Parliament to discuss work of newly—formed ministries

SINGAPORE: Parliament sits on Monday and the newly—formed Ministries of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and Social and Family Development (MSF) will kick off the sitting with the Acting Ministers outlining the work of their relevant ministries.

MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar, has asked if MCCY will consider reviewing the admission criteria to the Specialised Independent Schools (SIS) such as allowing students from all academic streams to gain admission to the School of the Arts or the Singapore Sports School, as long as they qualified for the respective artistic or sporting criteria of the SIS.

Nominated MP Nicholas Fang has asked about the role sports can play in achieving the aims of the new Ministry to engage the youth of Singapore and enhance community ties.

The Employment Act will be up for discussion.

The Acting Minister for Manpower has been asked if his Ministry has plans to enact legislation to give more employment rights to low—wage contract workers such as salary increments throughout the tenure of the contract, statutory benefits under the Employment Act and job security.

Another question will be asked on the Media Development Authority’s reversal of an initial M18 rating for the local film ’Sex.Violence.FamilyValues’ to a rating of Not Allowed For All Rating.

The Minister for Communications and Information has been asked how the Board of Film Censors and Films Consultative Panel reconcile any differences in their respective film classifications.

GPC Chairman for Education Lim Biow Chuan wants to know from the Education Minister if the Ministry will review the criteria for the award of ASEAN scholarships with a view to scrapping the scholarship for secondary and pre—university students and awarding the undergraduate ASEAN scholarship only.

And the Ministry will also be asked if it will make the school principal’s character assessment of the student as one of the criteria for the granting of the scholarship.

In total, 79 questions have been filed for oral answer on topics ranging from housing, healthcare, education, transport and immigration policies.

After question time, Law Minister K Shanmugam will make a Ministerial Statement to pay tribute to former Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong.

Nine Bills will come up for Second Reading, among them amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, which among other things deal with the review of the death penalty for drug trafficking and murder cases.

Also to be debated is the Casino Control Amendment Bill, which proposes a visit limit for vulnerable gamblers.

— CNA/de