Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Amendment) Bill

Order for Second Reading read.

6.26 pm

The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Lam Pin Min) (for the Minister for Transport): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Bill amends the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) Act to: (a) enable Singapore to give effect to the 2018 amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention; and, (b) provide a statutory basis for an approved financial security provider who has paid a seafarer for certain liabilities owed by a shipowner to the seafarer, to acquire the seafarer's rights against the shipowner in respect of the liabilities.

Let me highlight the key provisions of the Bill.

First, clauses 3 to 5 amend the Act to enhance employment protection for seafarers in captivity. Should a seafarer be held captive on or off a ship as a result of an act of piracy and armed robbery against the ship, the seafarer's employment agreement continues to have effect during the period of captivity. This is regardless of whether the date fixed for the expiry of the seafarer's employment agreement has passed or either party to the seafarer's employment agreement has given notice to suspend or terminate it.

Further, a captive seafarer's wages and entitlements must continue to be paid during the period of captivity, until the day the seafarer is released and duly repatriated, or until the seafarer's death while in captivity. The seafarer's employer is also obligated to repatriate the seafarer upon release from captivity.

Besides enhancing employment protection for seafarers in captivity, we are making another amendment to facilitate the acquisition of a seafarer's rights by an approved financial security provider which provides insurance or other financial security required under the Act to shipowners. Clause 6 facilitates the transfer to and vesting in the financial security provider of a seafarer's rights against a shipowner as a result of any liability arising from the shipowner's obligation to repatriate the seafarer. For example, the liability to pay the seafarer's wages and entitlements. It amends the Act to provide a statutory basis for the financial security provider to acquire such rights if the provider has paid the seafarer under a contract of insurance or other financial security for such liability.

To conclude, the provisions in this Bill will help protect seafarers' welfare and enhance Singapore's international reputation as a responsible maritime nation. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

6.29 pm

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (West Coast): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of this Bill, which seeks to enhance protection for seafarers who have been held captive on or off a ship as result of an act of piracy or armed robbery against the ship. My comments today on the Bill are from an employment perspective.

While the amendments to the Employment Act last year are no doubt commendable, the EA does not cover seafarers. Seafarers' employment rights and obligations are governed by the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) Act which is to be amended this time round. I have spoken to my sisters and brothers at the Singapore Maritime Officers' Union and the Singapore Organisation of Seamen and am pleased to share that they stand in full support of this deck of amendments.

Broadly speaking, the amendments to the Bill provide that where seafarers are held captive due to acts of piracy or armed robbery against the ship, the following will apply, during the period of captivity: first, the seafarer's employment agreement continues to have effect during the period of captivity; second, the seafarer's wages and other entitlements under their employment contracts or collective agreements must continue to be paid; and third, the seafarer will be entitled to repatriation upon his or her release.

The amendments to the Bill are timely in view of the recent sea robbery incidents. In December 2019, The Straits Times reported that pirates launched two attacks on separate vessels in the Singapore Strait within two hours of each other.

In the first incident, three perpetrators had entered the engine room and one of them was armed with a knife. Two of the crew members were subsequently discovered to be tied up. In the second incident, six intruders had attacked the ship and tied another two crew members up in the engine room.

CNA also reported that sea robbery incidents in the Singapore Strait had hit a four-year high in 2019, with a grand total of 31 such incidents, which is in stark contrast to the 17 reported incidents from 2016 to 2018.

Collectively, these incidents show how seafarers are increasingly vulnerable to acts of piracy or armed robbery on board the ship as well as the risks they undertake to perform their jobs as well. Accordingly, it is necessary that the laws be enhanced to offer protection to seafarers in terms of continuity of employment, payment of wages, benefits and repatriation entitlements during such periods of captivity. That is the least we can do to alleviate the financial and emotional burdens of seafarers held captive at sea through no fault of theirs.

While I am fully supportive of the amendments to the Bill, I have the following questions for the Senior Minister of State.

First, is there a reason for the sudden spike in sea robbery incidents in 2019 as compared to the previous years? I understand it is attributable in part to lack of enforcement measures. What would be the other reasons and would the Senior Minister of State be able to provide more details on that?

Second, does the Senior Minister of State foresee that the rising number of sea robbery incidents is a cause for concern, especially in view of Singapore's prominence as a global maritime hub? If so, would the Senior Minister of State be able to share some of the enforcement measures that are to be implemented to combat such crimes such that seafarers and vessels sailing through Singapore waters are assured of their safety. It is crucial that the measures implemented are effective as there would be knock-on effects on Singapore's position as a financial hub as well as the livelihood of seafarers.

