Hansard, Tuesday, 2 October 2018

1 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Social and Family Development what approach will the Ministry take in respect of seniors who are eligible for but refuse to participate in the Lease Buyback Scheme that would have otherwise supplemented their payouts under CPF LIFE but, in turn, seek financial assistance from the Ministry's help schemes which may be available to them on the basis of their low household income.

Mr Speaker, ComCare is part of our multiple layers of assistance to support low-income individuals and families. It is intended to provide for basic needs, enable self-reliance and complement family and community support.

ComCare applicants with assets that can be monetised are encouraged to tap on them first. There is a referral process in place for the Social Service Offices (SSOs) to refer ComCare applicants who are assessed to qualify for the Lease Buyback Scheme to the Housing and Development Board for further advice. Low-income seniors who are in financial need and are in the process of applying for the Lease Buyback Scheme or need time to think through their options, may receive ComCare support to tide over their difficult circumstances in the interim.

We recognise that some seniors may have good reasons for not taking up the Lease Buyback Scheme. For example, they may prefer to sublet a room to generate additional income or keep the unit for their children who are permanently unable to work. In such cases, the SSOs will continue to provide the seniors with financial assistance for basic needs under ComCare and link them up with other relevant assistance and social services.

Mr Murali Pillai.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the hon Minister for his response. I have a supplementary question, really a broader question. How do we help seniors from families who, on one hand, do not have enough money, and on the other hand, they have assets which are of some value? These people usually tend to be in situations where they have dysfunctional family relations, especially with children who may not necessarily help them. To illustrate, I had a case where the couple did not have sufficient financial assistance from their children, but when I suggested the Lease Buyback Scheme to them, they demurred, stating that they would rather let the flat be passed on to their children.

Every case is unique. There may be some commonalities but, working on the ground, I think Members would know that each family's circumstances would differ. The key is that ComCare support provides, in a way, a safety net. After individuals have exhausted their own means, have relied on family but find that it is inadequate, the state will come in to provide support.

So, it is not a science. There is no standard operating procedure which drives inexorably in any one direction. We have certain guidelines and procedures. We could say, "Well, if you have assets that you can monetise, you have a spare room, and you are comfortable doing so and that supplements your income, then we will top up." We top up in different ways – whether it is ComCare, interim assistance, MediFund, rental assistance, food assistance, Government scheme, a local community scheme, a community voluntary welfare organisation-based scheme – these will all then chip in, and, in a coordinated way, we will render assistance to the senior.

But there may be various reasons why some seniors that we seek to assist face challenges adopting some of the proposals that we put before them. And I think the key is to adopt the social work approach, understand their mindset, understand what their concerns are, journey with them along the way, see if they can be persuaded, and, if they cannot, why not? And ultimately, see how we can better allow the individual to tap on his or her assets, to be able to rely on his family if possible, and with the help of the Commissioner of the Maintenance of Parents if need be, for conciliation. Then, ultimately, the state will come in to provide that safety net support.

2 Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how many Day Activity Centres (DACs) are there currently; (b) how many young adults aged 18-21 are enrolled in the DACs currently; and (c) how many special needs trained educators or caregivers are there in the DACs.

Sir, Day Activity Centres (DACs) are community-based day facilities that provide long-term care support for adult persons with Disabilities (PWDs). DACs equip PWDs with skills to enable them to live as independently as possible at home and within the community. There are currently 30 DACs. As of August 2018, there are about 1,200 clients, of whom about 200 or 17% are young adults between the ages of 18 and 21.

Clients attending DACs are supported by a care team comprising professionals and direct care workers. The professional staff includes psychologists, therapists and social workers, and they formulate the care plans as well as supervise and conduct activities, such as behavioural modifications, therapy and counselling. The direct care workers, who are known as DAC training officers, support the clients and assist the professionals in their day-to-day activities.

There are a total of about 70 professionals and 250 direct care workers across the 30 DACs. Apart from being equipped with professional training and direct care knowledge, the staff working in DACs also attend courses to improve their skills in communicating with PWDs and understanding their needs.

Dr Intan Mokhtar.

I thank the Minister of State. I understand that a number of caregivers had previously experienced some form of challenges and difficulty in enrolling their children who are aged 18 and above into DACs after they have graduated from special education (SPED) schools. So, my question to the Minister of State is whether there are enough places to meet the demand and whether there are enough DAC professionals to attend to these young adults in the DACs. And what is the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) doing to ensure that parents and guardians are aware of the various options available for young adults aged 18 and above after they graduate from SPED schools. That is my first supplementary question.

My second supplementary question is whether there are plans to consolidate all the DACs into specialised centres for further training for such young adults to better prepare them to be work-ready, and if there are plans to ensure that there are targeted SkillsFuture certification programmes for them so that, ultimately, they can be independent.

I thank the Member for the very long and lengthy questions. Let me attempt to answer them. I shall try to answer the last question first. Consolidation of the DACs. Sir, there are now 30 DACs in Singapore and they are operated by 15 voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs). All these VWOs have their own background, culture, strengths, expertise and capabilities. So, I think it is not so feasible nor practical to try to artificially consolidate them just to make sure that they are able to deliver quality programmes and services.

What MSF does is that we issue guidelines and standards to all the DACs to ensure that they will follow a certain regime and protocol when they roll out the programmes and services to their clients. MSF also conducts periodical onsite audits to check on DACs to ensure that standards are met. For some of the DACs which fail to meet the standards, MSF officers will work together with the DAC management to identify the gaps to develop the service improvement programmes so as to make sure that they are able to meet the requirements and better serve their clients.

As to SkillsFuture training, this is, indeed, something that we are looking at. Under the Enabling Masterplan 3, MSF has been discussing and working with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and SkillsFuture Singapore to identify suitable employment-related training. We will conduct these training when the feasibility studies are concluded to make sure that the clients at the DACs will be given the opportunity for lifelong learning under the SkillsFuture Framework. For those who need to work, such SkillsFuture-certified courses will enhance their employment prospects.

So, this is work in progress. Once ready, that will be another step to give a leg-up to the clients at the DACs.

As to the Member's first supplementary question of post-18 transition, we are aware of the challenges faced by PWDs and also their caregivers. When they finish their SPED education at age 18, where do they go? We have been working with MOE and SPED schools to identify upstream orientation programmes. We have also been discussing and organising with the DACs to stage exhibitions, talks and sharing experiences by caregivers at the SPED schools and also to conduct orientation programmes for their caregivers before the age of 18. We are also working closely with MOE on this aspect. The purpose is to make sure that before they reach the age of 18, the caregivers are given the understanding and also to be better prepared for them to make a decision, post 18, which DAC to go to and so on and so forth. This is also work in progress.

There was another part of the Member's supplementary question, the different options. If I may invite the Member to elaborate on this.

The options among the different DACs if they wish to specialise in specific areas. It ties in with my other question on SkillsFuture certification.

