support caregivers.

Minister Masagos Zulkifli and Minister Desmond Lee highlighted how MSF has been working to strengthen our social safety net and the delivery of social services so that low-income households requiring assistance can get comprehensive, coordinated and convenient help.

Mr Leon Perera will be happy to know that we have been tackling food security and unhealthy eating as part of this broader effort.

We have helped low-income households to defray the cost of purchases at supermarkets, hawker centres and heartland merchants. This includes grocery vouchers for eligible households in 2020 and Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers in 2021 and as part of the Household Support Package (HSP) in Budget 2022.

We also provide comprehensive support to households on ComCare schemes, which can include cash assistance for basic living expenses, such as food. ComCare cash assistance rates, which are regularly reviewed, take into account food-related expenditures based on the Health Promotion Board's nutritional guidelines to ensure that families can meet their nutritional needs.

The community also plays a big part in tackling food insecurity. Many charities and community groups have stepped forward to offer food support – dried rations, cooked meals, grocery vouchers – to families facing food needs.

As Ms Denise Phua has mentioned, the efforts of these groups have gone a long way in tackling food insecurity in Singapore but there are some overlaps and some gaps in the demand and supply of food support.

MSF has been actively engaging food support organisations and community partners to coordinate food support. We convened the Charity Food Workgroup in 2019 to co-create a more responsive and coordinated food support ecosystem with different stakeholders.

In February this year, we soft-launched the FoodConnect directory and database. This platform allows families and social service agencies to search for food support organisations based on their location and dietary requirements, so that families can receive food which meets their needs. This allows us to move towards a more data-driven and choice-led food landscape where families can choose their preferred type of food support.

But we also want to go beyond addressing immediate needs and look at families' longer-term needs. This is where Community Link, or ComLink, comes in. Dr Shahira Abdullah asked about ComLink's objectives and our strategy to help families to attain them.

In the short term, ComLink focuses on helping families with children and youths living in rental housing to achieve stability, where their basic needs, such as day-to-day living expenses and whether their children are attending school regularly, are addressed. In the medium term, we support families towards self-reliance, such as to obtain a stable job and to sustain that employment. Stability and self-reliance then serve as building blocks towards the longer-term goal of social mobility, where the family achieves real income growth and the children and youths are able to achieve better life outcomes.

ComLink achieves these objectives through its three key pillars.

First, we proactively reach out to families upstream to understand their needs, strengths and aspirations. We have reached out to more than 6,800 ComLink families so far. We then provide targeted and coordinated case support and then journey with each ComLink family to address their issues before they become more deep-seated. Together with the family, a customised action plan addressing the families' issues step-by-step is assembled. A pair of befrienders provide even closer support. Befrienders journey with families through their ups and downs and help to keep families' sights on their long-term aspirations, dreams and goals. Together, they work with the SSO coordinators to address issues that each of these families might face.

For our support to be effective, all stakeholders must work together. This is where ComLink's third pillar comes in, where the Government brings together different community partners, corporates and volunteers to provide support for families, based on collective knowledge about a community's needs and strengths.

Together, we have introduced some 74 ComLink programmes to date, including enrichment programmes, to provide children with holistic development, sports programmes to engage youths and support groups for parents. This complements the schemes and services that Government agencies are providing and, through such customised support, we can then have a stab at a transformative effect and set up families for success.

Mr Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman will be glad to know that we are fully on track to scale up ComLink over the next few years. We launched ComLink for 11 towns in 2021 and will kickstart efforts for the remaining 10 ComLink towns in the coming months.

We also want to give all our youths the opportunity to succeed in life. For those with difficult backgrounds and challenges, it is even more important that we support them.

The family plays a central role in guiding youths down the right path, particularly during adolescence, and being an anchor through the transition into adulthood. MSF is committed to helping families to do this better.

We recognise that mental well-being is an important point not just for youths, but for everyone. As part of the Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being, MSF is working together with various Ministries and agencies across multiple sectors to strengthen mental well-being in Singapore.

We will increase accessibility to a continuum of services across our healthcare institutions, schools and community agencies, so that everyone can receive the appropriate level of care and support. We also want to make sure that these services are well-integrated, so that it is easier to navigate the mental health ecosystem.

National Council of Social Service (NCSS) will expand the Beyond The Label campaign to involve more partners and the public in encouraging early help-seeking and greater acceptance of persons with mental health conditions.

As Minister of State Gan Siow Huang has previously mentioned, NCSS and MOM are studying ways to strengthen support for persons with mental health conditions before and during employment and for their colleagues, so as to create a more inclusive work environment.

These are all complex issues that can only be solved through a whole-of-society effort. As Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary has mentioned, the task force will be conducting a public consultation on these ideas and we look forward to developing a national strategy and action plan together with all Singaporeans.

Another group of youths who may need special attention are those who leave the formal education system early. Like Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong and Mr Seah Kian Peng, we believe in the tremendous value of mentoring for these youths.

Co-designed with MOE and ITE, and in partnership with Trybe Limited, our Career Advice and Mentoring Programme (CAMP) will expand networks of positive relationships for youths who leave ITE prematurely and empower them to achieve their aspirations. Under CAMP, mentors are matched with mentees based on the mentees' industries of interest and will guide their mentees in exploring their interests and broadening their exposure to opportunities. Since its launch in January this year, 14 mentors and 10 youths have come on board and more are expected to join in the coming months. Over the two years' pilot, we aim to support 100 youths.

One of the mentors who have stepped forward is Lawrence Tharekheshwaren Supramany, an ITE alumnus with over 4.5 years of experience in the automotive industry. In his youth, Lawrence was involved in a riot. However, he turned his life around with the support of his community, notably from his pastor, who provided guidance and tutoring. Having personally experienced the transformative effect of a mentor in his life, Lawrence intends to inspire other youths as a CAMP mentor.

MSF will track the outcomes of the CAMP youths, such as placement in education, training or employment and assess the suitability of scaling up CAMP beyond the pilot phase.

As Ms Denise Phua has mentioned, the Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) is an important life planning tool should one lose mental capacity. As of 2021, about 130,000 Singapore Citizens, or about 4% of all eligible adult citizens, have registered their LPAs.

To promote greater awareness of pre-planning tools, such as LPA and Advance Care Planning, MSF and MOH will conduct a joint awareness campaign later this year. We will also launch the new Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) Online system, which allows citizens to digitally make an LPA in a simple, convenient and secure manner. The fee waiver for LPA applications will also run right through March 2023.

On deputyship, there were 2,794 Court orders appointing deputies in the past five years, with the number growing at about 25% annually. To simplify the application process, the Family Justice Courts have enabled applicants to apply for general orders through the Simplified Track on the Integrated Family Application Management System since 2019. This, typically, covers powers to consent to medical and dental treatment, care arrangements, manage bank or CPF accounts and insurance, set up Special Needs Trust Company accounts, and employment contracts.

MSF also offers the Assisted Deputyship Application Programme (ADAP) for persons with disabilities who do not have mental capacity and who are enrolled in various Special Education schools, Day Activity Centres and Sheltered Workshops. ADAP applicants are provided with mental capacity assessment reports at no cost to the applicant and guidance for applying via the Simplified Track.

