Committee of Supply – Head Q (Ministry of Communications and Information)

The Chairman: Head Q, Ministry of Communications and Information. Ms Tin Pei Ling.

Industry Capabilities and Leaders

Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head Q of the Estimates be reduced by $100".

Sir, Singapore has great ambitions to achieve a thriving digital economy and Smart Nation. Talent and data are, in my opinion, the most basic yet most important success factors. We need data to innovate and we need people to get things done.

In my Budget debate speech in February 2020, I talked about the need for a high concentration of skilled workers with a critical mass of talents if we are to excel in tech and innovation, like we did in biotech. Singapore needs to offer an abundance of talents who not only meet existing demands but also attract future unicorns to Singapore from the region and beyond.

Just as importantly, we need to have homegrown unicorns. We need more Singapore digital leaders and tech unicorns to further cement our position in the world.

Today, the number of tech-related job vacancies is double that of the number in 2010, according to a recent report by the Boston Consulting Group. As we continue to attract large tech firms to Singapore and as we digitally transform our Singapore enterprises, the need for talents cannot be more pressing.

First, on digital leader and mentoring programme. I am heartened that the Government has introduced many useful schemes such as TeSa, SGUnited Jobs & Skills and the PCP, that help to strengthen our talent pool with the requisite technical knowledge and industry skillsets. To ensure sustainability and progression in this area, I would like to ask what the Government is doing to actively cultivate digital leaders. Would the Government consider formally introducing a mentorship programme that attracts top talents and company founders from around the world, perhaps to leverage the TechPass holders, to mentor our youths and start-ups?

I spoke about this in Parliament last year and I raise this again now. Ultimately, we would want to create a vibrant community of talents, groom the next generation and increase Singapore’s mindshare to further cement Singapore’s position on the global stage.

Next on women in tech. An area of keen interest to me is how we are attracting and retaining women in this niche tech space. The 2017 manpower statistics for MCI reported a distinct gender gap with male at 68% and female at 32%. In a 2019 Harvard Business Review research paper, it was reported that investing in gender diversity helps create a positive feedback loop in talent attraction and financial gains for a company. Drawing comparisons from the same Boston Consulting Group report that I mentioned earlier, the composition of women with tech-related degrees is 29% and this is less than the 53% representation in overall degrees. Hence, I would like to ask the Government what are the plans in place to further encourage the entry of women to the tech space.

Third, on transparency framework. Sir, we should call for greater transparency to what firms, especially large firms, expect of their corporate leaders. In an article by Forbes that outlined one of the benefits for introducing a transparent corporate culture is that it fosters employee happiness and talent retention. I would like to ask whether the government will consider putting in place a framework to enhance corporate transparency, especially in terms of tech talent development and progression.

Fourth, support for innovation. On the support for innovation, apart from the announced Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan (RIE2025) to boost R&D, I would like to ask the Government what plans will be put in place to help local start-ups or local companies in the innovation sector to secure significant projects within and outside the public sector that can boost their credibility.

Apart from having a list of IMDA-accredited companies, could there be a more concerted effort to encourage government-linked companies to partner local tech firms and bring them along in overseas ventures? Without the opportunity to obtain a “big break”, our local start-ups can get stuck in a vicious cycle of small projects. This inadvertently creates a false impression that our local start-ups are capable of undertaking only small projects.

Moreover, without a sizeable project in Singapore to add to their credential, some local companies may face considerable challenges when venturing overseas, if they were to do so on their own. And, because of the lack of credibility or credential, local start-ups might be pressured to reduce their fees to secure the contract. This again creates a downward spiral of giving discounts which is unsustainable in the long run.

Can we pursue big brands less and favour our local companies a bit more? Could we consider “Support Singapore” measures to prioritise deserving local companies, perhaps those in the Scale-up programme, in certain public project tenders? Such opportunities could be the break our companies need to launch themselves as Singapore’s next tech unicorn.

And on to my final point on data collection. I understand that this is a sensitive topic, but the current highly sensitised climate makes it difficult for local firms to collect data for the purpose of innovating their products or services. At times, companies face challenges obtaining data, despite offering assurance that it will be anonymised. But without data, it could be very difficult for firms to innovate and they risk creating products in a vacuum.

Hence, there is a need to strike a balance in protecting data and enabling data for innovation. We want to be a global data centre. But how could we use data for greater good? Could the Government consider lending its support as a partner to companies in their research and studies? This could boost public confidence. What else could the Government do to strike this balance? Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Support MSMEs to Transform Digitally

Ms Tin Pei Ling: Sir, digital globalisation is accelerating. Digitalisation for businesses is no longer an option post-COVID-19. Moreover, going digital breaks down geographical and physical constraints and promises limitless markets and opportunities.

However, MSMEs often find it daunting to digitalise as they know not the "what" and the "how". Most of our MSMEs are resource strapped. Neither do they have the technical expertise internally to scan the horizon for the wide array of digital solutions available in the market, nor do they have the resources to engage qualified consultants just to help them digitalise.

On this note, I would like to suggest three points.

The first is to build trust in technology. “I don’t know what I don’t know”, “What if I am scammed?”, “Will the bank or agency know my everything?”. Buy-in amongst MSMEs on the benefits of digitalisation could remain weak. Absorbed in their daily operations, many MSMEs have little capacity left to care about achieving incremental productivity gain through digitalisation, when one, every day is an existential fight and two, the digital solutions are possibly “alien” to them. Compounded by the occasional stories of how some fall prey to scams, digitalisation can become a mysterious and scary monster. Could the government share how it is addressing myths and helping MSMEs understand the benefits of digitalisation, so as to engender greater confidence?

Second is to solve the know-how. Even amongst the more forward-looking MSMEs that believe in digitalisation, they may not afford the time to properly understand the digital specifications, much less to deploy and implement the solutions. Also, hiring an in-house IT expert, given their scale, could be costly. Therefore, the idea of pooling resources and having CTO-as-a-service as announced during this year’s Budget sounds like a very good idea.

And third is to demonstrate clear gains. The business imperative will be strong if digital adoption is shown to increase topline and reduce bottomline. Of course, Government schemes such as the Start Digital Pack are useful. But if I may suggest, it is for the Government to look into implementation details and how application experience can be enhanced.

For example, a local tech solution provider recently shared with me that many local MSMEs expressed interest to purchase its solutions because of the SMEs Go Digital funding. But because the deadline was strictly imposed and the application processing took a while, a number of these companies gave up for fear of missing the deadline by the time the application is approved, if it is approved. This to me an example of a missed opportunity for MSMEs to give digitalisation a shot.

Sir, with the accelerated pace of digitalisation, it is “do-or-die” now. I therefore ask the Ministry to share more about what is done to help MSMEs transform?

The Chairman: Mr Alex Yam.

Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Chairman, digital technologies are indisputably relevant to the modern economy. And this has been particularly so during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the demand for new spheres of innovation grows to cushion the disruptions and to leverage on new opportunities brought about by the pandemic, new applications, new digital solutions appear on a daily basis.

Digital technologies are increasingly impacting all parts of the economy. Even in the traditional sectors like F&B, agriculture, and construction, technology investment is growing fast as a worldwide trend.

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Asia has been benefiting from the new wave of digital innovation in the recent years. Compared to the rest of the world, the IMF observed that Asia is leading in e-commerce and fintech. Both developing and advanced economies in the region have seen significant digital gains. We must strive to understand how best we can make the most of these digital opportunities to benefit our economy and improve our living standards. Can the Minister share how we will strengthen our competitive advantage in the global digital economy?

We have a significant foothold over our regional counterparts as tech giants flock to us to establish headquarters or regional offices in Singapore. But as we heard in the earlier MTI Committee of Supply, the technology talent crunch remains a perpetual concern. The information communications sector would need another 60,000 professionals over the next three years.

The Government and businesses must therefore focus efforts on finding talented individuals to secure our technology start-up status. It will not be easy as many of the job openings require specialists of digital skills. How do we therefore ensure that we have sufficient talent to meet the demands of our growing digital economy? Can we truly become Asia's Silicon Valley?

Digitalisation Impact on Life Post-COVID-19

Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Mr Chairman, over the past one year, many of us have seen our screen-time increase by leaps and bounds. My friends in the stockbroking industry tell me that after years of decline, their commissions have gone up. Data has shown that there have been more trades done, although in small amounts. And we all know that shopping online is prevalent these days. Life has indeed changed and the digital world is occupying more of our waking hours.

How has digitalisation allowed us to ease into the new reality of life during COVID-19? I would like to also ask what investments the Government is making in terms of infrastructure, not just to enable the expansion of our digital universe but to keep it safe from scams and fair from all points of view.

Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mr Chairman, Sir, please allow me to submit my cuts (e), (f) and (g) together.

The Chairman: Please do.

Cross-Ministry Transformation Support

Mr Sharael Taha: COVID-19 has been a catalyst for business transformation. In the past, our close proximity to workplace, shops and markets meant ease of physical access. There was no burning need to digitalise to bridge physical distances. However, the pandemic has made it necessary for organisations and companies to explore digital solutions, such as the use of Zoom, e-payment and e-commerce.

We now better understand how digitalisation can help make our operations more convenient and efficient. The next step is to move from pockets of digitalisation or pilots to fully adopting real and sustainable digital transformation. This will enable us to go beyond the superficial grafting of technology onto current processes and instead, leverage fully on digitalisation and create fundamental shifts to our business models.

Only then, can we be fully poised to take full advantage of the opportunities emerging from the post-pandemic world economy.

It is noteworthy that the recent McKinsey report indicated that 85% of ASEAN companies are still stuck in this digitalisation pilot trap. How can MCI, MTI and MOM work closer together to support companies in driving real, sustained digital transformation? By stringing together cohesive programmes across Ministries to enable companies to build a coherent, successful transformation strategy and execution, possibly through a clear operation and technology roadmap from MTI, supported by skilled manpower through MCI's Digital Leaders Programme and SGUnited Jobs and Skills training guided by experienced practitioners using MCI CTO as a service while training organisational capabilities to drive insights from the better use of data.

Each Ministry holds a piece of the jigsaw puzzle. Coming from the industry, trying to navigate transformation is difficult as this is not merely improving productivity but is fundamentally transforming business models.

Many companies may need help to navigate the multitude of different schemes available. To assist companies to fully leverage on the suite of support packages available, can the Ministry consider some form of overarching business transformation support through a membership programme or handholding to help companies navigate the cross-Ministerial support for transformation? We need a more concerted approach to business transformation to help companies gain traction and better navigate the diverse cross-Ministerial support provided.

SMEs Unlock Value Through Digitalisation

My second cut is about bridging the digital divide, in particular, inclusive growth for SMEs. The Go Digital Programme has assisted a lot of SMEs through their digital journey. One example of an SME that has performed well in their digital journey is Saffrons, an eatery in the east known for its fish briyani. Through adopting digital tools such as food ordering, third party food delivery apps, digital posts, witty marketing and, of course, good food. Its owner, Mr Rijal, shared that he has grown his customer base and revenue significantly. Saffrons is an example of a small, non-digital native enterprise that has been able to leverage on digital transformation.

However, not all SMEs have made equal progress in digitalisation. This pandemic has widened the gap between the digital haves and the digital have-nots. Some SMEs are still struggling to find value through digitalisation. With a lot of schemes available, how can MCI assist digital starters to navigate the eco-system of support? How can MCI help businesses unlock new value through digitalisation, especially digital starters that need more assistance? With more home-based businesses (HBB) and Singaporeans in the gig economy, how can MCI also assist HBBs to unlock value?

Opportunities in ICT Industry

I applaud the continuous support for the SGUnited Jobs and Skills programme. I have met many residents who have benefited from the programme, from mid-career professionals to fresh graduates. Of these, many hold aspirations for joining the growing ICT industry.

