GIC and Temasek’s performance, IP rider changes on the agenda when Parliament sits on Jan 12

SINGAPORE – The performance of Singapore investment vehicles Temasek and GIC will come under scrutiny when Parliament sits on Jan 12, with at least 10 questions filed on the topic by MPs.

Mr Shawn Loh (Jalan Besar GRC) asked if the investment returns of Temasek and GIC have underperformed based on the Government’s expectations, while Associate Professor Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) asked if the two entities will still be able to provide a steady stream of contributions to the Government’s Budget amid a more volatile investment landscape.

They are among seven MPs who filed questions for oral answer on the topic, according to the order paper released on Jan 9.

Temasek, the Government’s investment company, and GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, manage the country’s reserves. Their returns contribute to the Net Investment Returns Contribution portion of the Government’s annual Budget.

A Financial Times article published in December 2025 had questioned the performance of the two investment entities, saying that their recent returns have “compared unfavourably with many global peers”.

The article also said that the two Singapore investment entities are “among the weakest performers among 50 similar global organisations over a 10-year period, according to Global SWF data, despite being among the largest and best resourced”.

Among the questions filed are some on how investment benchmarking is done, and others on the mandate and strategy of Temasek and GIC. There are also questions on how the performance of the two investment entities might affect the fiscal position of the Government.

Parliament will also discuss the changes to the Integrated Shield Plan (IP) riders, a topic that has caught public attention with new IP riders set to be disallowed from covering minimum deductibles from April 1. The change is among several measures aimed at addressing rising insurance premiums and private healthcare costs.

Riders provide additional coverage on top of what is provided for by national insurance scheme MediShield Life and optional IPs by private insurers. Without riders, out-of-pocket expenses could go up, and MPs such as Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang West) asked how families will be supported if these payments become unaffordable.

Funding for athletes is another topic the House will discuss, coming on the back of the recent SEA Games in Thailand, which sparked discussion on whether there was enough support for Singapore’s sportsmen and sportswomen.

Team Singapore celebrated a record 202 medals and its third-best haul of 52 golds, 61 silvers and 89 bronzes for an away SEA Games.

Among the questions tabled is whether the Major Games Award Programme, which provides monetary awards for SEA Games gold medallists, among others, can also include SEA Games silver and bronze medallists.

The Jan 12 sitting will be the first for the year, and the new batch of nine Nominated MPs (NMPs) will also take their oaths of allegiance.

The group, which includes eight new faces and one second-term NMP, will then officially start their 2½-year terms representing various segments of society, including business, the labour movement and sports.

After question time, Parliament will also debate four Bills.

These include the Public Sector (Governance) (Amendment) Bill and Health Information Bill, which pave the way for mandating the sharing of patients’ health information among healthcare providers, among other changes, as well as the National Council of Social Service (Amendment) Bill and the Singapore Sports Council (Amendment) Bill.

Parliament is expected to sit for at least two days in January, during which the House will also vote on a motion that calls for Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh to be considered unsuitable to continue as Leader of the Opposition, following his conviction for lying under oath.