Committee of Supply – Head L (Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment)

Clean, Green and Sustainable Singapore

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Mr Chairman, I move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head L of the Estimates be reduced by $100".

2.33 pm

It has been a privilege chairing the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Sustainability and the Environment who have pushed hard for positive changes, a privilege to have seen first-hand the good work done by our dedicated teams at the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), National Environment Authority (NEA), Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Public Utilities Board (PUB).

MSE does vital work in safeguarding the food we eat, the water we drink, the environment in which we live, work and play in, our climate and the survival of this planet we call home. I know it is rare for me to stand up here for almost a minute already and not ask questions, call for changes and nag for things to be done.

But truly and sincerely, we have seen much progress made in MSE's policies and legislation and I am truly grateful. Many activists are thankful that many of their voices have been heard and our policies, especially on the climate change front, have improved significantly over the years.

With the recent passing of the 574 pages Food Safety and Security Bill, we have also improved food security in Singapore and ensured a safer supply of fresh water and food. With the passing of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill, we have ensured that we have done more to tackle food waste.

In this Committee of Supply (COS), I look forward to hearing more about the progress from the hard work of our teams again at MSE, NEA, SFA and PUB. Thank you again, for your dedication, passion and determination.

I almost ended this speech without asking for anything, but you know, that is impossible. I am sure Senior Minister of State Amy Khor and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng expect me to talk about second-hand smoke and I shall not disappoint them. We have done so well in so many areas except in the area of second-hand smoke.

Fresh air is as vital as fresh food, fresh water and a healthy planet. I truly and sincerely hope that MSE can put our hearts and minds towards tackling the issue of second-hand smoke. People depend on us to protect them from second-hand smoke.

I hope that in 2025, we will finally change our policies and legislation to protect people from second-hand smoke in their own homes. I know my GPC colleagues and fellow Members of Parliament will be asking lots more questions about the Ministry's other plans for 2025. I look forward to a robust debate.

Question proposed.

Climate Resilient Future

Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim (Nominated Member): Addressing climate change will assist and ensure Singapore's long-term resilience and sustainability. As a densely-populated island nation with limited resources, strategic urban planning and promoting sustainable practices and core components of an effective climate change strategy is critical.

In this context, how does the Ministry plan to work with business and industry to align their practices with climate resilience goals, and what support is available to help them transition? What strategies are the Ministry implementing to enhance the city's resilience to climate change and how are these strategies being integrated into urban planning and development? How is the Ministry engaging with communities to foster a culture of sustainability and encourage individual actions that contribute to a climate-resilient future? And finally, how is the Ministry collaborating with international partners and organisations to share best practices and innovations in building sustainable and climate-resilient cities?

Building Climate Resilience

Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Chairman, Singapore, as a small and open economy, faces dual pressures, staying competitive amid global decarbonisation efforts while mitigating the adverse impact of climate change. This is not just an economic issue but also a national resilience challenge. Countries worldwide are tightening carbon regulations and implementing green tariffs. Businesses that fail to adapt risk being left behind. To remain competitive, Singapore must lead in green innovation and establish itself as a hub for low-carbon technologies.

I urge the Government to accelerate investments in green industries. The Singapore Green Plan has set a strong foundation, but we need to scale-up investments in emerging fields, like hydrogen energy, sustainable aviation fuel and carbon capture technologies.

I also urge the Government to strengthen our workforce capabilities. We must expand SkillsFuture funding for green skills, ensuring our workforce is future-ready. This includes training in sustainability reporting, carbon trading and climate risk assessment.

Next, I also urge the Government to enhance our carbon pricing strategy. While Singapore's carbon tax is set to rise, we should explore differentiated pricing to incentivise cleaner energy adoption while ensuring businesses remain competitive.

Singapore's businesses, especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), need support to transition without compromising economic growth. I recommend a Green Transition Fund for SMEs. Smaller businesses often struggle with upfront costs for sustainable transformation. A targeted fund could provide upfront co-funding for energy-efficient technologies and green certification.

Stronger regional collaboration. We can work with Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) partners to develop cross-border carbon credit markets and supply chains for green materials. This positions Singapore as the go-to hub for sustainable trade.

Next, also to expand expanding the Enterprise Sustainability Programme (ESG). I urge that more direct assistance should be provided for the SMEs adopting ESG practices, including tax incentives for sustainability investments.

Climate change is not just an economic challenge. It impacts our daily lives. Rising sea levels, extreme weather and food security concerns demand long-term resilience planning.

Enhancing climate adaptation infrastructure. Projects like the "Long Island" plan and coastal protection measures must be accelerated, with greater private sector participation.

Securing food and energy resilience. We must continue expanding local food production and invest in alternative energy sources, like regional renewable imports and nuclear research.

Next is to strengthen social resilience. A just transition must ensure that lower-income households are not disproportionately affected by climate policies. Utility rebates and green job opportunities should be integrated into our support measures.

As an island surrounded by seawater, all coasts are at risk of the rising sea level. Would the Ministry provide an update on the site-specific studies of our coasts? Most Singaporeans would have heard about the East Coast Plan. What about the other coasts?

We have about 64 islands, of which, seven belong to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Measures must be taken to protect their shores as well, as there are implications for our defence planning. What are the mitigating measures planned for the islands for civilian use, such as Sentosa; and industrial use, such as Jurong Island?

Our drainage infrastructure has been continuously upgraded to reduce flood-prone areas. Which areas are expected to benefit from recent works and what are the target dates for their completion? Would MSE share how it is working with building owners and transport operators to prepare for potential floods in high-risk areas? How will MSE engage drivers to bring them onboard flood warning systems?

Prevention is better than cure. To improve thermal comfort, our buildings should be built to mitigate the heat effect of our tropical climate. Glass facades are not suitable for tropical buildings because they absorb excessive solar radiation, leading to overheating indoors. As a result, occupants rely on heavy usage of air conditioning, which consumes a lot of energy and contributes even more to global warming. I suggest that we consider introducing building regulations to reduce the number of glass facades for new buildings.

What new measures will MSE be implementing to improve thermal comfort in public spaces, including hawker centres and community centres? When temperatures spike, what are the warning signs and warning systems as well as advisories that will be in place to keep the public safe, especially workers, the elderly, students, uniform personnel and residents doing sports?

Lastly, Singapore is at a crossroads. We must act decisively to balance economic competitiveness with climate resilience. By investing in green industries, supporting businesses and fortifying our society, we can position Singapore as a global leader in sustainable development. I look forward to MSE's response on how we can sharpen our strategies in these critical areas.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang): Chairman, the road to building a strong commitment to climate change is a long and winding one, with crisscrossing headwinds along the way as some governments wane in the face of challenges, like rising interest rates, economic hiccups, from inflation to business downturn, to name a few. And you have the new political leadership in the White House, which, again, withdrew its membership from the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015. Some see climate action as something about declaring dates to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, but there are just too many barriers to overcome.

We have seen developing countries being asked to "leapfrog" to renewable energy, but the adoption of renewable energy is not something that can be done with the switch of a button. It requires a lot of investment and certainly, a strong will to change to clean energy. Besides, many are so used to fossil fuel that they become addicted.

In Singapore, according to a report by EcoBusiness, one of Asia Pacific's independent media and business intelligence organisation dedicated to sustainable development, "few firms can confidently say they know how they will be completely negating their greenhouse gas output by 2050 – a feat scientist regard as the best bet to keep global temperatures from rising past 1.5 degrees Celsius and causing extreme climate risks. Experts say it is necessary for firms to stomach such uncertainty and gun for net-zero targets, given the urgency of tackling climate change, though there must be preparation work in resourcing and talent development."

May I ask, how can Singapore stay competitive amid global pressures to decarbonise, while also managing the adverse impact of climate change? How will the Government support our businesses in these areas?

Sustainable Cooling

Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang): Chairman, in warm and sunny Singapore, air conditioning is widely used in homes, offices and shops. Air conditioning alone accounts for about 24% of an average household's electricity consumption. Together, buildings and homes are the second-largest contributor of carbon emissions in Singapore at 19%, of which a significant portion is from air conditioning.

The problem is that our widespread use of air conditioning is actually pushing up external temperatures and contributing to global warming. Air conditioners exacerbate the urban heat island effect; use hydrofluorocarbons, which are potent greenhouse gases, as refrigerants; and consume high amounts of electricity generated from fossil fuels.

2.45 pm

Sustainability is everyone's responsibility. What is the Ministry doing to change the attitudes and behaviours of Singaporeans towards sustainability, so as to reduce the use of air-conditioning in indoor spaces?

The Chairman: Mr Gan Thiam Poh, you may take your two cuts together.

Help for Businesses

Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you, Chairman. Singapore's carbon tax has been increased to $25 per tonne. It will rise to $45 per tonne in 2026 and 2027. This will have an impact on electricity bills.

With expected higher electricity bills, businesses will be hard hit. However, it is not easy for many companies to change their operations to be more energy efficient. Sunk investment costs in current equipment and tools, lack of expertise knowledge, among other constraints, are major obstacles for them, especially for SMEs. What are the help and supporting measures MSE would offer businesses to increase their energy efficiency?

Support for Households

Utility bills are likely to increase despite lower fuel prices due to higher carbon taxes. As we face hotter days and warmer nights, many households are turning to air conditioning and showers to cool themselves down, which result in higher electricity and water bills.

What kind of support will the Ministry provide the households with, to help them manage their energy and water consumption more efficiently? Would the Ministry share about its public education outreach and advisories to motivate and help households adopt more green lifestyle habits and transition to more efficient home appliances?

Recycling

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: Chairman, many of us will remember the enthusiasm when Singapore's National Recycling Programme was launched in April 2001. NEA rolled out a team of the public waste collectors (PWCs) were licensed to provide recycling bins and recycling collection services to all Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates, as well as private landed properties and condominiums who were opted into the public waste collection scheme.

The 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – form the pillar of NEA's schemes. It developed a suite of initiatives as part of Singapore Green Plan and Zero Waste Masterplan. The aim is to shift attitudes as well as behaviours to make 3Rs the norm for citizens, as well as businesses. NEA also continues to study and develop new ways to close the various resource loops. I note that NEA has been exploring the use of mixed materials from Semakau Landfill, which comprise of incineration ashes and other waste materials, as reclamation fill.

There is greater awareness now, among households to support this recycling exercise which is commendable. NEA's 2023 survey on household recycling, showed 72% of households recycle compared to 64% in 2021. There is a greater commitment from individuals to build a sustainability culture by embracing the 3Rs.

I would like to ask the Minister what is the current recycling rate? How far are we from our target? What are the current challenges facing the recycling industry and how can the Government help the industry and promote more sustainable recycling as a way of life in Singapore?

Shared Responsibility in Managing Waste

Ms See Jinli Jean (Nominated Member): It was reported that NEA was considering broader forms of packaging waste under the extended producer responsibility scheme. This is a step in the right direction to achieve Singapore's climate goals.

Could the Ministry share the insights gleaned from the Mandatory Packaging Reporting scheme and how they would impact the extended producer responsibility scheme? Could the Ministry provide an update on measures to manage the key waste streams, including packaging waste?

Sustainable Waste Management

Mr Eric Chua (Tanjong Pagar): Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This has been a mantra that has been ingrained in me from a young age. In my younger days, I had thought that the 3Rs was the gold standard for sustainable living. That misinformed fantasy of mine was smashed when I visited one of Singaporeans' favourite travel destinations: Japan.

In Japan, recycling is a ritual. Japanese families meticulously sort their waste into plastic, paper, metal and glass. They follow detailed and stringent guidelines. To recycle a soft drink container, one would have to clean and dry the PET bottle to prevent residual contamination, remove paper labels and metal cap, and deposit each item in different recycling bins. Such societal norms have its roots in a worldview that is a deeply reverent of Mother Nature, something Japanese children learn from a young age.

In Singapore, our National Recycling Programme aims to make recycling more convenient, but we do face several challenges. Our Blue Bins are a single-stream system where all recyclables are collected. While this simplifies the process, contamination is a problem, when non-recyclables or items that have yet to be cleaned get thrown in the mix, especially. In fact, contamination rate stands at 40%, significantly diminishing the effectiveness of our recycling system.

