Digital & technology

• Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim proposed that the Censorship Review Committee consider online streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ to provide age-appropriate alternative versions of content and endorse such platforms.
• Mrs Josephine Teo responded that IMDA already co-regulates these platforms under a Content Code requiring age ratings, prominent display, and parental locks, with commercial content selection expected to meet these standards.
• She added that there are no plans to convene a Censorship Review Committee, as the government uses flexible advisory committees to adapt to media and societal changes.

• The government confirmed that Singtel's 8 October 2024 outage intermittently affected emergency hotlines like 995 and 999, with an estimated half of calls still connecting and full service restored within four hours.
• The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is investigating the outage, which preliminary findings attribute to a technical failover issue between two network systems, with no evidence of sabotage or cyberattack.
• IMDA and relevant ministries are conducting a comprehensive after-action review to ensure emergency hotline availability during disruptions and will take strong regulatory action, including financial penalties, if lapses are found.

• Female students made up about 25% of enrolments in AI and machine learning programmes across Singapore’s universities and polytechnics over the past five years, with over 90% graduation rates for both female and male students.
• Initiatives like NTU’s POWERS programme and polytechnics’ collaboration with SG Women in Tech are being used to raise awareness and interest among female students in AI-related courses.
• The Ministry of Education is continuing efforts to support female participation through career talks, workshops, hackathons, and mentorship opportunities in STEM fields.

• Dr Wan Rizal asked the Ministry of Education about available resources, guidelines, and training for parents and teachers to manage students' use of Personal Learning Devices (PLDs), and whether additional measures are planned to foster balanced digital habits.
• He also inquired if research has been conducted on the impact of PLD usage on students' attention spans and academic performance, and whether the Ministry plans to refine device use based on findings.
• Minister Chan Chun Sing responded that MOE has provided schools with guidance, teacher training, enhanced cyber wellness lessons, and resources for digital literacy, and has installed Device Management Applications (DMA) on all PLDs.
• MOE commissioned a two-year study by the National Institute of Education, with interim findings showing students benefit from PLDs for learning and collaboration while demonstrating good cyber wellness awareness; MOE is collaborating with other ministries to support parents and will continue refining policies based on study results.

• Mr Desmond Choo asked about how social media accelerates youth radicalisation, AI's future role, and government plans to address these impacts.
• Minister K Shanmugam explained that social media and algorithms speed up radicalisation by providing easy access to extremist content and creating echo chambers, with 14 youths radicalised since 2015.
• AI is expected to worsen radicalisation by enabling automated propaganda translation, personalised recruitment, and deepfakes that incite violence.
• The government uses legislation like the Broadcasting Act and Online Criminal Harms Act to block harmful content, but cannot remove all such material.
• Agencies like ISD collaborate with the Ministry of Education on outreach, media literacy training, and early detection to counter radicalisation in schools.

• The 995 and 999 hotlines are served by multiple Singtel exchanges but lack hot-swappable backup to other telcos, as confirmed by the Minister for Home Affairs.
• During the Singtel disruption, emergency hotlines remained partially operational, and the public was directed to use SMS and the SGSecure app as alternatives.
• Authorities are conducting a comprehensive review with IMDA to assess enhanced resiliency measures, including possible multi-telco diversity for emergency hotlines.

• Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Home Affairs about the number of stateless persons with Special Passes in Singapore and whether the government would consider allowing them access to Singpass accounts.
• As of 31 December 2023, there were 853 stateless persons living in Singapore, with 204 of them holding Special Passes.
• The government is currently reviewing whether stateless persons on Special Passes may be granted Singpass accounts.

• The Ministry of Education has implemented policies and tools, including the Device Management Application (DMA), to ensure Personal Learning Devices (PLDs) support learning while blocking non-educational content during school hours.
• Cases where students attempt to bypass restrictions are investigated by schools, with appropriate consequences applied if misconduct is established.
• The Ministry is conducting a two-year study on PLD impact and collaborating with other agencies on parental initiatives to promote responsible device use, with plans to refine policies based on findings and feedback.

• The Land Transport Authority will use existing road-facing cameras on buses to detect vehicles encroaching on bus lanes, illegal parking, and road defects for operational efficiency and safety, not for general surveillance.
• The LTA has no plans to use video footage to identify faces and link them to the NRIC database, and any government agency access to data must follow prevailing laws and security guidelines.
• Existing cameras on public buses are intended to support passenger safety and incident investigations, with data usage subject to safeguards to protect individual privacy.

• Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information about support mechanisms for young users and their families to mitigate mental health impacts from interacting with AI platforms that simulate human interactions.
• Mrs Josephine Teo stated that research on AI's mental health impact is still nascent, and the government equips Singaporeans to use technology safely and healthily through school curricula, digital literacy education, and parental resources via the Digital for Life portal.
• Additional support includes initiatives like the National Library Board’s S.U.R.E. program and community services such as TOUCH Community Services and Youth Integrated Teams, which provide counselling and mental health support for youths affected by digital and AI interactions.