Thank you. Different DACs offer different types of services and programmes so that they are able to offer a myriad of courses and training to meet the different and diverse needs of PWDs. There are quite a lot of options available. As mentioned just now, the important thing is to provide adequate information to PWDs and their caregivers so that they understand the range of services and programmes offered by the different DACs so that they will be able to make an informed choice of which DAC to go to when they reach the age of 18.

Ms Denise Phua.

From my other life, which is running a DAC as a volunteer, I know that the cost of running DACs is very high. It can go up to almost half a million dollars of deficit each year for less than 50 people who have moderate to severe disabilities. I think the need will go beyond 21 years old.

I was wondering if MSF would consider assembling a small task force to look at the challenges facing this group of adults beyond 18, 21, and look at how to configure solutions that will involve not only the people sector, but also the public and private sectors, and other donors and foundations that can come together. This solution would not be easy and will be quite costly. And we need to get rid of some boxes of thinking to come to a better solution, because the needs are going to increase, going to be more costly, and there is no way that anyone, VWO, any kind person or organisation that can do it on their own. So, I would like to ask the Ministry to consider setting up a small task force just to specifically look at this very challenging area of the special needs community.

I want to thank the Member for that very passionate plea. We share the same passion. We also share the same commitment in wanting to uplift PWDs in our community. The Member has hit the nail on the head. To enable, to uplift this segment of our population, it needs to go beyond the DACs, it needs to go beyond the Government. It really needs the community to come together, working together with the DACs and with the Government to ensure that we would be able to provide adequate support, not just to PWDs but also the DACs running the services and programmes for them.

The answer to the Member's question is yes, we are open to discussing how we can work together with the community, the donors, the DACs to make sure that we will be able to provide adequate and affordable services to their clients. So, when we do, indeed, form a task force, I would be happy to invite the Member to serve on the task force so that we can work together and the Member can provide her perspective and insights on how we can work together collectively to make Singapore a more inclusive society for all, including those with disabilities.

3 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the two reports presented by the UN Fact-Finding Mission in September 2018, how can ASEAN further help to resolve the crisis related to the Rakhine State, which has caused a catastrophic human tragedy in and around Myanmar.

4 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the two reports presented by the UN Fact-Finding Mission in September 2018, whether Myanmar can be compelled to abide by Articles 14, 15, 22, 28, 31(2), read with Article 2, of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration as well as Article 2, paragraph 2(i), Article 20, paragraph 4 and Article 7, paragraph (2)(e) of the ASEAN Charter.

5 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether Singapore will (i) send another consignment of humanitarian supplies to Bangladesh to provide aid for Rohingya refugees this year and (ii) consider increasing Singapore's financial contribution to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) next year.

Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will take Question Nos 3, 4 and 5 together?

Yes, please.

Thank you. The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (UNHRC) appointed a fact-finding mission in March last year. This fact-finding mission on Myanmar published its full Report on 18 September. This Report contained harrowing accounts of brutal and shocking atrocities committed in the Rakhine State that led to an outflow of refugees to Bangladesh.

I just returned from New York yesterday. On 29 September, we had an Informal Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' meeting. In fact, because this topic was so sensitive, we convened a smaller group consisting of only the Ministers. We expressed our grave concern with these alleged acts of violence that had led to loss of lives, injuries, destructions of homes and displacement of large numbers of people. And to be brutally honest, this is a man-made humanitarian disaster and something which should not be happening in this day and age.

The Foreign Ministers urged the Myanmar government that since the Myanmar government has appointed an Independent Commission of Inquiry, that this Independent Commission of Inquiry should be given a full mandate to investigate, and to hold all those responsible fully accountable. We also called on both Myanmar and Bangladesh which have, in fact, signed an agreement in November last year that they should provide for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of refugees. But to date, not a single refugee has returned under the aegis of that agreement. So, we emphasised that a key milestone now must surely be the start or the commencement of a repatriation of refugees to Myanmar. So, we are going to have to wait and see and hope that this will begin shortly.

We also urged the government of Myanmar to step up its implementation of all the recommendations of the Kofi Annan Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, because the root causes of this conflict need to be addressed. And a conducive environment needs to be created so that all affected communities can rebuild their lives.

You need circumstances in which there are opportunities for reconciliation for assurances of justice and equality and, ultimately, for better prospects for all communities. Otherwise, this long-term intercommunal complex situation will fester. And if this festers, it will create more opportunities for extremism and, ultimately, terrorism, which will not respect boundaries, and will represent a clear and present threat throughout Southeast Asia and beyond.

In the meantime, the refugees in Bangladesh deserve and need assistance. Members will recall that, in fact, last year, we had sent a consignment of assistance to the refugees in Bangladesh. Depending on assessment of their future needs, we may have to do so again. In the meantime, I know that the private sector and people sector organisations within Singapore are also sending appropriate assistance to Bangladesh.

I want to emphasise that, ultimately, the responsibility for resolving this must lie with the government of Myanmar; and this is a responsibility that we will hold them to account. And they do need to do the right thing and to do the right thing for all the vulnerable, defenceless and innocent victims. It is also a salutary warning to all of us in Southeast Asia. Race, language and religion are live issues and can always be exploited for short-term political gains. But an unfair share of the burden and of the injuries are sustained by defenceless people.

Mr Christopher de Souza.

Sir, I would like to thank the Minister for his insightful answer. This is a catastrophic human tragedy. Following the UN Fact-Finding Mission report in September of this year, the UNHRC took the additional step of deciding to set up a team to investigate further alleged atrocities. May I ask what is Singapore's position on the setting up of this team and what is ASEAN's perspective of the alleged atrocities?

Singapore is not currently a Council member on UNHRC. So, these decisions, we are not party to. The unfortunate fact is that the Myanmar government does not recognise or accept the decisions, in particular, with respect to this particular situation. For instance, the Fact-Finding Mission did not have any cooperation from Myanmar. So, all the accounts which are contained in the report are based on interviews conducted with refugees outside Myanmar.

My approach to this is to be practical. That is why we focus on the fact that Myanmar herself has appointed an Independent Commission of Inquiry. In this Independent Commission are two foreigners – one, a Filipino ambassador and another one from Japan. Both of them have reputations for being fiercely independent. As of now, we are waiting for the Independent Commission to begin its work, submit its report, and we will listen with great interest, particularly to the two independent members of the Commission.

I think we have to be practical and we have to look for every opportunity in which not to inflame the situation, but nevertheless, can hold people who are responsible fully accountable. So, let us wait and see.

Mr Louis Ng.

Sir, I thank the Minister for the reply. In his reply, I think he said that he was doing assessment on the ground to see whether to send a second consignment to Bangladesh. Can I just check when this assessment will be completed? I understand that the United States (US) had done an assessment and, just last week, they announced that they will double the aid to refugees in Bangladesh and Myanmar. I have been on the ground in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. I have seen what conditions they are living in. I have heard the stories firsthand of how much they have suffered, seen children with bullet wounds and how they have been scarred for life. And the people there really do need help.

I understand that there had been many landslides recently as well. So, I am really hopeful that Singapore will provide this second consignment of humanitarian aid.

