LiveUsing robots, national equity fund – MPs suggest ways to support S’pore’s AI transition

Companies should be required to have transition plans when AI eliminates roles: Sanjeev Tiwari

When a company deploys AI that eliminates roles, it should be required to have a transition plan, says Nominated MP Sanjeev Tiwari.

Mr Tiwari says this looks like redeployment offers, funded retraining and phased timelines for workers.

Companies must work with the unions through Company Training Committees or tripartite frameworks to ensure this is managed together, says the union leader, who is general secretary of the largest public sector union in Singapore.

“We should make this a baseline and not the exception. The social contract between employer and employee must evolve alongside technology.”

Unions should be involved in plans to integrate new technology, implement job redesign and transition workers to handle new work in roles that AI is not displacing, he adds.

He also warns that AI could lead to burnout and fatigue.

“AI is increasing the speed, density and complexity of work, rather than reducing it... I caution that AI has pushed human boundaries, and (if) job redesign is not done adequately in tandem, the working environment will be unsustainable, high in intensity and pressure that can lead to burnout, fatigue and poorer psycho-social health.”

WP’s Andre Low questions if the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme is enough to protect every worker in AI transition

Non-Constituency MP Andre Low questions whether the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme is enough to protect every worker as AI develops.

He notes that the Jobseeker Support Scheme is a tax-funded grant, “closer in design to a means-tested assistance than to insurance against contingency”. It currently supports those who were earning up to $5,000 a month, over a period of six months.

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng had reiterated NTUC’s proposal for the income cap to be increased in his opening speech yesterday.

Mr Low says: “If his proposal is adopted, it is a movement in a direction that the WP has long argued for, but Mr Ng’s proposal moves the line. Ours would remove it.

“Raising the ceiling lets more workers into the scheme, but it does not change what the scheme does for them.”

Mr Low also proposes a mechanism to ensure greater transparency – an annual AI gains audit scoped specifically to the four national AI Missions, which were announced at Budget 2026. This audit would report to Parliament on how productivity gains from state-backed AI investments are being distributed between wages and returns to capital.

He says: “The fourth limb of this motion affirms that economic progress must remain inclusive. That is a commitment about distribution, not just growth.

“Structurally, the instrument I am proposing today is the diagnostic tool that any redistributive mechanism needs to operate on.”

PAP MPs call for coordinated support to help workers benefit from AI

Singapore must bend the market to create more high-value jobs for Singaporeans in the AI transition, which can benefit workers in two ways, says Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang West).

She says Singapore needs AI-powered robots to replace foreign workers’ jobs that no Singaporean would want to do – for instance, heavy-duty roles in sectors that are exposed to the harsh elements of a warming climate.

Hybrid teams of machine and human will be the new norm, she says, noting that seniors and women can join the transformed workforce, with repetitive, heavy-duty roles done by robots and complex supervisory roles performed by humans.

She says: “Singaporeans can retire at a later age if they wish to, since their roles will become less physically demanding.”

She outlined several steps to support the AI transformation, such as tapping unions to flag at-risk roles and government-funded retraining for affected workers.

Dr Hamid Razak (West Coast-Jurong West GRC) is also keen to tap the unions more. He suggests extending cluster-based Company Training Committee (CTC) grants, currently managed by NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute, to more professional sectors.

Many firms want to adopt AI, but they worry about safety, confidentiality, liability and trust, he adds.

Dr Hamid, who advises the Healthcare Services Employees Union, cites the union’s partnership to train primary care clinic staff in AI awareness to help them adopt technology, which is funded by CTC grants.

Meanwhile, Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) asks the Government to work with employers and industry leaders to protect and redesign entry-level pathways so that young people can develop the professional judgment required to become “AI conductors of tomorrow”.

He says: “Our model of tripartism, where government, employers and workers move together, gives us the ability not just to react to change, but to shape it. This is our secret weapon.”

Give every adult Singaporean $500 and offset their training in AI jobs, says WP’s Gerald Giam

Singapore should establish a “national AI equity fund”, proposes WP’s Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC).

This will address the risk of the AI transition creating a two-speed economy, where the owners of capital and tech-integrated firms leave behind those stuck in the “slow lane of traditional employment”, he says.

“This fund is a necessary safeguard to maintain the integrity of our social contract,” he says.

The fund will give dividends of $500 per adult citizen, scaling upwards as fund contributions grow. This is not meant to replace income, but to provide a tangible signal that every Singaporean has ownership of the country’s shared future.

“It also allows Singapore to reap the full productivity benefits of AI without overly exacerbating social inequality,” he adds.

The fund’s other pillar will be a mastery fund, which will be an employer-led, on-the-job training model that moves training out of the classroom and into every enterprise.

It will provide an “apprentice wage” covering 50 per cent of gross salary, capped at the median wage, for six months for every Singaporean worker entering or transitioning into an AI-augmented role, he says.

Mr Giam also suggests that mentorship credits be provided to compensate senior staff for the time they spend on structured mentorship.

He sets out the details of how these funds will be financed, including an increase of 2 percentage points in the corporate income taxes of firms whose profits exceed $100 million, and more usage of the returns from Singapore’s state investments.

Make NTUC the ‘linkway’ for the AI transition, says Yeo Wan Ling

The Government should make NTUC the “linkway for the AI transition”, says Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol GRC), who is the third and last supporter of the motion to speak.

The labour MP says NTUC’s unions, employment institute and Tripartite Jobs Council are already on the ground and in the companies. It is already, through its Company Training Committee initiative, sitting across the table from workers and employers every day.  

