[{"_1":2,"_253":-5,"_254":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4},"routes/Container/Container",{"_5":6,"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":12,"_13":14,"_251":252},"type",0,"statusCode",200,"cacheControlMaxAge",60,"regenerateInterval",180,"payload",{"_15":16,"_17":18,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_70":71,"_83":84},"pageType","live-blog-landing-page","results",[19],{"_20":21,"_22":23,"_24":23,"_5":25,"_26":27,"_28":29,"_30":31},"title","Recap: MPs debate new laws for PMD compliance, autonomous vehicle trials","url","","description","live-coverage","refCode","live:-parliament-passes-bill-on-digital-infrastructure,-debates-land-transport-bill","cards",[],"liveBlogData",{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":37,"_39":40},"htmlData","

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Recap: MPs debate new laws for PMD compliance, autonomous vehicle trials

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Earlier, MPs passed the Bill on digital infrastructure and raised questions on revised P1 registration, AI safety.

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Edited by: Ng Wei Kai, Wong Man Shun, Ann Chen, Wong Yang

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Published: Oct 6, 2026

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\r\n","liveBlogId","2397","isLiveBlog",true,"isMultidayLiveblog","multidayLiveBlogMapping",[41,45],{"_42":35,"_43":44},"value","key","Oct 7, 2026",{"_42":46,"_43":47},"2394","Oct 6, 2026","uniqueName","live-singapore-parliament-october-2026","infiniteScroll",{"_52":53},"additionalStories",[],"advertisements",[],"metaData",{"_20":21,"_58":21,"_59":21,"_60":49,"_24":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69},"ogTitle","twitterTitle","slug","Earlier, MPs raised questions on pandemic preparedness, revised Primary 1 registration, and AI safety. Follow ST’s live coverage.","ogDescription","Bills on digital infrastructure and land transport will also be debated. Follow ST’s live coverage.","keywords","Singapore Parliament, Live blog, Lawrence Wong, MRT, NBER, Retrenchment, Singapore, North-South Corridor, civil servants, property purchases, P1 registration, AI, Land Transport, data centres","robots","index, follow, max-image-preview:large, max-snippet:-1, max-video-preview:-1","image","https://www.straitstimes.com/og/liveblog-bg-1200x630.jpg","gaData",{"_72":73,"_74":23,"_75":23,"_20":76,"_77":78,"_79":80,"_81":82},"level2","23","chapter1","chapter2","Live:_Parliament_passes_Bill_on_digital_infrastructure,_debates_land_transport_Bill","title_ga","Live: Parliament passes Bill on digital infrastructure, debates land transport Bill","pagination","1","contenttype","live blog","liveBlogSchemaProps",{"_22":85,"_86":21,"_24":61,"_87":88,"_89":90,"_91":88,"_92":93,"_94":95,"_96":97,"_102":103,"_245":246},"https://www.straitstimes.com/live-singapore-parliament-october-2026","headline","datePublished","2026-10-06T09:30:00.000Z","dateModified","2026-10-07T21:40:43.000Z","coverageStartTime","coverageEndTime","2026-10-07T23:32:00+08:00","publisherName","The Straits Times","publisherLogo",{"_22":98,"_99":100,"_101":10},"https://www.straitstimes.com/publisher-logo.png","width",600,"height","updates",[104,109,113,117,121,125,129,133,137,141,145,149,153,157,161,165,169,173,177,181,185,189,193,197,201,205,209,213,217,221,225,229,233,237,241],{"_86":105,"_87":106,"_107":108},"Parliament passes land transport Bill","2026-10-07T20:00:09+08:00","articleBody","All autonomous vehicle deployments will be required to have liability insurance coverage and an incident management framework, says Baey.This will ensure that people will be adequately protected and compensated in the event of accidents.He is responding to MPs who asked about the safety risks of deploying such vehicles on public roads or pathways under the new regulatory sandbox for autonomous mobile robots on public paths.He says the LTA will maintain oversight and ensure that they are safe for other path users.For instance, for lower-risk autonomous vehicles and mobile robots LTA will check that they comply with the speed, weight, and dimension limits, and will also screen the deploying companies for their legal registration and autonomous vehicle track record.LTA may also require safeguards in some instances, such as the deployment of on-site safety operators.He adds that LTA will work with operators on public engagement to help the local community understand how to interact safely with the autonomous vehicles.Addressing concerns that autonomous vehicles will harm the livelihood of taxi and private hire car drivers, Baey says that these groups are the Government’s priority in the transition.“We do not expect immediate impact on their livelihood,” Baey says, adding that the majority of point-to-point transport will be provided by human drivers for the “foreseeable future”.The Government expects there to be several hundreds of autonomous vehicles by end-2028, relative to the 72,000 taxi and private hire car drivers today.On electric vehicle charging, Baey says the LTA will look at charging location in determining which chargers should be subject to inspections.Publicly accessible charges are more heavily used than those installed in landed homes, and will thus be required to undergo mandatory periodic inspections once every six months. Wrapping up the debate, he says that the Bill covers significant ground to respond to evolving industry trends and to keep Singapore’s rules updated.“Land transport touches the daily lives of every Singaporean. The Government will continue to act decisively where safety is at stake, streamline where we can, and work closely with industry and the community,” he says.The House passes the Bill after the five-hour debate.",{"_86":110,"_87":111,"_107":112},"Parliament has ended","2026-10-07T20:27:59+08:00","Parliament’s October sitting has ended. Four Bills were passed over the two-day sitting. Here’s what you need to know:P1 registration changes: 15% of pupils who entered 12 popular schools during Phase 2C of the Primary 1 registration process live in public housing, Education Minister Desmond Lee said. Lee answered questions from MPs on the changes to the P1 registration system that allow families living further away to also apply in Phase 2C, the application stage open to children without prior connection or priority links to the school. The changes are meant to widen access to schools in neighbourhoods dominated by private housing, but MPs questioned if the type of housing children come from was the right parameter to adjust to ensure social mixing. Lee said it was simple and easier to implement, and added that any potential success in social mixing would also depend heavily on parents’ choices. Data centres to meet new security, resilience rules: Parliament passed new laws which seek to ensure energy efficiency and operational resilience of data centres through a new licensing framework. MPs raised questions about how energy efficiency would be measured and the environmental impact of data centres. Addressing calls from MPs for transparency over cyber disruptions, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How said his ministry will require data centre operators to notify the public. He added that data centre growth is not expected to impact household electricity costs.New land transport laws passed: Parliament debated a wide-ranging set of new laws that will tighten rules governing the sale of active mobility devices and their batteries and enforce more strictly the use of deregistered vehicles. It will also extend regulations for autonomous vehicles to be tested on roads till the end of 2028 while a new Act to govern AVs is developed. The Government will also clamp down on illegal point-to-point transport services, making it an offence to advertise such services. Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng said the authorities may consider penalising customers of such services in the future. MPs sought clarity on the new laws, in particular which batteries are safe to use given that some workers use the mobility devices in their work, and also brought up concerns over liability in accidents involving AVs.Thanks for sticking with us. If you’re still here, you must like politics. Subscribe here for our analysis of this week’s sitting in our weekly politics newsletter, Unpacked.See you next month!",{"_86":114,"_87":115,"_107":116},"MP’s concerns are important but many of these cases are complex, Govt will study suggestions: Eric Chua ","2026-10-07T20:17:25+08:00","The priority of the authorities has been to intervene in the divorce process before conflict escalates to persistent withholding of access, says Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua. The Government has progressively strengthened support in line with therapeutic justice principles to help parents better manage the conflicts, reduce acrimony, and focus on the children's best interest, he says in response to Pang. Now, most families can move forward without serious disputes, but some highly acrimonious cases remain particularly difficult for the children involved, he adds. But many of these cases are complex and involve conflicting accounts from parents, he says. Moves like directing that children be returned without a proper assessment could also harm them, he says, and in a domestic dispute, Singapore’s courts may have to decide themselves what arrangements are in the child's best interest. He says the MP’s concerns are important nonetheless. “We will study these suggestions with development partners, including the Family Justice Courts, to see whether the current process can be improved, especially in identifying serious cases that need earlier intervention, keeping in mind the need to always safeguard the interest of the child.”",{"_86":118,"_87":119,"_107":120},"Review process for dealing with situations where one parent withholds a child from another, says Diana Pang","2026-10-07T20:16:02+08:00","Diana Pang (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC) wants the Government to review how it handles cases where one parent withholds contact with the couple’s children from another. In an adjournment motion, she asks if the system responds quickly enough when a parent is in danger of losing contact with a child.She says she has seen more of such cases in her ward recently, and in these, the concern goes beyond an occasional missed visit. Some parents describe repeated blocked calls with held visits or agreed arrangements that do not happen, while others describe children being told that the other parent does not care, or being made to feel guilty for wanting to see them.She has suggested some ways to stop these situations from happening, including legislating that the courts should establish a dedicated and urgent track for cases involving domestic child abduction.She also asks the Government to consider whether deliberate and wrongful removal or retention of a child by one parent should be a specifically defined criminal offence.“We need prompt decisions, careful protection, effective enforcement, and whether or not proceedings have already begun,” she says.",{"_86":122,"_87":123,"_107":124},"Demand for legal cross-border taxi trips have risen","2026-10-07T19:53:47+08:00","The average daily cross-border taxi trips have risen by around 20% since enhancements in May, Baey says, as he notes that the Government had expanded such legal services even as it is cracking down on illegal point-to-point services. The quota of the cross-border taxi schemes was increased to 300 taxis from 200 taxis in both Singapore and Malaysia in May, with cross ride-hail bookings enabled and both countries’ taxis allowed to drop off passengers in Singapore and most parts of Johor.He adds that Singapore's cross-border taxi quota has been fully utilised, while Malaysia has utilised more than half of its quota.“We are discussing with the Malaysians to increase the quota of licensed taxis to meet the cross-border transport needs of our commuters,” Baey says.He is responding to concerns raised by MPs, who pointed out that commuters’ transport needs must remain fulfilled as the authorities clamp down on illegal point-to-point transport services.",{"_86":126,"_87":127,"_107":128},"Compatibility depends on the safe operation of battery and mobility device together","2026-10-07T19:37:48+08:00","With the proposed amendments making it an offence to install and use incompatible batters in active mobility devices, MPs had asked how people would be able to determine compatibility.Baey says in response to these questions that a battery that is safe on its own is not necessarily safe when used with a particular device.The battery and device must operate safely together, and a compatible battery is one that was fitted into and tested with that device model to meet the prescribed safety standards.Another battery of the same brand and model, with testing conducted by independent bodies to certify compliance with standards, can also be considered a compatible battery.Baey adds that retailers are responsible for the accuracy of specification notices.For mobility scooters and motorised wheelchairs, batteries must be installed or endorsed by the manufacturer as suitable for the device.For personal mobility devices and power assisted bicycles (PABs), third-party batteries can be recognised as compatible if tested together with the relevant device model to meet the prescribed safety standards.