There is a second part of my Parliamentary Question (PQ), and it is whether we will increase our financial contributions to UNHRC so that we can help refugees around the world rebuild their lives.

The answer to the first question is that we are in touch with the Bangladesh government. Again, at the UN meeting last week – in fact, there were several side meetings as well – my sense is that there are commitments for additional humanitarian assistance by various countries, including, as the Member quite rightly said, the US.

But my concern goes beyond just humanitarian assistance. You actually need a long-term solution. And a long-term solution is a political solution. In addition to that, you also want to have deterrence from future bouts of violence. That is why having Independent Commissions of Inquiry and holding people accountable are important.

The Member's second question on our support for UNHCR, we are one of the countries that make voluntary contributions. We have raised our contributions in 2016. But I do not want to over inflate the importance of that. We will do our part and we will work with UNHCR.

Dr Intan Mokhtar.

Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister. While I understand that we need time to let the independent Commission of Inquiry to take place but, beyond that, Singapore is the ASEAN Chair. So, what else can we do?

I think there was a related question that Member Christopher de Souza also had asked. Is there force of law? Can Myanmar be compelled? And the short answer to that, as far as ASEAN is concerned, is no. But what we can do is through moral suasion, persuasion, transparency and keeping this on the agenda. And also telling the Myanmar government that we want and hope for a long-term viable, good outcome, and that ASEAN stands ready to help.

Specifically, what we said last week to Myanmar was that we expect the voluntary repatriation to begin soon, and ASEAN stands ready to help to facilitate that in any way possible.

But Members also need to understand that ASEAN is an association that makes decisions by consensus. Once you understand that every decision requires consensus, it effectively means every single country has a veto. So, that acts as a constraint to the legal options available. As I have said, in any case, ultimately, the long-term solution for this is a political solution. And politics must involve discussion, disagreement, dispute resolution if need be, and hoping that, in the long run, cool heads will prevail and people will do the right thing. Compulsion, tempting as it is, usually almost never works in these sorts of situations.

Ms Denise Phua.

I do understand that a long-term political solution is needed. But while the rest of the world debates and gives advice and coaxed and persuades through moral suasion, is there something that Singaporeans can do more? I know that it is a controversial topic if we want to use taxpayers' money to do more, but can the Government – the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) or the Ministry of Education (MOE) – organise local efforts so that we can raise funds and people can contribute for a cause that is bigger than themselves? I thought this would be a great chance for us to look beyond Singapore, what we are blessed with, and look at how we can contribute to what are called disasters in the world.

I thank the Member for that supplementary question. Actually, Singaporeans have been. It is not just the Government. We typically set aside seed funding. But I think the Member may be aware that there has been fundraising. I think more than a million dollars have been given. There is probably a lot more that we are not even aware of.

Singaporeans do care. They do express their care. Whilst in the totality of it, we are probably a drop in the ocean. But I just wanted to commend that the attitude that the Member has always espoused, in fact, is being practised. I would expect that more assistance will flow. And we will work together with the people sector on this.

As I have said, this sort of situation should not be happening in this day and age. It is a stark reminder that we do not live in a perfect world. But let us not make things worse. That is why I do not take an unnecessarily provocative and combative approach to this issue. Second, have sufficient levels of transparency and accountability. Third, address humanitarian assistance in the short term. And fourth, try to promote a longer-term political solution.

But again, for Members who go back in history, this problem has been there probably for about 200 years. It is not something that will be resolved even in 200 days. So, you do need a sense of realism, without giving up on hope and without giving up that sense of solidarity with fellow human beings. So, we will continue to do our best.

6 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry will issue monthly guidelines for buyers and sellers of HDB flats under the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) on the pegging of the fair market value of these flats at a certain percentage of the last transacted price in the open category; and (b) in the past three years, what is the average discounted price of EIP flats transacted compared to prices in the open market.

7 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB will consider introducing a policy akin to the Lease Buyback Scheme where HDB buys back flats belonging to non-Chinese flat owners when these owners are unable to sell their flats due to the Ethnic Integration Policy.

Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to take Question Nos 6 and 7 together.

Yes, please.

The Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) was introduced in 1989 to ensure a balanced mix of ethnic groups living in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates, so as to promote racial harmony and strengthen social cohesion. It applies to the sale and purchase of all new and resale HDB flats and is implemented for all ethnic groups.

The saleability of a flat in the open market is dependent on many factors and not just the EIP. While home owners may have their own expectations of how much their flat can sell for, flat attributes like location, storey height, physical condition of the flat, remaining lease and market sentiments would naturally be considered by prospective home buyers. To help home owners and buyers make an informed decision in their price negotiation, HDB provides daily updates of transacted prices of resale prices at the HDB InfoWEB.

For those who are unable to sell their flats, HDB may grant them an extension of time and advise them to be realistic with their asking prices. HDB will continue to exercise flexibility for households with exceptional circumstances. The EIP is an important policy that is applied to all ethnic groups consistently. There are no plans to buy back flats from flat owners who claim that they are unable to sell their flats due to EIP.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon Minister for answering my question. I would just like to clarify that I fully support the EIP. But in relation to my question, why did HDB in the first instance have this extension option on a case-by-case basis? The feeling is, is it not because it recognises the EIP, the market can be squeezed by the buyers in principle? And the large number for appeals for extension, possibly, says something about the market. So, that is my first supplementary question.

The second is: I have been seeing a lot of residents from the minority ethnic groups, they are unable to sell their flats. Not so much unable to sell their flats, but also the ability to sell their flats at a high price. So, it is usually squeezed to the extent that they are only able to sell their flats at a much lower price than the market. So, my worry is about whether this policy could potentially contribute to this squeeze actually worsening over time, and we are worsening the cycle for some of those involved in the EIP.

Mr Speaker, in relation to the impact that EIP has on the market, we really have to look at it on both sides, both the purchase and the sale transaction.

In some instances, on the purchase side, it may help the buyer because the price may well be slightly lower; and on the flip side, of course, on the sales side, it sometimes may be more difficult. So, it really depends on the circumstance and on the nature of the transaction and for that particular location, which are the binding EIP limits. So, it can vary.

We put out data, information as far as possible to help facilitate the matching of demand and supply in the marketplace, and I think that is the right approach. But as I said earlier, we do monitor the situation carefully. We will extend assistance to those who need more time and we will continue to exercise flexibility for those who are in extenuating circumstances.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan.

I would like to ask the Minister. The Minister said that when the buyer buys the flat, do they get a discount, especially if they buy from HDB? Because my understanding is that they do not get a discount if they buy straight from HDB, but because of this EIP, it has squeezed demand for flats, and because of the squeeze on demand, the prices are affected. And prices come down, so why should the sellers be prejudiced because they are affected by the EIP in having to sell at a lower price, unless they are correspondingly given a discount when they first buy the flat, which is why I asked whether would HDB then step in to treat them as if this is a Lease Buyback Scheme.

