President's Speech

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise today in support of the Motion of Thanks to our President. Every one of us knows a family sitting around their dining table, talking about the future. They see the headlines about global instability, about AI changing the world, and they worry.

They ask the quiet questions we all ask. In a world of such turmoil, is my family's future secure? In an age of disruption, is there still a place for me?

These are not abstract questions, Mr Deputy Speaker. They are real. They are heartfelt. The President's address gave us an answer. It was a confident, resounding "yes". And the reason for that answer is the very anchor of my speech today.

It is our nation's secret weapon – our unique ability to pull together when the world is pulling apart. Tripartism, our model of unity, is more than just tradition, it is our answer to the future. Singapore's unique brand of tripartism – the collaboration among the Government, employers and unions – has long been the bedrock of our industrial relations and a key competitive advantage. At its core, tripartism is founded on a shared conviction to strive for industrial peace with justice.

In the early days, our founding leaders stood at a crossroads. The world told them that for a union to be effective, it must be adversarial, locked in a perpetual struggle with employers and the government. It must at least be seen to be independent.

They saw other nations crippled by this very conflict, caught in a zero-sum game of strikes and standoffs, where for one side to win, the other had to lose. In such a game, they knew a small nation like ours could never win.

Our Pioneers chose a different path. A harder path, but a better path.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew said in 1969 that "the unions of Singapore are not here to fight against management. They are here to work with management, to ensure that we survive, grow, and prosper together."

Tripartism is not a zero-sum game. We believe in being partners of progress, not partisans in conflict. This philosophy of fair play and gain-sharing remains our compass – pro-worker, pro-business and pro-future. This partnership is built on more than just economic pragmatism. It is built on a shared moral conviction.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the President challenged us to question deep-seated assumptions about what constitutes valuable work. This speaks to the very soul of our Labour Movement. It is a promise we keep towards our lower-wage workers, from our cleaners to our security officers, like what labour MP Melvin Yong had said too.

For years, these workers had worked hard but saw their wages stagnate. They worried about their families' future. Today, because of the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), they are not just earning a better wage. They have been trained to be more productive and could take on better jobs – a team supervisor, for example.

The PWM did not just give them a bigger paycheck, it gave them a new sense of pride, a new set of skills and a new answer to their worries about the future. That is the soul of our movement. We do not just talk about dignity. We build pathways to it, one worker at a time.

The success of this model hinges on mutual trust and respect fostered through consistent engagement and a shared commitment to national interests.

Our reservoir of trust was not built in times of ease. It was forged in the crucible of crisis. From the 1985 recession, when unions accepted wage cuts that were later restored, to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, with its "cut costs to save jobs" philosophy. During COVID-19, our tripartite partners showed they were willing to make difficult decisions for the greater good.

For example, instead of implementing layoffs, DBS Bank worked closely with DBS Staff Union to assure workers, to sustain business continuity and career resilience, hiring more than 2,000 people, including 1,000 new roles for fresh graduates and mid-career PMEs pivoting into technology roles.

This spirit of "we first" is the bedrock that allows us to face today's challenges with unity and confidence. Mr Goh Chok Tong once said, "We can never take tripartism for granted. It is a precious asset that has taken years of trust-building."

This reservoir of trust is what enables us to face new challenges today – global instability, trade wars and the transformative impact of AI. In a turbulent world, Singapore's stability and predictability are rare advantages.

Our unionists are at the core of this effort. The 1969 Modernisation Seminar set aside confrontation for collaboration, a turning point that enabled decades of progress. Likewise, today, union leaders prepare the way for transformation by serving on the boards of economic agencies, on national task forces, and in Company Training Committees, aligning workers' training with business transformation.

When they walk into those tough negotiations, they do not just bring charts and figures. They bring the stories of our people with them. They are the ones who can look a CEO in the eye and say, "Let me tell you about the family that is struggling to keep up with their bills."

They bring the reality of the coffeeshop into the conference room. They mobilise the ground in support of national strategies, thereby increasing our chances of success.

In difficult conversations like the annual National Wages Council negotiations, our union leaders keep us honest by reflecting workers' anxieties about the cost of living, and by advocating for fair gains-sharing and just transitions.