Some Queenstown residents have also expressed concerns about the limited capacity of recycling bins and the low frequency of collection. In HDB estates, 660-litre bins are used; one bin to each block. Collections take place at least three times a week. Larger 1,800-litre or 2,200-litre side-loader bins are also deployed but collections only happen once a week. For landed properties, each house is provided with a recycling bin, typically ranging from 180 to 240 litres, with weekly collection services. However, bins sometimes overflow before scheduled collections, forcing recyclables to be discarded as trash to maintain cleanliness.

Singapore's recycling trucks also lack multiple compartments to keep materials separated. Even if households sort their recyclables, they would still be mixed during collection. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of the system and begs the question of whether additional investments can and should be made in upgrading infrastructure to support better recycling practices. What else can the Ministry do to facilitate Singaporeans in truly embracing the 3Rs as a way of life?

Free or Low-cost Drinking Water

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): More restaurants now charge for plain water and some price bottled water, the same as sugary drinks. This nudges consumers towards sugar laden beverages, increasing the risk of obesity and diabetes. Free or low cost drinking water should be made more widely available across food and beverage (F&B) outlets, shopping malls, hotline, coffee shops and public spaces.

This supports healthier choices and reduces unnecessary costs for consumers. I urge MSE to encourage and work with F&B outlets, coffee shops and malls to provide free, or low cost drinking water as a best practice. MSE should also promote the culture of carrying reusable water bottles as part of Singapore's sustainability efforts.

Refilling reusable bottles cuts down our reliance on single use plastics. By nudging businesses, building owners and the public towards these norms, we can help Singaporeans stay hydrated while making choices that benefit their health, their wallets and the environment.

Coastal and Flood Management

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, the need to invest in climate adaptation measures cannot be more pressing. Could the Ministry provide an update on the progress on coastal protection plans, both on the "Long Island" project and site specific studies, together with any early results? What is the progress of PUB's Code of Practice study to develop legislation surrounding coastal protection and how will these measures be appropriately enforced to ensure compliance?

How will the Ministry ensure that coastal protection measures are adequately funded? Beyond coastal protection measures, our neighbourhoods have been more vulnerable to floods lately, such as in Bukit Timah in December 2024 and Jalan Seaview in January 2025. Could the Ministry also provide an update on plans to upgrade drainage infrastructure and enhance flood resilience? How is the Ministry engaging communities to ensure that Singapore continues to be flood ready? And can there be any tech-enabled solutions to keep Singaporeans apprised of potential flooding in a timely manner?

Flood Resilience

Ms Poh Li San: Chairman, climate change is causing more frequent and extreme rain events, which have led to flash floods in various parts of our island. We need to be prepared against floods inland due to rainfall and coastal floods from sea level rise.

We are experiencing more sudden and heavy rainfalls which leave homeowners and businesses with less time to react, such as putting up protective barriers. Will the Minister share what measures will be implemented to better protect buildings in low-lying areas, buildings with basements and underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations against floods?

Would the Ministry provide an update on the plans to upgrade our drainage infrastructure to enhance our flood resilience? How is the Ministry engaging members of the public to increase their awareness and ensure that Singaporeans are well prepared in the event of floods?

Climate Adaptation

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: Chairman, driving along Bukit Timah Road during rainy season was once the bane of motorists, not to mention residents living in the low-lying areas. Then, in 2019, with some fanfare, the Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal was completed after seven years and $300 million spent. The 3.2-kilometre canal could take 30% more rainwater than previously. Sadly, today, flash floods after a heavy downpour has become more common. And flash floods are occurring not just in Bukit Timah, but also across the island.

One explanation given is this is due to rapid urbanisation and the other is the unpredictability of heavy downpours, with the torrent of water swiftly filling up our canals and drains. Whatever the real causes, we should analyse the current flooding patterns and use technology to predict future flooding patterns and recommend solutions to mitigate the impact.

Can MSE give flood risk scores to properties in Singapore? This will allow for more collaborations between these properties owners to manage their flood risks. In managing flood prone areas, does solving one area flooding problem result in adjacent areas or downstream flooding of another area?

Can the Minister provide an update on plans to upgrade our drainage infrastructure and enhance flood resilience? How is the Ministry engaging communities to ensure that Singapore continues to be flood-ready? Could the Ministry provide an update on the progress on coastal protection plans and how will the Ministry ensure the coastal protection standards are met?

Heat Resilience

Ms Poh Li San: Chairman, in view of global warming, it is important for Singapore to strengthen our heat resilience. Our densely populated city-state is also experiencing the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Could the Ministry provide an update on heat resilience plans, in view of rising temperatures in Singapore? What measures are being taken to improve the thermal comfort of our public spaces and better protect vulnerable segments of our population and outdoor workers?

The Government had launched the OneMillionTrees movement to plant a million more trees across Singapore by 2030. Would the Ministry update us on how many trees have been planted to date and whether we are on track to reach our target? Would the Ministry also share the progress of environmental modelling for new towns and estates to site buildings in ways to optimise wind and air flow?

The Chairman: We have had four hours of debate. Order. I propose to take a break now.

Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.

Mr Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 3.20 pm.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 2.59 pm until 3.20 pm.

Sitting resumed at 3.20 pm.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Debate in Committee of Supply resumed.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Head L (cont) –

3.20 pm

The Chairman: Mr Faisal Manap.

Ventilation System for Bakeries

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Madam, in the recent Community Disputes Resolution (Amendment) Bill debate, I had cited an example of a long-standing conflict between a group of flat owners and a bakery located in a four-storey HDB block in my Kaki Bukit ward. The residents of three households are affected by the excessive noise and heat from the bakery located on the ground floor.

Madam, the issue was first brought to my attention in 2014 when a resident Mr A attended my Meet-the-People Session to seek assistance on the discomfort he faced caused by continuous release of unbearable heat, pungent smell and loud noises emitting from the bakery which he claimed happens daily from 5.00 am to 12.00 midnight. Back then, I made a representation to NEA and HDB Bedok Branch Office.

Nine years later, in 2023, Mr A, together with two other residents, Mr B and Mr C, came to see me with similar feedback and I escalated the matter to MND.

In October last year, 2024, Mr C returned to see me, citing the situation remains despite the numerous communications with the relevant agencies. He also told me that his two other neighbours have shifted out. This time around, I wrote to SFA to seek assistance. A recent update from SFA dated 27 February 2025 stated that SFA, in collaboration with relevant agencies, had conducted a thorough investigation into the reported disamenities at the mentioned premises. SFA had advised the operator to implement necessary measures to mitigate resultant noise and heat emissions from their food preparation activities.

Madam, I would like to seek a couple of clarifications from the Minister related to this issue and would like to put forth a proposal.

My clarifications are: how often does SFA receive similar feedback in a year? What are SFA's requirements for bakeries to operate in a HDB residential block emitting the noise and heat levels resulting from their daily operations?

My proposal is for SFA to consider bakeries to be regulated with adequate noise control measures as well as sufficient ventilation systems, similar to features like those installed for bakeries located at HDB blocks, so as to be more effective in diffusing heat and vapour.

Low Technology Farming Solutions

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Madam, as we advance towards a climate-resilient urban planning model, our local farms should not be left behind.

In my speech during the Second Reading of the Food Safety and Security Bill in January, I highlighted the crucial role farms play in ensuring Singapore's food security, especially with more frequent extreme weather patterns in future. We should, therefore, equip our farms with effective mitigation measures against climate change.

Currently, grants under the 30-by-30 vision predominantly focus on high-tech solutions, leaving a gap in support for low-tech sustainable farming practices. While high-tech innovations have strengthened our food security, we must also recognise the potential of tried and tested low-tech methods that can enhance the resilience of our agricultural sector.

Low-tech agricultural practices rooted in traditional knowledge and ecological principles offer cost-effective and sustainable ways to mitigate the effects of climate change. Many of these techniques have been successfully implemented elsewhere worldwide, and Singapore can benefit by adapting them to suit our land-scarce farmscape.

A good example is the Back Halloween Farm in France, which employs permaculture to create a high use sustainable system on a small land area. Permaculture mimics natural ecosystem by fostering synergies between crops and animals. This approach includes growing different crops side by side, rotating them accordingly, and designing water channels for natural irrigation. It has proven useful against extreme weather events, despite enduring three consecutive record-breaking dry summers. The farm experienced minimal disruption by interweaving a diverse root network with dense vegetation. The soil retained moisture like a giant sponge, shielding crops from extreme weather. Moreover, this technique has proven more effective per square metre than conventional mechanised farming, garnering interest from scientific institutions worldwide.

Similarly, our fish farms can incorporate natural solutions like aqua plants to improve climate resilience. Aqua plants provide shade and cooling, stabilising water temperatures and prevent algae blooms by absorbing excess ammonia while producing oxygen. Importantly, they reduce the risk of hypoxia, oxygen depletion, a significant challenge during Singapore's hotter months when warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen.

While technology remains crucial for precise monitoring and control, aqua plants offer a valuable low-tech complement for fish farms. However, such low-tech solutions are not necessarily low cost. Permaculture consultations are offered by local companies like GWS and Habitat Collective but require substantial investment in research, adaptation and implementation to be effective at a commercial scale. The availability of funding for these solutions will provide adequate support for adoption by farmers.

In this way, Singapore can build a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector, better prepared for climate change challenges.

Support Agri-food Industry

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong (Jurong): Mdm Chair, Singapore's agri-food industry plays a crucial role in strengthening our food security. However, in today's challenging business climate, rising costs, supply chain disruptions and climate change, our local farms and food businesses need greater support to build resilience and grow sustainably.

I would like to ask the Ministry about its plans to help the agri-food industry cope with these challenges. How can we enhance financial support, technology adoption and innovation to improve productivity? Are there further efforts to strengthen our local farm capabilities and help them scale up?

A resilient agri-food sector is key to Singapore's food security and we must continue to do better to support this vital industry.

Food Security and Aquaculture

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: Madam, with more than 90% of our food being imported, our ambitious 30-by-30 goal was set in an attempt to increase food security. However, we have experienced some setbacks, such as reports of vegetable, poultry and fish farms shutting in recent years.

I would like to ask the Minister what is the current progress towards the 30-by-30 goal and is the Ministry considering a review of this goal? How is the Government supporting local farms, given the challenging business climate and has the Government seen an increment in the take-up rates of productivity grants?

Finally, is MSE working with local community gardeners in our neighbourhoods, for example, through the Eco Fund for Food Security?

To uplift the local aquaculture sector, the Singapore Aquaculture Plan was launched in November 2024. I was glad to see that this is a collaborative effort and thank all involved, as aquaculture is yet another demand on our limited sea space which is highly utilised. Can the Ministry provide more details on the initiatives announced in the Singapore Aquaculture Plan, including an update on the exploration of potential sites in the Southern Waters for further studies on integrating closed containment aquaculture systems with open net cage systems for a new hybrid model for fish farming?

What regulations are in place to ensure any businesses which set up fish farms in open waters will keep our marine environment clean?

Grant Access for Local Private Enterprises

Miss Rachel Ong (West Coast): Many grants for Singapore's sustainability, sustainable food sector, such as NEA's Closing the Resource Loop Funding Initiative and SFA's Singapore Food Story, appear to prioritise public agencies and Institutes of Higher Learning. From a broader perspective, the application criteria and evaluation processes can make it challenging for private enterprises to access funding, especially at the critical stage of commercialisation. For instance, requiring a principal investigator's H-index and citation count may not be suitable for startups and private enterprises, which often avoid publishing research due to commercial sensitivities. Additionally, private enterprises are often required to partner public sector performers, leading to complex licensing negotiation that can hinder technology adoption and commercialisation.

To fully harness Singapore's innovative potential, could the Government refine grants to better support local startups and SMEs at higher technology readiness levels, easing access to funding by reducing complexities or removing the requirement for public sector partners?

If current grants primarily serve Institutes of Higher Learning and public agencies —

The Chairman: Please round up, Miss Rachel Ong.

Miss Rachel Ong: — would it consider new funding to help innovative private enterprises scale and contribute to sustainability goals?

The Chairman: Mr Pritam Singh.

3.30 pm

Wet Markets

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): More than 10 years ago, in a 2013 publication, a National Heritage Board (NHB) Community Heritage e-resource on wet markets identified the numerous challenges facing wet market stall-owners, such as competition from hypermarkets, changing consumer profiles, unwillingness of children to take over stalls, significant physical labour and long hours. Over the last few years, wet market stall-owners have cited very high Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices for commercial vehicles as another reason to fold up their businesses.