I thank the Member for the supplementary question. I was referring to the resale market. In the Build-To-Order (BTO) market, the prices are uniform. But in the resale market, when you make a purchase, the EIP can have an impact, just as when you make a sale decision, the EIP can have an impact. We recognise that there will be impact in the market with an EIP. This is bound to happen.

So, as I said, we will continue to monitor this very carefully to make sure that while we all recognise the merits of having an EIP system, we want the housing market to also be fair to all Singaporeans at the same time, and not to affect any particular group disproportionately. So, we will continue to monitor the system, make sure it works well, achieves the goals that we want it to achieve, and, where possible, continue to exercise flexibility in the way we administer the scheme.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

I would like to thank the Minister again for the answer just now. Just a follow-up in relation to my question. In the meantime, while we try to list some of the concerns of the residents that are having difficulties in selling, my suggestion is maybe by having a sharing of monthly guidelines for buyers and sellers in particular for the EIP scheme, will that in some way be a valuable suggestion in terms of the Ministry of National Development nudging buyers and sellers in that EIP locale to reduce the squeeze on the pricing of the units?

Mr Speaker, whatever we can do, particularly where it involves putting up more information in the marketplace to better help the matching of demand and supply, is worth considering, and so whatever we can do to provide more information to facilitate a better marketplace, those are things we will certainly consider and try our best to support.

Mr Chong Kee Hiong.

I see more of such cases in my Meet-the-People Sessions, especially in recent months. HDB does give extension of time, but the common feedback is that despite extension of time, there are no viewers. So, if there are no viewers, that means there is no offer at all. Can I ask the Minister whether there are any other ways to help these residents, especially those who have tried for many months and even years to sell their flats, especially if they are elderly?

Mr Speaker, I appreciate Mr Chong raising the issues that residents face. We really have to look at it case by case, because there are indeed instances where the residents have said they find it difficult. But we have seen recent transactions within that same neighbourhood where transactions have taken place. So, we really have to look at the specific location, the specific appeal, and we will, like I said, do our best to assist those cases.

Mr Pritam Singh.

Can I clarify with the Minister if there are any statistics available on the number of minorities who own such HDB flats? How much feedback has gone to HDB about their inability to sell their unit because of the EIP policy? Is there any data the Minister has on hand?

We have between 2015 and 2017, received about 1,600 appeals for waiver of EIP. So, those are the statistics I have that are available. If Mr Pritam Singh would like to ask more in-depth questions on other data, we can easily follow up in a separate Parliamentary Question.

The following question stood in the name of Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap –

8 To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry maintains or plans to set up a watchlist for companies that engage in discriminatory employment practices not related to nationality but to other attributes, such as gender and ethnicity.

Question No 8, please.

Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) takes a serious view of all forms of workplace discrimination. Some forms of discrimination, including those related to gender and ethnicity, are more readily substantiated by specific actions, such as verbal utterances or written job advertisements. In cases involving such discrimination and substantiated through investigations, MOM can and has debarred the errant employers from making Work Pass applications, without first putting them on a watchlist. For cases where discrimination involves nationality bias, which is less readily apparent, MOM puts the employers on a watchlist and scrutinises their Work Pass applications for irregularities. We may subsequently debar them if they fail to cooperate to improve their human resource practices.

We expect all employers to abide by the principles of fair and merit-based employment practices outlined in the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) will engage companies on whom we have received complaints or feedback and guide them to improve their employment practices.

Mr Leon Perera.

Sir, I would like to thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for her answer. Just two supplementary questions. How many companies are currently on the watchlist on discriminatory practices? And what proportion of those companies on the watchlist are there for nationality-based discriminatory practices, as opposed to suspected discriminatory practices on other dimensions?

Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Member for his supplementary questions. I would like to recap that the Parliamentary Question that was raised by Mr Faisal Manap was to ask whether a watchlist could be set up for companies that engage in discriminatory employment practices, not related to nationality, but to other attributes, such as gender and ethnicity.

I would like to assure the Member that all employers are required to abide by the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices to uphold fair employment practices that are open, merit-based and also non-discriminatory.

Where guidelines are breached, such as where there is discrimination on the basis of gender or ethnicity, TAFEP will then report such cases to MOM, and MOM will then impose sanctions, which can be issuing stern warnings, or even curtailing the Work Pass privileges of the employer. And that has a direct impact on the employers. So, where it comes to any feedback on workplace discrimination and it is mentioned about gender or ethnicity, I have explained earlier that perhaps because it is a bit more readily apparent, in fact, we do not even need to wait for a watchlist. TAFEP will report to MOM, and we can curtail the Work Pass privileges of the employers. That is an even more direct impact than putting out a watchlist.

But having said that, I would want to reassure the Member that MOM works very closely with TAFEP, employers and also human resource practitioners to build inclusive workplaces and to eradicate any form of work discrimination. And we urge workers who face any such occurrences, whether it is gender, ethnicity or even nationality bias, to please promptly report the matter to TAFEP or MOM. We will certainly take every feedback that is surfaced to us, any complaint, we will take it very seriously and investigate very thoroughly.

9 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Home Affairs in respect of recent studies which show that children having drug-abusing parents are more likely to take drugs later in life (a) what is the current number of generational-correlated drug offenders in Singapore; and (b) whether there are measures put in place to prevent the generational cycles of addiction.

10 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many drug offenders have children at home; (b) what rehabilitation support is provided to youths and children of parents who are found guilty of drug-related crimes; (c) what outreach activities are in place to encourage youths to stay drug-free; and (d) what is being done to increase vigilance and awareness of drug-related activities in the community.

Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to take Question Nos 9 and 10 together.

Please do.

We do not track the number of drug offenders who have children at home, nor the number of children of drug offenders who become drug abusers later in life. But we recognise that the latter is a real risk.

To address this, measures have been put in place to support families and children of offenders and ex-offenders. Singapore Prison Service works with community partners to provide them social support. Partners, such as Focus on the Family, The Salvation Army and Singapore Children Society. run family-bonding programmes within prisons. These programmes equip inmates with the relevant knowledge and skills to improve their relationship with their families and children during incarceration.

Member agencies in the Community Action for Rehabilitation of Ex-Offenders (CARE) Network, run programmes, such as the Yellow Ribbon Fund’s Yellow Brick Road and the Industrial and Services Co-operative Society Ltd (ISCOS) Fairy Godparent programmes. These programmes provide tuition support to improve the children's academic performance, befriending and mentorship programmes to develop the children’s socio-emotional competencies, and parenting skills workshop to improve the caregivers' parenting abilities.

In addition, the Home Team introduced the Youth Engagement Programme (YEP) in 2012 to reach out to at-risk youths and keep them meaningfully occupied through sports and youth camps. Under YEP, officers from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) also serve as mentors and conduct crime and drug prevention talks.

CNB works with the Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs), polytechnics and universities to establish youth advocacy against drug use.

