Committee of Supply – Head U (Prime Minister's Office)

Climate Change – A Whole-of-Government (WOG) Approach

Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head U of the Estimates be reduced by $100."

The tragedy of climate change is not that it is not severe or insignificant. The real tragedy is that few people think of it urgently and deeply. Too often, it is a flashy speech, or some performative act that grabs attention for a brief moment and then, it is back to business as usual.

So, it is heartening that even in the middle of a high profile and salient public health crisis, our Government has set aside the budget to deal with climate change – including $5 billion for coastal and flood protection measures.

I have been speaking in the past about how Singapore has over time, built up its water security as well as various measures to reduce our weight on the environment. A few years ago, we set up the Singapore Centre for Climate Research in 2013. We are a member of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Last year, we put in place a carbon tax.

But climate change requires all of us across different departments and Ministries to work together. For example, efficiency in energy consumption and waste disposal requires there to be strong collaboration across housing and transport sectors. We have already put in place guidelines to critical infrastructure such as air and seaports to be at least 4 metres above sea level. Given our long memories of floods, we have pump houses that transport storm water from reservoirs to the sea. Our beautiful Marina Barrage is actually a glorified anti-flooding pump.

Meanwhile, we have seen one of the largest players in Singapore's built environment – the HDB, making a big difference under the Greenprint programme, solar panels and waste conveyance systems are embedded or will be embedded into HDB estates. On roads, there is now a determined push into more and better public transport systems – new service lines, larger bus fleets and bike-sharing initiatives. In policy, the Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme has been launched. In business, Waste-to-Energy plants reduce waste volumes by 90% and allow conversion to reusable energy.

In the way we live, move and make money, Singapore is turning green. This is not by chance. We started life as a nation as a Garden City as a way to distinguish ourselves, as a disciplined and well-ordered society. So, it goes without saying that we need a whole-of-nation effort to deal with climate change.

How is our Government working to foster collective action by businesses, the community and individuals to tackle this issue together?

Question proposed.

The Chairman: Er Dr Lee Bee Hwa.

Government's Approach to Climate Change

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Chairman, we have heard much about Singapore's commitment to Climate Change and this is indeed encouraging. There was a consultation exercise on our long-term low-emissions development strategy last year. Can Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean share what is the outcome of this? Could Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean also share, are we on track to meet our commitment to the Paris Agreement?

As we transit to a low-carbon future, what is the expected impact on our economy? Will it add to the cost of doing business in Singapore and therefore drive away some investors? On the other hand, how is Singapore leveraging green growth opportunities?

Emissions Reduction

Mr Ong Teng Koon (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Mr Chairman, I am gratified that Singapore has always been conscious of the drastic impact that climate change has on our generation and more importantly on future generations. I am in support of the bold and proactive steps that the Government has taken over the last few years to reduce our carbon emissions. I would like to ask the Minister what strategies and plans will put in place for Singapore to continue to reduce our future emissions?

Currently, 1.3% of Singapore’s generation capacity is from solar photovoltaic generation. Given that there are limited alternative renewable sources viable in Singapore, I would like to ask the Minister how Singapore will further reduce the emission from our energy consumption.

As Singapore builds, a proposal would be to consider the entire life cycle of building materials and choose to use materials that can be recycled or reused, such as, for drains and roads. It would also be in our future vision to build and convert existing buildings to zero-energy or net-zero building buildings. I would ask the Minister what efforts and initiatives there are to make our nation building more sustainable?

As a whole country effort is required to reduce emissions, I would also ask the Minister if we can create a National Green Mark to recognise local projects and businesses with initiatives and practices which reduce emissions and; grant incentives to the finance sector to provide funding to such businesses and projects.

Green Strategies and Opportunities

Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Climate change is a substantial threat to Singapore. Not only must we protect our shores from rising waters. We must also fulfil our international obligations towards low carbon emissions development. We cannot survive on a moral Island burning fossil fuels while the rest of the world struggles to keep the cities above rising waters.

The core to this must be a national strategy and blueprint that guides our agencies and people preparing for the city's future.Yet, the journey to protect ourselves is fraught with dilemmas and trade-offs. Controlling carbon emission through carbon taxes increases business cost. Protecting our coastlines might have permanent ecological impact.

The fossil fuels business is estimated to be 3% of Singapore's GDP. Weaning off fossil fuels requires a fundamental change to Singapore's economic strategy. The current generation would have to foot the coastal protection bill but they might not live to see the benefits.

I will like to ask the Government what are the principles that it has adopted in developing our national strategy? How are the key stakeholders such as businesses, green groups and academics consulted? We must develop a strategy that balances trade-offs and brings together generations of people to pursue our climate change objectives sustainably. This meant that inter-generational trade-offs must be balanced carefully.

I believe that there are also opportunities. As we have turned water scarcity into valuable knowledge of market value, what are the strategies that we pursuing to turn these threats into opportunities?

The severity and enormity of the challenge requires us to plan way ahead but execute quickly. What are the concrete plans and programmes that have already been put in place since the Prime Minister’s announcement during the last National Day Rally?

Pan-ASEAN Climate Change Initiatives

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Sir, it came as welcome news late last year to read of the Government-owned company, SP Power, looking to decarbonise our electricity sector in favour of renewables, by potentially working with neighbours such as Malaysia and Indonesia. With spare land to install solar panels or wind turbines, something practically impossible to undertake on a large enough scale in land-scare Singapore, building transmission lines to connect to our neighbours would allow Singapore to readily tap on clean power and significantly reduce our reliance for fossil fuels for electricity generation. It would also significantly enlarge our green footprint and boost our contribution to reduce the debilitating effects of climate change.

In addition, on the prospects of a pan-ASEAN electricity grid, an SP official was quoted as saying that Malaysia already has connections to Thailand which in turn has connections to Laos. Hypothetically therefore, Singapore could invest in clean energy projects in neighbouring countries beyond our immediate neighbours and use renewable energy credits to receive the same amount of electricity from Malaysia, for example.

Sir, could PMO share more details about these initiatives and confirm the timeline of these projects that look at tapping electricity from regional power grids? What does this mean for the consumer and power generators in Singapore, not to mention the price of electricity?

I understand some discussions have already taken place with Malaysia for greater cooperation in this regard. What risk does the Government anticipate in reducing our carbon footprint by diversifying and tapping on regional electricity grids and how can these be overcome?

Finally, the regional and global consequences of climate change provide a unique opportunity to look into further ASEAN wide collaborations that promote green policies. In view of easier access to the markets and our R&D sector, how can Singapore contribute to addressing regional climate change challenges and imagining commercial solutions in view of the active interest in addressing climate change – a top policy priority for younger Singaporeans in particular?

Climate Change

Miss Cheng Li Hui (Tampines): Sir, climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world. On 9 February 2020, a Brazilian-run research station recorded an extreme temperature of 20.75 degrees celsius in the Antarctic. The first ever temperature recorded of over 20 degrees Celsius. Temperatures around the world continue to rise, melting ice into oceans and causing sea levels to rise. This poses existential challenges to our Island state.

We have to act decisively on climate change. I am heartened that the Government has carried out a public consultation in 2019 to discuss how we could formulate our long-term low-emissions development strategy. Can the Government share its plans to reduce our emissions? What are the various factors the Government took into consideration?

Moving ahead, we also need to look into achieving sustainable development, continue to create good jobs while ensuring a well-managed transition to a low carbon future. The transition while challenging, also poses various opportunities in the green economy related innovation. How can Singapore leverage green growth opportunities and how we plan to rally businesses, the community and individuals to be part of it?

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International Efforts on Climate Change

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Chairman, climate change is a global issue that requires collective efforts on a united and international front. Beyond mitigating our domestic emissions, how can Singapore contribute to international efforts? What are the key areas of international cooperation needed to achieve Singapore's climate goals?

I have, in a Parliamentary Question before expressed my concerns on our role in Coal-fired and Gas-fired Independent Power Producer (IPP) Projects in the ASEAN region. The biggest environment problem amongst some ASEAN members is the plan to increase such projects, which will emit large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, and I think that the way forward is to boost renewables financing in ASEAN, which is currently taking place at a very slow rate.

Can the Senior Minister also share how they have been supporting our financial sector to make the transition to promote more green financing in Singapore? I hope we can explore my proposal to kickstart a first loss fund for renewables projects in ASEAN, with other ASEAN sovereign wealth funds, including Singapore's, chipping in later on. This is certainly something I have discussed on other occasions, at various forums for investors and financial institutions. But for the Singapore Government, in this case, to spearhead the efforts, I think it will be a very good opportunity to boost our international profile and it will be a more effective way for ASEAN and Singapore to reduce carbon emissions globally, more effectively and fast.

Measurement of Carbon Emission Levels

Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong): Chairman, the Government's commitment to a low carbon future and reduction of greenhouse gases is welcomed. One key effort was passing the Carbon Pricing Act, which took effect last year. However, there has been some doubt about the effectiveness of carbon taxing in Singapore as some say it does not guarantee the desired level of emissions reduction.

I understand that the Young PAP conducted a focus group discussion recently with climate activists and experts from the sustainability sector. Amongst the issues discussed was the perceived over-emphasis on economic metrics as a means of calculating growth. Some felt that such metrics encouraged excessive production and consumption. Also, the current calculations of emission levels against GDP value may not truly reflect current performance levels. Can the Government consider a review to measure absolute carbon emission levels against holistic progress indicators, such as the Human Development Index or the United Nations Environment Inclusive Wealth Index?

I note that the Government had also carried out a public consultation exercise last year to discuss formulating Singapore's long-term low-emissions development strategy and the findings were released in early February. Can the Government give an update on Singapore's plans moving forward?

The Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security (Mr Teo Chee Hean): Mr Chairman, Sir, across the globe, the effects of climate change are clear and present. Weather patterns have become more extreme; ice sheets and glaciers are melting. Singapore, too, has experienced more episodes of unusually heavy rainfall accompanied by some flooding. Prolonged dry weather exacerbates the smoke haze that affects our region. As a low-lying island, we remain fundamentally vulnerable.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change (IMCCC), which I chair, was formed in 2007. IMCCC coordinates, formulates and monitors the execution of our national plans to reduce our carbon emissions, referred to as mitigation, and to prepare for the consequences of climate change, referred to as adaptation.

In his Budget speech, Deputy Prime Minister Heng stated Singapore's intention to chart our vision for a low carbon, sustainable future. Allow me, Mr Chairman, to inform this House of our plans.

Later this year, Singapore will submit our enhanced 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement. We will also submit our Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LEDS) for 2050 and beyond to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Our enhanced 2030 NDC and LEDS build on policies and initiatives we have progressively implemented over the years. They demonstrate our seriousness and commitment to support international climate action and a low carbon future.

Setting out our vision well in advance, will provide a clear sense of direction and give ourselves and our various stakeholders the time to effect a well-managed transition to a low carbon economy. This will also allow us to grow new sectors in our economy and create new jobs and opportunities.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Mr Desmond Choo, Mr Ong Teng Koon and Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked about the Government's approach and strategies for climate change. The development of our enhanced NDC for 2030 and our LEDS aspiration for 2050 and beyond, is guided by a principled approach. It is considered, it is committed and it is collective.

We fully appreciate the significance and impact of climate change. This is why climate change policy is being strongly coordinated as a key whole-of-nation issue under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Our climate policies and strategies are carefully and thoroughly considered. At the same time, we are not exclusively focused on climate change. We look at realistic and practical policies and measures we can implement, taking into account the best available science and technology, and fully integrated with the larger context of the entire range of challenges we face in our national policy framework. This is the approach we take to ensure a smooth and well-managed transition to a low carbon economy.

We have always believed that the pursuit of economic growth can be compatible and mutually reinforcing with environmental objectives. This approach has allowed Singapore today to have one of the lowest carbon emissions per GDP dollar, or emissions intensity. We are ranked among the 20 best countries out of 141 countries in 2017. Our performance on the Human Development Index and the UN Sustainable Development Goals are also very commendable.

This has been a collective effort. We invited views and consulted Singaporeans on important climate issues, such as the carbon tax, achieving zero waste and our LEDS. We received many suggestions on how to reduce our emissions. In fact, over 2,000. At the same time, our contributors also recognised that there are practical constraints and potential trade-offs.

In particular, we are very mindful of our limited alternative energy options. Singapore's geography is a key limiting factor in our ability to harness renewable energy at scale. We do not have great rivers for hydropower. Wind power is limited both by space as well as light and variable winds. We continue to study the potential for nuclear power, but we assess that the current generation of nuclear power plants are not suitable for deployment in Singapore.

So, these are serious constraints compared to better-endowed countries. Nevertheless, we are committed to doing our best and doing our part to combat climate change. Our enhanced NDC and LEDS set out realistic but challenging and ambitious goals for Singapore, drawing on citizens' suggestions and taking into account our national circumstances. Let me elaborate.

In 2015, we set our 2030 NDC target to reduce our emissions intensity in 2030 by 36% from 2005 levels, and to peak by around 2030. We are on track to meet this commitment.

