Digital & technology — Topics

5 Feb 2024

Global Leadership in Artificial Intelligence

Gerald Giam argued that Singapore should adopt a more proactive industrial policy with ambitious "moonshots," such as healthcare AI, and a state-led AI corporation to build local talent, ensure data sovereignty, and secure global leadership.
Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary countered that the government already supports similar outcomes through the National AI Strategy, emphasizing an open, collaborative ecosystem over protectionist measures and cautioning against the high costs and risks of picking specific winners.
Giam proposed stricter local hiring quotas and knowledge transfer conditions for foreign talent, while the government defended a balanced approach that remains open to global talent to complement local upskilling efforts.
The debate highlighted contrasting views on data strategy, with Giam advocating for local data sets and sovereignty, and the government stressing the necessity of cross-border data flows to maintain Singapore's competitiveness and global partnerships.
Both sides agreed on the goal of using AI to benefit Singaporeans and achieve economic growth, but diverged on the methods, with the government favoring broad-based initiatives and the MP calling for targeted, high-risk strategic investments.

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5 Feb 2024

Facilitating Transition to SimplyGo Fare Platform

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) initially planned to phase out the card-based ticketing (CBT) system for adult commuters by June 2024 to transition fully to the SimplyGo account-based ticketing (ABT) system, which supports bank cards and mobile wallets but does not display fare deductions or card balances at gates due to latency issues.
After strong public feedback, LTA reversed its decision and will maintain the CBT system for adult commuters until at least 2030 at an estimated cost of $40 million, funded by the government and not affecting fares, to provide commuters with a choice between systems.
LTA will work to improve SimplyGo's features and explore technical solutions to display fares and balances at gates without delays, while also integrating the two CBT systems over time and consulting more widely, especially with seniors and less tech-savvy commuters, to avoid similar issues in the future.

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10 Jan 2024

Clarification by Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information

Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How corrected his earlier statement to clarify that 26,000 households with school-going children were supported with digital device access from 2020 to 2023.
The correction specified the timeframe, replacing a vague reference to "the last three years" with the exact period.
The support was provided through schemes like NEU PC Plus to ensure inclusive access to digital devices.
The clarification was made via a written statement circulated with the Speaker's leave, following parliamentary procedure.
This adjustment was part of a broader motion on building an inclusive and safe digital society.

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10 Jan 2024

Statistics on Take-up Rate of "Money Lock" Feature in Local Banks and Protective Measures Against Digital Banking Scams

Saktiandi Supaat inquired about the availability of data on the take-up rate of the "Money Lock" feature and MAS's efforts to enhance protection against digital banking scams, particularly for foreign transactions.
Lawrence Wong responded that the "Money Lock" feature has been activated on about 38,000 accounts, safeguarding over $3.2 billion, and MAS is working with more banks to introduce it.
MAS collaborates with financial institutions and agencies to counter scams, such as enhancing banking apps to block access when side-loaded apps are detected, reducing malware-enabled scams.
MAS plans to continue assessing and rolling out additional measures for high-risk transactions, including those involving overseas transfers and access.

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10 Jan 2024

Use of Non-textual Training Data for Singapore's Common Languages in National Multimodal Large Language Model Programme

Dennis Tan inquired whether the National Multimodal Large Language Model Programme would use non-textual training data for Singapore’s common languages like Singlish, Malay, Tamil, and Chinese dialects to improve voice recognition and accessibility.
Mrs Josephine Teo responded that the SEA-LION model is already trained on datasets including Singlish, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil, with plans to incorporate speech data containing tone and pitch to enhance it.
The programme will first evaluate performance using non-textual data in standard and colloquial English before expanding to other languages, while monitoring technological developments and adapting plans accordingly.

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10 Jan 2024

Criminal Cases Involving Use of Instant Messaging Services by Companies Not Registered in Singapore

Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Home Affairs about the number of criminal cases in the past three years involving instant messaging services by unregistered overseas companies, their cooperation with Singapore authorities, and any uncooperative companies.
The Minister responded that from January 2021 to November 2023, SPF reported about 24,000 scam cases and CNB investigated about 600 drug offenders using instant messaging services, primarily WhatsApp, Telegram, and WeChat.
WhatsApp and WeChat were generally cooperative with investigations, while Telegram was less so, and the government continues to engage these platforms to address crimes in Singapore.

