Israel-Hamas war to cost-of-living pressures: 6 takeaways from Singapore Parliament

SINGAPORE — Singapore's parliament has condemned the violence against innocent civilians in the Israel-Hamas conflict and emphasised the importance of maintaining racial and religious harmony in Singapore.

During a debate held on Monday (6 November), 21 Members of Parliament representing the People's Action Party (PAP), Workers' Party (WP) and Progress Singapore Party (PSP) discussed the Israel-Hamas conflict. The motion addressing this issue was eventually passed after six hours of deliberation.

Here are the five key highlights from this week's Parliament sitting, which centred on the Israel-Hamas conflict and other matters, including the 14 October banking disruption and cost-of-living pressures:

1. Singapore MPs unite against violence in Israel-Hamas conflict

A motion was raised during Monday's parliamentary session by three PAP MPs: Vikram Nair, Alex Yam and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.

The motion included six points, such as advocating for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza, and condemning those who are responsible for terrorist attacks and violations of international law.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, speaking during the debate, highlighted the significance of Singapore not allowing external events to create divisions within the country. He also pointed out the role of social media in intensifying emotions and conflicts, even in faraway regions.

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan stressed the necessity of domestic cohesion and consensus in maintaining a consistent and coherent foreign policy.

He called upon all MPs, regardless of their political affiliations, to unite in upholding the principles essential for Singapore's survival, which were outlined in a motion regarding solidarity, security and peace in relation to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Pritam Singh, the Leader of the Opposition and chief of the WP, stated in his speech that the conflict should not compromise Singapore's multi-racial and multi-religious peace and harmony. He encouraged Singaporeans to view the issue as a humanitarian matter rather than through religious lenses.

2. Police reports of offensive remarks or actions against Jews and Muslims

DPM Wong mentioned in Parliament on Monday that, in October, there were eight police reports filed regarding offensive remarks or actions targeting the Jewish and Muslim communities. This was roughly equal to the total number of reports received from January to September.

He emphasised that this represents a "very sharp spike" in such incidents, adding that regional Internet traffic to extremist sites has "gone up threefold" since the conflict began.

Additionally, there has been an increase in anti-Singapore rhetoric, including violent threats against Singapore by regional extremist elements online.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim noted that those engaging in offensive conduct constitute a minority in Singapore, with most Singaporeans responding to the conflict in a measured and mature manner, even when their views differ.

Still, DPM Wong expressed the government's concern about extremist and terrorist groups in the region exploiting the conflict to radicalise individuals, noting recent cases of Singaporeans falling for pro-Hamas narratives and wanting to join overseas conflicts.

“Amid this conflict, it is more urgent than ever that we prepare for all contingencies. That’s why our security agencies are on heightened alert, and we have put in place additional security measures as a precaution,” he said.

DPM Wong also stressed the importance of vigilance among Singaporeans, and encouraged them to report any suspicious behaviour to the authorities.

3. October digital banking disruption leads to millions of unfinished transactions

A major service disruption on 14 October affected the digital banking platforms of DBS Bank and Citibank, resulting in approximately 2.5 million payment and ATM transactions being unable to be completed.

During the disruption, over 810,000 attempts to access these banks' digital banking services failed, and the incident persisted for more than 12 hours.

Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan explained the incident in Parliament on Monday, stating that it was caused by a malfunction in the cooling system of the data centre that hosts both banks' IT systems.

Regarding the regulatory approach of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and its effectiveness in enhancing the digital resilience of banks, he emphasised that the banks and financial institutions involved are being held accountable for this disruption.

Tan, who also serves as a MAS board member, further stated that additional measures will be considered and implemented if necessary. He also outlined MAS' commitment to collaborating with the financial industry to integrate the lessons learnt from this incident into the risk management controls of all banks.

4. Government to bring forward COEs from future peak years to tackle supply trough

Acting Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat said in Parliament on Monday that more Certificate of Entitlement (COE) quotas from peak years will be brought forward to address the current shortage in supply, all while maintaining the zero-vehicle growth policy in Singapore.

This policy, aimed at managing traffic congestion in the land-scarce city-state, determines the number of COEs available for bidding based on the number of deregistered vehicles.

In the past two years, COE prices have consistently increased with no signs of declining, particularly for larger cars and the Open category, where COE premiums surpassed $150,000 in October.

Chee acknowledged that the "cut and fill" strategy's impact on COE premiums is uncertain and stressed that market demand remains beyond the authorities' control.

Additionally, he highlighted that car-leasing companies are unlikely the primary cause of the COE price increase, as premiums have continued to rise despite reduced demand from these companies.

5. Major manufacturers and food operators commit to elevate lower-sodium demand

Fifteen major manufacturers and food operators in Singapore have committed to reducing excessive salt consumption by increasing the availability and demand for lower-sodium ingredients.

These companies collectively represent over 30 per cent of the retail market for sauces and seasonings and 10 per cent of the food and beverage market, as stated by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health Rahayu Mahzam in Parliament on Monday.

High sodium intake among Singaporeans is mainly linked to the consumption of added salt, sauces, and seasonings when eating out rather than processed foods from stores, as pointed out by Rahayu.

Singapore has examined various approaches used in other countries, such as warning labels and taxes on high-sodium and high-sugar foods. However, the approach in Singapore will be tailored to local consumption habits.

These efforts align with Health Minister Ong Ye Kung's previous remarks in September, where he mentioned that authorities are exploring potential regulatory measures to control sodium intake.

6. House debates cost-of-living

The Leader of the Opposition and WP chief, Pritam Singh, along with Louis Chua of Sengkang GRC, put forth a cost-of-living motion that sparked a prolonged seven-hour debate in the house.

This motion urged the government to review its policies with the goal of easing the financial burdens experienced by Singaporeans and their families in relation to the cost of living.

Singh asserted that the rising prices and inflationary environment have created what he termed "a cost-of-living crisis" for some Singaporeans. Although the WP acknowledged one-time relief measures for eligible households, he argued that national policies needed to be "re-examined to make them relevant to today's Singapore."

During the debate, all eight WP MPs voiced their support for structural changes, emphasising the need to move away from one-time fiscal payouts for expenses like healthcare, transportation and utilities.

Non-Constituency MPs (NCMPs) Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa, representing the PSP, endorsed the WP's motion and discussed various issues, including COE prices and the cost of food.

While MPs from the ruling PAP acknowledged the concerns regarding the cost of living, those who spoke highlighted the effectiveness of current policies in assisting families in need, especially those in lower-income brackets. The government said that it was open to doing more if needed.

Bukit Panjang MP Liang Eng Hwa proposed amendments to the motion, suggesting the removal of the call for a policy review by the government.

Instead, his amended motion acknowledged the global concern of the cost-of-living issue and encouraged the government to persist in implementing policies that reduce financial pressures on Singaporeans and their families. This should be done without undermining fiscal sustainability and burdening of future generations.

However, the WP MPs and PSP NCMPs did not support the amended motion.

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