Despite challenges, some wet markets remain relatively more popular, with Tekka Market and Geylang Serai being good examples. What is the Ministry's long-term plan for wet markets in smaller and localised neighbourhoods which do not command the footfall they once did, and for wet markets where stalls have seen poor take-ups over the last few years?

Upgrade of Hawker Centres

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: Chair, our hawker centres are our national canteens and provide a wide variety of affordable food to suit more palates and budgets. We have had many popular hawker centres sited all over Singapore, which have served residents over many years. Their structures are ageing and some can do well with some upgrading, others may need to be rebuilt to optimise layouts. Would the Ministry share whether there are any plans to upgrade or rebuild any of our hawker centres?

Rejuvenation of Hawker Centres

Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Since its opening in the 1970s, Marsiling Lane Market and Food Centre has been well patronised by Singaporeans, especially those living in Marsiling and Woodgrove. In recent years, the surrounding neighbourhood has been transforming rapidly. The HDB's rejuvenation of Heartland project wrapped up last year. A new Marsiling Community Club will be in operation from next year, and we are welcoming several new BTOs in the area.

Against this backdrop, Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad and I, as Members of Parliament (MPs) for Marsiling and Woodgrove divisions, respectively, often get asked by residents whether and when the market and hawker centre can get a rejuvenation too.

Rejuvenation would be ideal, especially since the hawker centre is thriving and packed on weekends. Such rejuvenation ought to, on the one hand, further improve the customer experience for everyone, including younger folks, while keeping food prices and wet market shopping affordable. On the other hand, we would have to consider how these heartland markets are often quiet on weekdays and at night. Should we then expect hawkers to stay open during those periods?

Shops also face stiff competition from Johor Bahru, which is proximate and convenient for Singaporeans, especially those residing in the north to head to. How can we make the hawker and wet market experience in Marsiling more attractive, especially with the Rapid Transit System (RTS) coming and worries that business might take a hit? What are NEA's plans to help hawkers and stores stay competitive?

For a start, we should upgrade all hawker centres to meet the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark standards to create a better environment for hawkers and patrons. We could also set up a hawker agency to manage these centres, encourage hawker entrepreneurship, and boost food and service quality, including healthier options. That way, our hawker centres and wet markets can thrive. And we can continue to keep our hawker culture alive.

Sustaining the Hawker Trade

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: Madam, hawker centres and markets are an institution, a gem in our heartlands for generations. Many a spirited debate has ensued over which area has the best mee rebus, freshest fruits and tastiest "kopi peng". To that, I would put forward that the answer is in Ang Mo Kio.

With the inscription of hawker culture in the UNESCO list, hawkers are in the spotlight, but many are growing older and struggling with both cost pressures and legacy challenges as it is not easy to attract and sustain younger players. Could the Ministry provide an update on its efforts to celebrate and sustain the hawker trade while carrying on the legacies of hawkers approaching retirement, given the lack of successors entering the trade? How are we supporting both hawkers and wet market stallholders to remain competitive in the current cost environment?

I am grateful for the Hawker Centre Transformation Programme (HTP), which was helpful in upgrading older markets, such as the Cheng San Market and Cook Food Centre in Ang Mo Kio. Older hawker centres often have fundamental infrastructure issues which are hard to resolve through regular Repair and Redecoration (R&R) works and persistent challenges such as urban birds, heat and drainage. I would like to ask what learnings can be derived from the first batch of the HTP.

How else can we more comprehensively upgrade our hawker centres to keep them clean and cool for generations to come?

The Chairman: Mr Eric Chua, you can take your two cuts together.

Rejuvenating our Hawker Culture

Mr Eric Chua: Madam, hawker centres play a crucial role in Singapore's culinary and cultural landscape, serving as a cornerstone of our local food culture. Hawker centres provide affordable, good-quality meals and serve as communal spaces where people from all walks of life gather. Whenever I seek budget-friendly and delicious food, hawker centres are my go-to choice. However, while regulations governing our hawker centres today have generally served us well, I would like to ask the Ministry if some rethinking of our rules might be opportune, especially in view of the need to adapt to the changing realities confronting our hawkers today.

A significant challenge among our hawkers today is their physical self. Many hawkers are getting on in years and are not as physically able as before. Many veteran hawkers, who have spent decades perfecting their craft, now find it increasingly difficult to work long hours. As a result, many stalls in some hawker centres close by the late afternoon, and this translates to reduced food options and overall foot traffic to these hawker centres. This not only impacts individual stallholders' revenue but also affects the vibrancy and appeal of these centres as our community hubs.

To optimise stall utilisation and address this challenge, may I suggest that MSE consider the implementation of a new policy that would allow for two different sets of stallholders to operate the same stall, in accordance with a two-shift system. To be sure, this calls for careful planning: food types sold across the two shifts should ideally be complementary; and infrastructural provisions such as allocated storage areas or spaces for the preparation of food must be redesigned. However, should these teething challenges be successfully worked through, such an arrangement would enable different hawkers to operate the same stall at different times of the day, thereby ensuring the continuity of food options for consumers and retaining the vibrancy of our hawker centres for a much longer stretch of the day.

On a related note, many successful hawkers have built strong brand recognition, with many loyal customers seeking out their food. However, the inability to operate beyond two stalls restricts their ability to meet demand. Under today's provisions, hawkers can appoint a joint operator or a nominee. However, I understand that some hawkers are still hesitant about doing so. Could the Ministry share more from its engagement with hawkers the general reasons for not readily embracing the joint tenancy or nominee model, and what the NEA or MSE might be able to do to address these concerns?

Regular reviews and recalibration of existing frameworks will ensure that hawker centres remain accessible, sustainable and adaptable to the evolving needs of hawkers and consumers alike. By fostering a more flexible and forward-looking approach, we can continue to uphold Singapore's rich hawker heritage while ensuring its long-term viability for future generations.

Automation and Hawker Culture

Mr Eric Chua: Madam, I am Hokkien, and Hokkien mee is one of my favourite hawker food. I recently ate my first plate of Hokkien mee that was not cooked by a human hawker. No, not a paranormal encounter. My Hokkien mee was cooked by a robot, named Wok AI. To my surprise, the Hokkien mee was delicious, just a touch lacking in "wok hei", something that even Chip, the engineer-turned-hawkerpreneur has been working on, and by now, he might already have "cracked the code" to achieve ideal "wok hei".

Madam, my cut is not about "wok hei" but how technology can help us sustain our hawker culture. Technology can reduce the physical strain on senior hawkers, allowing them to focus on quality control. It could also ensure consistency in taste and consumers might even be able to personalise our dishes. Fancy a plate of Hokkien mee that is 20% spicy, 50% moist, 30% "wok hei", just 3% oily, for Healthier SG's sake?

I therefore hope the Ministry can strengthen support for our hawkers in technology adoption, and in so doing, preserve our much beloved hawker culture for many more generations to come.

Focus on Public Health and Hygiene

Ms Hany Soh: Madam, 2024 was designated as the Year of Public Hygiene (YOPH) to show Singapore's commitment to better public cleanliness and hygiene. Could the Ministry please provide an update on how YOPH has turned out?

When it comes to public hygiene, the Ministry should continue its focus on particularly these three areas: one, tackling high-rise littering; two, dealing with unhygienic public toilets; and three, reducing waste. These steps can cut down the risk of community disease outbreaks from things like rats, pigeons, stray wildlife and mosquitoes.

Can the Ministry update us on its plans and efforts in this regard? For example, with high-rise littering, how fast does the agency act to set up surveillance cameras when residents say the problems keep popping up? Could the Ministry boost its resources to speed up deployment and enforcement?

In November 2024, I attended the Waterloo finale of results of National Survey on toilets in Singapore. It was a project led by the Singapore Management University's Rosie Ching, principal lecturer of statistics, with her 222 undergraduate students from her Statistics X course. They conducted on-site surveys to check toilet cleanliness across Singapore's public spaces. The survey looked at 2,602 toilets in 1,428 spots, across coffee shops, hawker centres, MRT stations and shopping malls, and interviewed 4,905 people, including 510 employees, and 4,395 customers about the sentiment on the public toilets conditions. Even with efforts to raise hygiene standard last year, coffee shop toilets were slightly worse than in 2023.

In my closing address at the event, I shared that public hygiene is something we all share responsibility for. It is not just the Government, but operators, cleaners, users, the general public including you and I, can all step up to push for cleaner public toilets.

I would therefore urge the Government to team up with these passionate students, continue to engage and interview other stakeholders, not just to point out how dirty our public toilets are, but to come up with long-term fixes. We need an outcome-based approach to make sure all public toilets are functional, clean and hygienic. Too many toilet facilities that stay under repair for ages leaves people without option.

The Government could also consider setting up an endowment fund to keep funding efforts to transform toilets, making them clean, safe and barrier free, especially for our ageing population.

Ban Smoking at Windows and Balconies

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Madam, for years, I have spoken up repeatedly in this House, calling for the Government to take action to protect the lives of fellow Singaporeans from second-hand smoke. I have spoken up so much that Senior Minister of State Amy Khor once said that she is immune to me already.

But on a more serious note, this is a serious issue. It is not about how many people have complained about this issue but quite starkly, about how many people have died. Based on the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study shared by the Ministry of Health (MOH), about one death every other day in Singapore is attributable to second-hand smoke.

This is not about the luxury of having fresh air to breathe or nice-smelling air. This is a matter of life and death for so many people who depend on us sitting here to protect them. It is time for us to legislate and ban smoking at windows and balconies so that fewer people will die from second-hand smoke.

Cleanliness

Ms Poh Li San: Madam, last year, SFA and NEA took more than 1,200 enforcement actions against owners of premises for the lack of public toilet cleanliness, compared to over 360 in 2023.

A Public Toilets Task Force was set up in 2024 to study and recommend solutions to improve the cleanliness of poorly performing public toilets. Can the Ministry give an assessment of whether the Taskforce's recommendations will be considered or implemented?

Coffee shop toilets have been ranked the filthiest consistently for years. How will the Ministry get their owners and operators to sign up for the Toilet Improvement Programme, which provides up to 90% co-funding to improve their toilet designs, install sanitary fittings or adopt technology to facilitate cleaning and maintenance?

The Chairman: Mr Gan Thiam Poh, please take your four cuts together.

Public Toilets Task Force

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: The Public Toilets Task Force (PTTF) was established in March 2024 to study and recommend ways to improve the cleanliness of public toilets in Singapore. Would the Ministry share its views of the recommendations in its recently released report? Will the stakeholders, such as coffeeshop operators, owners and cleaning companies, be able to go onboard the new cleaning framework?

3.45 pm

Tackling Littering

Although Singapore is still considered a clean and green city, problems of littering still remain. In fact, like other Members, I personally received many complaints from my residents. As many had commented before, Singapore is not so much a clean city per se, but a cleaned one, with many hardworking cleaners picking up after litterbugs. How will the Ministry tackle this problem and reduce the cases of littering?

Cleanliness Hotspots

Parks, beaches and public toilets are some of the cleanliness hotspots in Singapore. How will the Ministry address the hygiene problems at these locations as well as at others, such as parts of Chinatown and certain hawker centres? Will customised solutions be required to address the different causes and contributing factors to low standards of cleanliness at these sites?

Update on Project Wolbachia

The Project Wolbachia has been a great success. The initial results from the multi-site field study show that residents living in these sites where the scheme had been launched are about 75% less likely to be infected with dengue. May I ask when the residents of Fernvale, in my constituency, can benefit from this programme?

The Chairman: Mr Eric Chua, take your two cuts together, please.

Project Wolbachia

Mr Eric Chua: Madam, Project Wolbachia is presently in Phase 5 of its implementation. I fully support the project and its continued implementation. However, for some residents, especially those whose homes are on lower floors, living with the constant release of male Wolbachia mosquitoes has caused some inconveniences. While I usually share NEA's advisory that they do not have to exercise restraint in swatting mosquitoes they come across, few found solace in my advice. One resident with sensitive skin even purportedly developed rashes because of the increased mosquito population.

To be sure, the NEA has reported laudable outcomes from the project thus far, Aedes mosquito population at study locations has dropped by up to 80% to 90% and findings from a multi-site field study revealed a 75% decrease in risks of contracting dengue. Residents in nearby areas have also been found to have a 45% lower risk of contracting dengue than those in areas without releases, indicating that the advantages go beyond immediate zones. Would the MSE and NEA then be able to help ameliorate the disamenities that residents face with the project's implementation?

