Written Answers to WP's Oral Questions and Written Questions on 25 Sep 2025
NUMBER OF MONITORED CLAIMS AGAINST INVESTMENT-LINKED POLICIES FOR EVERY YEAR SINCE 2015
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether MAS monitors the annual number of claims brought by citizens through the relevant channels against investment-linked policies; (b) if so, for each year since 2015, what is the (i) number of such claims (ii) total quantum of consumer financial losses from resolved claims and (iii) median quantum for each claim.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): My response to this question will also address the other oral Parliamentary Question1 filed by Mr Andre Low for a subsequent Sitting.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) works closely with the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (or FIDReC) to monitor the trend of cases filed against financial institutions on all financial products, including those relating to investment-linked policies (or ILPs). FIDReC is an independent and impartial body which assists in the resolution of disputes between consumers and financial institutions.
The average annual number of ILP-related cases handled by FIDREC from 2017 to 2024 was 83, which represented 0.06% of the average annual number of ILPs sold over the same period. In 2024, ILP-related cases handled by FIDReC rose to 211 cases, representing 0.1% of total ILPs sold that year. While cases were higher in 2024, the numbers have moderated this year. For the first half of 2025, there were 60 ILP-related cases, compared with 122 for the same period last year. Median quantum sought by claimants was $11,300 in 2017 and $7,200 in 2024. It is untrue that MAS has not implemented strong consumer protection measures sooner.
There are in fact existing consumer protection safeguards in place. Financial institutions and their representatives must demonstrate that ILPs are suitable for clients when recommending the product. They must also disclose key product information and features, including attendant fees and charges. They must make special arrangements for vulnerable clients, such as elderly customers who are not
proficient in English. They must also perform call-backs to verify a client's understanding of the product and its associated risks before concluding the sale.
From 29 December 2025, there will be additional requirements, including having a trusted individual2 such as a family member or caregiver to be present with the vulnerable client during the sales and advisory process. Where misconduct is established, MAS takes firm enforcement action against errant financial institutions and their representatives. These enforcement actions are published to send a deterrent signal against misconduct across the industry. While the incidence of complaints is generally less than 0.1% of ILP products sold, MAS has proposed new measures to further strengthen consumer protection.
MAS conducted a public consultation in July on two key measures relating to ILPs. First, MAS proposed that financial institutions provide a standardised product highlights sheet to outline key risks, features, fees, and exit procedures of ILPs. This includes important questions for consumers to ask their financial advisers. Second, MAS proposed for ILPs to be classified as complex products. This classification acknowledges that ILPs combine insurance and investment elements. It also acknowledges that the policy’s performance is subject to the performance of the underlying fund linked to the policy, as well as ongoing insurance premium charges, which increase with age. These factors are generally beyond investors’ control and retail investors may not easily understand the risk-return characteristics of ILPs.
Under MAS’ proposals, a complex product will have a red-coloured heading band on the product highlights sheet to alert investors to seek advice before making a purchase. In addition, sellers of these products must provide vulnerable customers with financial advice when these investors purchase any complex product. MAS aims to finalise the proposals in early 2026. The proposals, along with existing safeguards, ensure appropriate safeguards for customers who purchase ILPs, especially those who are vulnerable, while empowering customers to make informed choices.
AVERAGE AND MEDIAN SALARIES EARNED BY PUBLIC SECTOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS FROM 2021 TO 2025
13 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health for each of the last five years, what were the average and median salaries earned by public sector (i) specialist doctors (ii) non-specialist doctors (iv) registered nurses and (v) enrolled nurses.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Between 2021 and 2024, the median monthly base salaries of doctors in the public healthcare clusters increased from about $13,700 to $14,400, and that for nurses increased from about $4,300 to $4,700. This excludes other pay components such as bonuses and allowances. Do note that median salary is influenced by seniority profile of the workforce. Salary data for 2020 was not collected due to COVID-19. The Ministry of Health (MOH) would also like to highlight that we no longer categorise public sector doctors as "specialists" and "non-specialists".
Under the new care team model introduced this year, the public healthcare sector has three main career tracks: Family Physicians, Hospital Clinicians, and Specialists.
