Debated in Parliament on 27 Jul 2021.
Debate resumed.
Mr Abdul Samad bin Abdul Wahab.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, the COVID-19 crisis has changed the lives and livelihoods of many workers. Just when we thought we can grapple with it, we are faced with another major setback. The daily local cases shot up, similar to when our migrant workers were impacted last year. This time, it is much worse as the clusters are within our local population.
Honestly, I believe, as fellow Singaporeans, we only have ourselves to blame, especially for the KTV cluster. I hope Singaporeans can stay vigilant and report such establishments that flout the safe management measures.
We have had a total of seven rounds of budgeted support schemes to help businesses and workers in affected sectors since the pandemic last year. The Government can only do so much. This latest development must remind each and every one of us that we have the responsibility and we have to work together to overcome this crisis.
Madam, prior to my current opportunity as a voice for my fellow union leaders, members and workers, I did not really follow through with the Singapore Budget debates. I was just a typical Singaporean who got on with his job daily and earned his keep. However, this opportunity has opened my eyes to the importance of the Budget announcements for our workers and fellow Singaporeans.
I recalled there was a part in the Ministerial Statement that really heartened me as a union leader. The Minister emphasised the importance of raising the capabilities of our local workforce. In my maiden speech earlier this year, I had called on employers to make our locals their employees of choice. This call by the Minister strengthens the belief and importance of having our locals with the right capabilities and competencies in our workforce.
Madam, many workers have had pay cuts or even lost their jobs during this pandemic. Industries, such as aerospace, tourism and food services, are severely impacted. Some need to transit from one industry to another to ensure that they have some income to tide over this crisis.
The Labour Movement has strongly encouraged workers to take advantage of this downtime and go for training in several ways. There has been an increase in training allowance to support self-employed persons. Unions have been pushing for employers to send workers for training before resorting to cost-cutting measures. Union members can also embark on their own training by utilising their Union Training Assistance Programme (UTAP) benefit.
Government assistance schemes, such as the Career Support Programme, Professional Conversion Programme and Capability Transfer Programme, have helped to train and transform our local workforce. In addition, SG United programmes give employers the financial support to employ our fresh graduates and mid-career workers in times of such uncertainty. Without this, Singaporeans would find it challenging to find employment as businesses freeze or reduce their headcount.
Many of you have heard about NTUC's Company Training Committees (CTCs). This reflects the commitment and collaboration from both union leaders and management to not just train for the sake of training but to transform their workforce to be more productive and competitive for the new business models.
The union leaders have been focusing on three areas for training towards three outcomes: the training would be targeted at being adaptable, embracing new technology and, at the same time, deepening their technical capabilities. This would make our workers better skilled, more productive and the unions will work closely with management to ensure our workers get better wages, better welfare and better work prospects.
For the record, the Labour Movement has achieved more than 600 CTCs across the different industries and these efforts would tie in nicely with the Government's efforts in the Job Transformation Maps.
Madam, I would like to take this opportunity to share the concerns of my fellow Singaporeans in the finance and banking sector. We have heard enough of FTAs and CECA as a policy. Now, let us hear what some of the workers have experienced on the ground.
One union leader shared from his personal observation and experience on the disparity in employment contracts between locals and foreigners. He had a disappointing experience of seeing the contracts of his local colleagues not being renewed but foreigners on contracts being offered permanent roles. Another union leader shared the pain in seeing groups of foreign talents that were hired with capabilities equivalent to our locals. He observed that the HR manager came from the same country as well.
These are just two examples, but, in reality, there may be many such cases. There has been such feedback raised and we need more affected parties to come forward to report such incidents or observations. While the Fair Consideration Framework is a means for locals to be given fair consideration based on merit, more should be done to respond to such hiring practices that favour foreign talents over our local workforce. I hope that the Government can consider further penalties beyond just suspension of work pass privileges for companies that have been found to have repeatedly chosen not to adhere to fair hiring practices. Yesterday, the Minister announced the formation of a Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness. I welcome this as a step in the right direction and I look forward to the recommendations from the Tripartite Committee.
Madam, this issue about foreigners and locals will not rest anytime soon. I believe that Singaporeans still welcome foreign talents if they help elevate our workforce capabilities, complement the development of local talents and contribute to our Singapore economy. However, the reliance on foreign talents should be mitigated with the available Government schemes to help upskill and transform our local workforce to seize these good-paying job opportunities.
I would also like to take this opportunity to urge my fellow Singaporeans to continue believing in ourselves despite such competition. Go out, acquire new skillsets, compete with the best to seize the jobs you want. Do not lose heart over rejections and failures. The Labour Movement is here with you, you will never walk alone. Madam, in Malay, please.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The COVID-19 crisis has changed the lives and livelihoods of many workers. Some of them experienced pay cuts or even lost their jobs. In total, the Government announced seven Budgets with support schemes to help businesses and workers overcome this crisis.
In MOF’s announcement on 5 July, what caught my eye was the part where the Finance Minister emphasised the importance of raising the capabilities of our local workforce. This call by the Minister strengthens the belief and importance of having locals with the right capabilities and competencies in our workforce.
