National Quantum Office's technology breakthrough targets and strategies
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the National Quantum Office (NQO) has identified specific quantum technologies breakthroughs which Singapore aims to achieve; (b) whether building infrastructure without defining target breakthroughs is NQO's strategy; and (c) what historical precedents support this approach's effectiveness.
Mr Heng Swee Keat (for the Prime Minister): The National Quantum Office has identified specific goals under the National Quantum Strategy (NQS), with resources and efforts directed towards specific quantum areas and technologies accordingly. The National Quantum Processor Initiative, for example, funds projects to develop quantum processor prototypes using promising approaches, such as trapped ions and neutral atom arrays. Another example is the National Quantum Sensor Programme, which funds efforts to develop quantum sensor solutions in remote sensing, biomedical sensing and imaging, and Position, Navigation, and Timing.
To complement these directed efforts, the NQS also supports ground-up investigator led research, capability development through various schemes such as scholarships for quantum PhD and Master’s students, and industry collaborations. The different prongs are part of a broader coordinated approach to build up talent, knowledge and capabilities and position Singapore strategically in this nascent and evolving field.
Number of jobs created for Singapore citizens and permanent residents, and tax contributions by family offices
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in view of the four-fold increase in the number of family offices between 2020 and 2024 (a) how many jobs have they created in total; (b) how many more jobs are they expected to create, as a whole, over the next five years; (c) how many jobs are filled by Singapore citizens and permanent residents, as opposed to foreigners; and (d) what is the total tax revenue that these family offices are expected to contribute in the current fiscal year.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): We will focus on Single Family Offices (SFOs) that have been awarded the Monetary Authority of Singapore tax incentives. They have to meet annual requirements on assets under management, headcount, business spending and deployment of funds to specific assets. SFOs contribute to the growth of the asset management industry, and increase demand for ancillary services such as in private banking, legal and tax advisory, accounting and fund administration. SFOs receiving tax incentives currently employ about 2,200 locals.
Single family offices awarded tax incentives and plans for licensing of these offices under securities and futures act
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) over the past four years, how many single family offices (SFOs) that have been set up have been awarded tax incentives; (b) whether MAS has any plans to seek SFO licensing and regulation under the Securities and Futures Act (SFA), similar to multifamily offices; and (c) if not, what considerations may lead MAS to decide to do so.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): The number of Single Family Offices (SFOs) awarded tax incentives grew from 400 as at end 2020 to over 2,000 as at end 2024.
SFOs manage only the monies of the family and do not serve third-party clients, and thus are not subject to licensing under the Securities and Futures Act (SFA). This is similar to the approach taken by other major jurisdictions. Notwithstanding, as set out in the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)’s response to the consultation paper on “Proposed Framework for Single Family Offices”, MAS will be introducing a licensing class exemption framework for SFOs which will require them to notify MAS of their presence and comply with specific requirements to ensure that all SFOs are subject to anti-money laundering controls.
Plans to increase capacity of rubbish and recycling bins in publicly accessible areas
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether there are plans to work together with waste collection and recycling companies to increase the capacity of rubbish bins and recycling bins in spaces accessible to the members of the public including HDB estates, to encourage and ensure timely and proper handling of recyclables as well as general waste.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The National Environment Agency (NEA) monitors the waste disposal trends across housing estates in Singapore, and works closely with appointed Public Waste Collectors (PWCs) to ensure the timely collection of refuse and recyclables. This helps to maintain estate cleanliness and safeguard public health. Under the public waste collection contracts, NEA can direct PWCs to increase the frequency of refuse and recyclables collection when necessary. NEA has exercised this provision when needed, for example, during festive seasons where waste generation tends to increase. There are therefore no plans to increase the capacity of refuse and recycling bins.
We encourage members of the public to practise proper etiquette, such as by flattening cardboard boxes, when using refuse and recycling bins to help maximise their capacity and contribute to keeping our environment clean.
Reduction in cut-off points for affiliated primary school students to be admitted to secondary schools
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the rationale for secondary schools with affiliated primary schools to receive reductions in Secondary 1 entry scores; (b) whether the Ministry exercises oversight over the magnitude of the reductions in entry scores applied by each school; and (c) how effective have these secondary schools been in ensuring that the high-scoring students do not fall behind relative to their peers that entered with lower scores.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: My response will also cover Written Parliamentary Question No. 6501 scheduled for a subsequent sitting on or after 5 February 2025. In Singapore, our goals in education are to spark the joy of learning in students, help them realise their potential and build the foundations for them to be active, contributing members of society. This is why we have a variegated education landscape that offers our students a range of school options catering to their diverse interests, needs and strengths. Affiliated schools contribute to one part of this landscape, with their long history and distinctive school culture.