• The Singtel landline outage lasted about three hours and did not disrupt direct patient care services in public healthcare institutions.
• Approximately 2,300 calls to public healthcare contact centres were unable to be completed during the outage, affecting appointment-related requests.
• Patients were able to use alternate digital channels such as HealthHub, cluster apps, live chats, and online contact centres to access services during the disruption.

• The government has implemented various reskilling programmes for mid-career workers, including the Career Conversion Programmes, Mid-Career Pathways Programme, and SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme, which have supported thousands of individuals with positive employment and salary outcomes.
• Enhancements have been made to these programmes, such as expanding eligibility and increasing salary support, and new initiatives like the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme will provide temporary financial aid to displaced workers.
• To address AI and automation impacts, the government launched Jobs Transformation Maps to guide workers on emerging opportunities, with plans to introduce new maps including one on generative AI in finance, while encouraging workers and employers to actively participate in reskilling and job redesign.

• The Minister reported that passport-less clearance at Changi Airport has been fully operational since 30 September 2024, with close to 1.5 million travellers using it by 15 October, leading to a 60% reduction in average clearance time from 25 to 10 seconds and improved convenience for travellers and productivity for staff.
• Refinements are ongoing, including collaboration with airlines to ensure timely submission of passenger and crew information to avoid delays in the clearance process, as well as continued monitoring and stakeholder engagement to enhance the system.
• The Minister confirmed that no security issues have been identified, with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority using iris and facial biometrics for authentication and maintaining checks comparable to automated passport-based clearance.

• The bill aims to amend several Acts to establish an authoritative electronic Gazette and electronic versions of revised legislation.
• It seeks to abolish the use of the printed Gazette for official appointments and related administrative purposes.
• The Minister of State for Digital Development and Information presented the bill for its first reading in Parliament.
• The bill is scheduled for a second reading in the next parliamentary sitting and will be printed thereafter.

• The 8 October 2024 Singtel outage was caused by a technical failure in a network component that prevented a seamless failover between two redundant systems, disrupting essential services like emergency hotlines, though no evidence pointed to sabotage or cyber-attack.
• Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary confirmed that IMDA holds telcos to high reliability standards, investigates such incidents, and may impose financial penalties for lapses, while emergency services like SCDF and SPF redirected public communication via SMS and apps during the outage.
• The government is conducting a comprehensive review with IMDA to enhance resilience, including exploring telco diversity for emergency lines, while continuing public education on alternative contact methods to maintain trust and preparedness for future disruptions.

• The Ministry of Health requires telemedicine providers to be licensed under the Healthcare Services Act and adhere to professional standards set by the Singapore Medical Council, with periodic audits and investigation of complaints to ensure quality.
• Following a case where a clinic was found to be issuing unjustified medical certificates, the Ministry took prompt enforcement action, revoking the clinic's licence and referring doctors for disciplinary action, demonstrating that existing regulatory frameworks are effective.
• The Ministry affirmed that standards and audits are in place, patient feedback channels exist, and it will consider measures like mystery shopping if needed, but sees no need to revise current guidelines specifically for telemedicine as existing rules already cover such services.
• While the Ministry continues to promote telehealth services, especially for seniors and those with mobility issues, it balances innovation with vigilance, enforcing standards to prevent abuse and maintain public trust.

Dr. Wan Rizal asked about measures to combat cyberbullying among youths and the Ministry's collaboration with digital platforms for online safety. Mrs. Josephine Teo emphasized the government's commitment to addressing online harms, including cyberbullying, through regulations such as the Online Safety Code, which mandates designated social media services to enhance safety measures for children. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) monitors compliance of these platforms and requires them to report on their efforts to combat harmful content. Victims of cyberbullying can seek protection orders under the Protection from Harassment Act, and the government plans to introduce new legislation for stronger support for victims.

Gan Thiam Poh raised concerns about Singaporeans needing to provide personal information, including passport, NRIC, and bank details, to overseas entities for applications related to Malaysia's Vehicle Entry Permit and Touch 'n Go e-Wallet account. Chee Hong Tat clarified that the Malaysia Vehicle Entry Permit is governed by the Malaysian Road Transport Department, indicating it is outside the Singapore government's jurisdiction.

Gan Thiam Poh raised concerns about the monitoring of wrongly credited payments via PayNow to previous mobile subscribers. In response, Gan Kim Yong indicated that the Monetary Authority of Singapore does not track such cases but provides guidance for financial institutions regarding erroneous transfers. Banks are not notified of changes to linked mobile numbers unless communicated by users, but they do have procedures for handling "recycled" numbers. New users are advised not to use recycled numbers for transactions until the delinking process is complete, and customers are encouraged to update their banks when changing numbers. MAS will monitor the situation for potential process enhancements.

Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Health about the upcoming Positive Use Guide on Technology and Social Media, specifically regarding its effectiveness in addressing youth mental health and plans to support young adults post-school. Ong Ye Kung stated that the Guide will be introduced in early 2025 to help individuals recognize the potential harms of technology and social media. He noted that the effectiveness of such preventive measures will take time to reflect in disease prevalence data. Outreach efforts will be required to engage various age groups, including those not in school.