This insider role allows unionists to shape policy for the better, not just criticise from the sidelines. Every time a unionist helps a retrenched worker find a new job, they are not just finding a salary, they are restoring a person's dignity. Every time they ensure fair gains-sharing, they are strengthening our social fabric.

They are the guardians of fairness, the champions of opportunity. They are the ones on the ground, every single day, building the "we first" society the President spoke about, one worker at a time.

This reflects what Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong once said, "Our unions are not afraid to speak up for workers, but they do so in a constructive spirit, with the long-term interest of workers and the nation at heart."

We have seen this in practice. Earlier this year, the Union of Security Employees (USE), which I advise, weighed in on Certis' policy requiring its frontline workforce on medical leave to share their live location. Following our engagement, Certis agreed to stop the practice and brought in USE to strengthen communications and workplace practices. At the same time, the union supported Certis' technological transformation through the CTC Grant, enhancing both company productivity and workers' wages above the PWM increases.

As each new generation of leaders emerges, so must new understandings of how we work together to bring Singapore forward.

We were heartened when then-Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong joined NTUC to launch our Workers' Compact in 2023, declaring that NTUC is the most important partner of the Government. That statement touched the hearts of our unionists and signaled clearly the 4G leadership's commitment to this partnership.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

NTUC will continue to support the PAP Government in securing growth, futureproofing our workforce and addressing new needs that arise. Our support must be anchored in a shared commitment to the welfare of our workers. We treasure our duty as our workers' keeper. This means there will be times we disagree on the path forward. It means having the courage to tell the Government when a policy, however well-intentioned, will hurt our workers on the ground.

We will continue to be unabashed in our feedback, because true partnership is not defined by the absence of disagreement, but by the strength to work through it to find the best outcome for Singapore and Singaporeans.

And the challenges will be tough. The President outlined the immense change brought about by AI. In some countries, this has predictably caused deep anxiety as workers see jobs being shed almost daily.

Mr Speaker, our hallmark tripartism is what enables us to face the great challenge of our time – the transformative impact of AI.

Let me take some time to share about a man I met recently at a job fair. This job fair happened after a retrenchment. We will call him Alex. He was at a job fair and I was there to see how I can help them find a job. At the scene, you could see good people wrestling with uncertainty and disappointment.

Alex was retrenched after the wave of digitisation and AI changed the business landscape. Alex is in his early 50s, but he has got the energy of someone half his age. I spoke to him. He told me his story, which I cannot shake.

He said, "I knew this day was coming." For 10 years, he saw the world changing. So, he did what he was supposed to do. He took courses. He earned diplomas on his own time. Certificates. After long days at work. He tried to get ahead of the curve. He played by all the rules. But it was not enough. He still could not find a safer job, a growth job in the company. He did everything we ask of our workers, yet he felt like he was running in place, on a treadmill. And as he spoke, I could hear the one thing that chips away at a person's soul – the feeling that your hard work does not count anymore.

Alex's story is not just one man's story. It can be the tripartite story. It can be the Singapore story. It is the story we have to write the next chapter for, right now.

Because this wave of AI is not just another technology. It is a force that is asking us a fundamental question: what kind of economy or country do we want to be?

Do we want to be a place where technology creates a world of winners and losers, where hardworking people like Alex get left behind? Or do we want to build a future where technology serves all of us, where innovation lifts everyone up?

I think the answer is clear. But it will not happen on its own. It requires a choice. It requires a new commitment.

That commitment must start with a skills-first approach. It is a promise that what you do matters more than the piece of paper you hold, that your potential to learn is more valuable than the credential you have. It is a promise that if you put in the work, like Alex did, it will lead to somewhere real – a better job, a better wage, a better life.

For employers, it means shifting focus from paper qualifications to practical capabilities. It is about hiring, rewarding and promoting based on what an individual can do and learn, not just what their qualification says. It is about being intentional in our training. Workers such as Alex should not have to train fruitlessly. It is about involving the worker in building the transformation plan together.

For workers, it means taking ownership of your career health, continuously building new competencies and staying agile enough to pivot to new roles.

The Labour Movement is fully committed to working on this approach with our tripartite partners. Our mission has always been to protect our workers through every economic wave, and the age of AI is no different. We do have a successful Singaporean model to follow.

Imagine being a prime mover driver at our port for over 20 years. You take pride in your job. Then one day, you hear that this thing called the automated guided vehicle (AGV), a robot, is coming to do what you do. Mohamed Rahaizad Bin Hassan, a prime mover driver was one of those faced with this reality.

In many places around the world, that is where the story ends – in conflict, strikes and lost livelihoods, like the paralysing port strikes we saw in the US in 2024. There, the International Longshoremen's Association saw automation as a threat to be fought. They launched a strike across US East and Gulf Coast ports.

But in Singapore, because of the deep trust between our Singapore Port Workers Union (SPWU) and PSA, we chose to write a different ending. Years before the first AGV was put in operation in Tuas, they sat down together. They mapped out every affected job. They planned a journey of reskilling. The driver was not replaced. He was upskilled.

Today, Mohamed Rahaizad is an Operations Supervisor with better working life and wages. And AVs are making our ports more productive than ever. We turned a story of fear into a story of opportunity. This is the power of our partnership. The power of tripartism and trust.

Thus, we have clear principles to follow in the incorporation of AI and automation. It is to be transparent, be fair, be worker-centric.

First, tripartite partners must work closely together to chart a common path. That means being transparent in the transformation and involving the unions and workers to forge a transition pathway. Second, workers must be given fair gains from improvements in productivity. Quite frankly, a world in which only shareholders and a select few benefit from economic transformation is neither desirable nor sustainable. Third, we must be worker-centric to adopt a just transition for Singapore and the Singaporean worker. This embraces a "we first" mentality and culture and put it to work.

At the heart of this AI transformation are our people. Let us commit together to building a future where technology serves humanity, where our companies thrive and where every worker can look ahead with confidence and dignity. Mr Speaker, in Chinese, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In today's turbulent world, AI brings many impacts and concerns. Singapore's ability to survive and thrive depends on our unique tripartism between labour, management and Government: the Government, employers and unions working hand in hand to overcome difficulties together.

As Mr Lee Kuan Yew said, unions are not here to fight management, but to work together with management to ensure that we survive, grow and prosper together. In past economic crises, we chose to put "country before self", which brought us today's stability and prosperity.

Facing the transformation brought by AI, unions will not leave workers to fight alone. NTUC will continue to accompany every worker, upgrading skills together, protecting employment and sharing benefits fairly. As long as we uphold the spirit of "greater good" and stand shoulder to shoulder, Singapore workers will surely weather the storm and welcome a brighter tomorrow.

(In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, my fellow labour MPs have also shared the various concerns about the key issues that must be dealt with to support workers in this term of Government. Let me highlight two other areas of focus.

First, supporting our youth and future workforce. Our unionists have gone down to many campuses to meet with our young Singaporeans. Just between April and July alone, the NTUC engaged 12,000 youths across our Institutes of Higher Learning. We heard their anxieties about skills gaps, weaker hiring sentiment and AI’s impact on entry-level roles. Their anxieties are real and we must double down to support them.

To complement the Government's GRIT programme, NTUC Youth is equipping young jobseekers with job search skills, networking and mentorship, while e2i expands targeted career fairs. We must also consider expanding our SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowances to younger workers. In addition, we must broaden and expand upon Career Conversion Programmes to equip them for AI and sustainability-related roles.

Second, managing economic restructuring. Restructuring must always prioritise workers' well-being. Past lessons, such as the Public Transport Tripartite Committee's approach during the bus contracting model, show how deep engagement safeguards jobs while enabling transformation. For example, in the transition to the bus contracting model, the Public Transport Tripartite Committee developed a "two-envelope" bidding system that ensured operators bidding for routes commit to consulting unions and safeguarding workers' well-being as part of their proposals. In addition, the Land Transport Authority and National Transport Workers Union engaged extensively with 5,000 workers then. We look forward to renewing this to better our workers' livelihoods and welfare, 10 years into the bus contracting model.