CNB also works with the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) to raise awareness of the harms of drugs among youths. NCADA has established the United Against Drugs Coalition. This is a coalition of corporate and community establishments, such as clothing and food and beverage (F&B) companies popular among youths. NCADA engages these establishments to propagate the anti-drug message to their young customers.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is also working closely with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and other Government agencies and community partners in an integrated approach to support at-risk children and youths, offenders and their families. To this end, the National Committee on Prevention, Rehabilitation and Recidivism (NCPR) was set up in April 2018, co-chaired by the Minister for Social and Family Development Mr Desmond Lee, and Second Minister for Home Affairs Mrs Josephine Teo. The Committee facilitates collaborative efforts in research and data sharing, helps develop the capacity of organisations to support rehabilitation and coordinates efforts to address issues of offending and re-offending.

Mr Melvin Yong.

I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the answer. I have two supplementary questions. First, tackling generational cycles of addiction requires many helping hands. Can we leverage their extended families or the community, such as school counsellors or the many community befrienders that we have, to strengthen the current efforts? Second, can the Ministry also consider assigning a dedicated case manager to each of these at-risk children when their parents are arrested, so that proper support and care can be provided to them at an early stage?

I thank the Member. We certainly agree with the many-helping-hands approach. There have been many of such efforts ongoing, actually. As I mentioned about the CARE Network, this network has worked in partnership with grassroots volunteers, family service centres and other voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs), and have been providing support to children of inmates and ex-offenders. I also mentioned about the family bonding programmes run by the various community partners, such as the Salvation Army and Singapore Children's Society, which are targeted at inmates, children and caregivers.

We have also launched recently in July 2016 a CARE Network Children Support Programme. One of the key features of the programme is to provide case management services to enable more effective assessment of the needs of children of inmates and ex-offenders and channelling them to the relevant VWOs for follow-up. Nevertheless, the thrust of the suggestion for us to do more and better has been well-noted and this is what the NCPR Committee will be reviewing and discussing, to see how we can intensify efforts to ensure that we can prevent intergenerational offending.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah.

Sir, I have seen cases where residents go in and out of jail because of drug offences. I am aware that they have very young children at home. I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary in cases where there are repeat offenders or in some cases both parents are drug addicts and repeat offenders, can there be a more systematic and proactive way of giving help to the children at home, to make sure that the children are not adversely affected?

I thank the Member. We certainly agree with the need for more help to be given to children of ex-offenders, in particular, the sad situation when both parents are incarcerated. So, we have to do our best in an imperfect situation because we recognise that parents play a very big role in the lives of children.

Given this imperfect situation, relatives would have to come in, the community would have to rally and help to fill in the gaps. One of the projects that we have is the Yellow Ribbon Community Project where grassroots volunteers visit family, gather information on their needs and link them up to the grassroots advisors, as well as to existing support structures, such as the Residents' Committee and various other avenues of help, including the Community Development Councils (CDCs).

Recently, we enhanced the Yellow Ribbon Community Project (YRCP) – we call it YRCP 2.0 – and we have been training volunteers so that they can make a greater impact. One of the key areas we are training them is to give them the skills and support to ensure that they can play a role in rekindling familiar bonds, providing positive pro-social support and better identifying vulnerable children.

And as I mentioned, one of the roles of NCPR is also to see what else can be done. We recognise their gaps and it is something that we got to make the best of in an imperfect situation.

Mr Louis Ng.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned just now that we are currently not collecting data on the generational-correlated offenders. So, I am just wondering whether MHA can start collecting such data, so that all the programmes that the Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned, we can see whether it is working, and we can start to see whether the trend is going up or going down as well.

I thank the Member. We are definitely looking into that. But it is quite a challenge because some of these families, there has been a breakdown in family relationships. For some of them, they have not been in touch with their spouses and may not know where their children are. But we are, nevertheless, trying. We have a rough sense, but we are not able to share because there needs to be more work put in into this.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah.

Sir, just now, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned that the community and the advisor can come in to help. Yes, definitely, we would be very keen to help. But from my last 12 years as an advisor, I never get any information on this. So, I am just thinking, maybe the first cut of help should come from those who know about the case – the agency which comes in to help. And then, if you think that the community or the advisor can help, then refer those cases to us.

We are very concerned about the children. Because you would know who the repeat offenders are. When they go in, you can check the background and then can also check whether they have young children at home.

Over 80 constituencies are involved in our YRCP. I will check whether the Member's constituency is part of it. But through this programme, the grassroots volunteers actually receive information from Prisons, and there have been regular house visits done. So, we have got quite a number of volunteers. So, I will certainly check whether the Member's constituency is involved, and we will link the Member up with the right resources to ensure that the Member's residents will get the support they need.

Mr Cedric Foo.

Mr Speaker, Sir, for the Senior Parliamentary Secretary. Ideally, family should be the rightful caregivers for children, but we know that our society is not ideal and there are some dysfunctional families where the children may be better off if they are housed in a boarding school, say, on weekdays, and they go back on weekends. Would the Ministry consider such a concept?

We will consider that. But for now, we would look at family as the first line of defence, in particular. Even when their parents are incarcerated, there are others like grandparents, aunts and uncles, who can help. We would actually look to family as the first line of defence.

11 Dr Chia Shi-Lu asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider requiring manufacturers of health supplements to provide test results from accredited laboratories to back up their advertising claims in order to prevent inaccurate representation.

Mr Speaker, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) takes a risk-based approach in regulating the different categories of health products, and that includes the health supplements that Dr Chia Shi-Lu speaks about.

Health supplements are used to support general well-being, and not for the purposes of preventing or treating diseases. Dealers are allowed to use authoritative reference texts, such as official publications issued by authorities and published literature, to support and substantiate their product claims. This approach to advertising claims for health supplements is similar to those adopted in the United States, Australia, Canada and Japan.

However, advertisements on health supplements which claim to prevent or treat diseases are not allowed. When detected, these advertisers will be ordered to stop the publication of these advertisements. Non-compliant advertisers may face a maximum penalty of a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment up to two years or both.

In addition, HSA also educates the public to be cautious of exaggerated advertising claims through consumer advisories.

Mandatory testing by dealers to back up advertisement claims, therefore, is not being considered at this time.

Dr Chia Shi-Lu.

I want to thank the Senior Minister of State for his response. I have three supplementary questions. First, since HSA already has guidelines, would the Ministry of Health consider making sure that we do some legislation to back it up? With regard to the issue about the test results, I understand that what HSA does now is that they actually test these supplements for toxic substances. I am not sure what the testing or monitoring regime is. Perhaps the Senior Minister of State could enlighten the House on what some of these monitoring regimes are.

But as I understand it, they do not also test whether these supplements actually contain what they profess to contain. So, for example, if a product says "I contain X grammes of this active ingredient", do we actually know that this product actually contains X grammes of this ingredient? Because there have been many cases over the years all over the world when independent testers actually test these products, they do not actually contain the health ingredients that they say that they do.

Finally, the last question is: if consumers do actually get side effects or adverse effects from consuming these supplements, what are their recourse for mediation or where can they turn to? Is it just caveat emptor or do they have some avenues they can turn to for redress?