INCLUSION OF MODERATE-TO-SEVERE EZCEMA UNDER CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
15 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider including moderate-to-severe eczema under the Chronic Disease Management Programme.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Conditions under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) are regularly reviewed by a Clinical Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising Family Physicians and specialists from the public and private sectors. In assessing the inclusion of conditions onto the CDMP, the CAC consults clinical experts in various healthcare settings, and considers factors such as disease burden, potential benefits of early interventions to patient outcomes, the cumulative cost to the patient from long-term treatment, and the availability of evidence-based clinical guidelines for appropriate care of the condition. Eczema will be assessed for inclusion into the CDMP. Even though eczema is currently not on the CDMP, patients can already access subsidised treatments for eczema today. Eligible patients may receive subsidies of up to 75% at polyclinics and Specialist Outpatient Clinics for their eczema treatment and medications. Patients aged 60 years and above can also tap on Flexi-MediSave to pay for eczema treatments and medications, up to the prevailing withdrawal limit.
PLANS TO ALLOW RECREATIONAL WATER SPORTS SPACES ALONG SERANGOON RIVER AREA AROUND SERANGOON PARK CONNECTOR ALONG UPPER SERANGOON VIEW AND HOUGANG AVE 7
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether there are any plans to allow recreational water sports spaces along Serangoon River at the area around the Serangoon Park connector along Upper Serangoon View and along Hougang Ave 7.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: There are currently no plans to permit recreational water sports activities along the Serangoon Reservoir at the area around the Serangoon Park connector along Upper Serangoon View and along Hougang Ave 7.
CONTENT REMOVAL REQUESTS MADE TO SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS DUE TO INAUTHENTIC ACCOUNTS AND BEHAVIOUR DURING 2025 GENERAL ELECTION
26 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information during the 2025 General Election (a) how many content removal requests are made to social media platforms in relation to inauthentic accounts and behaviour; and (b) how many of these requests are declined or not acted on by social media platforms, with a breakdown by individual social media platforms.
Mrs Josephine Teo: During the 2025 General Election, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) remained vigilant against coordinated inauthentic behaviour that could have influenced election outcomes. MDDI was aware of local media reports about the alleged inauthentic social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram that appeared to target different political parties during the election period. While MDDI did not make content removal requests to the social media platforms in relation to inauthentic accounts and behaviour, we worked with Meta on their investigation. They then acted against accounts that violated their community guidelines, including those suspected of being inauthentic. We continue to monitor the online space and will act on content that is in breach of our laws.
PERCENTAGE OF MID-CAREER PROFESSIONALS UNDER TESA PROGRAMME ACCEPTING LOWER STARTING SALARY COMPARED TO THEIR NON-TECH ROLE
28 Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) for mid-career professionals placed under the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) programme, what percentage accepted a lower starting salary compared to their previous non-tech role; (b) what was the median job level of their new role; and (c) what is the one-year retention rate for these individuals within the tech industry.
Mrs Josephine Teo: The TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) initiative has been a key initiative in driving the growth of tech talent in Singapore and helping non-tech workers pivot into tech roles. Since 2016, TeSA has placed more than 21,000 locals into tech jobs, including mid-career professionals, through initiatives such as the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s Tech Immersion and Placement Programme (TIPP) and Workforce Singapore’s Career Conversion Programme. Under TeSA, mid-career professionals pick up relevant tech skills, including cloud computing, software development and AI, and get emplaced into entry-level tech roles, such as AI application developers, cybersecurity associates, and software engineers. Over 90% of TeSA participants stay in the same role for 24 months after completing the programme. We do not typically track participants’ last drawn salary.
EMPLOYING SUITABLE LOCAL POLYTECHNIC OR ITE GRADUATES IN STATUTORY BOARDS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, WHEN AVAILABLE, INSTEAD OF S PASS HOLDERS
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many S Pass holders are employed across statutory boards and Government agencies; (b) what hiring practices ensure such roles are not filled by S Pass holders when suitable local polytechnic or ITE graduates are available; and (c) whether the Ministry will publish disaggregated public sector S Pass employment data for transparency and accountability.
Dr Tan See Leng: There are about 550 S Pass holders employed in Ministries and Statutory Boards, making up roughly 0.35% of the 154,000 public officers. They take on roles that require skills that are in shortage among our local workforce. As the number of S Pass holders is small, further breakdown would be of limited public interest. The Public Service adopts the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, and fairly considers all local candidates for job positions.
MEASURES TO SAFEGUARD LONG-TERM FINANCIAL SECURITY OF FAMILY CAREGIVERS WHO LEFT WORKFORCE OR REDUCED WORK HOURS
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Minister for Social and Family Development
(a) what specific measures, such as direct compensation or CPF contributions, are being considered to safeguard the long-term financial security of family caregivers who leave the workforce or reduce their work hours; and (b) what is the Ministry’s assessment of the feasibility of such direct support schemes.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Government recognises the important role that
caregivers play in their family and in our society. Supporting caregivers to stay working where possible, enables them to pursue their aspirations and meaningful careers, while providing the most reliable assurance for their long-term financial security. We enable working caregivers to balance work with caregiving through setting norms and expectations on flexible work arrangements (FWAs) via the Tripartite Guidelines on FWA Requests, and by providing employment facilitation and reskilling support for those who wish to return to work.
Working caregivers may also be eligible for the Workfare Income Supplement,
which supplements eligible lower-wage workers’ income and retirement savings. From 1 Apr 2025, eligible parents can also make use of the enhanced Government-Paid Paternity Leave, and a new Shared Parental Leave scheme.
Caregivers can benefit from a range of support to help them defray the costs of
caregiving. As announced at Budget 2025, caregivers can benefit from enhancements to subsidies, grants and insurance for long-term care, like the Home Caregiving Grant and CareShield Life. Parents with young children also receive a wide range of financial support, such as the Baby Bonus Cash Gift and preschool subsidies.
Eligible caregivers who are seniors can also benefit from the Silver Support Scheme
and Matched Retirement Savings Scheme which were enhanced from January 2025, and the Majulah Package for seniors born in 1973 or earlier. These provide an additional boost to eligible seniors’ retirement and healthcare adequacy, including those with caregiving duties.
The Government, employers and the community each has a role to play in supporting
our caregivers so that they can balance caregiving with their other responsibilities
sustainably. We will continue to review the support caregivers need at different stages of life.
GOVERNMENT'S ASSUMPTIONS UNDERLYING ASSESSMENT OF SINGAPORE'S 2%-3% GDP GROWTH POTENTIAL
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for
Trade and Industry what are the assumptions underlying the Ministry’s assessment of (i) the 2%-3% GDP growth potential of Singapore (ii) the target long run growth rate of Singapore and (iii) the key drivers for bringing this growth to 3% to 5% and above.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Over the next decade, Singapore’s real GDP is expected to
grow by an average of 2% to 3% per annum, supported by productivity growth of around 1% to 2% per annum, even as our workforce growth slows to around 1% per annum due to an ageing population and falling birthrates.
While this GDP growth rate is comparable to that of many small, open economies
such as Switzerland, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) aims to take advantage of the window of opportunities presented by structural shifts in the global economy to achieve a faster pace of growth over the next few years. Doing so will put our economy on a strong footing to stay globally competitive over the longer term.
To this end, the Economic Strategy Review (ESR), which we set up earlier this year,
will seek to refresh our economic blueprint for the new global landscape. As part of this review, the Government will look into anchoring and growing higher value-added
industries in Singapore, as well as leveraging technology such as AI to achieve a larger productivity boost.
If we succeed in our efforts, Singapore may be able to achieve above-trend GDP
growth of 3% to 4% per annum over the next few years, and maybe more in very good
years. In turn, this will support good real wage growth for Singaporeans and enhance our resilience in the face of global uncertainties.
PROPOSAL FOR LEGISLATIVE REVIEW TO BUILD WORKPLACE TRUST AND BETTER PROTECT PRIVACY OF EMPLOYEES ON MEDICAL LEAVE
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the
Ministry assesses that the Employment Act, Personal Data Protection Act, and
Workplace Fairness Act are sufficient to address instances of employers tracking
employees on medical leave; (b) what is the policy rationale for not explicitly prohibiting such practices; and (c) whether a legislative review is planned to better protect employee privacy and workplace trust.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry’s approach is to safeguard key employment
standards in legislation, while encouraging employers to adopt progressive workplace practices that are mutually beneficial for employees while meeting their business needs.
In line with this approach, the Employment Act entitles employees to paid sick leave
and employers are legally required to excuse their employees from work if they are
certified unfit for work by a medical practitioner, for the well-being of the employee and their co-workers. Employers should not undertake personal data collection in order to discourage employees from taking sick leave when ill. At the same time, employees must use sick leave responsibly, and employers can conduct investigations if they suspect potential misconduct.
If employees have any concerns about their company’s employment policies, they
should first surface the issue through their company's grievance-handling channel or
approach their union if their company is unionised. Employees may also approach the Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) for further assistance.
RATIONALE FOR SHORTENING NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION'S POSTGRADUATE TEACHER TRAINING BY FOUR MONTHS
Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Minister for Education (a) what lessons have been
learnt from the lengthening of the National Institute of Education's postgraduate teacher training programme from 12 months to 16 months between 2016 and 2025; and (b) what have changed to precipitate the recent announcement on 3 June 2025 to shorten the programme by four months.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ministry of Education (MOE) and the National Institute of
Education (NIE) regularly review the teacher preparation programmes to ensure that new teachers are well equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills.
The extension of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme from
12 to 16 months in 2016 provided teachers with extended time in school for practical
application, time and space for reflection as well as additional courses such as parent engagement and special educational needs.
Since then, NIE and MOE have developed effective approaches such as
asynchronous online learning and shifted some learning to the Beginning Teacher stage.
This allows NIE to reduce the duration of the PGDE programme to better meet the
learning needs of an increasingly diverse teaching force which includes mid-career
officers, without compromising quality of teacher preparation.
AVERAGE WAIT TIME FOR PLACEMENT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOL FROM APPLICATION TO DECISION
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the
average wait time for a place in a Special Education school (SPED) from application to decision; (b) whether the Ministry plans to increase SPED school places; and (c) what are the main constraints in expanding capacity.
Mr Desmond Lee: For enrolment to start Primary 1 in 2025 at a Special Education
(SPED) school, the average processing time from submission of the application to the confirmation of a place for the child in a SPED school is six months. In some cases where an alternative school had to be identified due to vacancy constraints, the wait time could be longer.
Whilst most of the students in SPED do start school on the first day of the school
year, there are students who may have to begin school at a later date, as the schools
require additional time to recruit teachers and expand their capacity to enrol more
students.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) works closely with the Social Service Agencies
(SSAs) that run SPED schools to monitor the capacity and demand for schools, and the wait time for enrolment. Between 2022 and 2024, the total number of SPED school places increased from 7,300 to 8,300, supported by the opening of 7 additional new SPED schools. Over the period from 2026 to 2030, the total number of places will increase to about 10,000, supported by the expansion of existing schools and the opening of one more new school.
To support growth in the SPED sector, MOE works closely with the SSAs to attract
and retain teachers and teacher aides by implementing the enhanced salary guidelines under the SPED Teaching Profession: Journeys of Excellence Package 2.0, announced in 2024, in addition to strengthening professional development opportunities. MOE continues to encourage individuals open to pursue a promising and purposeful career educating children with special educational needs to join the sector.
MEASURES TO STOP ACTIVE MOBILITY USERS ON PARK CONNECTOR NETWORKS FROM BLASTING MUSIC WHEN CLOSE TO HOUSING ESTATES
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for National Development (a) what
are the measures taken to stop active mobility users using Park Connector Networks from blasting loud music while passing near housing estates, such as those along Hougang Avenue 7 and Upper Serangoon View, especially during quiet hours at night; and (b) whether there are any plans to enhance current public education or enforcement measures regarding such behaviour.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Visitors to our public spaces such as parks and Park Connector
Networks (PCN) should be considerate to the wider community, including residents, and not create noise that might disturb others.
Where necessary, National Parks Board (NParks) will step up its enforcement
operations and public education efforts. NParks also installs signs along the PCN to
advise users to keep noise levels down.
NParks collaborates closely with partners, such as the People’s Association,
Residents’ Networks, Friends of the PCN and the Singapore Kindness Movement to raise public awareness about PCN etiquette.