The Simplified Track costs $40 in Court filing fees and are usually granted within four to six weeks. The costs and duration are higher for more complex Court orders, which, typically, involve adults and elderly who lose capacity without making an LPA. Thus, I urge all Singaporeans to have your LPAs registered, to provide peace of mind to yourselves and to your loved ones. We will continue to work with community partners to facilitate access to pro-bono or low-cost services. Madam, in Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Families are the bedrock of our society. When our youths face challenges, families will always be a refuge to comfort them. Families are the source of purpose and strength to guide our youths back to the right path and bounce back. With families' love and care, I believe that our youths can grow into resilient individuals, fulfil their potential and, ultimately, contribute back to society.

The mental well-being of our youths is an important priority. While parents will always remain a core pillar of support, the Government will continue working closely with our partners to complement family support. We will transform the YMWBN into a national network to develop whole-of-society partnerships to support the mental well-being of all in Singapore.

Youths who leave formal education early also merit special attention. Last year, we announced a pilot mentoring programme for students who leave ITE prematurely. We hope that this programme will empower them to achieve their aspirations with a positive mindset. We aim to support 100 youths over the two-year pilot.

MSF will continue to work with the community to strengthen our families.

(In English): To conclude, Madam, MSF has spoken about the suite of policies and programmes to support families with different needs. We will continue to work with the community to build resilient individuals, strong families and a caring society.

Families serve as a beacon of light in our lives. It is an inspiring light that pushes us to greater heights. It is a guiding light that always leads us back if we ever take the wrong path. But it is also a comforting light that provides us with refuge whenever the going gets tough and where we need to look towards to share our joys and anxieties. Our families also serve as compasses that help us navigate through life. Families shape our values, beliefs and a sense of purpose. Through the storms of life, we need only reach into our pockets for our compass to help us all find our true north.

So, in this Year of Celebrating SG Families, let us all aim to become a bright beacon of light and a trusty compass for our families, just as they are for us. [Applause.]

Clarifications? Mr Seah Kian Peng.

Mdm Chairman, I have three clarifications to ask. The first is to Minister Masagos Zulkifli. First, I thank him for reiterating the importance of strengthening family resilience and his articulation of what family means. Recently, Minister K Shanmugam made a statement on section 377A of the Penal Code and the changing societal attitudes towards marriage and family. So, my first clarification to the Minister is whether he could give us the Ministry's position on this.

My second clarification relates to single mothers and is addressed to Minister of State Sun Xueling. I know she is very passionate and empathetic to the stresses that single mothers face. She has explained some of the things that have been done for them. I would like to ask whether she could further elaborate on what single mothers could expect, the areas that the Ministry is looking at.

And my third and final clarification is relating to ComLink, either Minister Desmond Lee or Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua could address this. We all know the importance of going upstream and the good results that ComLink has achieved so far. I note that it has already been rolled out to 11 towns and will be rolled out to 10 more soon. My question is, if resource is not a constraint and seeing the good results that have come out so far, I am sure all the 10 towns are looking forward to this. So, how can we roll this out even faster and if this could be shared with especially the 10 towns that are expecting this? What can we do to accelerate this so that we can really make a difference to the families that will benefit from this?

I thank the Member Mr Seah Kian Peng for his three questions to open up the clarifications.

As Minister for Home Affairs and Law Mr K Shanmugam has shared, the Government recognises that section 377A of the Penal Code is a divisive issue. The Court has acknowledged that the Government's current approach on this matter avoids driving an even deeper wedge in our society.

Our society can be described as largely traditional. However, we now have a wider range of views and attitudes where families and marriage are concerned. For example, take the attitude towards mixed marriages. More than 30 years ago, one in 10 of all marriages were inter-ethnic. Today, it is doubled – almost one in five. And you see this more common, even among ourselves and our Members here, very acceptable to our society.

We, therefore, are not surprised that we are seeing an increasing acceptance of LGBT persons socially among Singaporeans. In fact, an IPS survey in 2019 showed that while small, 11.4% of the respondents felt that sexual relations between two same-sex adults were not wrong at all. This is still double the figure in 2013, which was about 5.6%.

But while societal attitudes are gradually shifting, the majority value and wish to preserve the traditional family – that of a man and a woman marrying and raising the child or children in a stable family unit. This was also reflected in statements, consequent to Minister K Shanmugam's statement in Parliament recently, by various parties. Family continues to be the bedrock of our society and contributes to social stability, allows children to thrive. We will uphold the traditional family in our Government policies and laws, reflecting our societal norms and values. These include marriage, parenthood, adoption, fertility treatment even, housing and inheritance, amongst others.

At the same time, we must continue to ensure that LGBT persons are protected from violence, harassment and abuse. For instance, the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) contains a range of both civil and criminal measures that can protect all victims and is meant to protect all victims against offences involving harassment and abuse.

From MSF, through public education campaigns, such as Break the Silence, to raise awareness and encourage victims, regardless of nationality, marital status, gender, race, religion or even sexual orientation, to seek help early. We also urge the public to step forward to report violence and abuse where LGBT cases may be involved.

Concerns surrounding section 377A and its implication will still have the potential to polarise society. It is an issue that involves deeply-held beliefs and values and divergent societal views and goals. We thank the religious, sectoral, civil society and LGBT groups that have shown support for civil dialogue and respect for the values of others, even when different from their own.

We will continue to adopt the approach of civil dialogue, working with all, involving all stakeholders as we chart our own unique Singapore way forward, without creating sudden shifts and deep divisions in our society.

Minister of State Sun Xueling.

I thank the Member Mr Seah Kian Peng for his clarification. I have said this before and my views have not changed – I respect single parents, single unwed parents, for the love and care that they have for their children. And I fully recognise that it is not easy to bring up children, even more so single-handedly.

That is why in the Alliance for Action to Strengthen Marriages and Family Relationships (AFAM), we have a dedicated focal area on single parents. Specifically, for the areas which we are following up on in our dialogues and engagement sessions with single unwed parents, a few areas, a few pain points, have been highlighted to us.

Firstly, on childminding. That is why, in my main response earlier, I had talked about the childminding service pilot that MSF will be partnering a social service agency to provide childminding service beyond a regular childcare centre's operating hours. And this is important because we know that when we solve childminding issues and concerns of single parents, they then will have the capacity, the time and the energies to look into employment.

The second area – when it comes to employment support, we are having discussions with NTUC, with community partners, to see what are the areas we can assist our single unwed parents in, be it in training or finding local opportunities for these single parents to be able to re-enter the workforce and get on a sustainable path with their children.

The third pain point that has been highlighted to us has been around housing. In this particular area, I have had the opportunity to work with Member Mr Louis Ng for many years when we have discussed this in Parliament and in my time at the MND. Members will recall that Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim had recently shared in Parliament that, generally, single unwed parents can receive the outcome of their rental flat application within three weeks of submitting all required information, although additional time may be required for complex cases.

These three areas – childminding, employment support, housing – have been brought up as pain points and we are actively looking at how we can solve these pain points for our single unwed parents.

I also wanted to highlight that after the focus group discussion that my team at MSF and I had with the single unwed parents – and Members like Mr Louis Ng and other Members of Parliament had joined me for the session as well – my team had followed up individually with the single unwed parents to clarify any outstanding issues that they had raised, which sometimes also arises out of misunderstandings or miscommunications of Government policies in their interactions with Government agencies.

Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua.

Thank you, Mdm Chairman. I want to thank the Member for his clarification on ComLink and I also want to thank the Member for attributing the adjective "success" with ComLink at this point. But I do think it is a little bit premature.

We started ComLink with four sites in 2019 – Jalan Kukoh, Boon Lay, Kembangan-Chai Chee as well as Marsiling. So, we have piloted that at four sites. We thought the model worked well and that is why we are going into a two-phased approach: 11 towns last year, as well as 10 towns this year.

What we are trying to achieve through ComLink is our promise in our Social Compact: to help our low-income families. This is really going for the long haul because if you look at the broad objectives of stability, self-reliance and social mobility we are talking about – and mostly, on social mobility – we are talking about long-term outcomes.

Through ComLink, we are tracking various outcomes, indicators, not just in terms of immediate process indicators, but also perception. Finally, and most importantly, in my own opinion, outcome indicators – where do the families end up?

I want to stress the fact that, actually, time or speed might not be of the essence in this scenario. Because we are talking about having a very customised, very bespoke approach to going to each family, understanding them, both their challenges that they face, as well as the aspirations and dreams that they have; and then helping them to take away, remove or sidestep some of these challenges while, at the same time, working towards their longer-term goals, their aspirations.

I do not think it is something that can be achieved overnight. You cannot get to Rome in one evening but we can most certainly do that if we adopt a whole-of-society approach – where the community, our social service agencies and the Government come together. Then, I think we have a fair chance at success for this programme.

I see quite a few hands. So, I am going to ask Members to please ask your questions succinctly and for the replies to also be short. Mr Gerald Giam.

Thank you, Madam. I have some questions on the adult disability care. Is the staff-client ratio of adult disability care facilities lower than that of the teacher-student ratio at SPED schools? If so, why is there this disparity between the two? Because this is what causes the cliff effect for those who are graduating from SPED schools. And lastly, does MSF have any plans to close this gap, given that most SPED school graduates will need to attend post-18 disability care facilities?

I thank the Member for his clarification. On the first question of whether the staff ratio for the adult disability care facilities is on par with the SPED schools, I do not have the numbers for the staff ratios for SPED schools on hand at the moment. So, I cannot give a fair comparison across these two types of facilities.

On the second point about closing the gaps, I do think that what we are doing is journeying with our persons with disabilities and, as I mentioned earlier, what we have done is to, over time, where necessary, increase funding. For instance, I mentioned increased funding for our day activity centres by some 20% or $3 million last year and we have also increased funding for our adult disability homes by about 25% most recently as well.

Our intention is really to make sure that we cater for the right amount as well as the right type of services that our persons with disabilities need within the community. In terms of closing the gap, that is definitely what we hope to do. That is why in the iterations of the three Enabling Masterplan (EMP) since 2007, we have been keeping at it. We have been working on the fourth edition. As Members know now, the results and findings of which will be made known in the later part of this year. I hope that Members can look out for the announcements that we make under EMP 2030.

Ms Denise Phua.

I really appreciate Parliament Secretary Eric Chua's sincerity in working with us on the ground. I also appreciate Mr Gerald Giam's concern for persons with disabilities. My supplementary question is whether MSF would consider convening a very specific group – either you call it Alliance for Action (AfA) or any action group – that will look into the overall holistic needs of this community. Because to ask for, say, free transport or free schools is not complete. MOE, I computed, spends about $260 million a year – there are some more cohorts coming and there are a lot of adults who do not have services now. So, the amount for education alone is going to be a lot bigger. There are other needs.

Rather than asking individually, I do think we need a holistic strategic study of the entire needs of the disabled, then prioritise them, cluster them, size it up, see what is needed and then look at how much can be supported by Government grants, how much can be supported by those who can afford a bit more, and those who are in the community – Temasek Foundation or Temasek Trust for that matter, which have been very helpful – and other foundations. So, look at it holistically, convene a group that will look at it as a whole, size it, compute how much is required and then see how we can actually operationalise the whole thing for sustainability and to meet the prioritised needs.

Ms Denise Phua, please ask your question.

Thank you very much.

Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua.

Thanks, Mdm Chairman. Likewise, I want to thank Ms Denise Phua for her passion in this area of work, which I think is really infectious whenever she is at the EMP meetings where she brings with her great ideas as well.

I want to keep this short. We will not shun away from our responsibilities on this. That is why the Disability Office, Social Policy and Services Group (SPSG) in MSF, is there, and that is why we will continually look at these issues in totality and not just look at them from our own vantage point, but to also look at them together with our partners in the community, the social service agencies. Which is why, in today's EMP 2030 Steering Committee, we have a whole range of representations from both the people, private and public sectors. I am co-chairing that with Mr Gan Seow Kee, Vice-Chairman of SBF, and I think that is a good example of how we hope to really make a difference in this disability space for good and in a sustained fashion.

And in this latest EMP, one of the bold moves that we are making – and I am letting the cat out of the bag a little bit here – is to really fix some tangible goals for ourselves as to where we want to get to in the next few years leading up to 2030, where the endpoint of the Enabling Masterplan is. It is an endpoint, but it is, to me, just a checkpoint. Because what happens after 2030? It is the fourth, but, definitely, not the last masterplan that we will have. We will have to keep working at these issues because some of these things that we want to change in society pertain to mindsets, culture, how we maybe even react to persons with disabilities in our midst. So, there is a lot of work for us to do together and I want to give the Member the assurance that we will be keeping at this for the long haul.

I like the passion in the room, but I would like to please remind everyone to be succinct. Ms Carrie Tan.

Thank you, Chairperson, I will try to keep it short. I appreciate the Ministry's efforts to increase the digitalisation efforts to make financial assistance more accessible. But given that many of the vulnerable communities are very low on their digital literacy, where they literally may not even know how to use Gmail on their phones, let alone to navigate Government portals, I would like to know what are the Ministry's efforts in trying to bridge this digital literacy gap and, if the befrienders from ComLink are meant to also support them on this front, then what are the ways that the Ministry might be looking at empowering befrienders and giving them the necessary access and safeguards around PDPA to support ComCare beneficiaries for their online applications?

Secondly, given that the process of climbing out of poverty tends to be a long one and it is not a matter of bouncing back, will the Ministry consider automatic extension of ComCare to short-term financial assistance recipients, given that, right now, it presents a disincentive to some of them attaining jobs with the uncertainty and prospect that they may lose financial assistance upon getting a job? So, would that not be a way to reduce the administrative load of the Ministry and, at the same time, helping to reduce the bandwidth tax on applicants?

Minister Desmond Lee.

Let me address the Member's first question. The SupportGoWhere portal provides a digital enabler to help families to navigate support schemes and to be able to make the applications digitally. But we are mindful that many of our clients, including seniors, are more comfortable face-to-face, maybe on the phone, and befrienders will be a big plus. And so, all that remains – in fact, that remains core – because, in this line of work, in social service delivery, it is high-touch, high-feel. It is really an emotional connection. But a digital platform adds another layer of support.

