Religion, race & rights

• Carrie Tan asked the Minister for National Development to consider mandating or incentivizing senior-friendly toilet features in privately-owned coffee shops.
• The Minister noted that Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has long had codes requiring accessible toilets, updated in 2019.
• The current code mandates new buildings and major renovations to include accessible washrooms with senior-friendly features like grab bars.
• Selected building types frequented by seniors must also have ambulant-disabled-friendly toilet compartments.
• The government relies on existing regulations rather than new mandates specifically for coffee shops.

• The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth works with cultural institutions to offer ticket concessions for persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users, with take-up increasing by 33% from 2022 to 2023.
• Arts groups like the Singapore Symphony Orchestra also provide discounted tickets for persons with disabilities, and events feature inclusive programming such as audio description, captioning, and sign language interpretation.
• Initiatives like relaxed performances at Esplanade and inclusive programming with community partners such as SG Enable enhance accessibility for persons with sensory needs or disabilities.
• The National Arts Council and National Heritage Board conduct capability development efforts, including forums and months focused on accessibility, to share best practices across the arts and heritage sector.
• The National Arts Council supports arts education in Special Education schools through schemes and grants to expand access to quality arts experiences for persons with disabilities upstream.

• Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim sought clarification on the specific reasons for the cessation of gender confirmation surgery in public hospitals in 2014 and whether the Ministry plans to reinstate it with subsidies.
• Ong Ye Kung stated that gender reassignment surgery has been offered by public hospitals for medically necessary cases but was never part of any subsidy scheme.
• The debate highlights a focus on the historical provision and subsidy status of the surgery in public healthcare settings.

• Usha Chandradas questioned if the Science Centre would hold a replacement event on gender and sex after the cancelled talk on 14 June 2024.
• She suggested the replacement could feature a different or expanded panel of speakers to address the same issues.
• Chan Chun Sing responded that Science Centre Singapore does not plan to organize a replacement event on this topic.
• He confirmed that the Centre has already lined up future Science Café sessions on other STEM topics instead.

• Banks have introduced talking ATMs with audio guidance and Braille, trained staff to assist visually impaired customers, and enhanced digital banking apps for better compatibility with voice command software.
• From 2021 to 2023, MAS received four cases of feedback about visually impaired persons facing issues with internet and phone banking, which were resolved with bank assistance.
• Visually impaired individuals can contact their banks for help, and MAS expects financial institutions to handle all customer feedback effectively and promptly.

• Ong Hua Han asked if the Enabling Masterplan 2030 could be refreshed to include financial services accessibility, aligning with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Masagos Zulkifli B M M responded that the plan already evolves to support persons with disabilities, including efforts to improve financial services accessibility through infrastructure, systems, and staff training.
• Financial institutions have enhanced accessibility with features like ramps, lowered counters, and Talking ATMs with Braille and audio guidance for visually impaired customers.
• The Monetary Authority of Singapore updated its Guidelines on Fair Dealing in May 2024, formalizing expectations for objective assessments of financial product applications.
• The government confirmed that improving financial services accessibility remains a focus under the ongoing development of the Enabling Masterplan 2030.

Christopher de Souza raised concerns about how escalating tensions in the Middle East might impact Singapore's social harmony and asked the Ministry of Home Affairs for measures to protect it. K Shanmugam acknowledged that emotions around the conflict have created divisions between various communities in Singapore, particularly between the Malay/Muslim community and Jewish and Christian communities, noting 43 reports of offensive remarks related to the situation. The government will intervene against actions that threaten social harmony, utilizing existing laws to set acceptable conduct boundaries. Shanmugam emphasized the importance of mutual trust and understanding among communities and highlighted efforts through various platforms to foster dialogue and cooperation. He also addressed an incident involving a controversial social media post by the Israeli Embassy, explaining that the embassy was asked to remove it due to potential harm to community relations.

Tan Wu Meng raised concerns about safeguards against unfair or discriminatory hiring practices involving artificial intelligence (AI) systems and accountability for HR decisions influenced by AI. Tan See Leng stated that existing Tripartite Guidelines and upcoming Workplace Fairness Legislation protect employees from workplace discrimination, including from intentional misuse of AI. To prevent unintentional discrimination by AI, the government promotes Model AI Governance Frameworks and provides tools for validating AI performance against fairness principles. Discriminatory outcomes from AI hiring practices can be reported to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices for necessary action.

Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked about support programs for stay-at-home mothers seeking divorce and experiencing domestic violence. Masagos Zulkifli B M M outlined that the Ministry of Social and Family Development collaborates with Protection Specialist Centres to provide safety planning, accommodation, legal aid referrals, counselling, and financial support. Workforce Singapore offers the herCareer initiative, which helps women re-enter the workforce through job placement programs and events, leading to a significant increase in successful job placements. Additionally, mothers seeking employment or training can receive preschool subsidy support comparable to working mothers.

Melvin Yong raised concerns about the digital inclusion of seniors in Singapore, asking how the Ministry of Communications and Information could further support them beyond existing programs. Janil Puthucheary affirmed that efforts are underway to educate seniors on digital skills, protect them from online threats, and promote peer influencers known as Silver Digital Ambassadors. Tan Wu Meng asked about user experience and tracking potential digital drop-off among seniors, highlighting the importance of effective implementation of digital services. Denise Phua noted frustrations residents experience when agencies direct them to online services despite their lack of digital literacy and called for better facilitation from the Ministry.

Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim raised concerns about an offensive social media post by the Israeli Embassy in Singapore and questioned if further actions would be taken and whether diplomatic immunity applies to such postings. Minister K Shanmugam acknowledged the potential for social tensions due to external conflicts and noted Singapore's efforts to maintain harmony among its diverse communities. The Minister stated that while embassies enjoy diplomatic immunity, the Government promptly communicated concerns to the Israeli Embassy, leading to the post's removal and an apology from the Ambassador. Shanmugam also emphasized that offensive remarks could disrupt social harmony, and intervention would occur if necessary, while highlighting the importance of maintaining mutual respect across communities.

• Christopher de Souza proposed that the Ministry identify and release under-utilised public spaces to help social service agencies reach more persons with disabilities.
• Masagos Zulkifli affirmed that MSF considers factors like outreach and accessibility when locating services, including common spaces like HDB void decks.
• MSF regularly invites agencies to bid for available HDB or SLA premises to run self-funded social programmes, including those for persons with disabilities.

• Chong Kee Hiong proposed creating an independent panel with disability experts and representatives to hear appeals about discriminatory insurance practices for disabled and neurodivergent individuals.
• Lawrence Wong, for the Prime Minister, stated that insurers must assess applications fairly using objective data, with new guidelines formalizing this responsibility, but the government will not compel them to use a third-party panel.
• Insurers are encouraged to use in-house and external expertise, and the Life Insurance Association has issued a guide and engaged with autism charities, while handling complaints through their own channels and with MAS oversight.
• Individuals can appeal to their insurer and, if unsatisfied, escalate to MAS, which has not found unfair underwriting practices to date but will hold insurers accountable and improve communication of decisions.

• Ms. Carrie Tan asked for the annual number of marriages involving parties under 18 in the past five years and whether the Ministry will consider disallowing such marriages under the Women's Charter.
• The Ministry stated that such marriages are void unless authorized by a Special Marriage Licence, with no such marriages occurring in the last two years.
• The Ministry has no plans to remove the Special Marriage Licence option but will scrutinize applications closely and approve only meritorious cases.

• The Tripartite Advisory on reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities is being developed with community engagement and aims to be released alongside the Workplace Fairness Legislation.
• The advisory will provide guidance to employers and employees but will not be part of the Workplace Fairness Legislation, instead complementing it to prohibit disability discrimination.
• Effectiveness of accommodations will be measured primarily by employment outcomes, with ongoing feedback gathered from employers and employees to refine the advisory after its release.
• The advisory and the new law will work together with the Enabling Masterplan to enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

• Ms Ng Ling Ling asked whether an enhanced version of the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) could include more senior-friendly features inside homes for older residents in private estates, similar to programmes for public housing.
• Desmond Lee responded that the Age Well SG programme will enhance living environments in both HDB and private estates, with the EUP expanded to include senior-friendly features like rest points, ramps, fitness trails, and therapeutic gardens for selected private estates.
• A new EUP for Silver Estates will target estates with higher senior concentrations for senior-friendly enhancements, and management corporations can use the Accessibility Fund for common area upgrades in private developments.
• For within-home features, HDB’s programmes are tailored for public housing, but designs vary in private homes, so further study is needed to support seniors aging in place in private residences.

• Police and SCDF collaborate with religious organizations in the Safety and Security Watch Group to conduct security surveys, share best practices, and run training and exercises like the 2019 counter-terrorism drill at Sultan Mosque.
• Through SGSecure, the police and MCCY organize seminars for religious groups to share best practices on security, resilience, and emergency planning, including a seminar in October 2023 with over 120 participants.
• MCCY’s Crisis Preparedness programme provides advisory booklets and self-assessment checklists to help religious organizations identify threats and improve crisis response, with regular training conducted with police and partners.
• Police increase patrols and security measures around places of worship when specific threats or elevated security concerns are identified.

• Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked the Minister for Health about the training healthcare professionals, including administrative staff, nurses, and doctors, receive to support neurodivergent patients or those with disabilities and their families in healthcare settings.
• Ong Ye Kung responded that healthcare professionals are trained to provide compassionate and respectful care by personalizing treatment based on patients' care goals and best interests, and allowing additional consultation time.
• Specialized conditions like autism spectrum disorders are treated by care teams with additional training, such as clinical psychologists who offer psychotherapy and rehabilitative therapies in collaboration with psychiatrists.
• Administrative staff are trained to note and support additional needs, while medical social workers provide psychosocial support and caregiving advice for patients and families requiring further assistance.

• Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked about the number of complaints on indirect discrimination and denial of reasonable accommodations received by the Ministry for Manpower over the last five years and whether these would be included in discrimination legislation.
• Minister Tan See Leng reported that TAFEP received eight complaints of indirect discrimination from 2019 to 2023, representing about 0.5% of total discrimination complaints, and no complaints on denial of reasonable accommodations.
• The Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness recommended against including indirect discrimination and reasonable accommodations in legislation due to potential wide legal obligations, uncertainty, and litigation risks.
• Protections will remain through the Workplace Fairness Legislation working with Tripartite Guidelines, and an advisory on reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be released by tripartite partners.
• Employees facing such issues can approach TAFEP for advice and assistance.

• Mr. Louis Ng highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by breastfeeding mothers at work, such as inadequate lactation rooms and discriminatory remarks, and proposed amending the Code on Accessibility to require one lactation room per 2,500 square meters and mandating essential facilities in these rooms.
• The Government, represented by Minister Indranee Rajah, acknowledged the need for better workplace support for breastfeeding mothers and confirmed that a review of the Code is underway, with plans to consider lower GFA thresholds and more mandatory facilities, while also promoting flexible solutions like lactation pods.
• During the debate, there was a call to increase the co-funding under the Accessibility Fund to 80% immediately to assist building owners, with the Minister noting that the funding level would be assessed after the Code review but emphasizing the availability of current support for lactation pods.