Ms Rahayu Mahzam will be glad to know we will be enhancing our NDC by committing to an absolute peak emission level of 65 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent around 2030. All countries are also now required to report on the 7^th greenhouse gas, Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF₃) by 2024. We will go beyond reporting NF₃, and commit to including NF₃ in our pledge, within this same emissions ceiling.

Constraining our total emissions within this absolute cap up to 2030 means that every sector in Singapore will need to put in significant effort to limit our emissions. We will need to do so in order to move towards a low carbon nation in the coming decade, with new commercial and industrial enterprises and new growth areas, such as the digital economy. We all have a part to play in reducing our emissions to meet our 2030 commitment.

But we aim to do better than that beyond 2030. Our Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy aspires to halve the emissions from our 2030 peak, to 33 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, with a view to achieving net-zero emissions as soon as viable in the second half of the century.

This will be very challenging, given our limited alternative energy options. We have studied the matter very carefully and developed a strategy to do so. And with your permission, Mr Chairman, may I display a slide on the House's screens, and request the Clerks to distribute a document to Members?

The Chairman: Please do. [A handout was distributed to hon Members.]

Mr Teo Chee Hean: There are three thrusts in our strategy.

First, we need transformations in our industry, economy and society. Second, we have to draw on technologies which are not yet mature, such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), and low carbon fuels. And third, we will need international collaboration in areas, such as well-functioning carbon markets and regional electricity grids. So, this will help take us from the left-hand side, where we have our 2030 NDC through these three thrusts to the right-hand side, which is our LEDS for 2050 and beyond.

Each thrust will contribute to halving our emissions. We will pursue all three vigorously to achieve our aspiration. The extent to which potential emission reductions from each thrust can be realised will become clearer in the coming years, as we gain experience from implementing our programmes, as technology evolves and as the modalities for international cooperation and collaboration become formalised. If the actual reductions from each thrust are larger than we now assess, or are available sooner, then we can realise our aspiration earlier. On the other hand, if the potential reductions turn out to be less promising, we will still strive to meet our LEDS aspiration to the best of our ability even though the task becomes more difficult.

So, let me now provide some details of the various programmes.

Keeping carbon emissions low from electrical power generation, which currently accounts for 39% of our emissions – that is the yellow sector on the right. This is very important especially as we push for greater electrification of our nation.

In October 2019, Minister Chan Chun Sing outlined how we will harness the four supply switches of "natural gas”, "solar", "regional power grids and "low carbon alternatives", together with greater efficiency in energy use on the demand side to accelerate our energy transformation.

While we are limited in hydro, wind and nuclear energy, we are pressing ahead with solar deployment. We are significantly accelerating our deployment of solar, from 350 megawatt peak (MWp) by the end of this year, to at least two gigawatt-peak (GWp) by 2030.

To achieve our current goal by the end of this year of 350 MWp, we are deploying solar panels on about one in two HDB rooftops, and in several reservoirs. To achieve two GWp, we will do more. We are deploying off-shore solar farms, and HDB aims to install as many solar panels as feasible on HDB rooftops. As an example, in Pasir Ris town, almost all HDB rooftops will have solar panels by 2030 and deployment is already progressing. Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong will say more about greening our towns in MND's COS.

Even at such a scale, two GWp of solar power will still only meet around 4% of our current annual electricity needs and 10% of our current peak daily electricity needs. To go significantly beyond this, we need technical breakthroughs, for example, to deploy safe and highly efficient and cost effective solar panels on vertical building surfaces, not just horizontal ones. These building surfaces will only receive solar radiation for part of the day.

So, this is why we still need the other three switches to decarbonise our grid. To provide our base load power generation, we had decided early on, in the early 2000s, to switch from fuel oil to natural gas, the cleanest fossil fuel available. Many countries are still highly dependent on coal. We moved away from that in 1956 and we moved to natural gas in the early 2000s. We are exploring tapping regional power grids and studying emerging low or zero-carbon alternatives, such as solar-derived hydrogen to further reduce emissions from power generation.

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Having regional power grids is an alternative, but we also have to examine the issues of diversity and resilience. We have diversified the way for piped water and piped natural gas. We should also have diversity when we are considering piped electricity.

For industries with sizeable electricity consumption, the progressive decarbonisation of our power grid will help to reduce emissions. But we will also need to reduce emissions all across our economy.

The industry sector at 60% is our largest contributor to carbon emissions. We will work closely with industry to make the necessary adjustments, capture new business opportunities and build up their competitive advantage in this transition. We want to be at the forefront of the global move towards environmentally sustainable production and seize the new opportunities this creates.

Our industries produce not just for Singapore but also to meet the needs of the global market. We will work with our industries so that they are known to be among the best-in-class in global energy and carbon efficiency as we produce for the rest of the world.

Last year, we enhanced our grant schemes to help companies improve their energy efficiency. We are also going beyond individual companies to bring companies together to achieve systems-level efficiency gains. We are also working with industry and our research community to study new technologies such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and low-carbon hydrogen to evaluate and plan the next steps for Singapore.

The carbon tax, which we have introduced, will collect roughly $1 billion over the first five years. We intend to invest more than that into helping our companies adapt, move and transform for a low-carbon future.

In urban transportation, we are already a global pioneer in limiting vehicle population and reducing traffic congestion. Major investments in public transport and active mobility infrastructure will pave the way for nine in 10 of all peak period journeys to be made using "Walk, Cycle, Ride" transport modes by 2040.

These policies tackle the urban transport issue systemically, not just individual pieces of it. We tackle this issue at its root. This is where most of the gains in energy and carbon efficiency are reaped. But we will also move towards enhancing the overall carbon efficiency of our urban transport through large-scale adoption of green vehicles.

As announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng, we will phase out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040 and have all vehicles running on cleaner energy. MEWR and MND will say more about how we will provide incentives and lay the enabling charging infrastructure to achieve this.

These efforts will make a significant difference, but how quickly they can be realised depends on technological advancements and how quickly manufacturers can bring attractive, cost-efficient electrical vehicles to the market.

Our commercial and residential buildings are also major users of energy. Since the launch of the Green Mark Scheme in 2005, we have greened more than 40% of our buildings by gross floor area. We will push on to achieve our goal to green 80% of our buildings by 2030 and beyond that, we aim to increase the number of buildings that are even more energy efficient.

All of us have a part to play. We have introduced minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and mandatory energy labelling (MELS) for common household appliances. By purchasing more efficient appliances, consumers save on their energy costs while reducing emissions. This is truly win-win.

With all our light bulbs as energy efficient as LED bulbs from 2023, our households will save about $3.5 million annually in energy costs and reduce carbon emissions by around 6.3 million kilo-tonnes annually. Just by this step alone, we can save money and reduce carbon emissions. MEWR and MND will provide more details.

Miss Cheng Li Hui, Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked how Singapore is contributing to international efforts on climate change.

Singapore will do our utmost to work with the international community to tackle climate change. We need effective international cooperation. Every country must do its part or the efforts of each country will be nullified.

Singapore works actively in international forums to strengthen consensus among countries, especially at a time when the multilateral system is under strain. Singapore is often called upon as a constructive and trusted interlocutor to help forge solutions for difficult issues at international climate negotiations.

For example, Minister Masagos Zulkifli played key roles in co-facilitating the topic of mitigation at COP-24 in Katowice in 2018 and the key outcomes of the climate negotiations in Madrid last December. We look forward to working closely with the United Kingdom, who will be hosting COP-26 in Glasgow this November.

We are also well positioned to support abatement efforts globally. As a major maritime and aviation hub, we work actively with the International Maritime Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization to address international transport emissions. These are counted separately from national emissions. MOT will share more details later.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked about green financing. As a leading financial centre, we aim to be a green finance hub to spur investments in low-carbon solutions and drive climate action.

MAS recently established a US$2 billion green investments programme to anchor green activities of asset managers in Singapore and support the mainstreaming of green finance. MAS also collaborated with the industry to develop environmental risk management guidelines. These guidelines will set standards on governance, risk management and disclosure, and encourage the right-pricing of loans and investments to promote new green investments. MAS will issue the guidelines for public consultation in March 2020.

I think Mr Saktiandi Supaat will be happy to know that our three local banks have stopped funding regional coal fired power plant projects and all three of them are very active in financing regional alternative energy projects such as solar power.

Through our Research Innovation and Enterprise 2020 plan, we are investing close to $1 billion in urban solutions and sustainability in areas such as new urban mobility solutions and a next-generation energy grid. As a "living lab", we will continue to serve as a test-bed for innovative solutions that can be exported globally.

Singapore also collaborates actively with international partners such as the UNFCCC and ASEAN to build capabilities and share experiences. Since 1992, Singapore has trained more than 130,000 officials from fellow developing countries under the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) in key areas such as sustainable development, urban planning, water and transport management.

While Singapore's efforts to reduce emissions on our own may be modest, our collective efforts with all nations can be substantial.

Mr Chairman, for small-island nations like Singapore, climate change poses an asymmetrical challenge. On the one hand, our impact on global emissions is small, but on the other hand, the effect of climate change on us is disproportionately large and indeed, existential.

We must thus plan seriously for the real prospect that sea levels will rise by up to one metre by 2100 – in line with what climate science is telling us. We need to implement these adaptation plans to protect our country and people, and we cannot rely on anyone else to do this for us. We are already taking action.

In 2011, we raised the platform level for all reclamation projects by an additional one metre, from three metres to four metres above the Singapore Height Datum (SHD). The highest tide ever recorded in Singapore is about two metres above the SHD. Raising the level from three metres to four metres gives us an additional one metre of clearance and gives us a two-metre buffer, so that if sea levels rise by one metre, we still have one metre left.

For key new facilities such as Changi Airport Terminal 5, we are raising the platform level even higher, to at least five metres above the SHD.

The Marina Barrage, which was completed in 2008, already provides some flood protection for our city, but we are planning to see whether we can raise that further and even increase the size of the pumps.

Protecting ourselves from sea level rise is a large-scale and long-term effort requiring considerable resources. Our assessments and plans are based on studies which have been commissioned by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change over the past several years.

In his National Day Rally last year, Prime Minister Lee outlined the threats from sea level rise and our plans estimating that this will cost $100 billion over the next 100 years. Deputy Prime Minister Heng announced in the Budget a new Coastal and Flood Protection Fund, with an initial top-up of $5 billion to start setting aside the resources that we will need for this.

We have divided our coastal areas into hydraulically-distinct segments to study different options for each area. We will now develop these studies into detailed plans and phase in our coastal protection measures.

We must start implementing our plans and be prepared to adjust and adapt them according to the latest sea level rise projections. The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources will say more about this in his COS.

Mr Chairman, Sir, I have just outlined our whole-of-Government strategy for climate action, which is considered, committed and collective. The relevant Ministries will provide more details on specific plans under their charge.

But as Mr Seah Kian Peng has highlighted, this is a collective effort. We need all Singaporeans – Government, individuals, households and businesses – all of us, to do our part and work together as a whole of nation.

As part of Singapore Together, the Government will create more partnership opportunities for Singaporeans to advance climate action. So let us work together to secure the future of Singapore as a climate-resilient nation – with a competitive economy, sustainable environment, an environmentally responsible and active citizenry, and a good quality of life for all.

Overall Population Strategies

Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang): Mr Chairman, according to the Department of Statistics, Singapore's total population stands at 5.703 million as of 2019. This is a 1.2% increase from the previous year. The number of Singapore citizens is 3.5 million and the number of Permanent Residents is 525,000. There is a slight increase of 0.8% and 0.6% respectively. What is worrisome is the decline of old-age support ratio from 4.8 in 2018 to 4.5 in 2019. It means that we only have 4.5 residents who are between 20 and 64 years for every resident who is 65 and above.

What is the Government doing to increase or at least to maintain our Singapore citizens' numbers? Can we do more to support young families and encourage more Singaporean families to have more babies? What is the Government doing to slow down the increase of old-age support ratio?

Immigration has for a very long time been a touchy issue, not only in Singapore but many other countries as well. Generally, most Singaporeans accept that immigration can contribute certain expertise that is lacking in Singapore. Many of them chose to make Singapore their home and become citizens. They take their pledge at citizenship ceremonies that are held across different constituencies.

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A survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) released at the National Integration Council (NIC) Convention last August, showed that many Singaporeans feel that immigrants can do more to integrate into Singapore. This survey covered about 4,000 Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. Six out of 10 of the respondents felt that the immigrants were not doing enough to integrate. Is there any study or survey on our new citizens on how they feel above their new citizenship journey? Do they feel adequately integrated by our programmes? Can we do more to make them be more integrated? What is the Government doing to further enhance the integration of new citizens into our society and our communities?

Population Plans and Integration

Mr Pritam Singh: Sir, Singapore's economic circumstances and multiracial meritocracy are unique features of our country. While Finance Minister's Budget speeches in this term of government focused consistently on security, economy, society and Singaporeans, we know that our evolving population policies are existential to the future of the Singapore Core. The vast majority of residents are permanently invested in this country and do not have the luxury of imagining a home away from Singapore and nor would we have it that way.

Sir, the total fertility numbers are weakening with the Budget book estimating the number for FY2020 to hover around 1.1 to 1.2. However, the population in brief 2019 data released by the PMO Strategy Group reveals that the TFR number for the Chinese and Indian residents has fallen to around 0.98 and 1 respectively, compared to 1.14 and 1.19 a decade ago. The same document, however, records an encouraging rise in the TFR for the Malay community. From a high of 1.91 in 2008, the number fell to 1.66 in 2013, before steadily and consistently moving up to 1.85 in 2018.

Has the PMO team assessed the policy reasons behind this upturn for the Malay community and are there insights that can be highlighted or even ported to the other communities?

Similarly, the latest data also records a rise in the number of citizen ever married females deciding to have no children, or only one child compared to 10 years ago. Likewise, the proportion of married females with three children or more has fallen considerably over the same period. Fortunately, most ever married citizen females who have two children has hovered around the 43% mark similar to 10 years ago. While the decision to have children or no children is a deeply personal one and one that we must respect, what new strategies and plans does the PMO have to push couples or encourage couples to have at least two or more children?

Has the Government engaged couples who have only one child to find out what their key concerns are? I believe work-life balance, costs of living concerns have been raised previously as major impediments. It would be important to see what more can be done in this area with buy-in from private sector employers. After all, without a thriving Singapore Core, it is hard to foresee a thriving and confident Singapore.

Sir, as previously announced by the Government, our population plans and policies are due for review this year. Numbers aside, the Government needs to take a re-look at our integration efforts. Permanent Residents (PRs) and foreigners who we hope will take up citizenship are connected through technology to their motherlands more so than earlier generation of immigrants. And therefore, integration may not just take more time, but may not be as linear as previously imagined with schools and institutions such as National Service our major agents of adhesion.

In addition, as alluded to by Minister Chan recently, unlike in the past, even in the economic realm, Singapore may not be able to attract the quality of individuals it seeks. Does this anticipate some changes to our population plans with a desire to attract immigrants from further afield, specifically non-traditional countries classified as others, which currently account for about 6.3% of Singapore citizenships and PRs granted in 2018, as compared to 62.5% from Southeast Asian countries and 31.2% from Asian countries.

What shifts in our population strategies is the Government planning so as to deal with the new challenges in supplementing our population through immigration?

Has the Government conducted surveys of new citizens over the last 10 to 20 years, for us to have a better perspective on how we can improve integration.

Finally, Sir, can the Government share how many PRs have transited to become citizens over the last 10 years and 20 years respectively, and how many choose to remain PRs? What are the their main reasons for not transiting to citizenship?

Supporting Marriage and Parenthood (M&P)

Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Chairman, this is Clare. She is 17 days old today. A wonderful bundle of joy. She is our fourth child and our first daughter. Each time the experience is the same. Having lost two of our six children, Peter and Maria, to miscarriages, every time we go through a pregnancy we have an equal measure of worry and joy. Each time our gynecologist says, "She’s doing fine", we let out a sigh of relief.

Clare's birth has changed our lives, just as her three older brothers have. The home is a little bit noisier, the floor is, of course, a lot messier and sleep is now even more a luxury commodity at home – but more importantly, the immeasurable joy of parenthood.

I do not wish to glamourise parenthood. Like everything else, it comes with its own burdens. But Jocelyn and I believe that it is a burden worth carrying. At the same time, I wish the burden were lighter, not so much with benefits, but for society to be able to reinforce a culture that recognises the family as important.

My wife is a stay-at-home mother. For our three older boys, she took care of them herself without any help. And often, I am asked, "What does your wife work as"? My reply was that she is a full-time mother often elicits odd responses. They go along the lines of, "Oh, she is so lucky, she doesn't have to work", or on the flipside, "You have to work harder." Often enough, I respond quite quickly to those statements, as if to justify our situation; that in addition to her love for our children, she also runs a small online business at home that twins her passions. She sews infant clothing and accessories. But it also hits me after that, that there is no need to justify why my wife stays at home.

She, like other stay-at-home mothers, make a conscious decision, that a sacrifice of her career was weighed and that spending time with the children was worth it. A fellow parliamentarian from Europe, whom I have known for a few years was in Singapore for a conference last year. He made an observation, perhaps a little snidely and a little bit snarky, "The Minister-in-charge of your country's population strategy is the Minister for Manpower? Should it not be the Minister for Family?"

I explained to him that our Minister-in-charge only happens to be the Minister for Manpower. She is also a mother, and also a Cabinet Minister, who is deeply passionate about children.

But there might be a small grain of truth. Often, we couch our policies on families with the view on our workforce, our dependency ratio, so much so that our culture has been shaped by that; that the true joy and happiness of family is clouded by numbers.

So, I urge as I have, in the last three years; for us a return to basics, that we ask ourselves beyond policies, beyond benefits, how can the whole of society help to build a family-friendly culture that is supportive of families in Singapore, that allows stay-at-home mothers to be proud of what they do? And also mothers who choose to continue their careers to have the support that they require.

That said, I also wish that we level the playing field and recognise fully the role of mothers. Whether in or outside of employment, mothers play an important role in our society. So, in all our non-tax related benefits such as for early childhood education subsidies, child relief amongst others, I hope that we can have more equity between working and non-working mothers. There will be some benefits that we will need to segregate and have some amount of additional help for those who have children but have decided to go back into the workforce but the rest, especially, benefits for the children should be equalised.

Mr Chairman, families are the backbone of society. If we do not take care of this backbone, we will not be able to stand straight and strong as a country.

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Marriage and parenthood can be a joyful journey. Yes, there are challenges, but the joy of bringing up children is fulfilling and lasting. Last year, the Government conducted public consultations on the needs and concerns relevant to marriage and parenthood. Some areas that are often talked of are flexible work arrangements, having a conducive work culture, parental leave, and importantly, increased childcare leave and more childcare leave for the mothers and the fathers who have more children.

How have the enhancements, provided by the Government, to support marriage and parenthood benefited young Singaporeans and their families? And will there be further enhancements based on feedback received? What measures are we putting in place to encourage an increase in our TFR? Next cut.

A Culture of Support for Families

Younger Singaporeans may be delaying marriage and parenthood in pursuit of other life goals. Of course, these are very personal choices. But, how can the whole-of-society contribute to building a culture that emphasises the importance and significance of family and, in so doing, foster an environment that is supportive of families in Singapore? This will help also, to promote the desire to have children – a joy for the parents and, also, importantly for our country.

Progress of M&P Enhancements

Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Enhancing marriage and parenthood is critical to addressing our ageing population and low TFR problems. The Government has rolled out important measures such as shortening the time to get housing and defraying child-raising costs. How have the enhancements benefited young Singaporeans and what was their feedback, especially from the Citizens Panel?

Core to singles not getting married and married couples not having children is the intricate balance between work and family. Having Flexible Work Arrangements can help our families cope better, especially after maternity. The COVID-19 episode has shown that broad-based FWA is possible whereas the previous pre-outbreak thinking was that it simply was not. Would the Government consider granting women on maternity the right to FWA? If businesses could do it for large swathes of the workforce during the outbreak now, certainly allowing 40,000 women to go on FWA each year must be manageable.

Providing Childcare Sick Leave

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): It has been more than a decade since childcare leave provisions were increased and it is time to review this again. There is clearly insufficient childcare leave provided. Will PMO consider having specific childcare sick leave and providing this on a per child basis?

The Public Service, already gives officers childcare sick leave and it is on a per child basis. If Government clearly feels that childcare sick leave is important for people who work for us, then why not important for the people we serve? Let us level that playing field.

Family-friendly Workplace

Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong): Many of us spend a large part of our day, and in fact, our lives at work. It is therefore important for both our mental and physical well-being that there is a healthy culture at the workplace environment. Social norms and the workplace culture can impact Singaporeans' decisions on important issues like marriage, having children and career progression.

One of the key challenges faced by parents with young children is managing their work and family responsibilities. If they find this too challenging, they may not want to have more children. On the other hand, we must also ensure that those who are single at the workplace, are not the ones having to pick up the workload of their colleagues who have children, because this may prevent them from having opportunities to have relationships and eventually marry. Some singles may also have elderly parents to care for and need the flexibility to take some time to perhaps bring their parents to check-ups.

I am grateful for the Government's efforts in giving out the Work-Life Grant and in encouraging employers to adopt Flexible-Work Arrangements, but I believe we would all like to see the adoption of such arrangements to be more pervasive.

I am happy to learn that last year, the Government convened a Citizen's Panel of Work-Life Harmony. It was indicated that the Government would seriously study the recommendations. How will the Government be following up on the Panel's recommendations, and how can employers and other stakeholders play a bigger role in implementing solutions to make workplaces more family-friendly?

Youth Aspirations and Work-life Balance

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs and National Development (Ms Sun Xueling): The Citizens Panel was convened to gather views from Singaporeans from all walks of life on how work life harmony can be strengthened in Singapore and how a more supportive societal a workplace culture can be created that is family-friendly.

2.30 pm

Given that youths will shape the future workplace culture of Singapore, what has been the feedback from youths from the Citizens' Panel on how they see work-life balance? Have they shared how they can balance pursuing their aspirations with starting a family and how they see society supporting them in achieving this balance?

In recent conversations with youths, some have shared their interest to work and study overseas. The Government is also promoting this, so that youths have a wider perspective and can also gain international experience which is extremely helpful in their careers and personal development. How do youths reconcile the internationalisation message with settling down with a family in Singapore?

The Chairman: Minister Josephine Teo.

The Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mrs Josephine Teo): Thank you, Mr Chairman. I appreciate the views and suggestions of Members on matters concerning our population.

Our policies aim to help Singapore maintain a stable population, to keep our society cohesive, our economy vibrant, and our nation strong. Population policies are not just for today, but tomorrow. We are always thinking about future generations of Singaporeans.

I will focus on two areas: first, making Singapore a great place for families; second, integrating immigrants into our Singapore community.

We aim, first and foremost, to support young Singaporeans to get married and become parents.

Similar to most developed economies, our total fertility rate is below replacement – at 1.14 for last year and the year before. Globally, many countries are like Singapore, where birth rates have been declining since the 1970s. Some Nordic countries that had previously reversed the decline, have seen birth rates falling again in recent years.

However, there are some positive signs in Singapore. The average number of citizen births in the last five years is higher than previous five-year periods. From 2015 to 2019, we had around 33,000 births annually. This is higher than the average from 2010 to 2014, of around 32,000 births annually. I believe Mr Alex Yam, Mr Desmond Choo, Mr Christopher de Souza, Mr Louis Ng, Ms Rahayu Mahzam and also Ms Sun Xueling, perhaps Mr Pritam Singh as well, all contributed to this. Thank you very much. Please keep going.

On top of this, as some Singaporeans live overseas, we welcomed about 1,600 Singaporean babies born overseas each year, over the past five years. This is also higher than the average in previous five-year periods. So, to Ms Sun Xueling's question, it is not incompatible – your overseas ambitions and raising a family – this can be done.

Similarly, the average number of citizen marriages in the last five years is higher than previous five-year periods.

I hope these positive trends will continue as more young Singaporeans enter their prime marriage and parenthood ages. But we will need to continue tackling the factors that shape marriage and parenthood decisions – together, not just as a Government, but as one Singapore.

At the Committee of Supply debate last year, I indicated that we would embark on a consultation process, to better understand Singaporeans’ needs and concerns around forming families. The aim was to move beyond feedback and suggestions, to work with fellow Singaporeans on practical ways to address marriage and parenthood issues. This is what the Singapore Together movement is all about. We are heartened that many Singaporeans stepped forward to take part.

We launched a series of online polls, inviting Singaporeans to give suggestions on how to better support young families. As Mr Christopher de Souza and Ms Sun Xueling mentioned, Singaporeans believe that making Singapore a great place for families requires partnerships across society. At home, most Singaporeans viewed parenting as a shared responsibility between spouses. At the workplace, Singaporeans felt that having supportive bosses and understanding colleagues were critical factors that enabled them to meet their work and family commitments. Respondents also raised concerns about the cost of having children.

We have listened carefully to their views. Last year, we announced significant enhancements to support young families. With your permission, Mr Chairman, may I ask the Clerks to distribute a booklet showing the key marriage and parenthood benefits today?

The Chairman: Yes, please.

Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Desmond Choo asked how these enhancements have benefited young Singaporean families. Let me elaborate on three major moves.

First, couples can now more easily enrol their child in an affordable and good quality pre-school. We have increased the amount of pre-school subsidies, and made them available to even more families. Today, after subsidies, a working couple who earn a combined $5,000 a month, pays $130 per month per child for full-day childcare at an Anchor Operator pre-school. This is about a third of what they would have paid previously.

To ensure that quality pre-schools are accessible to all families, we have kept fees affordable at all Government-supported pre-schools; fee caps for Partner Operator preschools will also come down next year.

In addition, ECDA has been growing the number of pre-school places. By around 2025, eight in 10 pre-schoolers can have a place in a Government-supported preschool, up from just over five in 10 today.