In achieving this balance, we acknowledge that there are competing policy tensions. First, we want to right-site our students based on their individual strengths and interests. Now with Full-Subject Based Banding across our secondary school system, including affiliated schools, we are better able to achieve this today than before. Second, we recognise that there are some educational merits to school affiliation. For example, the affiliation policy provides schools with a long history and distinctive culture with the opportunity to consistently imbue their school values, ethos and culture into their students over a longer period.
Third, we want to ensure that our society remains open and cohesive; not closed and fractured. This starts in our schools. Even as we support the building of school culture, values and tradition, this must not come at the expense of social cohesion and what we stand for as a nation.
This is why we have evolved our education system over time, as our society matures and faces greater risk of becoming more stratified. One example was when the Ministry of Education (MOE) required affiliated secondary schools to reserve 20% of places for non-affiliated students, when there was none before, from the 2019 Secondary 1 Posting Exercise. With MOE’s encouragement, some affiliated schools have also tightened the Affiliate Minimum Requirements that affiliates must meet to be eligible for priority to the school, facilitating greater access for non-affiliated students.
For each year since the 2021 Secondary 1 Posting Exercise, about half of the Secondary 1 cohort of the affiliated secondary schools are from non-affiliated primary schools, with the remaining half from their respective affiliated primary schools. The difference in cut-off points between affiliates and non-affiliates varies depending on the Posting Group. For Posting Group 3, the average difference is about 7 points. For Posting Groups 2 and 1, the average difference is smaller, at 2 and 1 point respectively, as the ranges of cut-off points in these posting groups are narrower than for Posting Group 3. The median mirrors the average for all three Posting Groups.
While this may be the current balance that we have established for now, we will continue to adjust and make further refinements, as time goes by and circumstances change, so that we can achieve the right balance for the future.
Requiring social service agencies to provide allowances for social work interns
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Government can consider (i) requiring social work graduate interns to be paid an allowance during their period of internship or (ii) providing Government-funded subsidies for approved social service agencies hosting graduate interns to provide basic allowances during their internship.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: For students in our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) who are participating in internships, the IHLs provide host organisations with a recommended allowance range, and organisations have the autonomy to decide on the allowance provided to the interns.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development encourages Social Service Agencies (SSA) to provide students with an allowance, in addition to a positive learning experience, as part of their effort to grow a potential talent pipeline for the sector.
We will continue to work with the IHLs and SSA to improve the support for students on internships, to strengthen upstream attraction to the sector.
Eligibility of divorced or widowed foreign spouses with Singapore citizen children to purchase new or resale HDB flats, or retain matrimonial flats
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for National Development in respect of divorced or widowed foreigners with a Singapore Citizen child below the age of 21, whether they are eligible to retain ownership of the matrimonial flat or purchase a new BTO flat or resale HDB flat in the open market to enable the family to meet their housing needs.
Mr Desmond Lee: Non-Residents (NRs) are not eligible to purchase the Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats.
A divorced or widowed NR with a Singapore Citizen (SC) child below the age of 21 can retain the matrimonial flat, if they include an eligible SC or Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) family member who is at least 21 years old as an owner.
If the NR is widowed, HDB may allow the flat to be held in trust by an SC or SPR trustee, on the condition that the flat is transferred to the SC child beneficiary when the child reaches 21 years old.
If an NR with an SC child has no other housing options or family support, HDB may allow them to rent a public rental flat in the interest of the child.
Number of approved applicants for public rental flats yet to complete flat selection and average waiting times
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for National Development (a) as of 31 December 2024, what is the number of approved applicants for public rental flats who have not yet selected their flats; and (b) what has been the waiting time for rental flat selection, broken down into regions.
Mr Desmond Lee: As at 31 December 2024, there were about 800 approved applicants awaiting allocation of a public rental flat. Of these applicants, about 40% had a chance to select a flat previously but did not do so.
There is no difference in waiting time for rental flat selection by regions, as all approved applicants can select from available rental flats across Singapore. The average waiting time for a rental flat is currently five months, which has reduced from a peak of eight months in 2021 and 2022. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is continuing to work towards further reducing the waiting time.