Even in the real-world space, I have described earlier streamlined action protocols, One Client View (OneCV) and Case Connect working in the backend to enable organisations to work around the client's needs and their families, even as the client approaches the Social Services Office (SSO) physically. And for clients who approach the SSO, way before COVID-19 or just before COVID-19, we had already put in place video conferencing capacities to enable a client of the SSO to communicate not just with the SSO officer physically but virtually be able to link-up with the HDB officer and, of course, with other agencies as well. So, that remains an important way to support those who may not be so digitally inclined to seek help that way.

Minister Masagos Zulkifli.

I just want to assure Ms Carrie Tan that we do not want a cliff effect and disincentivise someone from graduating. We are not there to kick people out of ComCare or get them out of ComCare because we just do not want to give them support. We want to enable them and, as mentioned in my speech, if Ms Carrie Tan has heard carefully, the SSOs are given discretion to continue support even after the person has found, for example, a job, a better job, a better paying job, and not suffer this cliff effect that we may have, inadvertently, through our policy, done in the past. This is not how we are going to go forward.

Mr Don Wee.

Thank you, Mdm Chairman. I have three questions. Minister Masagos Zulkifli mentioned that, through ComLink, there will be a proactive approach to appear at deserving residents' doorsteps. So, I guess the lower-hanging fruits at this moment will be the existing clients in the SSO systems as well as there are also likely to be referrals from the Family Service Centres of ComCare recipients. So, my question is, can the potential pool of clients be expanded to beneficiaries of the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), MediFund as well as the various self-help groups like SINDA, MENDAKI or CDAC? So, by doing so, their application process must have a housing type and identifier in the application process. And it will also mean that system requirements will be required.

Second question. Along the same vein, relating to the app which allows clients to apply for various schemes, I guess this is like the Municipal Services Office (MSO) OneService app equivalent for less-privileged Singaporeans. So, over time, I hope the app can also allow these clients to apply for schemes offered by the self-help groups and the ComChest accredited Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs).

Third question. I also welcome the various improvements, like OneClientView, the single means-testing approach, as well as the tele-counselling which expedites the application turnaround time. So, to improve the handshake process further, can we also explore co-locating SSOs as well as the Family Service Centres, or SSAs, in future because the newer rental precincts do not come with spacious void decks these days.

Lastly, I would also like to thank the —

Thank you, Mr Don Wee, you have asked quite a lot of questions. I want to leave time for others. Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua.

Thank you, Mdm Chairman. I also want to thank the Member for his three clarifications. First, on expanding beyond the existing pool that we have identified to include those from self-help groups, schools, FAS and whatnot, I am mindful that we already have 14,000 families identified for this year and the next. We do want to focus on them. I would say that let us focus on these 14,000 families because a bespoke and customised approach has to be had for each of these families. So, I do not think it is something that we want to take lightly. And once we are on a steady state with the existing 14,000 families, we will want to move on to as many other families that we can assist as possible. So, that is for first question.

For the second question, the answer is we will take a look at that and we will, gradually, progressively, evolve what we can provide in the technology and in the app.

The third question relates to the co-location of the different institutions, SSOs, FSCs and all that. We have piloted that at Kreta Ayer and Bukit Merah and we have co-located the SSO and FST. [Please refer to "Clarification by Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for Social and Family Development", Official Report, 10 March 2022, Vol 95, Issue No 58, Correction by Written Statement section.]

We have also co-located SSO and AIC in Bedok and also in Tampines Hub. So, these are some examples. As we evolve the delivery of social services, we can look at how we can actually co-locate some of our services as well.

Ms Joan Pereira. Please keep it short so that I can let the other two clarifications be asked.

Thanks, Mdm Chairman. I have two clarifications. On the topic of preschool accessibility, I am very glad that Sengkang and Punggol will have more preschool places. Dawson, which I serve, also has many young families. So, I hope and look forward to more preschool centres there.

Second clarification, can the Ministry consider my proposal to have active reach-outs to families which have been on the waiting list for about three to six months? I hope the Ministry can reach out to them, understand their needs and help them register in a nearby centre with a vacancy, because I know most parents and grandparents will want to put their charges at a centre near their homes.

Minister of State Sun Xueling.

I thank the Member for her clarification. With the injection of new BTOs in the Dawson area, Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has planned new centres, as well as extension of existing centres, to increase preschool places to address the increase in demand. I also want to make a general point that, for other New Towns or some of the older estates where there are new insertions of BTOs, ECDA will work closely with agencies to quickly expand places through expansion of existing centres, but bearing in mind that there are sometimes manpower constraints and they will also be looking into the development of new centres in additional sites, which will, hopefully, provide convenience to young families which have moved into these new BTOs.

On the Member's second question, currently, parents may register their interest in a preschool via the Preschool Search Portal, which is an online self-help portal. On this portal, parents can actually search by proximity, understand more about which are the centres that are available, what is the waitlist situation like.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Every three months, the portal will inform the parents about the latest situation around the preschool places. And if the Member is aware of specific instances whereby the parent is still unable to locate a preschool which is suitable for the family and the child, to please highlight the situation to myself, to ECDA, and we will follow up closely to find a preschool which, hopefully, the parents can accept.

Sometimes, parents can have their specific requirements around specific preschools. They may sometimes want a specific preschool within a specific walking distance from home and we will try very much to accommodate. So, on a national level, in terms of preschool capacity, we have enough, but we recognise that, in localised areas, there may be areas with higher demand and, when that happens, ECDA will work closely with the parents and the advisor there to help those young families living in those areas.

Mr Leon Perera.

Thank you, Mr Chairman, Sir. Just three clarifications for Minister Masagos Zulkifli. I will try and keep it short.

Firstly, would the Ministry consider the proposal contained in my Budget speech to set a poverty line and measure the number of families, particularly, the number of children, who fall below this line every year so that we can measure how we are making an impact on the issue of poverty and transitioning people out of poverty? I note that some other countries do publish this data.

Secondly, on the quantum of financial assistance, how often is this reviewed? When will the next review be and do these reviews take into consideration new research, such as the study by Prof Teo You Yenn and Dr Ng Kok Hoe that I referred to?

Lastly, a narrow clarification. The Minister referred to our intergenerational social mobility being better than North America and Europe, if I heard him correctly. Could the Minister reference what is the study that demonstrates that? Because I am not aware of that.

I will try to answer that in three minutes.

Firstly, the data that talks about social mobility. This came from a study. The source is Chetty et al, 2014, and the authors are from the US, UK, Denmark; and our own estimates are updated by the authors using administrative data. The US is about 7.5% for the share of individuals who reach the top income quintile among those born to the bottom quintile. So, 7.5% and that is North America. For the UK, it is about 9%; Europe, 11%. In Singapore, it is maintained at about 14%, especially for those that we have estimated for the 1985 to 1989 cohorts. This is published, as I mentioned, by Chetty et al, from the US, UK, Denmark, Canada; the authors are from these countries.

For the other issue on the publication by the academicians, particularly around what the Member called minimum income standards, this was responded to by MOF in October, giving its views about the minimum income standards. This was a study started in the United Kingdom in 2006. So, it is a relatively new approach in determining what are the benchmarks and standards to look at in alleviating poverty.

For this particular standard, the idea is to determine what incomes different household types require to reach a socially acceptable living standard. It has nothing to do with determining what low-income families should get.

