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Recap: Parliament debates changes to political salaries

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Expanded childcare leave was raised during question time.

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Edited by Chin Hui Shan, Daniel Lai, Isabelle Liew, Lee Li Ying, Sarah Koh, Wong Yang, Syarafana Shafeeq, Ang Qing

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Published: Sept 8, 2026

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\r\n","liveBlogId","2373","isLiveBlog",true,"isMultidayLiveblog","multidayLiveBlogMapping",[41,46,48],{"_42":43,"_44":45},"value","2374","key","Sept 10, 2026",{"_42":35,"_44":47},"Sept 9, 2026",{"_42":49,"_44":50},"2370","Sept 8, 2026","uniqueName","live-singapore-parliament-september-2026","infiniteScroll",{"_55":56},"additionalStories",[],"advertisements",[],"metaData",{"_20":21,"_61":21,"_62":21,"_63":52,"_24":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72},"ogTitle","twitterTitle","slug","Expanded childcare leave and investment scams were among topics raised during question time. Follow ST’s live coverage.","ogDescription","Expanded childcare leave, investment scams among other topics to be raised during question time. Follow ST’s live coverage.","keywords","Singapore Parliament, Live blog, Salaries, Political holders’ salaries, ministerial statements, Lawrence Wong, Chan Chun Sing, pm wong salary","robots","index, follow, max-image-preview:large, max-snippet:-1, max-video-preview:-1","image","https://static1.straitstimes.com.sg/s3fs-public/articles/2026/07/06/afparliament0706.jpg?VersionId=5NUgC6az1w6Awhb6ypK8ZNVAolqjszjg","gaData",{"_75":76,"_77":23,"_78":23,"_20":79,"_80":81,"_82":83,"_84":85},"level2","23","chapter1","chapter2","Live:_Parliament_debates_changes_to_political_salaries","title_ga","Live: Parliament debates changes to political salaries","pagination","1","contenttype","live blog","liveBlogSchemaProps",{"_22":88,"_89":21,"_24":64,"_90":91,"_92":93,"_94":91,"_95":96,"_97":98,"_99":100,"_105":106,"_260":261},"https://www.straitstimes.com/live-singapore-parliament-september-2026","headline","datePublished","2026-09-08T09:30:00.000Z","dateModified","2026-09-10T17:57:59.000Z","coverageStartTime","coverageEndTime","2026-09-09T21:00:00+08:00","publisherName","The Straits Times","publisherLogo",{"_22":101,"_102":103,"_104":10},"https://www.straitstimes.com/publisher-logo.png","width",600,"height","updates",[107,112,116,120,124,128,132,136,140,144,148,152,156,160,164,168,172,176,180,184,188,192,196,200,204,208,212,216,220,224,228,232,236,240,244,248,252,256],{"_89":108,"_90":109,"_110":111},"Parliament has ended for the day!","2026-09-09T21:36:41+08:00","articleBody","Thanks for tuning in. Here are the highlights from today’s sitting:Singapore considering invite to join AI bloc: Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo confirmed that Singapore received an invite to the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, a China-led intergovernmental group established in July. She told the House that the Government will consider the invitation alongside Singapore’s broader engagements with China and other international AI cooperation initiatives. She added Singapore engages different countries through a range of multilateral, plurilateral, and bilateral platforms. The engagements arise at different times, serve different purposes, and evolve as interests and circumstances change.Laws passed to strengthen anti-scam levers: The House wrapped up a debate on new laws to tackle online account mules and give the authorities the power to issue orders to service providers for suspicious accounts. MPs had raised concerns that innocent users would have their accounts frozen unnecessarily, causing disruption to their lives. Senior Minister of State Goh Pei Ming said there would be avenues for recourse, including an appeal mechanism that the ministry would provide more details of later.House agrees on strengthening Singapore’s food resilience: Parliament affirmed a motion tabled by four PAP backbenchers on food resilience after more than four hours. MPs pushed for more structured ways for local produce to be connected to restaurants and kitchens, and also asked for more certainty and financial support for local farms who face high costs and short leases. Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu sketched out Singapore’s food strategy, including its existing ways to ensure resilience, and also assured that more support for farms are on the way. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Goh Hanyan said the ministry is studying the safety and feasibility of donating food that has passed quality-based date-marks, with more details to come next year.We expect another long sitting tomorrow as MPs will debate the Government’s response to the political salary review which Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing set out yesterday.Thank you for reading. If you are still here, you must like politics. We’ll be Unpacking these events and their implications in our weekly newsletter. Sign up here.See you tomorrow at 11am!",{"_89":113,"_90":114,"_110":115},"Adopt a common minimum standard of safeguarding practice: NMP Kenneth Poon","2026-09-09T21:29:44+08:00","Organisations that routinely work with children should adopt a common minimum standard of safeguarding practice, suggests NMP Kenneth Poon during his adjournment motion on creating safe environments for students to flourish.Elaborating on his suggestion, he says it should be built around three layers of protection.First, children should know who the trusted adults are whom they can approach when they feel unsafe, including where appropriate someone outside their immediate setting, he says.Second, adults who routinely work with children should receive basic safeguarding training to recognise possible signs of abuse, respond appropriately to disclosures, and know when and how concerns should be escalated, he adds.Third, child-facing organisations should have appropriate policies, reporting and escalation procedures, and organisational safeguards that reduce opportunities for harm, he says.Poon, who is a psychologist, also talks about bullying and academic pressure.On bullying, he says “bystanders” can help to curb the problem. He suggests building up a group he describes as “upstanders” – children equipped to recognise bullying, and who know how to speak up safely, and trust that adults will act when concerns are raised.On excessive performative pressure on children, Poon says parents should not be left to resist the arms race alone. He suggests equipping parents to distinguish healthy developmental challenges from excessive pressure, and listening “more systematically” to children to better understand their experiences of pressure, fear of failure and agency. “Singapore does not lack opportunities in these areas. We have strong policies and programmes across Government and the community,” he says.“My argument today is that we can build upon these through a broader understanding of what children need to flourish: to be safe from harm, safe in their relationships, and safe to grow.” Responding to Poon, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Syed Harun Alhabsyi says the Government will continue to review how to better support child-facing organisations to put in place appropriate safeguards to ensure children’s safety. Starting from pre-school, children are taught about body safety and how to seek help when they feel hurt or unsafe, he says.In publicly regulated settings – such as schools and healthcare institutions – educators, teachers, school counsellors, and frontline health professionals are also trained to spot and report possible abuse, he says.But he adds that safeguarding children cannot be the responsibility of schools – or of any single ministry – alone, and requires a whole-of-society effort.PHOTO: ST FILE",{"_89":117,"_90":118,"_110":119},"Poh Li San rounds up debate on food resilience; House affirms motion unanimously","2026-09-09T20:59:28+08:00","Bringing the debate on food resilience to a close, Poh Li San says she believes that many Singaporeans will now look at their dinners a little differently, and consider where the ingredients were imported from or if they were produced locally.Poh chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Sustainability and Environment, and returns to close the motion on food resilience after over four hours of debate.The discussion over food resilience is not for the Government alone – Singaporeans must also hear the narrative, she says.Food prices are a result of market forces, so external conflicts and extreme weather patterns can create a significant increase unexpectedly, she adds.While Singapore cannot control food prices, it can certainly do more to ensure vulnerable groups will always have access to affordable food and to help them reduce food expenses, Poh says.Urging greater community involvement, Poh says more people must be moved to rescue and redistribute food to those who need it.Poh encourages Singaporeans to tap the hidden potential in unsold and rescued food, by turning them into nutritious meals to reduce food waste.She also appeals Singaporeans to support local farmers and buy Grow in SG local produce, even if these are more expensive.Local farmers have to transform their operations and scale up production in order to stay competitive, to overcome tight land, water, energy and manpower constraints, she adds.She thanks the MPs for participating in the debate on the motion, in particular the WP MPs who made several good suggestions in their speeches.A total of 14 MPs spoke in the debate, including the two political office-holders.The House affirms the motion unanimously.",{"_89":121,"_90":122,"_110":123},"Food affordability priority for Govt, but approach cannot be to control prices directly: Goh Hanyan","2026-09-09T20:51:52+08:00","Food affordability is a priority for the Government, says Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Goh Hanyan as she acknowledges the pressure Singaporeans feel from rising food prices.But the Government’s approach cannot be to control food prices directly, she adds, and will instead strengthen food affordability in a sustainable way. This is done through maintaining fair competition, diversifying food sources, expanding consumer choices, and providing targeted support to households that need it most, she says.Diversification not only strengthens food security, but also contributes to food affordability, she notes.For households that face cost-of-living pressures, the Government also extends direct support in three ways, she says.There is temporary support such as the Community Development Council voucher scheme, targeted assistance for households with schemes like ComCare, and also partnerships beyond the Government to strengthen affordability, such as North West CDC’s food vending machines that provide $3 meals. Goh also points to hawker centres, describing them as the heart of a broad network of community dining options that provide affordable food close to home.While the Government continues to invest significantly in hawker centres, she says, it has in recent times recognised that stallholders are facing higher operating costs arising from the Middle East situation.A sixth-month support package for stallholders at hawker centres and markets to help offset rental costs and ease cost pressures was announced, she says, noting that the ministry will continue to track developments.ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG",{"_89":125,"_90":126,"_110":127},"SFA studying safety, feasibility of allowing food that has passed use by dates to be donated","2026-09-09T20:55:36+08:00","The Singapore Food Authority is embarking on a study to assess the safety and feasibility of donating food that has passed quality-based date-marks, says Goh.This follows the passage of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act in 2024, she says. The Act, which was introduced to reduce food waste, protects businesses that donate unsold or excess food from liability if safety conditions are met.Last year, 790,000 tonnes of food waste was generated, says Goh. This accounts for about 11 per cent of Singapore’s total waste.Responding to Lee Hui Ying (Nee Soon GRC), Goh says the ministry is reviewing datemarking practices. Lee had suggested that the authorities make clearer that food past the quality date mark can still be safe for consumption.Goh says food manufacturers use a variety of date-marks on their packaging, such as “Use By” and “Best Before”.There are currently no international guidelines on how long food remains safe for consumption beyond its expiry date, she notes. SFA’s study will look at the safety and feasibility of allowing food that has passed quality-based date-marks to be donated, while maintaining food safety standards, Goh says, adding that this could enable more edible food to be redistributed rather than discarded. More details will be given by SFA next year.",{"_89":129,"_90":130,"_110":131},"Grace Fu responds to MPs’ suggestions on mandating firms to source produce locally","2026-09-09T20:36:45+08:00","Fu also addresses suggestions from MPs from both sides of the aisle to mandate firms here to source from local farms.She says that while the Government encourages all buyers to consider local produce in their sourcing mix, buyers like supermarkets and caterers have to balance considerations of affordability, consistency of supply, food quality and consumer preferences.Mandating sourcing requirements may inadvertently reduce access to more affordable sources of food and increase costs for businesses and consumers, adds Fu.Turning to suggestions on incorporating local sourcing requirements in public procurement, Fu says the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation is working on it as part of deals it has already signed with its partners.She also responds to WP’s Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied GRC), who earlier questioned why three Lim Chu Kang farms affected by upcoming zoning changes were not allowed to remain at their current locations for another 10 years. Fu says two of them are not food farms and they are being supervised and led by the National Parks Board.“All three farms have been operating for more than 20 years. So it's not a case of us asking them to vacate prematurely. All of them have basically seen through their lease and have had several rounds of yearly extensions.”",{"_89":133,"_90":134,"_110":135},"Farms have been boosted by Government schemes, more support on the way: Grace Fu","2026-09-09T20:30:11+08:00","Farms that have tapped Government support schemes and initiatives have reaped “real improvements” in their operations, says Fu.Over $240 million has been set aside to support local food production since 2019, and the Government will continue to do more to support farms under its new food strategy, she adds.The authorities had in November 2025 announced a refreshed strategy that comes with new targets to produce 20 per cent of the country’s fibre needs and 30 per cent of its protein meats by 2035.Under the move, Singapore dropped its original “30 by 30” target, which aimed to produce 30 per cent of its nutritional needs locally by 2030.The decision to shift away from the target shone the spotlight on the food production industry’s woes, with rising costs and financing hurdles delaying the development of new farms, and lower-than-expected demand for alternative proteins produced locally.Addressing some of these concerns, Fu says the overall productivity of local farms has improved between 2019 and 2025, rising by 20 per cent for vegetable farms, 46 per cent for seafood farms and 40 per cent for egg farms.She also cites recent moves by the Government to further support farms, such as a new grant introduced in July to help farms deal with cost pressures due to the conflict in the Middle East. More than 80 farms have applied for it over the past month, says Fu. Fu adds that the Singapore Food Agency is supporting the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation to match the supply of local produce with demand, while developing new demand channels, including institutional buyers and caterers. An existing Agri-food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund to support farms in adopting new technology was also given a $70 million boost in April. ST reported on Sept 2 that two of 60 companies awarded $55 million under the first tranche of the ACT Fund, launched in 2021, have folded.",{"_89":137,"_90":138,"_110":139},"Food