Parliament in brief: 'False' report on Israeli visit and other highlights from Oct 7

MPs also raised questions about the impact of tighter regulations for data centres on competitiveness, and debated new transport laws that would strengthen rules governing the sale of active mobility devices among other changes.

View of the parliament sitting on Oct 7, 2026. (Image: CNA)

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SINGAPORE: Parliament on Wednesday (Oct 7) covered a range of issues, from efforts to help the public verify government officers to Singapore’s borrowing costs.

The House heard that changes to the Primary 1 registration framework will go ahead from 2027 without a transition period, despite calls from several MPs to give families more time to adjust. The changes include increasing the number of Phase 2C places at most primary schools from 40 to 60.

MPs also raised questions about the impact of tighter regulations for data centres on competitiveness and sustainability, and debated new transport laws that would strengthen rules governing the sale and advertising of active mobility devices, among other changes.

Here are six other issues discussed in parliament on Wednesday.

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WHY NO POFMA OVER REPORT ABOUT ISRAELI DELEGATION VISIT

A Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) correction direction was not issued over an Israeli media report about a meeting between Singapore and Israeli security officials because the public interest threshold was not met, Senior Minister and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said in a written parliamentary reply.

Mr Shanmugam said the Haaretz newspaper’s claims about the meeting were “categorically false”, but his ministry’s assessment at the time, based on legal advice, was that the public interest grounds for issuing a direction under Singapore’s online falsehoods law were not met.

“This does not, however, preclude the subsequent issuance of a POFMA direction should circumstances materially change and warrant a different assessment,” he said.

Mr Shanmugam, who is also coordinating minister for national security, was responding to Workers’ Party Aljunied MP Fadli Fawzi, who asked why a POFMA correction order was not issued against Haaretz. He also asked whether Singapore had requested that the meeting be kept secret and whether illegal settlements and settler violence in the West Bank were discussed.

Haaretz reported in September that a delegation from Israel’s Prison Service and National Security Ministry had made a “secret visit” to Singapore and that the subject of the death penalty came up during the visit. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) subsequently rejected the report, saying that the meeting involved the sharing of best practices in areas such as emergency response, crime prevention and forensics.

On Wednesday, Mr Shanmugam said Singapore’s exchanges with foreign counterparts are confidential and generally not publicised because of security concerns. Since January 2025, MHA has held 11 officials-level bilateral exchanges with foreign counterparts, including several from the Middle East, and issued a press release for only one, at the counterpart’s request.

Mr Shanmugam added that if Mr Fadli believes MHA should use such engagements to raise concerns about a country’s policies or conduct, he should clarify whether this should apply “only to Israel, or consistently to all countries with which MHA engages”.

“For example, when MHA holds operational discussions with other Middle Eastern or Asian countries, should we also raise the concerns Singapore may have with their conduct or policies?” the minister asked.

“If that is the member’s position, the government would be interested to understand how he proposes that such an approach would serve Singapore’s overall interests.”

STREAMLINING OF GOVERNMENT DIRECTORY

Contact details for quality service managers of agencies have been made more prominent after the streamlining of the Singapore Government Directory, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Jasmin Lau said.

This lets members of the public verify the identity of an officer who contacts them. For follow-ups on existing issues, they may use the contact details in earlier official correspondence with the agency, said Ms Lau, who is also acting minister for manpower.

Some public officers' names, email addresses and office phone numbers were removed earlier this year to curb misuse by scammers.

To help the public identify legitimate calls, the government will introduce a common phone number prefix and a recognisable caller name for calls from its agencies later this year, she said.

Interest rates in Singapore have risen less than in other countries, reflecting strong fiscal fundamentals that have kept demand for Singapore Government Securities healthy, Monetary Authority of Singapore deputy chairman Chee Hong Tat said.

Mr Chee, who is also national development minister, was responding to a question on how sustained rises in US Treasury yields have affected Singapore's borrowing costs and credit availability.

He said borrowing costs remain broadly in line with historical levels. The 10-year Singapore Government Securities yield is at 2.5 per cent, against its 10-year average of about 2.2 per cent.

The three-month compounded Singapore Overnight Rate Average, a benchmark for domestic loans, is at 1.2 per cent, below its 10-year average of 1.5 per cent.

MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYEES

The Ministry of Manpower and its tripartite partners are studying how to encourage employers to offer healthcare benefits beyond statutory requirements, Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau said.

Such benefits include reimbursing medical expenses beyond consultation fees and providing paid sick leave without requiring a medical certificate.

About 30 per cent of employers surveyed by the ministry offered paid sick leave without a medical certificate in 2024, up from around 27 per cent in 2023.

IMPACT OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES ON DRIVERS

The roll-out of autonomous vehicles (AV) is not expected to have "any immediate impact" on driver jobs and livelihoods, Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow said in a written parliamentary reply.