The Labour Movement has always encouraged workers to enhance their skillsets with new skills so that the workers can continue to compete for job opportunities with better outcomes. In fact, before this, the Labour Movement has already established Company Training Committees. This reflects the commitment and collaboration from both union leaders and management to not just train for the sake of training, but to also transform their workforce to be more productive and competitive for new business models. The union leaders have been focusing on three areas of training to achieve three outcomes: the training would be targeted at being adaptable, embracing new technology and, at the same time, deepening technical capabilities. This would make our workers better skilled and more productive.
We are all aware of sentiments regarding the workforce in the finance and banking sector involving the foreign workforce. This issue will continue to stay with us and will not rest anytime soon. However, I believe that Singaporeans will welcome foreign talents, if they help elevate our workforce capabilities, complement the development of local talents and contribute to our Singapore economy. However, the reliance on foreign talents should be mitigated with the available Government schemes to help upskill and transform the local workforce. We have to also avoid any disparity in employment contracts between locals and foreigners.
This aligns very well with the announcement by MOM yesterday on the formation of a Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness. This is a step in the right direction and demonstrates the Government’s effort to ensure a fair and transparent employment process. I look forward to the recommendations from the Tripartite Committee in due course.
(In English): Madam, on behalf of my fellow union leaders, I would like to convey our deepest appreciation to all our fellow Singaporeans serving in the healthcare sector for their sacrifices in taking care of the COVID-19 patients. Please press on, all of us will stand shoulder to shoulder in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
In conclusion, the unions appreciate the Government answering our calls to support our workers and businesses. On this note, I support this Motion.
Mr Melvin Yong.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Ministerial Statements made by the Minister for Finance, which seek to provide targeted support measures to help businesses and individuals who have been most directly affected by the tightened restrictions to combat the local COVID-19 clusters that have formed rapidly within our community.
The proposed extensions to the Job Support Scheme, the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme and the Enhanced Enterprise Financing Scheme–Trade Loan (EFS-TL) will be vital in providing businesses with much-needed liquidity to stay afloat. These will, in turn, help to save jobs in the most affected sectors and we, in the Labour Movement, are in full support of these measures.
In his speech, the Finance Minister also spoke about the realities of living with an endemic COVID-19 and how the Government is preparing a roadmap for Singapore to learn to live normally with the virus.
My speech today will focus on the indirect impact that COVID-19 has had on two vulnerable segments of our workforce. They are our migrant workers and our PMEs.
Madam, our workers are dying, literally. The first half of 2021 saw 22 workplace fatalities, with 11 deaths recorded in the month of February alone. More recently, three workers died within a period of five days in separate incidents in June. According to MOM, the workplace fatalities involved safety lapses, which mean that the accidents could have and should have been prevented.
The increase in workplace fatalities comes as we reopen our economy, with various tough safe management measures imposed at our worksites to curb the spread of COVID-19. Examples include cohorting of workers, establishing split teams and making sure workers do not cross zones within the worksite and even within the dormitory. While these measures have worked well in curbing the spread of the virus among our migrant workforce, have they inadvertently caused the rise in workplace accidents? Some workers that I have spoken to tell me that they used to be able to spontaneously assist each other in high-risk tasks at the worksite, such as during heavy-lifting works. But they cannot do so now, which means there are fewer eyes and hands to do the same dangerous work.
Or perhaps the issue is fatigue caused by an acute shortage of manpower in the high-risk sectors. According to MND, about 1,900 migrant workers decide to leave Singapore each month since the circuit breaker was imposed last year. Industry associations tell me that the reasons for their departure vary. Some because they were homesick; others because they were terribly worried about their family members back home. Companies have found it difficult to find replacement workers. So, more responsibilities are loaded onto their existing workforce. This, inevitably, leads to worker fatigue, which research has linked to a higher risk of workplace fatalities.
I am glad that the Government has recently allowed a relaxation of requirements for construction companies to bring in additional manpower from less traditional sources. Industry associations, too, have started a pilot to bring in migrant workers from India in a calibrated manner. I would like to ask how many migrant workers have been brought into Singapore through such schemes? Is the number even close to the monthly outflow?
Madam, we need to act decisively to stop the upward trajectory of workplace fatalities. If we do not act now, we stand to lose more lives to workplace accidents than to COVID-19 since the outbreak began. This is a grim milestone that we hope not to see.
I hope that the Government can review whether there is a causal link between the safe management measures imposed at high-risk worksites and the rise in workplace accidents and workplace fatalities. If so, can we adapt and review the cohorting and zoning rules if 100% of workers within the site are fully vaccinated?
The Labour Movement reiterates our continued calls for all companies in Singapore to conduct refresher Workplace Safety and Health courses for their workers, especially for those who have been away from the worksite for an extended period. I also urge companies to put in place strict measures to prevent untrained, uncertified workers from operating machineries and performing other high-risk tasks. In fact, all companies should participate in the Safety Time Out called for by the Workplace Safety and Health Council so that they can review their safety practices at their worksites.
Madam, beyond workplace safety, our migrant workers have also been grappling with social isolation. For the past 15 months, many of them have not been able to go out freely during their days off. This has had an impact on their mental well-being. I would like to urge MOM to monitor closely the mental health of our migrant workers. How does MOM intend to assist our migrant workers in overcoming the sense of social isolation that many in the dormitories are currently facing?
Madam, another group of workers whose mental health we need to watch closely are our PMEs. Many have been working from home in the past 15 months and a growing number are facing mental health issues.