For applicants who are in urgent need of a rental flat due to exceptional circumstances, HDB will expedite their applications for flat selection on a case-by-case basis.
Statistics on minimum annual leave entitlements of full time resident employees
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what percentage of full-time resident employees who receive only seven days of annual leave are from the bottom 20th percentile wage group; (b) what are the top five sectors where workers commonly receive only minimum annual leave entitlement; and (c) among these workers, what percentage are employed by companies with annual revenue exceeding $10 million.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Employment Act stipulates that employees are entitled to a statutory minimum of seven days of annual leave in their first year of service if they have worked with their employer for at least three months. With each year of service, an employee's statutory annual leave entitlement increases by one day, up to a minimum entitlement of 14 days.
As mentioned in our earlier replies to related Parliamentary Questions read on 14 October 2024 and 13 November 2024, 18,800 full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64 who were in their first year of employment in 2023 received seven days of paid annual leave. This forms a small percentage (1.1%) of full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64.
Persons who worked less than one year in their current job are a small group. More detailed estimates about this group, such as by income, industry and firms’ annual revenue, are therefore not available.
Prevalence of non-compliance with overtime regulations and study on impact on workers
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in the past three years, how many cases of inflated job titles to avoid paying overtime have been investigated and what proportion of such cases are substantiated; (b) what are the safeguards to prevent such practices and whether targeted audits are planned; (c) whether the Ministry has conducted studies to assess the impact of non-compliance with overtime regulations on burnout among workers; and (d) what enforcement measures are being considered to combat this issue.
Dr Tan See Leng: The prevalence of misclassification to avoid paying overtime pay remains low. In the past three years, the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) received an average of 45 claims per year from employees who felt they were misclassified and denied of overtime. This can include cases where the employee felt that their job titles were being inflated. TADM found about 30% of these claims to be valid and employers were advised to make due compensation. In handling such cases, the employee’s job title is not a relevant factor. Rather, each case is assessed individually based on the specific scope of the job, such as the level of decision-making powers in managing a business function.
To safeguard against the non-payment of overtime pay and other breaches of employment laws, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) regularly conducts Workright outreach campaigns and around 5,000 Workright inspections yearly to check on employers’ compliance with the Employment Act. Employers found to have lapses will be referred to Employment Act clinics for training and rectification. If the lapses identified are more severe or systemic, we will take a strong stance and more serious enforcement actions such as fines and prosecution will be taken.
On the issue of overtime leading to burnout, MOM has so far not conducted studies to assess how non-compliance with overtime regulations impacts burnout. Nonetheless, we have put in place various legislative safeguards to protect the well-being of workers and ensure that they have sufficient rest. For example, employers must provide one rest day per week and are restricted from contractually binding employees to work more than eight hours in one day or more than 44 hours in one week. Under the Workplace Safety and Health Act, employers are also required to conduct proper risk assessment of work activities and manage their employees’ workload and work shift so as to manage fatigue.
Technical limitations in implementing platform screen doors for LRT platforms
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Transport what are the technical limitations in implementing platform screen doors for the LRT system, similar to those implemented for overground MRT stations in terms of (i) existing trains and (ii) existing platforms respectively.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Platform screen doors require power supply, communications and signal control equipment. As LRT stations are smaller than MRT stations, it is not practical to install all the above equipment as it will reduce the available waiting area for commuters.
For commuter safety, all LRT stations have fixed barriers, as well as tactile warning studs along the station platform to warn commuters that they are approaching the edge of the platform. Our operators have also put in place detection systems using artificial intelligence and video analytics to detect track intrusions at LRT stations, and to alert the staff at the operations control centre so they could respond quickly to these incidents.
Feedback on bus services based on data from mytransport.sg and other apps
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the LTA accepts feedback on bus services based solely on data from the MyTransport.SG app and not from third-party applications that utilise LTA-provided Application Programming Interfaces; and (b) if so, what are the reasons for this limitation.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Land Transport Authority accepts feedback from all sources, including via third-party apps, or referencing data from third-party apps.