resilience is a shared responsibility: Grace Fu","2026-09-09T20:26:01+08:00","Food resilience is “not about guaranteeing every preferred food product remains available in all forms” during disruptions, says Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, as she joins in the debate on the motion.She also stresses that while the Government works to engage global partners, invest in local capabilities and open up fresh supply sources with new countries, Singaporeans also have a shared responsibility to choose local produce where they can, waste less, and stay flexible during disruptions.Expressing her support for the motion, Fu says securing Singapore’s food needs in a fragmented world faced with disruptions like the Middle East conflict is central to the Government’s food resilience strategy.This strategy is guided by three considerations: the availability of food across a range of commodities; the assurance of food supply even when disruptions occur; and the affordability of food for all Singaporeans.But Singapore cannot maximise all three priorities at the same time, and trade-offs have to be made, says Fu. For instance, while the country can stockpile a wider range of food items, this would require significant storage space and resources.Instead, Singapore calibrates what it stockpiles, and that means working with a smaller subset of foods during a severe and prolonged disruption and not expecting every food item to remain readily available, adds Fu.She says the Government seeks to ensure Singaporeans continue to have reliable access to foods that can meet their essential needs during disruptions, while considering different dietary preferences and customs.This will be done by diversifying import sources for key food types, establishing partnerships with like-minded countries, stockpiling to buy time during widespread disruptions, and producing food locally, says Fu.",{"_89":141,"_90":142,"_110":143},"Accelerate commercialisation of alternative protein production, says Ng Shi Xuan","2026-09-09T20:02:14+08:00","To strengthen protein security and maximise affordability, Singapore should complement conventional local production with alternative proteins, says Ng Shi Xuan (Sembawang GRC). The MP, who is a vegetarian, says protein sources can differ significantly in cost, and calls for the authorities to consider how much protein each food dollar buys.While demand for alternative proteins caught up, commercialisation of Singapore’s alternative protein ecosystem should be accelerated, he says.This means food-tech companies must scale production, meet food-safety and export certification requirements, win over consumers and secure sufficiently large orders, he adds.The Government should help viable companies bridge this gap from innovation to commercial scale, he says.For instance, SFA could consider giving companies credits to leverage shared facilities to test their products, instead of having new entrants invest in manufacturing capacity.On the demand side, Ng says the Government does not need to guarantee it, but can provide credible products with more opportunities to be tested, improved and adopted.Acknowledging that Singapore’s domestic market alone will ultimately not provide sufficient scale for many food innovations, Ng suggests that the Republic’s strategy must therefore be export-oriented from the outset, suggesting the slogan: “Produce Local, Ready for the World.” He urges broadening the scope of Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) grants, so that support for these companies can extend beyond market promotion to areas such as overseas certification and regulatory approvals. “This can help promising companies become global-market ready and achieve scale more quickly,” he adds.PHOTO: THE BUSINESS TIMES",{"_89":145,"_90":146,"_110":147},"WP’s Gerald Giam: Govt must 'lead by example' and update procurement policies to ensure local demand","2026-09-09T19:57:32+08:00","The Government should update public procurement policies to bridge the price gap between demand for local produce and cheaper imports, says WP’s Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC). Small high-tech farms are currently locked out of public tenders because they cannot risk committing to fixed tonnages over two full years, he says. This leaves them without the guaranteed offtake they need to scale up their operations.Arguing that the Government must “lead by example”, Giam suggests setting institutional procurement targets tied to the Government’s new targets to produce 20 per cent of the country’s fibre needs and 30 per cent of its protein meats by 2035. This would mean public institutions like the Singapore Armed Forces, public hospitals and government ministries should aim to purchase local produce beyond the 2035 goals as part of procurement targets.Institutions should also share upcoming procurement requirements so that farmers sow precisely what is needed for harvest, adds Giam.He further suggests implementing an automated flat percentage rebate, such as a 25 per cent cashback on all Singapore-certified produce purchased by institutional caterers, to bridge the price gap between local high-tech produce and cheaper imports.",{"_89":149,"_90":150,"_110":151},"Officers transferring to HSA will retain employment terms, get reskilling support ","2026-09-09T16:33:44+08:00","Responding to MPs’ concerns about workers, Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam says officers transferred to HSA will do so on terms no less favourable than those they currently enjoy, with their existing benefits safeguarded. The Government has engaged affected staff and addressed their concerns, and will continue supporting them through the change, Rahayu says. Where job scopes change, officers will be given reskilling opportunities and on-the-job training, she adds. “We will also look at opportunities for broader career development pathways, cross-domain learning and stronger multi-disciplinary regulatory teams,” she says. MOH and HSA will continue reviewing the operational capabilities, workload and systems needed for HSA’s expanded mandate, and address any additional resource or expertise needs through the appropriate resourcing processes, she says. “Where additional capacity, expertise or other resources are needed for HSA to discharge these functions effectively, HSA will be adequately resourced,” she says. On measuring the success of the restructuring, Rahayu says one test will be whether healthcare providers, professionals, patients and consumers find the regulatory system easier to navigate, without having to understand which agency is responsible for a particular issue. She adds that success should not simply be judged by whether every process becomes faster. “The objective is therefore not regulation that is invariably faster, but regulation that is timely, evidence-based, and proportionate to risk,” she says. Parliament passes the Bill unanimously.",{"_89":153,"_90":154,"_110":155},"Cai Yinzhou, Joan Pereira moot ideas to boost local produce uptake","2026-09-09T19:06:36+08:00","Cai Yinzhou (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) suggests that local seafood, which is pricier than its import alternatives, should be pitched at the premium food service sector and institutions that buy at scale like hospitals, the public service and large caterers.“A premium kitchen is buying a story it can charge for - local barramundi, landed that morning, fresh in a way a fish frozen for weeks in transit can never be. Local seafood loses only where it is anonymous; it wins wherever we make its origins visible,” adds Cai.He also suggests creating a distinct seafood self-sufficiency target within the protein category, pointing out that seafood has been folded into a single protein category together with eggs in the 2025 iteration of the Singapore Food Agency’s annual food statistics report. Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC), meanwhile, proposes a national platform that would aggregate the demand of hawkers and market food stallholders to facilitate bulk ordering from local producers, with subsidies to make local produce more price-competitive.The platform should be integrated with existing supply chains like the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre and Jurong Fishery Port, which hawkers and merchants are familiar with, she says.",{"_89":157,"_90":158,"_110":159},"Farming capability much harder to recreate once it disappears: Nadia Ahmad Samdin","2026-09-09T17:27:56+08:00","While land-use plans can change and land can be rezoned, farming capability is much harder to recreate once it disappears, says Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio GRC). She questions the costs of taking back farm land too early, even as she acknowledges the need to prioritise land for defence needs. Referring to some southern Lim Chu Kang plots slated for future defence use, she says tenures for the plots will expire soon in 2026 and 2027 even though the necessary reinstatement works may begin only from 2030. She asks if there could be a clearer framework for interim farm use for such plots, rather than leaving them unused. Agricultural land south of Lim Chu Kang will be zoned for defence use in the near future, and military land in the north, closer to other farms, will be reallocated for future farming use, The Straits Times reported in May. Nadia also asks about scaling up Singapore farms, questioning how Singapore farmers can be better supported to capture more value from what they produce, as well as to expand their market access beyond the fresh produce shelf. On regional scaling, she suggests exploring a small number of mutually beneficial agri-food pilots with countries like Malaysia and Indonesia for more efficient movement of time-sensitive food.Meanwhile, fellow MP Valerie Lee (Pasir Ris-Changi GRC) suggests that Singapore should “design the pathway” for food to reach Singapore. While having more than 180 sources is valuable, this diversification may not provide as much resilience as expected if several suppliers are affected by the same chokepoint, she says. In the event of a major disruption, Singapore may suddenly need additional storage, transport or processing capacity, she adds, urging the Government to work with industry to identify strategic capabilities, and consider whether there are ways to incentivise or share such capacity for contingency use.",{"_89":161,"_90":162,"_110":163},"Give local farms longer leases, says WP’s Fadli Fawzi","2026-09-09T18:26:45+08:00","WP’s Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied GRC) asks the Government to consider giving local farms longer leases of 20 to 30 years so the farmers have more certainty.These leases can be tied to clear production targets and periodic reviews, he adds.“While land optimisation is important, I believe that our current approach does not provide farmers with enough consideration for the fact that agriculture relies on long horizons,” says Fadli.Investments made by local farmers “can amount to nothing” if their land is taken back by the Government within a few years, he adds.Fadli cites the case of a fish farm owner who reportedly took six years to grow and breed his arowana fish. His farm is affected by upcoming changes to farmland south of Lim Chu Kang, which will be re-zoned for defence use in the near future.“We should provide farmers with long-term assurance over their tenancies and whether they will face land acquisition during their lease, so that farmers can justify large investments into modern automation, high-yield vertical systems, or sustainable practices that will allow them to scale up production,” adds Fadli.",{"_89":165,"_90":166,"_110":167},"WP’s Dennis Tan suggests nationwide local produce marketplace, more tax relief for local farms","2026-09-09T17:37:06+08:00","WP MP Dennis Tan (Hougang) suggests creating a nationwide marketplace in the form of a cooperative or a federation that would be built and operated by the local farming industry so local farmers have another platform to sell their produce beyond ad-hoc events.This cooperative could also coordinate a dedicated local produce section or stall within wet markets in Singapore to embed local food into the daily routine of Singaporeans.Adding that he supports the motion, Tan says: “Food security is national security. It is time we treated it as such.”Tan also proposes requiring large supermarket chains or Singapore Armed Forces cookhouses to source a guaranteed minimum share of their fresh produce from local farms.This would guarantee offtake for farmers, many of whom have reported operating under consignment arrangements where they bear the cost of significant amounts of spoiled and unsold produce, he adds.Tan also calls for the Government to provide local farmers with more tax relief, such as by exempting locally produced food carrying the SG Fresh Produce label from the goods and services tax or reducing the corporate tax rate for agricultural firms licensed by the Singapore Food Agency.ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG",{"_89":169,"_90":170,"_110":171},"Poh asks for more food data, suggests ways to tackle food waste","2026-09-09T16:57:03+08:00","Singapore’s food import policies and food redistribution ecosystem need to be more coordinated to reduce food waste, says Poh.Noting that Singapore throws away some 800,000 tonnes of food each year, Poh says this also wastes further resources in transportation and incineration.She asks for more data that she says will help in solving the food waste problem meaningfully, such as the amount of food that is imported and produced, rescued and redistributed, recycled and disposed.Poh suggests connecting existing food waste and import datasets already collected across different agencies to improve tracking and insights using artificial intelligence and data analytics tools. She also moots the idea of tracking donation volumes by major food suppliers and incentivising them to donate the food items before their expiry date.To tackle food waste, Poh further proposes creating a more circular food ecosystem in which uncooked food is rescued and redistributed and cooked while unconsumed food like buffet is sold at a discount. Food scraps could also be recycled into animal feed or fertilisers to help local farms, she adds.Grants could also be given to food charities to help them scale up and grow their volunteer base, says Poh. She cites three food rescue groups – Food Bank, Food Rescue Sengkang and Fridge Restock Community – that collectively rescue about 2,400 tonnes of food annually. Poh also suggests a “nationwide community dining ecosystem” in which rescued food is turned into fresh and healthy meals for those who may not be able to cook their own meals, such as seniors staying alone and low-income families, and served at places like Residents’ Network centres, active ageing centres or places of worship.PHOTO: PIXABAY",{"_89":173,"_90":174,"_110":175},"Poh Li San opens a motion on food resilience and reducing food waste","2026-09-09T16:47:22+08:00","Singapore should take steps to “reclaim” some of its local food production capacity, which was higher in the past, to ensure people of all incomes can access safe, fresh and affordable food, says Poh Li San (Sembawang West).Poh is speaking on a motion on enhancing food resilience and reducing food waste. She had tabled the motion with three other PAP MPs from the Government Parliamentary Committee for Sustainability and the Environment, which she chairs.She notes the “irony” of Singapore producing high-value semiconductor chips, pharmaceuticals and petroleum products as one of the richest countries globally, but being able to produce only less than 10 per cent of its own food, which is a basic necessity.Poh stresses that the country must ensure it has some capacity to produce food and that all Singaporeans, rich or poor, have access to safe, fresh and affordable food at all times.“I ask not for caviar and artichokes, but for fresh fruit, fish and eggs. Not for air-flown or imports from exotic places, but that all be nutritious and safe to eat,” says Poh. She adds that Singapore needs two things for a holistic national food strategy: first, a more coordinated food import policy and food redistribution ecosystem; second, society has to redistribute more rescued food, prepare healthy meals for the low-income, reduce their food expenses and keep them well-nourished. On food production, Poh notes that Singapore has less than 200 farms today. She asks if the country is “cutting ourselves too thin” and questions if it can “reclaim a morsel” of its food production capacity, which was high before many farms were shut in the 1960s.Poh proposes including local food production capability as part of Singapore’s Total Defence concept and increasing the country’s Budget to build up such capacities. She also suggests reviewing increasing government support to boost its self-sufficiency rate to at least 30 per cent.