Louis delivered his budget cut on Improving the OneService App at Committee of Supply 2016.

Louis: Madam, one of the key initiatives started by MSO last year was the OneService app. In the past, members of the public might not know which agency to call and get bounced around by the different agencies before action is taken. The app was designed to make it more convenient for the public to report municipal issues in Singapore.

In the follow-up to the OneService app, MSO mentioned that they will continue to fine-tune and improve on the functionalities and performance of the app taking into account public feedback and suggestions for improvements. MSO also plans to invite more agencies to participate in the app, and include additional features in future versions.

Can MSO now provide updates on how it will improve the app further, whether more agencies will be participating in it and what are any further plans for the OneService app going forward?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien (The Minister for Culture, Community and Youth): We have received suggestions on the app and introduced several enhancements. These include adding new reporting categories and push notifications on the status of your cases. Many Members wanted to know our upcoming plans. This year, we will introduce a new crowdsourcing feature to collect information that helps our agencies address municipal issues, which users do not expect a reply.

We will pilot crowdsourcing in the retrieval of abandoned supermarket trolleys. I am sure many of us have encountered the odd supermarket trolley at void decks or walkways, which caused obstruction or was being used as a litter dump. To address such problems, MSO is working with five supermarket chains on an initiative called "Spot Abandoned Trolleys". This feature will be available on the OneService App by the end of this month and it marks a milestone in extending our partnership beyond Government agencies to the private sector.

When you next see an abandoned trolley, simply use the OneService App to submit its location. We will pump the data to the supermarkets which will go around to collect them periodically. This is a win-win arrangement – for residents, there will be fewer abandoned trolleys in the community; for supermarkets, they will be able to retrieve their trolleys more efficiently. If the "Spot Abandoned Trolleys" initiative works well, we will look at expanding crowdsourcing arrangements to other municipal issues.

Besides the OneService App, MSO will be introducing the OneService Web Portal in the later half of this year. This will be a one-stop platform that aggregates relevant information from our partner agencies that affects your neighbourhood, such as dengue clusters in your neighbourhood, HDB block-cleaning schedules in your precincts and traffic incidents in the surrounding areas.

You can also report and track your feedback on either the app or Web Portal through the same account. We hope our efforts will make it even easier for you to interact with Government agencies on issues relating to you and your neighbourhood. Of course, residents can still submit feedback to agencies via existing channels.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for National Development (a) what percentage of land is currently gazetted as nature reserves and nature areas respectively; and (b) whether there are plans to increase the number or size of nature reserves or nature areas.

Mr Lawrence Wong (MND): Singapore is a city-state, and unlike other countries with large land mass, Singapore has to accommodate all our needs within limited land. Nonetheless, we recognise the value of these greenery and biodiversity systems and make a constant effort to sustain them. Today, there are four gazetted Nature Reserves and 20 recognised Nature Areas in Singapore. Nature Reserves and Nature Areas make up about 5% and 3% of Singapore’s land area respectively. Together, they occupy about 5,400 hectares. This is a significant size, and is equivalent to about eight Ang Mo Kio towns, or almost half of all housing land in Singapore.

In addition to setting aside land for Nature Reserves and Nature Areas, we have been adopting unique solutions to conserve nature in our urban setting. For instance, by incorporating green spaces extensively within our urban environment, we have retained a fascinating diversity of native plant species in our city. We have also weaved nature deep into our heartlands through an extensive network of park connectors, Nature Ways and projects like the Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Programme. We will continue to look for opportunities to integrate greenery and biodiversity in our urban environment, and create a high quality living environment for all.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry will consider requiring all building owners to erect vertical barriers along the handrails of escalators as a safety measure; and (b) if not, what other safety measures are in place to protect people especially children from injuries or fatal accidents as a result of falling over the handrails. 

Mr Desmond Lee (for the Minister for National Development): Mdm Speaker, escalators in Singapore are designed and installed according to the prevailing Singapore Standards Code of Practice. The Code includes several safety requirements to reduce the risk of users falling over handrails. For instance, balustrades have to be designed to discourage users from climbing across the handrails. Handrails also have to be of a certain height. Furthermore, the Building Control Act requires safety barriers of at least 1m at escalator landings to prevent users from falling through the gaps between two escalators. These requirements are in line with international standards across Europe and the US.

Apart from design and safety requirements, escalator users also have a role to play in ensuring their own safety and the safety of others. Holding onto handrails, not getting distracted by mobile devices, and taking extra care when carrying heavy or bulky items, are some of the good practices that will reduce the risk of accidents. Young children should also always be closely supervised when they are on the escalator. BCA is working with building owners and operators to raise public awareness on safe and proper usage of escalators, such as by displaying posters on safety tips.

Louis: I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. I understand there are safety measures in place, but I think some of us may have watched the footage of a grandmother who lost her footing on the escalator when she was carrying her grandchild and then dropped the grandchild over the handrail. Can I just check with the Senior Minister of State what safety measures we have in place to prevent this kind of accidents from happening? 

Mr Desmond Lee: I think they are in my answer earlier. The escalators have to comply with certain safety standards. User behaviour is also a major part of incidents that occur on escalators. In many buildings where there are escalators, there will also likely be lifts which people can use if they feel that there is a certain risk to them and others around them.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis delivered his budget cut on Quota System for Short-term Rentals at Committee of Supply 2017.

Louis: Disruptive innovation is here to stay. As Prime Minister mentioned, old models are not working, new models are coming in thick and fast, and we are having to adjust and to keep up because of technology and globalisation. And the disruption will happen over and over again, relentlessly.