In the medium term, we aim to make full-day childcare at Government-supported pre-schools as affordable as the cost of Primary school plus afterschool student care. This is not even including the means-tested pre-school subsidies, which will allow low- and middle income families to pay even less. At the same time, we will ensure good quality learning and care across all pre-schools. These are significant steps that we are taking, to ensure that we continue to give every Singaporean child a good start in life.

Second, housing is now more affordable for newly married couples. We have heard couples’ feedback on the importance of getting their own home before starting a family. We have made it faster for them to get a BTO flat. HDB has launched more than 3,600 BTO flats with shorter waiting times. The wait of about two and a half years is shorter than the usual three to four years.

Couples can also more easily own a flat with the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG). First-timer families now receive up to $80,000 in grants when purchasing a new HDB flat, and up to $160,000 when purchasing an HDB resale flat. Since its inception, about 1,000 first-timer families have benefited from the Enhanced Housing Grant.

In addition, the income ceiling was raised. More couples are able to purchase subsidised HDB flats and Executive Condominiums.

Third, we improved the affordability of healthcare for children, and fertility treatments.

By the end of this year, every Singaporean child will enjoy subsidies for all nationally recommended childhood vaccinations and developmental screenings, at polyclinics as well as CHAS GP clinics. The Minister for Health will share more details at MOH's Committee of Supply debate.

We have also enhanced Government co-funding for assisted conception procedures, to better support couples who need them.

These enhancements reinforce our strong support for marriage and parenthood in Singapore. They have also been well-received by many Singaporeans.

Ms Rahayu Mahzam was concerned that many Singaporeans find it a challenge to balance work and family. Mr Christopher de Souza asked whether there would be further enhancements based on feedback received.

We have been working on ways to help families achieve better harmony in work and life, including whether to have longer leave for parents. At present, working couples have a combined total of 20 weeks of paid parental leave and two weeks of unpaid leave in their child’s first year. In addition, each parent receives six days of paid childcare leave annually until their child turns seven, and two days of paid childcare leave until the child turns 12.

We announced the three-year Public Sector pilot on Unpaid Infant Care Leave in 2017. The pilot enables public officers to take up to four weeks of Unpaid Infant Care Leave in the first year after their child’s birth. This benefit has been well-received by parents who need it. Their supervisors and colleagues have also been supportive and feel that it has not affected their teams’ productivity. As such, we will formalise it as a permanent HR leave provision within the Public Service. We hope that more private companies will be encouraged by the Public Service’s positive experience, and initiate similar support to their employees.

There have been calls from time to time, including from Mr Louis Ng, to further enhance leave schemes for parents. We will continuously review all support measures for parenthood. We had prioritised housing, pre-school and healthcare because these were what young families said mattered most.

Of course, when conditions allow, young families would welcome more paid leave being mandated. However, it would be unwise for us to ignore the impact on employers. While the public sector is in a position to do more than current legislation requires, we cannot assume the same for all businesses, especially SMEs which are the single largest group of employers and already facing manpower constraints.

In the face of economic uncertainties and the pressure for businesses to transform, tripartite partners are also mindful not to add further to employers' burdens. Instead of imposing higher obligations on all, we will provide greater support to businesses that are able to do more, such as supporting them in implementing flexible work arrangements (FWAs). After all, working parents have consistently given us feedback that flexible work arrangements are key in supporting them to manage work and family commitments. I should add that when companies implement flexible work arrangements, other employees who are not parents also benefit. They tend to feel a greater sense of fairness. For example, if some do not have young children but have elderly parents who, from time to time, have medical appointments that they also need to take them to.

As it turns out, a focus on promoting flexible work arrangements was also the preference of the Citizens’ Panel convened last year. The Panel brought together 55 fellow Singaporeans of diverse backgrounds to develop ways to improve work-life harmony in Singapore. I was heartened by their enthusiasm and commitment to build a future Singapore that would be more supportive of work-life harmony.

The Panel recommended thoughtful solutions, such as promoting flexible work arrangements and introducing more progressive HR practices. These would help employees, especially those with more care-giving responsibilities, to better juggle their family life and work.

Ms Sun Xueling and Mr Desmond Choo will be glad to know that both younger and older Singaporeans in the Panel called for wider societal change to address social norms that affect work-life harmony and for shifts in workplace practices.

The Government and tripartite partners fully support the Panel’s intent to create conditions for better work-life harmony, and will do so by "making it easy", "making it known" and "making it accepted". Let me elaborate.

"Making It Easy". We will introduce new tools and guides to facilitate the adoption of flexible work arrangements and work-life harmony initiatives by employers and employees.

"Making It Known". We will increase the recognition of employers who adopt flexible work arrangements and work-life initiatives. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Low Yen Ling will provide more details on these moves at MOM's Committee of Supply debate.

"Making It Accepted". We will work together to shift societal norms and the mindsets of employers, employees and individuals in the larger community. MCCY will provide support through Our Singapore Fund, for Singaporeans who wish to organise meaningful projects that encourage these shifts.

I hope these efforts will rally Singaporeans to work together, towards a more family-friendly society.

Supporting marriage and parenthood is the Government's top priority for the population. Our policies and enhancements over the years attest to that.

However, I agree with Mr Alex Yam that beyond policy, a whole-of-society approach is needed to build a family-friendly Singapore. For instance, when we see parents with young children struggling with their prams in public spaces, do we step forward to lend a helping hand? When a colleague goes on paternity leave, do we say supportive words of encouragement or do we cast aspersions on this necessity? Quite often, it is societal values, workplace and cultural norms that determine whether raising a family is achievable, enjoyable and celebrated.

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Let me turn now to immigration matters, which Dr Lim Wee Kiak raised. This is a delicate issue in many places around the world.

With current birth rates and as our society ages, our citizen population will likely decline. For many years now, we have taken in a carefully controlled number of new citizens each year to keep the citizen population stable over the long term. As immigrants are mostly from younger age groups, this also helps to moderate our pace of ageing.

The Government has kept the pace of immigration calibrated, in line with our commitments. Over the past five years, we granted about 22,100 new Singapore citizenships on average each year. We also granted about 31,700 Permanent Residencies on average each year. We have kept the total size of the PR population at around half a million for many years now.

It is not easy to become a new citizen or PR. Many applications are rejected. We have high expectations of those who join our community. Newcomers who want to make Singapore their home have the responsibility to adapt to our way of life, and must continue to contribute to our society and economy.

One good example is Mr Trieu Dang Huy, who works as a senior projects executive at Singapore Airlines. He has lived in Singapore for 14 years and became a Singapore Citizen last year. When Mr Trieu first moved here, he took it upon himself to learn English, Mandarin and Singlish, so much so that when he speaks now, it is hard to tell that he was originally from Vietnam. Mr Trieu met his wife while studying at NUS. Together, they believe it is important to contribute to society and donate blood regularly. They also have a young son who is Singaporean. Members of this House would know of other examples.

Mr Pritam Singh and Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked how we can ensure that newcomers make an effort to to integrate into our society. The National Integration Council is doing a lot of commendable work on this front in the community, workplaces and schools.

Let me just highlight one new initiative. As part of the Singapore Together movement, we are inviting Singaporeans to help craft the content for the Singapore Citizenship Journey – a compulsory programme for all who seek to take up Singapore citizenship. I am happy that many have stepped forward. This will complement our existing efforts. For example, the People's Association appoints Integration and Naturalisation Champions to help new citizens and PRs settle into their neighbourhoods. They organise chit-chat sessions, interest groups and learning journeys to nudge newcomers to make new friends and get involved in the community. We continue to welcome Singaporeans' views on how we help newcomers to better integrate into our society.

As we start the new decade, the Government remains committed to working with Singaporeans and to keep Singaporeans at the heart of our population policies. Mr Pritam Singh asked for an update on our population outlook. We reviewed this two years ago. As I informed the House then, our total population in 2030 – at the end of this decade – is likely to be significantly below 6.9 million. This remains the case today.

Mr Chairman, on population matters, there are no easy solutions but the Government will do its best to chart the way forward that keeps our society cohesive and our economy vibrant. We will always have Singaporeans' best interests at heart, now and in the future, and we will never stop progressing as one united people.

Smart Nation Benefits to Citizens and Businesses

Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng (Pioneer): Mr Chairman, my cut is to ask about the tangible benefits to citizens and local businesses arising from our Smart Nation initiatives.

Digitalisation has opened up new possibilities for businesses and for our society. Singapore has been at the forefront of digital transformation since we launched the Smart Nation initiative in November 2014. Today, Singapore is globally recognised as a smart city, with the IMD Smart City Index ranking Singapore as the smartest city in 2019, and several other reputable organisations also place Singapore within the top 10 smart cities globally.

But the prestige of being a globally recognised as a "smart city" is scant success if our citizens and businesses are unable to reap tangible benefits. Can the Minister share with us how our Smart Nation initiatives have created an efficient and competitive environment for our businesses? Can the Minister also share with us how our Smart Nation policies have engendered inclusiveness and have improved the convenience and quality of interactions with our citizens?

Smart Town

Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang): Chairman, Sir, the Smart Nation initiative was first announced by Prime Minister Lee in 2014. It aims to make Singapore into an outstanding city where people live, work and play in an innovation-rich environment.

Building a Smart Nation requires a concerted national effort which comprises three pillars: digital Government, digital economy and digital society. As the central coordinating agency for e-Government services, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group has implemented a number of online services to benefit both businesses and our people. These include services pertaining to CPF services, parking, libraries and SkillsFuture.

At the town level, I wish to share some initiatives undertaken by the PAP Town Councils to support Smart Nation initiatives and to seek support from the Government to expedite the implementation of Smart Town technologies and features to benefit three million HDB residents.

Over the years, the PAP Town Councils have developed and implemented various IT and digital solutions to better serve our residents. These include, first, the computerisation of our financial system known as the Town Council Management System (TCMS) which integrates our system with those of various Government agencies, banks and service providers.

Second, the computerisation and digitisation of our Complaint Management System called the Integrated Estate Management System (IEMS) which collects feedback from residents and stakeholders for maintenance and improvement purposes. To support this objective, we have also developed the iTown mobile application for residents to provide feedback on Town Council matters and a dashboard management system for IEMS.

Third, a telemonitoring system (TMS) for the monitoring of lift breakdowns and also a lift performance dashboard management system to monitor and improve the reliability and safety of 24,000 lifts in the 15 PAP Town Councils.

In addition, Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council has embarked on a number of Smart Town initiatives to improve township management services for residents. For example, we have digitalised over 90 blocks of our flats using Building Information Modelling (BIM) to build a digital database of as-built drawings to facilitate and augment maintenance and improvement works. We have developed a Smart BFA application to enable users of Personal Mobility Aids to navigate Barrier Free Access routes and facilities in Bukit Panjang Town. We are also exploring other smart town features, such as smart locks, for roof access, e-procurement and payment and sensors for improving lift performance.

Sir, at this point, I wish to ask the Minister to update the House on the progress of Smart Nation initiatives and to call for more support for the implementation of smart technologies in our HDB towns.

Smart Lamp Posts

Mr Pritam Singh: Sir, it was previously reported in the media that in the last quarter of 2018 that Singapore Technologies Engineering had won a $7.5 million tender for the "Lamp Posts as Platform" project to "fit lamp posts here with sensors and cameras that can collect a wide range of citizen surveillance data".

The new camera system was able to analyse faces down the race, gender and age, and a trial was to be held at one-north and Geylang before the project could potentially be extended to more than 100,000 lamp posts in Singapore.

Sir, there has been a wide range of feedback, both on the upside and downside potential of the Smart Nation Sensor Platform with different countries and jurisdictions taking different views of the problem. In fact, some jurisdictions, like San Francisco, have banned such smart technologies. Other than seriously looking at how best to balance and manage the privacy concerns that accompany such platforms. On the flipside, in light of manpower constraints and the prospect for effective monitoring and deterrence – the public's difficult relationship with some users of PMDs come to mind – the benefits of these new technologies are readily apparent.

We have also read about rogue public officers, including Police officers, illegally accessing Government information in our newspapers in the past. While these numbers are very small, new technologies and smart platforms host so much more information and data of a personal nature that people can lose confidence and trust in public service very quickly should an untoward incident occur. There is also the attendant risk of cybersecurity incidents.

It has been two-and-a-half years since the Prime Minister announced details on the Smart Nation digital platform at the 2017 National Day Rally. What have been the results of the pilot so far not just from the technical data acquisition perspective but the processing, handling and control perspective? Is it the PMO's view that our data protection laws are fit for purpose to accommodate the advent of these new technologies which have significant repercussions on individual privacy?

Smart Nation and Data Security

Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Chairman, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has transformed the way we collect, store and use data. It has heralded in an era characterised by the blurring of digital and physical boundaries, and the growing use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, robotics, 3D printing and the Internet of Things (IoT).

In the push for a Smart Nation, the Singapore Government, through GovTech, has introduced various initiatives to streamline the provision of Government services online and through digital platforms. While we have been making steady progress towards realising the vision of a Smart Nation Singapore, the complexity and amount of data that the Government has to manage has also increased correspondingly.