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY",{"_89":177,"_90":178,"_110":179},"Not every assisted living model will serve every senior, Govt aims to provide range of options ","2026-09-09T10:59:49+08:00","The Government aims to provide a range of options for seniors at different price points, and it cannot be expected that every assisted living model will serve every senior, says Senior Minister of State for Health Tan Kiat How. The Parry Avenue project may be more suitable for a niche segment of the community, but that is how the market works, and the Government wants to make sure it serves the needs of different groups of seniors, he adds. Parry Avenue does not replace the affordable options available, it complements that, he says. Tan is responding to Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar GRC), who asked about the public policy objective of the Parry Avenue pilot if the eventual monthly cost is beyond reach for most middle-income seniors, and if the operator will be required to publish the expected all-in cost.They are discussing Singapore’s first private assisted living home, Perennial Living, which launched phase one of its operations on Aug 18.Basic assisted living packages for its 330 sq ft studio apartments start at $8,000 a month, while a 565 sq ft two-bedroom suite starts from over $13,000 a month, with rates depending on the size, layout, level and the direction the unit faces.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONGREAD MORE HERE.",{"_89":181,"_90":182,"_110":183},"Difficult to establish a scam restitution fund, says Goh Pei Ming","2026-09-09T14:02:06+08:00","WP MP Fadli Fawzi follows up with a question on whether the ministry will commit to a structured restitution mechanism.This is so that victims who lost their monies to scams do not go home empty-handed while any seized criminal proceeds end up in public coffers, he says.Goh responds that there is difficulty in establishing such a restitution fund. One factor is that the amounts recovered are but a fraction of the overall amounts lost. Much of these monies have been “co-mingled”, he says, and have gone through many different accounts.It is then difficult to trace and identify whose monies are where, and how much to return to each victim.The other factor is moral hazard, he adds. If a baseline repayment amount is established for very scam victim, the overall awareness and vigilance of members may actually fall, says Goh.People may have a sense that they have a protection up to a certain amount when making a purchase, he adds.Any monies recovered do not just return to Government coffers and stay there, says Goh. A huge amount of the Budget, including funds from the Consolidated Fund, goes toward efforts to develop technologies and workstreams to fight scams.Parliament passes the Bill unanimously.READ MORE HERE.",{"_89":185,"_90":186,"_110":187},"Yip Hon Weng asks if consolidation will strengthen anti-vaping enforcement efforts","2026-09-09T15:27:26+08:00","Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) notes that the Bill transfers not just the regulatory compliance and transformation divisions of the Health Ministry to the Health Sciences Authority, but also its surveillance and enforcement division.He brings up enforcement actions against vaping, which is currently regulated by HSA. He says the transfer of manpower should strengthen HSA’s ability to act under the existing laws, and asks that the authority publish indicators to show if consolidation improves action against importers, online sellers and distributors of vapes.He asks if HSA will use its additional institutional capacity to provide trained mobile enforcement support to schools.“A student caught with a vape may be addicted, exploited, or drawn into distribution. Our sharpest enforcement should target those who profit, while schools retain space to educate, counsel, and restore.”Parliament takes a break and will resume at 3.45pm.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH",{"_89":189,"_90":190,"_110":191},"Demand for community care apartments moderated due to more options to age well in community: Tan Kiat How","2026-09-09T10:40:21+08:00","The demand for community care apartments (CCA) has moderated as seniors now have more options to age well in the community, says Senior Minister of State for Health Tan Kiat How. These flats integrates senior-friendly housing with care and social services. Residents of these apartments have to subscribe to a basic service package which provides them with a range of care and support services offered by the community care apartment staff. Tan says the Government provides eligible seniors with housing grants and offers market discounts, to keep such apartments affordable for seniors. He is responding to questions by Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) about whether fees, location and eligibility were assessed to have affected falling demand for community care apartments, and Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang) on the reasons for the lower-than-expected subscription for the recent launches. Tan says a key reason for the lowering of fees for the CCA Basic Service Package is to align with the same level of subsidies extended to services like active ageing centres and the Enhanced Home Personal Care scheme, which provides care to frail seniors at home. The ministry had in July announced that the monthly fee for the basic package would be lowered. ST reported in August that with prices of services offered at these assisted living flats escalating, the demand for newer projects dampened, leading to changes in how these homes are sold to seniors.Yip asks whether the Government will consider allowing MediSave or CPF to be used to pay CCA service fees to enhance the take up of such housing services. Tan responds that any use of MediSave for services, including the CCA Basic Service Package, has to be considered carefully. He says that the affordability of long-term care and assisted living support is reviewed on a regular basis, but the policy objective of MediSave, which is to make sure seniors have enough in their accounts to afford basic medical support as they age, must be considered carefully.READ MORE HERE",{"_89":193,"_90":194,"_110":195},"Concerns raised about workers amid consolidation of healthcare regulatory functions ","2026-09-09T16:05:05+08:00","A majority of the MPs in the debate raise concerns about how workers will be affected when regulatory functions and manpower are transferred to HSA. This includes whether their pay and employment benefits will be protected, how they will be consulted and whether they will receive training as their roles change. Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) says employees affected by the transfer must not be disadvantaged in their remuneration, employment benefits and career progression. He also asks what training and reskilling opportunities will be provided, particularly where job scopes change. Dennis Tan (Hougang), Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) and NMP Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari all say they welcome safeguards in the Bill that preserve the service, remuneration and accrued benefits of transferred officers. Sanjeev, who is also the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees general secretary, says preserving existing terms should be treated as the “floor, and not the ceiling”. “These officers are bringing valuable institutional knowledge and specialised expertise into an authority that will depend on their expertise for years to come,” he says. He adds that the transition should be used as an opportunity to invest in their development, recognise their expertise and provide them with clear pathways to learn, contribute and progress within HSA. WP’s Tan asks about the steps taken to preserve institutional knowledge and ensure continuity for ongoing applications, investigations and disciplinary matters. Beyond