Third, what is presently being done and what more can be done to help families and relatives of seafarers who have been held captive at sea? I am sure they experience a deep sense of helplessness and despair in such situations.

Sir, clarifications notwithstanding, I stand in support of this Bill.

6.33 pm

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, I stand in support of the Bill. In 2016, we amended our laws in accordance with the Maritime Labour Convention or MLC, to improve protections for crew abandoned by their shipowners by mandating shipowners' procuring of financial security. This ensures that seafarers are fairly compensated in the event of death or long-term disability due to occupational injury, illness or hazard.

In view of last year's spate of sea robberies in our waters, which has reached a four-year high, it is commendable that we are seeking amendments to this Act to duly compensate seafarers in the event of an abduction in an armed robbery or piracy incident. I am supportive of this move to bolster the labour protection for seafarers, a vulnerable group of workers who are exceptionally excluded from the Employment Act.

To the proposed amendments, I would like to raise five clarifications.

My first clarification is on the reporting of abductions. Given that captive seafarers must continue to be paid wages and other entitlements during their captivity, errant shipowners may make false claims of the whereabouts of the abducted seafarer in the event of an armed robbery or piracy incident.

Can the Senior Minister of State clarify what measures will the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore or MPA put in place to ensure all cases of crew abductions are truthfully and accurately reported? What punitive measures does the MPA intend to take against errant shipowners?

My second clarification is on the period of salary payment. The new section 20(7A) provides that the seafarer's wages and other entitlements must continue to be paid during the seafarer's period of captivity until the seafarer's release and repatriation, or the date of the seafarer's death. Further, the effect of the new section 12A is that the seafarer's employment agreement continues to have effect during the captivity period regardless of the date of expiry of the agreement or any termination notice.

It is possible that a seafarer's life, safety and whereabouts will be unknown while in captivity. It appears from the Bill that in the instance that a seafarer is held captive for an extended period and it cannot be confirmed if he or she is dead, the shipowners will be required to continue paying wages and other entitlements indefinitely.

While I am supportive of the protective rationale of these amendments, shipowners have a strong incentive to avoid making these payments for an abducted seafarer.

How will the MPA ensure that shipowners will continue to make these payments? In the event that shipowners are unable to make payment, what funds are available to cover the shortfall in wages and entitlements to be paid to the abducted seafarer?

My third point is on terrorism-linked kidnappings. Clauses 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the Bill seek to protect the seafarer in the event of an abduction related to an armed robbery or piracy incident.

We have seen kidnap-for-ransom incidents perpetrated by terrorist organisations in the region. Notably, the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf terrorist group has carried out a number of kidnappings of seafarers in regional waters. Most recently, in June 2019, 10 gunmen from Abu Sayyaf kidnapped 10 fishermen off the coast of Sabah, Malaysia.

Can the Senior Minister of State clarify if these amendments will cover abductions linked to terrorism? In other words, will the abducted seafarer be remitted his due wages and entitlements in the case of terrorism?

The fourth issue I would like to raise is a proposal on post-release support programmes for abducted seafarers. A study titled "The Long-term Impact of Maritime Piracy on Seafarers' Behavioral Health and Work Decisions" found that one in four former hostages showed symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Given that victims of other types of trauma, such as assault and sexual harassment, can tap on numerous avenues for counselling and support, the same should be made available for abducted seafarers, even if such victims are rarer.

Will the Senior Minister of State consider introducing post-release support programmes for abducted seafarers?

My fifth and final point is on protections for Singaporean seafarers on non-Singapore flagged ships. Section 3(1) of the Act provides that various parts of the Act will cover Singapore ships wherever they may be and non-Singapore flagged ships in Singapore. The Act does not seem to apply to Singaporean seafarers on non-Singapore flagged ships. Can the Senior Minister of State clarify if the protections accorded by these amendments will be extended to Singaporean seafarers on non-Singapore flagged ships if they are abducted in a piracy incident outside of Singapore's territorial waters? If not, what protections and recourse are available to them?

Sir, with more than 1,000 ships passing through the Singapore Strait every day and more than 4,400 Singapore-flagged ships on our registry, this amendment will ensure that abducted seafarers and their families will be adequately compensated. This Bill will align Singapore with the 2018 amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention or MLC. As such, I stand in support of the Bill.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Senior Minister of State Lam Pin Min.

