Singapore’s response to Gaza crisis, train breakdowns, vaping on Parliament’s agenda

SINGAPORE – The worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, recent train breakdowns, and Singapore’s clampdown on vaping are among the topics that Parliament will address when it sits on Sept 22.

Ahead of the week-long parliamentary debate on the President’s Address, MPs filed 125 questions for answer in Parliament, which included questions on bullying in schools and advanced cyber attacks.

The questions will be addressed by the relevant ministries during the 90 minutes set aside for question time each day, before MPs go on to discuss the issues raised by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in his Sept 5 speech that laid out the Government’s plans and priorities in its new term of office.

MPs filed six questions on Gaza, including one by Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang GRC) on whether Singapore is reconsidering its position on

Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly

, following plans announced by Australia, France and the United Kingdom to recognise a Palestinian state. Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) and Mr Henry Kwek (Kebun Baru) asked for an update on additional humanitarian assistance by the Republic to Gaza.

First-term MPs Charlene Chen (Tampines GRC) and Hazlina Abdul Halim (East Coast GRC) asked how Singapore has conveyed its concerns on the crisis to the Israeli government, and how the city state is working with other countries to ensure Israel abides by international law, in the light of its recent attack on Qatar.

Madam Hazlina also asked if the Government would consider convening an inter-ministry taskforce to consolidate relief efforts, and about ways to safeguard harmony among the different communities here against the backdrop of the Gaza conflict.

These questions will be responded to in three ministerial statements by Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann, and Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim.

MPs filed six questions on

the recent spate of train breakdowns

, including one from Mr Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) on the number of regulatory breaches made by each of the rail operators, and the corresponding financial penalties.

Several MPs, including Mr Ng Chee Meng (Jalan Kayu), Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang) and Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol GRC), asked for an update on investigations into the causes of the various breakdowns.

There were 11 questions on vaping, with MPs seeking updates on enforcement action and the latest figures related to vaping offences, including seizures of illegal e-vaporisers and related products at Singapore’s borders.

Mr Ang Wei Neng (West Coast-Jurong West GRC) asked what prompted

the recent inter-ministerial efforts to ban vaping

, how many individuals have been caught and about the Health Ministry’s plans for etomidate control after its classification as a Class C drug expires in February 2026.

Mr Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) asked what the ministries have done to stop the sale of e-vaporisers and components on encrypted messaging platforms, while Mr de Souza asked if the Ministry of Home Affairs intends to strengthen Customs inspections to tackle smuggling of such goods.

Bullying in schools

drew 13 questions, with first-term MP Kenneth Tiong (Aljunied GRC) asking the Education Ministry (MOE) whether it plans to introduce an annual school safety scorecard and to mandate minimum anti-bullying policy standards across all schools.

Mr Tiong also proposed an anonymous anti-bullying hotline, while Mr Xie Yao Quan (Jurong Central) suggested that MOE consider setting up a centralised anti-bullying unit to support schools in investigating the most egregious cases without overburdening teachers.

On the cyber-security front, Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh asked for the Government’s position on the allegation by the Chinese Embassy here of cyber attacks originating from Singapore.

In a letter to The Straits Times on Aug 5

, the embassy alleged that there were 40,000 cyber attacks against information systems for the 2025 Asian Winter Games that China had traced to the city state.

Separately, Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Changi GRC) filed three questions on the rise in advanced persistent threat attacks against Singapore’s critical infrastructure, and how the Government intends to strengthen its defensive capabilities.

The greater part of Parliament’s business from Sept 22 to 26 will see MPs speak on Mr Tharman’s address, and scrutinise the plans that various ministries have set out for the new term of government.

For instance, affordable public housing, an economic blueprint to position Singapore for growth amid global uncertainty, and the city state’s inaugural climate adaptation plan are among the priorities listed in ministries’ addenda to the President’s Address.