"The number of autonomous vehicles is a very small percentage of the total number of active taxi and private hire car drivers, which currently stands at 72,000," he said.

By end-2028, there may be several hundred autonomous passenger vehicles in Singapore, deployed across various "constrained use cases" as the country remains in the phase of safety validation and establishing market demand and acceptance, Mr Siow added.

"While it is not possible to predict how many autonomous vehicles will be in Singapore in five years, it is almost certain that the majority of point-to-point transport will be provided by human drivers," he said in response to questions from several MPs on support for taxi and private-hire drivers amid AV deployment.

MP Yeo Wan Ling (PAP-Punggol) had asked about safeguards such as a cap on AVs to pace the roll-out. To this, Mr Siow said: "We should not do so as our transport needs are still growing."

PREGNANCY-RELATED DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS

In a written parliamentary response, Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau said the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) received 49 pregnancy-related discrimination complaints between 2019 and 2025.

"Where there is evidence of discriminatory employment practices, TAFEP will refer the complaints to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for investigation," she said, adding that the ministry could take enforcement action depending on the severity of the case.

This includes requiring employers to rectify the lapses in their human resource processes or suspending their access to foreign workers.

Ms Lau was responding to Workers' Party Aljunied MP Fadli Fawzi, who asked about the number of complaints made to TAFEP regarding pregnancy-related discrimination every year since 2017.

CNA reported in late September that a woman who was wrongfully dismissed because of her pregnancy and upcoming maternity leave was awarded S$19,800 (US$15,500) by an Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT).

Ms Lau said on Wednesday that employees who are dismissed because of their pregnancy may also file a wrongful dismissal claim at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM).

Between April 2019 and 2025, 387 claims for compensation or reinstatement for wrongful dismissal during pregnancy were filed at TADM. Of these, 301 – or 78 per cent – were resolved at TADM, said Ms Lau.

The remaining 86 were issued with case referral certificates, allowing claimants to file claims with the ECT, she added. The ECT awarded compensation in favour of employees in 27 – or 38 per cent – of the 72 claims filed.

Under the Workplace Fairness Act, which is scheduled to take effect by the end of 2027, it will be unlawful for employers to make adverse employment decisions based on protected characteristics, including pregnancy.

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议员们还对数据中心更严格的监管对竞争力的影响提出了质疑，并就新的交通法进行了辩论，这些法律将加强对主动出行设备销售的监管，以及其他一些变化。

2026年10月7日国会开会现场。（图片来源：CNA）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：国会周三（10月7日）讨论了一系列问题，从帮助公众核实政府官员身份到新加坡的借贷成本。

议会获悉，尽管多位议员呼吁给予家庭更多时间适应，但小学一年级注册框架的改革仍将于2027年直接实施，且不设过渡期。改革内容包括将大多数小学二年级C阶段的学位名额从40个增加到60个。

议员们还对数据中心更严格的监管对竞争力和可持续性的影响提出了质疑，并就新的交通法规进行了辩论，这些法规将加强对主动出行设备销售和广告的监管，以及其他一些变化。

以下是周三议会讨论的其他六个议题。

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为什么没有根据《防止网络虚假信息和网络操纵法》（POFMA）对以色列代表团访问进行过度报道？

新加坡高级部长兼内政部长尚穆根在一份书面国会答复中表示，由于未达到公共利益门槛，因此没有就以色列媒体关于新加坡与以色列安全官员会面的报道发出《防止网络虚假信息和操纵法》（POFMA）更正指令。

尚穆根先生表示，《国土报》关于此次会面的说法“完全是虚假的”，但他的部门当时根据法律建议评估认为，根据新加坡网络虚假信息法发布指令的公共利益理由并不成立。

“但这并不排除在情况发生实质性变化并需要进行不同评估时，随后发布《防止网络虚假信息和网络操纵法》（POFMA）指令的可能性，”他说道。

尚穆根先生同时也是国家安全统筹部长，他是在回应工人党阿裕尼选区议员法德利·法齐的提问时做出上述表态的。法德利·法齐质问为何没有对《国土报》发出《防止网络虚假信息和网络操纵法》（POFMA）的更正令。他还询问新加坡是否要求此次会议保密，以及会议是否讨论了西岸的非法定居点和定居者暴力问题。

《国土报》9月报道称，以色列监狱管理局和国家安全部的一个代表团对新加坡进行了“秘密访问”，访问期间讨论了死刑问题。随后，以色列内政部否认了该报道，称此次会晤旨在分享应急响应、犯罪预防和法医等领域的最佳实践经验。

周三，尚穆根先生表示，出于安全考虑，新加坡与外国同行的交流属于机密，通常不会对外公布。自2025年1月以来，内政部已与包括中东在内的多个外国同行举行了11次官员级别的双边交流，但仅应对方要求就其中一次交流发布了新闻稿。

尚穆根先生补充说，如果法德利先生认为内政部应该利用此类接触来表达对某个国家的政策或行为的关切，那么他应该澄清这是否“仅适用于以色列，还是始终适用于内政部与之接触的所有国家”。

