Digital & technology — Topics

10 Apr 2023

Ministry of Communications and Information

The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) plans to develop strategic digital infrastructure through a new Digital Connectivity Blueprint and invest in research like quantum and AI, while supporting SMEs with digital transformation, cybersecurity, and international Digital Economy Agreements.
MCI aims to boost digital skills for workers and students, including upskilling in areas like 5G and AI, through partnerships with ministries and industry to ensure access to tech opportunities across the economy.
MCI will strengthen trust by protecting users from harmful content, enhancing cybersecurity, promoting digital literacy, and providing accurate information to combat scams and misinformation.
The ministry will enhance digital inclusion for all Singaporeans, especially the elderly and vulnerable groups, through subsidized devices, tailored training, outreach programs, and public-private partnerships.
MCI supports local content creation to reflect Singapore's values, including subtitling and sign language in media, to foster social cohesion and national identity in a digital future.

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10 Apr 2023

Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health will strengthen pandemic preparedness by establishing a Communicable Diseases Agency, a permanent Crisis Strategy and Operations Group, and a healthcare reserve force, while advancing research and vaccine strategies through programmes like PREPARE.
Major investments will expand healthcare infrastructure, including new hospitals, polyclinics, and nursing homes, to add 1,900 public hospital beds and increase nursing home capacity to over 31,000 by 2030, alongside upgrading IT systems and growing the healthcare workforce by 40%.
A key focus is preventive care through initiatives like Healthier SG, which will enrol residents from July 2023, integrate health education in schools, and update regulations to make healthcare services and financing more premise-neutral.
For seniors, the default will be ageing in the community, supported by senior-friendly housing, expanded Active Ageing Centres, and strengthened palliative care, including enhanced financial support and care transitions.
MOH will embrace medical advances like precision medicine and AI while developing policies, legislation, and ethical frameworks to ensure their safe, evidence-based, and affordable integration into Singapore's healthcare system.

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22 Mar 2023

Expenditure on and Utilisation of National Electronic Health Record System

The total expenditure on the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system since its establishment in 2011 is around $660 million.
As of end-2022, over 90% of licensed private hospitals and nursing homes have view-access to NEHR, with nearly half contributing data; over 30% of licensed private ambulatory care providers have view-access, with 12% contributing data.
The Early Contribution Incentive Scheme in 2022 supported data contribution efforts, with four out of twelve applying laboratories receiving the grant and over 900 applications after its extension to GPs, hospitals, and laboratories.

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22 Mar 2023

Research and Pilot Trials to Promote and Expand Use of Productivity-enhancing Technologies by Care Providers

The Ministry of Health supports initiatives like the $90 million Population Health Research Grant and the $18 million Community Care Digital Transformation Plan to pilot and expand productivity-enhancing technologies for care providers.
Over $70 million has been awarded through the National Innovation Challenge on Active and Confident Ageing to fund research projects that integrate technologies such as smart sensors and AI to improve caregiving and staff productivity.
The government acknowledges the need to allocate more resources to develop better technologies to assist caregivers, emphasizing cross-cutting benefits across acute, community, and digital care sectors.

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21 Mar 2023

Abuse of Government-linked Online Reservation Systems

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim raised concerns about the abuse of Government-linked online reservation systems, including the resale of slots, and inquired whether the Government tracks such incidents and the frequency of these abuses.
He also asked if the Ministry has evaluated the effectiveness of existing safeguards, such as anti-bot solutions, login limits, and account suspensions, to prevent automated tools from monopolising available slots.
Mrs Josephine Teo, responding for the Prime Minister, acknowledged the issue of bots and resale activities undermining fairness, and outlined measures taken by SportSG, including on-site enforcement, pattern checks, and account suspensions, which have led to over 600 cancelled bookings and about 200 suspended accounts since 2021.
The Government has implemented technical measures like CAPTCHA, login delays, and bot-detecting firewalls, but must balance security with user experience, considering the impact on persons with disabilities and those with intermittent internet access.

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21 Mar 2023

MUIS' Use of Digital Social Media and Asatizah Recognition Scheme to Combat Trend of Online Radicalisation

MUIS uses SalamSG TV and MuslimSG to promote mainstream, contextualised Islam and counter online radicalisation, with substantial youth engagement evidenced by Facebook audience demographics.
The Asatizah Youth Network (AYN), supported by MUIS through funding and training, provides religious guidance and has members on the ground-up mysafespace.sg chat portal, though MUIS does not directly endorse it.
The Minister emphasised the role of parents in instilling values and cautioned against delegating this duty to platforms, while MUIS commits to professionalising the asatizah sector and supporting innovative outreach.