However, some are still concerned that they lack the skills and industry background to seize digital opportunities. Many share that despite taking up several digital courses, they have yet to be given an opportunity for a career in the industry. They cited that they have been turned down as they lack experience. But without the opportunity, they will never be able to switch industries and gain experience in the ICT industry.

How can MCI help workers get an opportunity in the industry and secure good jobs in the digital economy? Can the Ministry consider some mechanism to balance the hiring of experienced and inexperienced talents in the growing ICT industry?

SMEs and Digital Transformation

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir): Mr Chairman, SMEs provide employment to about 70% of our workforce and contribute almost 50% of Singapore's GDP. The digitisation of SME's business processes and the growing trend in e-commerce are two potential areas where SMEs can tap on in order to increase efficiency as well as to grow their businesses.

We have also seen, in the past year, under the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, that digital transformation has become an imperative step that some SMEs have to urgently take.

I therefore invite the Minister to share with this House the Ministry's plans to support and speed up the efforts of SMEs in the digital transformation of their businesses.

SME Digitisation

Ms Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang): Mr Chairman, no fewer than 10 of our colleagues have spoken before me. The focus on SME digitisation in the Budget is welcome, with new initiatives as well as increased support levels for existing initiatives.

For SMEs, it is important that initiatives deliver value quickly. Otherwise, sign-up rates will be slow and dropout rates high. SME digitisation programmes often underperform because they do not meet the needs of the SMEs. As one SME told me, it is like these programmes only have one hammer and it does not matter what kind of nail I have.

One way to bridge this is to focus on scalable use cases rather than broad topics or frameworks that they have to figure out how to apply themselves. Getting value from any use case is also often about changing internal processes and driving a digital culture. It is therefore critical to provide a meaningful level of change management support. SMEs have quite different needs and expectations for the type of support and the degree of handholding. Programme designs can therefore be more targeted and differentiated for different segments.

In addition to this push approach of financing and grants, the Government can also work more with digital eco-system partners, especially tech giants, who are able to leverage their extensive networks and experience to pull support for SMEs. In China, for example, the JD "Spark" programme provides supply chain, business support and credit to bring stalls and shops online as well as flexible employment and work from home opportunities in poorer regions.

I hope the Government will elaborate on the take-up and effectiveness of the SME digitisation programmes that are being extended—and the lessons that have been learnt to date. I also hope that the different Ministries involved in this space will ensure, for example, that digital traineeships and SME digitisation can be synced to leverage each other in order for us to maximise our investment value. Otherwise, often, I find that MNCs are much more willing to accommodate digital trainees than our SMEs themselves. This will have to change for a sector that has to take 70% of our workforce.

Support for SMEs to Transform Digitally

Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Chairman, SMEs, which include the hawkers, provide employment for two thirds of our workforce and contribute to almost half of our GDP. The Government had put in place the SMEs Go Digital and Hawkers Go Digital programmes to support their digitalisation efforts so as to transform their operations, increase productivity and expand their businesses.

With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting so many business sectors, what has been its impact on SMEs' adoption of digital technologies? Has the Ministry observed any changes in the take-up rates of the digitalisation programmes and what has been the utilisation rates of the various services such as SME Digital Tech Hub consultancy services and pre-approved solutions and the Digital Resilience Bonus?

Digital transformation has not been uniform amongst the SMEs. Which sectors are slower and how is the Government supporting them to overcome the difficulties that they face?

Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang): Sir, in the annual Budget of recent years, digitalisation is among the foremost priorities and items and have received significant budgetary allocation to drive this effort. I took a browse at the IMDA website and found that there is indeed a long list of schemes and support with the very specific purpose to help SMEs.

COVID-19 has given this unexpected boost to the adoption of digitalisation by businesses as well as consumers, who are using it more than before. Can I seek an update on the progress so far? How far more do we have to go and what are the further support and assistance in store?

5G Deployment

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast): Mr Chairman, COVID-19 has heightened the importance of connectivity to enable people to continue to work, live and play. Working from home arrangements, home-based learning and even communicating with family and friends would not have been possible without digital connectivity during this pandemic.

5G network technology can enable significantly enhanced connectivity and new capabilities. What is key about 5G is scale, low latency and high speed. 5G hence can transform and make possible connections previously not available, delivering new level of services, business models and experiences. 5G can make possible mission critical communication for infrastructure, emergency, security, medical and healthcare services.

While the benefits of 5G are vast, implementation of 5G is complex and involves multiple stakeholders. Increased connectivity and reliance on 5G networks will also increase cybersecurity risks. What is Singapore's approach and plans for 5G to ensure that consumers, businesses and the wider society benefit from 5G deployment while minimising the associated risks?

Our Digital Innovation Eco-system

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Chairman, we have created a great start-up eco-system through innovative policies to attract many global firms to establish their headquarters in Singapore. With global tech giants like Google, Bytedance, Tencent, Microsoft, all having significant operations in Singapore, Singapore could become the Silicon Valley of Asia. In fact, Singapore could try to compete with Silicon Valley as the top place for start-up talent.

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With the influx of billion-dollar companies providing stiffer competition, how is MCI continuing to develop and build the local eco-system for digital innovation to support home-grown start-ups?

Privacy of and Accountability for Data

The growth of the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, the gig economy and global tech giants, means that the race for data and data-centric technologies firmly puts the issue of privacy in the spotlight. We have been cognisant of this and recently this House passed the Personal Data Protection Amendment Bill 2020 to hold organisations accountable for the data they handle. However, we still have a long way to go in finding that balance and calibrating between individual privacy and creating more connectivity and enhancing our quality of life.

With the digital landscape evolving rapidly, how are MCI and PDPC continuing to ensure that organisations respect privacy and are accountable for the data they handle?

Cybersecurity of our Critical Systems

My third and final cut, Sir. In mid-December 2020, it was discovered that SolarWinds Orion's business software updates had been trajonised. Due to SolarWinds' widespread global usage as a network management software, thousands of organisations, both private and public sector customers, were exposed to the malicious software update. The SolarWinds cyberattack highlighted the danger of supply chain attacks and the abuse of authentication mechanisms to gain access to a victim's internal network.

To continually combat cybercrime and cyberattacks, how is MCI working to ensure that Singapore's critical information infrastructure and government systems, and user data, are secure and not exposed to backdoors for future attacks.

Cybersecurity

Mr Alex Yam: Mr Chairman, for many of us, much of our live reality now takes place online. This also means that highly-sensitive personal data is being shared readily, but also often unknowingly.

In the past year, a quarter of Singapore residents suffered at least one cybersecurity lapse, with unauthorised attempts to access online accounts being most common.

For enterprises, cybersecurity is also becoming a day-to-day struggle, as cybercriminals, whose techniques are becoming increasingly sophisticated, continue with their attacks on different businesses.

COVID-19 has forced businesses and companies to rely heavily on digital platforms to operate remote places. These platforms are, therefore, attractive targets and are extremely vulnerable to breaches if security is not adequately maintained.

Transformative 5G technology also makes us more connected than ever. The recent cyber breach at Singtel is a stark reminder that even as we adopt new technology, major corporations with a wealth of resources are also at risk.

How then will the Government better protect Singaporeans and enterprises in cyberspace?

Strengthening Cybersecurity

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: Mr Chairman, there is a greater reliance on digital and tech across Government, businesses and individuals for connectivity, information access and exchange, and operations. Vast amounts of sensitive and personal or commercial data are used and stored digitally. This increases the risk of cyberattacks, which could result in loss and unauthorised use of personal and sensitive data and disruptions to operations and activities.

COVID-19 has driven the increased use of e-payments, mobile apps and e-wallets. Smartphones are effectively becoming mobile financial transaction hubs. With higher volumes of e-commerce transactions, strengthening of supply chains is important as cyberattacks on supply chains are increasing.

Can the Minister share how are we strengthening Singapore’s cybersecurity? With the importance of cybersecurity, how are we growing our cybersecurity local talent base?

Cyberspace and Data Flow Governance

Mr Xie Yao Quan (Jurong): Chairman, the global digital economy today is worth almost $3 trillion. And within ASEAN, this is expected to grow to $197 billion by 2025. Data will be our most valuable resource and data connectivity infrastructure and enablers, both globally and in ASEAN, will be critical. There is a huge opportunity for Singapore to be both a thought leader and the trusted hub for secure, seamless cross-border data flows.

Can the Ministry provide an update on its work, both globally and regionally on: number one, frameworks for data management including data categorisation and controls, as a common language for all parties in the digital economy; and, two, mechanisms for cross-border data flows to drive business innovation?

Chairman, on a related note, cyberspace has become a global common. Can the Ministry update on how Singapore is shaping the international governance of cyberspace, just as how we continue to shape international norms in the governance of air and sea spaces?

Finally, in 2019, Singapore launched the model AI governance framework at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The framework contributes to the global discourse on AI ethics by translating principles into practical recommendations for organisations to deploy AI responsibly.

On this note, can the Ministry update on the framework and how it would continue to support our national AI strategy?

Postal Sector Transformation

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: Sir, the Government ended SingPost's monopoly in the basic mail services market in 2007, but IMDA continued to designate SingPost as a public postal licensee.

SingPost is required to perform a set of universal service obligation as determined by IMDA. Can I ask how does the Government ensure that SingPost will continue to deliver good postal services and fulfil its obligations to serve the public well? How will the consumers' interests and the mail integrity and security be protected?

The postal sector landscape has changed significantly in the recent years. Can I seek the Minister's update on the current landscape and what is MCI's plan to transform the postal sector to meet changing consumers' needs?

Singapore Postal Sector

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin: Mr Chairman, I remember in my younger days exchanging letters with pen pals – yes, pen pals – pasting a stamp on the envelope and physically posting them. Today, e-mails, e-invoices and many other electronic modes of communication have proliferated in the digital age, with letter mail in a steep decline.

On the other hand, the advent of e-commerce has led to growing numbers of parcel and small packet deliveries. This has added a different logistical demand on our postal sector.

I expect both trends to intensify in the coming years. I understand that e-commerce volume is expected to grow between 12% to 20% annually for the next five years. We have seen this trend accelerate in 2020 given the COVID-19 restrictions in place. I therefore invite the Minister to share with this House the Ministry’s plans to transform Singapore’s postal sector to meet changing consumer needs.

Digital and Postal Transformation

Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Chairperson, Sir, it is truly commendable on the efforts of MCI and its officers in implementing Heartlands Go Digital and Hawkers Go Digital to help businesses transform digitally. We note that the current efforts are laborious despite significance in results.

Can MCI incorporate certain digital adoption like digital payment solutions as a condition into new tenancy agreements and renewals, providing rental relief measures in return for digital adoption? For smaller businesses, can MCI provide aggregated anonymised data on a regular basis so that SMEs can understand how data can help augment their businesses?

There is also a need to transform our postal sector to meet consumers’ needs such as e-commerce parcels. Today, with digitalisation, consumers have a higher expectation towards faster and more convenient delivery of their parcels. This is a major challenge. To overcome this challenge, there is a need to expand the use of non-contact delivery methods like collections points with real-time tracking to minimise delivery disruptions. This form of non-contact delivery method reduces both economic and environmental cost due to reduction in door-to-door delivery.

With a demand in e-commerce purchases, this creates a rise in reverse logistics due to consumers’ return of purchases. Without a sustainable process, this can greatly counterbalance the efforts of parcel deliveries in reducing carbon footprint. Has MCI considered a circular economy on parcels through the process of delivery, return and recycle? What efforts have MCI undertaken in this logistical challenge to ensure environmental sustainability?

During key e-commerce seasonal sales, we observe higher volumes of packaging waste recycled at our blue bins. Therefore, can MCI further integrate blue bins in our estates or can data on parcel delivery be shared with blue bin collection agency, so that removal frequencies can be calibrated accordingly to maximise yield and efficiency?

