Religion, race & rights — Topics

21 Apr 2023

HDB Accommodation Options for Persons with Disabilities in Public Rental Housing and New BTO Developments

HDB designs all new public housing, including rental and BTO flats, to be accessible to persons with disabilities by complying with the Building and Construction Authority’s Code on Accessibility and incorporating universal design features like barrier-free routes and ramps.
Persons with disabilities living in HDB flats can access home-based care services, such as Home Personal Care, to support their daily needs.
A task force under the Enabling Masterplan 2030 is developing new community living models for persons with disabilities, with recommendations expected later this year to guide future housing and care options in HDB estates.

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21 Apr 2023

Extent of Protection with Move to Limit Proposed Legislation against Workplace Discrimination to Five Characteristics

Louis Ng Kok Kwang questioned if limiting the proposed workplace discrimination legislation to five characteristics might create unequal protection and tolerance for other forms of discrimination in society.
Tan See Leng emphasized that Singapore's policy opposes all workplace discrimination, and the Tripartite Guidelines and Alliance will continue to address all complaints and enforce fair practices.
The proposed legislation focuses on common and familiar forms of discrimination, with the understanding that many countries also specify protected characteristics in their laws.
The legislation will work alongside the Tripartite Guidelines, which will remain in place to cover all forms of discrimination and strengthen the overall framework for workplace fairness.

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21 Apr 2023

Instances when Appropriate Adults were Not Present for Cases Involving Offenders with Mental Disabilities or Young Suspects

Louis Ng asked for annual data on cases involving young suspects or offenders with mental disabilities where an Appropriate Adult was not present during interviews, the number of additional volunteers needed, and plans to increase recruitment; the Minister of State responded that Appropriate Adults are activated for all cases meeting criteria, with extenuating circumstances allowing discretion, and that current volunteers suffice for all requests.
The Minister of State explained that in the past five years, no cases occurred where an Appropriate Adult was not activated when requested, due to such extenuating circumstances, and that service providers support all activation requests with 359 and 328 active volunteers respectively.
Louis Ng sought clarification on the number and percentage of cases where Appropriate Adults were not activated and whether the same volunteer could be assigned for all interviews; the Minister of State reiterated that no such cases occurred in the past five years and confirmed that efforts are made to assign the same Appropriate Adult for all interviews where possible, subject to scheduling.

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20 Apr 2023

Debate on President's Address

Several MPs advocated for stronger mental health support, including training GPs as the first line of care, using technology for affordable therapy, and empowering community first responders, with a pilot program in Ang Mo Kio.
Inclusivity and anti-discrimination measures were highlighted, with calls for legislation to cover all forms of discrimination, protect migrant workers, and improve workplace fairness, while ensuring trust is built both ways between government and citizens.
The debate emphasized empowering seniors and youths, with suggestions for Men's Sheds to combat loneliness, flexible work arrangements, better mentoring programs, and housing policy adjustments to support young Singaporeans.

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19 Apr 2023

Debate on President's Address

The Prime Minister outlined Singapore’s stable relations with Indonesia and Malaysia, while warning of grave global challenges: the Ukraine war, US-China tensions, and the erosion of the multilateral trading system, urging unity and a go-getter spirit to adapt and thrive.
MPs raised concerns about ageing, retirement adequacy, cost of living, and housing affordability, calling for enhanced CPF flexibility, better elderly support, and reviewing policies to ensure singles and vulnerable groups are not left behind.
The debate highlighted the need for stronger social cohesion, better support for persons with disabilities, and inclusive policies for single parents and seniors, including proposals for co-living arrangements and improved estate planning.
Speakers emphasized the importance of Singapore’s global reputation, principled foreign policy, and collective responsibility to navigate geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties while maintaining national unity.
The Forward Singapore agenda was highlighted as a platform to refresh the social compact, empower citizens, and ensure sustainable opportunities for all, including through mentoring, volunteering, and community partnerships.

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18 Apr 2023

Debate on President's Address

Several MPs stressed the need to adapt Singapore's education system for a fast-changing world, proposing curricular reforms like reducing syllabus volume, lowering class sizes, and enhancing pathways such as through-train schools to reduce exam stress.
Debates highlighted challenges in ageism and supporting an ageing population, with calls to better value seniors, address workplace discrimination, and improve inter-generational support and caregiving policies.
Proposals were made to refresh Singapore’s social compact through broader meritocracy, stronger social safety nets, and policies to tackle economic pessimism, such as a minimum wage, redundancy insurance, and housing affordability reforms.