6.38 pm

Dr Lam Pin Min: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank Mr Louis Ng and Mr Patrick Tay for their comments and support of the Bill. Let me address the points they have raised.

To address Mr Louis Ng's query on MPA's measures against errant shipowners who wilfully misreport abductions, there are existing measures to address this. Currently, all Singapore-registered shipowners are required to put in place procedures for reporting shipboard security incidents, including incidents of abduction, under Chapter XI-2 of the Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) Regulations.

To ensure timely reporting of abductions, MPA has issued shipping circulars to the shipping community to remind shipowners and ship-masters to send reports of any attacks or attempted attacks on board their ships immediately to the Rescue Coordination Centre for the area and to MPA. A shipowner who knowingly or recklessly makes a false report of a shipboard security incident commits an offence under section 194 of the Merchant Shipping Act. Such an offence is punishable with a fine not exceeding $10,000, or an imprisonment term not exceeding two years, or both.

Mr Ng also asked if shipowners will be required to continue paying for wages and other entitlements indefinitely for cases where the seafarer's whereabouts are unknown and the seafarer's death cannot be confirmed, and whether there would be a sunset clause built into the subsidiary legislation.

The intent of the amendment is that the shipowner must continue to pay the wages of the captive seafarer until the seafarer is released from captivity and repatriated or until the death of the seafarer while in captivity. In circumstances where it is believed that the seafarer has died, a presumption of death certificate may be applied for through the court.

Mr Ng also asked if the amendments will cover abductions related to terrorism, for example, kidnapping for ransom by a terrorist group. The Bill seeks to enable Singapore to implement the 2018 amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention, which require shipowners to continue to pay seafarers their due wages and entitlements in the event of an abduction in an "armed robbery" or "piracy" incident. Under international law, whether a specific terrorist act can fall within the definitions of "armed robbery" or "piracy" depends on the facts of the case.

Shipowners may further take on additional insurance cover for terrorism, in which case, seafarers will be compensated their wages and entitlements in instances of abductions related to terrorism. Seafarers also have a right to terminate their contracts upon giving notice, which they could choose to exercise if the ships they are on will traverse or journey through high-risk areas.

On Mr Ng's fourth point about post-release support programmes, we will bring that back and study the proposal.

On his last query on whether Singaporeans on non-Singapore-flagged ships will be protected under this amendment, I am happy to update Mr Ng that actually, most other shipping companies also need to abide by the MLC, whether they operate Singapore-flagged ships or not. As many countries are MLC countries, Singaporeans who are working on non-Singapore-flagged ships should be covered under the 2018 amendments.

Next, to address Mr Patrick Tay's query on reasons for the spike in piracy and armed robbery (PAR) incidents in the region in 2019 as compared to previous years, there could be several reasons for these incidents. The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia or ReCAAP, cited crew members' lack of vigilance and highlighted the need for strong collaboration among the littoral states in information sharing and enforcement. The Minister for Defence mentioned in Parliament on 3 February this year that perpetrators are based and operate outside of Singapore territorial waters. Therefore, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is working closely with our neighbours to share information and collect intelligence to better tackle these threats, and to step up enforcement in the region. MPA is also encouraging the shipping community to be vigilant when travelling along the Singapore Strait.

Mr Tay also asked what are the enforcement measures that are to be implemented. Should any suspicious vessel enter Singapore territorial waters, our maritime agencies will respond strongly to safeguard Singapore's security and take the necessary action against the perpetrators.

For incidents outside our waters, we have to work with our neighbours to counter this transnational threat. As I have mentioned in my COS speech, the Malacca Straits Patrol (MSP), involving our military and the militaries of Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, conduct air and sea patrols in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. This also involves regular information exchange and updating suspicious indicators to assist investigation efforts of sea robbery incidents. MINDEF has reached out to its counterparts in Malaysia and Indonesia to propose that the MSP initiative be extended to other areas in our surrounding waters. Discussions are on-going. RSN's Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) will also be enhancing its capabilities to deal with maritime threats, including piracy and armed robbery.

In addition, Singapore is part of a region-wide initiative called ReCAAP, which facilitates timely and accurate information sharing so that the respective littoral states and the shipping community can take prompt remedial actions.