According to a March 2021 survey commissioned by human resource software firm, Employment Hero, seven in 10 local employees felt stressed by COVID-19 in the past six months. The Labour Movement, too, has conducted our own ground sensing and about two-thirds of those we spoke to said they experienced difficulties distinguishing work and non-work hours when working from home. This might be why Microsoft's Work Trend Index reported that 58% of workers in Singapore said they felt overworked, while 49% felt exhausted.
But despite our high stress levels, there remain significant barriers to seeking assistance. A poll by SG Mental Health Matters found that almost 80% of the participants felt that costs would be a barrier to seeking quality mental healthcare. Zaobao also recently reported a local study that found that individuals who suffer from mental health issues are more than two times likely to lose their jobs.
Madam, we must take concrete steps to break the stigma and make quality mental healthcare more accessible to all Singaporeans. I hope we can review and consider legislating some of the recommendations listed in the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces. If workplace burnout continues to be a key workplace mental health challenge, then we may very well need our very own Right to Disconnect legislation to safeguard our workers' mental resilience.
The Labour Movement is taking the lead to make mental health support more accessible for our workers. NTUC is working closely with the Singapore Psychological Society and the Association of Psychotherapists and Counsellors to put together an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) package for our unionised companies that is significantly cheaper than similar high quality EAP services found commercially. We want EAP services to be available in all companies.
Many PMEs have also given me feedback that the prolonged work-from-home (WFH) arrangements have caused other tensions to emerge. Neighbours now quarrel because of the slightest noise and smell. Our homes are meant to be a safe space where we can live, work and play in peace. But I can empathise with both sides: the new homeowner trying to move into their new home as soon as possible and their neighbours trying to do an important work presentation virtually from home. As telecommuting work arrangements become more prevalent, we must do more to ease the tensions between neighbours. Could the Community Mediation Centre provide statistics on the common issues that go to mediation, so that we can embark on a public education campaign to minimise such disputes?
Madam, in recent months, we have seen proposed travel bubbles with other countries bursting before they had the chance to fully form. While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused global travel to come to a virtual standstill, the working landscape has become more globalised than ever. The year-long WFH arrangement has normalised remote working and both employers and employees have started to realise that a mobile computing device with an Internet connection is all that is required to work globally.
I recently visited a large multinational company, where I met a Singaporean project manager who told me that he now manages multiple construction projects and tracks each worksite’s progress from the comfort of his living room. Is our workforce prepared for this new reality? What is being done to help Singaporeans tap on such global opportunities?
But, Madam, the reverse can also be true. What is to stop local contractors from hiring foreign project managers who need not necessarily be based physically here? What about the traditional IT, HR and finance jobs that can now be performed remotely from anywhere in the world? Should Singaporeans be worried about such “invisible” competition that cannot be controlled by our existing work pass systems? These are questions better tackled sooner, rather than later.
Madam, in conclusion, the proposed support measures by the Finance Minister will go some way in helping businesses in the sectors that continue to be directly impacted by the prolonged fight against COVID-19. But as we prepare for an endemic COVID-19, we must look beyond those directly impacted by the virus and care for those whose physical safety and mental health are at risk as they struggle to cope with the new normal. We also need to urgently consider the ever-looming threats and opportunities that the work-from-anywhere trend will bring and help prepare our Singaporean workforce for this new reality.
With that, I support the measures put forth by the Finance Minister.
Mr Mark Chay.
Good evening, Mdm Deputy Speaker, and thank you for allowing me to join this debate.
Singapore is not a large country, but we are a strong one. We are known for decisiveness, solidarity amongst our people and business excellence.
We all know the severity of COVID-19. We crawled, staggered and eventually walked through it with fewer casualties than many nations last year. And we understand that the resurgence of infections and the Delta variant are real risks to public health. This crisis affects our entire society. But going back to Phase Two (Heightened Alert) will require additional financial support for many businesses in the sports and fitness sector.
Phase Two (Heightened Alert) for these businesses is an existential threat. The industry is grateful for the assistance given last year. Some businesses have recovered while others have not. For those remaining, it is crucial to their survival to receive additional resources.
Many may not think of sports and fitness as a priority segment, but it is a part of the magic that brings Singaporeans together. Because of Phase Two (Heightened Alert), sports are disrupted. Teams cannot train because the maximum group size allowed to gather is two people; athletes cannot compete. This creates an extra burden for our national sports associations and sportspersons.
Yesterday, the respective Ministers spoke about a roadmap for Singapore, which changes the posture from dealing with COVID-19 to living with COVID-19. I hope this roadmap marks the next chapter for a seemingly endless journey that is COVID-19.
Many may know that I am an Olympian. Many understand that it takes a lot of work to reach that level of competition. But many may not realise that the journey to the event matters more than the event itself. This is because sports are a test of character. They are a test of strength and, when one can make it to the pinnacle of achievement, sports become a vehicle of motivation and encouragement; a source of pride.
As we tune into the next 12 days of the Tokyo Olympic Games, we hope to witness many more amazing stories. Ahmed Hafnaoui, the 18-year-old Tunisian who won the Gold in the men’s 400-metre freestyle, and Anna Kiesenofer, the Maths lecturer who rode solo the last 40 kilometres of the women’s cycling road race to win Gold and Singapore’s very own Chantal Liew whose qualification to the Olympic Games is historic in and of itself as our first marathon swimmer to participate in the Games. What is important is the journey and not the actual event.