“Such testing may involve cost and effort, but safety is our key consideration here,” Baey says.The Land Transport Authority (LTA) already has a published list of compatible batteries for approved PAB models, and intends to publish similar lists for white-listed e-scooter and mobility scooter models before the new rules commence.This will provide consumers and retailers with a common reference, says Baey.",{"_86":130,"_87":131,"_107":132},"ERP 2.0 can be used for detecting deregistered vehicles in future: Baey","2026-10-07T19:31:59+08:00","All 25 MPs who joined the debate have spoken and Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng rises to wrap up.He says, in response to suggestions by some MPs, that the Government intends to leverage on ERP 2.0 in the detecting the location of deregistered vehicles in future.This only works if the onboard unit (OBU) of these vehicles have not been tampered with or removed. For those vehicles which have been tampered with, the current practice of using roadside surveillance camera systems will continue.MPs had raised concerns during the debate about the dangers of having deregistered vehicles in circulation, particularly because of their usage in crimes.Baey says that the detection of these vehicles are inherently difficult due to the multiple intermediaries that transactions go through, many of which are not reported to the authorities.Specifically, bad actors are increasingly exploiting youths through platforms such as Telegram.With the changes in the law, a new Authorised Exporter Scheme will also be introduced, under which exporters will bear the responsibility of the disposal once the vehicle has been handed over.Baey says the Land Transport Authority expects 20 to 50 exporters to come onboard for a start.",{"_86":134,"_87":135,"_107":136},"MPs seek clearer guidance on liabilities, compensation for AV accidents","2026-10-07T18:49:31+08:00","Several MPs echo Yip Hon Weng’s (Yio Chu Kang) call for more clarity on liabilities in the event of an accident involving autonomous vehicles (AVs). They also ask how victims will be compensated.Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Changi GRC) says that while the new laws allow for rules that require AV operators to ensure that liability insurance is in force before an approved trial, special use or testbed begins, they do not address the issue of responsibility given an accident.“As autonomy increases, our legal concept of the driver becomes increasingly inadequate,” says Sharael. Seeking clarity on the boundaries of who or what constitutes a “driver”, he asks if this framework might eventually also cover bipedal or humanoid robots walking on footpaths.Cassandra Lee (West Coast-Jurong West GRC) asks what mechanism the authorities are considering to ensure victims of accidents involving AVs are not left waiting for compensation when liabilities remain disputed.She suggests for eventual laws governing AVs to adopt a principle of compensating victims of accidents involving AVs first while liability between relevant operators, technology providers and insurers is being determined.Separately, Sharael raises concerns about the privacy of residents and pedestrians when AVs are deployed to housing estates, parks and town centres. He asks what safeguards will govern what AVs can record on video, how long such footage will be retained and who may access it.",{"_86":138,"_87":139,"_107":140},"Ensure sufficient legitimate cross-border taxis as enforcement tightens, says Hamid Razak","2026-10-07T18:32:30+08:00","Several MPs welcome the clampdown on illegal point-to-point cross-border services, but ask for more enforcement and for sufficient authorised services.Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) who spoke earlier in the debate said that these illegal transport services may be coordinated through organisers, booking channels and commercial networks which recruit drivers and profit from these rides.He asked if the LTA can also target these “upstream actors” and not just the individual drivers.“This will require timely information sharing and coordinated action not just within LTA, but also with the online platforms and the relevant enforcement agencies, particularly where operators use multiple channels or operate across borders,” said Yong.Joining the debate, Hamid Razak (West Coast-Jurong West GRC) says he welcomes the earlier-announced increase in the Singapore-Malaysia cross-border taxi scheme quota from 200 to 300 taxis, and the Government’s intention to raise it to 500 taxis from each country eventually.But as illegal options are removed, Hamid says that the authorities should ensure that legitimate cross-border options are available and affordable.“Otherwise, we may be suppressing an illegal market without actually addressing the demand that created it in the first place,” he says.He asks the authorities to monitor the waiting times, fares and availability of cross-border transport services if the new laws are passed.Since May 4, Grab users in Singapore have been able to book cross-border rides from anywhere on the island to destinations in Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai and Senai at least 12 hours in advance.The authorities have been nabbing drivers providing illegal cross-border ride-hailing services as part of efforts to protect the livelihoods of Singapore’s local point-to-point drivers from illegal cross-border transport services.ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG",{"_86":142,"_87":143,"_107":144},"MPs call for greater safety assurances for residents amid testing of autonomous vehicles on public paths","2026-10-07T18:02:49+08:00","Several MPs call for the Government to provide more assurances for the safety of residents and pedestrians as testing for autonomous vehicles (AVs) continues to move forward.East Coast GRC MP Hazlina Abdul Halim points out that controlled trials of these devices should focus on whether tasks can be performed without compromising safety of the public.Given the unpredictability of other road users, including children and the elderly, Hazlina calls for clear operating conditions to guide AVs.These include deciding when the vehicles should stop and give way, what happens when connectivity is lost and how quickly a human can intervene.She calls for the Government to publish regular summaries of significant incidents, near misses, complaints, emergency interventions and corrective actions arising from the trials.Sembawang GRC MP Gabriel Lam notes that road conditions during a controlled trial may differ greatly from that of a real-life residential neighbourhood, depending on the time of the day.“On any evening in Canberra, we have children walking with their parents, seniors, residents using wheelchairs or mobility devices, cyclists and delivery riders all sharing the same neighbourhood,” Lam says.Given the importance of safety, he asks how residents living near a trial area will be informed of the tests, and urges the Government to engage residents and grassroots organisations early.Yip Hon Weng, who represents Yio Chu Kang, asks about issues of accountability in the event of an accident involving autonomous vehicles.“When an autonomous system fails, liability can easily fracture across software developers, sensor vendors, mapping providers, fleet operators, and maintenance contractors,” Yip says.He asks if the Government will establish an independent review process for serious autonomous vehicle incidents, as the public cannot be left to watch relevant parties shirk responsibility in the event of such incidents.“A sandbox should be a place to learn, not a place in which responsibility disappears,” Yip says.