As such, even the Singapore study reflects the processes and outcomes expected from the study by the UK condition and do not necessarily reflect the needs of the low-income households.

For example, the call for $1,600 monthly income for a single or partnered household includes private enrichment classes, jewellery, perfume and therefore, in no way reflects what should be, at least, the basic necessity that we should meet for needy income households.

Nonetheless, I will respect that this is an approach, a particular academic approach, and like the UK exercise, it should be seen as a reflection of what society aspires everyone to have for them, like what they want to have at least for themselves. Nonetheless, there are many other academic approaches to social spending. These include those around measuring outcomes on social mobility, like the publication I mentioned just now, as well as issues around social inclusion.

In Singapore, for example, we make sure social inclusion is something we work very hard on. Hawker centres are a very good example where the rich and poor dine together under a community hall and they do not feel rich, do not feel poor. In the same way too, community clubs, even our housing estates, are designed for that.

There are other studies which talk about how it should be done. For example, raising average incomes, building pathways for continuous improvement. These two studies that I have mentioned by the academics —

Minister, if you can wrap up, please.

Yes. Put emphasis on personal responsibility, the role of the family and not just Government intervention. So, I hope that we do not get fixated by a publication, as popular as it is, but look at the broad literature and the outcomes that we have achieved so far.

Mr Seah Kian Peng, if you can withdraw your amendment, please?

Chairman, I would first like to thank Minister Masagos Zulkifli, Minister Desmond Lee, Minister of State Sun Xueling and Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua for their responses to our cuts and also their subsequent responses to our clarifications.

Renewing and strengthening our social compact to build a fair and just Singapore require the work and support of all of us. Certainly, for those in the social sector, I think they are doing a lot of heavy lifting on this front. So, on behalf of all of us, inside and outside of this House, I want to express our sincere appreciation to all of them. On that note, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]

[(proc text) The sum of $3,773,507,000 for Head I ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]

[(proc text) The sum of $86,845,700 for Head I ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]

Head X, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin.

Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum allocated for Head X of the Estimates be reduced by $100."

Sir, MCCY shoulders the heavy responsibility of safeguarding the social compact that we have assiduously built in Singapore over the years – the unwavering belief and determination to work together to build towards a collective future regardless of race, language, culture or religion.

This social compact among Singaporeans forms the bedrock that has enabled us to overcome many challenges faced in nation-building over the years. Our unity and strength in diversity is a unique part of our social fabric that is vital to the survival and progress of Singapore.

Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic crisis brought out the very best of our Singapore community. We have seen the bravery and sacrifices of our frontline teams and heard of anecdotal stories of neighbours and friends within communities caring for and reaching out to one another in these challenging times.

But, Sir, on the other hand, as a result of the pandemic, we have also observed the polarisation of some societies along the lines of socio-economic status, race and nationality. Despite our strong social compact, Singapore has not been spared.

We have seen racist incidents, vocal discussions on the treatment of low-wage workers and attitudes towards foreigners. Some of the incidents gained widespread publicity, amplified through social media and other online platforms. Such issues are highly emotive in nature and can easily serve to divide us, if not carefully managed. It is a timely reminder that we cannot take social harmony in Singapore for granted.

Sir, I do believe, however, that the current discourse over race and religion as well as foreigners and jobs, can be useful if discussed in a constructive and respectful manner. It can also prompt a deeper reflection about our values and what it means to be Singaporean.

We must, however, exercise ample deliberation in managing the discourse. We must remember that we did not build the social compact we have where we enjoy racial and religious harmony overnight and it, certainly, did not happen by chance. It took generations of effort, understanding, compromise and reaching out to grow the common spaces we share in order to attain what we have. It is a precious commodity that we must not freely give up.

Sir, as we move towards the future, we can expect these issues to continue to be discussed. In the TODAY Youth Survey published in November last year, it is clear that our youths are progressively seized with and are inclined to speak their minds on issues such as race and religion.

Our demographic is also slowly moving in a different direction. Over the past 10 years, approximately one in five marriages has been between couples with different ethnicity and/or race. With this trend, it will mean that there will be a whole segment of the next generation of Singaporeans born of these marriages who will also join in the discussions of race and religion but from a wholly different perspective.

We are, therefore, likely to grow into a more diverse society in the future. And while that will mean that more voices will need to be heard, it will, hopefully, make us a more robust, culturally richer and enduring society.

I, therefore, invite the Minister to share MCCY's strategies to ensure that Singapore remains a caring and inclusive society where we care for one another, where everyone's voices are heard and where our shared beliefs unite and drive us as a nation in the years to come.

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

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin. You can take your three cuts together.

Thank you, Chairman.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Since the M3 network was established some years ago, we are now in a better position to understand how our outreach efforts can be coordinated to enhance our community. Organisations and agencies have adopted a collaborative attitude to achieve better outcomes for the people. However, there are still residents in rental units facing multigenerational issues, and this hinders their aspirations to achieve a better life.

Last year, the Government launched Project DIAN@M3 in Geylang Serai, Bedok and Jalan Besar.

What are the best practices learnt in terms of volunteer engagement and data sharing that have led to better collaboration among agencies in helping families living in rental units? How can we coordinate and work more closely with Malay/Muslim organisations that are actively helping the residents in order to avoid duplication of efforts? What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) for Project DIAN@M3 in reaching out to our community over the next decade?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In Cheng San-Seletar, my team of volunteers run a research project to better understand the needs of families which have an incarcerated family member. More often than not, these offenders are the sole breadwinner, like the father, husband or son.

Incarceration is something that can impact the institution of family. Although the offender was the one being incarcerated, his family members are also affected. Usually, the assistance or support given to the offender's family only comes at the beginning or the end of the offender's sentence.

If we look at it, usually at the beginning of the offender's sentence, the offender's family may not feel desperate for daily needs. However, as time goes by, the offenders' families may feel trapped and depressed. If we are not careful, other family members can be affected, too. Efforts, such as reintegration support for offenders and families should be stepped up. I would like to ask how many families have been helped by FITRAH.

Can FITRAH monitor and identify any multigenerational problems in the family, and how does FITRAH help those families? Are there plans to coordinate efforts and assistance for the family, not only at the beginning or the end of the prison sentence, but also for the entire incarceration period, so that the families of the offenders are not neglected? More families are facing complex issues such as mental health and teenage pregnancies, and there is a need for FITRAH to mobilise volunteers to help these families. So, how can the FITRAH structure be strengthened for the long term so that this effort can continue?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] When I was given the opportunity to serve in MENDAKI's Committee on The Future Economy, we surveyed our students to understand how we can support their aspirations and ensure that they have a place and role in the future economy. When asked where they received career advice, students from madrasahs and secular schools shared that they usually asked their parents and relatives, although schools now have education and career counsellors.

While family advice is important, our young people in this generation are growing up in a different era and economy where job and education opportunities are very much different, compared to 20 years ago.

I would like to ask whether the Government employs a strategic approach to support the students' capability and development and increase opportunities for them to obtain scholarships to enhance their skills in new growth areas. Apart from preparing students with skills even while they are still school, how can MENDAKI work with companies and industries to support the transition to new growth areas?

