During a 2-hour open dialogue session at Nee Soon East, Louis learnt from participants that some working mothers face discrimination at work for expressing milk.

One mother was told to stop expressing milk in the office as it was affecting her work efficiency. Another mother did not have a place to pump at work and asked for permission to pump at her own cubicle discreetly. Instead of encouraging her, she was told to consider to stop expressing milk as it was distracting to other colleagues.

Lack of facilities and understanding are two of the many challenges breastfeeding mothers face in Singapore.

Louis asked the Minister for National Development in respect of the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment 2019, whether the Government will consider (i) increasing the number of lactation rooms from the one lactation room currently required for offices and business parks with a gross floor area of 10,000 sqm and above and (ii) lowering the gross floor area threshold of 10,000 sqm before buildings are required to have at least one lactation room.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment was recently reviewed in 2019 by a committee comprising representatives from social service agencies, Trade Associations and Chambers, academia and Government agencies. Under the new Code which took effect in January this year, the requirement to provide at least one lactation room has been expanded to apply to more building types. Besides offices and business parks with a gross floor area (GFA) of 10,000 m2 or more, this requirement now also applies to all hospitals and polyclinics, as well as mixed-use developments where the non-residential component has a GFA of 10,000 m2 or more.

The intent of the GFA threshold is to strike a balance between the need for such facilities and the practical implications for smaller buildings, such as efficiency in the use of space. Notwithstanding this, the developers are encouraged to provide lactation rooms beyond the requirements of the Code, based on the scale of the building and the needs of the building users.

BCA will continue to study how we can enhance our accessibility requirements, including the provision of lactation rooms, as part of its periodic review of the Code.

Louis: Thank you, Sir. I have three clarifications. Really, we all agree that breast milk is the best food for our babies but we also want our working mothers to return to work and we even incentivise it with the Working Mother's Child Relief. But the two points will be sort of conflicting if we do not allow the working mothers to easily express their milk when they are back at work, if we do not provide enough lactation rooms.

So, one, can I ask, for working mothers that work in buildings where the GFA is below 10,000 sqm, where exactly are they going to be able to pump and express their milk? If they do it in their workplace, there are privacy issues. Also, he pumping equipment is actually quite loud. Some of the feedback has been that other colleagues then start to complain about it.

Two, the working mothers are not asking for this big fancy room to pump or express their milk but a small clean place where they can express their milk. And maybe the cost is an issue. So, whether the Government can step in and provide some grants so that more buildings can provide more lactation rooms for the working mothers.

And third, I think the Minister of State said that we will review this again in the next periodic review. Can I ask when will the next review be? Because, really, that one lactation room is really very little for the number of working mothers that could possibly work in that building.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad: I certainly agree with the Member that we should, as much as possible, facilitate our mothers to breastfeed. Certainly, it helps with the raising of the child. Under the Code Review, really, in many jurisdictions too, the "one room a building" based on the floor area is, I would say, a base guideline. It is a base rule, rather, not guideline; it is a base rule because we also have to be practical about some of these buildings and how you can retrofit such rooms.

My own experience so far, I came from the private sector, even in a building, you have tenants who, like my previous firm, provided lactation rooms on every floor or most floors. So, these are on top of the building requirements in which developers may provide one but the tenants themselves could provide more. We have also seen shopping malls with more than one lactation rooms too. I just did a check on my two Ministries. MND has got two in MND HQ within the floors that we occupied. MOM has got five among the two buildings that we occupy.

So, we have not done a survey in terms of the take-up rates out there but, really, I do think that many building owners have provided more than what the Code requires. Certainly, we will continue to promote this. But in setting regulations and codes, it is important that we also take a practical view.

On the Member's question on grants, BCA has an Accessibility Fund (AF) worth about $39.2 million in which we incentivise building owners to undertake voluntary upgrading. Up to 60% of the construction cost for accessibility features, such as lactation rooms can be used up to a cap of $300,000 per development. There is funding available for building owners if they wish to undertake this. As of 5 February this year, close to 150 private building owners have tapped on the AF to retrofit their buildings with the accessibility features.

So, apart from what we put in the Code, the good thing is that we have seen many private buildings too coming on board. Again, we have to be very practical about how we put codes up but we support the motion, generally.