protecting individual workers' employment conditions, MPs also question whether HSA will have enough manpower and expertise to take on its larger role. Yong says that consolidation should not simply mean moving functions from one organisation to another and asking the same number of officers to do more. As HSA takes on greater responsibilities, its manpower, specialist capabilities, digital tools and training should grow in tandem, he says, asking what workforce and capability planning has been undertaken. NMP Kuah Boon Theng, a lawyer who represents local healthcare institutions, asks whether the relevant MOH headcount will be transferred to HSA, and whether a workload and capability assessment has identified additional staffing needs in areas such as investigations, scientific expertise, data governance, cybersecurity and case management. “If HSA is expected to do more, it must have the people, systems and funding to do their job properly,” she says. Kuah adds that institutional knowledge could be lost during a reorganisation of this scale even if employees and functions are formally transferred, and asks what detailed plans are in place to ensure a seamless handover.",{"_89":197,"_90":198,"_110":199},"MPs continue to raise concerns that innocent users may have bank accounts frozen unnecessarily","2026-09-09T12:51:36+08:00","The debate on the anti-scam laws today continues to centre on concerns for innocent users who have their accounts frozen in anti-scam investigations. The Bill introduces three new orders that the police can issue to service providers such as banks, telcos and online service providers to fight scams.MPs say they are worried that people will have trouble accessing their bank accounts for everyday needs, and call for more safeguards to ensure that the proportionality of the enforcement action taken does not outweigh the seriousness of what has occurred.Gho Sze Kee (Mountbatten) says that as laws move further upstream to keep ahead of the scammers, Singapore finds itself moving ahead of the traditional thresholds of proof that normally apply in the judicial process. “This Bill moves us onto grounds where suspicion alone can trigger consequential action, and those consequences can be serious,” she says. “There's a real potential for excesses and abuse in this Bill if we are not careful.”She says her concerns are not on checks and balances on the authorities such as the police, but on the banks, financial institutions, telcos, platforms that receive the orders who may act more harshly than necessary. For example, if a bank chooses to retain a suspected customer, it has to justify that decision in writing. It does not have to justify simply letting the customer go.The law seems to nudge them toward unilateral action and toward “over rather than under action”, she adds.Charlene Chen (Tampines GRC) asks if the ministry will set service standards for reviewing potentially wrongful disabling orders and restoring legitimate accounts.She also asks that the ministry publish aggregate indicators covering the time from detection to disclosure and disabling; false positive and restoration rates; estimated losses prevented; and evidence that scammers migrated to replacement accounts or services. “The number of orders issued measures enforcement activity. It does not, by itself, tell us whether residents' money was saved.”Elysa Chen (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) says of scammers: “I hate how they come back like zombies. We shut one account down, and two more spring up within the hour.”PHOTO: ST FILE",{"_89":201,"_90":202,"_110":203},"New integrated regulatory function for healthcare to be set up under the Health Sciences Authority ","2026-09-09T14:12:23+08:00","Singapore will bring under one roof the regulation of healthcare services and establish an integrated regulatory function under the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), says Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam in her opening speech for the Health Sciences Authority (Amendment) and Other Matters Bill. This will lay the foundation for a future-ready system that protects patients while enabling timely access to beneficial healthcare innovations, she adds. With an integrated regulator, licensing applications and enquiries can be handled in a clearer and more coordinated way, making it more convenient for companies developing medicines, digital health solutions, or healthcare providers, among others, she says. Members of the public will also have a “streamlined interface” with the regulator, if they have concerns about medicine they have purchased, medical devices used in their care, or healthcare service providers. “Most importantly, with an integrated regulator that has visibility across the entire healthcare journey, HSA will be better placed to identify risks that cut across these domains and take coordinated, decisive action when needed. This will benefit the public and patients in ensuring their safety,” Rahayu says. She says the changes will be implemented in two phases, with the regulatory functions and manpower of the Ministry of Health (MOH), and then the Secretariat of healthcare Professional Boards (SPB), transferred to HSA in November 2026 and end 2027 respectively. Currently, Singapore’s healthcare regulatory functions are spread across three bodies. MOH regulates healthcare services, health information, human biomedical research and biosafety, while HSA regulates health products such as medicines and medical devices. SPB supports the various professional boards and councils that regulate healthcare professionals like doctors, dentists and pharmacists. Rahayu says the existing approach has served Singapore well, but services, products, professionals, and health information increasingly intersect, and with multiple touchpoints, there may be gaps in handling complex or cross-cutting cases. This may have implications not only for regulated entities but also for patient safety and access, she adds.",{"_89":205,"_90":206,"_110":207},"S’pore not pursuing data centre capacity for capacity’s sake, says Tan Kiat How ","2026-09-09T12:15:48+08:00","Singapore is not pursuing capacity for capacity’s sake, nor is it chasing the number of megawatts that can be added in expanding data operations here, says Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How. While supporting artificial intelligence needs and the digital economy are essential for the future economy, this will not be done so at the sake of growing data centre capacity, he adds. He was responding to Poh Li San (Sembawang West), who asked if the Government ensures that data centre operations here remain environmentally sustainable. Tan says that Singapore is growing new capacity in a disciplined and calibrated way, making sure that any such capacity adds value to Singapore and is sustainable, and also meets the high requirements on efficiency. He adds that this is at the heart of the Digital Infrastructure Act introduced to Parliament yesterday.",{"_89":209,"_90":210,"_110":211},"Authorities will work to correct erroneous restrictions quickly; will assess appeals fairly and quickly: Goh Pei Ming","2026-09-09T13:35:37+08:00","Returning to wrap up the debate, Senior Minister of State Goh Pei Ming addresses the concerns from MPs on the recourse available to those whose accounts were disabled or restricted.He says that MPs are right to ask about the risks of moving quickly against suspected scam activity and the corrective measures that will be in place, but at the same time disrupting scams quickly and decisively is essential.The authorities will work with service providers to correct erroneous information and inform relevant institutions of the correction quickly, he says.On MPs’ suggestions of an expedited appeal mechanism, Goh says the authorities recognise that some individuals may genuinely require and depend on these accounts affected by the orders for their livelihoods or daily expenses. “It is thus important that we assess appeals fairly and as quickly as possible. We will share more details on the appeal mechanism, including the appeal timeline, before operationalisation of these orders.”He adds that individuals subject to banking restrictions under the new orders may still transact personally at the bank over the counter. The authorities