Religion, race & rights — Topics

27 Feb 2024

Capacity for Inland Ash Scattering as Main Method of Managing Cremated Remains and Provision of Opt-out Option

Carrie Tan asked how quickly the Ministry can ramp up capacity for inland ash scattering and whether it will make this the default method with an opt-out option for non-Muslim Singaporeans.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary replied that the National Environment Agency already offers inland ash scattering, with a second facility to open in 2025, but has no plans to make it the default due to the sensitive nature of the issue.
The uptake of inland ash scattering remains low, at 8.8% in 2023, and the Ministry is working with religious leaders and communities to raise awareness while respecting religious practices.
Carrie Tan suggested accelerating awareness through community talks before end-of-life stages, and the Ministry agreed to collaborate on such initiatives.
The Ministry highlighted that inland ash scattering is cheaper than columbarium niches and uses less land, but will continue monitoring demand without setting specific take-up targets.

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26 Feb 2024

Provision of Larger Accessible Changing Rooms and Toilets by Building Owners for Adults with Disabilities or Help-dependent Seniors and Motorised Wheelchair Users

Ms See Jinli Jean inquired about the proportion of buildings in Singapore providing accessible changing rooms and larger accessible toilets for adults with disabilities, help-dependent seniors, and motorised wheelchair users, and how the Ministry encourages building owners to introduce these facilities.
The Building and Construction Authority mandates that new buildings and those undergoing major alterations comply with the Accessibility Code, requiring public-frequented buildings to provide at least one accessible changing room and one larger accessible toilet per floor.
To date, about 50 buildings have accessible changing rooms and about 130 have larger accessible toilets, with examples including One Punggol and Mandai Bird Paradise.
The Ministry encourages retrofitting through BCA's Accessibility Fund, which co-funds up to 80% for larger accessible toilets and 60% for other inclusive features like changing rooms in eligible developments.
BCA also promotes accessibility via the Universal Design Excellence Award, recognising buildings that exceed mandatory Code requirements for inclusive facilities.

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26 Feb 2024

Singapore Government Partnerships Office's Plan to Build and Maintain Respectful, Age-appropriate and Ongoing Partnerships with Children and Youths Under 18

Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim questioned how the Singapore Government Partnerships Office (SGPO) will build and maintain respectful, age-appropriate, and ongoing partnerships with children and youths under 18, emphasizing the need for direct engagement and input from young people.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary responded that SGPO allows citizens, including youths with Singpass, to submit partnership proposals via its portal, but for those under 18, agencies are guided not to enter legal contracts and must obtain parental consent while disclosing risks.
Assoc Prof Razwana raised supplementary questions on how the Ministry ensures the views of children and youths under 18 are considered and whether it would work with stakeholders like parents, schools, and community groups to scope mechanisms for inclusion.
Eric Chua affirmed SGPO collaborates with government and non-government entities to gather viewpoints from all stakeholders, including children and youths, through partnerships with youth-focused organizations, grassroots initiatives, surveys, and other outreach methods, and agreed to explore avenues for scoping such mechanisms.

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16 Feb 2024

Mechanism to Allow Employees to Provide Anonymous Reports on Workplace Discrimination

Louis Ng Kok Kwang questioned if the new workplace discrimination laws will allow employees to submit anonymous reports to the Ministry or TAFEP and whether studies have been conducted on such mechanisms.
The Senior Minister of State for Manpower stated that TAFEP will handle anonymous reports on a best-efforts basis without disclosing the employee's identity to the employer.
The proposed legislation will require employers to implement grievance-handling processes that protect employee identity and prohibit retaliation against employees.

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16 Feb 2024

Determining Whether Conviction Records under Repealed Section 377a of Penal Code Should be Rendered Spent

The Minister of State for Home Affairs confirmed that the Commissioner of Police will consider standard factors, such as the severity of the offence and the applicant's conduct post-conviction, when deciding whether to render conviction records under repealed Section 377A spent.
There have been 302 individuals convicted under Section 377A, but only 17 were convicted for consensual, private acts between adults since 1988; five of these already have their records automatically spent.
The Ministry of Home Affairs stated it has not received any applications to have Section 377A records rendered spent but will consider proactive measures to address this.

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7 Feb 2024

Organisations with Programmes and Benefits for Female Workers with Menopausal-related Health Issues

The Ministry of Health does not have specific data on how many organisations in Singapore offer programmes or benefits for female workers with menopause-related health issues.
Support for women experiencing menopause is available through public educational resources on platforms like HealthHub and healthcare institution websites.
Interest groups such as “Dynamic Daisies” under KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital promote awareness and support for women undergoing menopause.
Women are encouraged to consult their regular family doctor or gynaecologist to manage menopause-related health issues.