Rather than ban short-term rentals, we should regulate it by perhaps introducing a licenced and a tiered quota system. For example, a person is allowed to rent out the property for 50 nights a year for a start. If there are legitimate complaints received, then the licence can be revoked, or the number of nights decreased. A review can be made each year and if URA is satisfied, the number of nights can be increased or if they are not satisfied, they can be decreased. The property owner is thus incentivised to ensure that no dis-amenities are caused.

Can we also implement a compulsory deposit for the guests, which I understand is currently not the industry norm, the deposit should be forfeited if legitimate complaints are received. In this case, the ball is in the court of the guests to ensure that no dis-amenities were caused to avoid forfeiting the deposit. I urge the Ministry to consider this proposal and ensure that we embrace and regulate, rather than ban this disruptive innovation.

Mr Desmond Lee (The Senior Minister of State for National Development): Mr Louis Ng has suggested various ways to facilitate short-term rentals. His point is: do not kill innovation, embrace it, go with the flow. But on our part, we also have to balance various interests − those who wish to ride on the new economy, the sharing economy and also those who have a right to enjoying peace and quiet in their home environment.

During the recent amendments to the Planning Act, the Minister for National Development had mentioned plans to allow such short-term rentals subject to appropriate conditions and safeguards. URA will be putting out the details on this soon and we will seek further feedback and inputs from stakeholders before finalising the regulations.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

(Supplementary Question) Louis: Thank you, Madam. Just some clarifications or concerns on the ground. One, whether the Minister feels this stabilises the property market, especially the high-end market which has been quite sluggish. Two, the real problem really seems to be an oversupply of private properties, whether the Ministry will also address this. Third, while we pass this Bill with such haste, will this not actually just result in a huge transaction in the next few hours?

Mr Lawrence Wong (The Second Minister for Finance): Madam, on the third point, as I have mentioned, this is not done in haste. If this was done in haste, we would have probably done it much earlier. But we took time to study, to carefully consider the measures before putting it together. We are doing it three sittings in one, not to rush through but because of the market sensitivity of the measure.

On the impact of the property market and the broader issues of high-end residential property market, whether there is indeed an oversupply − that is a separate matter regarding property market conditions in general. I do not want to get too much into that debate but it would be suffice to say that our aim is to ensure a stable and sustainable property market in Singapore. That is what we seek to do and we are continuously monitoring the property market conditions to achieve this objective. 

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

(Supplementary Question) Louis: I just want to ask why exactly are we diverting the feedback towards CASE, which is a non-Government organisation, instead of MTI taking the feedback and investigating; and, secondly, whether MTI feels that CASE has sufficient manpower and resources to take up the additional caseload now.

Dr Koh Poh Koon (for the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry)): Madam, in my reply, I did not say that the consumer cannot feedback to MTI or any of the Government agencies, even through the REACH portal, for example; they can do so. But CASE, as an organisation that helps to educate consumers, plays an important role here in helping consumers to understand their purchasing power as consumers and to be able to exercise that. That, in itself, is a good signal to the business community to price their products in a reasonable way.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for National Development with regard to Dakota Crescent (a) what criteria were used in deciding to retain the central cluster over other buildings in the estate; (b) how have stakeholder consultations with residents and Save Dakota Crescent factored into redevelopment and conservation decisions; and (c) how does the Ministry intend to work with stakeholders in deciding the future uses of the central cluster of buildings.

Mr Lawrence Wong (MND): In the planning of mature estates such as Dakota Crescent, we have to find a balance between preserving the built heritage and identity of the area, and injecting new facilities and homes to rejuvenate the precinct.

To understand what was important to the community, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) engaged the Grassroots Advisor, Grassroots Leaders, community and heritage interest groups, residents, and other relevant stakeholders. A common feedback was that the central courtyard, where the Dove Playground was located, holds special meaning for the residents as it was where they used to gather.

The central courtyard includes a cluster of six blocks which contains all the distinctive building typologies and architectural features of the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) flats found in the estate. Hence the decision to keep the central courtyard and the six blocks.

We have received suggestions for the central cluster of buildings to be put to civic and institutional-related uses. This is currently being studied. The Government will continue to work closely with the relevant stakeholders in planning such uses. The remaining land will be redeveloped and intensified for public housing.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for National Development with regard to the procurement process for the future NS Square (a) whether sustainability and energy use are factors considered in the shortlisting and selection of the design proposal; (b) if so, what are the specific measures of sustainability and energy use that the Ministry considered; and (c) if not, why are these two factors not considered in the process.

Mr Lawrence Wong (MND): Like all new large public sector buildings, the future NS Square will be required to attain the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) Green Mark Platinum rating. The assessment takes into consideration factors such as the building's energy and water efficiency, and its operations and maintenance practices, including the use of sustainable and environmentally friendly products.

In addition, shortlisted teams have the flexibility to propose other green features that can further enhance the sustainability and energy efficiency of the development. Agencies are evaluating the shortlisted design proposals for NS Square and will take into consideration the measures proposed to enhance sustainability and energy efficiency.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for National Development in relation to the proposed designs submitted for the future NS Square (a) whether water points and sunshades for large audiences have been incorporated into the proposed redesign; and (b) if not, whether the Ministry will ensure that these facilities are incorporated into the final redesign.

Mr Lawrence Wong (MND): Features such as water points are standard stadium-related amenities, and will be incorporated in the final design. The brief for NS Square also calls for designers to ensure that the proposed design provides an enjoyable and comfortable spectator experience during events, and this could include sunshades or other innovative designs.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)