Future of the Postal Sector

Mr Cheng Hsing Yao (Nominated Member): Chairman, the growth of e-commerce has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It will continue to be more pervasive. What is MCI doing to guide the postal sector towards a better regulated environment to ensure that consumers' interests are better protected? How will MCI provide a guiding framework across public and private sectors for the provision of parcel locker infrastructure as well as service delivery standards to enable e-commerce to thrive and to enhance users' experience?

The prevalence of e-commerce is also challenging the viability of many traditional retail companies, who need to review their distribution model. How will the new regulated environment enable traditional retail companies to pivot seamlessly to an online business model?

Library in the Digital World

Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Chairman, in Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Reading helps broaden our horizons and cultivate a broad range of interests. Through reading, we can have better understanding on personal behaviour and gain more general knowledge. At a time when we are unable to travel abroad, reading allows us to better understand the history, culture and customs, as well as the latest developments of other parts of the world without going abroad.

(In English): Many residents have shared with me that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the library was the place that they most like to frequent.

In the opening address at one of the reading events at Woodlands Regional Library 10 years ago, former Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Dr Yaacob Ibrahim said, "Reading is essential to the development of our language and communication skills. It deepens our knowledge and enriches our lives by opening us up to the new world and new experiences. It also plays an important role in bringing family and friends together as many of us would have experienced the joy of discussing or sharing a favourite book with fellow readers. It is therefore important for any progressive society to nurture a love of reading and lifelong learning in its people."

In this regard, I wish to ask the Ministry, in today's digital world, how can we promote reading through easy access and ensuring that the e-books remain affordable for all? How are our libraries staying relevant in today's digital world? And how will they continue to meet the needs of Singaporeans, in particular, families with young children and senior citizens?

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Further, during my recent visits to Prisons, I have come to understand that the Singapore Prison Service has begun to offer tablets to inmates for them to draft emails to their family members. To better facilitate rehabilitations and integrations for education, skills upgrading and enhance employability skills, can the Ministry work with the Singapore Prison Service to offer a wider range of books including e-books to the inmates?

Future of Our Libraries

Mr Eric Chua (Tanjong Pagar): Mr Chairman, libraries are society’s portals to knowledge. They play a central role in our younger generations’ journeys in learning, serve as a public space facilitating the transmission and exchange of ideas and culture, and they are also a great leveller as a provider of technology for the vulnerable.

As Singapore and the rest of the world gets unceremoniously jolted into the digital future due to the pandemic, what can we do to ensure that our public libraries keep pace with technological advances? How can we ensure our libraries continue to serve Singapore residents by playing its social and curatorial roles? In a world where a Google search often forms the first step of most, if not all quests in seeking knowledge, what are the evolutions our libraries need to make in order to ensure its continued relevance in the digital future? And on a related note, how will the role of our librarians need to evolve so that they too, can keep pace with these inevitable changes?

Keeping Up with the Digital Future

Mr Chairman, COVID-19 has forced the world to change the way we operate overnight. The pandemic foisted upon us the digital future in double quick time. Home-based learning for our young ones. Families increasingly reliant on e-commerce platforms for our everyday needs such as shopping for groceries. Life events such as weddings and wakes conducted over video conferencing due to safe management measures. Whatever the activity, the conclusion is one and the same: we have embraced digitalisation and there is no turning back, even when the pandemic finally ends.

Given this unintended but inevitable consequence of the pandemic, what can we do to ensure that digitalisation does not derail our efforts in strengthening our social compact? How do we ensure that the vulnerable ones amongst us are not by default technological laggards, as this only further entrenches their social and financial positions? And how do we ensure that our seniors are able to ride the fast and furious waves of new digital technologies?

How can we help our businesses to strike a sensible balance between maintaining existing legacy systems, yet at the same time, invest in digital business innovations? And what is our digital strategy to support our SMEs and local large enterprises (LLEs) not only to remain buoyant, but coiled and ready to propel themselves to thrive in the digital global marketplace?

Digital Inclusion and Safer Internet

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, our youths are digital natives, born into a world where the internet is deeply integrated into our lives. From learning, entertainment, grabbing food, getting around, socialisation and civic discourse, digital tools have tremendous benefits and can be an equaliser. Not sure of something? Just Google it and check.

We need to ensure that children from all walks of life are equipped to take advantage of the opportunities brought about by technology.

Still, the open nature of the digital realm presents dangers. From cyberbullying and exposure to unhealthy content to online radicalisation, the internet can also be polarising with social media warriors calling for people to blindly take sides instead of engaging in healthy discourse.

I would like to ask what the plans are to equip and guide youth from all walks of life and their parents towards a better and safer internet that enables social discourse and protect our youth, especially young girls, against online bullying and hypersexualisation.

Seniors Go Digital

Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Seniors Go Digital was launched in May last year to help our seniors build digital capabilities. At the parliamentary debate last June, I stated my support for it, but was concerned about seniors who might not be able to make the digital leap. The Minister clarified that the idea was to encourage the adoption of digital solutions, but to keep open the option of using non-digital solutions because there would be some who would still prefer them, or are uncomfortable with the digital part. He also highlighted that cybersecurity was something that would continue to be emphasised in the training programmes with seniors.

Since then, this programme has gained momentum. It was reported that the programme aimed to reach out to 100,000 seniors by this month. There had been roll-outs of low cost mobile phone plans for seniors through a scheme called Mobile Access for Seniors, aimed at the low-income.

To understand the impact of these schemes, could the Ministry clarify the following three aspects? First, what is the kind of reach that IMDA wants to achieve with the targeted 100,000 seniors? Is the KPI geared at the numbers who attend the courses? Or must a certain level of competency be demonstrated? Second, what is the expected number to benefit from the Mobile Access for Seniors scheme? And third, given the escalation of online scams, will the crime prevention aspects of the training be amplified?

Digital Inclusion

Miss Cheng Li Hui (Tampines): Mr Chairman, MCI has made a good effort to help seniors in this digital age. The pilot project at Geylang East Public Library one-stop access to over 200 selected digital government services, such as CPF nominations and CHAS applications is very useful. Will this be implemented across all libraries?

Since the Seniors Go Digital programme was launched in 2020, how many seniors have been coached? How will IMDA scale up its digital literacy efforts to equip more seniors with digital skills to support their everyday needs?

Digitally Inclusive and Ready Society

Dr Shahira Abdullah (Nominated Member): Chairman, COVID 19 has accelerated digitalisation in Singapore. However, it also means that the vulnerable groups who were already disadvantaged before the pandemic may be left further behind.

The Singapore Government has put in tremendous effort in trying to narrow the digital divide on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the Home Access and NEU PC Plus programmes, many now have a digital device. MOE has aimed for a one-to-one laptop provision for all Secondary school students by 2021. However, increased digital device ownership would also mean that access to the support for maintenance would increase. Low-income households may not be able to afford these services from existing shops. Deputy Prime Minister Heng mentioned that non-profit organisations such as Engineering Good are already working with community partners to provide these services.

Therefore, I would like to ask the Ministry if we can tap on the networks and expertise of such organisations, who may already have ties with the Social Service Agencies, to help them expand their reach and enhance the suite of digital services they offer?

Digital literacy is also very important in this hyperconnected world. Users need to be aware of issues such as cybersecurity risks and responsible online behaviours. Practical skills like handling live- conferencing and dealing with internet connection issues would also need to be learnt. Often though, the students from low-income households may have parents who are not digitally literate enough to support them in these matters.

MOE already has a National Digital Literacy Programme for students. Would MCI consider partnering MOE and/or other Social Service Agencies to offer the programme to parents as well?

On 2 February this year, Minister Iswaran informed the House that under the Home Access and NEU PC Plus Programmes, Singapore’s household-level broadband penetration rate has increased from 87% in 2014 to 98% in 2019. There are 1.37 million resident households in Singapore according to the statistics. This would translate to about 27,000 households not having broadband access – no small number.

I appreciate that IMDA will be streamlining the application for Public Rental Scheme households to ensure that they can auto-qualify for the assistance. However, this would take time.

Beyond Social Services has a free wifi void deck project currently to counter that problem. Would the Government consider working with similar organisations to roll this out to more rental households so as to not delay access to suitable internet connectivity?

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong (Jurong): Mr Chairman, we have seen how COVID-19 has accelerated digital innovation and transformed the way we live and work. We have seen many positive examples of our seniors carrying out essential tasks using digital means – SGQR codes for SafeEntry, e-payments just to name a few. Many of our hawkers have embraced digitalisation. Many offer e-solutions and now are on-boarding e-commerce solutions and leveraging online marketplaces to sell their products and services. I am heartened by the efforts of our seniors and hawkers.

However, everyone adapts to change differently. And I note that there are still many Singaporeans who need more guidance and support to adapt to digitalisation. We must not be complacent as there is a risk of widening the digital divide. MCI has done well to roll out digital inclusion initiatives like Hawkers Go Digital and Seniors Go Digital. I also note IMDA and National Library Board’s efforts to support low-income families and vulnerable groups via affordable internet access, and access to digital devices and eBooks.

I strongly believe in partnerships and collaborations. Hence, I would like to ask MCI to elaborate on its plans and partner stakeholders to drive ground up initiatives that will foster a digitally inclusive and ready society.

Digital Divides and Rising Trends of Scams

Mr Seah Kian Peng: Mr Chairman, COVID-19 has accentuated digital gains, but also digital divides in our communities. How is the Ministry helping low-income households to access digital tools or platforms and remain connected with the wider society?

In my main Budget debate speech, I had spoken on what we need to do to make digital basics available to the lower income – in terms of both hardware and broadband access.

A third and important plank to this effort of digital access must be the digital savviness that is akin to street smartness in real life. The dark corridors in the Digital Empire are as dangerous as those in real life – robberies are as common and lives can be ended as easily. E-commerce scams were the most common among online scams and it has increased significantly during this pandemic.

We need both trust and skepticism to survive as a social being. In our everyday life, we need to trust that the fishmonger at the market does not cheat us when he swears today’s catch is fresh, in the same way we rely on our social capital with our friends to keep their promises, and our business partners when they tell us their judgement on certain matters.

During COVID-19, the importance of trusted and accessible information was felt acutely. But truth online is a scarce commodity and as important as outside matters relating to the pandemic. How will MCI ensure that different groups with diverse needs can access trustworthy information?

How can we help build communities that will forge a collective sense of identity, so that we are all invested in keeping each other informed, each able to access and evaluate the quality of information in the digital world?

Access to Digital Environment

Mr Sharael Taha: Mr Chairman, although a lot efforts have been made to improve digital literacy, not all Singaporeans have equal access to digital devices and are digitally literate. This pandemic has widened the gap between the digital haves versus the digital have-nots. Beyond having the basic skills, individuals must also have the devices, networks and purpose to continuously immerse themselves in a digital environment.

How is MCI helping the vulnerable, or low-income families and youths gain the digital skills that they need? Are we doing enough to prevent these less fortunate families from being left behind?

Narrowing the Digital Divide

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Chairman, the pandemic has made the internet a life tool to obtain full access to opportunities in a number of critical areas, including education, employment and health. Many countries are grappling with a digital divide and Singapore is no exception. What new policies will the Ministry introduce to narrow this divide and reduce the impact on future generations?

To better support our rental households, I cite the example of the ConnectHome initiative for low-income housing in the USA. It offers affordable broadband access, technical training, digital literacy programmes and educational and workfare related content. It is a comprehensive programme to boost digital inclusion that goes beyond allowing residents to apply for devices and subsidies.

To help freelancers and employees working from home, can we explore some form of tax credit for individuals when they file their taxes or a tax break can also be extended to employers who pay for their employees' broadband access?