Obtaining and disseminating threat intelligence related to airline routes and ensuring safety of these routes
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport (a) how does the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) collaborate with international bodies to obtain and disseminate threat intelligence to Singapore-registered carriers; (b) what criteria are used by CAAS to determine the safety of air routes; and (c) whether CAAS requires Singapore-registered carriers to ensure flight crews are trained and equipped to manage security risks during flights near conflict areas.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Safety of flights and passengers is a top priority for the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Singapore-registered air carriers. We have protocols in place to disseminate threat intelligence to Singapore-registered carriers to ensure they are aware of any ongoing risks in their flight routes. The carriers conduct risk assessments and implement risk mitigation measures before every flight, including taking appropriate measures to avoid conflict zones. They also use threat information from aviation security consultants to develop contingency plans and backup routes, and train their flight crews for rerouting during flights.
CAAS conducts regular safety audits to ensure that Singapore-registered air carriers have proper processes to assess and mitigate flight safety risks, including those arising from conflict zones.
Applications for interim housing from elderly residents or couples without children awaiting HDB BTO flats
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for National Development (a) in each year of the past three years, how many applications for interim housing have been received from elderly residents or couples without children awaiting HDB BTO flats; (b) what percentage of such applications are approved; and (c) whether the Ministry has plans to introduce more subsidised rental options to support groups who do not qualify for the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme or the Public Rental Scheme.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme, or PPHS, is the Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) primary scheme for providing subsidised rental housing to families awaiting the completion of their HDB flats. PPHS is targeted at families with less income at their disposal to rent on the open market. Elderly families who fulfil PPHS eligibility criteria may also benefit from the scheme.
HDB has increased the supply of PPHS flats from 800 in 2021 to over 2,000 currently. As a result, all first-timer married couples with children have been successful in the PPHS ballot since June 2023. In addition, about 30% of couples without children, or 370 households, were successful in 2024. This is a significant improvement from about 10%, or 90 households, in 2022. HDB will further increase the PPHS supply to 4,000 units this year. Before this additional supply comes on stream, we have introduced the PPHS (Open Market) Voucher as a temporary measure to support households renting an HDB flat or bedroom on the open market.
On a case-by-case basis, HDB may also offer interim rental housing to lower-income households who have no other temporary housing options. This includes households that are ineligible for a PPHS flat. As interim rental housing is not open for public application, HDB does not track the number of requests made. In the past three years, HDB assisted 59 couples without children and 107 elderly households with interim rental housing.
Given the limited supply of subsidised rental flats, we seek Singaporeans’ understanding that we are unable to allocate one to every household awaiting the completion of their HDB flat. Instead, HDB has substantially increased its offering of Shorter Waiting Time, or SWT, flats with waiting times of less than three years, so that more home buyers can move into their new flats sooner. Of the 19,600 BTO flats slated for launch in 2025, almost one-fifth will be SWT flats. HDB will continue to roll out more SWT flats where possible.
Rationale for restricting ITE progression award to graduates pursuing eligible diplomas from 2024
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the rationale for restricting the ITE Progression Award (IPA) to ITE graduates pursuing eligible diplomas from 2024 onwards; (b) how this aligns with the Government’s emphasis on lifelong learning and workforce development; (c) whether the Ministry has assessed the equity of excluding pre-2024 diploma graduates and plans to review their inclusion; and (d) what steps are being taken to ensure consistent financial support for ITE graduates pursuing further education across all time periods.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Progression Award (IPA) was introduced in 2024 to address the growing wage gap between ITE’s Nitec and Higher Nitec graduates and diploma- or degree-holders. It provides financial support to help ITE graduates upskill to a diploma earlier in their careers and boost their savings for longer-term goals, such as home ownership or retirement.
The two-step award supports ITE graduates to enrol in a diploma by providing a top up of $5,000 to their Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) at the start of diploma studies, and encourages them to complete their diploma with another top-up of $10,000 to the Central Provident Fund-Ordinary Account (OA) when they do so.
Eligible ITE graduates who were already enrolled in diplomas at Ministry of Education-funded institutions as of 1 March 2024 will still receive the $10,000 OA top up under the IPA after they complete their diplomas.
The IPA is part of the Government’s broader suite of schemes that provide support for lifelong learning across various life stages. ITE graduates who had upgraded to diplomas before 2024 should already start to enjoy better employability and higher wages, and are therefore not part of the target group for the IPA. To support them to upskill further, there are other schemes such as the Workfare Skills Support Scheme and the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, which provide financial support like training allowance during their course. Course fees are also heavily subsidised for Singaporeans at the Institutes of Higher Learning and for courses supported by SkillsFuture Singapore.