In recent years, we have seen several instances where Government data was compromised. In 2019 alone, two high profile breaches were surfaced where medical data of individuals were leaked online. First, the personal information of more than 14,200 HIV-positive individuals and there was also a case of a loophole in the HSA's system resulting in the compromise of data that affected more than 800,000 blood donors.

Clearly, data security is everyone's business. I understand the Public Sector Data Security Review Committee (PSDSRC) has submitted a slew of recommendations to the Government last November and the Government has accepted those recommendations, which are to be fully implemented by 2023. Can the Government provide an update on the action plan to implement the recommendations, and how is the Government ensuring robust data security, even as it uses data more extensively?

Smart Nation and Digital Government

Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Mr Chairman, Singapore's Government is leading by example in making Singapore a Smart Nation, with more and more Government agencies providing services online and more and more services being automated.

One good example is immigration. One is able to apply for passports online and collect with minimal fuss. Clearing immigration is also automated for Singaporeans at the various checkpoints, making clearance a breeze.

Filling out taxes is a painful process in many places, but, here, for most people, it is just a few clicks on an online system and our tax form for the year is done.

As an NSman, a reservist, it has become increasingly easy to get things done, including going for medical check-ups, taking the IPPT and even acknowledging call-ups.

So, as service users, life for us has become very easy, so much so that we may even take it for granted. Some of us even followed this example. For this speech, for example, I am actually using my smartphone, rather than the paper I normally use. So, we are all trying to go smart.

But, of course, we recognise this requires significant state resources. What is the Government doing to build up public sector capabilities in harnessing digitalisation? And how can it ensure that it is able to attract enough engineers and people of the right calibre to develop these systems?

National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Project

Mr Teo Ser Luck (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Chairman, I am a heavy user of technology. And when I started on a technology project, I created a first layer of programming and algorithm where the machines started to learn. With more data collected, more and more, the machine gets smarter and it could make intelligent decisions or informed decisions for me. As it goes on, I realise that some of my staff actually were being replaced for the role that they played but they could co-exist with the technology itself, and I realise that that is artificial intelligence (AI).

AI was extremely helpful for the companies that I run. The staff themselves found that they could co-exist and become more productive and more clever in making the decisions. I am excited about the national AI project and I hope that the national AI project is not just internally focused, but externally focused as well. As long as it enables and strengthens companies and individuals and help Singaporeans in their daily lives, I think this AI Project will be very exciting instead of replacing jobs.

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Government-to-Business (G2B) Processes for Smart Nation

Mr Ong Teng Koon: Mr Chairman, businesses are often faced with processes that require approvals from multiple Government agencies. This is time-consuming and expensive for businesses when they have to make physical visits to different agencies, provide similar information repeatedly on separate application forms and track the status of applications on different agency portals. It could become frustrating when business owners uncover additional regulatory requirements that they were unaware of, resulting in delays to their application process. I would like to ask the Minster what is the Government doing to streamline such G2B processes and if there an ongoing dialogue with businesses to review the current G2B processes and identify their pain points.

With the launch of the GoBusiness Licensing Portal by GovTech in October 2019, business owners in the food industry now experience a seamless application process that requires only one form with 90 data fields instead of 14 forms with 845 data fields. I would like to ask the Minster what is the reduction to cost, time and effort for business owners from this successful process optimisation and if this has reduced the total application fees paid by businesses. Also, what are the future plans on the roll-out of the integrated licensing portal to other industries? What will be the expected savings from these efforts?

Currently, GovTech has launched the GoBusiness Licensing Portal and the Business Grants Portal. Can the Minster advise if are there other touchpoints with businesses that will be streamlined?

The Chairman: Ms Tin Pei Ling, take your two cuts together.

Smart Nation for Citizens

Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): There has been tremendous effort to implement measures to realise our aspirations of a digital economy, Government and society. Apart from blueprints and action frameworks, basic "building blocks", such as MyInfo, on which personalised services and applications can be built are in place.

We have experienced applications, such as OneService, Parking.SG and Moments of Life, offering conveniences to citizens as we go about our daily lives. Moments of Life, for example, allows me to monitor what vaccinations my two sons have specifically taken and will have to take coming up.

As the Government presses on, what new Smart Nation initiatives are there to deliver more personalised and inclusive services to citizens of all ages and of all backgrounds?

Could we enhance citizen autonomy and interactions with the Government by digitalising some of the functions or decisions we take in the community? For example, instead of just giving feedback, enhancing the OneService to allow citizens to vote on Home Improvement Programmes or the colour schemes for their block during the cyclical Repair and Redecorations?

Our Government probably has an application for anything somewhere. But it would perhaps make better sense to consolidate and streamline so that citizens are clear about where to go for what. Or simply, just go to one platform for everything they need.

Partnering Citizens for Smart Nation

In the course of our constituency work, we would have observed that, within the community, there are many ideas and resources. For example, we have multiple VWOs and informal volunteer groups, all of which have lion-hearted volunteers who want to do more for our people.

In MacPherson, the creation of the MacPherson Cares app is an example. Amongst the many things we hope to achieve, we wanted to draw the volunteers into a central pool and seniors can tap on them for requests as simple as helping them to read letters.

In our drive towards a Smart Nation, the Government's effort alone is not enough. Hence, I would like to ask how can the Government better partner citizens in the co-creation of Smart Nation? Could the Government give an update on the use of Our Singapore Fund for Digital Readiness so far?

What are some of the fruits of our labour in cultivating digitally ready citizens?

Safer Banking for Elderly and All

Mr Png Eng Huat (Hougang): Sir, the number of scams involving e-commerce loan, credit-for-sex and impersonation rose by 83.5% last year.

The Chairman: Mr Png, my apologies. Dr Vivian will give his reply. Your cut will be after that.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Sorry, if you do not mind. Minister Ong could answer your points. Mr Chair, we are four minutes behind. So, I am going to rush.

When COVID broke upon us, you may have noticed that apps like MaskGoWhere or even the gov.sg Whatsapp channel were up and running almost overnight, literally within days. I think you all know that this is only possible because, over the last couple of years, we have assiduously built up the talent and the capability. And this is one clear and present example where it has enabled us to do things quickly, in an agile way and in a way that matters for real life.

I want to assure Mr Cedric Foo that we are exquisitely conscious that Smart Nation has to benefit citizens in tangible ways. We have reorganised our services around the needs of citizens, we have made it easier and faster for citizens to access all Government services. A prime example I would cite is Moments of Life (MOL) app. When this app first started, we were aiming to enable parents to quickly register their child’s birth and apply for the Baby Bonus that Minister Josephine Teo was providing and to reduce the time that parents needed to apply for this. By having this app, we estimated we are able to reduce the total waiting time and all that from 60 minutes to 15 minutes.

Last year, I shared that 2,000 births had been registered through this app. A year on, this number has increased tenfold, now almost 20,000. I think Minister Teo will appreciate that it is much easier to improve productivity in apps than it is the Total Fertility Rate. Nevertheless, we are trying to facilitate matters. In September 2019, MOL was expanded to serve the needs of our seniors as well and MOH will elaborate on this in its COS.

As we expand the suite of services we provide through MOL, we will continue to improve the app through constant user testing and citizen engagement.

The Smart Nation has to be about solving problems innovatively in both simple and complex issues. We introduced the concept of a digital medical certificate (MC) in 2018. If you think about it, it should be easier to submit and to keep records for digital MCs. It saves paper and time. We first tested this at the National Heart Centre. The GovTech team worked with the healthcare practitioners in the Heart Centre to improve the pilot solution, before rolling it out to more places. Today, we have issued over 400,000 digital MCs for all patients who visit SingHealth hospitals or polyclinics. We will be expanding this to other hospitals and clinics, in particular, into the private sector, starting with Raffles Medical and Mount Alvernia Hospital.

I agree with Mr Teo Ser Luck and Mr Ong Teng Koon that building a Smart Nation should also help businesses to succeed in this digital era. Over the past few years, we made it easier for businesses to transact digitally with the Government through the various initiatives like the IPOS Go app and Business Grants Portal. We are extending our support for businesses to help them through their different phases – from starting up a business, to seizing opportunities to grow, to running it more efficiently on a day-to-day basis.

To give you an example, we launched the GoBusiness Licensing portal in October 2019, using the customer journey approach, to help F&B businesses start. Some of you may know that, in fact, applying for the right licence to start a business – and, in particular, the F&B business – can be an extremely onerous process – 14 different licences and 800-over fields to fill.

When we launched the portal for the F&B processes, we were able to simplify not only the application process but, more importantly, the back-end re-engineering and that would save time and, ultimately, increase the opportunities for them to get online and to conduct their business instantly.

I agree with Mr Lim Swee Say and Mr Teo Ser Luck that artificial intelligence should be one of Singapore’s key strengths. If you think about the transition from having computing power in the 1980s to connectivity in the 1990s, today, the fact that computer systems can now engage in pattern recognition, whether it is facial recognition, speech or hearing, this is transformative. And in the same way that computing and communication were made available to all, we need to make this ability available to everyone – people and businesses.

That is why we have to embark on our own National AI Strategy for Singapore and I give you this commitment that we are working with companies and the research community to focus our efforts on deploying AI. I want to emphasise the word here is "deployment" because we will never have the oceans of data that China has, or the depth and unique ecosystem that Silicon Valley has. But I think we have a niche when it comes to deployment, especially in areas where we already have a competitive advantage, for instance, healthcare, education, logistics, Smart City, Urban Solutions and security.

We are also putting in place ecosystem enablers to facilitate this AI deployment across the board. This includes making it easier for companies to adopt AI solutions and we have programmes like SMEsGoDigital and AI Singapore’s 100 Experiments programme and these are available to the private sector.

We will continue to take a human-centric approach to AI to bring tangible benefits to citizens and businesses – and I am trying to address Mr Singh's point here – whilst putting in place a strong AI governance structure to ensure that these new fangled abilities are used responsibly, the risks are managed appropriately and public trust is maintained.

To ensure benefits to citizens and businesses are widespread and sustained, we have also invested heavily in digital infrastructure at the national level. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work, often unnoticed and under-appreciated. But, like physical infrastructure, these are fundamental to our ongoing digital transformation.

Let me give you one example. The National Digital Identity (NDI) – this is one piece of digital infrastructure that most people would probably not have heard of. But you would have heard of SingPass Mobile. We launched it one-and-a-half years ago. Today, it has close to one million users. It has enabled us to make it easy and secure to verify identity and I am sure many Members of this House have used SingPass for a variety of log-ons in order to use Government services.

For example, since CPF launched its online nomination service in January, over 9,000 CPF members and their witnesses have used it to complete the entire process online, securely and conveniently. Mind you, in the past, it would require you to go down to the branch with your witnesses and beneficiaries, sign in front of someone. Now, with the NDI system and Government systems online, you can do all these entirely online but securely because of the NDI system. Businesses have also used this NDI system to innovate and to raise the quality of their own digital services which are provided to customers at large. For instance, online retailers like Carousell who have promoted users as verified buyers or sellers when they sign up using MyInfo, thereby building up trust in online transactions and the marketplace. Businesses also report saving up to $50 per transaction and processing transactions five times faster when their customers use MyInfo to prefill forms. I should have explained MyInfo is basically linked to the NDI so that people do not have to repeatedly fill forms. As long as I have verified that online user, a carefully curated set of information which the user authorises is then made available to that business.

Apart from Digital Identity, we have also made significant improvements in digital payment infrastructure, to support more use cases and to make sure it remains inter-operable and competitive. Today, over three-quarters of Singaporeans between the age of 20 and 75 years are registered with PayNow. Monthly transaction volumes nearly doubled over the course of last year, from 4.2 million to 8.1 million transactions.

We are using PayNow more pervasively in our Government services and we are seeing high take-up rates. For instance, last year, 20,000 CPF members conducted over 90,000 CPF withdrawals using PayNow, which amounted to over $600 million being transferred almost instantly, in real time.

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Through these efforts, citizens' and businesses' satisfaction rates have gone up – you know that we conduct regular surveys on this. We discovered that there has been an 8%-point increase from 2018 to 2019. Currently, those who are indicating satisfaction with Government digital services has gone up to about 86% and 77% respectively. These are the highest scores since we started measuring them in 2012.

I say this not to blow our trumpets but to tell people that we are focused on the citizen's experience and on making sure we deliver real value to citizens. We will continue to improve digital services for both citizens and businesses.

At the last count, we have about 100 Government apps. I do not take joy in that number, because citizens often tell me, "There is so many. Which one do I use?"

To remedy this, we will systematically streamline the number of apps and our digital offerings. For a start, we will improve and re-organise the Moments of Life (MOL) app, which I described just now, with the eventual aim of personalising it for each user, as Ms Tin Pei Ling had suggested.

If you think about it, we may all carry smartphones but everybody's home screen is unique. That is what individualisation, customisation is. And in a sense, the question is not the number of apps but whether those apps are customised and are suitable for you. Citizens will soon be able to access common Government services on Moments of Life like managing taxes and CPF matters, or even to make event bookings.