Thus, in managing the impact of economic restructuring, we must make it a priority to take care of workers who will be impacted and ensure sufficient lead time for planning and outreach to assure workers on their concerns. Today, as co-chair of the Economic Strategies Review Committee No 5, I am working with Minister of State Goh Pei Ming and our tripartite partners to ensure workers receive sufficient lead time, planning and support in every restructuring process.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the world will not get any calmer. The forces of disruption will not slow down, but we have something special here. Something tested in crisis and renewed with purpose. A belief that we are all in this together. So, this is our common path. In a world that is dividing, we will choose to unite. In a world of gridlock, we will choose to build. In a world of anxiety, we will choose to create hope. Our model of tripartism is not just an asset, it is our identity. It is the belief, passed down through generations, that we can adapt, we can transform and we can emerge stronger, so long as we do it together as one united people. Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.

Mr Speaker, President Tharman's address at the Opening of this Parliament underscored an urgent need for unity and shared responsibility, rooted in trust, transformation and resilience for Singapore and Singaporeans to thrive in a complex and fragmented world.

In my speech today, I will speak on two points that President Tharman highlighted in his speech: a more pronounced need for unity; and a strong economy – the need to transform and innovate to enhance our value as a trusted hub to ensure opportunities for all Singaporeans.

For Singapore, our people and the ethos of unity and progress for all, regardless of race, language or religion is the cornerstone of the success of our improbable nation these last 60 years. Our leaders have been intentional in forging our unity while celebrating our diversity through integrated housing policy, education, meritocratic governance, shared values and long-term stewardship. But Singapore's unity and identity is not static. It is changing, shaped in what is happening in our everyday life in Singapore and globally.

So while vital, forging our unity today is no longer just around integrating and celebrating our diversity of race, language or religion. Our population is ageing. Our society is more diverse and younger Singaporeans are voicing new hopes for fairness, autonomy and purpose. Digitalisation is reshaping our daily lives. Differences in access can result in who gets access to services, whose voice travels, and what "truths" feel credible. Hence, people may end up living in different realities even when they are under the same space. Personalised feeds cluster people into like-minded bubbles, reinforcing beliefs and isolating them from shared facts, where information we consume fragments our shared realities.

These changes are deeply personal. They shape how we see ourselves, how we relate to one another across age, income, race, religion, cultures and education. People are experiencing Singapore differently. Some feel secured and heard, others feel left out, or unsure where they fit in. If we do not respond to these lived realities, unity becomes fragile not because we disagree, but because we stop feeling part of.

So, how do we move forward together? We need to refresh our social compact. This means rethinking the roles we each play. Government, employers, individuals and building a culture of shared responsibility. It means designing policies that reflect real lives, not just averages. Designing for lived experience and not just aggregated outcomes. And it means ensuring that opportunity is not just promised but felt.

We must design systems that are truly inclusive. Housing, education, work, digital platforms, they must work for everyone across life stages and backgrounds. We need to support transitions, whether it is a mid-life career shift, a young person finding their voice, a first-time home owner getting a flat or an older adult staying connected.

It is not sufficient just to take feedback. We must create space for real dialogue. Not just consultation, but co-creation. We need platforms where people can speak honestly, listen deeply and shape the future together. Trust grows when people see that their stories matter and that their feedback leads to change.

Let me give you a small example from our community in Changi Simei, what we call VIASTA!. What began as a simple idea to activate the under-utilised space under the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) viaduct to promote residents' well-being has blossomed into a vibrant festival. Residents did not just give their feedback but worked together with grassroots leaders, community partners and agencies, research and design teams from Singapore University of Technology and Design, SingHealth and Changi General Hospital to co-create, design and transform the space under the MRT viaduct near Simei station.

From booths and programmes run by residents, seniors and youths, students and teachers from our schools and tertiary institutions, hospital and healthcare professionals, kopi chat with the Police and movie under the stars, VIASTA! has become a celebration of shared ownership and provides a space that comes alive to benefit the well-being of our residents in Changi Simei.

Although the process required several months to collect residents' feedback and collaboratively utilising AI to visualise the desired VIASTA!, it enabled meaningful participation from both residents and stakeholders. They could see their ideas come to life. This approach ensured that all perspectives and expertise were incorporated, fostering an inclusive environment for co-creation and effective decision-making. We now have had three iterations of VIASTA! in the last one year, where residents, community partners and agencies came together to bring VIASTA! alive. The fourth VIASTA! is scheduled for November this year.