Considerations in repurposing use of HDB blocks' void deck space
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for National Development in view of the changing void deck and common space use in HDB residential estates (a) whether HDB is actively reviewing the repurposing of such spaces for different uses such as eateries; (b) what considerations will be taken into account when making such reviews; and (c) whether there are differences in approach between mature and non-mature estates.
Mr Desmond Lee: The community deck and common spaces in our Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates are designed to facilitate social interactions and community bonding. Social and community facilities such as childcare and eldercare centres are also located at community decks to meet the daily needs of residents.
As community needs evolve over time, HDB does review the use of these common spaces from time to time in partnership with the local community.
On repurposing community deck and common spaces into commercial uses such as eateries, HDB evaluates such proposals to balance between the need for such amenities in addition to other provisions nearby, potential dis-amenities to residents, the sufficiency of remaining common spaces to facilitate community bonding, and relevant regulatory requirements. For instance, it may not be technically feasible to retrofit kitchen exhaust outlets at such spaces given the close proximity of residential units above. The evaluation process is common across both mature and non-mature estates.
Barriers preventing Singaporeans from signing advance medical directives and measures to counter these
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Government has identified key barriers preventing Singaporeans from signing advance medical directives; (b) what specific strategies are being implemented to increase participation rates beyond existing public education campaigns; and (c) whether the Ministry is considering simplifying the certification process to encourage uptake.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The process to make an Advance Medical Directive (AMD) can be a barrier. This is because an AMD is a legal document for a patient to inform the doctor that he does not want to use any life-sustaining treatment to prolong his life, in the event that he is terminally ill, unconscious or requires life-sustaining treatment. It must therefore be taken very seriously. Hence, individuals need to complete a form in the presence of two witnesses, one of whom must be a doctor. These are necessary safeguards that may have contributed to the complexity of the AMD process, but are designed to protect the interests of individuals who make an AMD.
In the absence of AMD, doctors may also recommend the withdrawal of life sustaining treatment to family members if this is deemed to be in the patient’s best interest. In arriving at this recommendation, the doctor would have taken into account the patient’s clinical conditions, possible care pathways, and healthcare preferences, if any. The family’s decision to accept or reject the doctor’s recommendation will be greatly facilitated if the patient has made an Advance Care Plan (ACP) and/or has appointed a donee to make medical care decisions under a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). Both ACP and LPA are much easier to set up than an AMD.
With growing public awareness and discourse on end-of-life planning, the annual uptake of AMD has increased, from 3,000 in 2015 to over 8,000 in 2024.
Accounting and transfer price treatment for land use and land ownership changes across Government agencies
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in the event of a change in land use and consequent change in land ownership across Ministries and Statutory Boards (a) whether the transfer price is conducted at fair market value based on the intended land use and intensification; and (b) whether the land cost is accounted for as an income and development expenditure of the relevant Ministries respectively.
Mr Lawrence Wong: State land is a physical asset that forms part of our reserves. Whether it is rented out for a short tenure or sold for longer-term development, the principle is to transact at fair market value (or FMV). The FMV is determined via tender, or through valuation by the Chief Valuer or other professional valuers.
No change in land ownership takes place when State land is allocated to a Government Ministry for public infrastructure purposes, such as for Government schools and bus interchanges. The land remains in the State’s possession. Likewise, there is no disposal and no payment arises when there is a change in land allocation from one Ministry to another.
State land may also be alienated to Statutory Boards to enable them to discharge their statutory functions. When State land is alienated to a Statutory Board, it is disposed of at FMV, determined based on the approved land use and intensification. The proceeds of the disposal are collected and accounted for as land sales proceeds. The transaction is reflected in the Statutory Board’s accounts as an expenditure.
After the land has been alienated to a Statutory Board, any changes in land use leading to a change in land ownership will typically involve a transfer of the land to the State before it is alienated or allocated for its new, intended use. When land is transferred, the cost incurred for buying the land is accounted for as Development Expenditure. The Statutory Board giving up the land correspondingly records the transaction as cash proceeds from disposal of fixed assets and a reduction in land assets.
When the Singapore Land Authority alienates the State land for its new, intended use, the State land is disposed of at FMV, determined based on the approved land use and intensification, no different from the alienation of any other form of State land
Data on average land price for state land sold to HDB for construction of public housing
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for National Development (a) in each year over the last five years, what is the average land price for state land sold to HDB for the construction of public housing, as broken down by district; and (b) what is the cumulative and percentage change in public housing land value in the last five years.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) pays fair market value for State land that is purchased to develop HDB flats, which is determined independently by the Chief Valuer.