“We have the trust that took many years to build,” she says.

The labour movement is ready to be the connective tissue of the AI transition – matching displaced workers to redesigned roles, advocating fair treatment, and holding everyone, including itself, to account, she says.

She also urged the Government to give time to job redesign and not rush this, as well as to give help on reimagining jobs amid the AI transition. Most companies cannot do this alone, she says.

“I look to the Government to provide practical facilitation, frameworks and funding that make job redesign achievable, not just aspirational.” 
 

Access to AI may become as fundamental as access to the internet: Saktiandi

Singapore must consider how to ensure sustained and affordable access to artificial intelligence, especially for lower-income workers, freelancers, tradespeople and small businesses, says Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC).

One possible approach is a baseline level of subsidised access, says Mr Saktiandi, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Trade and Industry.

This could be similar to the approach to digital connectivity – with tiered or group-based pricing with ministry partners, and shared access through community centres, libraries and training hubs, he says.

This could also mean ensuring that employers receiving AI support extend access to workers.

“If AI is to be a force for inclusive growth, access cannot be a privilege. It must be broadly shared,” he says.

Singapore has already announced moves to broaden access to premium AI tools, and at Budget 2026, the Government announced that Singaporeans attending related courses will receive six months of free access to such tools.

In the digital age, access to AI may become as fundamental as access to the internet, says Mr Saktiandi, who is also one of the supporters of the motion.

“We must ensure no Singaporean is priced out of that future,” he says.

Another way to drive adoption is for the Government to be the “first customer” of useful AI tools and to mitigate AI transition-related concerns. AI-enabled systems can provide faster and more practical responses to citizens navigating government services, as AI systems consistently deliver useful outcomes and quick advice to Singaporeans, he says. “Confidence in AI and AI adoption will grow against this backdrop.”

Build Singapore workers’ trust in artificial intelligence early: Mark Lee

Building Singapore’s workers’ trust in artificial intelligence early is key for the coming transition, says Nominated MP Mark Lee, one of the supporters of Mr Ng’s motion.

Workers must see AI as enabling, not threatening, he says. “If AI is seen as a tool to remove jobs or close off pathways, adoption will slow, not because the firms lack technology, but because trust is lacking.”

If that trust is broken, the world may create a lose-lose outcome where governments step in with more restricted workforce regulations around AI adoption.

This would raise long-term costs and reduce flexibility for businesses, says Mr Lee, a businessman.

“Trust must therefore be built deliberately through how AI is deployed, how jobs are redesigned and how workers are supported through change,” he adds.

He also raises how more can be done for businesses to navigate the transition.

One way forward is for AI grants and schemes to have a more integrated approach, where businesses can access this support through a single interface, rather than navigating multiple agencies, he says.

“We must recognise that AI adoption involves experimentation,” he adds, saying that there must be more allowance for failure moving forward. 

AI is back on the floor

Question time is over and we return to labour chief Ng Chee Meng’s motion on no “jobless growth” amid AI disruption. Yesterday, he asked the House to affirm that economic progress must remain inclusive, and outlined NTUC’s plans to help workers cope with the coming changes.

Next to speak is one of the motion’s supporters – Nominated MP Mark Lee, who is chief executive of investment company Sing Lun Holdings.

The motion comes after the May Day Rally last Friday, where Mr Ng and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong spoke extensively on Singapore’s plans to ensure that Singapore’s workers are protected as AI disrupts various industries.

For an analysis of those speeches and what they mean, read our politics newsletter Unpacked. 

ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

No current plans for official guidelines on second-hand smoke

There are currently no plans to issue official guidelines on the negative health impact of second-hand smoke, says Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam.

She is responding to Mr Shawn Loh (Jalan Besar GRC), who asked if the ministry will study the negative health impact of second-hand smoke from neighbouring HDB units, and if the ministry will issue such guidelines.

Ms Rahayu says the ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) to address smoking-related public health concerns.

MSE and NEA have progressively prohibited smoking in more than 49,000 public places, including most common areas of residential buildings, such as common corridors and void decks, she adds.

Mr Loh asks if the ministry could review its approach to second-hand smoke, calling the activity a “scourge of the heartland”.

Ms Rahayu says that enforcing against second-hand smoke is a collective issue that will require working together with other partners, including MSE and NEA.

Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary says that in 2025, the NEA received about 600 cases of feedback related to secondhand tobacco smoke from neighbouring homes.

Around 30 per cent of these cases were from repeat feedback providers, he adds in his response to questions from Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang) on the scale of such cases and plans the agency has to resolve such disputes.

Calling for efforts against second-hand smoking to be stepped up, Mr Liang says: “I hope after all these years of raising these concerns, the Government is now ready to move on.”

PHOTO: ST FILE

Singapore on track to achieve target of 60,000 EV charging points by 2030

Singapore has 30,500 electric vehicle (EV) charging points across the island as at March 2026, and is on track to achieve a target of 60,000 by 2030, says Ms Sun Xueling.

The Senior Minister of State for Transport is responding to a question from Dr Choo Pei Ling (Chua Chu Kang GRC), whose Tengah ward has a number of new estates. Dr Choo had asked about faster deployment of EV chargers in such towns.

Ms Sun adds that the Land Transport Authority monitors EV adoption rates closely and coordinates with agencies to deploy EV chargers and key supporting infrastructure for carparks with high demand.

Earlier during the session, Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol GRC) asked about the fire safety of EV charging points in Housing Board carparks.

Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan responded that all EV chargers installed in HDB car parks must comply with technical specifications and safety requirements under the nationwide standard governing EV charging systems in Singapore.

ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE