Religion, race & rights — Topics

8 Apr 2013

Effective Retirement Age in Singapore

The Ministry monitors the labour force participation rate (LFPR) of older workers, which rose from 58.6% to 66% for residents aged 55–64 over the past five years, with increases for both males and females.
Older workers in this age group had a low unemployment rate of 2.4% in 2012, indicating most were employed.
Singapore’s LFPR for older males is high internationally, surpassing Hong Kong, Taiwan, and many OECD countries, though it trails Japan and Sweden.
The LFPR for older females in Singapore remains lower than in many developed countries like the US, UK, and Japan, but is higher than in Hong Kong and Taiwan.The request was rejected because it was considered high risk

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8 Apr 2013

Wheelchair-Accessible Bus Stops

Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for Transport about the number of bus stops still not accessible to Wheelchair Accessible Buses and the target date to make all bus stops accessible.
Lui Tuck Yew responded that out of 4,653 bus stops, 4,484 (96%) are wheelchair-accessible, with 169 remaining inaccessible due to site constraints requiring adjacent property redevelopment.
The Land Transport Authority plans to upgrade the remaining bus stops when opportunities arise, aiming for full accessibility.

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8 Apr 2013

Child Development Co-Savings (Amendment) Bill

The bill introduces new leave benefits including one week of government-paid paternity leave, one week of shared parental leave for fathers, enhanced childcare leave for parents of children aged 7 to 12, and statutory adoption leave for adoptive mothers.
It enhances maternity benefits by introducing a Government-Paid Maternity Benefit scheme for mothers ineligible for standard maternity leave, and extends protection against dismissal or retrenchment for pregnant employees throughout their pregnancy.
The bill expands eligibility for childcare leave to unwed single parents and introduces penalties for employers who fail to grant or pay statutory leave benefits.
Members supported the bill but raised concerns about potential unequal treatment of adoptive parents, the need for stronger protections for pregnant women, and the extension of full parenthood benefits to unwed mothers.
Additional suggestions included reviewing leave allocation for families with multiple children, improving workplace support for breastfeeding mothers, and considering a whistle-blower mechanism to protect against abuse of the new leave schemes.

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14 Mar 2013

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

Baey Yam Keng emphasized the need to support artistic freedom, sports development, and community initiatives, suggesting a composite index to measure social cohesion and questioning if the Ministry will prioritize merit-based support over patriotic alignment.
Several members raised concerns about educational support for the Malay community, including the MENDAKI Tuition Scheme, tertiary fee subsidies, and opportunities for madrasah students, with suggestions for postgraduate scholarships and inclusive policies for mixed-parentage individuals.
Queries were made regarding mosque upgrades, Haj visa quotas, Kurban livestock provisions, and the progress of the Suara Musyawarah committee, highlighting ongoing community needs and governance updates.
Dr. Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman highlighted challenges faced by at-risk families and the effectiveness of the Enhanced Wrap Around Care project, advocating for expanded support and long-term planning for family stability.

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12 Mar 2013

New Immigrants and Their Impact on the Religious Landscape in Singapore

The Acting Minister noted that Singapore’s religious landscape is evolving due to multiple factors, not solely immigration, and highlighted regular dialogues with religious leaders to monitor integration and harmony.
He emphasized that new immigrants generally integrate well within their religious communities, supported by initiatives like milestone programs for new citizens to appreciate local culture and respect different faiths.
Platforms such as Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs) are used to build trust and encourage interaction among religious groups, including new immigrants, to strengthen social cohesion.

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8 Mar 2013

NUS Campus Crusade for Christ Student Group

Assistant Professor Tan Kheng Boon Eugene asked the Minister for Education for an update on the NUS Campus Crusade for Christ student group's posters and website being deemed disrespectful to Buddhism and Islam.
Heng Swee Keat stated that NUS convened a Board of Discipline hearing in September 2012 after police declined action, and the NCCC submitted a reflection report which NUS accepted, including measures to prevent recurrence.

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7 Mar 2013

Integrating Permanent Residents and Foreigners Residing, Studying and Working in Singapore

The Government has established the National Integration Council and the Community Integration Fund to support initiatives that help Permanent Residents, new citizens, and foreigners integrate into Singapore’s social habits, norms, and culture.
Educational institutions and workplaces are encouraged to organize activities that foster understanding and friendships between locals and foreigners, with examples like orientation programs and heritage visits for international students.
Integration is described as a two-way process that requires active participation from both locals and newcomers across all levels of society to strengthen social harmony and community bonds.

