Parliament
Ong Ye Kung: We’re the only country in the world without high death toll and achieves very high vaccination rate
Speaking in Parliament yesterday (26 Jul), Health Minister Ong Ye Kung hinted that Singapore is better than countries like US, UK, Australia and New Zealand in handling COVID-19.
He pointed out that Singapore is one of the few countries to have come through the last 20 months with very few fatalities and said that Singapore is unique even among countries and regions that have access to vaccines.
As of 26 July, there have been 64,179 infected cases detected in Singapore since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and 37 cases of fatalities.
Some countries – such as the US and UK – went through major episodes of widespread transmission, while others – such as Australia and New Zealand – kept the pandemic under control, but are now finding it difficult to get their people vaccinated.
“This will make us perhaps the only country in the world which has not suffered a collapse of our hospitals nor a high death toll, and at the same time achieved a very high vaccination rate in our population,” he said.
“This uniqueness is due to the unity of our people, the trust amongst them, and between people and Government.”
Ong also told Parliament that Singapore now has 54 per cent of the population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as at Sunday (25 Jul), and the vaccination rate has been going up by about one percentage point a day.
He said that the national vaccination programme is “progressing well”. By National Day, almost 70 per cent of the population will have been fully vaccinated with the rate rising to about 80 per cent by early September, he added.
“This means Singapore will have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world,” he said. “It puts us in a strong position to transit to a Covid-19-resilient society.”
Ong further noted that even at current level of vaccination, it reduces incidence of severe illnesses and deaths. Those with severe illness are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, he said.
“For now, it would appear that we have successfully weakened the link between infections and severe illnesses,” he added.
Parliament
Leong Mun Wai urges review of Land Transport Master Plan after major EWL disruption
NCMP Leong Mun Wai, in an adjournment motion, called for a comprehensive review of the Land Transport Master Plan and Bus Connectivity Enhancement Plan following the major six-day disruption on the East-West Line. He urged the Government to address public transport issues in the West while ensuring equitable improvements for residents across the entire island.
SINGAPORE: Mr Leong Mun Wai, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) from Progress Singapore Party (PSP), on Tuesday (15 October) filed an adjournment motion titled “Realising the Vision of a 45-Minute City in the West of Singapore under the Land Transport Master Plan 2040.”
The motion comes in the wake of a major disruption on the East-West MRT Line (EWL) between Buona Vista and Jurong East stations from 25 to 30 September, which highlighted the heavy reliance of West-side residents on this critical transport line.
Mr Leong and PSP the are calling for a comprehensive review of the Land Transport Master Plan and Bus Connectivity Enhancement Plan, urging the Government to address public transport issues in the West while ensuring equitable improvements across the entire island.
In his speech, NCMP Leong highlighted the disparity in rail connectivity between the east and west of Singapore, stating that the east is served by three parallel rail lines—namely the East-West Line, Downtown Line, and Thomson-East Coast Line—providing greater options for residents.
In contrast, during the six-day disruption, West-side residents commuting to and from downtown had no alternative MRT options, forcing them to rely on bus bridging services or endure lengthy bus rides.
“Many residents have complained to me that it took them more than three hours to commute during the initial days of the breakdown, ” Mr Leong shared.
Leong acknowledged the upcoming Jurong Region Line (JRL) and Cross Island Line (CRL) as improvements but highlighted that the East-West Line would still remain a major bottleneck for commuters traveling between the East and West of Singapore.
He pointed out that areas in the West, such as Jurong West, Tengah, and upcoming employment hubs like Jurong Lake District, house a dense population and growing job centers, requiring better connectivity to other parts of Singapore.
He suggested extending the JRL from Pandan Reservoir to Haw Par Villa on the Circle Line, which would allow residents in areas like Bukit Panjang, West Coast, and NUS to reach the downtown core with fewer transfers.
This proposal had been mentioned by previous ministers but has not been incorporated into LTMP 2040.
Another suggestion was to create an interchange between Jurong Town Hall station (JRL) and Jurong Lake District station (CRL), which are currently within walking distance but lack direct rail connectivity. This would improve convenience and resilience for commuters.
Leong recommended introducing a network of Skip-Stop Bus Services that would complement the MRT system by stopping only at high-demand points in each town, enabling faster travel between towns. These services would operate throughout the day, unlike current express buses that run mainly during peak hours.
SMS Amy Khor Highlights Ongoing Initiatives to Enhance Connectivity for West-side Residents
In her speech responding to NCMP Leong Mun Wai’s proposals on improving transport connectivity in the West, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating a “45-minute City and 20-minute towns” as outlined in the Land Transport Master Plan 2040.
She explained that this vision is not only about reducing travel times but also reshaping urban connectivity by linking employment centers with residential areas.
Khor acknowledged Leong’s concerns about the West’s transport connectivity and highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to address these issues.
She pointed out that Leong’s suggestions align with existing plans to improve transport in the West, particularly through the development of the JRL and the CRL.
These new rail lines are expected to reduce travel times and enhance resilience by providing additional connections to key areas like Jurong Lake District and various employment centers.
Khor also emphasized that while the East has more rail lines, it is not a fair comparison due to differences in geography and development stages. She noted that by the 2030s, 80% of households in the West will be within a 10-minute walk of an MRT station.
On bus services, she mentioned that more than one-third of bus routes serve the West, including express services that connect residents to job centers.
In response to growing demand from new housing developments, she highlighted recent enhancements in areas like Tengah and Bukit Batok, including the introduction of three new bus services.
SMS Khor reassured that ongoing efforts to improve both rail and bus connectivity, as well as the creation of regional job centers like Jurong Lake District and Jurong Innovation District, will bring employment opportunities closer to home for residents in the West.