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17 Apr 2023

Debate on President's Address

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong expressed confidence in Singapore's ability to overcome challenges and maintain its exceptionalism, supporting the President's Address.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling highlighted the invisible social impacts of COVID-19, advocating for better support for women workers, platform workers, and adults with special needs through policy changes and community efforts.
Mr Fahmi Aliman emphasized the importance of Mother Tongue languages, strengthening support for vulnerable groups in the Malay/Muslim community, and building workforce trust through tripartite partnerships.
Mr Desmond Choo focused on workforce resilience, suggesting enhanced training support and unemployment assistance, while critiquing a single poverty line in favor of tailored aid schemes.
Assoc Prof Jamus Lim and Mr Desmond Choo debated the concept of a poverty line, with Lim advocating for a benchmark to guide assistance schemes and Choo supporting targeted, flexible aid.
Mr Ang Wei Neng called for adjusting ComCare eligibility criteria to account for inflation and ensure low-income families receive adequate support.
Mr Darryl David advocated for education focused on competencies over skills, greater diversity in public service leadership, and embedding equity and inclusion in societal development.
Dr Tan Wu Meng stressed the need for social togetherness in an AI-disrupted world, emphasizing face-to-face interactions and policy attention to cohesion to counter deepfakes and maintain trust.

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10 Apr 2023

Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth

MCCY aims to strengthen national unity and shared identity through arts, heritage, and sports initiatives, such as new museums, festivals, and enhanced sports facilities.
The ministry promotes social cohesion by expanding volunteerism, intergenerational and cross-community programmes, and refreshing platforms like Racial and Religious Harmony Circles.
MCCY supports inclusive growth by enhancing opportunities for persons with disabilities, youth, and businesses in social contributions, including through schemes like the Corporate Volunteer Scheme and Mentoring SG.
Through the Forward Singapore exercise, MCCY encourages citizens to co-create policies and solutions, fostering partnerships between the government and communities.
The ministry focuses on building a resilient, caring society by encouraging Singaporeans to donate, volunteer, and participate in community projects across all ages.

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10 Apr 2023

Ministry of Home Affairs

The Ministry of Home Affairs outlined its strategy to address emerging threats including terrorism, sophisticated online scams and cybercrimes, psychoactive substances, and threats to racial and religious harmony, and is updating laws and forming new regulatory bodies to address these challenges.
The Home Team will leverage technology such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, and automated clearance processes to enhance operational effectiveness, reduce risks, and improve efficiency across agencies like the Police, Prisons, and SCDF.
New legislation will be introduced to better protect against online criminal activity and to maintain racial harmony, while community engagement through SGSecure, anti-scam campaigns, and volunteer networks will be strengthened to bolster public vigilance and support rehabilitation of ex-offenders.

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10 Apr 2023

Ministry of Social and Family Development

The Ministry will strengthen family support by expanding the Families For Life movement, enhancing marriage and divorce support, and investing in affordable preschools and early childhood educators to ensure 80% of preschoolers have places in government-supported preschools by 2025.
It aims to promote inclusivity through the Enabling Masterplan 2030, which will support persons with disabilities, enhance women’s leadership, and improve social safety nets like ComCare for lower-income families, including scaling up KidSTART nationwide by 2026.
MSF will integrate social services under Community Link (ComLink) for easier access, empower vulnerable families, and take a family-based approach to rehabilitate youth offenders while strengthening protections against domestic violence.
The ministry will partner with social service agencies, businesses, and institutes of higher learning to improve service delivery, digitalization, and workforce conditions, ensuring a coordinated effort to create a caring and inclusive society for all families.

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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

Revision of Household Income Eligibility Criteria for Disabled Persons Scheme Given Rising Cost of Living

Dr Tan Wu Meng questioned when the household income eligibility criteria for the Disabled Persons Scheme (DPS) were last revised and whether they are being evaluated for relevance amid inflation and rising costs of living.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary responded that the DPS income criteria were last revised in 2017, and highlighted enhancements to the Taxi Subsidy Scheme and increased transport options for persons with disabilities.
Dr Tan followed up with supplementary questions on whether household dependents are considered in DPS assessments and how the 2017 income threshold compares to current household income percentiles.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary confirmed that holistic family circumstances are considered in assessments, but did not have specific data on income percentile comparisons between 2017 and today.
The Ministry committed to ongoing monitoring of the transport landscape to ensure accessibility and affordability for persons with disabilities.

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21 Mar 2023

Guidelines on Use of Vernacular Languages for Wayfinding Signs and Public Address Systems in Healthcare Institutions and MRT Stations

Gerald Giam asked if the Government issues guidelines on using vernacular languages in wayfinding signs and public address systems at healthcare institutions and MRT stations to assist elderly Singaporeans.
The Senior Minister of State replied that agencies assess the use of mother tongue languages independently, with staff assistance in healthcare and key information in all four official languages at MRT stations.
Giam followed up to inquire if the Government plans to publish a guide for developers and institutions to include vernacular languages in wayfinding, especially in places frequented by seniors.
The Minister reiterated that it is the responsibility of individual Ministries and agencies to assess and decide the use of mother tongue languages based on stakeholder needs.
No specific national guidelines were confirmed, but the response emphasized contextual use of vernacular languages where relevant.