For non-mature estates, the total land costs that HDB paid to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) for public housing land from Financial Year 2019 to Financial Year 2023 ranged from $907 million to $2.6 billion per year. For mature estates, the total land costs within the same period ranged from $1.3 billion to $5 billion per year. HDB does not use district boundaries to classify flats.
Total land costs vary from year to year due to prevailing market conditions and the specific attributes of the land parcels purchased for public housing, including location and parcel size.
Apart from the land costs that HDB pays to SLA at the point of purchase, HDB does not track the fluctuations in public housing land value from year to year.
Efforts to further prevent arms exports to Myanmar
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the reduction of arms exports from Singapore to Myanmar between April 2023 and March 2024 as reported by the UN special rapporteur in June 2024 (a) what are Singapore’s continuing efforts to further reduce and prevent arms exports to Myanmar since the second half of 2024; and (b) what are the challenges faced in our efforts to reduce or prevent such exports.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: I note Mr Dennis Tan’s continued interest on allegations of arms exports from Singapore to Myanmar. As I had explained in this House in February and July 2023, also in response to Mr Tan’s questions on both occasions, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Myanmar Thomas Andrews reaffirmed in his report that “there are no indications the Government of Singapore has approved, or is involved in, the shipment of arms and associated materials to the Myanmar military.”
Construction of slip road from Tampines Expressway into Rivervale Shores
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the pre-requisites before construction can commence on an already-identified future slip road from the Tampines Expressway into the Rivervale Shores; (b) what is the intended start date of this project; and (c) whether this project can commence given the recent completion of the HDB estate in 2024.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Based on a Transport Impact Assessment study, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) had worked with Housing and Development Board to carry out road improvement works, such as creating additional road lanes at Sengkang East Drive and Sengkang East Way, to support the expected increase in vehicular traffic as a result of the new Rivervale Shore Build-To-Order development. With these improvements implemented, traffic in the vicinity has been observed to be manageable.
The slip road in question is intended for implementation in the future when there are further new developments in the North-East Region. The date for implementation has not been finalised.
Use of Medisave for full or part payment of shingles vaccination
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Health whether the Government will consider allowing Singaporeans to use their MediSave to make payment or part payment for their shingles vaccination in view of the high cost of vaccination.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Vaccines assessed to be cost-effective will be eligible for MediSave use and subsidies. As shared in this House earlier, the shingles vaccine is currently priced at a level that does not commensurate with its benefits. We will continue to engage the manufacturer.
Incidents where airline passengers are left on aerobridges or locked out of arrival gates at changi airport
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many incidents of passengers being left on aerobridges or locked out of arrival gates at Changi Airport have occurred in the past five years; (b) whether ground handling agents are required to report such incidents and what penalties apply for lapses; (c) how does the Ministry regulate adherence to protocols to assist vulnerable passengers during disembarkation; and (d) whether the Ministry requires measures to be implemented to ensure seamless coordination and prevent similar oversights in the future.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Based on past records, the recent incident on 29 December 2024 is the first at Changi Airport where arriving passengers were left on an aerobridge upon disembarkation and the arrival gate was locked before they left the aerobridge.
In line with international industry practices, it is the responsibility of airlines, assisted by their appointed ground handling agents (GHAs), to ensure all passengers safely disembark from the aircraft and exit the aerobridge, before the aerobridge door leading to the terminal is locked.
In the 29 December 2024 incident, the airline’s crew did not see the three affected passengers when they were waiting at the aerobridge after disembarkation, and had mistakenly indicated to the GHA that the aerobridge was clear of passengers. The GHA staff did not conduct a thorough check along the entire section of the aerobridge before locking the door, which should have been done as part of the standard operating procedure.
A staff from the GHA’s service provider for persons with reduced mobility had accompanied the affected passengers, as one of them required wheelchair assistance. She made phone calls to various parties to unlock the aerobridge door, but she did not call Changi Airport Group’s (CAG) emergency hotline, which is the right number to call in such situations. There was therefore a delay in unlocking the door, and the affected passengers remained at the aerobridge for around 16 minutes before CAG was alerted and the door was unlocked.
The airline has apologised to the affected passengers and provided them with compensation for the incident. The airline has also worked with its GHA to remind the airline’s crew and ground staff to improve their coordination. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and CAG have shared the learning points from this incident with other airlines and GHA staff to avoid future recurrence.