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21 Mar 2023

Reports of Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act Offences Related to COVID-19

Between 2020 and 2022, the POFMA Office received over 280 COVID-19-related feedback and enquiries, leading to four POFMA cases with seven directions issued.
The government assessed POFMA’s effectiveness as part of a broader strategy, noting that feedback highlighted public understanding gaps even when no POFMA action was taken.
Beyond POFMA, the government used public communication and education efforts, such as the Gov.sg WhatsApp channel, which reached 1.2 million subscribers, to combat misinformation.
Surveys from 2021 and 2022 indicated high public trust and satisfaction with the government’s COVID-19 information, contributing to successful vaccination and containment measures.

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20 Mar 2023

Adoption of Technologies and Innovations to Care for Older People

Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Health about Singapore's comparative adoption of technologies for elder care with other Asian developed countries and areas for improvement.
Ong Ye Kung responded that while the ministry monitors global best practices, it does not formally compare Singapore’s performance due to differing national circumstances.
Singapore has implemented various projects, including web-based health management systems, fall detection sensors, telehealth for remote monitoring, and trials with companion robots from countries like Japan.
The ministry encourages service providers to adopt technology for elder care, focusing on safe home environments, mental well-being, and social engagement for seniors.

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20 Mar 2023

Attracting Talents Affected by Recent Workforce Lay-offs and Hiring Freezes into Civil Service

The Civil Service is actively recruiting tech talent through targeted programmes like the Smart Nation Scholarship, internships for students, and Smart Nation Fellowships for experienced specialists.
Agencies conduct their own and joint recruitment exercises, welcoming applicants from all backgrounds, including those affected by layoffs, as long as they meet job requirements and are keen to serve the public.
The “Tech for Public Good” initiative was launched to accelerate tech hiring, featuring a microsite to advertise openings, with over 100 positions filled and 15 career talks attracting more than 800 attendees.

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20 Mar 2023

Reporting Potential Unsafe Workplace Practices through OneService Mobile Application

Melvin Yong asked if the Ministry of Manpower will simplify public reporting of unsafe workplace practices through the OneService mobile app.
The Minister stated that reporting options already exist, such as the MOM hotline, WSH e-feedback portal, and LifeSG app.
MOM is exploring additional convenient reporting methods, including the OneService app suggestion.
Feedback from other government apps will be routed to MOM under the "No Wrong Door" policy.

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20 Mar 2023

Prevalence of Potholes on Public Roads

In response to Mr Melvin Yong's questions, Minister S Iswaran noted that more potholes were observed in 2021 and early 2023 due to heavy rainfall, with fewer occurring when rainfall was lower, such as in early 2022.
The Land Transport Authority monitors over 9,000 lane-kilometres of roads, analyses data to prioritise resurfacing on roads prone to potholes, and is using AI and video analytics to aid maintenance.
During heavy rainfall, LTA dedicates more resources to inspections and repairs, and undertakes preventive measures like sealing minor cracks and regularly resurfacing roads.
LTA is also studying high-performance asphalt mixes and encourages motorists to report defects via the LTA website, MyTransport.SG, or OneService apps.

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20 Mar 2023

Local Workforce's Ability to Meet Current Demand for Artificial Intelligence Skills

The government is actively growing AI talent through initiatives like the TechSkills Accelerator, which has placed and trained over 2,600 individuals in AI roles since 2016, with successful outcomes such as high job offer rates and salary increases for participants.
Efforts are being made to expand top-quality local AI research talent, including new partnerships like the AI Investigatorship and the existing PhD Fellowship Programme to support advanced research and mentorship.
Outreach programs aim to increase AI literacy across society, with over 100,000 attendees in initiatives like "AI for Everyone" to broaden awareness and adoption.
The government acknowledges that demand for AI skills may continue to outpace supply and commits to scaling up collaborations to empower more citizens in this growing field.

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20 Mar 2023

Outcome of Consultation to Reduce Risks to Consumer While Supporting Development of Cryptocurrency Trading

Mr Desmond Choo asked the Prime Minister about the outcome and salient insights from the consultation on reducing consumer risks from cryptocurrency trading and supporting stablecoin development.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) received substantial feedback from a wide range of respondents after the consultation closed on 21 December 2022.
MAS is currently reviewing the feedback and intends to publish its response to the consultation by mid-2023.