These processes will continue to be reviewed and as I said – do not pay attention to the number of apps, pay attention to whether it meets your needs and more importantly, whether at the back-end, the Government is using this as an opportunity to re-engineer our processes to be more efficient, to be more cost-effective and to be more responsive.

For businesses, we will be extending the user-centric approach that we have taken in setting up the GoBusiness Licensing portal to help more businesses meet their different needs as they start up, as they grow and as they run. We will streamline our digital transactions, make them even more user-centric, and provide businesses with information and tools so that they can capitalise on opportunities and to reduce cost. MTI will elaborate on this during its COS.

We will also be exploring more National Digital Identity use cases for businesses in order to make it cheaper, easier and faster for them to go digital. We are testing the use of SingPass by businesses so they do not have to build and secure their own digital identity verification systems. Union members can currently access the U Portal via SingPass and Republic Plaza grants building access when visitors enter via SingPass Mobile. No more surrendering your NRIC.

We also ran a 12-month pilot last year for MyInfo Business to help SMEs pre-fill their Government-verified data for bank account opening and loan applications. Later this year, we will extend such pre-filling to more business-to-business (B2B) services.

Of course, a Smart Nation must go beyond just fancy online services and apps. It must improve the daily lived experience, as emphasised by Dr Teo Ho Pin.

Punggol Town will be our test bed to implement smart technologies such as the Open Digital Platform and smart energy grids in our towns. Later this year, we will share more about how smart features in residential estates and community facilities will benefit Punggol residents and ultimately – I must emphasise – all other towns.

Mr Pritam Singh has asked about the trials of Lamppost as a Platform in One North and Geylang, and I thank him for asking that.

Let me just take a step back and explain why lampposts. Lampposts are ubiquitous. There are 100,000 of them in Singapore. They have the advantage of being in a have fixed location. Lampposts do not move. They are always powered. These attributes have made them very convenient to deploy sensors on. We are deploying sensors and testing out some use cases. For instance, to keep track of environmental quality sensing, traffic congestion and crowd safety.

Let me assure Mr Pritam Singh – I listened carefully to his speech. I think that the key point that he made is balance: that we must get the balance right between acquiring data, using it and protecting privacy and security. If we get the balance right – and we have to maintain public confidence – then we can truly reap the benefits that come with it.

So, I need to assure you that we have very stringent data management and protection standards to govern the access, the use and the disclosure of all collected data by the Government and our vendors. In particular, only officers with legitimate use of the data will be able to access the data, and the data will be de-identified for data analysis and for planning work. It will be identifiable only when absolutely necessary. For instance, in service delivery or in the case of facial recognition, if the Police need it to identify missing persons or for the purposes of investigation, then, under carefully controlled circumstances, that will be enabled. I would like to remind the House that public officers are subjected to the Public Service (Governance) Act, which makes mis-handling and unauthorised access of data a criminal offence.

Going forward, we will find more opportunities to deploy sensors on lamp posts, but we will ensure that the collected data is stored and used securely, and Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary will elaborate on this later.

Let me conclude. Smart Nation has benefited citizens and businesses. There is increased of capacity to deal with rapidly changing circumstances and emergencies in the real world. We will continue to evolve how the Government operates innovatively in a digital environment and we will work even more closely in partnership with our people.

The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Transport (Dr Janil Puthucheary): Mr Chairman, to support our fight against COVID-19, many GovTech engineers worked with the rest of the Public Service to build new digital services. One team put together MaskGoWhere almost overnight, giving citizens up-to-date information on where to collect their masks. This was identified as an urgent need to allay fears, provide accurate, reliable and real-time information. It needed to be created very quickly. Other teams worked on providing accurate information through the Gov.sg WhatsApp channel, Ask Jamie chatbot and developing software to help MOM monitor Leave of Absence compliance – just to name a few of these digital efforts to support our fight against COVID-19.

I recently met Mr Ryan Tan, who was part of the team that put together MaskGoWhere. He has been with GovTech for five years, having joined us through the Technology Associate Programme immediately upon his graduation from NUS. He volunteered to help put MaskGoWhere together. He was part of an initial team. The team started with three people, scaled up to 30 people over a weekend and then, back down to three or four when it became stable. He applied his skills in cloud architecture and app development and deployment. He also applied the analytics tools that he works on in his normal job, embedding them within MaskGoWhere, so that the team was able to optimise their service's response in real time, as it received almost a million unique views over a very short time.

This story of Ryan and other members of the MaskGoWhere team is an example of how we are transforming digital Government. Their willingness to step forward and rapidly put together what they understood was a solution to an urgent problem and the fact that they had the tools and capabilities to do so immediately demonstrates that we are well on the way to becoming a Government that is "digital to the core" and "serving with a heart".

These outcomes are only possible because we decided to build up the digital engineering capability of the Government into a strategic capability a few years ago. With this strong engineering core, we can internalise within our service the capabilities and the skills, to use technology to transform our core businesses as well as develop the confidence to integrate with external stakeholders and the private sector, building platforms such as MyInfo – not just for ourselves but to enable our whole economy to innovate and digitalise. Finally, as in this example with COVID-19, we can respond swiftly and decisively to unexpected national contingencies.

So, to Mr Vikram Nair's question, we will continue to invest in engineering capabilities, create the right environment and exciting opportunities for engineers to apply their ingenuity to serve the public good.

More than developing good people, we have had to re-engineer how we use technology. To enable better and secure use of data, we have established the Government Data Architecture. It has been delivered, cutting the time needed to share the first tranche of core data sets to just four weeks when previously, it was several months. It will shorten further. We commit to getting it down to seven working days within this year, with more data sets for public officers to improve operations and service delivery.

As Prof Lim Sun Sun has mentioned, more data will also be shared with companies and researchers in the future. The progress that we have made in allowing this type of data sharing and the use of cloud-based services were also key factors that has enabled the MaskGoWhere team to deliver their swift and effective response.

I agree with the suggestions made by Mr Darryl David and Dr Yaacob Ibrahim on the importance of maintaining public trust in our use of data and I would like to assure Members that the implementation of the Public Sector Data Security Review Committee (PSDSRC) is on track. Many of these technical safeguards have been built into our Government Data Architecture, ensuring that there is consistency in the compliance of these standards. We will publish an annual update on the Government's efforts in safeguarding personal data, starting with the first report later this year.

We have also migrated non-sensitive IT systems to the cloud to take advantage of the latest technology and to improve cost-effectiveness. Similarly, we are adopting the best practices in software development by building a technology stack with modular software components for reuse and sharing across agencies.

Putting all these together, we can more effectively harness digitalisation to serve our citizens and businesses better.

Despite COVID-19, work continues on many platforms, products and services. Moments of Life is one example and GoBusiness is another, which embodies how we use digital technology to integrate services across agencies to be more user-centric. PSD will give further elaboration on this.

But we must also create new value for citizens to be "digital to the core". One example is WSG's MyCareersFuture. This portal uses machine learning, matching job seekers to relevant opportunities. Its job recommendations are personalised to the preferences and skills of each jobseeker, and it will get better and improve its performance over time.

We hope that with this approach, we can also design better policies. This has started and a team from MOM has used a cross-agency administrative data set to review how Workfare can strengthen retirement adequacy of lower income workers. Their analysis informed the Workfare enhancements that were announced in the last Budget and implemented since the start of this year.

To best serve the needs of our society and citizens, we need to actively partner Singaporeans in building our Smart Nation, a point made by Ms Tin Pei Ling. Ours is a digital version of SG Together comprising two broad strategies. Firstly, we will develop more avenues for citizens to experience technology first-hand, learning more about how all these work. Secondly, we have to create opportunities for Singaporeans to join us in designing better products, services and platforms.

To support the first experiential strategy, we are launching two major Smart Nation showcases – in July, the CityScape@URA exhibit, to give citizens an interactive experience of digital technology, and in December, the PlayScape@Science Centre, leveraging on the role that the Science Centre plays in our education, to bring the experience of being able to touch and feel and play with technology, to everyone.

We hope to demystify technology and to encourage as many citizens as possible to visit these exhibits.

For the second collaborative design strategy, we have previously launched with an initiative called Smart Nation Co-creating with Our People Everywhere, also known as SCOPE, where citizens try out early prototypes of our products and share their thoughts on how they can be refined.

This has been very useful. It has allowed us to continually test our ideas and improve them over time. One example, when we were developing the Active Ageing features for Moments of Life, many seniors suggested that the app should help them find exercise events nearby. This was not something that we had prioritised, but we adjusted our plans and now this is one of the most popular features of that service.

To date, more than 23,000 Singaporeans have participated in SCOPE and it is not a small effort. I would like to thank our community of more than 1,000 Smart Nation Ambassadors, bringing these Smart Nation projects to Singaporeans from all walks of life.

This year, we will expand the scope of SCOPE in two ways. First, we will start further upstream. Instead of just giving feedback on specific projects, we invite the public to join in the entire process of the development of Government digital services – from conceptualisation to deployment. Second, we will bring SCOPE closer to residents by holding the sessions on board a Smart Nation Builder mobile truck, which will slowly make its way around Singapore. Please look out for it when it comes to your neighbourhood. We will continue to make sure that we build digital readiness in Singaporeans so that they can take advantage of these opportunities and MCI will share more on this.

Mr Chairman, Sir, our swift response to the COVID-19 situation is a glimpse of how Smart Nation is already here to impact our daily lives. We must continue to transform how Government works, by re-engineering our digital resources, investing in our people, and co-creating with the public. In doing so, we hope to galvanise everyone to build our Smart Nation together.

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Safe Banking for Elderly and All

Mr Png Eng Huat (Hougang): Sir, the number of scams in all involving e-commerce, loan, credit for sex and impersonation rose by 53.5% last year. There were about 9,500 scams reported in 2019 up from 6,000 over cases in the previous years. The total amount cheated in the top 10 types of scams came up to a staggering $168 million. Scamming is not only lucrative, it is also getting more sophisticated.

Some scams do not put it on the nature of greed. They are disguised as service calls from telcos, banks or Government authorities. These scams capitalise on the victims' lack of knowledge on how things function in the Internet age. An innocuous core is all it takes for the scammer to try to gain remote access to the victim's computer, bank account information, personal identification number and one-time password. The end results are often heart wrenching. Victims of tech support scheme lost $13.9 million of their hard-earned savings in 2019.

Just last November, a 65-year-old woman picked up a call on her landline thinking it was a customer service call from a telco. She spent over two hours on the line with the scammer and by the end of the call, over $300,000 of her savings were wiped out from her bank account. It is very painful and sad to read in the news about elderly Singaporeans being scammed in this manner time and again, despite all the effort by the Police to educate the public about such crime.

In the pursuit of a cashless society and a Smart Nation, have we made life a breeze for one generation and more vulnerable for another? I am for progress but I am deeply concerned that some Singaporeans would be exposed to untold dangers in the digital jungle.

Most of the scams leverage on one thing in common, to make a clean getaway. The speed of online banking transaction, by the time a Police report is made, the victims' money would have disappeared into thin air. Even if anyone caught here or overseas, there is very little hope for the victim to see his life savings again.

Would it not be possible for the Ministry to mandate the banks to offer more protection for the elderly and vulnerable from falling victims to such scams? Would it not make sense for the gatekeeper of the conduit for interbank transfer to play a bigger role to combat such crime?

Let me relate another case. One of my resident was tricked into giving out his one-time passcode in a similar tech support scam, he ended up losing his life savings in two local banks. The scammer did his homework and contacted the resident late on a Friday night. By the time this resident realised that something was not right, the bank had closed and he could only call the after-office helpline for assistance.

The perplexing part of this case is that, only one bank would stop the illegal transfer while the other could not and both financial institutions are using the same international remittance network.

Another one of my resident was so spooked by such scam that he asked the bank to issue him an ordinary bank card with no wireless payment feature or linked to any international debit or credit service provider. He was told there is no such card anymore, but he could request the bank to limited the transaction amount or disable the debit feature. If such feature can be disabled with a phone call, what safeguards are there to prevent scammers from reversing it?

This is exactly what the elderly resident was worried about. He just wanted a simple bank card for cash withdrawal. This educated resident told me he need to be careful because he knows his reflexes, cognition, memory and everything else he took for granted in the past are ageing too.

Sir, could we not ask the bank to institute additional safeguards that are designed specifically for this group of users so that they will not fall victim to scammers and their hard-earned monies will not be stolen so easily in the blink of an eye?

While the scammer may work on this victim for hours, the success of such scams hinges on the split-second transfer of money out of the victim's bank account. If we have cooling-off period for direct sale, can the bank offers such feature for interbank transfer on demand as well? Any change of mind for such a cooling-off service will require a visit to the bank in person. Although this sounds like a low-tech approach, you can certainly buy some time and time is what scammers do not want.

I am not asking the authority to slow everything down. I am only asking the authority to get the banks to provide an option for the elderly and vulnerable to protect their life savings. The Police can only do so much to investigate after the crime has been committed. It does not have the weapon of choice to stop or slow down the scammer from laying hands on the ill-gotten gains.