Even on a non-competitive level, fitness benefits include a physically healthier population and stronger mental health for Singaporeans. COVID-19 affects our entire society and the sports and fitness industry is no exception.
We need help. Additional resources in the relief Budget go a long way to ensure the industry’s survival. Right now, this moment, is an excellent opportunity to reaffirm my belief that we are in this together, Mdm Deputy Speaker; we are stronger together. I would like to speak for three groups of players in the sports and fitness industry.
First, the sports and fitness businesses. There are nearly 600 such establishments in the country. They serve 500,000 to 600,000 members, our residents. Without extra funding, these businesses cannot operate despite their contribution to society. With your support, however, the sector can.
It was allaying to hear from Minister Lawrence Wong's Ministerial Statement yesterday that additional support will be given to eligible businesses affected by Phase Two (Heightened Alert) protocols. These businesses will receive more rental relief. Landlords chasing tenants for rental arrears based on full rent have been causing a lot of hardship and pressure on businesses. Even if tenants wish to cease their businesses, landlords have gone after, or threatened to go after the tenants for rental arrears and damages for landlords’ losses of rent until the end of their leases. It would be good if MinLaw can legislate relief. Such a break would enable tenants of privately-owned commercial properties to terminate their leases earlier without penalty if they show that their revenues have been significantly impacted. Perhaps, the Minister for Law can reconsider reintroducing the Re-Align Framework for a period for the sports and fitness industry as the industry has been badly affected this time around.
It would also be good if the disbursement of the relief packages could be expedited. The previous support package from the last Phase Two (Heightened Alert) has not been disbursed. With the industry facing yet another set of heightened measures, it puts a strain on businesses. Companies have gone for almost four months without much income, costs are the only constant that companies have to continue bearing. As the hon Member Edward Chia shared earlier, businesses are facing low cash reserves. We need water to come quickly to fight the fire.
The second group is freelancers and self-employed persons. As the hon Member Sharael Taha highlighted, the Phase Two (Heightened Alert) measures have hit coaches and trainers badly. Incomes have declined between 20% and 80% during this period. Safe management measures make it impossible to conduct sessions for teams; and pivoting to online instruction for some of these sports and fitness companies is impractical. Can more support be given to our self-employed persons and freelancers?
Lastly, the National Sports Associations (NSAs) and the wider sporting ecosystem. NSAs are the cornerstone of the sporting ecosystem. They develop their respective sports from developing the high performance pathways, development programmes and coaching and officiating capabilities. A significant amount of funding comes from sponsorship and participation fees through events. Unfortunately, most national sports associations have not been able to run events in the past year. As national sports associations are an integral part of athlete development, a suggestion would be for the MTF to closely work with this sector in order to develop the roadmap for COVID-19.
COVID-19 will, no doubt, leave a lasting impact on the sports and fitness industry, in the way businesses plan and operate; and in the way Singapore and its residents view and participate in sports and fitness activities. One thing we cannot allow is for COVID-19 to affect our pipeline and our sports ecosystem.
With your help, the Government can be a teammate the industry needs, to make it through the next checkpoint. Hopefully, the last round, the last lap, the last hurdle.
I understand a reversal to Phase Two (Heightened Alert) is necessary, yet I hope this gives you more insight into the sports and fitness industry's needs and why it needs additional support.
We want to continue finding ways to keep citizens healthy despite a tightening of safety measures. This may mean investment in technology to host more virtual sessions. It may mean our coaches, teachers, trainers having to work longer hours to adapt to the safety measures. It definitely means we want to ensure that we can survive and impact Singaporeans in a healthy and meaningful way.
We also want to ensure employees in this sector have a chance to keep and evolve in their jobs. Please consider providing quick financial support for the sports and fitness industry. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I support the Supplementary Budget.
Mr Louis Ng.
Madam, I thank the Government for this Budget, a recognition of the unprecedented challenges facing our economy. That said, I hope the Government can also recognise that the problems sparked by this crisis are not just about money. They are also about time.
And on that note, I am glad that our Second Minister for Finance, Minister Indranee Rajah is now also the Minister in charge of the National Population and Talent Division. She can give both money and time.
Today, I will offer three suggestions related to time.
My first suggestion is about childcare sick leave. Today, students are still being sent home from schools and childcare centres because they exhibit COVID-19 symptoms. This practice started in 2020 and it continues today, more than 15 months later.
It is a good policy and I support it. Schools and childcare centres are places with high levels of personal interaction. Keeping symptomatic students at home protects other students and, in turn, protects their families.
But it is also a policy that creates huge challenges for parents. Parents with children under seven years old only have six days of childcare leave a year. Even before the pandemic, parents had told me that it was not enough. It was just enough to cover them for the six days when childcare centres close every year. Now, they have to take leave even when their young child has only a mild cough or sore throat. They are at their wits' end.
Worse still for parents whose youngest child is between seven and 12 years old. They only have two days of childcare leave.