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7 Feb 2024

Proportion of Social Workers and Staff to Persons with Special Needs

Ms He Ting Ru inquired about the ratio of social workers and staff to persons with special needs in various care settings over the last three years, and whether the Ministry would collect such data if unavailable.
The Minister responded that the average ratio of social workers to persons with disabilities in disability homes and day activity centres was about 1:40 over the past three years.
The average ratio of other programme staff to persons with disabilities ranged from 1:2 to 1:4, varying based on operating hours, programme requirements, and client needs.

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7 Feb 2024

Universal Code for Standard of Care at Homes for Children and Adults with Disabilities, and at Day Centres for Persons with Special Needs

Ms He Ting Ru asked whether the Government will implement a universal code of conduct prescribing standards of care across homes for children and adults with disabilities and day activity centres for persons with special needs.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary replied that MSF already establishes practice guidelines and requirements for funded disability services, covering safety, staffing, training, hygiene, care programmes, and incident management.
Children Disability Homes are licensed under the Children and Young Persons Act with enforced Standards of Care and regular inspections, while Adult Disability Homes and Day Activity Centres undergo audits by SG Enable and voluntary inspections by MSF.
MSF is currently reviewing how to better ensure standards of care in disability services and will share more updates in due course.

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7 Feb 2024

Persons with Disabilities who Applied for Jobs through Employment and Employability Institute

The Ministry of Manpower outlined that while Workforce Singapore and NTUC’s e2i do not track disability-specific data, the Open Door Programme assisted about 900 jobseekers with disabilities annually from 2018 to 2022, with around 500 placed each year and over 80% remaining employed for at least six months.
The government’s strategy under the Enabling Masterplan 2030 aims for a 40% employment rate for persons with disabilities by 2030, supported by skills training, grants, and partnerships with disability agencies and inclusive employers.
In response to a suggestion for a dedicated department, the Minister highlighted the Enabling Business Hub as a new one-stop structure that brings together tripartite partners, employers, and support agencies to enhance job placement and retention for persons with disabilities.

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6 Feb 2024

Sensitivity Training for Officers and Tracking Workplace Discrimination within Police Units through Peer Support Programmes

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked if the Police provides mandatory sensitivity training for commanders and officers to detect and deter discrimination in their units.
He also inquired whether the Police would track counselling services through peer support programmes to assess discrimination trends while ensuring officer confidentiality.
Minister K Shanmugam referred to his earlier written answers and ministerial statement on 6 February 2024 regarding allegations surrounding the suicide of Sgt Uvaraja s/o Gopal.

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6 Feb 2024

Application Rates for Scheme that Exempts Persons with Disabilities from Paying COE Premiums and Additional Registration Fees for Vehicles

The Disabled Persons Scheme (DPS), which exempts eligible Singapore citizens with permanent disabilities from COE premiums and Additional Registration Fees, saw applications decline from 93 in 2015 to 20 in 2023.
The government confirmed that DPS is means-tested and that the income ceiling was last updated in 2017, with a commitment to review the scheme to ensure it remains relevant.
Officials indicated that the review of DPS is timely as part of a broader effort to make public transport more accessible to all persons with disabilities, acknowledging concerns from Members of Parliament.
During the debate, questions were raised about the tiered means-testing approach and whether rising per capita household incomes have reduced the proportion of potential applicants qualifying for DPS.
The government highlighted the need to balance the scheme's purpose with the larger goal of improving public transport accessibility and will consider situations where persons with disabilities are caregivers.

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6 Feb 2024

Prevalence of Complaints of Discrimination and Unfair Treatment in Police Force and Involvement of External Experts in Reviews

Dr Tan Wu Meng inquired about involving external experts in the investigation of a police officer’s death, the use of the Inquiries Act for external review, and mechanisms for officers to report racial discrimination.
Mr Darryl David sought data on the number and percentage of internal complaints about prejudice, discrimination, or unfair treatment in the police force over the past five years.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs indicated that the Minister would address these questions as part of a Ministerial Statement on allegations surrounding the suicide of Sgt Uvaraja s/o Gopal.

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5 Feb 2024

Usage of ActiveSG's Inclusive Swimming Pools and Gyms by Persons with Disabilities

Ong Hua Han inquired about the proportion of persons with disabilities using ActiveSG’s inclusive swimming pools from 2019 to 2023 and whether more pools will be retrofitted with ramps beyond the current six.
He also asked if ActiveSG tracks the number of persons with disabilities using inclusive gyms and plans to increase their gym usage ahead of making all gyms inclusive by 2026.
Edwin Tong responded that ActiveSG does not track user disability status but noted rising sports participation among persons with disabilities from 28% in 2015 to 54% in 2022.
ActiveSG has increased accessible swimming pools from six to eight, plans two more by end-2025, and will study installing features like ramps and hoists at all remaining pools; all new facilities will be inclusive.
Eight gyms are already accessible, all 27 will be inclusive by 2026, and a gym orientation programme for persons with disabilities will launch this year, while the Disability Sports Master Plan is being updated.