Rats Infestation

Madam, rat sightings in Singapore are not uncommon. In Queenstown, residents have raised concerns regarding rodent problems in their estates. In a few particularly severe cases, rats have chewed through car wires, causing significant damage to vehicles, resulting in damages amounting to thousands of dollars in repair costs. Such incidents not only result in unnecessary financial burden for vehicle owners, but more importantly, highlight broader public hygiene, health and safety concerns.

Working with the Town Council, my team and I actively monitor and work to reduce the number of rat burrows in our estate. We collect and analyse data regularly to implement strategies that help control and reduce the problem in each precinct. A municipal task force convenes regularly and reducing rat burrows is a standing agenda item. This structured approach helps us assess the effectiveness of measures taken and adjust our approaches for better outcomes.

However, the financial challenges of running the Town Council remain high, with significant resources already allocated to pest control efforts. While traditional methods, such as baiting and manual trapping provide some level of control, they may not be sufficient for long-term effectiveness. Given these challenges, there is a pressing need to explore more advanced and efficient rat control solutions. These modern techniques can possibly include the use of smart traps and biological controls, which have been proven to be more environmentally sustainable and effective as well.

I therefore would like to appeal to the MSE to provide their assessment on the rat situation in Singapore and to review the possibility of assisting Town Councils defray costs associated with implementing the more innovative, albeit costlier pest-control solutions. With more support, we can embrace more effective and environmentally friendly methods, and at the same time, comprehensively nip the rat problem in the bud.

Enablers

Ms Poh Li San: Mdm Chair, the Ministry has many areas of responsibility, from water adequacy to food safety, cleanliness to climate change, just to name a few. Much of its work also involves engaging and responding to the public's tip-offs, alerts and feedback, such as in the event of water leakages, floods and canal chokes, food issues, trees falling, animal abuse and so on.

How does the Ministry plan to leverage social media and mobile apps, AI, information technology (IT), technology and automation in its work to improve its productivity? For areas which will benefit from real-time monitoring, such as flooding, is the Ministry investing in enough equipment and resources to ensure that we have access to timely and reliable data to act on?

Public Hygiene and Cleanliness

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: Madam, as we continue to look for innovative ways to improve the quality of life in our neighbourhoods, we have seen how technology can play an important role in enhancing efficiency and service delivery.

One key area where technology can make a real difference in supporting MSE is in tackling everyday challenges, such as monitoring cleanliness and pest control. We have already seen some examples, such as in NEA's optical surveillance cameras dedicated to combat high rise littering or thermal imagery to detect smoking offences – although perhaps, not enough, per Member Louis Ng's speech earlier. I hope more of such technologies can be used to better protect our neighbourhoods at scale and complement the work of Town Councils.

Can the Ministry share how it intends to dial up the use of technology and AI to enable MSE's work, for example, through monitoring cleanliness in poorer performing areas, as well as tackling pigeon, urban bird and rodent issues in our neighbourhoods and, in particular, private estates, where cleaners are required to clean a network of streets which are sometimes confusing and have roadside barriers?

The Chairman: Minister Grace Fu.

The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mdm Chair, I would first like to thank all Members who have shown interest in MSE's work and filed cuts with us.

As we mark SG60, looking back at the last 60 years, it is not difficult to note the progress we have made since Independence. We laid the foundations for a modern metropolis, cleaning up our waterways and environment, putting in place a modern sanitation system, reducing flood risks and improving food safety. Our hawker centres remain an important source of affordable food, a cherished social space for many Singaporeans and a proud showcase of our food heritage for friends visiting from abroad. We have also harnessed science and technology through NEWater and desalination to strengthen our water resilience and developed Project Wolbachia to fight dengue and improve public health.

The green and liveable city we enjoy today is the collective result of our boldness and our resilience over the past six decades. Since our Independence, we have pursued economic growth in tandem with environmental protection and social inclusion. It is a careful balancing act, one that requires boldness in decision-making and the resilience to rise above our constraints.

MSE's work is vital in safeguarding the food we eat, the water we drink, and the environment we live, work and play in. At the core, our work is about "Our Sustainability, Our Resilience, Our Everyday." "Our Sustainability" is to steward our limited resources responsibly for future generations. "Our Resilience" is to prepare for and adapt to new challenges. And "Our Everyday" is to improve the daily living of Singaporeans, and our daily interaction with our environment, present and future. In this debate, we will touch on these areas.

First, our sustainability. Improving energy efficiency is critical in our drive towards net zero. Everyone can play a part in improving our energy efficiency. Being more energy efficient will help us conserve energy, allowing us to grow our economy and population with less energy and carbon emission.

We will support households and industries in pursuing energy efficiency improvements. For businesses, we have expanded energy efficiency grants to cover more sectors, such as construction and manufacturing sectors. We have also enhanced regulatory frameworks for various sectors, such as the buildings and industry sectors. For households, the enhanced Climate Friendly Households Programme will be expanded to benefit more households and encourage wider adoption of resource efficient household products. The public sector is also pressing ahead with its plan to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings. Senior Minister of State Khor will share more.

Ms Poh Li San asked how we intend to manage air-conditioning use. Against the backdrop of a warmer planet, it is crucial that we manage our thermal comfort sustainably. Very often, our indoor spaces are so cold that we need to wear sweaters in tropical Singapore.

A major step is to keep indoor air-conditioned spaces at 25°C or higher. This will reduce energy cost and allow occupants to dress more appropriately for our climate. The public sector has adopted this where possible, and we hope for partner businesses and the public to make a broader shift towards sustainable cooling. More details will be announced later this year.

Next, our resilience. Climate change poses a serious and considerable threat to Singapore. We will launch a $25 million Weather Science Research Programme to enhance Singapore's ability to understand and predict our tropical urban weather, including extreme weather arising from climate change.

Under this programme, the Centre for Climate Research Singapore will collaborate with local Institutes of Higher Learning and Research Institutes to incorporate the latest scientific and technological developments; for example, in the use of AI to improve our ability to forecast better.

Just as we have risen to past challenges, we need to work together with purpose, with urgency and with determination to strengthen our climate resilience. I will speak about flood, coastal and heat resilience, while Senior Minister of State Khor and Senior Minister of State Koh will cover water and food resilience respectively.

First, flood and coastal resilience. In our early days of Independence, Singapore faced frequent and widespread flooding during the monsoon seasons. Over the years, we have reduced flood-prone areas from around 3,200 hectares in the 1970s to less than 25 hectares today – and that is a 99% reduction.

You may recall that in January this year, Singapore experienced two monsoon surges which brought prolonged rain. Over both monsoon surges, there was just one reported flood incident. Our progress in flood resilience is significant.

However, climate change will pose new challenges. As such, we will upgrade our infrastructure to enhance our flood resilience. We can expect six more drainage upgrading projects this year. Later this year, upgrading works for the Sungei Serangoon Western and Eastern subsidiary drains are slated to commence, to cater for upcoming developments in the Lorong Halus area.

That said, in land-scarce Singapore, we cannot keep expanding our drainage infrastructure. We must strengthen flood resilience at the systems level, and partner building owners, developers and the wider community.

For individual developments, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) works closely with building owners and developers to implement, operate and maintain flood-protection measures. For underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations and buildings with basements, PUB works with them to meet requirements on minimum platform and crest levels. PUB also engages residents and businesses in flood-prone areas and hotspots on flood risks and distributes flood protection devices to enhance flood protection for these premises.

To update Singaporeans on potential flooding, PUB leverages the myENV mobile app, social media, radio broadcast and traditional media outlets to disseminate timely updates. There are also plans to enable the ERP 2.0 on-board units in our vehicles to display flood alerts by mid-2025.

As we enhance our inland flood resilience, we need to build coastal protection in tandem. Members asked about the status of our coastal protection plans, legislation and standards.

To guide our plans, we are conducting site-specific studies. The studies for Jurong Island, City-East Coast, including "Long Island", as well as the northwest coast from Tuas to Woodlands are on track. More details for the Greater Southern Waterfront and Changi will be shared later this year. We will commence the studies for Sentosa and the southwest coast by 2026.

4.00 pm

Ms Nadia Samdin also asked how we will fund our coastal protection efforts. The Government plans to use funds from our annual Budget, the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund, to which the Minister for Finance has announced a $5 billion fund top-up, and through borrowing. Where eligible, such as for land reclamation costs, we will also use the Past Reserves. We will continue to study how best to finance these measures in a way that is fiscally sustainable and equitable across generations.

It is more effective to build up flood resilience at a system's level, where coastal stakeholders play their part alongside the Government. We are preparing a coastal protection legislation to set out the responsibilities of relevant stakeholders, safeguard land for coastal protection measures and ensure that coastal protection standards are met. We will consult stakeholders and table a Coastal Protection Bill in the second half of 2025.

PUB is developing a Code of Practice that will provide a set of design standards as well as operation and maintenance requirements for coastal protection measures. We will consult the industry this year and aim to release it by the first half of 2026.

PUB will also launch a Flood-Resilient Developments guidebook to help building owners enhance the resilience of their premises. The guidebook will contain case studies and a toolkit of flood-resilient measures that owners can consider adopting for their buildings.

Next, on heat resilience. As we experience rising temperatures, building heat resilience is a critical part of our adaptation efforts. Ms Poh asked about our heat resilience efforts. We are progressively rolling out infrastructural interventions to enhance heat resilience.

HDB will work closely with the Town Councils to apply cool coatings to all existing HDB estates island-wide by 2030. We are studying the effectiveness of cool coatings to other infrastructure archetypes, such as schools and hawker centres. We will find ways to improve thermal comfort for the public, such as enhancing greenery and ventilation, and reducing heat emission.

Infrastructural interventions, however, need to be complemented with individual actions. Thermal comfort is subjective and our bodies respond differently. A key tenet of our heat resilience efforts is about empowering people.

The Heat Stress Advisory was launched in 2023 to guide the public on steps to protect themselves, based on the prevailing heat stress levels. Recognising that heat affects various groups of people differently, depending on the nature of their activities, the Heat Stress Advisory is supported by sector-specific guidelines, such as the Ministry of Manpower's revised framework to protect outdoor workers.

Underpinning these guidelines is our Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature heat stress sensor network. I am happy to share that we are expanding our sensor network beyond sports stadiums to cover residential areas. This will provide more accurate information so that our advisory can be more effective.

The expanded heat stress sensor network will also provide more timely information on extreme weather events, such as heatwaves. We have developed heatwave response plans for both public and sector-specific populations.

Assoc Prof Razwana asked about our collaboration with partners. We do so through platforms, such as the C40 network of about 100 cities that are looking for solutions on climate change. We also partner with researchers to deepen our understanding of how heat impacts our health and to co-create innovative solutions, such as developing wearables, for better heat stress monitoring.

I have touched on our efforts for flood, coastal and heat resilience. These are important parts of Singapore's national adaptation plan, which countries are encouraged to develop in line with international best practices. In the face of increasing yet uncertain climate risks, the national adaptation plan will serve as a long-term, living strategy for Singapore to continue thriving in the future. Through our ongoing and upcoming engagements, we hope to hear views from the community and stakeholders too.

Lastly, our efforts to safeguard our everyday. The journey towards a sustainable and resilient Singapore is not just about preparing for long-term challenges. We must not lose sight of the importance of our everyday behaviour. This was why we designated 2024 as the Year of Public Hygiene – to highlight the importance of public hygiene and, more importantly, to harness the spirit of collective responsibility in adopting good public hygiene practices for the betterment of our society.

We have achieved commendable outcomes. We saw a 36% reduction of litter between May 2024 and December 2024 at littering hotspots, thanks to increased public education as well as enforcement efforts. My Ministry also recently received the Public Toilets Taskforce's report. We have studied the taskforce's recommendations and decided to endorse them. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng will share more on this.

Hawker centres are also an important part of our everyday. In the early days, street hawkers were resettled into hawker centres to improve food hygiene standards and public health. Hawker centres have remained an important source of affordable food and an integral part of our culture, serving as vibrant community dining rooms for Singaporeans and visitors from all walks of life.

Over time, as our people's needs evolve, our hawker centres have to be revitalised and future-ready. With climate change, an ageing population, rapid urban redevelopments and shifting hawker profiles, patrons and hawkers have new expectations. Hawkers also require more productive and innovative solutions to meet their business aspirations and tackle operational challenges.

