Parliamentary Q&A for August 2019 Sitting

PROTECTION AND SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS GIVEN CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY PMDS AND E-SCOOTER USERS

Part 1

Dennis Tan asked whether PMDs of commercial shared-PMD services operating from private premises were allowed travel on public land, and if there would be a review of the current law or licensing conditions to bar such PMDs from operating on public lands unless licensed.

Lam Pin Min replied that at present, the licensing regime did not cover PMD-sharing operators who deploy their devices solely on private land. As such, PMDs belonging to commercial shared services, operating from private land were allowed to travel on public paths so long as the rental did not end in a public place. He added that the Government was watching very closely, especially for PMD-sharing operators who flout this rule, and would take action against them.

Part 2

Dennis Tan queried if PMDs of commercial shared-PMDs services operating on private premises are required to be UL2272-certified on fire safety, and also be insured against third-party claims for bodily injury or death.

Lam Pin Min shared that from 1 July 2019, it was an offence under the Active Mobility Act for companies to sell or lease non UL2272-certified PMDs for use on public paths, which included operators who offer PMD-sharing services from private premises. Thus, all rental PMDs must be UL2272-certified. The licensing regime under the Parking Places Act required PMD sharing licensees to procure as well as maintain third party liability insurance. This did not apply to those operating solely on private land.

Part 3

Daniel Goh asked if there had been a further spike in PMD-related fires in 1H2019, and what were the considerations against quickly bringing forward the end-2020 deadline banning the use of non-UL2272 devices.

In reply, Lam Pin Min shared that there had been 49 such PMD-related fires in 1H2019, compared to 52 cases in the whole of 2018. He added that there had been complaints from retailers on the adverse impact on business with the imposition of the end-2020 deadline banning non-UL2272 devices, and some consumers were unhappy with the short usability of their non-UL2272 devices. As such, the Government would bring forward by six months to 1 July 2020, the deadline to comply with the UL2272 requirement.

Read the full exchanges here.


SINGAPORE’S ABSTENTION FROM VOTE ON INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION’S CONVENTION ON WORKPLACE VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT

Dennis Tan asked whether the Government agreed with the general spirit of the International Labour Organisation’s Violence and Harassment Convention 2019 despite the vote abstention, and how the Government intended to deal with issues leading up to the abstention.

Josephine Teo replied that the Government agreed with the intent of the Convention but was concerned with its overreach on measures beyond the workplace remit such as including domestic violence in workplace risk assessments. She added that Singapore voted for the non-binding ILO recommendation accompanying the convention, which was aligned with our commitment to eliminate workplace violence and harassment.

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TREND FOR AVERAGE ANNUAL GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON FOREIGN STUDENTS OVER PAST 10 YEARS

Leon Perera asked MOE for the total average amount of spending on foreign students annually over the past decade, and the percentage of foreign students on state financial aid.

Ong Ye Kung replied that financial aid [was] for Singapore Citizens only, and that while the Government spent $130 million annually on scholarships for international students, the cost to the education system was “well below $130 million” annually. Annual Government spending on international students in terms of scholarships and tuition grants fell by about 50% over the last 10 years.

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NUMBER OF FOREIGN STUDENTS WHO HAVE DEFAULTED ON TUITION GRANT BOND OBLIGATIONS

Png Eng Huat requested for information on the number of international students who had defaulted on their tuition grant bonds over the three years ago, the amount of said grants, the and results of recovery efforts.

Ong Ye Kung replied that the proportion of defaulters was about 4% over the past three years, with the total grant amount to this group amounting to $5.5 million annually. He added that MOE had managed to recover from a few and would continue to make “suitable recovery efforts”.

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RATIONALE FOR INABILITY TO RECOVER OVERPAYMENT AMOUNT FOR CONTRACT VARIATIONS IN NATIONAL GALLERY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

Png Eng Huat asked for an explanation for AGO’s conclusion on not recovering the $13 million in improper waivers of contractual provisions for the National Gallery Singapore (NGS) development.