“例如，当内政部与其他中东或亚洲国家进行业务讨论时，我们是否也应该提出新加坡可能对其行为或政策存在的担忧？”部长问道。

“如果这是该议员的立场，政府很想了解他如何认为这种做法符合新加坡的整体利益。”

政府名录精简

新加坡数码发展及新闻部高级政务部长刘嘉敏表示，在精简新加坡政府名录后，各机构质量服务经理的联系方式已更加突出。

这使得公众可以核实与他们联系的官员的身份。人力部代理部长刘女士表示，对于已存在的问题，公众可以使用之前与该机构正式信函中的联系方式进行后续跟进。

今年早些时候，为了遏制诈骗分子滥用公职人员的姓名、电子邮件地址和办公电话号码，一些公职人员的姓名、电子邮件地址和办公电话号码已被删除。

她表示，为了帮助公众识别合法来电，政府将于今年晚些时候推出统一的电话号码前缀和易于识别的来电者姓名，用于标识其下属机构的来电。

新加坡金融管理局副主席徐芳达表示，新加坡的利率涨幅低于其他国家，这反映出强劲的财政基本面，使得对新加坡政府债券的需求保持健康。

同时担任国家发展部长的徐顺全先生是在回答有关美国国债收益率持续上升如何影响新加坡借贷成本和信贷供应的问题时作出的回答。

他表示，借贷成本基本与历史水平持平。新加坡10年期政府债券收益率为2.5%，高于其10年平均收益率约2.2%。

新加坡三个月期复利隔夜利率平均值（国内贷款的基准利率）为 1.2%，低于其 10 年平均水平 1.5%。

员工医疗福利

人力部代理部长刘嘉敏表示，人力部及其三方合作伙伴正在研究如何鼓励雇主提供超出法定要求的医疗保健福利。

这些福利包括报销咨询费以外的医疗费用，以及提供带薪病假而无需提供医疗证明。

该部委调查显示，2024 年约有 30% 的雇主提供无需医疗证明的带薪病假，高于 2023 年的约 27%。

自动驾驶汽车对驾驶员的影响

交通部长萧敬腾在书面国会答复中表示，自动驾驶汽车的推广预计不会对司机的工作和生计产生“任何直接影响”。

他说：“自动驾驶汽车的数量在活跃的出租车和私家车司机总数中占比很小，目前活跃的出租车和私家车司机总数为 72,000 人。”

萧先生补充说，到 2028 年底，新加坡可能会有数百辆自动驾驶乘用车，部署在各种“受限使用场景”中，因为该国仍处于安全验证和建立市场需求和接受度的阶段。

“虽然无法预测五年后新加坡会有多少辆自动驾驶汽车，但几乎可以肯定的是，大部分点对点交通运输仍将由人类司机提供，”他在回答几位国会议员关于在自动驾驶汽车部署期间如何支持出租车和私召车司机的问题时说道。

议员杨婉玲（人民行动党榜鹅选区）曾询问是否可以采取诸如限制自动驾驶汽车数量等保障措施来控制推广速度。对此，萧先生表示：“我们不应该这样做，因为我们的交通需求仍在增长。”

与怀孕相关的歧视投诉

人力部代理部长刘嘉敏在一份书面议会答复中表示，公平与进步就业实践三方联盟（TAFEP）在 2019 年至 2025 年间收到了 49 起与怀孕相关的歧视投诉。

“如果发现存在歧视性雇佣行为的证据，TAFEP会将投诉提交给人力部进行调查，”她说道，并补充说，人力部可能会根据案件的严重程度采取执法行动。

这包括要求雇主纠正其人力资源流程中的漏洞，或暂停其雇用外国工人。

刘女士是在回应工人党阿裕尼区议员法德利·法兹的提问，法德利·法兹询问自 2017 年以来，每年向 TAFEP 提出的与怀孕相关的歧视投诉数量。

CNA 于 9 月下旬报道，一名因怀孕和即将休产假而被错误解雇的女子，获得了就业索赔法庭 (ECT) 19,800 新元（15,500 美元）的赔偿。

刘女士周三表示，因怀孕而被解雇的员工也可以向三方争议管理联盟（TADM）提出不当解雇索赔。

刘女士表示，2019年4月至2025年期间，TADM共受理了387起因怀孕期间被错误解雇而提出的赔偿或复职申请。其中，301起（占78%）在TADM得到解决。

她补充说，其余86人获得了案件转介证明，允许索赔人向就业赔偿委员会（ECT）提出索赔。在提交的72份索赔申请中，就业赔偿委员会对27份（占38%）的索赔申请作出了有利于雇员的赔偿裁决。

根据计划于 2027 年底生效的《工作场所公平法案》，雇主基于受保护的特征（包括怀孕）做出不利的就业决定将属违法行为。

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