The gist: Pritam calls for more data-sharing; new youth-led panels to discuss national policies
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Young people will get an opportunity to have their voice heard through a national platform.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
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SINGAPORE – On the fifth and last day of the debate on the President’s Address, Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh called for the Government to be receptive to sharing more information
Here are the key takeaways:
1. Be more open with data, says Pritam
The Government should become more open to releasing data, and not be dismissive or “breezily” use national security or sensitivity as reasons for withholding information without good reason, the Workers’ Party chief said.
He cited tense ground sentiment on the number of intra-corporate transferees from India working in Singapore as a result of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement as an issue that he thought could have been cooled earlier.
Another potential flashpoint Mr Singh cited: the growth of family offices and the inflow of foreign wealth here.
He noted that there are murmurings of discontent among Singaporeans who see foreigners engage in a buying spree of properties.
He said it is important that the Government be on top of this.
Why it matters
In moving this motion on the debate on the President’s Address, Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok) had said that the “nature of the electorate is changing and today, a new generation is emerging”.
In turn, the Government must change at an unprecedented speed, he added.
Mr Singh said Singaporeans seek a fairer, more inclusive and more caring society, and greater openness with sharing information will be fundamental to a refreshed social compact.
He added that providing evidence of how foreign talent policies help Singaporeans in concrete ways will help prevent xenophobia – something that must always be guarded against.
2. ICA relooking approach to system upgrade
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) is reviewing its approach to the upgrading of one of its immigration systems, after the process caused a 4½-hour disruption at land checkpoints and the airport on March 31.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim told Parliament that the pre-scheduled upgrading trial was needed for the Multi-Modal Biometrics System, which facilitates automated immigration clearance using travellers’ biometrics.
But the trial caused the storage systems to overload and the process was aborted immediately. Previous tests went off without a hitch.
Associate Professor Faishal told the House that no unusual activities were detected and no breach of data occurred during the disruption.
Why it matters
The disruption affected about 55,000 travellers at the two land checkpoints, as well as 30,000 passengers on 224 flights at Changi Airport.
Despite efforts to prioritise those with flights departing soon, 21 passengers missed their flights, said Prof Faishal.
Administrative staff had to be deployed and off-duty officers had to be recalled for manual immigration clearance.
As traveller volume continues to increase and ICA faces manpower challenges, the checkpoint clearance systems will require maintenance and enhancement to system resiliency, said Prof Faishal.
ICA is in the process of implementing the New Clearance Concept, where manual counters and automated lanes will be replaced in phases with the next-generation Automated Border Clearance System gates.
Prof Faishal said there are contingency plans in place and ICA will aim for quick recovery, should disruptions happen.
If you have a few more minutes…
Giving young people a voice on national issues:
Following strong interest from young people to be involved in nation building and engage in in-depth discourse, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) will introduce Youth Panels.
To be launched later in 2023, these panels will be youth-led, and supported by the National Youth Council (NYC) and other government agencies.
In these panels, young people aged 15 to 35 will work on a topic or policy that resonates with the broader segment of their peers.
Meanwhile, the Government will share policy considerations and trade-offs, and exchange data points with them.
Young people will be engaged in meaningful and constructive discourse, and it will be an opportunity for them to not just listen to the Government, but also to hear the experiences of others, said Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong.
He added: “(They can) appreciate that opinions may be different from their own, and (weigh) competing priorities, looking at both the short term, as well as having a longer-lens perspective of these trade-offs.”
The recommendations from these panels will be taken seriously, and may even be presented in Parliament for debate, he said.
MCCY and NYC are currently working with young people to identify suitable policy issues, in particular ones that will affect them and areas where the Government would benefit strongly from their involvement in policy development.
GST remains sticking point between PAP and WP:
Mr Murali sought to clarify WP’s stance on the goods and services tax.
In response, WP MP Leon Perera said that in the 2018 debate on the GST hike announcement, his party opposed only the increase from 7 per cent to 9 per cent, and did not ask for the tax to be removed completely.
Mr Singh said the debate over the last few years had been about the GST hike and not the GST per se.
While WP may not have supported the GST when it was introduced decades ago, he said the GST is an endemic feature of the tax system.
WP’s policy positions cannot be immutable and must evolve with the political realities of the time, he added.
He reiterated the party’s stance against the latest hike, which is reflected in WP’s 2020 General Election manifesto.
Mr Singh then asked if the Government will proceed with the increase from 8 per cent to 9 per cent in 2024 or put it on hold, given the inflationary pressures and rising cost of living.
People’s Association serves Singaporeans, not used for party politics, says PAP MP:
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir) chided WP MPs Leon Perera and Faisal Manap (both Aljunied GRC) for their comments on the People’s Association (PA).
He said the statutory board serves Singaporeans, and it was wrong of them to suggest that the PA advances the interests of any political party.
The People’s Action Party MP added that their comments “do not do justice” to the contributions of PA’s leaders, staff and volunteers.
Earlier in the week, Mr Perera called for the PA to be delinked from the ruling political party as he said it creates the impression that state resources are invested in promoting the Government’s thinking and its politicians.
In his speech, Mr Faisal raised the matter of how defeated PAP candidates assume the role of grassroots advisers in opposition constituencies. They also host or are invited as guests of honour at community events such as the Edusave Awards – not the elected opposition MP. He said this gives the impression that PA activities are by the PAP.
Mr Faisal also noted that the opposition MPs do not get to access PA’s funds or its facilities.
Mr Sitoh said that Mr Faisal has asked only to do “the nice things” and “be involved in some small selected part of the work of the grassroots adviser”.
But the PA does more, including explaining difficult government policies to the public, added Mr Sitoh.
“(Mr Faisal) needs to admit that he cannot fulfil the role of grassroots adviser, on behalf of the Government, when he disagrees with so many of the Government’s policies and with how the Government raises money to fund its programmes.”