Sir, such scams are not going away when there is easy money to be made. It was reported in the news yesterday that the number of banking scam calls or messages went up sharply in January this year with 105 cases reported, compared to 38 cases in the previous three months combined. To me, that is a red flag for the authority to take the lead to fight scammers that capitalise on the banking system to steal from the elderly and vulnerable.

The Minister for Education (Mr Ong Ye Kung): Online scams and crimes are indeed on the rise, Sir. I agree with the Member that each case is very painful, very sad. Every one of us can be targeted and the elderly are especially vulnerable. Such scams and crimes typically trick individuals into handing over monies through fake investment schemes or by using their personal information to access their bank accounts. The few cases that Mr Png mentioned fall into the latter category. The criminals can reach out to their victims either through phone calls, messages, emails, even cyber attacks.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) and our banks, have been working together to protect Singaporeans against these online scams and crimes. Our efforts have focused on the following four areas.

First, raising public awareness. Public agencies have stepped up educational initiatives through media campaigns, roadshows and community outreach programmes. MoneySense, our national financial education programme, regularly puts out public messages to caution the public against online crimes and scams. Banks also regularly remind their customers, "Do not to disclose your account details, User IDs, passwords or SMS One-Time-Passwords (OTPs) to anyone, no matter who they claim to be". Bank customers have also been encouraged to maintain strong cyber hygiene by installing anti-virus software and regularly updating it.

Second, MAS has issued various regulations and guidelines related to the security of online transactions. For example, banks must implement multi-factor authentication so that scammers cannot perform online transactions using only the User IDs and passwords of their victims. You must have the OTPs as well. Fraud monitoring and detection systems are another prerequisite to facilitate timely detection and blocking of suspicious transactions. On a real-time basis, transaction alerts are sent to customers to allow them to quickly notify their banks of any unauthorised payment transactions. These security measures to curb unauthorised transactions, have become industry norms in Singapore.

Third, we freeze accounts suspected of receiving the proceeds from online scams. Where specific bank accounts have been identified to be associated with scams, the SPF's Anti-Scam Centre will freeze the relevant bank accounts as soon as possible. Doing so disrupts the scam operation and increases the chances of recovering victims' monies. In this regard, Mr Png suggested a possible cooling-off option and feature for elderly customers to opt-in, so that when they make a transfer, maybe it will happen 24 hours later. This is something that we can discuss with the banks as a possible way to help, as an option for elderly customers.

Fourth, where the scam is cross-border in nature, SPF will seek the cooperation of their foreign counterparts. The Transnational Commercial Crime Task Force (TCTF) was set up in October 2017 to investigate transnational scams such as China Officials Impersonation Scams, Internet Love Scams and Credit-for-Sex scams. It actively shares information with foreign law enforcement agencies and where possible, works with them to mount joint operations. Nine operations have been conducted since the set-up of TCTF, which resulted in at least 440 cases solved and the arrest of over 100 suspects regionally.

But, as Mr Png mentioned, the sophistication of scams will continue to evolve. The criminals are getting smarter and smarter. The cross-border nature also poses additional challenges and limits what our public agencies and banks can achieve on their own. That is why core to our anti-cyber scam strategy has to be public awareness and education, so that all of us remain vigilant and do not fall prey to cybercrimes.

During this COVID-19, we are all constantly reminded to first, wash our hands frequently; second, do not touch our faces unnecessarily and third, when we are unwell, go see a doctor and do not go to school or do not go to work. These are the three key pieces of advice that we should heed.

Likewise, the three key pieces of advice to fight cyber scams are: one, never draw money from our account to pass to anyone, even if they claim to be from the authorities; two, never share your personal and banking details, especially your One-Time-Password (OTP) with anyone; and if in doubt, three, consult your loved ones, call the anti-scam helpline or visit NCPC's Scam Alert website at scamalert.sg.

As the Police advise – "Don't Panic, Don't Believe, Don't Give", "别慌。别信。别给。" MHA will elaborate about its strategies to address scams at its COS.

SkillsFuture for the Public Service

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (West Coast): Just as SkillsFuture is crucial for the private sector, it is also vital for the public sector to embrace SkillsFuture. This is especially so today, with technology and digitalisation disrupting work, workers and workplaces regardless of where you are in the world and what you do.

Today, we have seen several traditional jobs being automated completely, for example, services that are now online and where customers can do self-checkout and self-help. On the other hand, we also see some jobs, that are performed very differently today – for instance, through deploying RPA and "training" robots, as opposed to performing the manual tasks ourselves. What this means for Singapore, is that as a small and open economy, we need to be able to transform and innovate new products and services to maintain our competitiveness, while working within manpower constraints. Technology and longer career spans are two positive opportunities that can help us overcome our constraints. This underscores the importance of Industry 4.0 and SkillsFuture to ensure that the public sector stays ready, relevant and resilient.

To achieve a win-win-win outcome for workers, employers and the economy, we must continually upskill our workers to equip them with in-demand skills of today and of the future. This will help them take on quality jobs and better jobs should their jobs become automated or replaced by machines.

The public sector has taken the lead in extending the retirement and re-employment age a year ahead of schedule. It has also been working with NTUC-affiliated unions to form Company Training Committees in its push to promote skills upgrading.

In this vein, how does the public sector intend to help its officers achieve lifelong employability, given that the skill requirements and jobs would evolve throughout a longer career span? How has it been engaging the Labour Movement to help officers understand, embrace and thrive in a new environment that is increasingly dynamic and even disruptive? What has been the progress in terms of skills upgrading within the Public Service?

SkillsFuture for Public Officers

Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang): Sir, at the last COS, I sought an update on the skills development of public officers. As the problems of today are becoming more complex, nuanced and require different solutions from the problems of the past, it is inevitable that our public officers will be required to learn new skills and sharpen existing skills.

This is a real concern in light of the findings by the Auditor-General’s Office of recurring lapses in the bureaucracy which have raised concerns on public accountability, especially in the areas of procurement and contract management, project management and facilities management.

There are several reasons why these lapses have occurred: first, outsourcing of work, with price as the greatest determining factor of selecting contracts. Second, lack of expertise, especially among mid to high level bureaucrats. Third, high frequency of staff rotation and poor protocols in relation to the handing over of duties. Fourth, insufficient use of technology to reduce human error. Fifth, a lack of accreditation or standards for public officers.

Sir, as Singapore becomes a worldclass city with worldclass infrastructure, our public officers must have the skill sets to manage increasingly complex projects. Our public officers also need to possess the relevant expertise in order to carry out their responsibilities and plan, staff and supervise projects closely.

This is so that we can ensure that our public officers can work closely with stakeholders in the various industries, to ensure quality delivery of public services, public projects and smooth completion of private sector projects.

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It is, therefore, imperative that our Public Service pushes itself to continually improve and keep up with the times.

Sir, I wish to seek an update from the Minister on the skills upgrading and development of public officers as well as aspiring public officers, especially in the three areas which I have mentioned. Can the Government also consider giving out scholarships to nurture and attract talent in these fields?

Role of PMO

Mr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Chairman, Sir, when I first entered this House in 2016, the Estimated Budget for the PMO was $488 million. In the latest Estimates, this has risen to $1.05 billion. The PMO houses functions that cut across Ministries relating to climate and population, for example. But over the years, the PMO has also come to acquire coordinating and leadership roles in a number of areas where there would seem to be a more natural fit with domain Ministries. For example, why is National Research Foundation programme under the PMO rather than MTI since research should be pursued in such a way as to maximise and multiply its benefits to industry and to the economy, which is MTI's purview?

A similar point could be made for the National Security and Intelligence Coordination programme vis-a-vis MINDEF which would seem the natural location for the ownership of Total Defence programmes; SNDGO vis-a-vis the Ministry of Communications and Information.

In the debate on the GovTech Bill in 2016, I asked why the CSA was at that time located in the PMO rather than within MINDEF, the answer was, "this is to give the CSA the ability to oversee cybersecurity at the national level, and so on". Does this mean that all policymaking fields that function at the national as opposed to sectoral level and cut across Ministries to some degree will eventually come under the PMO? And if so, how do we ensure that the duplication of functions and expertise is minimised vis-a-vis domain Ministries, which generally have more staff with expertise in the domains? How would we also ensure that due weight in policymaking is given to subject matter experts in the domain Ministries?

Innovative Public Service

Mr Lee Yi Shyan (East Coast): Sir, our Public Service has long been recognised for its efficiency and transparency and as a key factor underpinning Singapore’s success. Worldwide, technology is disrupting business models, reshaping supply chains and creating new jobs. In this creative disruption process, those who cannot keep up will be left behind.

Going forward, Singapore's future depends on the support of a forward-looking and technology-savvy Public Service – one which is wary of the speed and scale of competition, hungry for new ideas, has the capacity to learn and undertakes its tasks with a sense of urgency.

Given this context, I would like to ask the Minister, over the years, how has our Public Service re-invented itself to keep up with competition? How has the Public Service embraced technology to render itself more efficient and to serve its clients more effectively? What has the Public Service done to encourage, induce and catalyse large-scale innovations among businesses and society at large?

According to a Zaobao report, Mr Lan Shaomin, the current Party Secretary of Suzhou, when he was the Mayor of Taizhou in 2016, gave out "Snail Awards" (蜗牛奖) to 57 individuals and organisations for their "slow work" or "non work". Such is a city in a hurry. Does the Public Service, perhaps, in a different but no less urgent way, reward its internal innovators and change agents and punish the procrastinators and non-performers?

Care and Empathy in Public Sector Delivery

Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng (Pioneer): Mr Chairman, my cut today is to discuss how our Public Service can show greater care and empathy in designing and delivering services to citizens.

In the past few years, the Public Service has embarked on digitalisation to transform the way it delivers services. This was elaborated by Minister Vivian and Dr Janil. This is, of course, to be encouraged.

However, there is still a group of citizens who may be unable to transact digitally, such as some elderly who may be unfamiliar with computers and smart phones or others from low-income families who cannot afford such smart phones or broadband access.

It is great that the Government seeks higher effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery. But the more "digital" Singapore's public sector becomes, the more challenging it is for those who are ill-equipped.

I am proposing that we try out a programme called "digital buddy". Such a programme would have digital buddies, who are volunteers, to partner those who are not digitally savvy to assist them in navigating Government digital services. They could be relatives, college students, grassroots members, corporate employees on CSR or just helpful neighbours.

Beyond guiding those who are not digitally savvy in society to cope with our nation’s digitalisation journey, such buddy interactions would also promote community bonding and forge a more cohesive society – one where no one is left behind.

As for hardware, smartphones or laptops and broadband access at home may be taken for granted by many but, to a lower income family, this could be a burden. And I would urge the Government to aim for a position whereby those who want it but cannot afford it can have it through subsidies.

I am also particularly concerned with school children from lower income families who may not be able to afford a computer or broadband access at home. In today’s learning environment, a computer and broadband access are like "paper and pen" of the past and, therefore, no child should be denied that.

I would like to ask the Minister how the Public Service can improve on the way it serves and supports citizens, especially those who are vulnerable and not digitally savvy.

Transforming Service Delivery

Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah): Businesses around the world have increasingly been using digital technologies to upscale their operations, seek better efficiencies and create value for their entities.

There are now countless mobile phone apps and online platforms where businesses can use to acquire, engage and transact with their customers. This has brought about better conveniences, accessibility, outreach and also, importantly, lower transaction fees to their customers due to efficiency gains. The cost savings from better efficiency and outreach benefited both the businesses and customers.

Can I ask if the Public Service would do likewise to tap on digital technology in a bigger way to transform service delivery to citizens and businesses?

The Public Service is not starting from ground zero. It has launched the Moments of Life app for birth registration a couple of years ago and it has just been announced that there will be an enhanced version.

Such service apps can help eliminate the unnecessary inconveniences where businesses or citizens need to go to more than one agency to get things done. If properly designed, it can also avoid duplication in resources or situations where different sets of officers are serving the same customer in different agencies.

The Public Service should look towards integrating its services and, where possible, establish a one-stop user-friendly digital platform, which can also reduce the need for manual delivery of services. I would like to seek an update from PMO on the progress in this area.

The Chairman: Minister Chan.

The Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr Chan Chun Sing): Mr Chairman, Sir, I will deliver my reply in half the time that I was supposed to.

Mr Chairman, Sir, a strong, competent and forward-looking Public Service has been central to Singapore's success. It has been so and it will continue to be so. Let me first deal with Mr Leon Perera's question on how PMO decides which programmes come under its purview. There are usually three sets of considerations. First, if it deals with strategic issues with long-term consequences. Second, if it requires close coordination across many agencies. Third, if it is a nascent new capability where we need to incubate that capability development before we pass it on to a relevant Ministry.

So, you are right. Over time, those agencies that fall under PMO would have satisfied one or more of these criteria. When the capabilities mature, they will be passed on to the relevant Ministries that best house them.

Let me now deal with the rest of the questions from the other Members. I would just like to organise them into two sets of answers. First, what can the public expect from our Public Service? Second, what can the Public Service officers expect, going forward? Let me deal with the first.