Mr Tay also asked what is presently being done and what more can be done to help families and relatives of seafarers who have been held captive at sea. The 2018 amendments will require shipowners of Singapore-registered ships to continue to honour the employment agreements of seafarers who have been taken captive by pirates or armed robbers regardless of whether the date fixed for the expiry of the seafarer's employment agreement has passed. Shipowners will be obliged to continue paying captive seafarers their wages and entitlements until the seafarers are released from captivity and repatriated, or until the seafarer's death, should the seafarer die while in captivity. This would allow the seafarer's next-of-kin to seek compensation from shipowners for wages during the period of captivity.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Bill will improve seafarers' welfare and strengthen our standing as a responsible maritime nation. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Dr Lam Pin Min].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Leader of the House.

ADJOURNMENT MOTION The Leader of the House (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn."

Question proposed.

Working Together Towards a Zero-suicide Singapore: ###### 6.47 pm

Ms Anthea Ong (Nominated Member): Mr Deputy Speaker, please allow me to read the struggles of Lucy, not her real name, and her suicidal thoughts to this House. I quote verbatim: "I have been a witness to a suicide, I have lost a friend to suicide and I struggle with suicidal ideation on a near daily basis. It cost me my university education, landed me in tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and left me with little means to earn enough to pay back my study loan and survive on my own. I will likely never be able to earn more than $1,000 per month and will likely take my life than die of other causes in the near future."

Other than Lucy, there were 46 more people who came forward to share with me about their experiences with suicide, among the 400 respondents to the public consultation on mental health conducted by my team and I. Like Lucy's and the many near and far ones who have reached out to me, each and every one of their stories was heartbreaking to know and read, as they agonised over their struggles to live.

Suicide is a global public health concern. Close to 800,000 people lose their life to suicide every year, nearly one-third of which occur among young people.

Here in Singapore, teenage suicides peaked in 2018 – the highest since suicide tracking started in 1991. Sadly, so did the number of elderly aged 60 and above who took their own lives. From 2017 to 2019, there were 1,204 attempted suicides yearly. Last year, the Immigration and Customs Authority reported that there were 8.36 suicides per 100,000 Singapore residents in 2018, up from 7.74 in 2017. Suicide has entrenched itself as the leading cause of death for those aged 10 to 29.

Sir, these worrying numbers could be higher, given issues of under-reporting. According to the Attorney-General's Chambers, a classification of "suicide" only occurs when there is clear evidence of suicidal intent and self-harm. From my interactions with suicide-bereaved parents, the cause of death is sometimes categorised as "fall from a high place" or "unnatural death" and also labelled as such on the requests of family. In addition, we must also not forget that for every suicide and attempted suicide we know, there are many more people struggling with self harm and suicide ideation that we have little data on. In fact, estimates from WHO show that for every suicide, there may have been more than 20 suicide attempts that go undetected.

So, whilst some may argue that our numbers are not high by international standards, we are still not doing enough because the number of deaths by suicides in Singapore has remained relatively unchanged from 9.5 suicides per 100,000 residents in the 1980s to 8.3 suicides per 100,000 residents today.

How have we managed to develop from a third-world to first-world country and yet not be able to successfully tackle this issue of suicide? How is it that we still have the current number of suicide deaths we have today? One large reason might be the disappointing fact that Singapore was not listed as one of the few "high income" countries with a national suicide prevention strategy even though we are a member state of WHO – because we do not have one! National suicide prevention strategies are essential for working towards the ultimate goal of suicide reduction. According to WHO, such a strategy is important as it indicates a government's clear commitment to prioritising and tackling suicide, while making resources available for necessary interventions.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Senior Minister of State Amy Khor's assurance at Budget 2020 that a whole-of-Government review of our mental health strategy will be undertaken to identify gaps and strengthen existing inter-agency efforts brought much hope to many who are struggling. Building on this, I hope to use the rest of this speech to ask the Government to go further in developing a national response that aims for zero suicides under this review as part of a multi-ministry and multi-sectoral effort.

But first, let me take this opportunity to address the discourses about suicide. It is a common fear that talking about suicide could encourage suicide behaviour, hence many friends and families who are concerned about their loved ones in distress often struggle with asking about suicide ideation or intent.