Louis: Just one last one question. The fact that MND and MOM have so many lactation rooms show that there is a need for this. So, this is the last Supplementary Question, which is that when are we going to review this, whether we are going to study this in further detail, see whether in MOM or in MND, how many times the lactation rooms are used, whether it is sufficient? So, a really detailed study to look into this issue.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad: I thank the Member. Our Building Codes are typically studied every few years. I do not have a date for the next study, so I am not going to commit at this point. But I do think that this could be further promoted to employers. Like I said, tenants themselves too have provided lactation rooms for their own officers. In this case, it is very hard to fix a demand because it depends on the profile of the workers too, whether you have an older workforce or a very young workforce. I think it depends. So, it is difficult and impractical as well to fix a Code and regulate that everyone has to provide this because it also depends on the demand as well. To some extent, we will study this and certainly survey and study more but without waiting for a review, we can certainly do more as organisations to support this.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Following online article of a breastfeeding mother being shamed for breastfeeding her child publicly on the MRT, Louis filed a second round of Parliamentary Question with questions and responses from respective ministries below.

Breastfeeding on Public Trains and Buses

Louis asked the Minister for Transport whether mothers are allowed to breastfeed their children onboard public trains and buses.

Mr Baey Yam Keng (for the Minister for Transport): Mr Speaker, Sir, breastfeeding is not prohibited on our public buses and trains. For those who prefer privacy while breastfeeding, we provide nursing rooms at key transport nodes and will continue to build more.

Louis: Thank you, Sir, and this is the last question on breastfeeding. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for saying that it is not prohibited on our trains and buses. But as I shared with him, the SMRT website still says this today to an FAQ, "Can I breastfeed or feed my children?" And the reply is, "For the comfort of other passengers, it is best to feed your children before entering our stations." So, if it is not prohibited, then, could we not send the message to say that it is best not to do it?

Mr Baey Yam Keng: Mr Speaker, Sir, as in my reply, there is no prohibition. Mothers are allowed to breastfeed their babies and children on buses and trains. We will advise the PTOs to be clearer in their websites or FAQs so that mothers are not deterred from doing so.

Louis: One last supplementary question. Can I also just confirm that they are allowed to breastfeed their babies without a cover on?

Mr Baey Yam Keng: Sir, there is no regulation for mothers to be covered up while nursing their babies on trains and buses.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Regulations that Prohibit Breastfeeding in Public

Louis asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether there are any regulations that prohibit mothers from breastfeeding their children in public.

Ms Sun Xueling (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, there is no law that strictly prohibits mothers to breastfeed their children in public in Singapore.

Indecent exposure and appearing nude in public are criminal offences. Mothers who are genuinely breastfeeding their children, in public are generally unlikely to fall under these categories. It is not possible to be more specific than that. To determine if any offences might be made out, Police would need to ascertain the specific facts of each case and the circumstances.

Louis: I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply but I am a bit confused. She said they are generally not going to be prosecuted, if I am right to say that. So, could I just ask specifically, whether a mother who is breastfeeding her baby in the public without a cover – would that be liable to prosecution?

Ms Sun Xueling: Breastfeeding in public places is not against the law. The Police will not intervene unless there are law and order concerns.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Schools and Post-secondary Educational Institutions with Lactation Rooms

Louis asked the Minister for Education (a) what percentage of (i) Primary schools (ii) Secondary schools and (iii) post-secondary educational institutions currently have at least one lactation room; and (b) whether the Ministry can make it compulsory for all schools and educational institutions to have at least one lactation room.

Ms Low Yen Ling (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, MOE is committed to providing a conducive workplace for nursing mothers. This includes providing schools with lactation facilities, which has become a standard building specification for MOE. 

Today, about 85% of Primary schools, 65% of Secondary schools and 90% of Junior Colleges/Centralised Institutes have a lactation room. For the remaining schools, MOE will progressively provide lactation facilities where feasible over the next three years. Presently, all Institutes of Higher Learning, which means the Autonomous Universities, Polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) are equipped with lactation facilities.