DEFINITION OF "LOCAL FISH PRODUCE" AND PERCENTAGE OF
LOCALLY-PRODUCED FISHES ORIGINATING FROM FISH STOCK
IMPORTED
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for Sustainability and the
Environment (a) what is SFA’s definition of "local fish produce" including the minimum
qualifying Singapore grow-out period; (b) what percentage of fish produce labelled
"local" originates from fish stock imported at near-market size; and (c) what steps are
taken to prevent importers from exploiting this loophole and to ensure that 30-by-30
statistics reflect genuine local production.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Local fish produce refers to fish that are grown or produced
from fry or fingerlings by local farms licensed by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
SFA does not prescribe or track minimum grow-out periods, but we conduct periodic
checks on farms to monitor local production data declared by farms.
INFORMATION ON ANNUAL MANAGEMENT COST AS PERCENTAGE OF ASSETS FOR TEMASEK HOLDINGS
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance
(a) whether the Government has information on (i) the annual management costs as a percentage of assets under management for Temasek Holdings over the last five years and (ii) the quantitative and qualitative performance indicators for the new wholly-owned entities, Temasek Global Investments, Temasek Singapore, and Temasek Partnership Solutions respectively; and (b) if so, what are they.
Ms Indranee Rajah (for the Prime Minister): We had previously addressed related
questions regarding the management costs for Temasek Holdings in this House, and the Member may want to refer to the Hansard records.
Temasek Holdings will set up the three new wholly-owned entities to manage
different segments of its portfolio. The Government will continue to hold the Board of
Temasek Holdings accountable for delivering good long-term returns on the overall
investment portfolio. Temasek will continue to publish the total portfolio’s net returns,
which would have deducted all investment fees and expenses.
For further information on Temasek’s wholly-owned entities, I refer the Member to
Temasek’s press release and statements.
USE OF MEDISAVE FOR SPECIALIST CONSULTATIONS, PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Coordinating Minister for Social
Policies and Minister for Health what considerations currently preclude the use of
MediSave for specialist consultations, prescribed medications and diagnostic tests.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: MediSave can be used to pay for certain costly outpatient
treatments such as cancer drugs and radiotherapy, chronic disease treatments and
diagnostic scans. The withdrawal limit for outpatient scans will increase from $300 to $600 annually from the start of next year.
Patients aged 60 years old and above can also rely on the Flexi-MediSave limit to
offset their bills for consultations, medications and tests in the specialist outpatient
setting. The Flexi-MediSave limit will also increase from $300 to $400 from 1 October
2025.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) regularly reviews the use of MediSave to strike a
balance between keeping treatments affordable for Singaporeans and preserving
MediSave for their future healthcare needs.
REEMPLOYMENT FOR FORMER JETSTAR ASIA STAFF
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Manpower in respect of the
closure of Jetstar Asia operations at Changi Airport (a) to date, how many of the 500
30 employees of Singapore-based Jetstar Asia have found re-employment; and (b) of those who have not done so, what are the difficulties faced in finding re-employment.
Dr Tan See Leng: Following the announcement of Jetstar Asia’s closure in June
2025, NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) worked closely with Jetstar Asia, the Singapore Mercantile & Manual Workers’ Union, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), and SIA Group to organise a job matching exercise for affected employees.
The Ministry of Manpower does not track nor require companies to report re
employment rates for such job matching exercises. We understand that as of 9 September 2025, around 90% of former Jetstar Asia flight crew have either found new jobs or landed job interviews following the exercise. For the remaining workers, we understand that the union had encouraged them to apply for temporary financial assistance under the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme and advised members to use the Union Training Assistance Programme (UTAP) to help offset training costs while seeking new roles.
METRICS USED TO ESTABLISH AFFORDABILITY OF NEW HDB BTO FLATS
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Minister for National Development (a) what
specific metrics and quantitative thresholds are used to establish the affordability of a new HDB BTO flat; (b) whether they include (i) household income percentile targeted (ii) the house price-to-income ratio (iii) the assumed mortgage servicing ratio and (iv) the assumed loan tenure; (c) if so, what are the thresholds; and (d) what other metrics are considered.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Government takes a holistic approach to assessing housing
affordability, which depends on a buyer’s budget and their choice of flat. We track a
range of indicators, including the House Price to Income Ratio and Mortgage Servicing Ratio. As public housing serves a broad spectrum of Singaporeans, we evaluate affordability across different household income levels, flat types and locations.