“When autonomy comes, accountability must stay.”",{"_86":146,"_87":147,"_107":148},"Labour MPs raise concerns over impact on incomes of delivery riders, taxi and private-hire drivers","2026-10-07T16:11:54+08:00","New compliance standards for personal mobility devices and their batteries should be clear and accessible to consumers, including delivery workers whose income depends on these devices, say PAP’s Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol GRC) and Melvin Yong (Radin Mas).The two labour MPs also urge the Government to consider the impact of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on taxi and private-hire drivers before further expanding their roll-out.Yong says delivery riders need clear, accessible and reliable information on new regulations for replacement batteries so that they do not face unnecessary downtime or a loss of income just because they cannot establish what is safe and legal to use.He asks the Land Transport Authority to provide an authoritative and easily accessible way for consumers to check whether a replacement battery is compatible with their device, especially for older devices where the original retailer or manufacturer may have shuttered.Yeo flags the anxiety felt by some taxi and private-hire drivers about the roll-out of AVs, especially as trials in Punggol move towards their use in point-to-point services.She recalls a conversation with a driver who had heard that close to 10,000 people had already taken autonomous shuttles in Punggol and asked if that means drivers like him will have 10,000 fewer jobs.Yeo notes that while that is not the case, the driver’s remark raises an important question about whether there will still be enough trips for drivers to earn a decent living when AVs eventually operate commercially and at a greater scale.She asks that the authorities measure the impact of AVs on workers’ trips, utilisation, waiting times and net earnings and for more details on the deployment pathway of AVs.Yeo is the executive secretary of the National Transport Workers’ Union and an advisor to NDCA, the National Taxi Association, and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association.PHOTO: ST FILE",{"_86":150,"_87":151,"_107":152},"New laws could reduce consumer choice of batteries: Ng Shi Xuan","2026-10-07T17:28:06+08:00","Consumers may have to pay more to replace batteries should the new laws result in the battery market becoming an oligopoly, says Ng Shi Xuan (Sembawang GRC).He says the Bill prioritises whether batteries have been tested with particular devices and, for mobility vehicles, whether they were installed or endorsed by the original manufacturer. Because the main way to demonstrate compatibility runs through the original equipment maker, this means independent battery makers capable of meeting the same safety standards may find themselves shut out of the replacement market resulting in less choice, says Ng, who owns a battery company.An oligopoly is a market structure where a small number of large firms control a major portion of an industry’s output.He asks if independent battery makers will be able to demonstrate that their batteries meet the same safety standards as those made by the original manufacturers.On EVs, he suggests that the authorities consider allowing new charging models such as mobile charging to evolve alongside the growing vehicle population.",{"_86":154,"_87":155,"_107":156},"MPs ask how new rules on active mobility devices will be enforced","2026-10-07T16:51:39+08:00","Several MPs ask how the authorities will ensure retailers comply with new rules on the sale and advertising of personal mobility devices.WP’s Dennis Tan (Hougang) asks what actions can be taken against overseas sellers, particularly when they have no assets, operations or personnel in Singapore. His party colleague Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied GRC) says many listings for active mobility devices, replacement parts and batteries can be posted, modified and re-uploaded daily on e-commerce platforms under different merchants.He questions if LTA has the capacity, systems and personnel to effectively audit e-commerce platforms, or if enforcement will mainly rely on public feedback.Tan and PAP’s Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) also ask if the authorities will involve such platforms to proactively screen and take down non-compliant listings.Separately, Fadli repeats his suggestion for self-driving night bus services, which he had made in an earlier parliamentary debate in July. He says such buses would improve connectivity for night workers while showcasing how AVs can be used on roads.Given the extension to the regulatory sandbox for AV deployments on roads to end-2028, there is now more time to trial such services, argues Fadli.",{"_86":158,"_87":159,"_107":160},"Make clear to buyers and sellers the warning and specification notices for PMDs, says Tin Pei Ling","2026-10-07T15:33:59+08:00","Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC MP Tin Pei Ling speaks first in the debate.On regulations around the online sales and advertising of personal mobility devices and their batteries, Tin asks the Land Transport Authority how it would find non-compliant listings in online marketplaces.“Will it rely on active monitoring, public reports or marketplace cooperation?” asks Tin, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for transport – a group of PAP backbenchers tasked to scrutinise government policy.While the proposed changes tackle the supply side of non-compliance in the sector, Tin asks that policies also work on the demand side of such devices.She asks that the warning and specification notices be made simple enough such that casual sellers and ordinary buyers can comply with the proposed changes in the rules.“Will there be a clear, accessible list of approved models and compatible batteries, for example through a QR code or a searchable online register, so that the buyer does not have to try making sense of technical specifications?” Tin asks.Tin, who represents MacPherson, cites examples of home fires that broke out in her ward due to personal mobility devices that were charged with incompatible batteries.“In mature estates like ours, where it is densely built up and home to many seniors and young children, a single fire or collision can have tragic consequences,” Tin says.",{"_86":162,"_87":163,"_107":164},"Govt aiming to introduce Autonomous Vehicle Act in one year’s time","2026-10-07T14:51:14+08:00","The Government is aiming to introduce a new legislation governing the use of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) on the roads in one year’s time, Baey says.Such vehicles are currently deployed through a sandbox under the Road Traffic Act, which will be extended until end-2028.There are also plans to introduce a new sandbox under the Active Mobility Act to facilitate deploying autonomous mobile robots on public paths on a larger scale, Baey says.With the new sandbox, public authorities can apply to use areas under their purviews as testbeds for these devices, Baey says, citing the Punggol Digital District testbed managed by JTC as an example.Lower risk devices that are within the specified speed, weight and dimension limits, such as robots that deliver groceries and medicine within short distances, will be subject to lighter regulations and can be deployed more quickly, he adds.Moving on to the illegal charging of EVs, Baey says regulations will be tightened on the use of unregistered chargers or chargers at banned locations.Under the new regulations, a person will be presumed to have charged an EV as long as it was proven that the person has connected a charger.Baey says the presumption is necessary as it is difficult to ascertain whether electricity was actually transferred from a charger to a vehicle.