As demographics shift, some hawker centres in the mature estates have experienced falling demand. At the same time, new estates have emerged and may need more affordable eating options. The Minister for Finance has announced that we will allocate up to $1 billion to upgrade old hawker centres and build new ones. We will do these progressively over the next 20 to 30 years, to serve the changing needs of Singaporeans.

New hawker centres will be built as needed, with modern and sustainable services and spaces. Under a new Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme 2.0 (HUP 2.0), existing hawker centres will be transformed. Madam, in Mandarin please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme 2.0 aims to create a more conducive dining and working environment for patrons and hawkers respectively. We aim to make hawker centres more inclusive and accessible for all, including seniors and persons with disabilities. We also want to uplift hawker centres’ infrastructure to be ready for climate change.

Some hawker centres located in mature housing estates may undergo more extensive rebuilding works. Where possible, this will be done in tandem with estate development plans, so that our hawker centres are better suited to residents’ needs, and keep pace with the times and local circumstances.

(In English): Senior Minister of State Koh will share more later about our plans.

Let me conclude. The road ahead will not be easy. We will face challenges that will test our adaptability – climate change, geopolitical tensions and disease outbreaks. But our Singapore story has always been one of resilience, of a people who refuse to be daunted by our limitations, who turn challenges into opportunities and who forge ahead with boldness.

MSE's theme for the debate, "Our Sustainability, Our Resilience, Our Everyday", is not just about the policies and infrastructure, but also about our people and the everyday choices we make. It is about the businesses that embrace green investments and innovation, the households that recycle waste, the individuals who champion sustainability and the communities that look out for one another.

Every effort, no matter how small, strengthens our resilience and secures our future. Let us build on our strong foundation and press on with boldness and confidence. Just as past generations laid the groundwork for the green and livable Singapore we enjoy today, let us do our part to ensure that future generations will look back with pride at the choices we made.

Together, we can shape a Singapore that remains not only a thriving nation, but also a home that is sustainable, resilient and full of potential. [Applause.]

The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Amy Khor.

The Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan): Chairman, recent events such as forest fires in California and heatwaves across Southeast Asia have shown that climate change demands decisive action for our sustainability. We will advance green initiatives, improve energy efficiency and promote resource resilience to progress towards our ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to achieve net-zero by 2050.

Assoc Prof Razwana Begum asked how MSE will promote sustainable practices and technologies across the public and private sectors. Let me share the Government's efforts to achieve our net-zero targets.

The Government has committed to achieve net-zero emissions around 2045, five years ahead of our national target. We published the second edition of the GreenGov.SG report for FY2023, which incorporates waste data and contextualises the public sector's resource footprint. This allows us to develop targeted pathways to reduce and remove emissions.

A key strategy to reduce emissions is to improve energy efficiency across different sectors of the economy. For the public sector, we have earlier announced plans to reduce our Energy Utilisation Index (EUI) by 10% by 2030 from FY2018 to FY2020 baseline. As of FY2023, we have achieved 3.7% EUI reduction and we will do more to reach our target.

To bolster our efforts, the Government will, from this year, set aside around $300 million for an Energy Efficiency Fund for public sector buildings. The fund will invest in worthwhile projects over the next five years, to improve energy efficiency performance of public sector facilities.

These projects will contribute toward our climate targets, payback through life-cycle cost-savings and generate excess savings for the Government in the long term. Eligible projects could include retrofits to energy consuming systems or installation of smart systems to optimise energy efficiency. Public sector facilities that could be covered include office premises, hospitals and MRT stations.

An example of a worthwhile project would be Tan Tock Seng Hospital's mini-chiller heat recovery system. The system saves 800,000kWh of electricity, or $240,000 a year, by replacing energy-consuming electric heaters with heat generated from the mini chiller.

The fund can facilitate the test-bedding of innovative and cost-effective solutions that could stimulate growth and help build industry capability in energy services for the built environment sector. Public sector leadership in this area could catalyse energy efficiency improvements in the larger stock of private sector buildings.

Besides reducing emissions, another key strategy is to remove residual emissions. NEA is studying solutions to capture carbon emissions at our Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants. A pilot project will be launched by 2026 to validate the carbon capture technologies, such as amine-based absorption for our WtE plants and to inform our next steps.

We are also looking to leverage Government procurement to normalise green initiatives throughout our businesses. To this end, we announced last year that we would refine our environmental sustainability evaluation criteria for large construction and information and communications technology (ICT) hardware tenders.

I am pleased to share that from FY2024, up to 5% of tender evaluation criteria have been set aside for environmental sustainability considerations. BCA and GovTech have shared the refined sustainability evaluation criteria with Government agencies for adoption in their tenders.

We shared last year that we planned to expand our sustainability evaluation criteria for public sector meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) tenders. This will be implemented from FY2025 for Government procurement of events venues and events management services.

Beyond introducing environmental sustainability evaluation criteria in tenders, we are also looking to drive green procurement in other categories, such as facility management, through incorporating broader environmental sustainability considerations. For example, JTC is working with agencies to explore incentive payments for facility management vendors who excel in energy and water efficiency in their managed assets.

4.15 pm

Assoc Prof Razwana and Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked how the Government can support businesses in their efforts to reduce emissions and mitigate climate impacts. As Mr Gan Thiam Poh mentioned, helping businesses to improve their energy efficiency is key to lowering business costs and improving economic competitiveness. The Government has introduced support schemes, such as the Energy Efficiency Grant (EEG), to support businesses in improving energy efficiency by co-funding investments in energy-efficient equipment. We expanded the EEG in 2024 to cover more sectors, such as construction, manufacturing, maritime and data centres.

Since introducing the EEG in September 2022, the Government has approved nearly 11,000 applications from over 4,000 businesses. This has resulted in positive cost savings and sustainability outcomes. For example, United E&P Pte Ltd, a manufacturing company, replaced their asphalt crusher with an energy-efficient model. This change saves about $48,000 of energy costs annually and reduces lifetime carbon emissions by 1,000 tonnes.

To enhance energy efficiency of our industrial sector, which is Singapore’s largest energy-consuming sector, we amended the Energy Conservation Act last year to extend Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for chilled water systems to existing industrial facilities. From April 2026, we will raise the MEES for water-cooled chilled water systems dedicated for space cooling in new industrial facilities to BCA's standards for space cooling in new commercial buildings under the Code for Environmental Sustainability (ES) of Buildings Edition 4.0. This is to align energy efficiency standards across sectors, ease regulatory compliance for businesses and improve industrial energy efficiency.

With the revised energy efficiency standards, each new industrial facility can expect annual energy savings of $63,000 and above over the 15-year lifespan of chilled water systems. The short payback period of 1.5 years also makes installing energy-efficient chilled water systems more cost-effective.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked how we can support households amid rising utilities costs. The Climate Friendly Households Programme (CFHP) will help support households to improve resource efficiency. Last year, CFHP was enhanced to provide all HDB households in Singapore with $300 worth of Climate Vouchers for purchases from among 10 types of resource-efficient household products. As of 31 January 2025, around 80% of eligible HDB households, that is, around 850,000 households, have claimed their Climate Vouchers. Approximately $88 million of climate vouchers have been utilised.

The top three household appliances purchased were direct current fans, refrigerators and washing machines. This translates to annual energy savings that can power 19,000 4-rooms HDB flats and annual water savings equivalent to 900 Olympic-sized swimming pools, or about $31 million in annual utility savings.

To encourage greater involvement in climate action, the Minister for Finance announced in his Budget Statement that the Government will provide an additional $100 of Climate Vouchers to eligible households, on top of the existing $300. We will also expand the enhanced CFHP to include Singapore Citizen households living in private residential properties.

This means that each eligible household will, in total, receive $400 of Climate Vouchers. The expansion will benefit around 250,000 more households, on top of the 1.1 million HDB households that are already covered under the enhanced CFHP. These enhancements will be available from 15 April 2025.

To support our heartland entrepreneurs, MSE has onboarded about 170 retailers, of which, 130 are heartland retailers. Climate Vouchers can be used at over 520 outlets to provide greater accessibility to households.

Our net-zero targets necessitate the promotion of sustainable consumption and production practices. This requires us to reduce resource consumption, reuse where possible, before recycling.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Eric Chua asked how we can promote the 3Rs as a way of life. Ms Jean See asked for an update on our measures to manage key waste streams, including packaging waste. We have made significant strides in facilitating waste reduction. Our domestic waste generated per capita, and non-domestic waste generated per dollar GDP decreased by more than 15% and 30% respectively over the past decade. This indicates that households and businesses have taken positive steps to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Our overall recycling rate remained largely steady at around 60% between 2013 and 2019. There was a sharp decline during the COVID-19 period and was at 52% in 2023.

The recent decline in recycling rate is largely driven by structural factors, such as transport costs, market volatility for recyclables like paper, and foreign government restrictions on the trade in recyclables. These are challenges we must contend with as we work towards closing our resource loop. We will study how we can work together with and support the recycling industry to increase the recycling rate of our key waste streams.

One key measure to reduce waste generation and improve recycling is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which helps to aggregate clean streams of recyclables. An upcoming EPR scheme is the beverage container return scheme.

NEA has issued the producer responsibility scheme operator licence to BCRS Ltd, a not-for-profit company formed by a consortium of beverage producers comprising Coca-Cola, F&N Foods and Pokka. The scheme will commence in April 2026. Steady progress is being made to this end. BCRS Ltd has called for proposals for the scheme’s IT system, counting and sorting system and the return point network. They have also appointed two small producer representatives to their board of directors to represent smaller producers. BCRS Ltd will set up more than 1,000 conveniently placed return points to facilitate our recycling journey.

Alongside EPR schemes, companies are also required to submit plans to reduce packaging use, promote reusables and facilitate collection of packaging for reuse or recycling as part of their Mandatory Packaging Reporting (MPR) submissions. MPR seeks to raise companies’ awareness of the packaging waste that they generate and spur them to take concrete steps to reduce it.

Companies have taken heed of this call to action. In 2024, NEA supported the launch of an Alliance for Action (AfA) on Packaging Waste Reduction for the e-commerce sector. Led by Singapore Manufacturing Federation and Singapore Post, the AfA comprised 14 members across the e-commerce supply chain. The AfA estimates that, in Singapore, about 186,000 parcels were delivered per day in 2023, generating as much as 15,900 tonnes of mailing packaging in that year alone.

Given the continued growth of this sector, I am pleased to announce that the AfA has developed the Guidelines on Sustainable E-commerce Packaging to guide companies on sustainable packaging practices. The Guidelines provide a comprehensive list of 3R solutions for common packaging types, such as cardboard boxes, mailers and fillers. These solutions are rated based on effort required, cost and environmental impact. Companies can adopt solutions that best suit their needs to achieve cost savings and minimise environmental impact.

For example, Watsons Singapore reduced its use of bubble wrap by repurposing shredded used cardboard boxes as filler material, saving up to 10% in overall packaging procurement costs. Another example is Sealed Air, who found that with more direct deliveries, the amount of material used in its plastic and paper mailers could be reduced by 30% to 50%. We hope that more e-commerce businesses will make good use of these guidelines, which can be downloaded from the Packaging Partnership Programme website.

On Mr Gerald Giam’s suggestion to provide free or low-cost drinking water to reduce plastic waste, tap water in Singapore is safe for drinking. Water dispensers are also readily available at hawker centres and in common areas, such as parks, bus interchanges and terminals, where one can simply fill up with a reusable which we have been promoting.

As we press on towards a sustainable and circular economy, we must also continue to strengthen our water resilience. Most Members would be familiar with our water supply infrastructure, like our desalination plants, reservoirs and waterways. Fewer might be familiar with the essential role that our used water infrastructure plays in supporting our water supply needs.

Our water demand is about 440 million gallons a day today and is expected to almost double by 2065. With rising water demand, more used water will be generated. So, in tandem, we have to expand our used water conveyance and treatment capacity.

To address the need for more used water conveyance capacity, PUB has been expanding the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS). The DTSS is an underground superhighway that will convey used water by gravity to three centralised water reclamation plants located at Changi, Tuas and Kranji. The first phase of the DTSS (DTSS 1) was completed in 2008 and serves the northern and eastern regions of Singapore.

The second phase of the DTSS (DTSS 2), which is under construction, will serve the western region of Singapore and will be operational by 2027.

When completed, the DTSS will free up 150 hectares of land for other purposes by phasing out intermediate pumping stations and conventional water reclamation plants.