4.30 pm

Before the pandemic, people could utilise broadband facilities in community spaces like libraries and schools. These options are now discouraged. I urge the Ministry to do more to ensure every household has access to quality digital connectivity within their homes.

Citizen-centricity and Readiness

Ms Tin Pei Ling: Sir, aligned to our Smart Nation drive, our digital transformation efforts are ultimately about enhancing lives of Singaporeans. But we must not inadvertently create a new inequality or widen the existing gap, between those who can access and exploit the new digital technologies, and those who cannot.

Sir, it was reported last year that more than 16,000 seniors benefited from IMDA’s Seniors Go Digital Programme. I am glad that this programme is beneficial and welcomed by seniors who felt dislocated by the accelerated pace of digitalisation. Helping seniors embark and embrace digitalisation mitigates the sense of isolation brought about by a need for safe distancing measures so that our seniors can continue to lead more engaged, informed and fulfilling lives.

It is also heartening to see volunteer groups such as the Youth Corp helping seniors gain digital skills and corporates such as the ST Engineering donating to fund Mobile Access for Seniors and the NEU PC Plus for low-income students and persons with disabilities. Beyond equipping them with the devices, it is also important to help them use the digital tools effectively and wisely.

In this regard, I would like to ask the Ministry for an update on the progress on efforts made over the past months on the various programmes to help Singaporeans keep pace with the country’s digitalisation efforts. In particular, what measures are put in place to bridge the digital gap in ensuring that the vulnerable do not fall through the gaps due to a lack of awareness and resources.

Lastly, I would also like to ask the Government what plans might there be in engaging Singaporeans more when developing digital services to meet their needs? What has been done and will be done to ensure that Government services and messages are delivered in a citizen-centric manner?

So, we need to double down on our efforts to help everyone move ahead in our digitalisation journey. While we push ahead in our digital journey, it is also important that we leave no one behind and that we advance in one direction and as one people.

Communications in Mother Tongue

Sir, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of speed and precision of public service messages in a time of crisis and potential confusion. There remains a group of seniors who cannot understand English and so, delivering messages in mother tongue is important.

What are the steps taken by the Government to ensure that those who can only understand mother tongues are able to receive Government messages in a manner they can comprehend?

And for seniors who are illiterate, how does the Government plan to electronically communicate with them? Perhaps through voice notes?

It is of utmost importance that we intervene right now so that we do not allow this segment of Singaporeans become “Digital Outcast” eclipsed by the rapid pace of digitalisation.

The Chairman: Mr Vikram Nair. Not here. Mr Liang Eng Hwa.

Government Communications

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: Sir, the business of keeping Singaporeans informed and engaged has changed drastically. In addition to the traditional offline channels, online and digital channels have seen increasing utilisation in Government communications and the share of use are expected to increase exponentially in the years to come.

At the same time, our lives have also become complex and fast changing, requiring new approaches and more effective ways of reaching out to Singaporeans. We are also to be mindful of the diverse needs among us and, hence, the need to maintain multiple strategies.

Can I seek an update on the transformation of Government communications to groups with different needs?

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin: Mr Chairman, the COVID-19 pandemic has led us to re-think the way we disseminate information, especially in Government communications.

There is a need to ensure that all Singaporeans receive timely and accurate information that is relatable and capable of being understood by everyone with diverse needs.

As we tap on digital means to communicate, how does the Government ensure that it does take into account different needs such as age groups, language barriers or level of digital literacy?

Conversely, it is important that the same digital channels are also accessible to receive valuable ground feedback on Government policies. The two-way channel between the Government and Singaporeans has always been the cornerstone of our policy making and needs to be preserved even as we transform our Government communications.

I, therefore, invite the Minister to share with this House the Ministry’s plans on the transformation of Government communications to reach all groups with diverse needs.

Engaging Groups with Diverse Needs

Mr Don Wee: Chairman, last but not least, digital communications is expected to become the dominant mode of engagement amongst people, the Government and the private sector. With this widespread digital utilisation, the Government needs to find a range of methods to engage groups with diverse needs. Would the Minister share what are the Ministry’s plans to ensure that it can reach as many Singaporeans and residents as possible on the various digital platforms?

How will it assist and reach vulnerable segments which may not have the digital skills and know-how, and access to the requisite software and hardware, such as Internet connection, devices and suitable software? In addition to English, does the Government have plans to further augment its digital engagement with Singaporeans in the other three official languages – Malay, Chinese and Tamil – on all its platforms?

The Chairman: Minister Iswaran.

The Minister for Communications and Information (Mr S Iswaran): Thank you, Mr Chairman. Let me start by thanking all the Members who have spoken for their questions, suggestions; some for their wistful reminisces of a bygone era of letter writing and pen pals, and also above all for their active interest in and support for the work of the Ministry of Communications and Information.

Sir, the past year has been marked by discontinuities and disruption in our schools, our workplaces, our homes and our lives. In many ways, it has been a period of profound learning, adjustment and adaptation. Twenty-twenty saw years of digital transition occur in a matter of months.

Digitalisation is here to stay. And digital technologies can be a force for deep and lasting good. Most of us have experienced this first-hand – families staying in touch with loved ones, students and teachers engaged in virtual lessons, employees working from home, businesses and customers transacting online.

But as noted by several Members, a larger digital footprint also means new and growing risks such as cyber attacks, data breaches, the rapid spread of misinformation and cyber bullying.

Against this backdrop, my Ministry strives to build a safe, inclusive and thriving digital future, where our citizens and businesses can fully reap the benefits of digital technologies while keeping the associated risks at bay.

The digital future we envision is underpinned by competitive enterprises that leverage digital technologies to innovate and grow; an inclusive society where every member can realise the benefits of globalisation and digitalisation; safe and secure digital spaces protected from malicious actors and online harms; robust digital infrastructure with fit-for-purpose regulations; and close collaboration with our community and enterprise partners.

As we respond to the various issues raised by Members, my colleagues Senior Minister of State Sim Ann and Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary and I will elaborate on the work of the Ministry of Communications and Information to realise this vision.

Let me start with how we are supporting businesses to transform digitally.

Impelled by COVID-19, many traditional brick-and-mortar businesses have pivoted towards hybrid online-offline models to engage and transact with their consumers.

Scent by SIX, a fragrance retailer at Bugis, took up an e-commerce solution under the SMEs Go Digital programme during the circuit breaker. Its digital marketing efforts were so effective that revenues have increased by 25%, of which 60% were online. The founder, Jason, is now exploring AR solutions that integrate social media with in-store shopping to create an omni-channel experience. Scent by SIX’s experience is not unique.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa and Mr Don Wee asked about the progress of schemes to help enterprises transform digitally.

Today, more than 63,000 SMEs have adopted digital solutions with the support of the SMEs Go Digital programme which was launched in 2017. About 40,000 of them, in fact, signed up just last year and 2020 alone. At least 2,000 enterprises have gained access to overseas markets through e-commerce platforms under the Grow Digital scheme. Over 1,000 enterprises have engaged the SME Digital Tech Hub for advice and over 35,000 enterprises are now registered for e-invoicing, compared to 1,000 a year ago.

So, the numbers are growing and we have to build on this progress so that more businesses and the workers they employ, can reap the benefits.

Ms Tin Pei Ling, Ms Mariam Jaafar, Mr Eric Chua and Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked how the Government could aid businesses to to digitally transform and unlock economic value.

MCI and IMDA will ramp up efforts to both broaden and deepen the digital reach among our SMEs. We will support enterprises at every stage of growth, from start-up to scale up, to seize opportunities and realise the potential of emerging technologies and data.

For example, many SME leaders need help to devise a digitalisation plan to meet their needs. Therefore, IMDA will launch the Chief Technology Officer (CTO)-as-a-Service initiative later this year.

The CTO-as-a-Service initiative will include a one-stop self-help web app for SMEs to assess their digital needs and gaps. SMEs can then access customised recommendations on digital solutions based on the company profile and information on Government support.

SMEs that need more in-depth advice can tap on a shared pool of CTO-equivalents or Digital Consultants with expertise in areas such as data analytics, cyber security, and artificial intelligence. They will receive both digital consultancy and project management services to not only identify needs and solutions, but also manage project implementation. So, when Ms Mariam Jaafar talks about working with SMEs throughout the digitalisation journey, these are the kinds of measures we believe will help facilitate that.

I wanted to assure Mr Sharael Taha that all registered SMEs, including home-based businesses that are sole proprietorships, will be able to access these digital resources as well.

[Deputy Speaker (Mr Christopher de Souza) in the Chair]

Beyond this broad-based approach, we also want to raise the peaks of our SMEs’ performance through a more holistic digital transformation of enterprises who are ready for that.

In this regard, the questions raised by Ms Tin Pei Ling on grooming the next wave of companies who can be digital leaders, and Mr Alex Yam on strengthening our competitive advantage globally are most pertinent.

The new Digital Leaders Programme (DLP) that we have launched aims to equip firms with the capabilities and talent to accelerate their digital transformation journey. This programme will provide up to 70% support on qualifying costs to help companies build a core digital team to develop and execute their digitalisation strategy. It will also connect companies with tech partners to develop new digital products and services, and better position them to compete internationally.

The DLP will support up to 80 companies for a start, beginning with those more advanced in their digital journeys, with management teams that are committed to drive digital transformation for sustained growth. The DLP will be managed by IMDA, in partnership with Enterprise Singapore and other economic agencies.

4.45 pm

To Ms Tin's question about support for local companies. IMDA's Accreditation@SGD programme recognises promising and innovative local tech companies, and their products are considered first by Government agencies for ICT procurement. In 2019, IMDA and Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) launched a new SecureTech track under the Accreditation programme to help local cybersecurity programmes gain greater access to Government projects. MCI will continue to study what more can be done to raise the competitiveness of local companies, including the several suggestions offered by Ms Tin.

As more businesses go digital, and more transactions go online, the volume and value of data will grow in tandem. As noted by Ms Tin and Mr Edward Chia, data can yield valuable insights that improve business efficiencies and enhance products and services for consumers.

However, we also recognise the counterpoint. As more data is collected, the risk of data breaches also increases. If data is not used responsibly, trust can be eroded, even undermined. We therefore must strike a judicious balance. On the one hand, we must accord due protection to personal data and privacy. On the other, there is scope for businesses to use data responsibly for growth and innovation.

To help businesses better use of data and better serve their customers, IMDA will launch the Better Data-Driven Business programme, or BDDB. This programme will provide businesses, particularly SMEs, with free tools and guidance to use their data responsibly to drive business growth. The programme will also provide a free business intelligence tool that can convert raw data into visual dashboards that can aid business outcomes, such as, better sales and operational efficiency. It will also enable more advanced data uses, such as for R&D and innovation, through curated resources, like case studies and videos.

We are also strengthening the accountability of businesses for the personal data they handle, a question raised by Mr Christopher de Souza. The recently amended Personal Data Protection Act, has rules and a penalty framework to incentivise organisations to take proactive steps to minimise and manage data breaches. But, going beyond that, the Personal Data Protection Commission Singapore, or PDPC, has issued guidelines that organisations can adopt to develop accountable governance practices.

The Data Protection Trust Mark also enables businesses to signal, and for consumers to discern, good data practices. Ultimately, we need to nurture a culture of good data governance – use and practice – and that has to come from not just regulations or penalties but also from education and industry efforts to share best practices.

Beyond scaling up our efforts to help companies go digital, we must continue to search for technology solutions that can power the next bound of our economic growth and strengthen our position as hub for digital innovation. 5G is key to this as it will be the backbone of our digital infrastructure and Singapore will have at least 50% 5G standalone outdoor coverage by the end of next year, and nationwide coverage by the end of 2025.