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN",{"_86":166,"_87":167,"_107":168},"Penalties for commuters who use illegal point-to-point services not ruled out in future","2026-10-07T14:45:31+08:00","The amendments also deal with providers of illegal point-to-point (P2P) ride services, who will be subjected to stiffer fines of up to $10,000.For now, commuters will not face any penalties, but this may change in future, says Baey.Such services pose safety risks to passengers and undermine the livelihoods of licensed P2P drivers, he adds.Besides increasing the maximum fine for using unlicensed vehicles to provide such services, the forwarding and sharing of advertisements that promote such illegal services, which are often posted on messaging platforms such as Telegram, will also become an offence.The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be given the power to ask the messaging platforms for information on the advertisers.“We have not introduced specific penalties against commuters for the use of illegal P2P services for now. But we may do so in future,” Baey says.He urges commuters to avoid such illegal services, saying that they often lack valid insurance.Since July 2025, LTA has impounded around 240 vehicles used for such illegal P2P services.Baey says investigations into these cases take around three to four months, which exceeds the current one-month period before a seized unlicensed vehicle must be released in the absence of prosecution.Therefore, the mandatory release timeline will be extended to three months under the proposed amendments, to give LTA sufficient time to investigate and build a complete case, he adds. ",{"_86":170,"_87":171,"_107":172},"MDDI will explore requiring data centre operators to notify users of disruptions: Tan Kiat How","2026-10-07T14:05:00+08:00","Operators may be mandated in the future to send users notifications when cyber service disruptions occur, says Tan.He says the ministry could explore including such user notification requirements in future regulations or codes of practice, addressing Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC Lee Hong Chuang’s suggestions for greater public transparency.Tan adds that this updated regulation will be explored in consultation with the industry.Referring to calls by some members of the House for the Government to publish more information on incidents and whether operators deliver on their commitments, Tan says much of what licensees report is commercially sensitive.“But the information will be put to good use. We will review incidents, share key learnings with operators, and incorporate them into the codes of practice where appropriate,” says Tan.Parliament passes the Bill unanimously.READ MORE HERE.PHOTO: MDDI",{"_86":174,"_87":175,"_107":176},"Selling and advertising non-compliant mobility devices online to be offences","2026-10-07T14:38:04+08:00","Online sellers of power-assisted bicycles, scooters and mobility scooters will be subject to the same rules as brick-and-mortar retailers, in amendments being proposed to the Active Mobility Act.As sales of such devices become more commonplace online, consumers should likewise have confidence that their purchases will be compliant, says Minister of State for Transport and for Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng.Opening the debate on the Land Transport and Related Matters (No. 2) Bill, he says a key area of amendment is to enhance the active mobility regulatory framework.The other key amendments cut across land transport areas from P2P services to deregistered vehicles, autonomous vehicles and electric vehicle charging. Speaking on active mobility devices, Baey says it will be an offence to sell or advertise non-compliant active mobility devices online, and sellers must display warning notices on device listings, informing buyers of device and usage rules.Given the fire risks arising from batteries in active mobility devices, new battery safety rules will also be introduced, making it an offence to use and install non-compatible batteries in such devices. There were 55 fires caused by active mobility devices in 2023, 67 in 2024, and 49 in 2025. To help users identify suitable batteries, sellers must display specification notices on the battery’s compatibility, voltage and capacity. It will also be an offence to sell or advertise a battery for use with a non-compatible device.“This approach places responsibilities on both the seller and the user,” says Baey.Penalties for illegally importing power assisted bicycles and motorised personal mobility devices will also be raised starting later this year.For individuals, the maximum penalty will be doubled from a fine of $5,000, imprisonment of 6 months, or both, to a fine of $10,000, imprisonment of 12 months, or both.If the illegal import is made by a corporation or any other type of entity, the maximum fine will increase from $10,000 to $40,000.Meanwhile, for deregistered vehicles in Singapore, the proposed changes introduces the Authorised Exporter Scheme, which will require deregistered vehicles intended for export to be disposed of through only LTA-authorised exporters.Owners of deregistered vehicles will also have less time to send the vehicles for disposal, with the grace period shortened to 14 days from the current one month.