On a national level, Forward Singapore provided a platform that brought together citizens, employers, communities and Government to co-create policies that reflect evolving aspirations around work, family, education and purpose. Given the volatility as well as the fragmented and fast-moving world we face, we need to continue to have such platforms and I am very heartened to hear Prime Minister Lawrence Wong talk about this deeper engagement, deeper engagement with Singaporeans to be able to co-create policies together.

Some may pooh-pooh. Some may actually say, "That is too hard, it takes too long."

But I think that it is worth the effort and we have seen the policies from Forward Singapore, ideas and feedback from Singaporeans coming to life in our policies already today and I encourage every Singaporean, especially our young, but every Singaporean to really make the effort to come forward and be involved. Unity in Singapore has never been about sameness. It is about shared purpose. And that purpose must evolve as we do, grounded in empathy, trust and courage to change together.

Let me touch on the point of the need for a strong economy. If we want growth, we do need to have a strong economy to attract talent and investments. With the current uncertainties and structural shifts that are affecting Singapore, we must support the efforts that Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong has shared about refreshing Singapore's economic blueprint and keeping Singapore's economy strong and resilient by enhancing Singapore's value as a base for leading firms, a key global business hub and a vital connector to the global economy. The strength of our economy lies not in discrete moments of growth, but in sustainable progress. This will then lead to opportunities for businesses and the creation of jobs that are relevant to the new world order. But more importantly, strong sustainable growth will create quality and meaningful jobs for Singaporeans.

Economic growth is not just about numbers. It is about people. It is about giving every Singaporean that chance to thrive, to contribute and to shape the future we share. Technological disruption is accelerating workforce transitions, creating both opportunities and anxieties, affecting opportunities for our young and matured workers.

This brings me to the point on what do we do to ensure that businesses contribute to developing an empowered workforce that is ready to seize the opportunities and create jobs. The Ministry of Manpower's strategic plan to build a future-ready workforce by encouraging a skills-first approach to hiring will help unlock new talent pools, giving individuals a fair shot based on their skills. Supporting companies to create rich career pathways within their organisations, and I repeat this, within the organisation. As they transform, it is important to help retain and stretch our talent, to help them grow and allow them to thrive with these changes.

To drive the transformation of the workforce from within the organisation, I am glad that the Tripartite Workgroup on Human Capital Capability Development will support the uplifting of human resources professions and the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package will seek to ensure that the technology becomes a tool for inclusion and not displacement.

But as we look ahead, we need to take one step back and ask ourselves if we can take a larger view of the whole system and not just specific segments, such as our young graduates, mid-career or matured workers. Is there a better way to achieve our desire of an empowered and future-ready workforce?

How can we bring our learning systems to support our people to be work ready?

I have spoken many times in this House that Singapore must grow and have opportunities to give Singaporeans fulfilling jobs and I believe having meaningful work gives Singaporeans confidence not just to make a living which is very important but also to feel included and to have a sense of purpose, belonging and commitment to the community and to the nation.

We must ensure that every Singaporean, regardless of age or background, or where we start, can aspire to seize these opportunities. That means investing in skills, supporting career transitions, designing workplaces that are inclusive and progressive. It means refreshing our economic blueprint to stay nimble in a complex world – so that growth uplifts and not divides.

So, how can we wholistically rethink our learning systems in an age of rapid change, and disruptions? Our learning system today is front-loaded and segmented. Internships help to mitigate with opportunities for industry exposure. But how can we build an ecosystem that supports and empowers our workforce to be work ready?

I think apprenticeship can prepare our young for work and cultivate lifelong learning. By combining work exposure and integrating it with the learning in schools, it may serve as a means to develop a workforce that is adaptable and inclusive. It offers not just skills, but purpose – through real-world experience, mentorship and meaningful contribution. To unlock its full potential, employers must step up earlier, much earlier in designing pathways with schools, offering industry exposure before graduation and guiding young talent from the start. This early engagement strengthens the bridge between learning and work, aspiration and opportunity.

By embedding structured, hands-on learning within real-world settings, apprenticeships also offer a scalable pathway for mid-career transitions, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and inclusive talent development. Strategically, apprenticeships embed adaptability, deepen knowledge transfer, and foster lifelong learning. They do not just fill jobs. They have the potential to renew industries, empower individuals, and help Singapore stay agile in a fast-changing world.