Work-from-home (WFH) arrangements are not enough. Childcare leave is not enough. Annual leave is not enough. This is not new to the Government. This is why it offers childcare sick leave to public servants and this is why 50% of public servants take up the option of childcare sick leave even though they might have access to annual leave, childcare leave and WFH already.
What about the other Singaporeans? What about those whose jobs do not allow them to WFH? What about our frontline workers and essential workers who put their lives at risk for all of us?
I have spoken to teachers at childcare centres. They describe how some parents plead and beg them to simply keep the child at the sick bay. The parents say, "I cannot take another day off work. I really cannot."
The answer from the childcare centre is, of course, a "no". But parents are desperate.
What has not been emphasised enough is the public health role that parents play. By taking time off to care for their symptomatic children, they keep all of us safe. Just as we should not take our essential workers for granted, we should not take parents for granted as well.
Fifteen months. Fifteen months of sending symptomatic students home, of intermittent school closures, of on-and-off home-based learning. Parents need childcare sick leave to fulfil their public and moral healthcare responsibilities. The Government needs to legislate for this urgently.
Let me stress that this is not leave to run errands or go for a break. I am calling for childcare sick leave which is backed by a medical certificate (MC), which is issued by a doctor.
My second suggestion is about parent-care leave. We must legislate to provide our people with parent-care leave. It is not just the young ones who need our care. It is also the old folks, those confronting the harsh tides of ill health, unfamiliar technologies and lonely spaces. These folks, having lived through the racial riots, the oil crisis, the Asian Financial Crisis and SARS, now face COVID-19, possibly the greatest challenge our nation has faced yet.
For many, it is the straw that has broken the camel's back. Last year, suicides rose to its highest level in 10 years. The highest spike was seen among the elderly, with 154 elderly suicides, the highest in 30 years.
Madam, I remember bringing my late father for his medical appointments and I know first hand how confusing it can be at times when we were navigating the hospital, going from department to department. This was the pre-COVID-19 days.
Things have gotten much harder for our lonesome elderly folks. To attend a medical appointment, they have to fumble with TraceTogether and with SafeEntry, processes that may make no intuitive sense to them. The buildings they have to pass through may have half its entrances and exits mysteriously locked. The friendly faces on the streets whom they once asked for help are now covered by masks. It is an alien world for many of our elderly.
How we help our oldest citizens is not a straightforward question to answer but we know with certainty that they need care and support. For those lucky enough to have family members who love them, we must unblock this channel of care. We must offer working adults parent-care leave.
The Government already knows parent-care leave is important. That is why we offer it to our public servants. That is why public servants do take up such leave. But we need to extend this to the rest of our working adults.
Not all of us choose to bear children but all of us were born from parents. For those lucky enough to still have their parents around, we need to give them the opportunity to care for them, particularly in this time of medical and social emergency. We need to legislate for parent-care leave urgently.
Madam, my third and final point today is about our migrant workers. In the Resilience Budget, the Fortitude Budget and the various other supplementary Budgets, we have done a great deal to support Singaporeans and I thank the Government for that.
Out of sight and out of mind for many of us are our migrant workers. For much of the past 15 months, migrant workers in our dorms have been confined within their dorms. For many workers, the only places they have been are literally just two places: their dorm and their worksite. Some can apply for leave to leave their dorm but I understand it is not for everyone and it is only for three hours. Three hours out of the 168 hours a week, out of their dorms or worksite.
We Singaporeans complain about the restrictions on dining-in, about how we cannot squeeze our friends into a table of five or a table of two. These are fair complaints.
But the problem we face is, for many migrant workers, a distant fantasy. They have not gotten to go shopping. They have not had the chance to meet their friends. They have not had the chance to walk free like human beings. Their basic human needs of socialisation, entertainment, physical freedom have not been met. And remember, they, too, are worried about their loved ones back home during this pandemic, loved ones they have not seen for years.
I have heard heartening stories of volunteer groups that organise small group outings for migrant workers on Hippo buses with strict safe management measures in place. These ad hoc outings provide this small group of workers brief respite.
Such volunteer efforts, important as they are, are only temporary relief for a very small group of migrant workers. What is the Government's plan to let our migrant workers out of their dorms? Some migrant workers even live in dorms without recreation centres.
In the short term, can we, at least, establish regional recreational centres, open up spaces, such as old schools and open fields, to let small batches of migrant workers hang out?
In the long term, can we have a concrete timeline and plans to lift movement restrictions on our migrant workers? In particular, what is the plan for fully vaccinated workers when we reopen in Phase Three? These are workers who are also tested for COVID-19 regularly and live and work under strict safe management measures.
As with everything we do, there are risks involved. But we can have various measures to mitigate the risks of these plans. We can do things in batches, in phases. It is not all-or-nothing.
I remember at the start of our circuit breaker, many Members of this House as well as the Government spoke with heartfelt appreciation for the sacrifices of our migrant workers. But as our voices have wound down, our migrant workers' restrictions have not. They continue to suffer and, especially, suffer mentally.
We need to take concrete action in the short term and make concrete plans in the long term to ensure our migrant friends can meet their human needs of socialisation and physical freedom.
Madam, it is the right thing to do.
Madam, in conclusion, I stand in support of the new Budget measures today. At the same time, I hope we will support those suffering by offering them something other than money. We need to give childcare sick leave and parent-care leave to our working adults. We need to offer safe, calibrated ways for our fully vaccinated migrant workers to meet, socialise and unwind under strict safe management measures.