Louis: I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. Can I just check whether these are specifically lactation rooms? So, it is only for the mothers to use and not just a spare room where the mothers can go in to express the milk. Secondly, can I also just check whether there is a fridge in all of these rooms so that they can store their milk after that?

Ms Low Yen Ling: Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the Member Mr Louis Ng for his care and concern for mothers. As a mother of two kids, and I have breastfed my two kids for slightly over a year, I can understand what it takes to persevere in the breastfeeding journey. For example, the breastfeeding cycle and also the schedule, from expressing and then storing the milk – and the Member asked about the fridge – transporting the precious milk and also all the gadgets that are involved, especially for mothers who need to express milk in their office, workplace and in this case, in the school.

For the two questions that the Member has, I want to assure him that MOE has made it a priority to equip our teachers who are mothers and who are breastfeeding with the facility and the support that they need.

Let me be clear. Since 2010, the requirement for a lactation room was added to the building specification for Primary schools as part of the PERI upgrading. This is a standard building specification: lactation room in the school. Subsequently, the same building specification for Secondary schools and also Junior Colleges were similarly updated with the same requirement. So, yes. These are lactation rooms, not meant to be multi-purpose for other reasons.

Schools that were built or upgraded before 2010 will also be provided with a lactation room as part of their on-going or scheduled PERI upgrading for Primary schools; likewise, for the Secondary schools and the Junior Colleges, when the institutions next undergo rebuilding or major upgrading. For the lactation rooms, we will provide the necessary facilities and also the fridges; if not in the lactation room, then maybe in the Staff Lounge. We would then have to work with the teachers who are mothers and are breastfeeding to make sure that they will label the bottles accordingly.

The other thing I wish to reassure the Member is, I gave the numbers for Primary schools and Secondary schools. What is very heartening is that to-date, all our IHLs have lactation facilities. In fact, some of the bigger campuses have more than one lactation room. I want to assure the Member that MOE will certainly continue to work with the existing schools to ensure that all schools will have lactation rooms at the nearest feasible date. The target for us, really, is for every school to have lactation facilities within the next three years.

I also want to assure the Member that we in MOE appreciate the sacrifices that mothers make for their children and we will wholeheartedly support their breastfeeding journey.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Proposal for all MRT Stations and Bus Interchanges to Have at Least One Lactation Room and Breastfeeding Room

Louis asked the Minister for Transport (a) what percentage of MRT stations and bus interchanges currently have at least one lactation room and breastfeeding room; and (b) whether the Ministry can make it compulsory for all MRT stations and bus interchanges to have at least one lactation room and breastfeeding room.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan (MOT): There are nursing rooms at 50% of our bus interchanges. We will provide nursing rooms at all new bus interchanges and integrated transport hubs.

For the MRT network, we will provide nursing rooms at all new interchange stations. We will also explore providing such facilities when MRT stations undergo upgrading.

Not all MRT stations and bus interchanges need to be provided with nursing rooms as many of them are adjacent to major developments with nursing rooms, such as shopping centres and libraries. This is a balanced approach, to avoid duplication while meeting the needs of nursing mothers

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Previously, the answer to an FAQ on SMRT’s website for "Can I breastfeed or feed my children?" was, "For the comfort of other passengers, it is best to feed your children before entering our stations." Louis shared that this answer was vague and requested for clarity.

Following the Parliamentary Question, SMRT updated the FAQ to clearly reflect that mothers can breastfeed on SMRT trains and buses, and in SMRT stations and interchanges.

Working with Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group Singapore (BMSG), Louis conducted a series of online surveys and virtual discussions to find out more about how to better support mothers in Singapore.

Louis delivered the following budget cuts at Committee of Supply 2022:

Breastfeeding Breaks for Working Mothers

Louis: Working mothers who breastfeed need support at work. A survey by Singapore’s Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group found that the top reason for stopping breastfeeding was the challenges of expressing milk at work. For those still breastfeeding, they reported difficulty in finding time to express their milk at work. Sadly, the majority of working mothers surveyed could not express milk as much as they had wanted during work.

Laws that guarantee breastfeeding breaks are not new or uncommon. A 2020 study of 97 countries found that 82% of countries had laws for paid and unpaid breastfeeding breaks. Singapore is in the minority of 18% of countries studied that do not legislate breastfeeding breaks. Countries, such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, India, China, the Philippines, Thailand and South Korea, provide breastfeeding breaks at work or reduction of work hours daily. Will MOM support working mothers who breastfeed by legislating to guarantee breastfeeding breaks at work?