Ms Mariam Jaafar. You can take both cuts together.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Boosting social mobility and uplifting the success of our community do not come from policy changes alone. It requires a lot of hard work to build a supportive culture – providing access to networks, advisors or mentors and peer support to help our young people make the right choices in life. We must have that in our community.

Can the Government give an update on the M3 youth mentoring programmes and the value derived from these programmes in the eyes of the mentees? What is the demand for these mentoring programmes and how much of the demand is being fulfilled? How quickly can the programmes be extended to ITE and Polytechnic students?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The number of Malay families living in rental housing cited in the latest population survey is something that has been noted. At the same time, we know that many families in public rental flats aspire to become homeowners.

Can M3 provide an update on the KPIs for Project DIAN@M3, what has been achieved to date and how the Government can also extend more support to other vulnerable families which do not own a home, but do not reside in rental flats, for example, renting a room/unit in the open market, staying temporarily with friends or family, or are homeless?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, over the past decade, the Malay/Muslim community has achieved much progress in both secular and religious fields. We should be proud that the Malay community, through its awareness, determination, drive, effort and hard work, has managed to excel. During this period, we have seen many more young Malay/Muslims excelling in higher education.

However, to achieve further success, we have to look at the gaps and challenges before us and try to find solutions for each one. The Malay community is known for its "gotong royong" spirit. They are good at uniting their efforts. Nonetheless, as the world is changing rapidly, we also need to learn from others to gain new knowledge and skills to overcome the current challenges. As the Malay proverb goes, whenever it floods, the shoreline changes shape, that is, when a major change takes place, everything else will change, too. So, while many people may be happy to just swim in a small pond, the Malay community now aspires to swim in the ocean. However, there is also another proverb cautioning us that if our fishing line is short, do not test the ocean, that is, if we do not have the capacity, do not attempt something beyond our capabilities.

A rapidly changing world has impacted on our stability and traditional sources of income. Careers that used to provide stable employment are now facing challenges and becoming scarce. These careers have been replaced by new forms of jobs that change quickly and this requires us to be nimble and adaptable to ensure a stable income. Our workforce is challenged by stiff competition from foreign workers flooding into our country, hungry for job opportunities that are increasingly becoming scarce in their own countries.

Mr Chairman, in terms of monthly income, the Malay community is lagging behind. The 2020 Population Census showed that the average monthly household income from work was $6,851 in 2020 and the median level was $5,704 which is the lowest, compared to the Chinese, Indian and other communities, and, furthermore, 37.1% of Malays are living in 3-room, 2-room and 1-room flats.

Sir, although I would like to touch on a number of things in this speech, due to time constraints, I will focus on one basic and important aspect in achieving progress and development in any society, which is education.

Organisations tasked to address this challenge must ensure that they have made appropriate and sufficient preparations. Hence, improvements must take a two-pronged approach. First, by identifying jobs that will provide the most opportunities for our community right now and in the future. Second, by identifying the community's inclinations and strengths, so that any necessary preparations and adaptations can take place now in order to prepare us for a work environment that has changed and will change in the future.

All this will certainly influence the focus of our education in the future. A focus on education that prepares our children in navigating future challenges must be emphasised. Forward-thinking education should be the basis of their curriculum and any exposure that they have to undergo should be future-realistic.

We also need to find new ways to help Malay students excel in innovation and creativity, in Islamic finance which is being increasingly accepted in the global market including fintech, pharmaceuticals, robotics with its sophisticated use of nanotechnology and green technology, which are the bases of the new and future economy.

For these new fields, we also need the expertise of religious scholars to enlighten the community on matters that require our involvement. As such, I would like to ask the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs the following questions.

Firstly, what are the Government's plans to enable more young Malays to enter these new fields by 2025? I hope that the Minister and MENDAKI will share these plans, so that the Malay community knows the direction they need to take in this rapidly-changing world.

I would also like to ask what are MUIS' plans to equip our asatizahs with the knowledge and expertise in the areas of fintech, pharmaceuticals, robotics and green technology? The community needs to know if there are any asatizahs in leadership who are knowledgeable in these fields and, at the same time, able to delve deeper into Islamic jurisprudence and syariah issues. I would also like to know how the Malay community can learn from the current asatizahs who are experts on these issues.

Mr Chairman, our young Malays are increasingly getting excellent results in the "O" and "A" Level examinations, as well as in their studies at the local Universities. These include madrasah students who obtained distinctions despite being burdened with a much higher number of subjects compared to their peers in secular schools. This shows that there are young Malays with huge potential who need to be given the full attention, assistance and support.

Besides the increase in the number of Malay students in local Universities, there is also a growing number of young Malays who are furthering their studies at the Bachelor's degree or postgraduate level in foreign universities. In future, with the world changing rapidly and new fields of knowledge being created, there will be more Malay students who may want to gain knowledge and experience in institutions of higher learning overseas. I hope MENDAKI can enhance its overseas study loan scheme in terms of the loan quantum and also by including many more new fields. This is to ensure that our Malay students' ambitions and aspirations are not hindered due to financial matters.

In this regard, I have some questions for the Minister. Over the past 10 years, firstly, how many Malay students have received assistance through the overseas Study Loan Scheme provided by MENDAKI every year? Second, how many of these students who received assistance had their loan scheme converted into scholarships due to their excellent results? Third, what is the average loan amount given out by MENDAKI every year? Fourth, how many postgraduate students did MENDAKI assist over the last 10 years so that they can take their Master's and PhD in overseas universities? And, finally, what is the average loan amount channelled to overseas graduate students every year?

Going forward, the Malay community would like to know clearly whether there is a masterplan by MENDAKI to propel the Malay community forward, in line with the demands of IR 4.0.

Sir, at the beginning of my speech, I spoke about achieving progress in both religious and secular fields. I shared my views on how we can further strengthen efforts to continue our progress by expanding educational fields and knowledge to keep up with the changing times. Before I end my speech, I would like to touch on current developments that we must pay attention to, especially by Muslims in Singapore.

Sir, the Muslim community's progress does not depend solely on the development and improvements in education. It also depends on efforts to do good and, at the same time, endeavours to help Muslims follow Islamic values more closely.

Last January, the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association (PERGAS) issued a statement via social media platforms Facebook and Instagram that they will form a task force on the issue of LGBT, or Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders in Singapore. Some of the plans made by PERGAS include a dialogue with members of the LGBT community who are Muslims, and efforts to help and guide Muslims in Singapore in facing and addressing the LGBT issue together.

Sir, in this regard, I would like to state that I am fully appreciative of this effort by PERGAS, and I will certainly support any effort that takes a positive and enlightened approach in discussing and navigating the LGBT issue.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, please take your two cuts together, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Chairman, in last year's Committee of Supply debates, I asked about the KelasMateMatika, or KMM, programme and I was pleased that KMM had successfully prepared students for primary school.

I am also excited about the School Readiness Class (KSS) programme announced last year. KMM and KSS are effective because they are not only meant for our children, but their parents as well.

A KMM participant in Chua Chu Kang told me that the programme gives her confidence when teaching Mathematics to her child.

This is encouraging because many parents participating in the programme come from low-income families and may not be highly educated.

What is the latest update on the achievements of the KSS and KMM programmes and to what extent has the ECDA-led KidStart programme been able to complement the KSS and KMM programmes for Malay/Muslim families?