Grace Fu replied that MCCY was “satisfied that there was no fraud involved” in NGS’s waivers of contractual provisions, adding that MCCY would work with NGS to “enhance their financial processes and procurement policies” following the audits.

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OBJECTIVES AND SIGNIFICANCE OF FRAMEWORK FOR CO-OPERATION ACROSS INDO-PACIFIC REGION ENDORSED AT ASEAN SUMMIT

Sylvia Lim asked for clarifications on the objectives and significance of the framework for Indo-Pacific regional co-operation endorsed at the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok in June 2019.

In reply, Vivian Balakrishnan said that the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, adopted by leaders at the Summit in June, was based on a need for coherent and cohesive response to shifts in regional dynamics and engagements. The Outlook was a “living document” to be refined and updated to advance the existing ASEAN-centric architecture as strategic contexts change.

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NUMBER OF RECIPIENTS OF SCHOLARSHIPS UNDER COMMUNITY CARE MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AWARD

Daniel Goh asked how many students, mid-career switchers, community care sector staff, and general practitioners respectively had received scholarships under the Community Care Manpower Development Award (CCMDA), and if the targets had been achieved.

Gan Kim Yong said that since the Award’s launch in April 2017, close to $8 million under CCMDA had supported about 250 individuals for training and skills upgrading in areas such as nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and gerontology. He added that over 200 awardees were in-service staff (10% of whom were mid-career candidates), with the other awardees being students and general practitioners.

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GUIDELINES FOR WEARING OF HEADGEAR WORN IN CELEBRATION OF RACIAL HARMONY DAY IN SCHOOLS

With regards to MOE’s guidelines on the use of the tudung during Racial Harmony Day commemorations in schools, Faisal Manap asked if the Government was aware of any public schools disallowing the use of the tudung, and reasons for such action.

Ong Ye Kung replied that the practice in schools was to allow students to wear ethnic outfits during Racial Harmony Day, along with the headgear as a complement if need be. He added that Racial Harmony Day commemoration was not a full-day programme, thus students do need to be properly attired for other lessons (e.g. PE, laboratory, workshop classes) where ethnic gear may have safety implications.

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CHECKS IN INTEGRITY OF WORK PERMIT, AND EMPLOYMENT AND S PASS SYSTEMS

Referencing the AGO FY2018/19 audit report, Png Eng Huat asked if a forensic review had been done to ascertain the integrity of the Work Permit and Employment/S Pass systems – for June 2011 to December 2017 – given the use of the privileged operating system by the IT vendor staff during the period.

Josephine Teo explained that a forensic review was an in-depth investigation triggered by a suspected malicious activity or security incident, in order to uncover details about the specific incident. As no unauthorised activity had been detected, there was no basis to order a forensic review.

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IMPACT OF US-CHINA TRADE TENSIONS ON SINGAPORE-OWNED COMPANIES OPERATING IN CHINA OR US

Leon Perera asked about the impact on Singapore-owned companies in China or the US, and their domestic operations, arising from the current US-China trade tensions.

In reply, Chan Chun Sing said that Singapore companies operating in the US or China had shared that US-China tensions had not significantly affected their operations overseas or in Singapore. Companies were also adopting measures such as putting investments on hold, or looking to diversity their businesses across different regions.

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STATISTICS ON MRT TRAIN DELAYS NOT MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES FOR PAST THREE YEARS

Dennis Tan requested for information on incidences of MRT train delays shorter than five minutes for each of the MRT lines in the past three years.

Khaw Boon Wan provided the following information in response:

He added that while delays less than two minutes were logged, such statistics were not tracked as the delays tended to be less related to train reliability issues.

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NUMBER OF RIOTING INCIDENTS PER YEAR FROM 2010 TO 2018

Leon Perera requested for information on the number of incidents of rioting per year from 2010 to 2018.

K Shanmugam provided the reply below:

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POSTING AND COLLECTION OF MERDEKA GENERATION PACKAGES

Dennis Tan asked if Merdeka Generation (MG) Package recipients could request the Packages be delivered by post, rather than by collection at community club or events and with the exact same benefits.