Mr Speaker, unity and opportunity are two sides of the coin. When we build stronger bonds and access to opportunities, we deepen the sense that this country is worth investing in – not only for ourselves, but for one another; a Singapore that we are proud to call home. Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.

Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to participate in this debate. Fellow Members, thank you for hearing me out. I would try to make this worth your while. I furiously cut out some two paragraphs worth of content but the substantive points remain.

Today, I would like to speak on a hidden social issue in Singapore. It is an issue that many find uncomfortable to speak about but increasingly lurks in the shadows for some: addiction.

Addiction knows no boundaries. It can affect a person of any age, class, background. Addictions destroy relationships, break up families, consume lives and we are battling addictions of different forms. Kpods need no introduction. There are those who are addicted to gadgets and smartphones – gaming, excessive use of social media, doom-scrolling – and others like binge-eating, gambling and alcoholism complete the gamut of addictions afflicting modern life today.

What I would like to focus on today, however, is the serious and emergent threat or trend of sexually compulsive behaviours, one that is often facilitated by technology. I look at this through the lenses of two broad archetypes. First, the invisible, and perhaps more insidious non-offending compulsive behaviour like addiction to pornography. Such addictions silently chip away at an individual’s productivity and positive relations in his or her life. And second, offending behaviours such as voyeurism, upskirt videos, acts which cause significant harm to victims and carry serious legal consequences.

I visited the We Care Community Services recently. We Care is the first non-denominational, outpatient addiction recovery centre in Singapore. They shared with me that the referral of sexually compulsive behavioural cases to them rose sharply in recent years: 198 cases in 2024, compared to 115 in 2020. And in the first eight months this year alone, there have been 142 referrals, and We Care anticipates that the total number of referrals for 2025 will exceed 200 for the very first time.

At the same time, statistics from the Police show that the number of voyeurism cases, which include upskirt offences, increased from 476 cases in 2023 to 519 cases in 2024 last year. The number of “outrage of modesty” cases increased by 21% from 666 in the first half of 2024, to 807 in the same period this year.

The statistics are worrying, to say the least and two questions come to mind. First, are we providing sufficient avenues and options for treatment and early intervention? Second, what preventive measures can we take before such addictions take root in our society?

To be sure, Singapore has in place an ecosystem of support for those battling different addictions. The National Addictions Management Service at IMH, the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association and the National Council on Problem Gambling are familiar go-tos.

There are also ground-up efforts: We Care Community Services which I have earlier referenced and One Hope Centre, which helps addicts recover from gambling, sex and pornography addiction; and there are also private clinics that provide support for addiction treatment.

Yet, challenges remain.

First, it does not help that addiction is traditionally viewed as a moral failing or a lack of willpower on the part of the addict. Due to stigma, addicts would hide their struggles and avoid seeking help, for fear of being judged or for bringing shame to their families. Often, by the time help is sought, the addict is in crisis as the addiction would have by then already spun out of control.

The staggering level of stigma associated with such deeply personal challenges would also mean that it is extremely difficult to size up just how pervasive this issue is in our community. For every addict that comes forward to seek help, just how many remain in the shadows? No one knows. But given prevalent societal norms and attitudes, the hyperconnected lives that we lead and the ease of access to explicit materials online, it would only be fair to assume that what we are seeing in reported statistics is but only the tip of a large and deep iceberg.

There is good scientific evidence that addiction is not as much a personal failing as it is a chronic, progressive and relapse-prone illness that affects an individual both physically and psychologically. In the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, the World Health Organization defines compulsive sexual behaviour disorder as an impulse control disorder. It is an illness for which there should exist a structured medical treatment plan.

We Care runs a Non-Contact Sexual Offending therapy programme, combining individual counselling with group work to support individuals struggling with compulsive sexual behaviours. The programme helps participants understand the causes and consequence of their behaviours, address underlying psychological factors, and develop healthier coping skills to break the cycle and prevent re-offending. Client testimonials and outcomes from this programme show that a structured program is key to helping an addict recover and re-build.