I will deal with all three of the supplementary questions together. Health supplements, by definition, they contain minerals, usually vitamins, amino acids, and largely comprise substances that are natural from animal or plant extracts. And so, to that extent, when Dr Chia Shi-Lu speaks about the guidelines, there are guidelines and they are published, and Dr Chia may know that they are published for the industry's reference, and they do provide recommendations along the lines of the safety and quality standards: what ingredients are allowable and the claims that can be made about those ingredients, and also the heavy metal and microbial limits and weight of these items.

HSA also provides guidelines on what precise information can appear on the labels to those items. In addition, Dr Chia Shi-Lu speaks of the post-marketing surveillance. That is being done by HSA. So, there is a post-market surveillance that monitors the safety of these products as they hit the shelves. They also allow HSA to initiate timely product recalls should there be any adverse reaction.

As I mentioned earlier, HSA takes a risk-based approach to identifying what this sampling of the health products would take, what scope it would cover, and also takes an active step in looking at this in sampling, to test them for toxic heavy metals and other prohibited ingredients.

The post-market surveillance testing for health supplements is also complemented by an adverse reaction monitoring, which Dr Chia Shi-Lu also mentioned in his third supplementary question. And all that taken together allows HSA to surveil the market. Whether or not these guidelines should eventuate into legislation, I would not rule that out but, at this point in time, there are no plans to do so.

As for whether or not the consumers of these items have a recourse subsequently, obviously it is, to some extent, caveat emptor when you buy but, certainly, HSA would welcome complaints that are being made. And as I mentioned, adverse reaction monitoring is being carried out. So, the sense of the market, the information and intelligence gathered from the market would help HSA in making those assessments.

12 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health (a) what are the health effects of prolonged exposure to second-hand smoke; (b) how many diagnoses of conditions related to second-hand smoke exposure are there each year in the past five years; (c) how many people in Singapore die because of second-hand smoke each year in the past five years; and (d) whether the Ministry will start collecting such data if it is currently not available.

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, also known as second-hand smoke, is associated with health conditions similar to those faced by smokers. These include eye, nose and throat irritation, increased risk of respiratory infections, worsening of pre-existing respiratory problems, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. And also, increased risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers, such as breast and lung cancer.

In individuals, it is often not possible to definitively attribute disease conditions specifically to exposure to second-hand smoke, because the individual may also have other risk factors. At the population level, the Global Burden of Disease 2016 study estimates that tobacco use contributes to approximately 7% of the total disease burden in Singapore, of which 1% is due to second-hand smoke and 6% due to active smoking. Disease burden refers to the number of years of healthy life lost, due to premature death as well as living in ill-health. From the same study, six persons die each day from active smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke. The results of the same study in 2010 are similar to the one in 2016.

Tobacco use, including cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke, remains a leading contributor to the burden of disease in Singapore. The Ministry of Health (MOH) will continue to monitor the effects of tobacco use and press on with its multi-pronged approach to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use in Singapore. This includes public education, provision of smoking cessation and tobacco control legislation.

Mr Louis Ng.

Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. I think many people are aware of the dangers of smoking. But I think very few are now aware of the dangers of second-hand smoke. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned a bit about the outreach efforts. So, I am just wondering whether MOH should be increasing our outreach efforts to make sure people are aware of the dangers of second-hand smoke and also what they can do to prevent inhaling second-hand smoke.

Currently, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) has developed online and print resources, for example, brochures, posters, to raise awareness on environmental tobacco smoke. And through I Quit roadshows, HPB health ambassadors also share with the smokers and their family members on the harmful health effects of the environmental tobacco smoke and encourage smokers to quit smoking. But we note the suggestion and we will see what we can do to increase outreach in that area.

Mr Louis Ng.

One last query. I have asked actually how many, but I think the Senior Parliamentary Secretary replied with a percentage. Could I just get an absolute number of how many people are actually affected by second-hand smoke in terms of death or diagnosis? I know that the figure in Japan is that 15,000 people die every year because of second-hand smoke. So, I am just wondering whether we have the statistics for Singapore.

I apologise, I do not have the exact numbers. I just have the percentages. I can touch base with the Member separately. [Please refer to "Clarification by Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health", Official Report, 2 October 2018, Vol 94, Issue No 84.]

13 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Transport (a) in the past 10 years, whether CAAS has detected any case of duty airline pilots consuming alcohol or drugs before boarding aeroplanes in Singapore; (b) whether there are adequate laws that deter such behavior; and (c) whether all airlines operating out of Singapore airports have a sufficiently robust standard operating procedure to conduct random test to detect such errant pilots.

Mr Speaker, most civil aviation regulators, including the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), hold their airlines responsible for ensuring that their pilots do not operate aircraft whilst intoxicated. Specifically, CAAS requires Singapore carriers to ensure that their pilots do not consume any alcohol at least eight hours before flight, wherever they operate in the world.

In addition, Singapore has strict rules for pilots who fly out of our airports, regardless of whether they are operating Singapore or foreign registered aircraft. Every pilot has the responsibility to ensure that he does not operate a flight while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Doing so is an offence under the Air Navigation Order and carries a penalty of up to $100,000 and/or five years' imprisonment upon conviction. Based on records from CAAS, there has not been any case of pilots consuming alcohol or drugs before boarding aeroplanes in Singapore.

To proactively identify and manage individuals that may have alcohol-related issues, Singapore carriers have set up peer support groups. These support groups provide a non-punitive approach for pilots to seek support and treatment. Such peer support groups are recognised internationally as an effective measure to identify such pilots at an early stage to rehabilitate them, or to remove them from flying duties where necessary.

Operating an aircraft while intoxicated is a serious matter. CAAS is reviewing the regulations and procedures to more strongly deter such behaviour.

Mr Ang Wei Neng.

Speaker, can I just clarify that there is no standard operating procedure to do random checks on pilots before they board airplanes? That is the first question. The second question is: what are the measures that prevent or make sure that the pilot does not consume alcohol while they are on the plane?

Like I mentioned, pilots are bound by the Air Navigation Order where they are not supposed to consume any form of drugs or psychoactive substances or alcohol if they are performing any flying duty. Right now, under the Air Operator Certificate requirements, Singapore carriers have to instruct the pilot to abstain from alcohol consumption at least eight hours before flight, in what we call bottle to throttle time.

There is currently no random blood testing conducted in Singapore. However, there are spot checks specifically performed by CAAS during ramp inspections. And so far, CAAS has conducted over 900 such ramp inspections since 2013 and has not detected any pilot showing signs of alcohol intoxication.

14 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport in light of the recent British Airways data breach (a) whether local airlines are knowledgeable about such data breaches; (b) whether there have been any hacking attempts in the past three years; (c) how are local airlines working with other international airlines and relevant authorities to safeguard the information of local and international passengers; and (d) whether existing air passenger protection legislation can be beefed up to protect passengers' rights in the event of a cybersecurity breach.