Gan Kim Yong replied that MG Package recipients who were invited to collect their Packages at community clubs or events but unable to, would have their Packages sent to them via post instead, with the same MG Package benefits and MG welcome folders.

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STATISTICS ON BTO FLATS PURCHASED UNDER SINGLE SINGAPORE CITIZEN SCHEME

On BTO flats, Daniel Goh asked how many had been purchased under the Single Singapore Citizen Scheme since inception, and how many of those had since gotten married after purchase.

Lawrence Wong replied that about 20,100 Singaporeans have booked a 2-room or 2-room Flexi flat under the Scheme since its inception in July 2013, with roughly equal proportions of male and female flat buyers. 440 of these buyers have subsequently registered a marriage in Singapore, of which about 80% were male.

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PUBLIC BUILDINGS WITHOUT FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACILITIES AND PLANS TO ENCOURAGE OWNERS TO RETROFIT SUCH FACILITIES

Faisal Manap asked for information on public buildings frequented by families that lack family-friendly facilities (e.g. lactation rooms, or diaper changing rooms), and what was being done to encourage building owners to retrofit these facilities.

Lawrence Wong said that since April 2014, new buildings frequented by families such as transport hubs, sport complexes, community club, and shopping malls larger than 10,000m2 are required to provide family friendly facilities (e.g. lactation rooms, and diaper changing rooms). Existing buildings undergoing major retrofitting are also required to meet such requirements.

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AMOUNT OF FOOD WASTE GENERATED IN 2018 AND PROGRESS ON ITS SEGREGATION AND TREATMENT

Daniel Goh asked for information on the amount of food waste by households, food industries, F&B outlets, markets and supermarkets, and other sources in 2018, and the progress on food waste segregation and treatment in each.

Masagos Zulkifli shared that 763,000 tonnes of food waste were generated in 2018, of which half were from residential households. Food manufacturers, hotels, malls, and hawker centres made up the rest. He added that a pilot food waste aggregation at Tampines GreenLace saw encouraging results, with more than 4,000kg of food waste collected over three months.

23 commercial and industrial premises have obtained funding support through NEA’s 3R Fund to install on-site food waste treatment systems, with another 23 premises segregating their food waste and sending it for treatment at the Ulu Pandan Water Reclamation Facility.

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TEACHING OF BAHASA INDONESIA AS OPTIONAL MODULE IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Leon Perera asked how far do our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) offer Bahasa Indonesia as an optional module, and facilitated exchange programmes and internships in Indonesia for students.

Ong Ye Kung replied that Bahasa Indonesia was offered at NUS and SUSS as optional modules, though Malay is offered more widely at our IHLs, in four universities and two polytechnics. He added that IHLs sent students for exchanges and internships in Indonesia each year, with about 120 students doing so last year and he hoped to increase the number as economic opportunities in Indonesia rose.

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PHASING OUT ANNOUNCEMENT OF NAMES AND REGISTRATION NUMBERS OF VOTERS ON POLLING DAY

Png Eng Huat queried if the practice of announcing voters’ names and registration numbers on Polling Day can be phased out, with the e-registration system and discreet verification on the screen instead.

Chan Chun Sing replied that the voter’s name and serial number per the register of electors must be called out by election officials as required by the Parliamentary Elections Act. He added that the e-registration process was separate from this process, and there were no plans to change this after the e-registration implementation.

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COMPANIES PROSECUTED FOR ILLEGAL DISCHARGE OF WASTEWATER INTO PUBLIC SEWAGE SYSTEM

Daniel Goh requested for the number of companies prosecuted for illegal discharge of wastewater into our public sewers over the past five years, and how many were repeat and/or multiple offenders.

Amy Khor said that since 2014, PUB had prosecuted 119 companies for illegal discharge of trade affluent into our sewers; of which 21 were second-time offenders, and 23 had committed the offence more than twice.

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ASSESSMENT OF RISK FOR UNLISTED ASSETS IN PORTFOLIOS OF GIC AND TEMASEK HOLDINGS

In Parliament, Leon Perera asked whether the Government accounted for the valuation of unlisted assets when reviewing GIC’s and Temasek’s portfolios for overall risks.