In tandem, we have integrated our used water treatment and NEWater production and are expanding their capacities. Tuas Water Reclamation Plant and Tuas NEWater factories are on track to be completed in phases from 2027. The new Kranji Water Reclamation Plant and Kranji NEWater factory are targeted to be completed by the mid-2030s. The Changi Water Reclamation Plant will also be expanded by the mid-2030s, and the construction of the third Changi NEWater factory is targeted to be completed in the next three years. The three-node used water management system at Changi, Tuas and Kranji will play a critical role in helping to meet Singapore’s long-term needs.

Every drop of used water will be collected, treated and purified in an endless cycle, so that we make the best use of our limited resource. Indeed, let this be our calling: zero waste.

Chairman, in conclusion, our sustainability requires collective effort. Advancing green initiatives, improving energy efficiency and promoting resource resilience will put us on track to achieve our climate ambitions.

The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon.

The Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment (Dr Koh Poh Koon): Mdm Chair, I will speak now on our approach to strengthen our food resilience and safeguard our hawker culture.

As a country that imports over 90% of our food, Singapore will not be spared from global food supply disruptions. These can arise from disease outbreaks, climate change and geopolitical tensions.

In safeguarding our food resilience, diversifying our import sources remains our core strategy. Today, we import from 187 countries, up from just 140 around two decades back. When accrediting food imports, SFA takes a risk-based approach. While products with low food safety risks do not require accreditation, SFA accredits higher-risk food products, like meat and egg products, in line with international practice.

Since December 2024, SFA has streamlined this process, in line with the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Pro-Enterprise Rules Review, by accrediting at a broader food category level instead of by food products. This expands our import product range and improves business efficiency.

But our food resilience cannot and does not hinge on one single strategy; it requires a multi-pronged approach.

One complementary strategy is to maintain adequate food stocks to tide over supply disruptions, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, stockpiling alone is insufficient. For perishable essentials like fibre, long-term storage is challenging, involving inventory and logistics costs.

4.30 pm

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

This is why we develop some capacity and capability for local production. It complements our diversification strategy and stockpiling strategy with a regenerative characteristic, allowing us to continue producing food during supply disruptions.

Ms Nadia Samdin asked about the progress of our "30-by-30" vision. Today, less than 10% of the food we consume is produced locally.

When we conceived this vision in 2019, it was aspirational. The agri-food business climate then was more benign, with stronger investor interest, lower interest rates and lower energy prices. Now, the global food industry outlook has become less favourable, with dwindling investments in urban agri-food technology and alternative proteins and geopolitical tensions exacerbating uncertainties around energy costs.

Local farms will continue to face inherent structural challenges, in this early stage when their production facilities have yet to achieve sufficient scale. A key challenge is high production costs in Singapore, given limited land and a tight labour force. This is exacerbated by strong price competition from imported produce, which enjoy lower production costs.

For our farms to scale, we need to help them improve productivity and lower costs, while increasing consumer demand for local produce. Navigating these complex issues will require time, effort and close partnership across the Government, our industry and consumers.

Despite these challenges, our capacity and capability to produce food locally has grown, and some food types have shown early successes. Locally-produced hen eggs and beansprouts now contribute 30% and 50% of our local consumption respectively. SFA is continuously assessing our progress and our initiatives' relevance in growing our local agri-food sector, gaining experience along the way.

Ms Nadia Samdin asked whether we are reviewing Singapore's 30-by-30 goal. Indeed, we are reviewing our local production strategy to be more focused and targeted in addressing key challenges of productivity, costs and demand, and in fostering the sector's continued growth. We will share more details after our review.

Ms Nadia Samdin asked about the initiatives announced in the Singapore Aquaculture Plan, which we refreshed last year, bringing stakeholders together to chart a shared roadmap to uplift our aquaculture sector.

Under the plan, we are spearheading efforts to strengthen the supply resilience of agri-inputs, which are vital for our farms. In aquaculture, agri-inputs constitute up to 60% of the farms' production costs. Quality eggs and fingerlings form a key priority. However, with the inconsistent quality our farmers use today, fish mortalities can go up to 80%, impacting the downstream yield.

The newly-established National Broodstock Centre (NBC) and Hatchery Development and Recognition Programme will supply to our farms genetically superior eggs and fingerlings, with higher survival and grow-out rates. SFA will work with local hatcheries to uplift their capabilities and gain accreditation under the programme, which allows them to access superior fish eggs from the NBC. The programme will first focus on Asian seabass, commonly produced and consumed by Singaporeans. SFA is in the process of training and accrediting a few seabass hatcheries.

SFA's work is also underway to study potential sites for the hybrid sea farming model, in close consultation with Government agencies, the industry, researchers and nature groups. Identifying and allocating appropriate sites is not easy. It demands significant time and resources, given our limited sea space, competing uses and needing to mitigate environmental impact.

Broadly, we will continue to avail space for farming by launching land and sea tenders progressively. SFA will announce tender details along the way.

To Ms Nadia Samdin's question on keeping our marine environment clean, let me explain that all farms are required by licence to maintain clean and sanitary conditions. With the Farm Management Plan, introduced under the Food Safety and Security Act passed in Parliament this January, we also require licensees undertaking primary production activities to adopt means to mitigate food safety risks, disease spread and ensure sustainable production.

To support our farms to be more productive and climate-resilient, SFA provides funding through the Agri-Food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund.

To address Mr Shawn Huang and Mr Dennis Tan's questions, the ACT Fund supports farms to adopt farming solutions for diverse needs, from small-scale trials to larger commercial systems, with over $28 million awarded to 43 companies by the end of 2024. Each application proposal is assessed holistically, considering its merits and ability to contribute to our food resilience.

One example is Blue Ocean Aquaculture Technology. Supported by the earlier iteration of the ACT Fund, they developed an indoor recirculating aquaculture system to farm various fish species in higher densities, with a lower footprint and regardless of climate or external environmental changes. Another example, Yili Farm, has also benefitted from funding to construct an intensive soil and hydroponics farming system, achieving resource efficiencies.

Mr Dennis Tan raised some suggestions on adopting permaculture principles and deploying natural solutions like aquatic plants, to improve climate resilience.

Permaculture, in particular, tends to require extensive land space, which might not be as well-suited for local production in Singapore. Nonetheless, farms should assess the farming methods and solutions most appropriate for their operating model and constraints, accounting for the need to be commercially viable, climate-resilient and resource-efficient. Generally, SFA provides technical resources on agriculture technologies, and have account managers who can further assist and advise farmers on growth areas and development plans.

To better address our farmers' diverse and emerging needs, SFA has enhanced the ACT Fund, incorporating their feedback. The enhancements will provide farms with more comprehensive coverage, to include expenses, such as marketing and branding; and expanded funding scope to cover standalone pre- and post-harvest production facilities. To provide farms more time to harness technology and innovation, SFA will also extend the maximum project funding duration from 27 to 36 months.

As Miss Rachel Ong highlighted, local businesses seeking to innovate may need grants and other support, beyond research grants. Agri-food businesses can also access Enterprise Singapore's initiatives, like the Enterprise Development Grant and Startup SG, which finance innovation projects and capabilities.

For our farms to achieve scale, they also need sustained demand. This is where strong support from the industry and consumers can help strengthen our Singapore Food Story.

Under our Alliance for Action to encourage increased offtake for local produce, the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprise Federation (SAFEF) is expanding its work as a supply and demand aggregator.

In May 2024, SAFEF launched the "SG Farmers' Market" and "The Straits Fish" product lines in selected FairPrice outlets, aggregating locally-farmed vegetables and marine tilapia respectively to make them more accessible to consumers, especially those in the heartlands. By last month, sales have increased about five-fold for local xiao bai cai and two-fold for processed local fish products. I am very heartened by the public response. SAFEF is now working with our farmers and industry partners to launch even more products. Beyond FairPrice outlets, consumers can also find "SG Farmers' Market” vegetables at Sheng Siong supermarkets starting this month.

More food businesses are recognised under the Farm-to-Table Recognition Programme, for their commitment to procure locally-produced, locally-farmed ingredients. Since launching in 2023, membership has grown steadily to 101 establishments by January this year. SFA will continue to encourage more businesses to come onboard this programme.

Sir, let me now shift gears to another food-related topic. With SG60, we also mark the fifth year of the inscription of Singapore's hawker culture onto the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Our hawker centres form the heart of our hawker culture.

Minister Grace Fu explained why we must look ahead to update our hawker centre landscape. This builds on our progress thus far.

In the 2010s, we restarted building 20 new hawker centres after a hiatus to address Singaporeans' needs in estates underserved by food and beverage options. Today, 14 are in operation. I am also pleased to announce that two new hawker centres are opening in the first half of this year. Bukit Batok West Hawker Centre will feature 22 cooked food stalls and over 400 seats, while Punggol Coast Hawker Centre will introduce 40 stalls and over 680 seats. Both are designed for a pleasant dining environment, featuring high ceilings with improved ventilation, spacious seating areas and connectivity to surrounding facilities.

As we progressively complete the remaining centres in the upcoming years, we are also looking beyond that. We plan to build another five new hawker centres to ensure more residents in underserved estates can access affordable and delicious hawker food. NEA will announce more details when ready.

Besides building new hawker centres, we have invested in upgrading our existing infrastructure in addition to cyclical renovation works. We last embarked on a nationwide Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme (HUP), over 20 years ago to upgrade and rebuild almost 100 centres. More recently, we piloted the Hawker Centres Transformation Programme at two centres in Cheng San and Geylang Serai to improve hygiene conditions and address persistent infrastructural concerns.

I am glad that Ms Nadia Samdin found it helpful, through works like improving seating layout to minimise crowding and enhancing ventilation with new fittings.

The experiences we gained will inform our next bound, under HUP 2.0. As outlined by Minister Grace Fu, HUP 2.0 seeks to meet Singaporeans' evolving needs by upgrading older hawker centres or rebuilding, for some, into more vibrant, accessible and climate-resilient spaces.

Upgrading and building hawker centres are extensive endeavours that we are planning ahead and implementing progressively for the next 20 to 30 years.

To Ms Hany Soh's question, NEA is working closely with other agencies to dovetail with estate development plans and ensure local communities' needs are well-served. We will carefully examine our options and share more details when ready.

Mr Pritam Singh asked about the future of markets. Of the over 7,000 such stalls in 83 markets managed under NEA, occupancy rates remained relatively stable at around 96% in recent years. Nonetheless, consumer patterns have shifted with changing demographics and availability of alternatives, like supermarkets and online retailers. NEA will assess local community needs and the availability of market produce, to determine the development plans of wet markets under HUP 2.0.

Beyond the physical space, our hawker centres are also where our hawkers who, as masters of their craft, are the heart and soul of our hawker culture.

In commemoration of SG60 and to appreciate our hawkers, the Minister for Finance has announced a one-time rental support of $600 this year, for each stall in hawker centres and markets managed by the Government and Government-appointed operators. As a nation, we share a joint responsibility to ensure that our hawker culture continues to thrive. The Government will lead by setting policies to support and sustain the hawker trade. This includes providing a conducive business environment, ensuring the trade remains attractive and nurturing a new generation of hawkers.

To Mr Eric Chua and Ms Nadia Samdin's questions, indeed, as circumstances change, we need to review and adjust our policies. For instance, we saw the need to discourage excessively high tender bids for NEA-managed hawker centre stalls. Hence, we recently extended the duration for decreasing monthly stall rent from the bid price to the assessed market rate after the initial tenancy period by one more tenancy term.

As we monitor outcomes, we are concurrently taking steps to encourage more informed and realistic bidding. To guide tenderers, NEA now shares the median assessed market rent for centres with vacant stalls, in NEA's tender exercises since last month. NEA will also launch an online self-help tool, which can help tenderers understand the costs involved in running a hawker stall.

We also recognise hawkers' challenges in hiring stall assistants. Since January this year, we relaxed our manpower policy for hawker centres managed by NEA and NEA-appointed operators and are monitoring the impact.

Enhancing productivity is another sustainable approach to manage manpower constraints and where we can leverage on technology as Mr Eric Chua suggests. For example, centralised dishwashing and cleaning process automation like tray conveyance systems can improve centre-wide productivity and are supported under NEA's Productive Hawker Centres programme.