Ms Gan Siow Huang (The Minister of State for Manpower): Separately, the Institute for HR Professionals (IHRP) has developed a playbook on hybrid workplaces to help employers and HR professionals implement hybrid work, as well as update their HR processes, fair appraisal of employees on flexible work arrangements. I encourage companies to make use of these resources that are available. We will be sharing more details on how we will ramp up provision of flexible work arrangements in the coming White Paper on Singapore Women's Development.

It is important to build mutual understanding and trust between employers and employees. That is why instead of taking a legislative approach for various workplace practices such as flexible work arrangements, after-hours communication, mandatory breastfeeding breaks, we first focus on equipping employers to find the right balance between supporting employees needs and business needs. "Take care of your employees and they will take care of your business" – these wise words are from Mr Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin group. I believe many employers here feel the same way too and will support employees' requests, if they are reasonable.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore) 1, 2

More Lactation Rooms for Working Mothers

Louis: A survey by Singapore’s Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group found that the top reason for stopping breastfeeding was the challenges of expressing milk at work. One thing working mothers say they need the most is a lactation room. Currently, buildings with a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 10,000 square metres and above are required to only have at least one lactation room. 

This is sorely inadequate. Expressing milk is not like using the toilet. It takes time. Unlike queuing up for a toilet which does not take that long, breastfeeding mothers are stuck when the only lactation room in the building is used.

Some have shared that out of desperation, they sometimes express milk in the storeroom or in the toilet. One mother shared: "HR arranged a janitor room which is so small and stuffy with no chair at all for me to express breast milk. It is so inconvenient as the janitor will need to go in and out all the time and I am always only able to express halfway through."

Why subject breastfeeding mothers to such an unhygienic and undignified situation? Will MND increase the minimum number of lactation rooms currently required and lower the GFA threshold?

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (The Minister of State for National Development): Beyond seniors, other segments of our population also have diverse needs and aspirations. For example, Mr Louis Ng asked about catering more lactation rooms in buildings to better support working mothers. The Code on Accessibility which buildings have to meet by default includes a requirement to provide lactation rooms. Only certain types of buildings like offices are currently not required to provide lactation rooms if they are below a certain size, in consideration of practical space limitations. Nonetheless, the Government encourages building owners and occupants to go beyond the requirements of the Code to cater to the need of building users. Building owners can tap on co-funding under BCA's Accessibility Fund to undertake voluntary upgrading to provide accessibility and inclusive features like lactation rooms.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry has data on the mean and median number of lactation rooms in (i) all buildings and business parks with a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 10,000 square metres or more and (ii) Government buildings with a GFA of 10,000 square metres or more; and (b) if these data are not available, whether the Ministry will start collecting them.

Mr Desmond Lee (MND): BCA requires all new buildings and existing buildings undergoing major addition and alteration works to comply with the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment. Under the current edition of the Code, offices, business parks, shopping centres and multi-purpose complexes with a gross floor area (GFA) of 10,000 m2 or more are required to provide at least one lactation room. This requirement also applies to mixed-use developments where the non-residential component has a GFA of 10,000 m2 or more. In addition, hospitals, polyclinics, transport stations and recreational developments such as sports complexes and theme parks, regardless of size, are also required to provide at least one lactation room.

The requirements under the Code have been benchmarked against other jurisdictions and are meant to serve as a baseline. Building owners are encouraged to provide additional accessibility and inclusive features, such as lactation rooms, beyond the minimum requirements. To incentivise this, BCA’s Accessibility Fund provides co-funding of up to 80% to building owners who undertake upgrading works to enhance the accessibility and inclusiveness of their buildings.

Currently, BCA does not collect data on the number of lactation rooms provided in each building. However, BCA is aware of several buildings, such as City Square Mall and Our Tampines Hub, that provide more lactation rooms than required under the Code. BCA is studying how data on accessibility in buildings, including the provision of lactation rooms, can be collected to facilitate our efforts to enhance the accessibility and inclusiveness of the built environment.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)