Lawrence Wong replied that the Government accounted for the unlisted assets of both funds in the overall risk assessments. Auditors also assessed the “reasonableness of the methodology used to value the entities’ assets, including unlisted assets” annually.

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SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS IN COMMITTEE ON FUTURE ASATIZAH

Faisal Manap requested for elaborations on the selection and appointment criteria of members of the new Committee on Future Asatizah (COFA).

In response, Maliki Osman said that MUIS considered two factors in the selection of COFA members. One, to ensure a strong representation from the asatizah community, with both senior and young asatizah appointees. Two, to have a diversity of professionals and academics from different fields in COFA to advise on issues.

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REASONS FOR REPETITIVE FINDINGS OF IT LAPSES IN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Pritam Singh asked for the systemic reasons behind the repetitive findings of the AGO’s FY2018/19 report, and what were the major findings on the public sector IT systems carried out from 2009 to 2011.

Janil Puthucheary replied that for the 2009 to 2011 audit across 85 agencies, a common finding was that agencies were not carrying out regular reviews of their system architecture and standards to make sure that there were no weaknesses and to bring them up to date with the latest available security systems. This had been addressed through the deployment of central IT infrastructure and common services.

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SAFE USAGE OF PARK CONNECTOR NETWORKS BY CYCLISTS AND PMD RIDERS

On PCN paths with separate markings for “PCN” and “walking”, Dennis Tan asked if users were required to keep to the appropriate side, and what measures were taken to monitor and ensure safe usage of such path.

Desmond Lee said that park connectors were shared paths for all, and the lane markings were part of an NParks’ 2018 pilot project to guide slower pedestrians away from faster cyclists. He added that the clear markings helped make it easier for people to follow the rule. He also mentioned that NParks enforced actions against reckless behaviour on the PCNs.

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EXPORT OF SINGAPORE’S RECYCLABLE WASTE

Daniel Goh asked how much of Singapore’s recyclable waste was exported to overseas processors, and which countries received the most of our waste.

Masagos Zulkifli replied that about 60% of our total waste generated was recycled. In 2018. About 30% of recyclable materials were exported to countries including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand for processing and recycling.

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CONSIDERATION TO MAKE GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AVAILABLE ONLINE

Pritam Singh proposed if the Government Financial Statements (GFS) could be made available online for public use, and if not, what were reasons against.

Heng Swee Keat replied that copies of the GFS were made available for access by Members of Parliament in the Parliament Library, and for public access in the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.

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AMOUNT OF CASH PAID BY SINGAPOREANS AND PERMANENT RESIDENTS AFTER ACCOUNT SUBSIDIES, MEDISHIELD LIFE AND MEDISAVE DEDUCTIONS

On subsidised hospitalisation annually from 2015 to 2017, Pritam Singh asked how much Singaporeans and PRs respectively pay in cash at the 10th to 40th deciles after accounting for subsidies, MediShield Life, and MediSave deductions.

Gan Kim Yong replied that in that period, Singaporeans and PRs at the 10th to 40th percentile of subsidised hospitalisation bills paid $0 in cash after accounting for subsidies, MediShield Life and MediSave deductions.

Over the same period, the median amount of cash paid by Singaporean Citizens in the 10th to 40th per capita household income percentiles for subsidised hospitalisations was also $0, after taking into account subsidies, MediShield Life and MediSave deductions. The corresponding figures for PR ranged from $38 to $47 over the same period.

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PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS SWITCHING SUPPLIERS IN OPEN ELECTRICITY MARKET

Pritam Singh asked how many households have switched to purchasing electricity from non-SP suppliers since the Open Electricity Market was launched, and if EMA was considering a simpler sign-up procedure for low-income households.

Chan Chun Sing said that about 34% of household consumers have switched their electricity retailers as of end-June 2019. He shared that switching was designed to be simple and accessible to all, regardless of income or household types. OEM consumers can approach their preferred retailer to sign up and can do so via different channels.

Read the full exchange here.