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25 Feb 2013

Opening of Savings Account by Parents of Children with Severe Disabilities

Member Zainal Sapari asked if the Prime Minister can direct commercial banks to allow parents of children with severe disabilities to open savings accounts without requiring a court order.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, speaking for the Prime Minister, clarified that banks are not legally required to demand a court order but do so due to internal policies to safeguard the child's interests.
He explained that banks may advise parents to obtain a court order to appoint them as deputies, ensuring the bank can act on legally authorized instructions.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) acknowledges the difficulties parents face in getting a court order and will collaborate with government bodies, courts, and industry groups to address the issue.

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7 Feb 2013

Elderly-friendly Road Safety Features

Denise Phua Lay Peng proposed estate-specific elderly-proof road safety master plans for areas with high elderly populations, such as North Bridge Road and Kampong Glam.
The Parliamentary Secretary affirmed that road safety is a top priority, highlighting existing measures like traffic-calming features, pedestrian refuges, lift retrofits, and extended crossing times for the elderly.
The Ministry expressed openness to the idea and offered to collaborate with MPs to develop tailored plans for areas with many elderly residents.
Phua emphasized the need for priority in elderly-heavy estates to ensure timely implementation of safety facilities.
Both sides agreed to work together to enhance road safety, particularly for the elderly, across relevant constituencies.

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7 Feb 2013

Services and Facilities for the Disabled

Denise Phua asked about expanding services like respite care, residential homes, and day activity centres for moderately to severely disabled adults in Singapore, highlighting concerns over physical facilities, funding, and manpower shortages.
The Minister announced plans to increase Day Activity Centres from 19 to 29 by 2020, pilot drop-in programmes, enhance home care support, and add 2,400 residential places, while working with Voluntary Welfare Organisations to meet growing demand.
The Minister acknowledged the challenges of funding and manpower, committing to provide forecasts and work with VWOs to address segmented needs, including exploring new manpower sources and part-time opportunities.

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5 Feb 2013

Special Credits Given to Employers for Continued Employment of Seniors and Persons with Disabilities

Gan Thiam Poh asked the Ministry for Manpower about the total amount of Special Employment Credit given to employers for employing seniors and persons with disabilities, and the number of employers, senior workers, and persons with disabilities who have benefited.
Tan Chuan-Jin explained that the Special Employment Credit encourages employers to hire Singaporean employees aged above 50 and persons with disabilities, with credit rates of 8% to 16% of monthly wages depending on the employee's age and disability status, capped at $240 per month for persons with disabilities.
Since its introduction in 2011, $268 million has been paid to 91,000 employers for employing 404,000 eligible employees up to June 2012, including $2.5 million for 3,200 persons with disabilities hired between January and June 2012.
The Special Employment Credit is paid twice a year, with the next payment scheduled for March 2013 for eligible employees on payroll from July to December 2012.
The scheme aims to support older Singaporeans and persons with disabilities to gain dignity through work and achieve independence.

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5 Feb 2013

MENDAKI Tuition Scheme

The MENDAKI Tuition Scheme saw 1,377 students sit for the 2012 PSLE, with 90% passing English, 63% passing Maths, and 68% passing Science, and an 11% increase in registrations to 8,770 students in 2013.
MENDAKI enhanced its outreach through a rebranding exercise, using traditional and social media, and partnerships with agencies like MUIS, mosques, MAECs, and organisations such as PERTAPIS.
MENDAKI collaborates closely with schools, appointing 58 MENDAKI Champions since 2011 and tailoring tuition programmes to complement MOE's interventions, including customised materials and enrichment activities.
MENDAKI provides social and emotional support through youth programmes like Youth In Action, Engagement Programme for Boys, and Empowerment Programmes for Girls to help students stay in school.
MENDAKI continues to select qualified tutors, customise training, and adapt curricula for its academic programmes, prioritising collaboration with parents and the community to improve Malay/Muslim students' performance.

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5 Feb 2013

Achievement Awards for Special Education Students

Mr Zainal Sapari asked if Special Schools could award Achievement Awards to students under their parents' name if the child cannot open a bank account due to disability, and if last year's cheques could be re-issued under the parents' name.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary confirmed that SPED schools are already allowed to issue cheques in the students' parents' names when students cannot open bank accounts due to their disability, ensuring the awards directly benefit the students.
Mr Christopher de Souza raised concerns about students with special needs not in SPED schools, such as those cared for by single mothers, and asked if the government could provide additional support, like financial aid or encouragement.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary responded that students with mild needs are in mainstream schools while those with moderate to severe needs are mostly in SPED schools, and they would look into specific cases like those mentioned in a customized way.