Time and physical freedom are things the Government has the power to offer and I hope we take urgent, concrete steps to offer them.
Mr Yip Hong Weng.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, the events of the past few weeks, with large clusters forming, have demonstrated the importance of staying vigilant and adaptable. I thank the Minister for the continued support measures. I wish to touch on three specific issues.
First, the Government should be cognisant of the current situation when deciding on increasing rental and fee charges. We know that one group that has been badly affected is the hawkers and the market stallholders. When dining-in was suspended earlier, some hawkers faced the possibility of closing down for good. Some have probably already done so. Our current dine-in restrictions affect our hawkers and their incomes significantly.
Our hawker culture is important to us. It is our national asset. It is an integral part of our Singapore identity and recognised on the UNESCO Heritage List. Hawkers offer dishes rich in local flavours at affordable prices. This is pertinent in these economically uncertain times.
Can the Government do more to help our hawkers, especially those who would really like to continue but lack the financial means to do so? Is there any ongoing effort to reach out to those on the verge of closing down and giving up their licences?
I would like to circle back to the recently announced increase in rental fee charges. While calls to help hawkers hit badly by the re-imposed restrictions were circulating, news about NEA increasing hawker stall rents made its rounds. It appeared to be ill-timed and devoid of sensitivity and empathy.
Many members of the public spoke up on behalf of the hawkers. They expressed disappointment and dismay with the move. The subsequent response also came across as lacking in compassion.
NEA has made a number of exceptions in light of the pandemic, including subsidising table cleaning and dishwashing services. Could the rental revision not have waited at least until after the restrictions have been relaxed for a period of time? A rent increase is still an increase, regardless of how small and no matter how few would be affected.
This whole episode exemplified a seeming disconnect between the public and policymakers. I hope, in future, when similar issues arise, agencies can exercise more flexibility and sensitivity when imposing rental and fee increases. This is with the aim of ensuring that such a situation does not occur again.
Perhaps the Ministries in charge of the Statutory Boards and agencies should play a stronger gatekeeping role. They should make sure that such fee increases proposed by their agencies are approved before they are allowed to be implemented.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, my next point is to streamline and simplify the huge gamut of support measures for SMEs, which can be overwhelming.
I am glad that the focus of the Supplementary Budget is on SMEs. A significant amount of money is going to the SMEs in the form of the extended Jobs Support Scheme, rental reliefs, the extension of the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme and the Enhanced Enterprise Financing Scheme – Trade Loan.
Besides these, there are still many financing schemes under Enterprise Singapore to tap on. It is literally an alphabet soup of schemes. There are 10 grants alone under Enterprise Singapore and this does not include loans, tax incentives, investments, mentorships and so on.
Despite this multitude of assistance and with our economy faring better than last year, an annual survey report published in February revealed that 81% of more than 400 SMEs surveyed in the fourth quarter last year do not expect their businesses to grow this year. Thirty-nine percent are even expecting to cut manpower.
Although 95% of SMEs are aware of the pandemic support packages, only 61% took them up.
It is a shame that there is such a huge wealth of resources to support our local businesses and yet they are not put to use.
Businesses' feedback is that there are simply too many schemes. Businesses are, hence, not sure how or which one they are eligible for.
Has the Government done further analysis and engaged our SMEs to find out why the businesses are not participating? Can the schemes be further streamlined and repackaged so that companies do not have to deal with multiple applications for different schemes? Can we match eligible businesses to the right schemes and connect with these businesses to provide the necessary advice?
One solution is for the SME support to be delivered as packages instead of in a modular format today. The packages can be tailored for specific industries. The application process should also be digitalised end-to-end and be a seamless click through. In doing so, there might be a need to not only adjust the generosity of the packages but to simplify the packages that will enable and incentivise more SME businesses to get access to the support.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, my last point is on the impending GST increase.
Even as we look forward to a full re-opening of the economy, the Government will continue to incur many expenses to keep our businesses and individuals abreast with the evolving pandemic situation.
We are currently having the largest Budget deficit in our history despite the best efforts to manage the Budget judiciously. All these points to an impetus to bring forward the imminent GST hike, which is scheduled to be implemented between 2022 and 2025.
Nobody likes to pay increased prices, especially in this climate. But as the Government's expenditure goes up, with new support measures announced and extended, I am sure the GST hike has been looming in everyone's minds.
However, given the current circumstances, perhaps the Government should consider pushing back the GST hike for a few years. Even the traditional arguments for hiking GST and then providing rebates to the people worst affected may not be salient in a crisis like today.
If there is a need to raise money, perhaps the Government should consider raising other taxes within reason. This could be more acceptable to the general public once the economy stabilises.
In conclusion, Mdm Deputy Speaker, the strong discipline and sense of responsibility among Singaporeans have brought us through this pandemic. The Government should be more flexible and sensitive when imposing rental and fee increases, including the GST hike. The Government should also streamline support measures for individuals and small businesses, especially to make it simple for them to utilise. Keep it simple, keep it useful. In doing so, I am confident that the people and the Government can weather all storms together. I stand in support of the Supplementary Budget.
Ms Mariam Jaafar.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, I start with declaring my interest as a managing director and partner of a consulting firm that does work in the area of climate change consulting.