Educational assistance is not just for children, but also for parents in their lifelong learning. So, what are the efforts to improve lifelong learning for young couples and workers in our community?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Singapore Community Wakaf (WMS) was announced in 2020 to generate a sustainable income to support the long-term needs of our community which includes religious institutions, asatizah development and community programmes. An Advisory Panel has been set up to review the necessary steps for the wakaf.

In March last year, following my Parliamentary Question on WMS, we were informed that the Advisory Panel has submitted its recommendations and Minister Masagos Zulkifli also explained that, apart from the submitted recommendations, the Government also needs to study various other aspects to refine the general approach on wakaf. And this includes considering proposed amendments to existing laws.

The last wakaf was made more than 40 years ago – in 1978.

Here, I agree that we need to restore the spirit and culture of endowing property for the benefit of society and nation, as those before us had done in the past, which helped established many of our religious institutions and welfare bodies through wakaf.

To achieve this objective, I had proposed in my previous Parliamentary speech that we need to establish a holistic ecosystem, including a more comprehensive dispute resolution framework and a public awareness campaign, on estate planning. Our community needs to be prepared for a rainy day. I hope WMS can trigger a positive change in our community.

Therefore, can the Minister provide an update on the establishment of WMS and its plans, moving forward, to further encourage the practice of wakaf in Singapore?

Can the Government also consider setting up a dedicated department in the Syariah Court or MUIS to hear any disputes related to the issue of Muslim inheritance, including wakaf?

Dr Shahira Abdullah. You may take your three cuts together.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Wakaf is a voluntary charitable endowment made in the form of cash or property. It is made by Muslims for religious purposes and allows the perpetual use of the asset for charity. It is an important source of funds to supplement how the community can fulfil and support its community and religious needs.

Recently, a descendent of Haji Pitchay Meerah Hussain claimed mismanagement of his grandfather's wakaf land. MUIS later explained that wakif's wishes are being respected, and that the broader intention has been fulfilled.

As such, I would also like to know what MUIS' efforts are in educating the public regarding wakaf and whether input is being sought from the community on how the wakaf assets are being used. This is because I believe that, by doing so, it would put the Muslim community's mind at ease and may encourage the community to contribute further to the fund. Likewise, may I know what are MUIS' plans to grow and invest the fund?

Would the Minister also consider introducing a similar concept for the rest of society to consider endowing their assets to charitable perpetual uses?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] It can be difficult for families in need to navigate the social support systems to get timely and holistic help or to gain access to national initiatives that may benefit them. Malay/Muslim Organisations can also play a part in helping to complement and support these initiatives. For example, MENDAKI had loaned out laptops to students who were awaiting approval for new ones under the NEU-PC Plus Programme when students had to suddenly pivot to home-based learning (HBL).

The Lembaga Biasiswa Kenangan Maulud (LBKM), which has many institutional MMO members, could also galvanise community efforts in relation to education upliftment.

Likewise, the Malay Heritage Foundation has championed cultural heritage and preservation and engaged in active dialogue to recognise some of Singapore's cultural stalwarts, like the late Mr Sarkasi Said.

How can the Malay/Muslim organisations synergise, support and complement other national initiatives?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] On 24 February 2020, the Committee of Future Asatizah (COFA) released its recommendations to help asatizahs take their place as leaders and professionals, able to contexualise their religious knowledge to tackle issues and guiding the Muslim community here.

One of the programmes introduced was RLTD. May I ask what the programme is doing to groom the asatizahs to fill the different leadership positions not just in religious institutions but in the adjacent sectors as well? The religious knowledge asatizahs have is important in providing expertise and guidance in non-religious sectors as well, benefiting not just the Muslim community but the wider community, too.

I would also like to know the progress into the common salary guidelines in religious institutions. I hope, with the important, sincere work that they do, they are renumerated appropriately to attract as well as to retain talent.

How are the salaries benchmarked against relevant sectors and what is the pay progression like as they upskill and upgrade? At the same time, how are we galvanising the community to support this pay progression as well?

Lastly, the COVID-19 pandemic saw the need for our religious teachers to quickly pivot and adapt to ensure that religious classes and programmes could still be carried out to benefit the Muslim community. I would like to commend them for their efforts. It also raises the issue that, in addition to the continual need to upgrade religious knowledge, non-typical skills upgrading is also needed to keep up with changes that happen in society. May I know the updates and how ARS is doing this on their CPE platform to better address and respond to these changing needs?

Mr Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In a discourse written by Mufti Dr Naziruddin Nasir, which was published by Berita Harian last year, he wrote about the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, when we grappled with confusion and uncertainty on how to balance religious obligations and public safety. However, our religious and community leaders did not let the confusion hamper us and proceeded to guide the Muslim community in Singapore. Indeed, contemporary issues bring new challenges. As a minority Muslim community, we often face unique and multiple challenges to thrive in a non-Muslim majority society.

The International Conference on Communities of Success (ICCOS), which is being planned, is a meaningful platform for the minority Muslim community in Singapore to learn about the efforts of other communities in navigating contemporary issues. MUIS organised two pre-conference sessions last year. We must ensure that ICCOS can benefit the Singapore Muslim community and help other efforts in the religious sector. Can MUIS give details of the key objectives and expected outcomes from ICCOS?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, I am very heartened that many in our community have progressed and excelled in education over the past years, whether via the secular or madrasah route. On this point, has there been a study on this success journey and how can we continue this success rate? Not forgetting the success rate, how can we put plans to improve those who may have missed out?

I would like to ask the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs if he could share the progress rate of our community in education over the past decade or past five years and how many people within our community have graduated from ITEs, polytechnics and universities? Does the Government also monitor how many from this cohort of ITE and diploma holders have progressed and attained a degree or higher? What are the sectors that have the least participation from our community and how do we, as a community, raise interest in those sectors so that we can seize the available opportunities?

Another group that is of concern to me is the madrasah cohort. How do we track the number of students that have graduated from religious universities across different parts of the Middle East? How has this group of graduates integrated with our multi-racial society? Could the Minister also share how does the salary package for our religious teachers or scholars compare with those teaching in secular schools? How are they benchmarked and how often are they being reviewed for their compensation?

I always believe that our asatizahs have to be paid competitively, or even higher, in view of the knowledge they impart and the guidance they provide to our community for this world and the hereafter. I call on all my fellow Muslims to come forward and contribute, if a fund is needed to further develop and enhance the performance of our asatizahs and religious scholars. I believe that our religious teachers always have a strong aspiration to be intellectuals and scholars who that are able to innovate and shape policies in our multiracial and multi-cultural society based on Islamic principles that respect each different faith, value and culture.

Dr Wan Rizal, take your two cuts, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Our religious teachers play an important role in guiding and shaping our community with the skillsets, character and citizenship so that we become a Community of Success. This exists because we have an efficient madrasah education system. I am grateful and proud that we can see progress in our students.

Over the last five years, the percentage of madrasah students pursuing secondary school education has increased. More than 98% of madrasah students who took PSLE in 2021 qualified for secondary school.

Recently, Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah students obtained excellent results in their IB diploma examination. The best student achieved a perfect score and all students who went through the programme have passed, with an average score higher than the global average. Congratulations to the Principal and teachers as well as the students on your success!