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5 Feb 2024

Statistics on Applications for Assistive Technology Fund

The median age of persons with disabilities who successfully applied for the Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) from 2019 to 2023 ranged from 51 to 58 years old.
The ATF provides eligible applicants with a means-tested subsidy of up to 90% of assistive device costs, subject to a lifetime cap of $40,000.
The Ministry does not explicitly state that it budgets for ATF usage based on per capita monthly household income data, but the subsidy is means-tested.

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5 Feb 2024

Statistics on Day Activity Centres and Residential Homes for Adult Persons with Autism

Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Social and Family Development about the number of day activity centres and residential homes for adults with autism, how many adults are enrolled, and how many are on waiting lists.
The Ministry replied that there are eight day activity centres funded by MSF with over 300 enrolled clients and about 80 pending enrolment, while four adult disability homes serve about 50 residents with capacity for 100 and have 20 pending referrals.
The Ministry noted that assessments are ongoing for pending enrolments and that SG Enable guides clients to other suitable centres, with regular reviews of disability service capacity planned.

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5 Feb 2024

Proportion of Retirement Age Employees Securing Re-employment

From 2017 to 2021, about 97% of eligible resident employees who wanted to work were offered and accepted re-employment after reaching retirement age.
The Ministry of Manpower is working with employers to create more suitable jobs and support senior workers' employability through grants like the Part-Time Re-employment Grant and job redesign schemes.
MOM is collaborating with NTUC to help firms redesign jobs and plan career paths for senior workers to keep pace with business transformation.
Senior workers are supported to upskill and reskill through programs like Career Conversion Programmes, with up to 90% salary and course fee support.
The statutory retirement and re-employment ages will be raised to 65 and 70 by 2030 to maximize the potential of the silver workforce.

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5 Feb 2024

Separate Confinement Facility and Programme for Incarcerated Adults with Special Needs

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked if the Ministry of Home Affairs will set up a separate confinement facility and programme for incarcerated adults with special needs to ensure their safety and better reintegration outcomes.
The Singapore Prison Service does not have a separate housing facility due to the small number of such inmates but tailors management to their needs, including safety checks and modified rehabilitation programmes.
SPS collaborates with community agencies to provide specialised reintegration support, such as case management for family, employment, and financial matters.

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5 Feb 2024

Administration of Muslim Law (Amendment) Bill

The Workers' Party and several members support the Administration of Muslim Law (Amendment) Bill, which aims to modernise Singapore’s Muslim institutions, including enhancing digital processes for the Syariah Court and Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM), expanding the Fatwa Committee, and strengthening oversight of Muslim religious schools.
Debates raised clarifications on key provisions, such as the definition of Muslim religious schools (including the threshold of 10 individuals), the recognition of foreign halal certification bodies, and the governance of the new Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura, with concerns about privacy, family instruction, and consumer protection.
Minister Masagos Zulkifli addressed questions, explaining that the amendments ensure regulatory clarity, uphold halal standards through rigorous assessment of foreign bodies, and maintain the integrity of religious education, while emphasizing that the bill strengthens community institutions without intruding on private religious practices.

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5 Feb 2024

Administration of Muslim Law (Amendment) Bill

The Bill amends the Administration of Muslim Law Act to strengthen Singapore's Muslim institutions by enabling MUIS to create a community wakaf fund for long-term socio-religious needs and to enhance its management of halal certification for imported food.
It introduces digitalisation for the Registry of Muslim Marriages and Syariah Court, such as digital marriage certificates and streamlined divorce processes, while preserving Islamic law principles.
The amendments expand the Fatwa Committee's membership and discretion, define Muslim religious schools for better regulation, and align the Syariah Court's powers with family justice standards to ensure fairer divorce outcomes.
Member of Parliament Sharael Taha supported the Bill but sought clarifications on potential foreign influence in wakaf contributions and the practical implementation of foreign halal certification standards.

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10 Jan 2024

Statistics on Employment, Resignation and Remuneration of Persons with Disabilities in Workforce

Ong Hua Han requested data on resignation rates, part-time to full-time employment ratios, and median pay gaps for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) from 2022 to 2023.
The Minister for Manpower stated that the part-time to full-time employment ratio for PwDs is approximately one to four based on 2021–2022 data.
The median pay gap between PwDs and non-disabled PMETs is about 13%, influenced by factors like occupation, industry, experience, and education.
The Ministry does not track resignation rates for persons with disabilities.

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