In my Budget Debate speech, I spoke on how Singapore can lead the way in climate change in our own way, taking into account our strengths and our constraints.
Since then, the climate change space has only intensified, with companies facing ratcheting pressure not only from climate activists, but also from investors, governments and citizens, especially the youths. In May, the Dutch court made a landmark ruling, ordering Shell to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels. It also deemed Shell responsible for emissions from its customers and suppliers, what we call Scope 3 emissions. The ruling also frames Shell's activities as a violation of the human rights of the citizens of the Netherlands. The ramifications could be far-reaching for the fossil fuel industry, as well as the countries for whom the industry makes up a significant portion of their GDP, including Singapore.
It is clear. The time for climate action is now. As we continue to manage COVID-19 as a society, we must fundamentally prioritise climate and sustainability to build back better. The best COVID-19 recovery plans will fight climate change, too.
And so, I was glad to hear the Minister reaffirm our commitment to invest in a green and sustainable future even while budgets are reallocated to extend more support measures for Phase Two (Heightened Alert). Singapore has made bold commitments to climate ambitions in Green Plan 2030. Minister Grace Fu has recently detailed plans on how the public sector will lead the way in areas like energy, waste, transport and infrastructure, to reach peak carbon emissions around 2025, five years ahead of the broader economy. All this is very, very, positive.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, about 65% of global emission needed to get to net zero can be reduced with existing technologies that are mature or in early adoption. An estimated $100-150 trillion investment over the next 30 years, more than in digital transformation, is needed to reach net zero globally.
Alongside commitments and policies, we have the opportunity to stimulate green growth with infrastructure investments and support for climate solution innovations, that is, investment in new technologies and enablement of new business models and markets as core tools.
Our strong financial position has always given us an edge. Now, the SINGA bonds give us another powerful tool. As we think about recovery, let us all ask ourselves if we have done all we can to accelerate those areas of climate mitigation that maximise speed and impact, such as the expansion of public transport, deployment of large-scale renewables, such as solar energy, building retrofits, expansion of the energy grid, including EV charging points, incentives for improving industrial efficiency and the scale-up of carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
There are many quick wins: reducing emissions through low-cost or mature technologies that typically also generate savings.
So, I urge the Government to prioritise and not delay on projects with climate-change impact for want of money or manpower. And, indeed, let us double-down on them. And for projects that have been delayed by COVID-19, these actually give us an opportunity to accelerate some transitions now.
Take the delays we have seen in housing projects.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, when HIP projects were delayed for some blocks in Woodlands, some of my residents came to me on a particular issue: clothes drying racks (CDRs). You see, a few years ago, in the HIP plan, they were asked to vote on L-shaped CDRs. But in the meantime, newer retractable CDRs came on the market. Since there was a delay, my residents asked, "Why can't we get the latest?" In this case, the answer given to us was that the stock had already been purchased and that was what the residents had voted on. Of course, they had not been offered retractable CDRs to vote on back then.
While CDRs may appear trivial for some, there are parallels to climate-change solutions in housing. HDB is already testing and implementing multiple initiatives for more sustainable towns, such as solar and smart LED. More ambitious moves are being implemented, such as the centralised cooling system in Tengah eco-town, where the district level scale gives the required economies of scale. These projects actually put us ahead of many other countries.
As we work through the backlog of new builds and improvement projects, I hope we will take the opportunity to consider if some changes ought to be made to the original plans to accelerate the conversion of every town to an eco-town, to leapfrog. And that, as an adviser, I will soon see in the NRP and HIP proposals not just new playgrounds and new toilets, but also new coatings and new energy-efficient kitchens and other appliances offered as options. Done at scale, it could pay for itself. The technologies already exist in housing and in other sectors.
For more costly levers and investments, let us accelerate efforts to support the growth of financing that mitigates climate risks, as well as the growth of the market for green bonds for sure and also transition financing and other tools that will be needed to realise the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Let us collaborate in ecosystems – companies, investors, Government and Universities and research institutions – to accelerate the speed and scale of change and overcome traditional barriers via collaboration and risk sharing. Whether it is petrochemicals, transport or shipping, an ecosystem approach is necessary, as well as a mindset shift. We need to start looking at companies not only as sources of emissions, but as providers of climate solutions that create business values.
The first generation of "green champions", companies like Next Era, Orsted, generated annual total shareholder returns of 30%, on par with big techs, while oil and gas majors had a return of negative 18%. Companies must see the business opportunity in climate action. Otherwise, the time may come when difficult and painful choices will need to be made on the sectors and industries that we can no longer afford in order to meet our sustainability commitments.
So, I call on companies to first ensure that their activities do not undermine climate action, then to advocate for stronger policies and promote green growth and jobs, to re-assure the Government that we are on the right track.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, Minister Ong Ye Kung yesterday repeated several times how our unique position in the fight against COVID-19 has been due to our unity and trust – how Government, businesses and the people work together. If we work together to put sustainability at the heart of our recovery, our COVID-19 response will be remembered as one that not only overcame a short-term recession and avoided a mid-term recession, but also created meaningful, long-term impact that will benefit us all, in Singapore and the world.
