SINGAPORE: In the second day of debates on Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat’s roadmap for Singapore’s post-COVID-19 economy, 19 Members of Parliament took to the floor to raise concerns on job security and how Singapore could change after the pandemic. 

Here is what some members of the House said about the changes Singapore should be prepared for and how to adapt to them: 

WORKING FROM HOME AND THE BURDEN OF CARE ON WOMEN

“It is often said that Singapore’s only natural resource is our people, yet we aren’t even employing half of our people – our women – efficiently. Why is our female labour force participation rate so low? According to the McKinsey Global Institute, the culprit is caregiving and childcare responsibilities.”

– Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng, who noted that Singapore’s female labour force participation rate was significantly lower than other countries in Southeast Asia, calling for flexible work hours to account for caregiving responsibilities

“Just last weekend while visiting friends for lunch, our two-year-old announced that he needed to go to the toilet. My husband stood up to take him, and was immediately met with amazement and praise for being such a hands-on father. Would the same have occurred if a mother had brought her child to the toilet? Should we also not think hard about what it says about the roles of mothers and fathers that we’re expected to sing high praises for fathers who change nappies or bring their children out to give their wives a break?”

– Sengkang GRC MP He Tingru, who spoke on supporting families with parental leave policies and highlighted how flexible work arrangements could work better for caregivers at home

PRIORITISING JOBS AND SKILLS

“I believe that skills prioritisation must begin early, even before they start their job. And here I am referring to the institutes of higher learning. Relevant courses must be identified and prioritised at the pre-employment training stage, whereas courses that are more specialised should be pushed towards the continuing education training stage. In that way, all our graduates are assured of a solid yet flexible foundation that can be applied in other disciplines.” 

– Jalan Besar GRC MP Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah, who talked about his experience as an educator and the importance of matching skills to jobs where they can be applied 

“We need these regional and international collaborations to stay ahead of the competition, to increase our value and usefulness to the world, thereby ensuring our survival and prosperity. The better approach is not to stay away and shield us from competition in this rapidly technologically advancing world. We should rather face the competitions and equip Singaporeans with skills and tools to make us stay ahead of competition.” 

– Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Gan Thiam Poh, who shared concerns of over-reliance on foreign labour and the implications for the local workforce and local businesses

JOB MATCHING

“When so many businesses are restructuring, mismatches in jobs and skills must be expected.  We recognise the tremendous adjustments needed by both employees and employers to give each other a chance, even if they don’t look like perfect fits. Many job seekers have shown such courage and resilience.” 

– Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC MP Zaqy Mohamad, who addressed how Government schemes to help workers reskill and find employment amid the pandemic, including the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, have taken effect

“If we cut through the statistics and think about the thousands of Singaporean job seekers as individuals, with lives to build and families to feed, grappling with the uncertainty of a search that has been going on for months, trying to stay strong amidst the deflating radio silence after their application that was sent out weeks ago or after the interview last week that seemed to have gone quite well. Then it becomes abundantly clear to us that we not only need to walk alongside each Singaporean each step of the way but also deliver outcomes for these job seekers. In other words, I urge the Government to double down on job matching and get many more openings filled much more quickly.” 

– Jurong GRC MP Xie Yao Quan, who shared about one resident whose job offer from before the COVID-19 pandemic was withdrawn, and who has sent out more than 80 job applications in the seven months since

THREAT OF DISRUPTION

“But it is possible that COVID-19 has in fact delayed the advance of these disruptive industries by delaying timelines for R&D and new business investment. As COVID-19 recedes, the threat and opportunity from these disruptive trends may return to the old trajectory, which means that many jobs in Singapore will be jeopardised, not from COVID-19, but from long-term industry disruption.” 

– Aljunied GRC MP Leon Perera, who shared concerns on preparing the local workforce for industry disruption and enhance their employability

“Many public-private venture funds such as Startup SG tend to privilege technologically oriented firms. While such investments are appealing in that they can lead to the next Carousell or Grab, we cannot leave the vast majority of old economy firms behind. Moreover raising productivity levels in such firms isn’t limited to deploying the latest technology or adapting AI solutions. They are often derived from much more modest sources such as focusing on improving core management practices.” 

– Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim, who spoke on more support for SMEs beyond relieving financial constraints 

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR VULNERABLE SINGAPOREANS

“This year to date, I don’t have a percentage but 1,534 ex-offenders have been employed thanks to Yellow Ribbon SG… A lot of hard work has been put into this so as to achieve these figures. We can do much more. Remember these are able-bodied Singaporeans. Even though we assume that we have another twenty per cent in self-employed jobs, I would suggest that our government and whole of society can do much more to bring down the roughly 30 per cent unemployment amongst our ex-offenders…It is a good signal from our society to ex-offenders that we remain invested in their rehabilitation and reintegration even in these challenging times.” 

– Bukit Batok SMC MP Murali Pillai, who said he has met several residents who are ex-offenders who find it difficult to get jobs or are being underpaid during this pandemic

PRUDENT FISCAL POLICIES AND USAGE OF GOVERNMENT RESERVES

“With sharp deterioration in growth outlooks expected of all major economies, Singapore’s revenue outlook will remain uncertain and challenging for several years to come and I guess we were all worried when DPM spoke about the need for higher taxes. And given the gloomy economic environment residents are understandably concerned about the impending GST hike.” 

– West Coast GRC MP Foo Mee Har, who asked whether the original sum of the S$6 billion assurance package will still hold to cushion the impact of the GST hike 

SINGAPORE: Residents of future public housing can look forward to more greenery, facilities to promote physical and social wellbeing, as well as smart infrastructure in their homes.
 