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20 Mar 2023

Applications under Scheme to Buy Back Units from Ethnic Integration Policy-constrained Flat Owners

Ms He Ting Ru inquired about the number of applications, ethnic breakdown, and successful sales under the scheme to buy back flats from Ethnic Integration Policy-constrained owners.
Desmond Lee stated that HDB provides various assistance measures and, in 2022, received 411 EIP-related appeals with a specific ethnic breakdown, acceding to 128 appeals of which only four were assisted via the buyback measure.
Most appeals were ineligible due to flat owners not making regular selling attempts or not owning their flats for at least 10 years, and HDB will continue to assist those facing genuine difficulties.

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20 Mar 2023

Provision of Multi-religious Prayer Rooms at Autonomous Universities, Polytechnics and ITEs

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim queried whether multi-religious prayer rooms should be provided across all autonomous universities, polytechnics, and ITEs, and what constraints might prevent this.
Chan Chun Sing emphasized that Institutes of Higher Learning are secular institutions meant to foster a shared Singaporean identity among students of all backgrounds.
He noted that informal spaces on campus are available for personal religious needs and that multi-purpose quiet rooms already exist for various uses.

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20 Mar 2023

Proportion of Women in Leadership Roles in Public Service

Member of Parliament He Ting Ru queried the number and proportion of women in senior leadership and diplomatic roles within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She asked for specific figures for positions such as Permanent Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Ambassador-at-large, and Head of Mission.
She also requested the proportion of women among foreign service officers and total ministry staff.
Minister Vivian Balakrishnan responded that women make up about half of the ministry's staff but only a quarter of senior appointments.
The response indicates a significant gender gap in leadership roles despite balanced representation in the overall workforce.

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20 Mar 2023

Data such as Attrition Rates and Gender of Foreign Service Staff

The Minister reported that half of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officers are women, with the proportion at superscale grades increasing from 15% in 2010 to 29% in 2022.
There is no significant difference in attrition rates between men and women in the Ministry, though overseas postings can be disruptive for officers with spouses and young children, particularly women who bear a disproportionate caregiving burden.
The Ministry regularly reviews human resource policies, including terms for overseas postings, to better support career aspirations and family obligations, and expects more women to take on senior roles as the Ministry seeks to recruit and nurture all available talent.

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20 Mar 2023

Requirement for HDB Coffee Shop Operators to Replace Exiting Halal Food Stalls with Halal-certified Incoming Ones

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked whether HDB coffee shop operators must replace a halal food stall with another halal vendor if the original one stops operating, the timeframe for this, and the rationale if not required.
Desmond Lee stated that HDB operators are required to replace a halal stall with another halal vendor once the original ceases, and must do so within the current tenancy period, with non-renewal as a consequence of failure.
He added that operators facing difficulties can appeal to HDB, which will assess such cases individually.

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6 Mar 2023

Committee of Supply – Head X (Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth)

The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) is refreshing the national arts and heritage plans for 2023-2027 to grow the creative economy, increase arts access, and deepen Singapore's identity, with new digital initiatives and expanded arts spaces.
The Singapore Sports Hub has been brought under government management to enhance community integration, with plans for more events and facilities; football development under "Unleash the Roar!" will establish a national youth development centre from July 2023.
MCCY is enhancing community dispute management and mental well-being networks, including expanding SG Cares Volunteer Centres and Harmony Circles to foster neighbourliness and support mental health.

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6 Mar 2023

Assessing Estimated Expenditure of Providing Cash Component of Baby Bonus to Single Unwed Parents

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Ministry for Social and Family Development to study the estimated costs of extending the Baby Bonus cash component to single unwed parents, arguing it is a lifeline given their low median income and that current policies reinforce stigma.
Minister Masagos Zulkifli responded that the issue is not cost but societal norms favoring parenthood within marriage, and that existing support schemes, social services, and holistic housing assessments are already available for single unwed parents.
Louis Ng emphasized that policies can evolve, citing changes to the Working Mother’s Child Relief, and urged a review focused on reducing discrimination rather than fiscal cost, noting that increased support in other areas has not led to a spike in single unwed parents.
The Minister acknowledged the hardship but maintained that policies must align with social values, stating that if norms change in the future, policies will adapt accordingly.
The debate concluded with Louis Ng reiterating his call for a sincere review of policies to support single unwed parents and remove stigma, while the Deputy Speaker moved to other parliamentary questions.

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