Dr Tan Yia Swam.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, it has been a year and a half since the COVID-19 outbreak started in Singapore. In his speech on 5 July, Minister Lawrence Wong addressed how the Government was looking to support the population through the outbreak, namely, addressing the measures to take care of the health of the population and the financial support provided to individuals.
I thank the Minister and the rest of the Multi-Ministry Task Force on their hard work in fighting the pandemic and their care of the health of the citizens, especially in light of the two massive clusters. The various Ministerial Statements yesterday have been reassuring in answering some of the concerns I had over recent developments.
However, as we consider and debate the health of the economy, as a healthcare professional myself, I want to talk about the health of society. What kinds of health? I am talking about physical health, mental health and emotional health.
In this pandemic, I do not deny that the physical health of the people is a priority and we want to ensure that Singapore, to the best that we can, is COVID-19-safe as we push for greater vaccination rates. Yet, there might be better ways we can ensure that the society is safe, without measures being overly taxing on the people.
Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) that has been implemented is an extremely resource-intensive task. As we debate on the financial support being spent to help affected individuals and companies, we should also ask: has our spending to ensure that the population is safe been effective?
To date, there have been more than 13.6 million PCR swabs performed as part of the RRT, and a large part was for RRT, which has picked up a small handful of positive cases. This is an invasive, deep nasal swab that has been performed on construction, marine, maritime, manufacturing and migrant workers residing in dormitories on a regular basis since mid-2020, recently, implemented on inpatient healthcare workers. Inpatients and visitors also do a less invasive nose swab – the Antigen Rapid Test (ART) – before they are allowed entry to hospitals.
The costs are not only financial, but to the health of these people. MOH has replied that there are few reported adverse effects, but there are adverse effects nonetheless. I encourage the Ministry to do a survey and to provide support for people who have suffered adverse effects from the deep nasal swabs. The professional bodies may be able to assist in such a survey.
Deep nasal swabs should perhaps be used as the gold standard diagnostic test for the high-risk in a population, namely, identified potential clusters rather than be used for baseline screening in RRT. With promising developments of less invasive methods being used for testing, notably the saliva-based tests, breathalysers which some of you have tried out before the Parliament Sitting yesterday, I wonder if the implementation of RRT could be revised to include these less invasive but adequately effective testing methods.
But ensuring physical health is not enough. While the Ministries have worked hard to ensure that everyone is physically safe, it comes at the cost of mental health. At the national level, I believe this manifest as the fabric of society.
We see it last week, as we shifted back into Phase Two (Heightened Alert). As a nation, we just inched out of our shell, only to scoot backwards hurriedly. No man is an island. Not being able to dine in, not being able to meet people face to face, it takes a toll on the mental health of our people. In the past three years, the number of Police reports on physical assaults was the highest in 2020, despite us being supposedly prevented from coming into contact with each other. Acts of racism, violence and self-harm are on the rise. What I see is the hurt from these people. Hurt people hurt themselves and hurt others.
We cannot deny that we must stay safe to protect our loved ones. But we also cannot deny the strain that the pandemic has put on us, whether physically, emotionally, financially and our inability to reach out to connect with others. It will soon be reaching two long years in our battle against the pandemic.
We need to be able to support one another, especially to destigmatise mental illness and channel more support towards avenues where people can reach out and ask for help for their mental health.
Members of Parliament, a recalibration is required. The MTF described a future where Singapore would be in endemic mode on 24 June – but it has been a month and here we are, managing the virus in pandemic mode. With sudden changes, a lot of back and forth in the measures, with no sight of whether things can get better or how decisions are made, sometimes it feels like we are always having to shift and having to suffer. Money is only a stopgap to some of the issues we face. Grants can only do so much to help businesses recoup their losses, or for people to regain their jobs and their dignity.
We need to find a new, sustainable balance between preventing risks to our physical health and preserving the delicate fabric that holds our society and our economy together. We cannot keep chasing the wind. We need to take control of how we take and manage risks. While the vaccination target is a good one to have, it is not clear if we will shift out of Phase Two (Heightened Alert) once it has been hit. The pandemic is uncertain, but citizens will benefit if milestones have been set and we keep to them.
We need the Government to be able to trust us to do the right thing. No one wants to fall sick. No one wants to be the one responsible for the next outbreak.
The so-called KTV cluster: what exactly happened at these places? Do the patrons and hostesses understand how COVID-19 is spread? Is there a medical indication to perform urethral, vaginal and anal swabs to look for viral shedding? At the fish port and wet markets, likewise, what is the root cause of the spread? Could it be a simple barrier breach because their masks got wet?
By understanding the route of transmission, only then can we educate each other on how to minimise risks. These are some of the basic safe tips I know: wear a dry surgical mask; practise good hand hygiene; do not touch your face; keep a physical distance.
Reactive shutting down of all services causes suffering to many while the important lessons are not learnt. Prescribing group numbers without sharing the principles of these decisions will not help people make better decisions about their health. Give us some simple rules, with simple reasons why and let the people make that choice and trust that we can make the right choice.
As much as health and safety is of utmost importance, the body is not the only thing we have. We must make sure that the mind, the heart and the body are all healthy together. That cannot be achieved with fear incited to make sure we are safe, but with a more nurturing approach to ensure that everyone unites to stay safe together. Let us work together to create a healthy and happy Singapore.
Leader.
PAPERCUTS