will only restrict access to self-service banking services like internet banking, mobile banking, or ATM services, which are more prone to being exploited for scams. Incoming transactions such as salaries and government payouts will continue to be processed as usual, he says.",{"_89":213,"_90":214,"_110":215},"Not practical to create regulatory regime for every activity involving children ","2026-09-09T11:19:53+08:00","It is not practical to create a regulatory regime for every setting or activity involving children, says Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming. It is already an offence for a person to ill-treat the child if he has custody, charge or care of a child, he says. Goh is responding to a question by Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) on whether a registry and risk-based inspection regime will be established following an abuse case involving young foreign students who lived in a private educational facility.Goh says the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA) and other offences within the Penal Code act as a broad framework to deter against child abuse and punish those who flout the law. Parents should exercise due diligence by making reasonable checks on their choice of service provider and monitor their child’s well-being, he adds. The authorities also just announced earlier that they are considering an expansion of criminal record screening of prospective employees applying for roles involving sustained contact with children and young people, including in non-regulated sectors. In response to a question by Yip on whether regulation has kept pace with hybrid business models, Goh says that it may not be practical to regulate every single sector, as the market will continue to evolve and some sectors may still be developing or transient. The Government will regulate more mature, stable and broad-based sectors of which the majority of Singaporeans consume, while the CYPA remains an underlying safety net.PHOTO: MDDI",{"_89":217,"_90":218,"_110":219},"Question time ends","2026-09-09T12:18:31+08:00","The House carries on with the debate on anti-scam laws that tackle online account mules.",{"_89":221,"_90":222,"_110":223},"700 children exempted from attending national schools each year in last five years","2026-09-09T12:18:05+08:00","Around 700 Singaporean children have been exempted from attending national schools each year over the last five years, says Senior Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary.Of these, around 85 per cent were placed in non-mainstream schools based on their educational and well-being needs, he adds. Non-mainstream schools include the four madrasahs in Singapore that offer primary-level education, and San Yu Adventist School, a private Christian school.Less than 15 per cent were homeschooled, and the rest were exempted on the grounds of physical, intellectual, or developmental disability, Janil says.Children who are required to undergo compulsory education must attend a national primary school regularly unless they have been granted an exemption.",{"_89":225,"_90":226,"_110":227},"3 NS-related discrimination complaints between 2024 and 2025: Foo Cexiang","2026-09-09T12:17:33+08:00","The authorities received three discrimination complaints related to national service (NS) obligations between 2024 and 2025, says Minister of State for Manpower Foo Cexiang.He adds that the Manpower Ministry will consider expanding the scope of workplace fairness laws if there is evidence of a sustained or significant increase in forms of discrimination complaints that lie beyond what is currently protected.He is responding to a question from WP MP Kenneth Tiong (Aljunied GRC) about discrimination against NSmen. Tiong had asked why NS liability is not protected under the Workplace Fairness Act, what would prompt inclusion, and whether MOM is aware of any enforcement action under laws that outline employers’ duties in relation to their workers’ NS obligations.These duties include reinstating them after NS, granting them a leave of absence for NS obligations, and not dismissing them due to such obligations. Foo says the Ministry of Defence has not had to pursue formal enforcement action under these provisions and where concerns have been raised, it engages employers directly to clarify their obligations.Tiong also asked what protection NSmen have against being passed over for promotion due to in-camp training.Foo says NSmen are protected under the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, which prohibits all forms of workplace discrimination, including discrimination based on NS obligations.He adds that employers who breach the guidelines will be required to address complaints and correct their practices. In egregious cases, their work pass privileges could be suspended.",{"_89":229,"_90":230,"_110":231},"Singapore will consider invite to join World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization: Josephine Teo","2026-09-09T11:48:44+08:00","Singapore has received an invitation to the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), a China-led intergovernmental group established in July, says Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo.The Government will consider the invitation alongside Singapore’s broader engagements with China and other international AI cooperation initiatives, she adds.She is responding to a question from WP MP Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC). In July, 29 countries signed an agreement to establish the organisation, whose headquarters will be in Shanghai.Nominated MP Neo Kok Beng had also sought more details about Singapore’s position on the Pax Silica AI coalition and WAICO.There is currently no ASEAN position on either WAICO or Pax Silica, notes Teo.She says Singapore engages different countries through a range of multilateral, plurilateral, and bilateral platforms. “The engagements arise at different times, serve different purposes, and evolve as our interests and circumstances change.”She notes that earlier this year, she became a founding member of the AI for Good Global Commission, initiated by the International Telecommunications Union, which has members from both the United States and China. With the US, Singapore has a cyber dialogue while with China, it has a digital policy dialogue, she adds.“These various mechanisms are not identical. Whether we participate in any particular initiative depends on its objectives, the substantive areas of common interest, how it complements our existing engagements and Singapore's overall interests.”She adds that as Singapore’s involvements in different initiatives complement one another, making one-to-one comparisons between individual ones may be less meaningful. Pax Silica is a US-led coalition that looks to secure access to artificial intelligence and supply chains for silicon and other minerals essential to semiconductor production. Singapore was one of seven countries to sign a declaration by the coalition in December 2025. The declaration states that the countries seek to build and deploy trusted information networks, including information and communication technology systems, fibre-optic cables and data centres.",{"_89":233,"_90":234,"_110":235},"Catch up on yesterday","2026-09-09T09:58:41+08:00","The House heard from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing on the Government’s planned changes to political salaries. Read the highlights here:Existing political office-holders to get a one-off pay increase: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong set out the Government’s response to the recommendations of a committee reviewing political salaries. While the committee had recommended that the benchmark pay for a minister at the lowest MR4 grade be increased, PM Wong said the Government would not move to the proposed salary levels in one step immediately. For current political office-holders, they will receive a one-off increment of up to 9 per cent, depending on their performance. This will bring the salary of a minister at entry-level grade MR4 to be close to $1.2 million. But he expects most ministers at MR4 to earn about $1.35 million – the lower end of the new salary range – by the end of this term of government. New benchmark pay for MR4 minister: The salary for a minister at MR4 of $1.1 