To keep Build-To-Order (BTO) flats affordable, we apply significant market
discounts to the assessed market values of all new flats. In addition, we provide generous grants of up to $120,000 to eligible first-timer families through the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant.
Affordability outcomes remain strong. In 2024, about 9 in 10 first-timer families
who collected keys to their BTO flats were able to service their HDB loan instalments
fully using their CPF, with little or no cash outlay. This means that they had Mortgage
Servicing Ratios of 25% or less, better than international affordability benchmarks of 30 to 35%.
VERIFYING INDIVIDUALS' CRIMINAL RECORDS WITH GOVERNMENT
Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there is any way for individuals to verify their criminal records with the Government, particularly any specific criminal antecedents that may prevent a person from obtaining licences such as the Security Officer's Licence even 35 when a check through the e-service platform on Status of Criminal Record Rendered Spent shows a clear record; and (b) if not, why not.
Mr K Shanmugam: Individuals with criminal records may check if their records have been rendered spent through the Police e-service mentioned by the Member. Applicants for licences issued by the Police are not evaluated solely on their criminal record, or lack thereof. Every application is assessed on its own merits, considering all relevant facts and circumstances that exist at the time of the application. For Security Officer licences, this includes criteria such as whether the applicant is an undischarged bankrupt or has been involved in unlawful activities.
ASSESSING RISKS OF SINKHOLE FORMATION
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for National Development (a) what measures
were previously put in place to prevent and assess the risks to the formation of sinkholes; (b) whether the BCA conducts regular tests of the subterranean integrity of underground structures; and (c) whether these will be updated in the light of the July 2025 sinkhole incident.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has a rigorous
regulatory regime for underground works. Project owners, along with their appointed
contractors and consultants, are responsible for complying with these regulations. This includes monitoring ground and building movements during the construction process for all large-scale underground tunnelling or excavation works. If there are contraventions to the Building Control Act, BCA will investigate and take errant parties to task.
The investigations into the July 2025 sinkhole incident are still ongoing. BCA will
review its measures to assess if changes are required after the investigations have
concluded.
COORDINATION BETWEEN SPF AND ICA FOR INDIVIDUALS WHOSE PASSPORTS HAVE BEEN IMPOUNDED DUE TO ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Coordinating Minister for National
Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there are existing protocols for
coordination between SPF and ICA regarding individuals whose passports have been
impounded due to ongoing investigations; and (b) whether ICA verifies claims of lost
passports with the SPF to prevent fraudulent re-issuance especially in cases where the original passport is under police custody.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) & Immigration and
Checkpoints Authority (ICA) have in place established coordination protocols regarding individuals whose passports have been impounded by SPF due to ongoing investigations, including when there is an application for issuance of a new passport.
GUIDELINES FOR PICKLEBALL PLAY IN HDB PUBLIC COURTS GIVEN ITS RISING POPULARITY AND POTENTIAL NOISE DISAMENITIES
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for National Development
whether there are plans to issue guidelines or regulations for pickleball play in HDB
public courts given its rising popularity and potential noise disamenities.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Under existing guidelines on community noise, residents are advised to be considerate towards others and observe the quiet hours between 10.30pm and 7am. This guideline applies to neighbours as well as common spaces, which include game courts in HDB estates.
Between January 2024 and August 2025, the Municipal Services Office received a
total of 701 complaints about noise arising from pickleball play in HDB estates.
Town Councils (TCs) have been implementing measures at the local level to address
residents’ concerns. These include putting up advisories, working with Grassroots
Leaders to mediate between residents and pickleball players, and restricting the use of the game courts to certain hours.
On the Member’s suggestion to convert sports facilities into multi-purpose facilities
with safety enhancements and sound dampeners, TCs may apply to HDB for landowner’s consent to carry out such conversion works. In approving such applications, HDB will consider whether the proposal meets prevailing technical and safety requirements, and whether it will cause disamenities, among other factors.