“The Government takes a serious view of the use, keeping, sale or purchase of deregistered vehicles. They put public safety at risk,” Baey says.",{"_86":178,"_87":179,"_107":180},"Seriousness and arrestability should not be conflated in domestic violence cases: Sim Ann","2026-10-07T12:07:54+08:00","The issue of seriousness should not be conflated with the issue of arrestability in cases of domestic violence, says Second Minister for Home Affairs Sim Ann. She is responding to a question from WP’s Kenneth Tiong (Aljunied GRC) on why amendments to the law that made assaulting a domestic worker an arrestable offence did not do so for people to assault their partners.Domestic violence is a serious matter, and the Government takes a strong stance against it, says Sim. The specific issue here is the charge of voluntarily causing hurt, which is in general a non-arrestable offence.The policy question is whether every instance of voluntarily causing hurt should automatically attract an arrest, or whether intervention should be calibrated according to the risks and circumstances of each case, she says. The second approach is in keeping with the framework for dealing with such cases adopted at the previous review. She adds that amendments in 2019 created exceptions to the general position for offences against specified categories of people, recognising particular concerns about their capacity to protect themselves, given their inherently vulnerable position in society. These concerns justify additional safeguards across these categories, she says. The amendments did not create an equivalent category-wide exception for intimate partners, but this does not mean that intimate partner violence is less serious, she says. The classification of voluntarily causing hurt as a non-arrestable offence does not make such conduct lawful or place an offender beyond prosecution, nor does it prevent protective intervention, she adds.The Ministry of Social and Family Development’s domestic violence emergency response team is able to issue emergency orders on site in high-risk cases, she says. “Emergency orders can impose immediate restrictions. Breaches are arrestable, and police can arrest where other arrestable offences are disclosed.”",{"_86":182,"_87":183,"_107":184},"Onus is on Singapore and its organisations to prepare for attacks by AI agents: Tan Kiat How","2026-10-07T11:24:21+08:00","Singapore “cannot just wait for other people to tell us that they are hacking us”, says Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How. Responding to questions from MPs on how the Government is preparing for attacks by artificial intelligence agents, he says the onus is on Singapore and its organisations to take the necessary safeguards - especially those running critical information infrastructure.Such attacks by rogue agents from frontier labs have made headlines in recent months, where AI agents have escaped secured environments and attacked other systems. There are many things that Singaporean organisations can do, including making sure basic cyber hygiene is put in place. “The agents or bad actors exploit the same vulnerabilities: an unlocked door or the unsecured window to enter our systems, whether through AI means or more traditional conventional means,” he says. The Government has been running trials and experiments to stay abreast of the evolving technology, and to understand what it takes to implement agentic systems responsibly, he adds, even as the “threat landscape” has evolved significantly in recent months. “I encourage all private sector organisations, even those who are not running critical information infrastructure or essential digital services, to also take appropriate care and responsibility when deploying AI agents or systems within their operations,” he says.",{"_86":186,"_87":187,"_107":188},"Data centre growth not expected to increase household electricity costs: Tan Kiat How","2026-10-07T13:49:11+08:00","Building data centres will not raise the electricity costs of households, says Tan.Unlike data centres in other parts of the world, Tan says the ones here do not buy electricity at the regulated household tariff. Instead, they buy electricity from retailers at commercial rates or directly from the wholesale electricity market like other large industrial consumers, says Tan, while household tariffs are driven mainly by fuel and electricity generation costs.He is addressing concerns raised by MPs over how households may end up subsidising the electricity costs of data centres.As overall electricity demand grows, the power grid may need to be expanded or reinforced. These system level upgrades benefit the reliability and resilience of the entire grid, and their costs are shared across users through the existing grid charging framework, he adds.This does not mean that large users of water and electricity are “given a free pass”, he says.“They must be held to high standards… because data centres are major users of resources, we subject their growth to greater scrutiny and progressively higher efficiency expectations,” says Tan, adding that the projected electricity and water demand of data centres is factored into national infrastructure planning.",{"_86":190,"_87":191,"_107":192},"MOE used proportion of public housing as base for P1 registration changes for ease of implementation","2026-10-07T10:51:10+08:00","The Education Ministry (MOE) decided to base changes to the P1 registration system on the proportion of public housing, as it is simple and easier to implement, says Education Minister Desmond Lee. This also gives greater certainty to parents, given that housing makeup does not change frequently, he says. Under the changes, 12 schools will split 60 reserved places in the phase reserved for children with no prior connections to the school into two tracks. This means half of the places will be reserved for those who live within 2km of the school, and the remaining half will be for those who live even farther away. The MOE used a distance of within two kilometres as it strikes a balance between maintaining access for children living near the school while opening access to families living beyond the school's immediate neighbourhood, says Lee. “As our objective is to broaden opportunities for access rather than to reserve places for specific social economic groups, we have not introduced priority for particular socioeconomic groups, including those living in rental flats,” he adds. The criteria for the two-track scheme are consistently applied to schools where public housing accounts for less than 40% of homes within two kilometres, including CHIJ Katong Primary and Nanyang Primary School, he says. He is responding to questions from MPs on the design of the changes, which will apply to the 2027 P1 registration process.PHOTO: ST FILE",{"_86":194,"_87":195,"_107":196},"Regulatory quality boosts Singapore’s competitiveness on global stage: Tan Kiat How","2026-10-07T13:41:07+08:00","Singapore competes as a trusted, connected hub where reliability, security and resilience matter more to enterprise activities, says Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How as he returns to wrap up the debate.Responding to MPs’ concerns that more regulation could affect Singapore’s competitiveness in this space, Tan says the city-state does not compete by having the cheapest land or electricity.Tan says regulatory quality can boost Singapore's competitiveness, and that good regulation is not about having the most rules, but about having the right rules applied predictably.He says these regulations will evolve over time, drawing on consultation with the industry and international standards. IMDA will take enforcement action on licensees who do not comply with the codes, says Tan.Referring to concerns raised by MPs about the environment trade-offs, Tan says data centres are not a standalone sector. Instead, they underpin many important sectors, such as financial services, digital payments, healthcare systems, logistics platforms and government services.He says they serve also as important connectivity nodes linking domestic, regional and international networks.He adds that the electricity use of data centres' today translates to less than 5% of Singapore's total carbon emissions. There are about 70 data centres in Singapore, he says.It is also not sensible to place an “arbitrary cap” on data centre capacity, as some MPs have suggested, he says.