Mr Speaker, the recent British Airways (BA) data breach and the SingHealth cyberattack are sharp reminders that with the greater adoption of digitalisation, all industries face cybersecurity threats. Our operating assumption is that our airlines will be targets, and they must do their best to protect themselves against such threats, and have a robust plan to prevent, detect and recover should an attack succeed. They must also exercise their plan regularly so that all staff are fully aware of such a threat and take it seriously.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), as the cybersecurity lead for the aviation sector, works closely with Singapore carriers to strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities. CAAS also regularly shares cybersecurity-related information, including from the Cyber Security Agency, and best practices with them, and conducts joint cybersecurity exercises.

The Singapore carriers' approach includes safeguarding their systems to prevent, detect and respond to hacking attempts and mitigate the potential impact. They monitor cyber threats through their Security Operations Centres, and carry out regular testing of their websites for vulnerabilities and screening for malicious web traffic. They also closely monitor reports of breaches and collaborate with others on cybersecurity. They are part of the Aviation Information Sharing and Analysis Centre, a non-profit organisation that fosters the sharing of information on physical and cyber threats to aviation and best practices on mitigation, and they also participate in the Cybersecurity Workgroup under the International Air Transport Association.

With respect to the security of passenger data, Singapore carriers are also required to comply with the Personal Data Protection Act and the data protection regulations of other states which they fly to.

As regards the BA data breach, the investigation is still ongoing. As a precaution, Singapore Airlines (SIA) has performed checks and confirmed that there are no unauthorised codes on its payment webpage. SIA is mindful that sophisticated attackers will continue to probe for vulnerabilities and will remain vigilant and conduct regular checks and penetration tests on all scripts on its website. It will also continue to observe stringent data security standards for credit card payment processing.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State for answering my question. I have got a quick follow-up supplementary question to his answer. Essentially, my question "(d)". Are there any plans to beef up even further legislation to protect passengers in the case of a cybersecurity breach, if it does happen? We do not want it to happen, but in case it happens, are there any plans for further legislation for the air passengers' protection?

Mr Speaker, we have enacted the Cybersecurity Act this year and aviation is one of the critical information infrastructure domains that will be affected by the operations of the Cyber Security Agency Commissioner. The Cybersecurity Commissioner appoints an Assistant Commissioner who can then look at this sector.

The implications of the Cybersecurity Act on the critical information infrastructure within the aviation industry will have an impact and will improve passenger safety as well as the safety of the operations of the industry.

15 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Government is satisfied with the current noise emission levels of buses, especially when travelling through HDB and other residential estates; and (b) whether any further measures will be taken to encourage more considerate driving and to reduce noise emissions from buses.

Mr Speaker, all public buses are required to meet the noise emission standards stipulated in the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) ensures compliance by stipulating stringent procurement specifications on vendors and strict maintenance requirements on public bus operators, including regular inspections to check that noise levels are within permissible limits.

Meanwhile, LTA will be conducting trials with 50 diesel-hybrid buses starting in late 2018 and with 60 electric buses from 2019. If they prove cost-effective, we will be able to migrate our buses to a quieter fleet.

Mr Dennis Tan.

I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. This question arose out of a request from a resident during house visits. I would also like to ask the Senior Minister of State one supplementary question. What measures are being taken, or will be taken, or will the Government consider taking further measures to improve the driving habits of bus drivers, in particular, to reduce or keep down the noise level of buses while they are driving around residential estates?

I would like to thank Mr Dennis Tan for his supplementary questions. Just to put things in perspective, there are actually several measures that LTA prescribes to ensure that the noise emission levels from buses are kept to within permissible levels. One of which I have mentioned in my reply is the procurement specifications with regard to the buses that the companies purchased. Of course, the other will be the maintenance requirements.

On top of that, there are also other mitigating measures put in place. For example, our land development agency, such as the Housing and Development Board and Urban Redevelopment Authority have development guidelines to set back residential buildings away from major roads. Take, for instance, the building setback distance from expressways is 30 metres, and for major arterial roads it is about 15 metres.

In addition to that, land is also set aside for the National Parks Board to plant trees and shrubs along the road to absorb the traffic noise. With regard to specific driver behaviour, fortunately, the number of pieces of feedback of noisy buses received by LTA is currently quite low. Most of them largely pertain to public bus interchanges situated near housing estates when buses are departing in the early morning hours. LTA, together with the National Environment Agency, are working very closely with the public bus operators to see how we can regulate the movement of the buses in these interchanges so as to minimise the noise emitted that is causing inconvenience and disamenities to nearby residents.

16 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Transport whether incidences of molestation on MRT premises are treated as high priority for staff intervention when they are reported and what happened with the 12 September 2018 incident at Serangoon MRT station.

Mr Speaker, Sir, on 12 September 2018 around 11.30 pm, a female passenger alerted the staff at the Passenger Service Centre at Serangoon Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station that she had been molested by a male commuter onboard the train and at the station. The staff informed the Singapore Bus Service Transit Operations Control Centre (OCC), and the Public Transport Security Command of the Singapore Police Force (TransCom) was alerted immediately. Their swift actions enabled the Police to subsequently arrest a male suspect. Investigations are ongoing.

We take a serious view towards all security incidents. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and TransCom will continue to work closely with the Public Transport Operators to ensure the safety of our commuters.

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh.

I thank the Senior Minister of State. Two questions. What is the protocol in such instances where the staff is alerted to the incident of alleged molestation? Does it involve giving chase or stopping the molester from escaping from the scene of crime? And are staff trained to handle the sensitivity of the victims who, understandably, would be emotionally distressed?

Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for the question. The protocol, without going into too many details, does not specifically instruct the staff to give chase. The first thing that the staff have to do is, of course, inform the network of support structures that we have, such as the OCC and TransCom, in case more resources and more assets are required to be deployed to the station. And certainly, the staff has a duty to the station and the responsibilities of the post as well. So, calling for help is the first part of the protocol.

There is the issue, of course, as to whether the perpetrator could become violent. And these are service staff of our Public Transport Operators. They are not trained to handle violent criminals and chase down and apprehend people like that. So, they also have to exercise some judgement about what intervention is appropriate for them.

Certainly, there is a significant amount of customer service training that the service staff undergo, including how to handle people who are victims of incidences like this.

17 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Government will review the funding models for education and training programmes for Singaporeans; (b) whether the current funding model is optimal and effective (i) by classifying Continuing Education and Training (CET) and Pre-employment Training (PET) separately and (ii) in supporting the Skills Future and lifelong learning efforts; and (c) whether there are different values attached to CET and PET programmes.

Mr Speaker, Sir, pre-employment training (PET) is often referred to as education. It is a formative experience, to equip our young with a meaningful and carefully designed body of knowledge and skills, to help them become independent, contributing members of society. The focus is on values, civic consciousness, foundational skills like literacy and numeracy, and certain domain expertise to kickstart a career and a journey of lifelong learning.

Continuing Education and Training (CET), often referred to as training, is to build upon PET, to upgrade skills and knowledge, keep up with technology and changes in the industry, or even to pick up another set of domain expertise. The focus is on competencies at the workplace.