Also, under NEA's Hawkers’ Productivity Grant, we have disbursed over $3.4 million by end-2024 to co-fund hawkers in adopting stall-level automation equipment and digital solutions, like e-ordering and kitchen management systems. We will continue identifying and supporting practical technologies that can alleviate hawkers' challenges.

Mr Eric Chua also suggested the two-shift system to optimise stall utilities. Hawkers can already do this today through NEA's Joint Operator Scheme, which allows eligible stallholders and their appointed joint operators to share stall operating hours without overlapping.

4.45 pm

While I am glad that some hawkers have benefited from this scheme, we acknowledge that such a scheme may be operationally difficult to accommodate for other hawkers, depending on their business models, as the Member has highlighted in his speech. We will continue to assess our policies to assist our hawkers and ensure alignment with operating realities.

We also support aspiring hawkers to boost their chances of success. NEA does this through the Incubation Stall Programme, Hawkers’ Development Programme, and Hawkers Succession Scheme. Ms Nadia Samdin will be glad that by end-2024, over 100 aspiring hawkers have moved on to complete apprenticeships under hawker mentors. NEA has also allocated nearly 100 pre-fitted incubation stalls with reduced rent, to help aspiring hawkers kickstart their businesses.

Our hawker landscape will continue evolving with the times. We will continue to review our policies and support programmes to ensure they can meet the interests of Singaporeans, our hawkers and other stakeholders, amid changing needs and expectations.

Mr Chairman, food will remain central to Singapore’s resilience and our daily lives. As we forge ahead, we will continue adapting our strategies and uncovering new opportunities to ensure our food systems remain secure and our hawker culture continues to thrive. These will entail a collective effort from the Government, our industry partners and every Singaporean. Together, we can ensure a vibrant and resilient future for many generations to come.

The Chairman: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Mr Baey Yam Keng): Mr Chairman, "Our Sustainability, Our Resilience, Our Everyday" represents MSE’s unwavering commitment to a clean, green and resilient Singapore. Over the last six decades, we have made significant progress in ensuring high levels of public health as our way of life.

To reinforce good hygiene practices for collective well-being, MSE designated 2024 as the Year of Public Hygiene. I will update on our efforts in addressing persistent challenges, such as littering hotspots, rat infestations and public toilet cleanliness.

Our community is generally civic-minded, but littering remains a concern due to the inconsiderate actions of some people. Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked about NEA’s efforts in improving cleanliness at littering hotspots. In 2024, NEA increased littering enforcement, conducting about 130 blitzes, a six-fold increase from 2023.

NEA’s camera surveillance capabilities were also strengthened, allowing up to 1,000 CCTV deployments a year, compared to 250 in 2023. Last year, CCTVs were deployed 300 times at 13 identified littering hotspots, enhancing operational effectiveness leading to a 36% reduction in litter count between May and December 2024.

Thanks to the collective efforts by premises owners, cleaners and members of the public, Causeway Point, Chinatown Complex, Jurong Point and Vista Point are on track to be exited from the list of littering hotspots. NEA will continue to tackle the remaining hotspots through appropriate interventions, including public education and enforcement.

On high-rise littering, we share Ms Hany Soh’s concern. High-rise littering is a serious offence, as it poses a danger to the public and dirties the environment. To address it, NEA has leveraged camera surveillance and the presumption clause in the Environmental Public Health Act.

Other technologies are used as well. Ms Hany Soh and Ms Nadia Samdin will be glad to hear that data analytics have allowed NEA to prioritise camera deployments and shorten the investigation process, leading to more timely enforcement actions. In the coming months, NEA will also extend camera surveillance duration from the current 14 days, to up to 28 days, to improve the chances of capturing high-rise littering incidents.

Reducing the incidence of vector-borne diseases remains a priority. Ms Hany Soh and Mr Eric Chua asked about MSE’s pest control efforts. In 2024, NEA worked with stakeholders on upstream measures to improve their housekeeping and refuse management. This is to deny rats access to habitats and food sources, especially food waste. In addition, NEA also provided training and practical resources, such as guidelines and cleaning and maintenance sample contract specifications, to help stakeholders manage rat-related issues holistically.

Ms Nadia Samdin may be interested to hear that NEA also uses technology to enhance rat surveillance for more targeted interventions. One example is the implementation of thermal imaging technology which complements existing ones, such as infrared cameras, with clearer data on potential food sources for rats, their congregation areas and the pathways.

As rats multiply quickly, keeping their population low requires sustained efforts from everyone. To this end, NEA shares surveillance data with stakeholders, such as Town Councils and premises owners, so that they can implement measures to prevent rat infestations, including denying the access to habitats and food sources.

Enforcement will continue to play a key role. In 2024, intensified enforcements by NEA and SFA saw more than 1,000 enforcement actions, almost twice the number in 2023, taken against premises owners or occupiers for rat-related lapses. From 1 April 2025, NEA will tighten its enforcement regime, including for poor refuse management and housekeeping.

Shifting to mosquito control, community vigilance and innovations like Project Wolbachia have helped us avoid major dengue surges in 2023 and 2024. Going forward, we will scale up Project Wolbachia. The expansion to Jurong East since February and Jurong West in April this year will increase Project Wolbachia’s coverage to 580,000 households.

By the end of 2026, 800,000 households, or about 50% of all Singaporean households, will benefit from Project Wolbachia. I assure Mr Gan Thiam Poh that we will announce details on future expansion when ready. NEA will also be conducting pilots to understand the technology’s ability to disrupt dengue clusters.

To address Mr Eric Chua's residents’ concerns on Wolbachia-Aedes releases, NEA will respond promptly to feedback to assure residents on the temporary nature of the increased mosquito presence. Over time, with the community’s support, we can maintain low mosquito population, which will lead to fewer releases.

Even as we leverage technology, stakeholders and residents must continue to take action to prevent mosquito breeding. Community vigilance is needed to keep dengue at bay.

Several Members have asked about public toilet cleanliness and the Public Toilets Taskforce’s recommendations. The Taskforce focused on public toilets that consistently fare poorly in cleanliness surveys, including that conducted by Singapore Management University students.

After almost a year of engagement and discussions, the Taskforce, which I co-chaired with Mr Andrew Khng, the Chairman of Public Hygiene Council, submitted our recommendations to Minister Grace Fu recently. The Minister has shared that MSE endorses the Taskforce’s recommendations, namely, to "Build Well, Clean Well, and Use Well". Let me elaborate on MSE’s response.

First, to achieve cleaner public toilets, good toilet design is important as it facilitates easy maintenance. To this end, we welcome the Taskforce’s list of recommended toilet design features. Deep cleaning and providing better training support for cleaners are also critical to improve toilet cleanliness. The Taskforce also recommended grants to support coffee shop operators in toilet upgrading or deep cleaning.

Mr Chairman, coffee shops are privately-operated commercial premises. However, they keep their toilets accessible to patrons and non-patrons, providing a public service to the community. This is particularly important in an ageing population, as seniors may have more difficulties in managing bladder and bowel control. Instead of building public toilets in the community, the Government could tap on the Singapore culture of coffee shops being natural gathering points for residents.

I am happy to announce that MSE will set aside $5 million each for a Coffeeshop Toilet Renovation Grant and a Coffeeshop Toilet Deep Cleaning Grant. Coffee shop operators can apply to NEA for funding of up to 95% of their toilet renovation costs, capped at $50,000 per coffee shop. They can also apply for up to 95% funding of their two-year deep cleaning contract cost, capped at $25,000 per coffee shop.

More information will be provided to coffee shops to help them understand the recommended design features, the adoption of which is a criterion for the renovation grant. Successful grant applicants will also receive complimentary onsite training for their in-house cleaners to improve their cleaning effectiveness and efficiency.

However, grants alone are not enough. Toilet users and community volunteers can also contribute to cleaner toilets. To cultivate shared responsibility for public toilet cleanliness, we endorse the Taskforce’s recommendation to refresh the Happy Toilet Programme by the Restroom Association Singapore and expand the Neighbourhood Toilets Community Group programme by the Public Hygiene Council.

Leveraging technology, such as feedback systems, can facilitate timely feedback, and contribute to public toilet cleanliness. With the Taskforce’s support, the ReportLah! solution is now trialled at over 10 coffee shops in Singapore.

Furthermore, we will continue to enforce against errant operators, including suspensions where necessary. In 2024, NEA and SFA stepped up inspections on public toilet cleanliness. Close to 19,000 inspections were carried out, with about 1,300 enforcement actions taken against premises owners and managers. I am heartened that premises have taken action to rectify lapses and encourage them to sustain their efforts to ensure cleaner toilets for all.

Over time, we hope that these measures will break the cycle of dirty coffee shop toilets, so that we all can enjoy better and cleaner toilets.

Mr Chairman, I will now say a few words in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Gathering and chatting with neighbours at coffee shops is part of our Singapore culture. Anyone, even if not a customer of the coffee shop, can still use the toilets there. This is a public service that coffee shop operators provide to the community, and it is especially important in an ageing society. Therefore, the Government will provide grants to coffee shop operators to encourage them to adopt good toilet designs and conduct regular deep cleaning of toilets, enabling the public to access better and cleaner toilets.

MSE will allocate $10 million to launch the Coffee Shop Toilet Renovation Grant and Coffee Shop Toilet Deep Cleaning Grant. Cleaners from successful applicants will also receive free on-site cleaning training to help improve toilet cleanliness.

NEA will provide more details about the grants. Improving public toilet hygiene requires continuous effort from both toilet operators and users. Clean toilets benefit everyone.

(In English): Finally, Mr Louis Ng asked about legislating a smoking ban at windows and balconies. Expanding smoking restrictions to cover private homes and spaces must be carefully considered as this infringes the privacy of people in their own homes. Even with legislation, we need enforcement for restrictions to be effective. The challenge is that current technologies do not allow the detection of smoking activities at home without infringing privacy.

However, I urge smokers to exercise social responsibility to minimise the impact that smoking has on the well-being of others, including their neighbours. I know that some smokers choose to smoke at windows and balconies so that their family members are not exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke.

5.00 pm

As the Chinese saying goes, "己所不欲勿施于人", which means "extending to others the courtesy you would like in return", I urge smokers to exercise the same consideration to their neighbours. Close your door and windows if you do smoke at home. Otherwise, go downstairs and smoke away from your block in a non-smoking prohibited area, such as open spaces and unsheltered carparks.

We can work together as a community to engender a more gracious society as we shape social norms on acceptable smoking behaviour. MSE and NEA will work together with stakeholders to develop ground-up solutions and promote socially responsible behaviour.

Mr Chairman, the Year of Public Hygiene has empowered the community and stakeholders to explore new ways to achieve better public health outcomes. To consolidate these gains, NEA will introduce a new concept of operations. Called "Cleaner Neighbourhood", this aims to strengthen community involvement. NEA will adopt an integrated operations and outreach approach to tackle hotspots with cleanliness, refuse management and congregation problems. NEA will also seek to address the issues upstream, with broader community involvement and greater use of technology. This will include upskilling NEA officers to be more effective at managing multifaceted public hygiene issues.

NEA will embrace greater use of video analytics and AI to enhance surveillance and enforcement capabilities, with data used to identify hotspots that require greater intervention. Surveillance data will also be shared with stakeholders, such as Town Councils, trade premises and dormitory operators, to better support their preventive and corrective measures.

Finally, NEA will strengthen community ownership by collaborating with community leaders and partners to reinforce and sustain proactive citizenry without over-reliance on enforcement. A new initiative, called the Community Action for Cleanliness, will complement operations at identified hotspots with engagement of local stakeholders to address community pain points more holistically and effectively.

To Ms Poh Li San and Ms Nadia Samdin's queries, technology is also being leveraged in other parts of the MSE Family to improve productivity and deliver better public services. Since February 2024, PUB has implemented an AI-enabled video analytics solution to inspect drainage inlets along 7,000 kilometres of roadside drains. The technology provides for speedier and more accurate detection of defects, allowing PUB to respond in a timelier manner.

In 2022, SFA introduced a mobile lab for onsite testing during food safety incidents. This allows SFA to quickly identify potential food safety risks onsite at large-scale events. SFA is now developing a second-generation mobile lab that can handle substantially higher testing volume with faster results.

Mr Chairman, we received strong support from the community in the Year of Public Hygiene. Over 1,700 activities were co-organised by NEA and community partners to promote good cleanliness and hygiene practices. Many partners will continue these initiatives in 2025 and beyond.