Ms Jessica Tan asked how we can ensure that consumers and businesses will benefit from 5G deployment. The key is to build an ecosystem that supports the innovation and test-bedding of novel solutions. It is not just about providing the infrastructure, but it is in catalysing the collaboration between solution providers, service providers and end-users to come up with validated used cases. IMDA will facilitate such test-bedding through facilities such as PIXEL, the 5G Living Lab and initiatives such as the Open Innovation Platform.

Under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 plan, or RIE2025. MCI will work with partner agencies to drive the co-creation and commercialisation of intellectual property, and enable capability transfer between research institutes and enterprises.

Translation will be a primary focus under RIE2025, and MCI will work with partner agencies to drive the co-creation and commercialisation of intellectual property, whilst enabling capability transfer between our research institutes and enterprises, to have that virtuous interaction between our public sector R&D effort with private sector value creation. This is how we are building up our local ecosystem for digital innovation, one of the points raised by Mr de Souza.

We want to go further in driving ground-up digital innovation. IMDA's Open Innovation Platform, or OIP, was launched in 2018 to crowdsource and match the demand from business challenges to a supply of innovative solutions. It has grown into a vibrant eco-system with over 10,000 registered users. Over 190 challenges have been launched, and over 60 solutions have been successfully developed.

We will invest $50 million over the next five years to enhance the capabilities of this platform. This will help more enterprises access innovative solutions, and accelerate the deployment of digital innovation at scale. IMDA will also co-fund the prototyping of matched challenges to help innovative tech companies expand their market base.

Mr Chairman, even as we pursue these exciting opportunities, we must pay heed to the very real concerns of mature workers and seniors, and also our youth and fresh graduates, over the accelerated pace of digitalisation. They worry if they will have a place in this digital future, especially if they do not have backgrounds in tech, or an inclination for engineering and software development.

Mr Sharael Taha raised a similar point asking how we can further support mature workers or those who have no ICT background enter the tech sector. Sir, we are intensifying our efforts to create good jobs for Singaporeans and equip our workforce with digital skills. Under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills programmes, there were more than 18,000 available opportunities in the Information and Communications sector as at the end of last year; of that, more than 10,000 were for jobs openings. So, going beyond training and apprenticeships.

Since 2016, over 8,000 Singaporeans from fresh graduates to mid-career professionals, have been placed in good ICT jobs through the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) programme.

I met Nurul Baizura, a part-time undergraduate, who was selected to participate in Google's Skills Ignition SG programme. She previously worked at a data storage company, handing network infrastructure and patching. Today, she is learning skills in an entirely new area – cloud technology – and she is passionate about her role as cloud engineer.

Last year, we also launched the TeSA Mid-Career Advance programme to train and transition workers in their 40s and 50s into tech jobs. Ganapathi, whom I met recently, is a mid-career project manager who was previously from the education sector. Though he lacked the technical expertise, Gana joined the programme with NCS – one of our tech company partners – in 2020, and is well on his way to becoming an applications consultant.

We will continue to expand our TeSA programmes, to develop more local talent in areas such as digital marketing, as well as for more tech-intensive roles in product and software development. These programmes will provide a wide spectrum of Singaporeans like Nurul and Gana, with more opportunities to develop their careers in such roles across the economy.

Several Members have emphasised the importance of attracting talent to this talent-starved sector. This is a global challenge. As we invest in the development of our local pipeline of talent, nurturing the tech leaders for the future, we also have to ensure that we are able to attract quality talent from around the world to come in and have a judicious complement of them to support our overall effort. And this is how we would ensure that we sustain our position as a digital innovation hub.

In that regard, it is not just MCI but across the economic agencies and beyond, we are undertaking a whole-of-Government effort to attract Singaporean talent that is based overseas and other talent so that they can come in, working with our local companies, our large and mid-sized players in order to contribute to the evolution of the digital eco-system in Singapore.

Ms Jessica Tan and Ms Tin Pei Ling have emphasised that employers must leverage the talent pool of women in STEM. I fully agree. MCI aims to grow the ICT talent pipeline and this includes attracting more women to join the sector.

In collaboration with community and industry partners, IMDA launched the SG Women in Tech initiative in 2019 to encourage more women to explore careers in tech. There has been good momentum with the movement reaching more than 117,000 through activities and events such as SG100 Women in Tech.

The signs are promising. In 2017, 28% of the intake to Information Technology courses in our local Universities were female. This figure increased to 35% in 2019. So, the momentum is there. I think the message is getting through and certainly we need to enlist the help of some of our women tech leaders including the likes of Ms Jessica Tan and Ms Janet Ang and many others in this House and without, to get this message out and encourage more women to consider a career in tech.

More broadly, we want all Singaporeans to be able to participate meaningfully and safely in online engagements. That is why we established the SG Digital Office in June last year, and launched the Hawkers and Seniors Go Digital programmes. So far, about 10,000 hawkers – of a base of about, I think 18,000 or so – and stallholders have adopted e-payment solutions. The volume and value of transactions has grown four-fold, from June 2020 to today.

Miss Cheng Li Hui and Ms Sylvia Lim enquired about the impact of the Seniors Go Digital programme. The SG Digital Office has trained about 69,000 seniors in digital skills as well as measures to safeguard themselves against risks on the Internet. But, I want to emphasise and in response to Ms Sylvia Lim's point, it is not just about numbers. Numbers are important because we do want scale. But, we more importantly, want skill. We want to imbue our seniors with the confidence and the comfort to navigate technology and use it to derive benefits that will enhance their lives.

As the Member and others would appreciate, this is not an easy task, but one that we are fully committed to and it is a journey with rich rewards, but we have to make the effort. We would welcome any suggestions that the Member or others may have, to further strengthen the message and its impact on our community of seniors.

Senior Minister of State, Sim Ann will elaborate further on the work done by ESG, IMDA and other Government agencies, with respect to the work we are doing in the heartlands.

Our seniors, hawkers and heartland shops are excellent role models. They demonstrate that young or old, big or small, whatever our background, with the right mindset and can-do spirit, we can all make the digital transition.

Our libraries play a critical role in nurturing that spirit of exploration and learning among all Singaporeans. Ms Hany Soh and Mr Eric Chua asked how our libraries are staying relevant in a world that is digital. For some time now, but especially in the past year, NLB has expanded its digital resources and collections, introduced digital storytelling for children and conducted online programmes for all ages, including seniors.

NLB produced learning packages on subjects like pandemics, provided home access to digital newspapers and conducted a series of webinars on topics ranging from cybersecurity to health and wellness. As a result, since April last year, there has been a 145% increase in e-database usage and a 32% increase in digital loans.

For the longer term, NLB will continue to explore new ways to provide reading and lifelong learning opportunities for all Singaporeans, and nurture an informed citizenry.

Informed by public feedback and its own experience, NLB has developed the Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2021-2025 to reimagine the service models of libraries and archives of the future. What we have today is a precious resource that has adapted and innovated in response to consumer needs. And now, we are thinking ahead to the next phase and how our libraries can continue to evolve with the needs and the times. Senior Minister of State Sim Ann will provide more details.

Like NLB, as more engagement shift to the digital space, individuals and businesses will be exposed to more risks and online harms. So, it is incumbent that our digital spaces are kept safe and secure, with members of online communities protected from malicious actors and other harms.

Mr Christopher de Souza, Ms Jessica Tan and Mr Alex Yam have asked how we are safeguarding our critical systems against sophisticated threats and disruptions to operations.

5.00 pm

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

The security of our digital systems is critical because they are the very foundation of our digital economy. Hence, we will do our utmost to lay a strong digital foundation – a communications infrastructure that is secure and resilient and legislation that is robust and fit-for-purpose. We will also continue to safeguard our digital space to protect our people from the harms inflicted by malicious threat actors.

Members would recall the SolarWinds cyberattack uncovered in December last year, which affected about 18,000 organisations, including US government agencies and Fortune 500 companies.

Such incidents serve to remind us that cyber threats are real, trans-border and constantly evolving. To derive the benefits of digitalisation, we must be ever vigilant against cyber risks and we need continuous and sustained efforts to strength our cyber security posture. Senior Minister of State Janil will elaborate further.

To build trust in online spaces, we must also ensure safeguards against harmful online content that may harm individuals and divide society.

Our regulation and public education efforts have helped Singaporeans deal with potential dangers online, such as misinformation. But the threat is constantly changing. MCI and MHA are therefore studying how to enhance our regulations to deal with serious online harms and their real-world effects on society. We will share our findings and recommendations in due course.

Ultimately, the first line of defence in our fight against misinformation is a well-informed citizenry who receive accurate communications from reliable sources in a timely manner.

Mr Seah Kian Peng, Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Mr Liang Eng Hwa and Mr Don Wee have asked how the Ministry is ensuring that groups with different needs can access reliable information.

This has been our foremost communications challenge in battling COVID-19. Our focus was to broaden and deepen the reach of Government communications by leveraging both traditional and newer digital platforms. This was to ensure that all segments of our population were informed of key developments of the pandemic, why certain measures were necessary and how they could play their part to protect the health and safety of all Singaporeans.

The mainstream media played an important role in this national effort. In addition, Gov.sg was expanded to 10 platforms, including Telegram, Instagram and TikTok, and we now have more than 2.5 million subscribers across these platforms. The Gov.sg WhatsApp channel grew exponentially from 7,000 subscribers in January 2020 to 1.2 million today. We also worked with the People's Association and Silver Generation Office for face-to-face outreach to those who may not have access to or use digital media.

These communications efforts have been well received. Polls conducted by REACH indicate that more than eight in 10 are satisfied with the information provided by the Government on COVID-19.

For the next phase of our fight against the pandemic, we have launched the VacciNationSG campaign to raise awareness of the vaccination programme, address misconceptions, debunk misinformation and mobilise action. Senior Minister of State Sim Ann will elaborate more on our efforts, including the use of multiple languages and channels to make information accessible to all segments of our society.

Partnership – with industry, the community and fellow Singaporeans – has been the anchor of our efforts to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic but also to emerge stronger.

Industry partners have stepped up with initiatives to re-structure our economy and create new opportunities. Under the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) initiative, companies such as Google, Microsoft, IBM, Singtel, Sea and Grab have committed to create more than 5,000 jobs and skills opportunities in technology and ICT.

Our community partners and citizens also organised themselves to support fellow Singaporeans in need. Engineering Good, a non-profit organisation, collected laptops from the community to help less privileged students access home-based learning resources during the circuit breaker period.

As we venture into the digital future, such partnerships with our stakeholders will be even more important to ensure that new and more complex challenges do not deter us from fully seizing digital opportunities.

Dr Shahira Abdullah and Mr Shawn Huang asked how we can partner with stakeholders to drive ground-up initiatives to foster a digitally inclusive society. Such sentiments were also expressed during the Emerging Stronger Conversations, where the impact of digitalisation and how we can harness technology for better social outcomes was one of the most discussed topics.

Last month, to that end, President Halimah Yaacob launched the Digital for Life movement in conjunction with the President's Challenge 2021. Through this national movement, we want to encourage and support ground-up efforts to co-create solutions that enable all Singaporeans to benefit from digital technology.

The movement is part of a wider national effort to bring together the people, private and public sectors to foster digital skills, digital wellness and digital access among all Singaporeans. We have also established the Digital for Life Fund, which will support projects contributing to the goals of the Digital for Life movement. The target is to grow the fund to $10 million over the next three years. All cash donations will be matched, dollar for dollar, by the Government.

We invite all who wish to make a difference to the digital growth and wellness of fellow Singaporeans to join us in this journey. Senior Minister of State Sim Ann will elaborate further.

Mr Chairman, I would like to conclude by emphasising the Government's resolute commitment to build a safe, inclusive and thriving digital future for all Singaporeans. My Ministry will lay strong foundations for that digital future by investing in infrastructure, driving research and digital innovation, equipping businesses with digital tools and supporting Singaporeans to learn, upskill and stay informed.