“We want to anchor high-value workloads where trust, security and continuity matter most… For these workloads, Singapore’s position at the centre of regional, financial and enterprise infrastructure, and the trust in our institutions, are a real advantage,” says Tan.He says placing a limit on data centre capacity will constrain the growth of Singapore’s broader economy and the use of digital technologies which he says benefits all Singaporeans.",{"_86":198,"_87":199,"_107":200},"Data centres should also have to be transparent to public about incidents, say MPs","2026-10-07T12:50:26+08:00","Data centre operators should notify business owners and customers, and not just the authorities, when disruptions occur, says Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP Lee Hong Chuang.He says small businesses relying on online services for their daily operations will face immediate impact, with customers leaving and business coming to a standstill.“When digital systems or online services are disrupted, many people do not know whom to turn to or how long they have to wait… The business owner may not even be able to give customers a simple answer,” says Lee.To address this, he suggests that data centre operators should inform customers when a disruption occurs, what happened and when service is expected to be restored.Agreeing with her PAP colleague, Choo Pei Ling (Chua Chu Kang GRC) calls for an annual anonymised review of incidents, root causes and recovery times to be published.“People trust what they can see being checked,” she says.",{"_86":202,"_87":203,"_107":204},"Question time ends","2026-10-07T12:08:12+08:00","MPs will resume the debate on new laws to govern the infrastructural resilience and environmental sustainability of data centres here. Lee Hong Chuang (Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC) speaks first today.",{"_86":206,"_87":207,"_107":208},"Consumers can perform background checks on promoters of investment schemes via ACRA: Alvin Tan","2026-10-07T11:55:49+08:00","Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan says ScamShield is not a suitable tool for consumers to check on persons offering investment schemes.This is because it serves as an anti-scam tool for consumers to check, block and report messages, websites and phone numbers suspected to be scam-related.He is responding to WP MP Kenneth Tiong’s question on whether ScamShield can be used by the public to perform background checks on promoters of investment schemes, including their directorships, bankruptcy and involvement in firms.Tan says such information can be found for $5.50 on the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority’s website.“Consumers should approach every investment opportunity with caution and deal only with entities licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and their appointed representatives,” says Tan.PHOTO: ST FILE",{"_86":210,"_87":211,"_107":212},"Removal of public officers’ details from online directory meant to combat impersonation scams","2026-10-07T11:49:53+08:00","Details of public officers were removed from an online directory to reduce the risk of scammers misusing government officers' names and contact details for impersonation scams, says Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Jasmin Lau. Lau is responding to a question from Workers’ Party MP Louis Chua, who asked how the public can verify the identity of an officer following the removal of some public officers' contact details from the directory, known as the Singapore Government Directory (SGDI).These contact details, including names, e-mail addresses and office phone numbers, were removed from the directory earlier this year.Chua, in a follow-up question, asks if Lau has the figures on how many scammers have impersonated senior public servants and political office holders. Lau, who is also the minister-in-charge of GovTech, says she does not have these on hand.“I would also say that protecting the public from such scams requires combined efforts across government. So this move on SGDI is one of the many moves that we have to reduce the scams.”",{"_86":214,"_87":215,"_107":216},"Public sector agencies do not need to buy commercial cyber insurance: Alvin Tan","2026-10-07T11:49:35+08:00","Public sector agencies, including statutory boards, are not required to have commercial cyber insurance, though it has become increasingly accepted as a risk management tool by firms in Singapore and the region, says Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan.The authorities adopt a multi-pronged approach to managing cyber risks, including investments in prevention, detection, response, and recovery capabilities. He is responding to MP Yip Hon Weng’s (Yio Chu Kang) question on whether public sector agencies and statutory boards need to get commercial cyber insurance and if the Monetary Authority of Singapore tracks industry cyber insurance claims and payout trends.Tan notes that cyber insurance currently remains a relatively small component of the overall insurance market in Singapore.He adds that adjudicators in the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre are continually trained to stay abreast of emerging issues, including in the field of cyber insurance.Over the last five years, FIDReC has handled two claims brought by individual consumers involving cyber insurance policies.",{"_86":218,"_87":219,"_107":220},"Govt ready to provide targeted support to borrowers if needed, interest rates here have not risen as much as elsewhere","2026-10-07T11:44:55+08:00","Interest rates in Singapore have not risen as much compared to other jurisdictions, says Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat in response to a question on how increases in US Treasury yields will affect Singapore’s borrowing costs and credit availability.The prevailing 10-year Singapore Government Securities yield stands at 2.5% compared to its 10-year average of around 2.2%, says Chee, who is deputy chairman of the board of Singapore’s central bank. Broader domestic credit conditions also remain conducive, Chee says, citing the three-month compounded SORA – a benchmark interest rate used for loans with a floating interest rate – which is at 1.2%, below its 10-year average of 1.5 percent.Chee says stress tests conducted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore indicate that businesses and households are generally able to manage higher borrowing costs.“Businesses and households, particularly those who are more vulnerable, should exercise financial prudence by borrowing within their means, maintain adequate liquidity buffers and factor in the possibility of higher interest rates going forward,” he says.Regarding rising interest rates, he says the impact of such increases is mitigated by the peg of the HDB mortgage loan to the CPF ordinary account interest rate, which provides greater stability against movements in market mortgage rates.