She called for patience as these infrastructure improvements take time to materialize.
Parliament
Singapore passes law banning false digital depictions of election candidates
Singapore passed the Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) (Amendment) Bill, or Eliona Bill, on 15 October 2024. The law claims to safeguard the electoral process by preventing digitally manipulated depictions of candidates, especially AI and deepfake content.
Singapore has introduced significant amendments to its election laws to prevent the spread of digitally manipulated depictions of candidates during election periods. The Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) (Amendment) Bill, referred to as the Eliona Bill, was passed by Parliament on 15 October 2024.
The legislation modifies the Parliamentary Elections Act 1954 and the Presidential Elections Act 1991 to prohibit the publication of online election advertising containing certain digitally altered or generated content about candidates.
This law claims to aim at maintaining the integrity of Singapore’s electoral process by blocking the dissemination of false or misleading representations of candidates, especially in the context of rapidly advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake manipulation.
Josephine Teo, Minister for Digital Development and Information, described the law as necessary to counter “the most harmful types” of election-related misinformation that could deceive the public.
With Singapore’s next general election expected by November 2025, the law is designed to target content that presents realistic yet false depictions of candidates.
Legal Framework and Application
To fall under the prohibition, content must meet four conditions: it must be related to online election advertising, be digitally manipulated, depict an untrue representation of the candidate, and be realistic enough for some members of the public to believe it.
This includes not only AI-generated content but also traditional methods of manipulation such as Photoshop and video splicing.
Teo referenced similar legislative measures in countries like South Korea and Brazil, where deepfakes have proliferated. A recent Verian research study found that 60% of Singaporeans are concerned about the impact of deepfakes in the upcoming election, underscoring the urgency of this law.
However, the law makes exceptions for clearly unrealistic content, such as satire, memes, and cosmetic alterations like beauty filters. Despite these exceptions, merely labelling manipulated content as altered will not guarantee compliance, as labels can be ignored or removed during redistribution.
The law applies regardless of the content’s political bias. It also covers the sharing and reposting of manipulated content in large chat groups on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, where public dissemination is possible. Private messages between individuals or in small groups are not subject to this regulation.
Enforcement and Provisions
The law grants the returning officer the authority to issue corrective directions, such as requiring the removal or disabling of access to prohibited content during the election period.
It applies from the issuance of the Writ of Election to the close of polling on Election Day and covers only candidates officially declared by the Elections Department.
Individuals found guilty of publishing prohibited content face legal penalties. Under the new law, any person convicted of this offence in a District Court will be liable to a fine not exceeding S$1,000, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both. This provision seeks to deter the intentional spread of manipulated content while allowing for a defence for those who inadvertently commit the offence, such as unknowingly sharing manipulated media.
Social media platforms that fail to comply with the removal of prohibited content may be fined up to S$1 million, while individuals may face a fine not exceeding S$1,000 or imprisonment for up to 12 months. These penalties are consistent with those imposed under similar content regulation legislation in Singapore.
Teo addressed concerns raised by MPs Yip Hon Weng of the People’s Action Party and He Ting Ru of the Workers’ Party regarding misleading information potentially influencing public opinion before the official election period. She acknowledged the risk but explained that the law cannot take effect until an election is officially underway due to the legal framework of the Writ of Election.
To bridge this gap, the government is developing a Code of Practice that would require social media platforms to implement safeguards against manipulated content before the election period. The code is expected to be finalised by 2025.
Candidates will play a key role in identifying false content, as they are best positioned to quickly verify the accuracy of representations. To prevent misuse, any candidate who knowingly makes a false or misleading declaration will face penalties.
An independent technical assessment will also be conducted to detect manipulated content, using both commercial detection tools and in-house solutions. A dedicated team will be deployed during election periods to monitor and act on prohibited content.
Positive AI-generated content of candidates is also prohibited
During the debate, Workers’ Party MP Gerald Giam raised a crucial point about how the Eliona Bill might limit the use of AI technology in political campaigns, particularly for opposition parties that face a resource disadvantage compared to the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
Giam questioned whether using AI to deliver a pre-approved, scripted message from a candidate—despite being accurate—would be restricted under the law.
Giam drew parallels to television, which has long used virtual images of candidates to communicate with the public, asking why AI-generated videos should be treated differently.
In response, Minister Teo clarified that AI-generated content, even if pre-approved by a candidate, would fall under the law’s restrictions.
“Notwithstanding the fact that the script was approved by me and it could have been penned by me, that image itself is problematic. I did not actually stand in front of a camera and articulate those words. So the way the bill is designed is to not offer any room for misunderstanding,” said Teo.
-
Comments2 weeks ago
Netizens push back on Ho Ching’s 8-10 million population vision and call for more foreigners
-
Comments2 weeks ago
Dr Chee Soon Juan criticises Ho Ching’s vision for 8-10 million population
-
Singapore2 weeks ago
PM Lawrence Wong reaffirms government’s commitment to integrity after ex-minister Iswaran’s jail sentence
-
Singapore6 days ago
Media presence at Lee Wei Ling’s funeral contradicts family’s request for privacy
-
Comments5 days ago
LHL’s 15-minute visit to Dr Lee Wei Ling’s wake raises eyebrows among Singaporeans
-
Opinion5 days ago
Police say LHY and LSF free to return, but risk of arrest and passport seizure remains
-
Singapore2 weeks ago
Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng to be charged for abetting graft and obstructing justice
-
Singapore3 days ago
PM Wong’s budget flight homecoming via Scoot makes headlines, but why?