As we work in partnership with our community and business stakeholders, I have every confidence that we are well placed to build a shared digital future with a place for every Singaporean.

The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information (Dr Janil Puthucheary): Mr Chairman, I thank the various Members for their cuts and questions and I hope to address several of them in my response, especially those from Ms Jessica Tan, Mr Alex Yam, Mr Seah Kian Peng, Mr Xie Yao Quan and Mr Christopher de Souza.

The digital space has had a deep impact on our daily lives and this transformative effect will continue for some time. For many Singaporeans, digitalisation carries the promise of more convenience, more efficiency and more options.

As we do more online, we face an increased risk of cyberattacks, online scams and data breaches. We need safe and secure digital spaces. We need the online environment to be an enabler so that our people can benefit from the opportunities of this digital age.

Today, I will focus on how we develop online safety and security – the strong foundations of our plans for digitalisation.

Our strategies have to cover a broad range from infrastructure development, regulations and partnerships. We need to address a wide variety of issues so that our companies and our people can trust the digital systems that are so central to our lives.

Beyond assurance, we want people to step up, to be empowered, to take charge of their online safety and to embrace the digital age with confidence.

Strong foundations depend on a robust digital infrastructure. Our past investments in this infrastructure have recently enabled workers to switch to telecommuting and students to attend online lessons with relative ease during the pandemic.

Looking ahead, we will need world-class, secure and resilient 5G networks. It was thus a policy priority for our nationwide 5G networks to be standalone – new standalone networks, 5G all the way through, from end to end. 5G standalone networks unlock the full suite of capabilities, including network slicing and ultra-reliable low latency communications, necessary for applications such as cloud gaming and smart factories.

5G deployment has started and by the end of next year, we will have at least 50% standalone outdoor coverage for 5G. Nationwide 5G standalone coverage will arrive by the end of 2025.

However, robust digital infrastructure alone cannot guarantee safe and secure spaces. Other keys to a strong foundation are a robust regulatory regime and an approach to remain relevant and fit-for-purpose amidst the evolving technological landscape.

Data is a critical resource used to inform business decisions and also power emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Personal data requires strong safeguards and accountability but there is a balance we need to strike. You overcorrect for business innovation and you undermine consumer protection, privacy and trust. On the other hand, pursuing consumer interests narrowly hampers, potentially, business development. The public may ultimately suffer from poorer and more costly services. Our strong foundations therefore also need us to be agile and calibrated.

We recently amended the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). For example, you may subscribe, to the mailing list of an online shop and as a result, you can receive customised recommendations based on your browsing history or based on your prior transactions. This is a benefit to you as a customer, as the consumer, from having shared your data.

Under the amended PDPA, if there is a data breach which may cause significant harm to affected individuals, you are to be notified directly by the shop so you can take timely, proactive measures to protect your data, such as by changing your passwords. If you choose to opt out of the mailing list, the shop is required to remove your details from the list and stop sending you recommendations within a reasonable period. So, businesses, as a result of the amendment, are held to a higher standard with more transparent and accountable practices.

Like data, electronic transactions are also central to the global economy. To support wider digitalisation, the Parliament passed the amendment to the Electronic Transactions Act this year to adopt the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records from the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). The shipping, logistics and finance sectors now stand to benefit from faster and more secure electronic transactions compared to paper-based transactions. We expect to see benefits in terms of efficiency, productivity and, hopefully, cost savings as well.

One concern arising from our digital push is the rise in online scams. In Singapore the most common type of scams relates to e-commerce and these increased by almost 20% from 2019. Overall, victims to scams lost more than $200 million last year.

We take this matter very seriously – it is something that people are anxious about, it erodes trust in their transactions and their activities online – and we are working across the Government to tackle these scams.

For example, we require telcos to attach the "+" symbol for all incoming overseas calls. IMDA also requires telcos to enhance capabilities to block calls from commonly spoofed numbers. As a result, 28 million suspected scam calls were blocked in the fourth quarter of last year.

However, the space is dynamic, there is an evolving behaviour of scammers and people who try to do malice to us, so existing solutions to block scam calls from overseas will never be foolproof. Today, no telco can verify with absolute certainty that a given incoming call is fraudulent.

So, IMDA is working with the telcos to build new analytic capabilities within their networks to better identify and block spoofed calls with numbers that appear local, without blocking legitimate calls. These measures fit in with what MHA is doing in terms of their broader approach to mitigate scams. We will continue to work closely with MHA through the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams.

Cybersecurity threats are also growing in both number and sophistication. Members have just heard about the recent SolarWinds breach. This cyberattack compromised a network management software used extensively by major companies and governments worldwide. Notably, the software that was compromised was trusted and had privileged access to internal networks. It was a very sophisticated attack that went undetected for months.

Closer to home, Singtel reported that some files were taken as a result of a breach to FTA, a third-party file sharing system that Singtel uses.

Singaporeans are concerned about whether our systems are safe; so are we. And sensitive information needs to be sufficiently protected. With more activities taking place online, it is important that people trust the digital systems we use to store, collect and transfer our information. The reality is that we will not be able to prevent every cyberattack – malicious actors only need to exploit one vulnerability to compromise our systems, while defenders must safeguard systems under their charge against all threats, all the time. Consistent and deliberate efforts to strengthen our cybersecurity are thus critical.

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Many essential services like banking and healthcare are powered by information and communications technology. These systems are our Critical Information Infrastructure or CIIs. Today, all CII owners must maintain a mandatory level of cybersecurity as part of the Cybersecurity Act. However, we also recognise that most organisations, including CII owners, engage vendors to support their operations. Therefore, we also need to manage cybersecurity risks across the supply chain. Doing so requires CII owners to have a better understanding of their vendors to identify systemic risks and improve the level of cyber hygiene with the vendors.

To this end, we are developing a CII Supply Chain Programme – a partnership involving all stakeholders – Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), CII owners, and their vendors. The programme will provide recommended processes and sound practices for all stakeholders to manage cybersecurity risks in the supply chain. The discussions that we will have with the stakeholders as a result of this programme will also help the Government improve our policies around supply chain security. In the longer term, our CII sectors and the companies there will also need to adopt a zero-trust cybersecurity posture. This shift in mindset is necessary to defend against supply chain attacks by highly sophisticated threat actors, such as those behind the SolarWinds breach.

In concrete terms, this means that CII owners should not trust digital activity in their networks without verification. They should also authenticate continuously, detect anomalies in a timely manner, and validate transactions across network segments. This work will continue and will become increasingly complex in the future. Cybersecurity therefore has to be a collective effort and a core part of our lives in this digital age – integrated into the products we use and the way we behave online.

As more enterprises go digital, our exposure to cyber threats grows in parallel. Cyberattacks on companies have a far reaching impact on our wider economy. So, as part of the Safer Cyberspace Masterplan, CSA will launch the SG Cyber Safe Programme to support companies in strengthening their cybersecurity. It comprises two parts.

First, we will provide informational resources and educational material for key roles including C-suite executives, cybersecurity teams and frontline employees, based on their specific roles and knowledge needs. We need to shift attitudes and raise cybersecurity awareness through in-house training.

Secondly, we will roll out a voluntary SG Cyber Safe Trustmark to provide a mark of distinction for companies that have invested appropriately and significantly in cybersecurity. This means that if you are a consumer, a business looking for an HR processing service for example, and care about the cybersecurity level of the service provider, you may look for this Trustmark for added assurance that this service provider takes cybersecurity seriously. CSA will engage stakeholders regarding the specifics of this Trustmark from April this year.

Our cybersecurity talent base is a key enabler of these efforts and we are working closely with industry partners and Government agencies to nurture and grow our cybersecurity workforce.

First, to meet near-term demand, we facilitate the training and upskilling of cybersecurity professionals, as well as fresh and mid-career non-cybersecurity professionals for cybersecurity jobs, through programmes such as IMDA’s Tech Skills Accelerator.

Second, to strengthen our talent pipeline for the longer term, we encourage youths to pursue a career in the field through cyber outreach initiatives like SG Cyber Talent. We have engaged over 7,000 participants to-date.

And thirdly, to groom world-class cybersecurity leaders, we launched the SG Cyber Leaders programme to create a community for current and developing cyber leaders to exchange ideas, and learn about global best practices.

All of us need to play our part to create a safer and more secure cyberspace. There are things that we can do as individuals. We should enable two-factor authentication, update our software in a timely manner, choose a passphrase rather than a password, and stay vigilant to spot the signs of phishing. But there are also things that we do as a country. Our effort extends globally. Singapore participates actively in international discussions to develop and implement norms in line with our interests.

As cyber threats are global and transborder, we are working closely with international partners across the UN and ASEAN to develop and implement norms for responsible state behaviour. For instance, we are producing an implementation checklist with specific actions that countries can take to implement cyber norms. This effort contributes to a rules-based multilateral order in cyberspace, and gives all states, big or small, confidence, predictability and stability, essential for economic progress, job creation and technology adoption.

In terms of AI governance, Singapore takes an open and collaborative approach to govern the use of AI, recognising that we need to safeguard consumers’ interest and facilitate innovation. We launched the second edition of the Model AI Governance Framework in 2020, which incorporates feedback and examples from international and local companies across a diverse set of sectors, in response to the first edition of the Framework. It translates key ethical AI principles such as human centricity into practical measures, in line with our National AI Strategy.

Ultimately, we lay strong foundations so that our people can look ahead, and reap the full benefits of the digital economy. We will remain open and integrated with the global economy to enable our companies to maximise opportunities beyond our shores.

While our existing trade agreements meet the needs of traditional trade in goods and services, we recognise the need for new norms and rules to support cross-border digital transactions like e-invoicing, data flows, digital identities. This is why Singapore pioneered Digital Economy Agreements, or DEAs, building on our existing networks and initiatives. These DEAs facilitate seamless end-to-end digital trade, enable trusted data flows and build trust in digital systems.

Beyond these DEAs, businesses can look forward to further support for transferring data to and from overseas seamlessly and securely. Regionally, Singapore led the development of ASEAN Model Contractual Clauses, terms and conditions that may be included in legally binding contracts for the transfer of personal data across borders. We also led the development of an ASEAN Data Management Framework – a guide for businesses to implement a data management system with appropriate data protection safeguards. With these ready-to-use and flexible templates to transfer personal data, businesses operating in ASEAN markets stand to benefit from shorter contract negotiations on data flows.

In conclusion, Mr Chairman, our success in digitalisation has also exposed new vulnerabilities. These will only grow as technologies evolve and become more complex. Trust in our digital systems is key to the success of our digital economy efforts. And without the trust to transact, or to innovate, our best efforts to develop our digital ecosystem and reap the dividends, create opportunities, will fall short.

Strong foundations such as I have described will fortify our defences against online threats, and support this trust that we need to grow. But they are not sufficient. We need our companies and people to be aware of the risks, vigilant of the manifestations of these risks, and make informed choices to protect our safety. We can and must make the online space more secure and more trusted and thus create more opportunities for all of us.

The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information (Ms Sim Ann): Chairman, the past year has been challenging, to say the least, and we have all come to value the importance of staying connected. Digitalisation has been critical in enabling us to do so, even as we adopt safe distancing measures. We are transforming digitally as a society, but we need to ensure that the transformation is inclusive. I will elaborate on four key strategies to achieve this.

First, we know not all Singaporeans are progressing at the same pace in the digital journey. Regardless of your starting point, the Government and key stakeholders will support you with the necessary resources. Second, we will forge strong partnerships with stakeholders. Third, we will continue to improve our last-mile delivery infrastructure. Fourth, we will strengthen our communication efforts, making trusted information accessible to all.

