Shanmugam to deliver ministerial statement on race and religion in Parliament on Oct 14

SINGAPORE – Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam will deliver a ministerial statement on race and religion when Parliament sits on Oct 14.

Mr Shanmugam, who is also Home Affairs Minister, had spoken broadly about the topic at a dialogue at the Asia Future Summit on Oct 9, including on how racial and religious ties affect Singaporeans’ positions on conflicts abroad. He also covered Singapore’s approach to keeping ahead of threats to its cohesion.

A day later, he spoke at the Parish of Christ Church’s 85th anniversary and fund-raising dinner, saying that while

Singapore recognises the role of religion in the community,

it does not bring religion into politics or vice versa.

For the October sitting, MPs have filed 117 questions for the relevant ministries to answer in Parliament during the 90 minutes set aside each session for question time.

Among them are seven questions on how US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on pharmaceutical products will impact Singapore.

Mr Trump had on Sept 25 announced 100 per cent duties on branded drugs imported into the US with effect from Oct 1.

First-term MP Choo Pei Ling (Chua Chu Kang GRC) asked about the expected impact of the new tariffs on Singapore’s pharmaceutical sector and future investments in the Republic.

Mr Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) asked whether negotiations are still under way on tariff concessions for Singapore’s pharmaceutical exports, while Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang) asked about the supporting initiatives available to help pharmaceutical companies here manage the impact.

There were also four questions filed on disputes between neighbours and the existing means of intervention.

Workers’ Party newcomer Kenneth Tiong (Aljunied GRC) asked for the number of compulsory Community Mediation Centre attendances over the last three years that were directed through various means, including Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals orders, police referrals and Community Relations Unit mediation directions.

Dr Choo asked for the number of cases of disputes between neighbours that had escalated into violence resulting in injuries and fatalities, and the number of them that were due to be or were being processed by the Community Mediation Centre and Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals.

These questions come after a fatal knife attack in Yishun on Sept 24, where the victim had applied for mediation with her neighbour in June but did not get a response.

There were also three questions filed on cross-border transport services between Singapore and Johor Bahru.

Ms Rachel Ong (Tanjong Pagar GRC) asked for updates on the Ministry of Transport’s review of the current fixed drop-off point scheme for licensed cross-border point-to-point services between Singapore and Johor Bahru, as well as on discussions with Malaysia on expanding the number of approved drop-off and pickup points.

Separately, Mr Gabriel Lam (Sembawang GRC) asked about the capacity of drug rehabilitation centres (DRCs) and community rehabilitation centres. He also asked about expansion or upgrading plans to increase the capacity of the centres if etomidate-related admissions rise.

Following the rise in cases of vapes laced with etomidate, also known as Kpods, the substance has been temporarily classified as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

This means that users aged above 16 who are caught for the third time or more will be detained in a DRC for treatment and must undergo drug testing and supervision for a year. Those who are under 16 will be subjected to mandatory supervision in the community for 12 months.

There will also be five new government Bills introduced on Oct 14, including the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill, which is the second part of planned changes to the Workplace Fairness Act.

Under this second phase, the Ministry of Manpower had invited the public to share their views in August on how workplace fairness disputes should be resolved.

Among the proposals raised was that workplace fairness claims should be heard in private, given that discrimination disputes can be socially divisive, especially where race or religion is involved.

Earlier in January, a Workplace Fairness Bill tackling workplace discrimination was passed in Parliament, giving workers greater protection against biases related to factors like age and nationality.

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