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10 Jan 2024

Extension of Government Cybersecurity Agencies' Advisory Support to Non-government Entities

Dr. Tan Wu Meng asked if the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) provides cybersecurity support and advice to non-government entities like banks, NETS, public healthcare, utilities, and telcos, including for attacks such as DDoS, and what the nature of such support would be.
Mrs. Josephine Teo responded that cybersecurity resilience is essential, and under the Cybersecurity Act, critical information infrastructure (CII) entities—both government and non-government—are regulated uniformly, with CSA offering design and advisory support.
Sector regulators for industries like finance, water, and healthcare may impose additional cybersecurity requirements, and all organizations are encouraged to use available resources to strengthen cyber defenses and preparedness.

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10 Jan 2024

Gaining Support for Stronger Frameworks to Ensure Ethical Use of AI Technology

Mr Yip Hon Weng inquired about gaining public trust for the National AI Strategy 2.0 and whether strengthening ethical regulations should precede implementation.
The government emphasized a practical, risk-based approach, citing the Model AI Governance Framework and AI Verify toolkit to ensure ethical AI deployment.
Copyright concerns from generative AI are being studied, with the Ministry of Law and Intellectual Property Office engaging stakeholders to develop responses.
Regulations and frameworks are continuously reviewed to keep pace with AI advancements, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.

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10 Jan 2024

Change in Singapore Polytechnic's Course Management System in October 2023 and Resultant Impact on Students

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim raised concerns about a potential technical outage in Singapore Polytechnic's course management system at the start of the October 2023 semester, asking about affected students and how any loss of learning was addressed.
The Minister for Education, Chan Chun Sing, responded that there was no technical outage to date and that polytechnics had transitioned to a new system called the Skills Training and Enhancement Portal with advance notice and smooth onboarding for most.
The Minister noted that students and sponsoring companies were informed in advance and that support is available for anyone needing further assistance with the new system.

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10 Jan 2024

Building an Inclusive and Safe Digital Society

Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How outlined the government's efforts to promote digital inclusion, such as providing subsidies for devices and broadband, training for seniors and hawkers, and launching the Digital Skills for Life framework to equip Singaporeans with essential digital competencies.
Minister Josephine Teo emphasized the importance of digital trust and safety, detailing laws like the Personal Data Protection Act and the Online Criminal Harms Act, as well as new measures including a Safe App Standard and a Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety to combat scams and online harms.
Members of Parliament from both sides of the House supported the motion, highlighting concerns about online harms, especially towards women and children, and called for more nuanced regulations, victim-centric education, and better support systems for victims.
The debate concluded with a reaffirmation of the commitment to a whole-of-nation approach to build an inclusive and safe digital society, with a focus on balancing innovation with protection against evolving digital risks.

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10 Jan 2024

Building an Inclusive and Safe Digital Society

The debate highlighted the urgent need for a whole-of-nation approach to build an inclusive and safe digital society, with speakers emphasizing the erosion of public trust due to rising online scams, cyber threats, and digital harms.
Key concerns included the vulnerability of seniors and other groups to financial losses from scams, the need for stronger consumer protection, and demands for banks, telcos, and tech platforms to bear more responsibility for preventing fraud and securing digital services.
Speakers called for enhanced digital literacy, accessibility for all demographics, and the adoption of advanced security measures like multi-factor authentication, while urging government agencies to coordinate more effectively and accelerate the implementation of relevant laws.

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10 Jan 2024

Enhancing Cybersecurity Awareness Given Recent Increase in Phishing Scams

The Minister of State outlined current measures to combat WhatsApp phishing scams, including collaboration with Meta and Google to block phishing URLs and recover compromised accounts, alongside public awareness campaigns like the National Cybersecurity Campaign and advisories promoting the "Add, Check, Tell" steps.
Dr Wan Rizal questioned the effectiveness of these measures in reducing future compromised accounts and asked for measurable outcomes from the collaboration with Google on detecting and blocking phishing sites.
The Minister of State responded that platforms like Meta have been slow to respond, and the government plans to engage them more closely to improve response times, while technical work with Google is ongoing to enhance search engine safeguards, with the Online Criminal Harms Act set to provide stronger legal levers from Q1 2024.

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9 Jan 2024

Complaints of Unsolicited Marketing Communications Received and Effectiveness of Spam Control Act

Mr Melvin Yong inquired about the number of complaints related to unsolicited marketing communications over the past five years, the success rate in enforcing the Spam Control Act (SCA), and whether the Act needs review.
Mrs Josephine Teo explained that the regulatory framework includes the Do Not Call (DNC) provisions under the PDPA for voice, text, and fax messages, which have seen a significant reduction in complaints, and the SCA for unsolicited emails, which operates on a civil-based enforcement model.
The SCA does not have a specific enforcement authority, and the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) does not track individual cases under the SCA, as aggrieved parties are responsible for taking direct legal action against senders.

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9 Jan 2024

Breaches of Singpass in Last Five Years and Steps to Enhance Its Security

Mrs Josephine Teo confirmed no Singpass cybersecurity breaches were detected in the past five years, with GovTech using continuous security testing and crowdsourced vulnerability programmes like the Vulnerability Reward Programme and Government Bug Bounty Programme.
To address human vulnerabilities, Singpass has enhanced protections for high-risk transactions, moving beyond two-factor authentication to include additional factors like facial verification to combat phishing and social engineering.
The government emphasizes a collective approach, urging banks and telcos to strengthen their defences while encouraging users to educate themselves on scam tactics to maintain a secure cyberspace.

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9 Jan 2024

Workers Facing Highest Risk of Displacement from Artificial Intelligence and Reskilling Programmes Available

The Ministry has not provided a detailed assessment of specific worker categories at highest risk of AI displacement or projected numbers, citing the unpredictable nature of AI development.
The government emphasizes a proactive approach to help workers adapt through initiatives like Jobs Transformation Maps, SkillsFuture courses, and Workforce Singapore's job redesign programmes.
Additional reskilling support is available via IMDA's TechSkills Accelerator for those transitioning to AI tech roles, with continued collaboration with tripartite partners to safeguard employment.

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9 Jan 2024

National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2.0 vs Energy and Environmental Sustainability

The Government is committed to growing Singapore’s data centre and AI compute sector in line with climate goals, focusing on improving energy efficiency and adopting sustainable cooling solutions like liquid cooling.
Initiatives include supporting data centre operators to cut greenhouse gas emissions, developing sustainability standards such as IMDA’s Tropical DC Standards, and updating the Green Mark certification for data centres.
The Government will also invest in green computing methods, including coding and algorithm optimisation, software-hardware optimisation, and developing standards for low-energy AI models.

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9 Jan 2024

Proportion of Students Who Have Undergone Code for Fun Enrichment Programme

The Code for Fun (CFF) programme has been mandatory for all upper primary school students since 2020, while at the secondary level it is optional but offered by almost two-thirds of schools in 2023, reaching over 50,000 students annually.
The Ministry of Education ensures students who do not take CFF can still attain foundational digital skills through the formal curriculum, STEM co-curricular activities, and other enrichment programmes.
The programme is regularly reviewed and will be refreshed in 2025 to include new content on artificial intelligence and data literacy to help develop an AI-ready workforce.

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9 Jan 2024

Resiliency of Key Telecommunication Networks and Services against Massive Outages

Singapore’s key telecommunication networks and services are designed for resilience with high availability, meeting international standards such as 99% nationwide outdoor mobile coverage and 99.9% network availability for fibre broadband, with providers consistently meeting these requirements.
Providers are required to conduct regular audits and adhere to best practices from global bodies like the International Telecommunication Union and International Organization for Standardization, achieving high compliance for both fixed and mobile networks.
Resiliency is achieved through failover capabilities, diverse network infrastructure, and a variety of service providers, while regulations require quick restoration, rectification measures, and financial penalties for disruptions, though users are also encouraged to plan for contingencies.

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9 Jan 2024

Extension of Retirement Date of 3G Network Pending Upgrading of Town Infrastructure to 4G- or 5G-Compatible Devices

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked if the Government has assessed the impact of the 3G network retirement on town infrastructure, such as lift management devices, and whether an extension could be considered if Town Councils are slow to upgrade to 4G or 5G-compatible devices.
Desmond Lee stated that HDB is replacing all 3G-based Lift Monitoring Devices (LMDs) with 4G-compatible ones by end-2025 through the LMD Enhancement Programme, and that 3G LMDs will remain supported until replaced.
The Government is coordinating with relevant agencies and network operators to ensure a smooth transition, with HDB engaging Town Councils on the scheduling of upgrades.

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9 Jan 2024

Number of and Assistance for Non-native English Speakers Filing Court Applications via Integrated Family Application Management System

The percentage of non-native English speakers using the iFAMS system for court applications from 2020 to 2022 was provided, with 2023 data unavailable.
Assistance for non-native English speakers is available at multiple locations including Family Justice Courts registries and community centres.
The Judiciary regularly reviews and improves support for self-represented persons facing difficulties with the iFAMS system.

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