Sir, in general, policymakers throughout the world put more public resources on PET, because it influences children and the young, and has profound impact on nation and society. CET, on the other hand, is often more beneficial to the individual as it imparts skills and competencies which he can use at his workplace. Singapore is one of the few countries in the world that takes a lifelong learning approach and organises this within one Ministry.

For PET, most primary and secondary schools require minimal co-payment of school fees. Higher education at the Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs), polytechnics and autonomous universities also attract significant funding. Students who need additional help can further apply for bursaries and financial assistance.

CET is also funded substantially, but with greater gradation depending on the context and outcomes. For example, for a Professional Conversion Programme, which we are placing a displaced worker into a new industry, we fund it most generously, including wages, while he is undergoing training. We also provide more support to training of workers in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and older workers. Other training programmes may be funded at up to 70% to help defray the cost of training that can help a company or worker derive individual benefits.

While this is the broad consideration, the division between PET and CET is never neat. For example, adult learners may decide to attend full-time Nitec or polytechnic diploma programmes, while an individual who did not attend many years of formal education may undergo CET programmes as part of his formative education and skills upgrading.

The integration of SkillsFuture Singapore into the Ministry of Education (MOE) has raised the awareness of these complexities. By and large, the system is conceptually sound, and we will iron out the arrangements over time.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. Let me clarify my question. Essentially, it is a broader policy question with regard to how the Government is signalling our efforts to develop the culture of continuous learning in Singapore. But also, at the back of it, is actually due to some of my recent visits to ITE, talking to the teachers and students. They shared that there has been a rising number, as the Senior Minister of State has alluded to earlier, a rising number of adult learners going to Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and ITE.

And with regard to recent speeches by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and the Ministry of Health in 2016, she highlighted this close linkage between PET and CET when she went to the Chemical Process Technology Centre (CPCT) where there was a Workforce Development Agency allocation of $8 million and 1,650 Post-Secondary Education Institution (PSEI) students actually benefited from these CPCT arrangement over three years.

So, the Government has actually worked to merge PET and CET together in some small cases like this. I was wondering what more can the Government do in terms of signalling more about how we can actually merge PET and CET in some grey areas or, in the future, what are the long-term strategies that Government plans to do, particularly in the sense of developing a culture of continuous learning in Singapore, going forward?

Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his questions. The Member is right that the culture of lifelong learning does not stop at learning in school or in the IHLs. After the individual has left the IHLs, left school, we want this learning to continue for life. And that is why the lines between education institutions and workplace need to be further blurred so that for someone in school, in an IHL, we want to bring workplace requirements and workplace experiences into our schools and into our IHLs. Internships, job relevant skills – these are elements which we want to be able to bring into our schools and our IHLs.

The other way is equally important. We want to be able to bring our workers who have already started work, who have already left school, to go back and do further upgrading of skills, lifelong learning. This is why the direction that MOE has taken in recent years is to encourage our IHLs to not only focus on providing PET but to also look at being providers of CET and make that a core part of their mission. So, if we can do it this way, we are then able to have this two-way flow – what the workplace requires in terms of skills and experience, bring it into the schools and IHLs, and to be able to also bring our workers back to reskill, to upskill.

Sir, one very important enabler to allow this to happen is actually our strong tripartite partnership in Singapore and this is something which is not found in many other countries. But here, we have it. We want to continue to nurture and treasure this very strong partnership that we have built up over the years because it is very helpful. When it comes to retraining, we need the workers to be onboard, the Labour Movement. We also need the employers to be on board and that is why the Government, together with employers and union, we will continue to work on this. Because this is, as the Member said, a lifelong pursuit, changing the culture, making lifelong learning part of our DNA.

Ms Denise Phua.

I just want to seek a clarification. For adult Singaporeans who want to pursue a second or third degree in, for example, skills that are in demand, like cybersecurity, data analytics, occupational therapy, speech pathology, do they get to receive subsidised fees when they enter our local universities? I have the impression that they are not; they do not get that because it is another bite of the cherry, depending on how many times they have received a subsidy. And if they do not get a subsidy, then, why not, because these skills are in demand?

Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank Ms Denise Phua for raising this very important question. Indeed, we want to provide opportunities for adult learners who want to switch careers and who want to pick up a new skill, to be able to go through such lifelong learning and skills upgrading programmes. So, what we have provided are various schemes under the SkillsFuture movement. For example, we have the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy which provides up to 90% subsidy for Singaporeans aged 40 and above. And, in addition, mid-career individuals who wish to reskill and switch careers can tap on the Professional Conversion Programmes under the Adapt and Grow initiative, which provides training and salary support of up to 90% to the employers for the duration of the training.

So, these are all different schemes that the Government has provided to help our workers who need to pick up a new skill to be able to transit to a new career or, sometimes, just to pick up additional skills to do their current jobs in their current industries – do it at a higher level, do it better. So, we will look at such ways to support.

CET, even if you do not do it as part of one of these enhanced programmes, we still provide generous subsidies of up to 70%. If you join one of these programmes, there will be additional subsidies up to 90%. It also depends on the profile of the employer and the profile of the worker. Older workers, as well as workers who are working in SMEs, we do provide more funding support.

So, to answer Ms Denise Phua's question, the evolution of these various courses has to move in tandem with what the economy requires. So, when there are new requirements, there are new skills required, there will be new courses that will be added to the list and new courses that can be funded as part of SkillsFuture. So, it is an ongoing thing. It is something which I think we will continuously look at to see what we can do to continue to support our workers.

If you can keep it brief, Dr Intan Mokhtar.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Senior Minister of State. Following up on the hon Ms Denise Phua's question is that, increasingly, the lines between CET and PET are being blurred. For example, increasingly, more IHLs are introducing stackable modules or stackable courses that lead to a qualification like a diploma or degree. So, how then do you reconcile the funding models between PET and CET? Because you can have someone who already has a degree, but through stackable modules, you can get another degree, eventually.

Sir, we want to look at how do we help our workers to achieve the necessary skills that are relevant for their careers. Because the resources that we have are limited. So, when you divert resources into one area, it means you have less resources for another area. So, it depends on where you want to put your resources into. And in our case, a decision has been taken to, say, let us focus on helping workers who need to go through training because they are switching careers or they are displaced from their original jobs, to look for a new job.

We also want to look at how to help people who want to upgrade their skills, say, they have a National ITE Certificate (Nitec) or Higher Nitec, and they are going for a polytechnic diploma. Or, if they have a polytechnic diploma, they are going for a degree, how do we help them, in areas that are relevant to their work, to be able to do so?

For someone who is going for something that actually benefits an individual more, for example, if you are going for postgraduate degrees or you are going for your second or third degree, it is not that we do not fund you, but I think the funding will have to be calibrated, depending on the competing needs for different groups of individuals.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin, do you have an update?

Thank you, Speaker. Mr Louis Ng asked for the actual numbers of deaths per year attributable to tobacco use, anti-smoking and second-hand smoke. The number for 2016 is 2,278. [Please refer to "Effects of Prolonged Exposure to Second-hand Smoke", Official Report, 2 October 2018, Vol 94, Issue No 84, Oral Answers to Questions section.]

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