INCREASING NUMBER OF CAR-LITE HDB ESTATES BEYOND GAZETTED AREAS
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Acting Minister for Transport
whether the Government plans to increase the number of car-lite HDB estates beyond the currently gazetted areas.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: Since 2019, LTA has gazetted 16 car-lite areas including several
public housing estates, such as Tengah, Bayshore and Ulu Pandan. Agencies will
continue to assess land use and transport plans and consider the presence of nearby
amenities when planning car-lite areas.
PLANS TO ENHANCE ECOLOGICAL CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN MANDAI MANGROVE AND MUDFLATS TO CENTRAL CATCHMENT NATURE RESERVE
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for National Development (a)
whether there are plans to enhance ecological connectivity between Mandai mangrove and mudflats to the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, aside from naturalising Sungei Mandai; and (b) whether baseline biodiversity studies have been conducted for the buffer forests north of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, particularly the Lorong Asrama and Track 16 forests.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: As announced at the launch of the Draft Master Plan 2025,
National Parks Board (NParks) is establishing a new Kranji Nature Corridor to strengthen the ecological connectivity between the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat Nature Park.
There will be over 110 ha of new parks, around 8 km of new recreational routes, and
more than 11 km of Nature Ways within the Kranji Nature Corridor. These routes will
have plantings to replicate the forest structure and facilitate animal movement. We are also studying potential parks at Sungei Pang Sua and Kranji Reservoir, as well as
possible enhancements to the riverine habitats there.
Agencies will assess the need to conduct Environmental Impact Assessments for the
buffer forests north of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, if there are future
development plans in these areas.
FREQUENCY OF RECYCLABLE COLLECTION IN RESIDENTIAL ESTATES' BLUE BINS
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Sustainability and the
Environment (a) how does the Ministry determine the frequency of recyclable collection in blue bins for residential estates; (b) how many reports does the Ministry receive every month of overflowing bins; and (c) whether the Ministry will increase collections to five times weekly to maintain hygiene while also encouraging recycling.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: National Environment Agency (NEA) regularly reviews and
revises the collection frequency for recyclables based on the ground situation. In the
2010s, the Public Waste Collectors (PWCs) were required to provide 660-litre recycling bins and collect the recyclables once a week. This has since been increased to three times a week. The PWCs have also introduced larger capacity 2,200-litre side-loading recycling bins in certain areas where large amounts of recyclables are generated, and collection for such bins is done once a week.
NEA receives a small number of reports per month of overflowing recycling bins.
These are typically due to the presence of bulky items such as cardboard boxes that were not flattened, as well as higher amounts of recyclables during festive seasons when residents do spring cleaning. NEA has worked with our PWCs to increase the collection frequency during festive periods and when necessary.
Everyone can do our part to recycle right. We encourage members of the public to
flatten cardboard boxes before depositing them into recycling bins to avoid taking up
unnecessary space. The recyclables should also be cleaned before depositing them in recycling bins. This will help to maintain cleanliness in residential estates and facilitate the collection of clean recyclables.
ADDRESSING AND REGULATING CONCERNS OF DOG URINE IN PUBLIC AREAS
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Sustainability and the
Environment (a) why it is not an offence for dog owners to allow their dogs to urinate on concrete flooring without cleaning up; (b) whether requesting dog owners to use water from a bottle to wash off the urine is sufficient to remove bad smells and stains; and (c) how else the Ministry addresses concerns about dog urine in public areas.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: While we require pet owners to clean up after their pets
defecate, it is more difficult for pet owners to clean up pet urine completely. Hence, my Ministry’s approach to tackling pet urination in public places is to foster a culture of responsible pet ownership and encourage pet owners to be civic-minded and considerate.
While there are currently no plans to mandate pet owners to clean up after pet urination, we urge all pet owners to exercise social responsibility in keeping public places clean. Pet owners should wash off pet urine to prevent bad smells, stains, and uphold public hygiene.
NEA and the National Parks Board (NParks) work with community leaders and
Town Councils to educate pet owners on the Do’s and Don’ts of being a responsible pet owner through educational materials such as posters. Members of the public who encounter disamenities due to pet urination can provide feedback to their Town Councils or relevant agencies for their necessary action.