million has not changed since 2011. The committee recommended increasing this benchmark figure to $1.8 million, derived by applying a 40 per cent discount to the reference point of slightly above $3 million, which is the median income of the top 1,000 Singaporean earners. PM’s own pay, which is double that of an MR4 minister, will then go up from $2.2 million to $3.6 million, including bonuses. PM Wong said he would donate his salary increase for the next five years.Revised salary structure to build a strong team for Singapore’s future: PM Wong said the revised structure will give him more room to differentiate pay according to performance, and crucially to bring in people with substantial experience from outside the Government – including those already earning significantly more in the private sector. This move is also to make sure that future prime ministers will continue to have a realistic chance of persuading capable Singaporeans from all walks of life, to step forward and build a first-rate team to serve Singapore, he said.Higher allowances for MPs: Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing, who also spoke and laid out the details of the changes, said monthly allowances for MPs will be raised to $18,500 from the current $13,750 from Oct 15, to account for inflation. It also ensures that they are adequately supported in discharging their duties on the ground. He also announced that the NCMP allowance would double from 15 per cent of the MP allowance to 30 per cent.Updated national bonus targets: The salary of political officeholders includes a fixed monthly pay as well as a variable component that includes bonuses such as the national bonus. The national bonus is dependent on outcomes across four indicators – unemployment rate, real income growth rate of Singaporeans at the 50th percentile and 20th percentile, and real GDP growth rate. The Government said it would tighten the targets on the first three socioeconomic indicators and lower the target band for GDP given the maturing economy.These changes will be debated by the House on Thursday.",{"_89":237,"_90":238,"_110":239},"Risk of cross-border transmission of Ebola is low ","2026-09-09T11:01:05+08:00","The risk of cross-border transmission of Ebola to Singapore is assessed to be low, says Senior Minister of State for Health Tan Kiat How. Earlier in May, the Communicable Diseases Agency said Singapore was stepping up public health measures following the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda. Tan is responding to Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC) on the risk of cross-border transmission of Ebola. He notes that there are no direct flights between Singapore and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and travel volume between the countries is low. Ebola is also primarily spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons, he adds. The outbreak in the DRC is driven by delayed identification of cases and poor infection control practices in community and healthcare settings, he says, noting that it does not spread easily in settings with strong public health practices and healthcare infrastructure, like Singapore. Singapore will continue to monitor the outbreak and spread of deadly pathogens around the world, including Ebola.PHOTO: REUTERS",{"_89":241,"_90":242,"_110":243},"Tiers and design of subsidies for long-term care under review","2026-09-09T11:08:31+08:00","Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam says the Government is reviewing the current tiers and design of the framework for long-term care subsidies, in response to Hamid Razak’s (West Coast-Jurong West GRC) question on the topic.Means-testing is the method to calculate the subsidies a person receives for various government schemes based on factors such as household income.Subsidies for long-term care were expanded in July to cover Singapore citizens and permanent residents from households with a per capita monthly income of $4,800 and below. The income cap was $3,600 previously.Hamid had asked how MOH assesses whether the current annual value threshold used to means-test households with no income remains adequate, given that the per household income threshold has been raised to $4,800. He had also asked whether this considers households with multiple members who require subsidised residential care concurrently.Currently, those from households with no income and who have a property annual value of $21,000 and below qualify for the subsidies. The current $21,000 ceiling was raised from $13,000 in 2024.Rahayu acknowledges that the annual value of properties is a proxy and not a perfect measure. She says families facing financial difficulties who do not qualify based on the criteria can appeal for assistance. Medical social workers will consider their situation on a case-by-case basis, including scenarios where multiple household members require care.",{"_89":245,"_90":246,"_110":247},"Question time begins","2026-09-09T10:31:37+08:00","The MPs are in the House. We begin with the first question from Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) on whether the Manpower Ministry will strengthen employment protections for lower-income professionals, managers and executives.PHOTO: MDDI",{"_89":249,"_90":250,"_110":251},"Review of Employment Act will study strengthening support for lower-income PMEs, mandating electronic salary payments","2026-09-09T10:37:09+08:00","Acting Manpower Minister Jasmin Lau says her ministry is studying how to strengthen support for lower-income PMEs as part of an ongoing review of the Employment Act.The Act provides workers here with basic rights and protections like paid sick leave and redress for unfair dismissals.The Government had formed a workgroup in August 2025 to review the Act. It is expected to be a wide-ranging exercise, covering topics such as protections for workers affected by corporate restructuring, higher statutory annual leave entitlements, and reducing regulatory and compliance costs for businesses.She is responding to a question from Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) about strengthening employment protections for lower-income professionals, managers and executives (PMEs). Currently, PMEs are not covered by additional protections for lower-income employees under the Employment Act, such as higher overtime pay rates and limits on working hours.Lau also says the same workgroup is studying whether to mandate electronic salary payment for all workers, including migrant workers, and will provide an update soon. She is answering a question from Cai Yinzhou (Bishan-Toa Payoh) on the topic.",{"_89":253,"_90":254,"_110":255},"What to look out for","2026-09-09T10:07:34+08:00","Here are some questions filed by MPs to watch:Falling demand for community care apartments: Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) asks about whether fees, location and eligibility were assessed to be the demands for the falling demand for community care apartments, while Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang) asks the reasons for the lower-than-expected subscription for the recent launches.Protections for children online and in private educational facilities: Elysa Chen (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) asks if online platforms operating here will be required to roll out safety-by-design principles to prevent child sexual exploitation, while Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) asks which agency regulates private educational facilities that provide accommodation and educational support. He also asks why people who work at such facilities and care for children daily are not subject to common licensing, suitability and safeguarding requirements.The House will also continue to debate a Bill that targets online account mules that adjourned midway last night.It will also debate another set of legislative amendments that will give the Health Sciences Authority more regulatory powers as well as a motion moved by four PAP backbenchers on enhancing food resilience and reducing food waste.",{"_89":257,"_90":258,"_110":259},"Good morning","2026-09-09T09:55:20+08:00","Welcome to our Parliament live coverage. ","speakable",{"_262":263},"cssSelector",[264,265],".live-blog-header",".live-blog-summary","dependentPaths",[],"actionData","errors"]