So, can we as a society accept that addictions of this nature is an illness needing proper treatment? And across our healthcare landscape, can an addict receive adequate and affordable treatment from diagnosis to full recovery in a structured manner?

Like other chronic medical conditions, prevention is always better than cure. But any course of action begins with the admission, “Yes, we do have a problem.”

Steps can be taken to arrest the problems before they even start. We Care shared that many clients learnt about sex from online sources including pornography at a young age. Such early experiences shaped undesirable sexual scripts that emphasise availability, instant gratification, objectification. Early exposure to online pornography is also a common risk factor for sexual offending.

The response to this cannot be outright bans, but we can introduce age-appropriate addiction and media literacy programmes in schools and in the community, to inoculate our young ones against such risks.

As an Asian society where conversations on topics such as the birds and the bees are generally still avoided at home, we are at risk of delegating parenting responsibilities to peer groups, or worse, shady Internet sources. Addiction expert Gabor Mate theorised, and I quote, “how a lack of healthy adult guidance and unresolved childhood trauma and frustration can lead youths to seek out peer groups for their moral compass, a poor substitute for natural parental guidance.”

But I will be one of the first to admit. It is not easy. As a dad to a five-year-old boy, I often ask myself, how or where do I even begin? My parents did not quite have those conversations with me when I was younger. But hard as it may be, we must equip parents with the language and the tools to talk about these and other sensitive topics with their children at home.

Our homes must be safe harbours where our young ones feel comfortable enough to talk about anything under the sun. Families must be the default go-to as our young ones take on adulting and life’s many other challenges. Parents must meaningfully engage in our children’s lives, debunk myths purported by wayward sources such as pornography, and be their role models, as our young ones seek out the true north when calibrating their impressionable moral compasses.

Mr Speaker, I seek your indulgence once again as I digress into some personal sharing. Like many Members in this Chamber, I run a tight schedule day-to-day. What little leisure that remains come in the form of post-midnight Netflix binge watching. I recently clicked on a title that appeared on my "recommended" list, Adolescence. The series initiated me to the world of incel, manosphere, red pills. I watched all four riveting episodes in a single sitting. Quickly realised I made a subpar choice for leisure and relaxation. But what an educational and eye-opening tour-de-force Adolescence was in framing and illuminating some gripping challenges that youth of this generation faces.

So, for several sleepless nights after Adolescence, I thought long and hard about how I might broach these issues with my son in a few years to come. I took heart in practical parenting tips I had received some time ago, which I thought offered good lessons. Where and when might I talk about sensitive topics with my little one? That was my question some time ago. The reply was “Consider a long drive!” That way, the setting is relaxed, father and son need not meet eye to eye. And when things get too awkward, turn up the stereo; and a few tracks of K-Pop Demon Hunters should help smooth things over. Sir, in Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Addiction knows no borders. It can affect people of any age, social class and background. Today, I want to focus on “sexually compulsive behaviours” brought about by technology. Whether it is non-criminal behaviour, such as browsing pornographic websites and becoming addicted as a result; or criminal behaviour, such as voyeurism or upskirt filming, the statistics paint a worrying picture.

Addiction is generally viewed as a moral failing or lack of willpower on the part of the addict. Feeling shamed, many addicts try to hide their struggles and avoid seeking help. They fear being judged or bringing disgrace to their families. Usually, by the time they actually seek help, addicts are already deeply trapped and their addiction is beyond control.

Addiction is a chronic, progressive and easily relapsing disease that causes many negative effects on an individual's physical and mental health. Regarding this issue, how should Singapore adopt better preventive measures in our communities?

And how should we help our families mould themselves into a safe haven? We have only one ultimate goal: to let the younger generation feel the warmth and love of home, to let them deeply understand that when they encounter problems like addiction or other sensitive issues in life's marathon, their families will never discriminate against them or judge them.

(In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, let us do better. Let us confront the issue of addiction openly. Let us not shy away from uncomfortable conversations but normalise safe, constructive dialogue, especially with our children. Let us work together to strengthen our support ecosystem so individuals suffering in silence feel safe to emerge from the shadows to seek help. With better understanding and support all round, we can change attitudes and help those who are suffering in the clutches of addiction recover and rebuild. Sir, I support the Motion. [Applause.]