Let me address how we will approach inclusive digitalisation, starting with small businesses, as asked by Ms Tin Pei Ling, Mr Sharael Taha and Mr Cheng Hsing Yao.

We stepped up efforts to help small companies, including mom-and-pop HDB shops, to adopt simple digital solutions through the Heartlands Go Digital initiative. Minister of State Low Yen Ling and I co-chair the Heartland Digitalisation and Revitalisation Committee, and she has earlier spoken on how the Committee is helping heartland enterprises to keep pace with digitalisation, taking into account their unique context.

Under the Hawkers Go Digital initiative, we have been acting on stallholders’ feedback to make improvements. For example, IMDA and the SG Digital Office are working with NETS to enhance the NETSBiz mobile app, with features such as a bigger font size, the use of colour and a distinct audio alert, to make it easier for busy stallholders to track their payment transactions.

Mr Eric Chua, Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Mr Seah Kian Peng and Dr Shahira Abdullah asked about the efforts made to ensure that low-income families do not lag behind in the digital future.

Singapore is a highly connected society, where 98% of all households have access to broadband and own Internet-enabled devices such as computers or smartphones. We recognise low-income households and vulnerable groups may require more help.

A central thrust of MCI’s work is helping them access digital tools and remain connected with the larger society. Last year, IMDA’s Home Access and NEU PC Plus programmes, which subsidise digital connectivity for low-income households, benefited 20,000 families. The two programmes were enhanced in 2020, providing faster broadband speeds and more bundled device options. This includes a second subsidised laptop for larger families with school-going children during COVID-19. We have streamlined the application process for households supported by ComCare, to make it easier for them to get onto the programmes.

IMDA is working to automatically include recipients of HDB’s Public Rental Scheme for the Home Access programme in the coming months. MCI also works closely with MOE to address digital access and literacy needs of students.

I am glad to update Ms Sylvia Lim that since the Mobile Access for Low-Income Seniors scheme was launched last year, more than 6,400 seniors have benefited from the subsidised smartphones and mobile data plans.

Our second strategy is building strong partnerships. There is a growing sense that many in the community would like to contribute and support fellow Singaporeans. I chaired an Emerging Stronger Conversation on Digital Readiness in November last year. The 60 participants had a robust discussion on digital adoption challenges faced by vulnerable groups.

Many asked what we, as a society, can do to help bridge the digital gap. It was this and other similar calls for collective action that led us to launch the Digital for Life movement last month, which Minister Iswaran mentioned. The movement will support community activities that promote digital technology and inclusion, as well as digital literacy and wellness. It will be a platform where like-minded individuals from corporates, community and Government agencies, can utilise their skills, experience and know-how in helping those who need a little extra assistance, and in building inclusive, safe and secure digital spaces. The Government will empower and support them to catalyse meaningful changes.

One project I feel strongly about is protecting women and youth from online harms. As a Member of Parliament, I have encountered calls for help from distressed women and their loved ones, because their intimate pictures have found their way online without their consent. I have also heard disturbing stories about how our youths are being harassed and received unsolicited lewd pictures, with some coming to view this as “normal”. Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin has raised the same concern about protecting our youths, especially young girls.

I met some community partners last week to discuss how we can tackle such online harms and mitigate the real-world damage they cause. These partners have shown strong interest to create more impactful public education and resource support for potential victims, and in offering policy ideas to shape a safer cyberspace for women and girls and, indeed, for men and boys, too.

These can complement other measures, such as the Better Internet Campaign by the Media Literacy Council, MCCY’s work on promoting youth cyberwellness, and MOE’s work in the schools. With the Digital for Life Movement, I hope that the community can be empowered to hold conversations and collaborate even on thorny and complex social issues.

To help Singaporeans pick up digital skills, our much-loved libraries have been transforming themselves into digital learning hubs. As mentioned by Minister, NLB will be embarking on the Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025. Going forward, our libraries will feature digital services that enhance experiential learning. I thank Miss Cheng Li Hui for her interest and encouragement in the initiatives of our libraries. The pilot at the Geylang East Public Library to help seniors navigate online public services will be evaluated and a further rollout will be decided upon once we see the results.

The revamped Choa Chu Kang Public Library, set to reopen later this year, will feature digital services which encourage appreciation of natural landscapes and biodiversity. Augmented Reality elements will allow library users to interact with selected books through their mobile devices, making content come alive, almost literally.

Last week, I visited the Tampines Regional Library and chatted with seniors who learnt how to use the libraries' services, such as e-newspapers and the NLB mobile app. They appreciated the human touch of having our Digital Ambassadors walk them through the steps, and having someone to turn to whenever they need a refresher. In the library's makerspace, library users of various age groups were enjoying the use of technology, such as robotics and 3D printing. There is truly something for everyone in NLB's growing suite of digital offerings.

The role of librarians, as alluded to by Mr Eric Chua, will evolve in the digital future. Librarians will need to put together inter-disciplinary knowledge, taking into account societal trends, and how people learn and acquire information. NLB cannot do this alone and will collaborate with volunteers and partners with diverse interests.

We agree with Mr Don Wee and Ms Hany Soh that every Singaporean should have access to NLB resources. This is why NLB brings library books to reading corners at partner spaces, such as community centres and Family Service Centres.

For many years, NLB has been supporting the Singapore Prison Service. Last year, NLB donated more than 7,000 books to cater to inmates’ varying reading needs. Inmates also have access to 400 e-books. NLB will continue to develop ways to support under-reached communities.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and Mr Cheng Hsing Yao asked about MCI’s plans to transform the postal sector. This is addressed by our third strategy – which is to continue investing in digital infrastructure, so as to make the benefits of the digital economy more accessible to Singaporeans.

E-commerce has become an important part of our lives. Last year, I shared that we would be rolling out a nationwide parcel locker network, to give convenience to Singaporeans and enhance productivity for merchants and logistics service providers. IMDA and its subsidiary Pick have been trialling these parcel lockers. The feedback received from close to 10,000 residents has been overwhelmingly positive. Ninety-six percent agreed that the lockers will bring them convenience and they will use the locker stations in their neighbourhoods.

Mr Ng Kum Yin, a 71-year-old retiree, looks forward to the locker stations. Mr Ng and his wife shop online for consumer electronics and health supplements. He is concerned by news of missing parcels left outside homes, so he is keen to try out the parcel lockers whenever they are ready. Mr Edward Chia would be pleased to know that the parcel locker network is expected to reduce distance travelled for delivery by 44% daily, and this will go a long way towards reducing carbon emissions.

Pick is on track to launch the first batch of up to 200 locker stations by April. We are targeting nationwide deployment by the end of 2021.

To address the growth in e-commerce and benefit both consumers and industry, we are reviewing the Postal Services Act this year. More details will be shared at a later date.

On postal delivery, since December last year, SingPost has been trialling PostPal, a smart letterbox system, at Clementi, serving about 200 households in total. Residents like the convenience of using the app to find out if there is any mail for them to retrieve. SingPost has seen an increase in productivity of 75% for their postmen. Ninety-four percent of the mail can go through the auto-sorting feature in the smart letter box, which means greater accuracy in mail delivery.

These innovations are part and parcel of our collective effort to seek efficiency improvements and better value for consumers and residents, while making good use of technology and digitalisation.

The fourth strategy is to strengthen our Government communication efforts, making information accessible to all citizens with diverse backgrounds and language needs. Despite COVID-19, REACH connected with more than 59,000 Singaporeans last year. To engage safely, REACH opened up new channels. These include online Listening Points and online dialogues, such as the Emerging Stronger Conversations. During the Circuit Breaker, the REACH WhatsApp chat group discussions were maintained 24/7.

We have established diverse platforms to reach out to our audiences. For example, gov.sg has now gone into the heartlands. Some 14,000 Digital Display Panels are found within HDB lifts and at lift landings, making important Government information accessible to Singaporeans at their doorstep. We are pushing out content in the four official languages wherever possible, across platforms like free-to-air television, radio, newspapers and WhatsApp messages.

On Ms Tin Pei Ling’s question, to reach out to members of the Chinese community who are seniors and who communicate primarily in dialects, key Government messages are weaved into programmes that run on Mediacorp’s dialect belt. We have also worked with Mediacorp to introduce sign language interpretation for key national events, such as the Prime Minister’s COVID-19 addresses. This is on top of the longstanding practice of subtitling or closed captioning, wherever possible, for Government communications on free-to-air television and Government’s social media channels.

Accurate and contextualised translation is important for effective Government communications. Last year, MCI rolled out two new translation initiatives. The first initiative is Citizen Translators, where we reach out to volunteers to co-create solutions for the most suitable renderings. Malay and Tamil-speaking volunteers have told us that they are keen to help with the standardisation of translated terms. Chinese-speaking volunteers are interested in post-editing and vetting machine-generated translations. We look forward to working with our Citizen Translators to improve Government translations.

The second initiative is the Tamil Engine for SG Translate, which was launched last October. Public officers can now generate machine translations in all four official languages. The SG Translate web portal – called SG Translate Together – will be progressively opened to members of the public this year.

The Seniors Go Digital website and the TraceTogether mobile app are already available in our four official languages. The Government also has plans to translate the SingPass mobile app by June 2021. The Government is committed to translating more Government digital services, where necessary, so that those who are more comfortable with their mother tongues can access Government digital services with greater ease. Chairman, in Mandarin please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Digitalisation is here to stay. But some Singaporeans are still hesitant and uneasy about using digital technology. The Government fully understands these concerns. To ensure that all Singaporeans embrace digitalisation with ease and confidence, we will continue to rollout and expand initiatives to help Singaporeans grasp digitisation tools and skills.

For companies, the Minister has announced that we will be launching the Digital Leaders' Programme and “CTO as a service”. These programmes aim to help participating companies integrate digital technologies into their business. That way, companies can also compete on the international stage.

At the individual level, the Government has set up in-person touchpoints at libraries and in community centres where Digital Ambassadors help less digitally savvy Singaporeans pick up digital skills. We have taken care to include the human touch in these public education efforts. Digital Ambassadors have been engaging and teaching seniors how they can protect themselves when transacting online so that they do not fall victim to scams, for example, to use strong passwords for online accounts and not disclose one-time passwords when using digital banking services.

For Singapore to succeed in digitalisation, we will need to work with Singaporeans, the community and companies. Through the Digital For Life Movement, we will work with our partners to champion causes they are passionate about and to leverage on their expertise so that they will be able to help vulnerable Singaporeans enjoy benefits of digitalisation.

The Government continues to prioritise the quality of translation. We have launched the Citizen Translators initiative where we reach out to volunteers to co-create solutions for the most suitable translations. We are encouraged by the public's response to this initiative. We look forward to work them to improve Government translations.

(In English): Back to English, Chairman. The digital future presents many opportunities for different segments of our citizens. The Government will continue to work with partners from the people and private sectors to strengthen the digital eco-system. This way, Government-led programmes and community initiatives can complement each other and create greater value for Singaporeans. We look forward to forging an inclusive and digital Singapore together.

The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza.

Mr Christopher de Souza: I would like to thank the Minister and the two Senior Ministers of State for their very thoughtful clarifications. I would like to ask the Minister, in particular, whether he sees opportunities arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic for digitalisation in Singapore such that we can garner a reputation for being the Silicon Valley of Asia, whether we can bring the best digital minds and the best digi-tech minds to Singapore and have economies of scale here such that we can replicate or even advance a reputation of being the Silicon Valley of Asia. That is my clarification number one.

Mr S Iswaran: Chairman, I thank the Member for his clarification. I think when the Member uses the term "Silicon Valley of Asia", it is really a kind of a shorthand to describe what is essentially a confluence of opportunity, an enabling environment and talent. I think, in that regard, even before COVID-19, we already had a certain momentum to bring that confluence about in order to create a thriving opportunity within the tech eco-system in Singapore and, through Singapore, into Asia.