With the good performance of madrasah students in last year's examination, as well as in previous years, can the Minister share his plans to continue nurturing young talents in the religious sector to ensure that there is a pipeline of the next generation of religious leaders?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Muslim minority communities around the world are faced with various unique challenges that are different from the challenges faced by those living in the Muslim majority societies.

Actions and solutions to issues relevant to our society should be carefully resolved with an understanding of the context, especially in formulating knowledge, so as to help the minority Muslim community address new and complex challenges.

MUIS has organised two pre-conference seminars in 2021 ahead of the main event.

What are the main objectives and findings that we wish to achieve through the International Conference on Communities of Success (ICCOS) and how can ICCOS benefit the Muslim community of Singapore and complement other efforts in the religious sector?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, during his annual Hari Raya get-together last year, Minister Masagos Zulkifli stressed the importance of our asatizahs being well-equipped to provide sound and relevant religious guidance for the community, especially in these times of uncertainty. I echo Minister Masagos Zulkifli's sentiments and am heartened to note that efforts to nurture and develop competent and future-ready asatizahs here are underway. Such programmes includes MUIS' Asatizah Workforce Development Plan, which works to enhance career pathways and opportunities for asatizahs once they have entered the workforce, as well as the Religious Leadership and Talent Development Programme (RLTD), which seeks to develop Singapore's next generation of religious teachers.

Given the need to mould our asatizahs to face complex challenges, can the Minister expound on the effectiveness of the leadership programmes under the RLTD? How many asatizahs have benefited from these programmes? Has MUIS received any feedback on these programmes?

As we chart our way forward, our asatizahs will require additional support. Could the Minister, thus, also share his plans to improve the leadership potential and capabilities of asatizahs for pinnacle appointments?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] As we navigate through this pandemic, our youths will require more support with strengthening their competencies for the future economy. The uncertainties brought forth by the pandemic would mean that we need to support our youths within and beyond the classroom. I am heartened to note that some programmes are already in place to assist your youths and the community, such as MENDAKI's Empowerment Programmes.

These programmes provide our youths with opportunities to acquire life skills, build confidence and connect students to opportunities to grow their potential. Both programmes entail competency workshops, team-bonding activities, sharing sessions and matching students to befrienders who will guide them in goal setting and motivate them to achieve their aspirations.

As such, can the Minister elaborate on the participation rate of the ITE Empowerment Programmes in previous years? Moreover, how effective has the existing programme been in empowering our youths to achieve their education and career aspirations?

Moving forward, our youths will need additional support due to the dynamic and ever-evolving job market.

Hence, it will have a greater role in tailoring existing mentorship approaches to meet our youths' needs.

Could the Minister elaborate on its future plans for the ITE Empowerment Programmes and whether it will be adjusted to meet the dynamic needs of our youths?

Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In the recent Budget debate, I supported the plan to expand the KidSTART and UPLIFT programmes to more children across Singapore.

It underlines the Government's strong commitment to address inequality as early as possible.

In Singapore, no one will be left behind especially our children. Early childhood education and good support will give them a strong foundation and a good start in their educational journey.

Since its inception, M3 agencies have been very supportive of all efforts to strengthen the family and education institutions.

As such, I would like to ask the Minister how M3 agencies and their volunteers can work more closely with the Government to ensure that children in rental housing get early help, so that they are not left behind when they enter primary school.

Mr Sharael Taha.

Chairman, permission to take both my cuts together, please.

Yes, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, volunteers at M3@Pasir Ris-Punggol have made considerable efforts in bringing digital skills to our community through events held at Pasir Ris East CC.

At our M3 Goes Digital event, students learnt to assemble a jet engine using augmented reality (AR) and how to use 3D printers.

Parents also found out more about safe digital practices while seniors learnt to use digital tools from our volunteers.

We also held our inaugural 3D Makers Workshop where mentors, such as young engineers Mr Sufi Abdullah and Mr Amir Zakaria; Mdm Azizah Sapari, a technical consultant with SMRT; and Mr Ibnur Rasad, an entrepreneur and Industry 4.0 trainer, guided students on the use of computer aided design and 3D printing to create holders for their finger helicopters.

This workshop saw student participation from across our Malay/Muslim community and one of the winners of the challenge was a team from Madrasah Al-Arabiah Al-Islamiah.

We must provide opportunities for our youths to acquire the skills required in growth industries, so that they can aspire and gain the confidence to pursue careers in new industries.

What can MENDAKI do to provide platforms for our youths who wish to pursue a career in these growth industries?

Youths also benefit from a mentor as someone who they can turn to for advice. Having a support system can inspire and motivate youths.

Can MENDAKI provide an update on the progress of our youth mentoring programmes?

How can we work with Malay/Muslim professionals and industry partners who can help our youths better plan for their future careers?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, we have seen immense changes to the economy these past two years. The global economy has grown more competitive. New technologies are disrupting the market. Digitalisation is at the core of many businesses. Concern for environmental sustainability has become a key consideration for many industries. Employment opportunities continuously evolve and work from home or other flexible work arrangements are becoming the norm in some industries.

In December 2021, MOM reported that manpower demand in growth sectors pushed job vacancies to an all-time high of 98,700 in September 2021.

MENDAKI has conducted several career fairs to help job seekers upskill and find employment in new and growth industries. How do we increase the employability of our workforce and provide platforms for our community to explore new opportunities?

How can MENDAKI streamline its efforts with national agencies and corporate partners to ensure that our Malay/Muslim community is future-ready and poised to benefit from new employment opportunities?

How can MENDAKI encourage mid-career workers to move to growth industries and take part in programmes such as the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme, TeSA (Tech Skills Accelerator Programme) or SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme?

Finally, how can we encourage back-to-work mothers and those with care-giving responsibilities to explore employment opportunities in the new, more flexible employment market?

Mr Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, our community has many achievements, but we only have about 6% Malay workers in the PMET categories. This category usually gets a better salary. Statistics also show that a large number of Malay/Muslim women who are married or had married previously are not economically active and are an untapped labour group. We also have a shortage of Malay workers in certain sectors such as tech financing, green financing, banking, as well as in the developing sectors.

So, our goal must not only be to get more people within our community into permanent jobs and to ensure that they can be upskilled to get better jobs with higher wages and job security, but to work in the developing sectors in future.

Various initiatives are already underway to build a competent and future-ready workforce among the Malay/Muslim community.

One example is the agreement which was signed by NTUC and Yayasan MENDAKI on 24 February 2022. Another example is M3, which leads many initiatives, including organising career fairs and providing training and career advice.

What is the Government's thinking on streamlining our efforts to build a competent, future-ready workforce in the Malay/Muslim community? Are there specific detailed efforts to reallocate and concentrate more Malay/Muslim talent, both young and mature, in emerging growth sectors, such as through permanent internship opportunities and sectoral level scholarships with various corporations? We must have sectoral focus and have a deeper collaboration with the private sector.

(In English): We will also need to focus on cultivating a culture of learning and upskilling within the Malay/Muslim community. While the take-up rate is increasing, only 8.4% of Malay workers had utilised the SkillsFuture Credit scheme between 2015 and 2020.