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4 Feb 2013

Age Discrimination in Workplace Practices

Chen Show Mao raised concerns about age discrimination faced by older workers in hiring, wages, and workplace practices, seeking the Ministry’s actions to quantify the problem.
Tan Chuan-Jin highlighted improved employment rates for older workers over the past decade, attributing this to a tight labour market, re-employment legislation, and changing perceptions of their contributions.
The Ministry works with the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices to promote fair hiring through moral suasion, research, and addressing complaints, noting 151 age-related discrimination cases in three years.
Employers have generally complied with TAFEP’s advice to remove age criteria from job ads, and the response emphasizes ongoing societal effort rather than a one-time solution.

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4 Feb 2013

Impact of "Sex.Violence.Familyvalues" Film Ban on Development of Creative Society

Janice Koh questioned whether Singapore has the right conditions for a creative society and what challenges exist, citing the film ban and an artist's arrest.
Lawrence Wong emphasized balancing artistic expression with respect for the law and multi-racial harmony, noting that the space for creativity evolves with societal maturity.
The government is investing in community arts programs and arts education to foster creativity, audience appreciation, and responsible expression within Singapore's social context.

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4 Feb 2013

Plans and Admission Criteria for Special Assistance Plan Schools

Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef inquired about the Ministry of Education's future plans for Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools.
Intan Azura Mokhtar asked whether the Ministry would review admission criteria to allow non-Chinese Mother Tongue students who meet academic requirements to enter SAP schools.
Heng Swee Keat explained that SAP schools focus on nurturing bilingual and bicultural students with a strong Chinese language and cultural foundation, and emphasized that a basic grounding in Chinese is important for students to benefit fully from the SAP environment.
He added that MOE will continue to review education policies to meet diverse student needs and remain relevant amid evolving global and local contexts.

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4 Feb 2013

Re-Employment Rate among Recent Retirees

Chen Show Mao asked for specific 2012 data on Singaporeans and permanent residents reaching age 62 under the Retirement and Re-employment Act, including numbers offered re-employment, average wage adjustments, and re-employment disputes notified to the Commissioner for Labour.
Tan Chuan-Jin noted that full 2012 statistics would be available only in March 2013, but shared that 97% of employees who turned 62 in the year ending June 2011 were offered re-employment, with a median wage cut of 12% for those continuing in the same job.
In 2012, the Ministry of Manpower received 32 re-employment dispute cases, mainly over eligibility or terms, with most resolved through conciliation and the rest still under process.
The overall re-employment implementation in 2012 was positive, with the employment rate for older residents aged 55 to 64 rising from 61.2% in 2011 to 64.0% in 2012.
The government will continue monitoring the employment landscape for older workers and encourage employers to follow tripartite guidelines to minimise disputes.

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4 Feb 2013

A Sustainable Population for A Dynamic Singapore

Intan Azura Mokhtar urged the government to better publicize and coordinate cost-of-living assistance schemes and to actively attract more Malay/Muslim immigrants to maintain racial stability, emphasizing support for Singaporean families before relying on foreigners.
Christopher de Souza stressed the need to preserve a strong Singaporean core identity, ensure meritocracy applies equally to locals and foreigners, and prioritize national security by staffing critical institutions with Singaporeans.
He called for infrastructure improvements—especially in housing and transport—to be completed ahead of population growth, and proposed stricter regulations on foreign property ownership to prevent market distortions.

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4 Feb 2013

Marital Rape

Asst Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene questioned the number of false police reports by spouses over the last decade and whether the lack of marital rape as a specific criminal offence leaves married women legally vulnerable compared to unmarried women.
The Second Minister for Home Affairs clarified that marital rape is already criminalized under the Penal Code since 2008 in cases where the marital relationship has broken down, such as during divorce proceedings or when protection orders are in place, and noted only one false report was issued in that context.
The Minister confirmed that the Ministry and the Ministry of Social and Family Development are reviewing marital rape laws to reflect societal norms, though no specific timeline for completion was provided due to the issue's complexity and sensitivity.

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14 Jan 2013

Unemployment Rate among Singapore Citizens

Gerald Giam asked for the unemployment rate among Singapore citizens, broken down by Chinese, Malay, Indian, and other races.
Tan Chuan-Jin responded that the government provides race-based economic statistics every five years via the Census of Population or General Household Survey.
He cited the 2010 census showing unemployment rates of 3.9% for Chinese, 5.7% for Malays, and 5.2% for Indians.
The response did not provide the rate for "other races" or data beyond 2010.
The answer referenced page 177 of a document but did not mention the specific unemployment rate for Singapore citizens as a whole.

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