Similarly, Minister Ong Ye Kung shared his concerns in this House that talking about suicide numbers in schools "may heighten suicide risk in vulnerable youths". While I appreciate the intention of these concerns, I would like to point out that youths today already consume a large volume of media online related to mental health and suicide. Youths have shared with me that schools often try to keep quiet about students who died due to suicide, but this backfires as students are often already in the know about their peers' mental health and suicidal intention. The expert consensus is that, to have a chance at preventing suicide, we must talk about suicide responsibly.

Earlier this month, Senior Minister of State Edwin Tong indicated that allowing for treatment for self-inflicted injuries in MediSave or MediShield Life could encourage suicidal behaviours, although exceptions could be made for those with existing mental health conditions. In this House, a few colleagues expressed their concerns last year that decriminalisation of suicide could send the wrong signal in incentivising suicide. These views perpetuate the stigma by shrouding suicide in exclusion. Experts indicate that incentives for help-seeking are helpful in combating stigma, allowing those who are struggling to feel more comfortable in seeking support.

Mr Deputy Speaker, apart from poor mental health that Senior Minister of State Edwin Tong gave concession to, we must also recognise that there are social and environmental factors embedded within our society and structures that also contribute to an individual's intention to self harm or suicide or to take their own life. Intense feelings of hopelessness can also arise from sudden and adverse life events including unemployment, trauma and the loss of loved ones. Not every suicide is a result of mental illness, nor is someone with mental illness always suicidal.

Lastly, we must take the lead in recognising that suicide is far from a selfish choice and cannot be blamed on the individual. My cousin, who has attempted suicide several times, often shares that he feels that he's a burden to his family, including me, even as he acknowledged that he knows how much we love him.

Studies have shown that people who attempt to take or took their own lives commonly feel that their lives hamper others, viewing their decisions as relieving their loved ones. The following excerpt of a suicide letter from an elderly victim broke my heart, I quote: "Father is reluctant to leave all of you. I have failed so badly that I have no choice." This is the reality of suicides, and those who succumb can hardly be labelled as selfish.

Mr Deputy Speaker, as recommended by the WHO, it is fundamental for the Government to lead and coordinate efforts in suicide prevention, starting from the establishment of a national strategy, to show this Government's priority in tackling suicides. This should first start from identifying currently available resources and committing further resources and funding to improve suicide prevention and efforts to support individuals struggling with suicide. One example would be to expand funding for organisations like SOS, the Samaritans of Singapore, not just to operate our de-facto national suicide helpline, but to ensure timely follow-ups with callers who need further support. We should also consider increasing resources and funding for mental healthcare services to address wait time and patient load issues.

I am deeply alarmed that our public hospitals do not track whether an admission is due to attempted suicide. Yet, studies show that 83% of people who die by suicide visit some kind of doctor a year before their death. Hence, healthcare facilities, especially emergency facilities and departments, are a logical place to prevent suicides. By getting our hospitals to track suicide attempts, our national strategy is better placed to coordinate the continuity of care for these suicide attempters. In the mould of the Zero Suicide Initiative, we must ensure that on the individual level, that we acknowledge each person's pain, empower them to make safe decisions and on the systems level, build hope for recovery with a continuity of care approach across agencies.

We should also note that since the decriminalisation of suicides, data of suicide attempts is no longer required by the Criminal Code. Without data surveillance of attempted suicides, our ability in developing informed strategies is limited.

Through a national strategy of data surveillance coordinated across Government agencies and community partners, the transparency and awareness of the support available can be improved, allowing various stakeholders better position their role and plan their work in tackling suicides. A robust framework of monitoring and evaluation is also required, thereby instilling a sense of accountability among those in charge of interventions.

We have a crisis on our hands with the spike in teenage suicides. I would like to lend a voice to the suicide-bereaved mothers of the PleaseStay. Movement. They believe there needs to be clear and strong suicide prevention and post-suicide intervention protocols in schools. Despite their inconsolable grief, they came forward to share what they believe could be done to prevent more teen suicides so that other parents do not have to go through the same pain. Families and friends, especially other students in the school, will inevitably suffer from grief and trauma to varying degrees and urgently need this post-suicide intervention support.

Many education systems such as the state government of Victoria in Australia establish step-by-step guidelines on what to do in the event of a suicide attempt and/or in an occurrence of suicide, making them publicly available as part of a whole-of-society effort. Notwithstanding the peer support networks that Minister Indranee cited in response to my question in Committee of Supply (COS) on MOE's suicide prevention strategy, I am sure we all agree that laying out clearly MOE's suicide protocols to parents and students can only help confront increasing suicides amongst teens.