This is part of the Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) new roadmap for designing towns over the next decade.
 
Speaking at the launch of the Designing for Life roadmap on Thursday (Oct 15), Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat noted the importance of providing quality homes and living environments for Singaporeans.

“As Singaporeans’ lifestyles and aspirations evolve, we must continue to provide a home and quality living environment for Singaporeans at every stage of their lives,” he said.
 
The roadmap addresses new challenges including an ageing population, climate change, evolving social aspirations and residents’ desire to be more involved in shaping their living environment, said HDB.
 
Future plans will be guided by three pillars – live well, live smart and live connected – that form the backbone of the refreshed roadmap.
 
PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, MENTAL WELLBEING
 
A key aim of the “live well” pillar is to encourage active lifestyles.

“For example, staircases, which are often seen as functional structures, will be designed attractively to nudge residents to use the stairs daily, or incorporate stair-climbing as part of their exercise routine,” said HDB.

To build a more inclusive environment, directional signs will have pictorial symbols and larger font sizes.
 
For older residents, there will be dementia-friendly features like looped paths in parks to help them navigate, as well as coloured grab bars in homes to improve indoor safety.
 
HDB said it will continue to include community spaces for residents to mingle and bond.
 
Bigger spaces like large covered town squares will be able to host mass events, while smaller spaces like linkways can serve as spaces for community interaction, it added.
 
Neighbourhood centres will be conceptualised as social and wellness hubs. They will include play parks for children, community spaces, exercise facilities and eateries. Where feasible, there will be healthcare facilities as well, said HDB.

Roof gardens, ground-level precinct and pocket gardens will be the norm.
 
“These green spaces will enable residents to enjoy a quiet moment and experience the restorative benefits of nature,” said HDB.

READ: Tengah’s Park District to feature Singapore’s first ‘car-free’ town centre, flats to be launched in August

READ: ‘Forest Town’ Tengah’s first batch of HDB flats to be launched in November

Some of these features have already been incorporated in plans for new housing estates such as Tengah.
 
These urban design strategies will also apply to precincts undergoing the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme.
 
SMART LIVING
 
There will be a greater use of technology at various levels to improve the living environment.
 
In estate management, sensors can help to issue alerts when maintenance is required, while common areas could have smart lighting that adjusts lighting levels based on human traffic patterns, said HDB.
 
In the home, some flats in Punggol Northshore have infrastructure like smart sockets and smart distribution boards which monitor energy consumption and support the adoption of compatible smart home solutions.

READ: All new HDB projects to feature nature-centric designs

Punggol Northshore, which will be completed later this year, is the first district with smart and sustainable initiatives, noted Mr Heng.
 
HDB said it is looking to implement these initiatives beyond Punggol.

READ: HDB to roll out 6,000 digital display boards in housing estates

READ: HDB to explore building cooler homes, 3D printing for future flats

To address climate change, HDB noted that the 10-year Green Towns Programme was introduced earlier this year. It seeks to improve residents’ quality of life by implementing green features in three areas – reducing energy consumption, recycling rainwater and cooling HDB towns.

RESIDENTS HELPING TO SHAPE PUBLIC SPACES
 
HDB said it will continue to engage residents to better understand their needs and aspirations. This comes under the third pillar of the new roadmap.

“Beyond building houses and towns, HDB aims to build homes and communities, where people bond with one another, live together and grow together,” said Mr Heng.
 
Residents in new developments will have common spaces they can collectively design and build, and those in four existing towns – Bukit Merah, Queenstown, Choa Chu Kang and Ang Mo Kio – can participate in focus group discussions to get involved in rejuvenating their towns.
 
An initiative called the Lively Places Challenge will be rolled out to all HDB towns by 2024. Residents can form teams to develop and implement solutions, and get funding and training to support their effort.

“Through careful planning backed by science and data, we will advance the sustainability of our towns, and leverage technology to help residents live more comfortably, with greater convenience,” said HDB CEO Cheong Koon Hean.
 
“We will also find more ways for people to connect with each other and empower them to play a bigger role in designing and activating their shared spaces.”

SINGAPORE: A breakdown of insulation of a power cable and an attempt to restore power to two MRT lines without “first isolating the fault” led to disruption in train services on Wednesday night (Oct 14), SMRT said on Thursday.

The transport operator apologised on Thursday for the disruption during peak-hour traffic on Wednesday evening. 

The disruption affected train services from Woodlands to Jurong East on the North-South line, Queenstown to Gul Circle on the East-West line, and Harbourfront to Serangoon on the Circle line.

Some commuters had to walk on tracks to make their way back to the station, while bus stops were packed with commuters looking for alternative ways to continue their journey.

Train service on the Circle Line resumed at about 8.40pm, while services on the North-South and East-West lines resumed at about 10.35pm.

The disruption started with a breakdown of insulation of a power cable between Tuas Link and Tuas West Road stations, SMRT said, citing its preliminary findings.

A circuit breaker at Tuas West Road station “should have kicked in” to isolate the fault, but it did not, said SMRT in its media release. This caused the North-South and East-West lines power system to trip.

To restore power to these lines, there was an attempt to draw power from the Buona Vista Intake substation.

But this was done “without first isolating the fault”, resulting in a power supply disruption to the Circle Line, as the Buona Vista Intake substation also serves the Circle Line.

“The insulation fault has been identified and isolated and the faulty component of the circuit breaker has been replaced,” SMRT said, adding that train services were running normally on Thursday.