“Borrowers who anticipate difficulty servicing their loans should approach their lenders early to discuss options. The government stands ready to provide appropriate and targeted support, if necessary,” Chee says.In September, yields on US Treasury’s 30-year bonds surpassed 5.61% to reach a level last seen in 2002, prior to disruptions from the global financial crisis and pandemic.US Treasuries provide a global benchmark for interest rates and asset valuations, and their yields can affect government bonds, corporate bonds, share prices, exchange rates and, indirectly, borrowing costs here in Singapore.",{"_86":222,"_87":223,"_107":224},"MOM studying how to encourage employers to offer progressive healthcare benefits","2026-10-07T11:21:39+08:00","As part of the ongoing review of the Employment Act, the Ministry of Manpower is looking at how to encourage employers to offer progressive healthcare benefits, such as reimbursement of medical expenses beyond consultation fees and paid sick leave without requiring a medical certificate, says Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau.Some employers are already offering such benefits that go beyond the baseline statutory requirements, she adds, and the MOM will work with its companies and unions to encourage wider adoption.Lau was responding to a question by MP Hamid Razak (West Coast-Jurong West GRC), who asked whether the Government will consider encouraging employers to provide progressive medical benefits.In her response, Lau cites a survey conducted by the Ministry of Manpower, which found in 2024 that about 30 per cent of the respondent employers offer paid sick leave without needing a medical certificate.Many employers also reimburse employees' medical expenses beyond consultation fees, she says.Beyond these benefits, Lau says MOM also strongly encourages employers to give employees time off for annual Healthier SG check-ins and preventive care appointments, and to provide portable medical benefits so people retain healthcare coverage when they change employers.Updates for the ongoing Employment Act review will be provided in due course, Lau says.In a supplementary question, Hamid asks whether the Government will consider strengthening the statutory framework so that employers who provide such progressive medical benefits do not have to bear additional costs.In response, Lau says that the Government aims to encourage voluntary adoption of these practices, rather than adjusting the statutory baseline obligations for employers.“Our objective is not to increase the financial obligations of employers, but rather for employers to be able to offer more flexibility for their employees to use their medical benefits,” Lau says.ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG",{"_86":226,"_87":227,"_107":228},"MPs ask if more diversity in schools will lead to real integration without more intervention","2026-10-07T11:03:06+08:00","Nominated MP Kenneth Goh, an academic, says a more diverse group of students in schools may not translate to better integration. “My question is whether MOE will deliberately and intentionally be monitoring the degree of mixing within the schools,” he says. For example, the ministry could look at the breakdown of participation in different CCAs, leadership positions, etc. by factors like socio-economic status, he adds. PAP’s Gho Sze Kee (Mountbatten) asks how the ministry intends to assess whether greater social mixing has actually been achieved.“Is bringing children from different social economic circumstances from further away neighborhoods an end to itself, or will MOE have specific indicators to determine whether this has resulted in a greater social mixing and most importantly, better outcomes for the children and the pupils?”WP’s Non-Constituency MP Andre Low also asks if baseline outcome indicators will be used to assess the socioeconomic mixing metrics, and whether that would then become a benchmark that will be used to determine whether this scheme can be expanded to other schools.In response to these questions, Lee says ultimately, whether or not a more diverse cohort leads to better social mixing depends on parents' choices. “But at least now we widen the circle and give opportunities. And for those living within zero to two kilometres, we are preserving access. We are not taking it away.”",{"_86":230,"_87":231,"_107":232},"Parliament begins","2026-10-07T10:30:42+08:00","MPs are in the House. Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng skips past the first two questions on pandemic preparedness, and the House turns to the questions on the revised P1 registration framework.",{"_86":234,"_87":235,"_107":236},"What happened yesterday","2026-10-07T10:20:23+08:00","Parliament sits for a second day today. Here’s what you need to know from day one’s nearly 10 hour session: ",{"_86":238,"_87":239,"_107":240},"What to watch out for","2026-10-07T09:42:17+08:00","MPs have filed many questions for the Government to answer. Here are some to watch for today:P1 registration: Five MPs have asked about recent changes to the P1 registration framework. The Education Ministry is testing out allowing families living further away to also apply in Phase 2C in a bid to widen access to schools in neighbourhoods dominated by private housing. MPs have asked about the impact of this move on social mixing and if so, how this will be tracked or measured.AI safety: A recent spate of rogue AI hacking incidents have triggered concerns over the safety of such tools. MPs have asked for a wide range of details on the issue, ranging from whether the Government has existing reporting requirements should such incidents occur to whether overseas models are sufficiently safe for deployment in essential services here if they cannot be independently tested. Choo Pei Ling (Chua Chu Kang GRC) asked if the Government would introduce mandatory safety requirements for frontier AI models used here.The House will also continue to debate today a set of laws to govern the infrastructural resilience and environmental sustainability of data centres here.MPs will also debate new laws to curb the use of deregistered vehicles, making changes such as shortening the grace period for owners to dispose of these vehicles from one month to 14 days. It will also streamline processes and facilitate industry innovation for electric vehicle charging, and facilitate the continued deployment of autonomous vehicles in Singapore.We’ll be Unpacking this week’s sitting of Parliament, including yesterday’s discussion of rising retrenchment, in our weekly politics newsletter. Subscribe here.",{"_86":242,"_87":243,"_107":244},"Good morning","2026-10-07T09:26:03+08:00","Long sitting yesterday. Stay tuned for our live coverage of Parliament today.","speakable",{"_247":248},"cssSelector",[249,250],".live-blog-header",".live-blog-summary","dependentPaths",[],"actionData","errors"]