Mr Deputy Speaker, as much as the Government must take the lead in suicide prevention, the complex and multi-faceted nature of suicide means that all of us are a part of this national response towards zero suicides.

Studies show that 50% to 60% of all persons who died by suicide gave some warning of their intentions to a friend or family member. One mother from the PleaseStay. Movement shared she was not aware that her 11-year-old son was suicidal until it was too late. Young people have often asked me what the warning signs are and how they can help their friends.

We need more public education programmes in schools, workplaces and communities on suicide prevention 101, including learning these warning signs: from unusual and sustained changes in actions, to actions like withdrawal, loss of interest, words like verbal statements such as "Everybody will better off without me", "What is the point of living?", and feelings – guilt, hopelessness; also, biological and physical aspects like poor sleep and loss of appetite.

Key gatekeepers like police, teachers, grassroots leaders and more must also be trained in suicide first-responder training so that they can intervene appropriately for suicide attempts. Community support groups like the SOS as the first community responder, or the PleaseStay. Movement and new groups like Caring for Life are key stakeholders in this whole-of-society effort to reduce and prevent suicides.

However, without a national strategy for these efforts to align to, we risk having a fragmented and sub-optimal approach to supporting survivors and bereaved parents.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to conclude by imploring the Government to take action now to arrest the rising suicide numbers by initiating a National Suicide Prevention Strategy with a vision towards a Zero-Suicide Singapore, together with community partners and citizens. We must stand firm in the belief that suicides are preventable and commit to the efforts in making that possible.

Why zero suicides? Because unlike any other targets – like 2020 for gender equality, 30 by 30 for food security – that we have made in this House when it comes to loss of lives; human lives, nothing short of zero has ever been good enough for us. A Zero-Suicide Singapore as a goal joins the Vision Zero aspiration of our workplace safety and health policies and the Zero Accident movement in our public transportation policies too.

And we would not be alone. The United States aspires towards a nation free of the tragedy of suicide in its national prevention strategy. Japan envisions a society where no one is driven to take their own life. South Korea wants to create safe and healthy communities free from suicide. And last but not least, Sweden’s Vision Zero Policy which was ratified by its parliament in 2008 aims to build a nation where no one should be in a situation of such vulnerability that suicide is seen as the only way out.

Mr Deputy Speaker, as they say, if we fail to plan, we plan to fail. And we most certainly must not fail our people like Lucy. We must work together towards a zero-suicide society that cares because every life matters. To Lucy and those of you who are struggling with suicidal thoughts out there, please know this: "You are not a burden nor are you alone. Yes, the world will be a better place in it. Please stay."

Mr Deputy Speaker: Senior Minister of State Amy Khor.

7.03 pm

The Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan): Mr Deputy Speaker, MOH is committed to mental well-being and suicide prevention and to this end, Singapore adopts a multi-pronged approach.

Internationally, based on WHO's 2016 age-standardised death rates, Singapore’s age-standardised death rates from suicide – 7.9 per 100,000 resident population – is lower compared to not just countries like South Korea at 20.2 and Japan 14.3, but also countries like Finland and US – 13.8, and 13.7 respectively. It is also lower than the annual global age-standardised suicide rate of 10.5 per 100,000 population. In Singapore, the number of suicides involving 10- to 19-year-olds fluctuated from 13 cases in 2014, 27 in 2015, 22 in 2016, falling to 12 in 2017 and rising again to 22 in 2018. The number of elderly suicides has declined from 126 cases in 2014 to 115 cases in 2018 despite an ageing population.

Nonetheless, we recognise that every suicide is one death too many and we have and will continue to strengthen our strategies to prevent suicides, as guided by the National Mental Health Blueprint and Community Mental Health Masterplan.

Through partnering Ministries and agencies, we have adopted a multi-prong approach to suicide prevention based on the following key strategies of building mental resilience; encouraging help seeking and early identification; supporting at-risk groups; and providing crisis support.

We have also invested in resources for mental health as well as put in place monitoring and tracking mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness of our programmes.

As noted by Ms Ong, there are social and environmental factors that contribute to the individual's intent to self-harm. Therefore, our strategy targets upstream protective factors in addition to strengthening downstream supportive services. Suicide prevention and intervention strategies have been developed in schools, workplaces and in the community. Let me briefly highlight our many efforts under the four key strategies.