And to answer the Member's specific question, I think COVID-19 has, if anything, given this further impetus. How so? First, obviously in catalysing digital innovation in order to deal with the challenges that COVID-19 has thrown up but, in the process, also triggering a larger scale of adoption of digital technologies and, in a sense, a desire for more digital solutions because the value proposition has been internalised and now there is a desire to adopt and scale.

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The second thing is we have also seen the flow into Singapore of more technology-related investments. In fact, the Member himself mentioned this in his speech and several others have alluded to this. Again, I think that is in recognition of both the business conducive environment that we have in Singapore, the talent base that we have in Singapore and the opportunity set that they see in our region, and how Singapore can be the locale from which those opportunities can be accessed.

So, we have seen significant investments and new projects initiated by the big tech players, global tech players. But we have also seen many of the mid-sized, and even our local enterprises, moving in that direction.

The third point I would make is, because it is about confluence with talent, and this is where we have been making significant efforts – as I had explained and my colleagues also elaborated – both in terms of developing our local base, which is important, investing not just in the pipeline that is upstream from our Universities and pre-employment training and education, but also in endowing our workforce, those especially in their mid-careers, with the requisite skills to make that pivot into tech.

But at the same time, we are also engaged to attract talent that can complement our local base judiciously. Because of that scarcity of tech talent across the spectrum – whether you are talking about AI, cybersecurity, data analytics and so on – we need our fair share of talent. And that is something we are purposefully going about in partnership with other economic agencies, and that includes those under MTI. And it is about attracting Singaporeans who are based overseas, who would want to come back, perhaps, and we have seen many like that. But also other talent from other nationalities, who can judiciously complement our capabilities.

So, in sum, Mr Chairman, to answer the Member's question, there is certainly an opportunity for us to build on this. Whether I would use the moniker "Silicon Valley of Asia", well, I would apply that with some restraint. But, I think, certainly, we have the opportunity to be a thriving, secured, vibrant digital hub in this part of the world and part of the global eco-system.

The Chairman: Mr Don Wee.

Mr Don Wee: Chairman, I am heartened to understand from Senior Minister of State Sim Ann that the new Choa Chu Kang library will have very good offerings. So, when the library is undergoing renovation now, there is a book dispenser, which is placed at Lot One, Level 1 currently. So, I wonder if NLB can consider shifting the book dispenser to the nearest rental block, which houses about 500 units of young families, once the renovation is over, and since the rental block is only about 2 km away from Lot One?

Ms Sim Ann: I thank the Member for his support for the book dispenser. It was placed indeed to help meet the gap, while our renovations are on-going. We will take his suggestion back and study and get back to him.

The Chairman: Mr Sharael Taha.

Mr Sharael Taha: Thank you, Chairman, and I thank the Minister and the two Senior Ministers of State for all their clarifications.

Just a minor question for me. I would like to ask the Minister, he mentioned that the Digital Leaders Programme would be for 80 companies. Sounds like a very good programme as we need to grow our digital leaders. So, how will these companies be selected? Will it be by industry or the value proposition that they are looking for?

Mr S Iswaran: Mr Chairman, I thank the Member for his question. Basically, we are starting on this because we believe that there is a value proposition here. And, so, IMDA, working with other economic agencies, in particular, Enterprise Singapore, will be focused on working with companies that had already embarked on their digital journey; somewhat progressed in the way they have evolved their systems, and they also have the kernel, the core of a digital talent team, so that this can be the foundation upon which we build this.

Because if I go back to the point I made at the start, this is about not just broad-based scale in terms of the digitalisation reach, it is also about peaks. In other words, we are now trying to empower companies that are ready and able, to move forward, adopting more advanced digital technologies, with the capabilities and, critically, the talent that will enable them to maximise.

So, this will be something where the agencies will be working with companies that they deal with, in order to identify. There is no preset quota for particular sectors. It is more a function of the readiness and willingness of these companies to adopt the technology and to really be able to leverage it for the next bound of their digital growth.

The Chairman: Ms Nadia Samdin.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: Thank you, Chairman. I would really like to thank the Senior Minister of State for addressing my point earlier on. I was very keen and heartened to know that there have been discussions on how we can protect our women and girls online. And this is particularly poignant as this is the year of celebrating Singapore Women.

I know it is preliminary but could the Senior Minister of State please share some of the ideas raised during the discussion and the type of partners who are involved? I have heard parents shared how they feel really ill-equipped to deal with, for example, Tik Tok, Snapchat and OnlyFans. But we know that banning and deleting these apps will not solve the issue. So, I hope that any efforts, moving forward, will involve equipping parents as well.

Ms Sim Ann: Thank you, Ms Nadia Samdin, for your strong interest in this subject. The conversations are still on-going but I can share a few clusters of issues that have already emerged from our discussions.

The first cluster of issues would concern websites or online businesses that, on one hand, may be outright illegal, in terms of proffering sexual services, or they could be part of a grey area in which, perhaps, behaviour could be encouraged, which then may move down the slippery slope towards criminal activities. This is especially of concern if youngsters, including young girls, are targeted. For this cluster of issues, there is the aspect of looking at whether or not our existing laws are applicable, and to ensure that reporting mechanisms are timely and effective.

The second cluster of issues that have emerged concern the sharing to many and without consent of images and footage of victims. Very often, these are of women and girls, but we do not rule out men being the victims as well. This would fall under, very broadly, the ambit of harassment. This is something which on-going discussions, not just within the MCI family but also within the MHA family, about online harms and how to strengthen them, and how to also work with platforms to mitigate these harms would be very pertinent.

The third cluster of issues concern one-on-one interactions. So, for instance, users of social media platforms receiving unsolicited lewd pictures or very suggestive questions. And very often, not quite knowing how to react to these unwanted advances. For many of the social media platforms, community standards do exist but it is a question of whether users are fully aware of what these standards are and what they must do in order to protect themselves. So, for instance, we hear that a very common reaction of people who receive such unwanted advances is to delete them. But once it is deleted, the proof is gone, and that is something that quite a lot of public education and support would be helpful to protect the next woman or girl or, indeed, man or boy, from becoming the next victim.

The Chairman: Ms Mariam Jaafar.

Ms Mariam Jaafar: I thank the Minister and the Senior Ministers of State for the clarifications. I particularly want to express my deep appreciation as it is very evident that the approach that has been taken is a very inclusive one, with the focus on SMEs, hawkers and the elderly and also vulnerable women.

I am very glad to hear of the move to different kinds of schemes, so including more customisation and deeper hand-holding for digital starters. For example, the CTO-as-a-Service as well as for our Digital Leaders Programme. Ideally, I hope that this will also be somewhat sector-specific, and also address – as I had said in my cut – the internal process and the change management that would need to go along with any advice on adoption of digital solutions.

At the same time, I do want to raise a little caution, having heard some feedback on earlier programmes, which is that SMEs themselves tend to under-estimate the degree of hand-holding needed, and how hard it is, actually, to make a digital transformation. Perhaps, at this point, I should probably declare my interest as a consultant in this space.

Mass customisation is notoriously difficult, even with technology. So, I hope that these schemes will truly, really, be adequately resourced, which does involve cost, and evaluated frequently on their effectiveness and what needs to be done differently. Because I really do think that it is important for SMEs to get onboard.

So, if it comes to a matter of looking at ways, for example, to fund the journey, let us not skimp on the cost but actually think forward and proactively about how we can enable the highest number of SMEs.

Mr S Iswaran: Mr Chairman, I think the Member has made an important point, which is really that when we embark on an effort like this, which is, in essence, a kind of customisation at a mass scale, mass customisation, as she puts it, the challenges are considerable and we should not under-estimate the effort that is required.

We are talking about a very large base of enterprises. When we talk about SMEs in Singapore, we are talking about north of 200,000 entities. And they vary significantly in size, scale and complexity, from the MSMEs all the way to the mid-sized players; and also those larger than that.

So, our objective is, on the one hand, to have that baseline support, so that SMEs can start the journey. Hence, my point in what I said earlier, that we are committed to supporting businesses at every stage, from start-up to scale-up, and those even further beyond. And that is also evidenced in the way we have structured our programmes.

So, if you look at the SMEs Go Digital, it has a got a suite of possibilities, offerings from payment solutions to going online for marketing and so on. And all of these are enterprises that are already at a certain scale and wanting to make this adaptation. But we have also got the Start Digital programme which is really about those who are starting up their business but they can already adopt some of the digital solutions. And then we have the other extreme, the scaling up programmes, where they can go international by using some of these.

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The newer initiatives that we have embarked on are really trying to build on that suite of capabilities that we have, to allow a greater level of customisation but without overstating the case because the challenge remains. So, for example, CTO-as-a-Service really can go a lot deeper because you now have access as an SME to people with the expertise to do the diagnostics, assess the need and more than that to work out a strategy and a plan. And as I emphasised, it is also to work with the SMEs on the execution of that plan. So, project implementation. That is key. Because it is not just about a set of tools and then putting them into the system. As we all know, it is about the integration and then, how you adapt to your work processes to that new set of tools. I think that is key to realise the full benefits. So, that is our intention around the CTO-as-a-Service idea.

At the same time, we have got something on the Digital Leaders' Programme which is even more customised; working at a higher level. Hence, the numbers are smaller; I think this point that was raised. Because we need to train our sights on those that can do this, that are ready for it because they already journeyed somewhat.

In summary, I would say it is different strokes for different folks. And we have to find that spectrum of capabilities, both in the toolkit that we have in Government but also, as the Member put it, ultimately the customer must also understand what it entails. It is not just about making a decision, "Let's go digital". It is also about understanding what it entails and the kind of commitment that is required in terms of the technology you bring into the organisation but, most importantly, how you invest in your people and your systems to take full advantage of it on a sustainable basis.

The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza. Can I also remind Members to keep their clarifications short?

Mr Christopher de Souza: Thank you, Mr Chairman. My short clarification is in relation to the digitalisation of libraries, my request is that we do not overdo this. Because there is something about flipping through a hardcopy book, bringing your family and your children and introducing them to the library where you go and pick a book according to the author, and return the book according to the author, keeping quiet, it is a communal space; and reading a book that has been read before and the pages have been touched before. I think that is something very intimate and special. That is something unique to the reader and unique to hardcopy books.

So, in as much as we try to digitalise the reading of books, can we do this in a very calibrated fashion so that we pass on to the next generation the love for holding a hardcopy book and taking in the story physically as it were.

The Chairman: As long as you disinfect the book.

Mr Christopher de Souza: As long as we disinfect the book, yes. And I should disinfect my rostrum, Sir. That is my short clarification.

The Chairman: I am sure there is a shorter answer. Minister.

Mr S Iswaran: I thought I should respond to this clarification, with the indulgence of my colleague Minister of State Sim Ann. I think many of us share the Member's appreciation of the tactile experience of reading a physical book and also of gathering physically in the library and so on. I think it is not an experience that we want to eliminate by any means. We want to preserve it. And actually, what we want to do is enhance it by creating what we describe as an omni-channel strategy so that the digital platform and the digital initiatives will reinforce the attractiveness and the value of what you have physically in the library. And in turn what you experience in the library can then be carried on virtually through digital platforms.

So, really, what we envisage is a virtuous cycle between the physical and the virtual, and we want to ensure that we are able to keep the finest traditions of our libraries very much alive and thriving even as we go down the path of digitalisation.

The Chairman: Ms Tin, would you like to withdraw the amendment?

Ms Tin Pei Ling: It has been wonderful hearing from all the Members. As we move as one towards the digital future, I like to take this opportunity to thank the entire MCI family – our Minister, our Senior Ministers of State, everyone here – for their support and to include also the officers from the SNDGG. With that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $1,380,214,000 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $60,884,000 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.