The first and most fundamental mindset shift required before we even talk about all these technologies is this. The Public Service is committed to design our services and processes around the people whom we serve, around the businesses whom we serve. Now, this is fundamental. The rest will follow from here.

So, as mentioned, digital is a tremendous opportunity for the Public Service to embrace to better deliver our services in a more integrated fashion, at a faster speed at a lower cost. And we have heard many examples of this with The Moments of Life app and also the GoBusiness app and I will not repeat what Minister Vivian and Senior Minister of State Janil have mentioned.

The second thing that we can expect with this mindset shift would be the cross-training of our officers to deliver services in an integrated manner. Our Tampines Hub is a great example. Various public agencies have come together to first co-locate and provide convenience to residents seeking services across different agencies. Today, we have moved on whereby a single officer has been cross-trained to provide services across different agencies.

This is the direction that the Public Service will continue to go in order to deliver quality services to the residents who need help. So, someone who needs help, from financial assistance to housing to employment, can approach the same officer with the same understanding so that he does not need to repeat the story over and over again. So, this is the second example of how the mindset shift has gone on in the Public Service.

The third shift that we can expect from the Public Service is this. The Public Service is no longer just an agency trying to prevent things from going wrong or bad things from happening.

When the Public Service partners our businesses, we are in real partnership with them to catalyse new ideas to enhance their competitiveness for Singapore. Now, this is a very different mindset shift.

When we work with a start-up, it is not about the start-up trying to fit into the current regulations. The regulators also need to change their mindset whereby they embrace the start-up culture to see how regulations can evolve to become a key competitive advantage for Singapore. So, the public can certainly expect a more integrated and more efficient Public Service.

But what I want to end off on this part is what Mr Cedric Foo mentioned. No matter how technology-dependent we will be, we will never forget that at the core of the Public Service is the heart for our people. The way we design the services, the way we design the app, be it for the young or the old, is to make sure that the service is delivered with the heart. For people who need the service but are unable to access technology, we will make sure that the processes are simplified, the service delivery is integrated, so that they will never be left out. And that is how we want to design an inclusive Public Service.

The second part of my speech will, therefore, touch on what the Public Service officers can expect. With the changes in public expectations, with the change in job scopes, we will certainly need to change the skill sets of our Public Service officers. I have mentioned this on various occasions and the Prime Minister has also mentioned this during the inaugural Annual Public Service Leadership Dinner in the earlier part of this year.

Today, we expect Public Service officers not just to be savvy in policymaking, but we also expect them to be good in translating policies into operations, have the ability to communicate and mobilise the public to come and work together to deliver results. And we want our public officers to have a sense of what is going on beyond Singapore, beyond the Public Service. These are the new skillsets that we expect all Public Service leaders to have and this will be how we form leadership teams within the Public Service.

One of the things that we will also change is to more regularly rotate Public Service officers across different domains and even within the same domain. Across different domains, I have mentioned, in that four domain areas – policymaking, operations, communications and mobilisations and international or beyond Public Service exposure.

4.00 pm

The second thing that we want to is to make sure that they have the ability to rotate more even within the same domain and this will address one of the points that Dr Teo Ho Pin mentioned. How do we make sure that we check our own blind spots even if we are doing the same job? For example, in regulatory matters, by being able to go to different agencies and see how different regulatory ideas are applied, will allow our public officers to be much more responsive, much more agile.

The third thing that we can expect our public officers to do is this. If we have a 50-year career for the Public Service officer, we must make sure that they have the training that can allow them to have lifelong employability, as Mr Patrick has also mentioned. And this will require us to structure their training such that every few years, there will be a booster jab in their skills. When we ask our Public Service officers to be agile, it cannot be at the age of 40s or 50s. It must be done systematically, from age 20 and above.

Next, we will also challenge our Public Service officers, especially those in leadership positions to go beyond the Public Service, that they will have regular stints beyond the Public Service to expose themselves to the challenges that the private sector and the people sector have. But at the same time, to also bring back good ideas that the public sector may not yet have that are now in the private sector of the people sector or, for that matter, also even in the international organisations.

The Public Service Division will make sure that we organise ourselves to systematically rotate our officers within the Service, across domains and beyond the Service.

Next, we will also make sure that there is greater porosity in the Public Service, from the way we recruit people, beyond just academic qualifications, to the way we develop people and post people throughout the entire lifespan that they are here.

Having dealt with all the changes that we can expect from the Public Service, I must reiterate one point. While the methods can change, the technology can change, the values of the Public Service will not change. The values of service excellence and integrity will never change in the Public Service. Service beyond self. The interests of the country and our people must always come before the interests of the individual officers. The pursuit of excellence is not just for today but always being able to anticipate the challenges of tomorrow, put in place systems and processes before the challenges even arise.

And finally, integrity. Integrity to do what is right for this generation and for the next. Just as Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat says, our definition of success is not just how well we deliver for this generation but also for the next. Integrity also to know that there is no such thing that we are at our best. That is only that we will continue to improve to bring about better of life for Singaporeans and for a better Singapore. So, we will keep engaging the ground, keep improving our processes, keep improving the skillsets of our Public Service officers, in order for us to deliver on a better Singapore, a stronger Singapore and a better future for all of us.

The Chairman: Any clarifications? Mr Louis Ng.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Thank you, Sir. I just wanted to ask Minister Josephine Teo about the childcare sick leave. I understand that we are reviewing it but I am just wondering we can also review and look into what other countries are doing. There is a long list of countries that are providing the childcare sick leave – I would not read the whole thing – there is Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland. It is a much longer list. In the interest, I would not read them all. But I am just wondering whether PMO can study what other countries are doing, see how successful it is, see how they implement it and then we can do a proper review. I think the Minister once said that all good things will be considered. This is a good thing that should be considered.

Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, the short answer to Mr Ng is yes. We do actually study and we study them holistically too. The Marriage and Parenthood Support measures, they do work in concert with one another and they have to work within the context of each country. And I think in our case, what is even more relevant is to reach out to the young people themselves and ask them what is it that they are looking for. And they have been consistent in telling us: help us with housing, help us with pre-school, help us with healthcare, and very importantly, help us to achieve more flexible work arrangements.

So, we will look at all good suggestions in the context of what our young people want.

The Chairman: Mr Leon Perera.

Mr Leon Perera: Thank you, Sir. Just a small clarification to Minister Chan. If I understood Minister Chan correctly, he said that there are three considerations for determining the functions within the PMO. And I think the third point was that, functions are sometimes incubated and then transferred to a Ministry where there is a more natural fit with the domain of that Ministry after a certain period of time.

So, firstly, is that understanding correct? And secondly, where does that leave us, in terms of functions that have been there for a very long time? For example, the NRF. It is under PMO. I think that has been there for quite sometime vis-a-vis MTI.

Mr Chan Chun Sing: I thank Mr Leon Perera for that. On NRF, I would just like to clarify that NRF does not just serve economic functions. The NRF also conducts research in many other things, for example, ageing and societal forces as well. So, there is a good reason why NRF resides under PMO.

Having said that, the NRF works very closely with MTI and, of course, A*STAR which is under MTI for the economic portions of it. So, whether it is the future of decarbonisation, the future of our bio-medical industries, they work very closely. We have also a very simple way to make sure that this is coordinated closely between NRF, A*STAR and MTI because the Chairperson of A*STAR is also the Permanent Secretary for NRF. If the two organisations have any issues, then it is actually internalised within the leadership team.

The Chairman: Mr Pritam Singh.

Mr Pritam Singh: Thank you, Chairman. I have two questions and one clarification. The two questions are for Minister Josephine Teo. I thank the Minister for her speech at the PMO COS covering population issues. Two points I raised in my cut. The first was the number of PRs that do not transition to citizenship. I think there was some very helpful data that was released in the Population in Brief document from September last year, that tells you at what age group these PRs are at. But what about those that do not transit to citizenship? What are those numbers like?

The second clarification pertains to the question I had on integration. I think the Minister also re-stated the point that new immigrants have to play their part and get involved. But on the flip side, we have two or three decades now of immigration experience. What are some of the points that the immigrants themselves raised? What are the issues that they had in integrating with the community?

The third point is a clarification for Minister Vivian. I think Minister Vivian said that Senior Minister of State Janil was going to say something about smart lamp posts but I do not believe the Senior Minister of State said anything about that. So, I am just clarifying that point.

The Chairman: I think they were running out of time. Minister Josephine.

Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, with regard to PRs, I think the important thing is that the PR population has been quite stable. It has been about half a million; we have basically kept it at that level. There will always be a certain number that may take awhile before they decide to become citizens. If they leave Singapore and do not return for a long period of time, then their re-entry permits could be cancelled.

As they become citizens, the length of time they take to become citizens does not matter. Some take a shorter time; some take a longer time. Sometimes, it is a matter of thinking about it themselves, because it is hard to eventually make that transition. In some cases, they move faster. I think the important thing is that we have kept the PR population stable.

Then, to the Member's other question. I think this is with regard to integration as to what do the new citizens themselves say about the challenges of integration. The practical thing will be that social habits are different. Singapore has high density living, and most will live in public housing, very close to their neighbours. That is why a lot of the emphasis on integration is carried out through the People's Association, which has the ability to reach to a large number of citizens. This includes new as well as long-time citizens.

The other is a very interesting observation is almost certainly, that second generation citizens acquire the features of local life very quickly. And it is through the second generation that they themselves become naturalised. I think this is not unique to Singapore. It is true of many different countries.

The Chairman: Minister Vivian

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: I hope collectively, we have addressed the Member's concern about data security and privacy, and the need to get that balance right in order to maintain public confidence. Senior Minister State Janil may not have mentioned lamp posts specifically, but he did talk about security. And I think this House is also aware of the overarching policy and legislative framework for data security, both within Government and in the private sector.

The Chairman: Mr Cedric Foo.

Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng: Chairman, this question is for Minister Chan. Historically, many Government agencies and Ministries design systems and processes from their points of view. I think the public will be well served if Government agencies can think "the other way around" and try to design processes from the citizens' or businesses' points of view. Does PMO intend to achieve this?

Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mr. Chairman, indeed, we totally agree with what Mr Cedric had said. And that is my point. We need to turn this around. It is easy, it is usual for people to think from their own perspective – how do people fit into my Ministry's policy objectives? So, from the exercise in designing the Moments of Life and equivalent apps, we have turned this around. We have asked people, "If you are a parent-to-be, what are the questions that you would want answered? What are the services that you would want?"

We do what we call a Service Journey. The officers, together from different Ministries and agencies, will walk the entire journey and imagine themselves in the shoes of the people that they are going to serve. And from there on, all their services will be designed around making it more convenient for the people that they are serving. That is how we have been able to achieve breakthroughs in the Moments of Life and even our Tampines Hub (OTH).

But there is another very important element that we are putting our officers through. It is what we call empathy training or empathy design. How we lay out the services to welcome the residents whom we serve, how we design the processes that they have to go through. That requires training. It is not an after-thought. How our officers speak to the residents is also an acquired skill.

In order to do that, we make sure that our Public Service leaders walk-the-talk. We make sure people, right from the leadership level, take the lead, by going onto the ground to serve the residents. So, we have many examples of this whereby even Chief Executives and the leadership team will be at the service counter serving the residents, seeing how the residents respond to the policies from different agencies, what are the challenges and how we can redesign the processes to do better.

We have senior officers, for example, in the communications department and various other public officers walking the ground on weekends, talking to ordinary Singaporeans, hearing their feedback first-hand, unfiltered. This is part of the work that the REACH officers are doing. But it is not just the REACH officers that are doing this. Actually, many of our officers whom I am very proud of volunteered to do this so that they can go to the ground and hear for themselves first-hand how people are responding and reacting to the changes that they make.

So, it is design upfront, change in their mindset and training of the officers in order to deliver a much more empathetic Public Service. Sorry, Mr Chair, can I just give an example to the Mr Leon Perera? I talked about incubation and then, subsequently, we transfer it. MSO is one good example. MSO started in PMO; now, it has gone on MND when the capabilities have been matured.

The Chairman: Mr Seah, would you like to withdraw your amendment?

Mr Seah Kian Peng: Mr Chairman, on behalf of all Members who spoke, I wish to thank Senior Minister Teo, Ministers Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Mrs Josephine Teo, Mr Ong Ye Kung and Mr Chan Chun Sing, and Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary, for their comprehensive and assuring responses on matters ranging from climate change, population challenges, Smart Nation initiatives and Public Service.

I would like to take this opportunity too to thank all the men and women, not just in the Prime Minister's Office, but the entire civil service for their good work, their hard work and their consistent work, day in, day out, 366 days in a year – this, being a Leap Year. With that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $823,582,100 for Head U ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $226,169,400 for Head U ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.

Mr Speaker: Order. I propose to take the break now and I will take the Chair at 4.40 pm.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 4.20 pm until 4.40 pm.

Sitting resumed at 4.40 pm

[Deputy Speaker (Mr Charles Chong) in the Chair]

Debate in Committee of Supply resumed.

[Deputy Speaker (Mr Charles Chong) in the Chair]