PERCENTAGE OF JOINTLY-CREATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES GENERATING LITTLE OR NO LICENSING REVENUE FOR SINGAPORE
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for
Trade and Industry in respect of joint public-private R&D Corporate Laboratories (CLs)
funded under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) plans (a) what percentage of jointly-created Intellectual Properties generate (i) zero or (ii) only nominal licensing revenue for the Singapore public entity; and (b) how is the Government ensuring taxpayers secure commensurate returns for such CLs.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Under RIE, the Industry Alignment Fund-Industry
Collaboration Projects scheme (IAF-ICP) was established to encourage public sector
researchers to pursue R&D in partnership with industry. One of the modalities for such collaborations is through public-private Corporate Laboratories (CL) where public sector researchers work alongside the partner companies’ researchers. In RIE 2025, about 80% of the Corporate Laboratory projects supported under IAF-ICP have licensing revenue expected from jointly-created Intellectual Properties (IP).
Beyond licensing revenue, such projects seek to foster economic growth through
helping the partner companies develop new products, and also to train a skilled, industry ready research workforce. Furthermore, these collaborations build up the track record and credibility of our public research organizations amongst industry players, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of Singapore for corporates to anchor their research and innovation hubs.
For example, the S$110 million Wilmar-NUS Corporate Laboratory strengthened
Singapore as a leading centre for Asian-centric studies in translational medicine,
nutritional sciences, healthy ageing and synthetic biology. It has trained over 70
researchers and PhD students, and also developed IP that has the potential to unlock new markets, with potential licensing revenue of US$25 million.
Another example is A*STAR’s Institute of Microelectronics’ (IME) partnership with
Applied Materials to establish the Centre of Excellence in Advanced Packaging. Since its inception, in 2011, the Centre has created more than 120 innovation jobs and benefitted at least 60 industry partners in product development. More recently, in 2024, Applied Materials chose Singapore to host its global Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialisation (EPIC) platform for advanced chip packaging technologies. This enables our workforce and local companies such as ACE United Technologies and PBA Group to be at the forefront of technological innovation.
PROPOSAL FOR FORMATION OF “ALGORITHM COMMITTEE” TO LOOK INTO ALLOCATION MECHANISMS OF E-COMMERCE, RIDE-HAIL, DELIVERY AND ONLINE PLATFORMS
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for
Trade and Industry whether the Ministry can consider the formation of an “Algorithm
Committee” to look into allocation mechanisms of e-commerce, ride-hail, delivery and
online platforms, to give suppliers and consumers confidence that there is fairness and transparency in how the platforms operate.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Government has measures to promote responsible use of
artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic systems by platforms, and to protect suppliers and consumers from discriminatory outcomes.
For example, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) can
take enforcement action against errant businesses under the Competition Act or the
Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, for conduct that harms merchants or consumers.
CCCS provides guidance to businesses on best practices for algorithm use, through
the recent release of the AI Markets toolkit developed in collaboration with the
Infocomm Media Development Authority. The open-source toolkit helps businesses
assess their AI models and business practices to ensure competition and consumer
protection.
CCCS and the Consumers Association of Singapore also issue advice and tips to
encourage consumers to be vigilant and discerning when transacting with platforms, so they can spot potential exploitative practices early.
For the ride-hailing sector, the Government seeks to maintain an open and
contestable point-to-point transport market by ensuring drivers and commuters have free choice of operators. This includes prohibiting exclusive arrangements tying drivers to a single platform, and ensuring fare transparency so drivers and commuters can make informed choices.
The Platform Workers Act also provides a representation framework for platform
work associations and platform operators to engage on issues of concern, including on desired outcomes of task allocation mechanisms. Major platform operators have also agreed with platform work associations on the principles for fair earnings and safe incentive structures. This provides win-win outcomes for consumers, businesses, and workers, and balances platform workers’ needs and platform operators’ ability to match demand and supply.
The Government will continue to monitor for new developments that arise from the
use of AI and algorithm systems in platforms’ allocation mechanisms. We will stay
nimble and explore possible options, including consider the formation of an “Algorithm Committee” where applicable, if new risks emerge.
