Immigration & foreign manpower

• Labour market resilient, but firms more cautious; hiring intentions fell from 54.6% to 44.6%.
• Government offers career support, calibrates work pass policies, and sees crisis-driven opportunities.
• Workforce planning adapts to overlapping structural disruptions like trade fragmentation and technology shifts.

• MDWs need not disclose rest-day locations; privacy at home is safeguarded.
• Employers must inform MDWs of recording devices in the home.
• No new rules planned; helplines and monitoring continue.

• MP asked if Work Pass holders in customer-facing roles need basic English.
• Government says no mandatory requirement; employers decide based on business needs.

• Public rental flats prioritize Singaporeans with at least one SC or PR family member.
• HDB assesses each application holistically with social workers' input.
• Small number of SCs with non-resident spouses approved in last three years.

• Court ruling bars overtime offset with fixed allowances; MOM will issue warnings or fines.
• Workers can file claims with TADM, stay in Singapore, or use remote mediation/ECT.
• Migrant Workers' Centre provides legal assistance; few complaints reported so far.

• MP asked if the concessionary MDW levy threshold should be lowered for seniors aged 60–66 living alone.
• Minister said threshold stays at 67; those needing daily living assistance qualify under the disability concession.
• No plans to lower age threshold; eligibility remains targeted to genuine caregiving needs.

• SAFVC has about 1,100 in-service volunteers: 52% male, 48% female; 70% are new citizens or PRs.
• Annual applications rose from 600 (2014-2020) to 900 (recent 5 years), reaching 1,300 in 2025.
• Minister gave overall figures instead of the requested yearly gender and residency breakdown.

• Pritam Singh sought annual data on citizenship and PR grants by age and gender.
• Minister Shanmugam provided only average annual numbers for ages 18-45 with gender breakdown.

• FICA not invoked against Malaysian civil society-linked individuals; entry bans used instead.
• Criteria for political interference are fact-dependent, assessed case-by-case.
• Barred individuals may appeal to Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.

• MDW retention rate stable at 64% over five years.
• Early cessations stem from mismatched expectations and communication barriers; support via agencies and training.
• No new regulations planned; MOM will monitor and review if needed.

• Mandatory monthly rest day since 2023 has high compliance; only about 90 of 300,000 employers penalized yearly.
• Most employers give more than one rest day; 99% of workers report satisfaction with emotional support.
• No immediate policy changes planned; MOM will monitor compliance and refine measures where necessary.

• Bill enables co-located Singapore-Malaysia immigration checks at RTS Link stations with reciprocal officer powers.
• Establishes jurisdiction for train-transit crimes and incident management, favoring the train's destination country.
• Members raised accountability and data concerns; Bill passed after ministerial clarifications.

• Study finds higher depression, anxiety rates among migrant domestic workers.
• MOM implements multi-pronged support, including screenings, counseling, and community assistance.
• MOM partners with NGOs to train peer support and amplify help channels.

• Ministry reported 67.3% citizens, 17.4% PRs, 15.3% EP holders in MNC senior roles.
• Senior management concentrated in services, with citizens and PRs forming majority.

• MPs seek transparency, allowing migrant domestic workers (MDWs) to view and contest employer feedback. They question if the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) verifies this data.
• MOM clarifies it does not collect feedback, only facilitates direct contact between employers. This maintains confidentiality for candid references, so workers are not notified.

• Singapore investigates labour trafficking and illegal work practices, conducting surprise checks to protect migrant workers.
• MOM partners with NGOs to raise awareness and allows workers to report violations while seeking alternative employment.

• GIP retention rate is 85% over 10 years; fewer than 25 lost PR status for not meeting criteria; fewer than 20 became citizens.

Dr. Hamid Razak asked if nutritional benchmarks would be set for catered migrant worker meals. The Minister replied that only 13% have catered meals, so no benchmarks are planned, but education on healthier choices and complaint channels are provided.

• Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked for five-year data on licence violations by citizenship.
• Minister K Shanmugam stated 1,300 annual detections, 53% citizens/PRs, rest foreigners.

• From 2020 to 2025, Singapore citizens submitted about 1,900 annual applications for their aged parents' permanent residency, with an average approval rate of 1%.