As part of suicide prevention strategy, MOE has focused on upstream efforts to build students’ social and emotional skills and resilience through the school curriculum, CCAs and various programmes. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) also offers mental well-being programmes to equip students with the skills to cope with stress, overwhelming emotions, interpersonal conflicts, change and transitions.

At the workplace, HPB conducts mental well-being roadshows and workshops to provide stress management tips and techniques to employees. MOM’s Workplace Safety and Health Institute, in partnership with other agencies have developed an assessment tool, iWorkHealth, as well as a website to help workers identify workplace stressors and resources to improve one’s mental well-being.

Under the National Seniors’ Health Programme, HPB organises healthy ageing workshops that include psycho-social education modules aimed at empowering our seniors aged 50 years and above with the knowledge and skills to manage their mental well-being.

Early identification and encouraging help seeking are vital for suicide prevention. Hence, we have invested in raising mental health literacy through training and education programmes. Beyond SOPs, school teachers are trained to identify students experiencing distress, provide timely support and refer students in distress to school counsellors or mental health professionals for further interventions. Peer support structures are also being established in schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) by HPB as well as MOE.

The Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT) offers easy access to mental health resources and help via different avenues for young persons between 16 and 30 years old. Young persons may either visit the CHAT hub, log onto CHAT’s online portal for its WebCHAT service or call CHAT’s hotline.

Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) conducts programmes on how to identify suicide warning signs and where to seek help.

The Agency of Integrated Care (AIC) has been working with community-based organisations to set up Community Outreach Teams to reach out to seniors with or who may be at risk of dementia or depression.

Anti-stigma efforts play an important role in encouraging persons in distress to seek help early. Hence, in 2018, the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) rolled out a multi-year public education campaign, called "Beyond the Label" to achieve this objective. NCSS also recently launched the Beyond the Label Helpbot, Belle to make access to mental health information and resources to the community easier for the general public.

We recognise that persons who are greatly distressed and attempt to take their own life requires help and the criminal justice system may not be the best option. As of 1 January 2020, attempted suicide is no longer a crime in Singapore. However, the Government will continue to track reports of such cases. Additionally, public hospitals are working on tracking attempted suicide cases that they attend to.

There are a range of services in place to support at-risk groups of all ages in our community. For instance, we have trained Silver Generation Ambassadors to identify seniors who live alone, and to proactively offer them befriending services, identify and escalate cases with mental health needs.

We also have services in place to support persons in distress who require assistance such as Institute of Mental Health (IMH)’s 24-hour mental health helpline and the SOS' hotline which is funded by NCSS.

I agree with Ms Anthea Ong that every life matters, and we will continue to strengthen our efforts. During this year’s COS, MOE shared that they will feature mental health education in the revised Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) and MOH will also be setting up an Integrated Youth Service (IYS) in Woodlands this year.

MOM has also announced their intention to work with tripartite partners to develop a Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being. In addition, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) has recently clarified that companies should not ask for declaration of applicants’ mental health conditions unless there is a job-related requirement.

We have established platforms for a coordinated interagency approach to suicide prevention. For example, the Inter-Agency Research Workgroup for Youth Suicides, brings together agencies to study the issues surrounding youth suicides and to facilitate deeper collaboration between the various agencies. The workgroup will be sharing their recommendations, for agencies to follow up later this year.

Since February this year, more than 800 people from different walks of life responded to Minister Desmond Lee’s open call and will have an opportunity to be part of the Youth Mental Well-being network to be established. This Network brings people together to identify opportunities and gaps to work on, to improve youth mental well-being.

There is no easy solution to suicide prevention as the causes are complex and multifaceted. Even as we undertake a whole-of-Government review to enhance our efforts, a whole-of-society approach is necessary to build mental resilience in order to prevent suicide in Singapore.

Mr Deputy Speaker, even as we celebrate life, we all know too well that it can sometimes be stressful and challenging. COVID-19 for instance poses yet another huge test for all of us, not least in mental resilience. Beyond the Government’s resources and support as well as the many community programmes and efforts, I urge my fellow Singaporeans to stand together, look out for each other, develop strong empathy and reach out your hand to others to uplift them.

Only together, can we ensure each other's mental well-being, especially in such unprecedented times.

On this note, let me conclude by thanking the Member for her selfless efforts to promote mental well-being and prevent suicides. Let me assure her and all Members of this House that the Government, too, will not let up our efforts on this front. [ Applause. ]

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn."

Adjourned accordingly at 7.13 pm.