For example, the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), ran a campaign titled "Clean Districts, Amazing Communities" in partnership with NEA, seven Town Councils, and susGain. Over 120 litter-picking activities and 620 zero-waste activities were completed by the various CDAC centres islandwide from June to September 2024. Post-campaign, CDAC continued its partnership with NEA to promote a sustainable lifestyle among its beneficiaries and volunteers.

Assoc Prof Razwana Begum asked about community engagement and action. This year, as we celebrate SG60, we will provide more opportunities for everyone to co-create a sustainable Singapore together. Since the launch of the SG Eco Fund in 2020, more than $13 million in funding has empowered over 300 individuals, groups and organisations to initiate projects that involve the community to advance environmental sustainability.

To catalyse more community-led projects, we have raised the maximum grant for the SG Eco Fund's Sprout category, which is the entry tier, from $8,000 to $30,000 for all successful applications received this year. I encourage interested parties to step forward in the spirit of SG60 and the SG Eco Fund, to play your special part and make a difference together.

Connecting like-minded partners, including our youths, strengthen our collective ability to tackle sustainability and climate change issues. Last year, I talked about how the #GreenHacks Youth Panel lets interested youths contribute to policymaking and other green efforts. The Panel has since submitted its recommendations to address low domestic recycling rates.

This year, we will forge on with the Climate Youth Development Programme. Over the last two years, we have equipped 80 youths with relevant knowledge so that they can contribute purposefully towards sustainability and climate change issues. Some of them have since amplified their learnings to other stakeholders and started ground-up projects to encourage community action.

We are inspired by our youths' dedication to a cleaner, greener Singapore. Through our initiatives, we will partner and enable them to be effective pathfinders of our present and their future. Fellow Singaporeans can play a part as well. Join our Coastal Conversations to shape the future of our coastal areas, participate in the annual Go Green SG from 16 May to 29 June 2025 and practise green habits to support our sustainable cooling movement. There is a lot more that we can do together.

In conclusion, Mr Chairman, a clean, green and resilient Singapore is not by chance. MSE will continue to partner all segments of society to make a difference. Together, we can achieve sustainability, resilience and a better everyday life for all.

The Chairman: Clarifications for the Ministers? Mr Louis Ng.

5.06 pm

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for answering my cut on second-hand smoke. And I am sure he expects me to clarify further. But I think the Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned that there is no current technology to catch someone smoking at home and, so, because of that we cannot legislate a ban. But we do have a law making it illegal to be naked at home if it is in public view, and we can enforce that. So, why can NEA or MSE not then enforce this ban on smoking in your home?

Second, I think many of us receive complaints from our residents about second-hand smoke. Many of us do. So, NEA will issue advisories urging that resident to not smoke at the windows and balconies. That often fails. We urge them to try CMC. That often fails, and we try CDRT, and that fails because they cannot gather the evidence.

Many times, the case is thrown out. So, if this resident goes through the entire journey and it does not work, can I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary what help can NEA offer to these residents who are really suffering from second-hand smoke?

Mr Baey Yam Keng: Mr Chairman, I can always count on Mr Chua to continue his crusade. Oh, Mr Ng. Sorry, sorry. Yes, I got smoked already. [Laughter.]

Well, indeed. Smoking, as I said, our current surveillance technology does not allow us to do that. So, if we have a law, the public or complainants will expect the Government to take action, and we do not have credible, efficient technologies that we are able to do that. So, we will disappoint the public. In fact, Mr Louis Ng will also disappoint his residents because we are not able to take enforcement action.

I do not like to compare smoking with going around naked at home. I suppose, for streakers at home, probably it is their neighbours who may complain or will try to take pictures and get the authorities to take action. I think it is not entirely apple-for-apple kind of comparison. But I assure Mr Ng and all those concerned about smoking at home causing disamenity, which I also receive similar feedback from my residents, that we recognise the disamenity. And as soon as we are able to find a way with the right technology to be able to do surveillance and detect smoking at private spaces, at windows and balconies, we will do something.

The Chairman: Mr Gerald Giam.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: I thank Senior Minister of State Amy Khor for responding to my cut. Would the Ministry consider encouraging or requiring all F&B outlets to provide plain drinking water at free or low cost to customers, instead of charging $2 or more for bottled water, which often comes in a plastic single-use bottle? This will promote healthier beverage choices by making plain water more accessible and reduce consumption of sugary drinks.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I must say that I am glad that Mr Louis Ng has got a fresh perspective from my colleague.

But with regard to Mr Gerald Giam's question, as I have said, tap water is safe for drinking in Singapore. I think PUB has reiterated many times and we do have lots of water dispenser, water points, water cooler at the hawker centres, at regional parks, at the bus terminals and interchanges.

In fact, BCA's Green Mark scheme actually awards points to developers or building owners who provide water coolers or water points within their premises, within their building, whether it is in a common area near the toilets and so on. And even BCA, the Health Promotion Board had a Green Mark for healthier workplaces, also awards points to office premises which put water points within the offices. So, drinking water is very accessible. You just need to bring your reusable, which we have been promoting through our "Say YES to Waste Less" campaign, for many many years, and then you can actually fill up and get your water.

With regard to the F&B outlets, we do not have any plans to go and require them to provide free drinking water, for instance, or at low cost. I think it is up to the F&B businesses to decide how to charge and so on. There is a lot of competition, so they will take that into account.

The other thing is, actually, water is a valuable resource and even though water can be taken freely from the tap, it is not free, because the F&B owners have to pay for the water. And there is a cost to serving the water, the table water, as well as to wash the glasses and so on that it is served in. So, we will need to allow them to decide how they are going to provide the service to their customers and whether they will charge or not. But regardless, the reality is that water is easily accessible from various drinking points.

The Chairman: Ms Hany Soh.

Ms Hany Soh: Thank you, Mr Chairman. I have three clarifications. The first is to the Minister in relation to her announcement of HUP 2.0. I understand that there is a long-term plan for existing hawker centres to be transformed. In this regard, can I enquire what are the factors which will be taken into consideration in prioritising which estates' hawker centres will be upgraded first? So, that is my first clarification.

The second and third clarifications are to Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey. The first is in relation to high-rise littering issues. I understand from Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey that there are plans to place surveillance cameras for a longer period of time, up to 28 days. While I appreciate this effort, but based on our residents' feedback, more often than not, it is that surveillance cameras, while they serve a good purpose in enforcement, actually, the better benefits of them actually pertain to deterrence.

So, I urge the Ministry to consider whether we can explore – rather than a specific duration of 28 days – whether we can have it on a permanent basis. It is just like speed cameras, for instance, in the hope that such issues will not recur after the specified period where the cameras have been removed.

The third point is on the public toilets. It has been announced that MSE will set aside some grants for coffee shops' renovations and deep cleaning. In this regard, can we actually explore to extend this grant to other toilets that are used by the public as well, outside of coffee shops, for example, those that are at the neighbourhood centres, those that are at the Community Clubs that are actually used by the public as well.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Chairman, with regard to the first question from Member Ms Hany Soh, there are many factors that will go into the consideration on prioritising the centre for HUP 2.0. But I would summarise it as follows.

5.15 pm

First, we will look at the centre, how important or how critical is the centre requiring major transformations. Second, we have to look at the needs of the residents in that area. Are they in need of a new centre? Is there a need for consideration or consolidation? Are there growing demographic demands? How is it changing with time? The third one is really to expand further and see whether what are the needs in the surrounding area as well. I think the fourth factor would be to really have a very engaged session with our land agencies, such as HDB, URA, to look at the overall master planning of the towns and of the land around these centres.

Mr Baey Yam Keng: I thank Ms Hany Soh for her suggestions. She would be aware that for the surveillance cameras to catch high-rise littering, in fact, we have already increased the number of deployments and each of these requires the equipment, the set-up and the checking as well as the analysis of the footages. So, it does require resources.

The reason why we are extending the deployment period is because these areas tend to be a problem of recalcitrant litterbugs. So, they are habitual litterbugs. We hope that with 28 days, four weeks, they will be caught, during this period. And when they are caught, they will be subject to penalties. If I am not wrong, they will be issued Court orders; you need to go to Court. So, the penalties and the punishment, we hope they will teach them a lesson, that they will change this habit forever. That is the objective of it. As we know, there are so many different HDB blocks in Singapore. It will not be possible to deploy such surveillance systems on a permanent basis. I seek the Member's understanding on this.

As for the grants to extend beyond coffee shops, the reason why we are focusing on coffee shop toilets now is because, based on surveys over many years, coffee shop toilets have fared consistently at the lowest level of cleanliness. So, we want to tackle this. If we dilute our resources to cover other public toilets, then I think the impact will not be significant and it will not address the issue that we are facing at hand. So, I hope that we will have the support to roll this out and get the onboarding of coffee shop operators as well as the cooperation of users and other stakeholders so that we can have cleaner public toilets at coffee shops.

The Chairman: Mr Louis Ng.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Sir, allow me to take up the challenge from Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey that there is no technology available. I have shown this in Parliament before. But this is a photo from an NEA camera, showing someone smoking at their window and there is actually quite a number of photos. So, the technology does exist. The current cameras that we use to catch the litterbugs can catch someone smoking at the windows. So, there really is not an excuse to say that there is no technology. But there is and we can use that again to legislate and help to protect people from second-hand smoke.

Mr Baey Yam Keng: Yes, for surveillance cameras to catch high-rise littering, the cameras are typically deployed at the ground level with the camera projected upwards, to try to catch the littering act. So, by counting the floors and which window, which level, the littering act is caught and we are able to take enforcement action.

In those pictures that Mr Louis Ng has shown, those are in rare cases or exceptional places where we are not able to mount cameras on the ground, because by pointing a camera into the windows of a home for suspected littering offences, it really goes into the privacy of the house owner. We do not think it is something that our residents would appreciate because it could be a suspect household. It need not be a confirmed smoker causing the nuisance to neighbours. So, it is about this privacy invasion that we are not sure that we should roll it out as a way to catch smoking at windows and balconies. I do seek the Member's understanding.

The Chairman: Mr Faisal Manap.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: Sir, earlier in my speech, I have sought two clarifications on my cuts pertaining to ventilation systems for bakeries in order to better manage the disamenities caused by bakeries located in the HDB blocks. I really have not received a reply on this from the Ministry.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Chairman, I would like to maybe ask the Member to give me the background, because I think he is referring to a very specific case which I am afraid I am not very familiar with. It is a specific case of a bakery with a ventilation problem that affects the neighbours. Perhaps, the Member can describe the problem to me again, please, Sir, through you.

The Chairman: Mr Faisal Manap.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: Sir, actually, I have written to SFA and they have actually replied to me recently. I just want to get a better clarification on the issues. What happened was that there is this issue that has been going on for about 10 years where the bakery located in the same block, a four-storey HDB block, has been emanating noise, heat and pungent smell. So, I have written to the relevant agencies, and the last round I wrote was to SFA. And then they did mention that they are working with other relevant agencies to look into the matter.

But my question is basically whether SFA has received similar feedback on such issues and how pieces of feedback are being received in a year, and also whether there is any requirement for bakeries that operate in an HDB residential block in managing the noise and heat level resulting from their daily operation. Is there any kind of regulation or requirement imposed by SFA?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Thank you very much for the clarification. I do not think that this is a very major problem on the ground. I do not hear many such feedback coming from Members. But I will have to confirm again. So, I will very much appreciate if the Member could file a Parliamentary Question (PQ), so that we can give a fuller reply.

On the feedback about SFA imposing regulations on ventilation as well as on noise, I would very much consider the Member's suggestions of perhaps having more regulations to regulate the businesses. We will definitely take that into consideration. But I will come back with a fuller reply to the Member's PQ.

The Chairman: With that, Mr Louis Ng, would you like to withdraw your amendment?

5.23 pm

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Sir, I thank all Members who have spoken up passionately and fought hard to improve our policies. I especially thank Minister Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng for all their positive responses, except on the issue of second-hand smoke. My persistence on this issue – I have always wanted to say it – is as lingering as second-hand smoke. That is a persistent problem for so many residents and I hope sooner rather than later, we will really fix this problem.

I also want to again record my appreciation and thanks, on behalf of all of us, to the staff members at MSE, NEA, SFA and PUB for all their hard work and dedication towards very important causes here in Singapore. With that, Sir, I seek leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $2,658,974,300 for Head L ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $1,477,646,700 for Head L ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.