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6 Mar 2023

Lessons on Dangers of Online Scams and Plans to Expand Financial Literacy Programmes in Schools

Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Ministry of Education about lessons on online scam dangers and whether financial literacy programmes will be expanded to cover banking services and safe online banking habits.
Chan Chun Sing explained that schools already teach scam awareness through Character and Citizenship Education, Food and Consumer Education, and Social Studies, focusing on evaluating online information, recognising scams, and understanding cybersecurity risks.
The Ministry also uses the Singapore Student Learning Space for self-paced financial literacy lessons and collaborates with agencies to promote anti-scam messages in schools and higher learning institutions.
The response emphasised that while school programmes are in place, public education for adults remains necessary as scams evolve.

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6 Mar 2023

Plans to Curtail Cross-border Scams Given Ease of Money Transfers through Real-time Payments

The Government plans to balance the benefits of faster, cheaper cross-border payments with stricter anti-scam controls, such as lowering transaction notification thresholds and daily transfer limits for real-time transfers.
Internationally, Singapore collaborates with counterparts like the Asset-Recovery Interagency Network-Asia Pacific and INTERPOL to exchange information, conduct joint operations, and disrupt cross-border scam syndicates.
MAS and the Singapore Police Force will continue working with the financial industry to monitor scam trends and enhance anti-scam measures as needed.

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6 Mar 2023

Trend of Youths Radicalising via Gaming, Chat and Social Media Platforms

Youths in Singapore are increasingly radicalised via gaming, chat, and social media platforms, with 11 self-radicalised youths aged 15–20 detained or placed under restriction orders since 2015, up from only one in the previous period.
The government has strengthened counter-radicalisation measures, including blocking extremist websites, empowering authorities to disable terrorist content on social media, and preparing new legislation to combat online criminal harms and incitement.
Community and family engagement is central to prevention, with agencies like the Religious Rehabilitation Group and the Ministry of Education conducting outreach, counselling, and awareness sessions to build resilience among youths and their families.
Early reporting by family, friends, or the public is encouraged through hotlines and apps to enable timely intervention, which may involve counselling rather than detention for those in early stages of radicalisation.
Authorities acknowledge it is impossible to block all extremist content online due to the vastness of the internet, so they focus on raising public awareness and operational capabilities to counter evolving threats.

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3 Mar 2023

Preventing Extremist Ideologies and Radicalisation from Propagating in Online Gaming Platforms

The Minister for Communications and Information outlined Singapore's zero-tolerance approach against extremist ideologies, noting the Online Safety Act empowers the Infocomm Media Development Authority to disable access to terror-related content, with plans to extend these levers to online gaming platforms like Roblox.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is introducing legislation to combat online criminal harms, which will cover content inciting terror activities across all online communication mediums, including games accessible via app stores.
A whole-of-society strategy involves community outreach through movements like SGSecure and organizations such as the Religious Rehabilitation Group to raise awareness and build resilience against radicalization, emphasizing that government regulations must be supported by community and family efforts.

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3 Mar 2023

Training for Service Staff at Telecommunications Companies to Spot Possible Scams Targeted at Customers from Vulnerable Groups

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim raised a case where an intellectually disabled adult was scammed into signing multiple telco contracts, prompting a question on safeguards for vulnerable groups.
The Senior Minister of State outlined existing IMDA regulations requiring telco staff to verify identities and explain contracts, alongside public education programmes like Seniors Go Digital.
The Minister agreed to work with telcos to review and potentially enhance frontline staff training to identify red flags and prevent scams targeting vulnerable individuals.

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2 Mar 2023

Cause of Breakdown of State Courts' Online Case Management System

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Law about the cause of the hardware failure that disrupted the State Courts' online case management system for over two days and the steps to prevent recurrence.
The disruption in February 2023 was caused by a hardware failure at the centralized hosting centre for ICMS servers, leading to database errors, but the database was fully recovered with no data loss.
The State Courts are investigating the incident and will address root causes upon completion, while also pursuing improvements to minimize future disruption risks.

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28 Feb 2023

Eligible Secondary School Students Using Edusave to Purchase Personal Learning Devices

Leon Perera asked about the percentage of eligible secondary school students who have used Edusave to purchase personal learning devices since the National Digital Literacy Programme began.
Chan Chun Sing responded that approximately 95% of Singapore Citizen students in secondary schools have used their Edusave accounts for this purpose under the programme.
The high uptake rate indicates strong participation in the digital literacy initiative among eligible students.
The debate focused on tracking the programme's impact through student usage of Edusave funds for learning devices.
This information reflects the government's efforts to support digital learning accessibility in schools.

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