Speech by MOS Rahayu Mahzam at the Committee of Supply Debate 2025

1. Mr Chairman, many of us would find it hard to imagine our lives without the Internet or digital devices. In a survey conducted by MDDI in 2023, 80 per cent of respondents agreed it was important for them to stay connected to the Internet.

2. There are healthy ways of using digital technologies to enhance our lives—just as there are unhealthy ways that open us up to risks. My speech will focus on MDDI’s efforts to galvanise our community, to build a society where citizens enjoy:

a. Access to digital services that are essential to daily living;

b. Proficiency in using digital technologies; and

c. Safe, healthy and positive digital experiences through a whole-of-society effort.

3. I thank Mr Keith Chua for his interest in these efforts.

Enhancing digital accessibility

4. Let me start with access to digital technologies. Singapore is a highly connected nation. 98 per cent of our resident households are connected to the Internet. But we must pay attention to those who are at risk of being left out.

5. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) helps those who cannot afford it. Ms Hany Soh asked for an update on IMDA’s schemes.

a. DigitalAccess@Home has supported over 20,000 low-income households with subsidised broadband access, a laptop or tablet, or both broadband and a computing device since 2023.

b. The Mobile Access for Seniors scheme has also supported low-income seniors with over 15,000 packages of subsidised smartphones and mobile plans, or mobile plans only, since 2020.

6. Beyond connectivity and devices, day-to-day digital services need to be user-friendly.

7. For some Singaporeans, like seniors and persons with disabilities, navigating services which are not designed to meet their needs can be challenging; a well-designed website or app can make a world of difference.

a. That is why SingPass was enhanced in 2022 to support features such as Dark Mode and Screen Reader that enable those with visual impairments to navigate SingPass with greater ease.

8. Mr Alex Yam asked about more efforts in this area. The Government takes inclusive design seriously, and government agencies are expected to be user-centric when designing their digital services. GovTech will do more to support agencies in this.

a. This year, we are updating the Digital Service Standards, or DSS, which guide agencies in designing user-friendly digital services.

b. The updated DSS will better explain international standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to agencies and provide recommendations on how to meet these standards.

c. In addition, there will be greater emphasis on user testing before launch for high-traffic government websites to make sure they are user-friendly.

9. We have also rolled out tools that agencies can use to support inclusive design.

a. For example, GovTech developed the Oobee tool (previously known as Purple A11y) which uses a bot to help agencies test how easy their websites are to use and suggest improvements. GovTech will continue to enhance tools to help agencies identify and resolve such issues.

10. These efforts provide agencies with stronger guidance and support to develop digital services that are easy for all to use, regardless of age or digital ability.

a. GovTech will provide dedicated support to agencies with high traffic digital services.

11. But the Government cannot drive this effort alone. Today, Singaporeans use a variety of commercial digital services daily. The private sector plays an important part in designing user-friendly digital services. We want to encourage and partner them in this.

a. The Oobee tool, which I mentioned earlier, is open-sourced and freely available for private sector companies to use. We encourage more to make use of this.

b. Last year, GovTech held the inaugural Co-Creation Lab, which brought together representatives from government agencies, private sector companies as well as community users. We were heartened to see so many partners step forward to understand the challenges that seniors and persons with disabilities face when using digital services such as making e-payments, using ride-hailing apps and making healthcare appointments. These conversations helped service providers identify improvements to their services to make them user-friendly.

12. The Co-Creation Lab demonstrated the need to strengthen partnerships across the public, private and people sectors.

a. MDDI will launch a workgroup with partners from the public, private and people sectors to co-create and co-deliver initiatives to develop digital services that are more user-friendly. Details on this workgroup will be announced later.

13. Even as we enhance the user-friendliness of digital services, we acknowledge that some Singaporeans will need physical support to access Government services. Dr Tan Wu Meng and Ms Denise Phua highlighted this in the budget debate, and Mr Gerald Giam raised this in his cut.

a. Residents who need assistance with government digital transactions can continue to get in-person assistance at government agencies’ physical service touchpoints. Trained service ambassadors will assist less digitally confident individuals with their transactions.

b. Residents can also visit ServiceSG Centres for assistance with 600 frequently used government services and schemes.

14. The Government will continue to be citizen-centric in our approach, and make non-digital options available so that no one is left out.

Uplifting digital proficiency for all

15. Let me move on to digital skills. Two in three Singaporeans have basic digital skills, and are able to carry out day-to-day tasks online, such as buying products and services, searching for information, and making contactless payments using a smartphone.

16. To set ourselves up well for the digital future, Singaporeans also have to learn new technologies, such as Generative AI or “Gen AI” which can help us with daily tasks. This upskilling is critical, as Ms Denise Phua emphasised in the budget debate.

a. Without this, the increasing use of Gen AI around us, like how many businesses now use chatbots to deliver customer services, can feel alien and scary. To demystify Gen AI, we must understand its risks and limitations, and learn how to use it responsibly.

17. The Government will continue to support less digitally-savvy citizens. Mr Gerald Giam and Ms Hany Soh asked about Seniors Go Digital. The SG Digital Office, or SDO, will continue to help citizens acquire the digital skills needed for day-to-day living based on the Digital Skills for Life or DSL framework. This prevents digital isolation, as Ms Rachel Ong raised in the budget debate.

a. Since 2020, SDO has trained more than 370,000 seniors. 96 per cent of seniors communicate online as of 2023, up from 87 per cent in 2017.

b. IMDA will be enhancing the DSL framework with content on Gen AI—explaining the basics of it, its risks and how to manage them, and applications for daily activities, like generating recommendations for places to eat at or leisure activities to try. Interested learners can register for SDO workshops or learn at their own pace through resources on the Digital for Life Portal.

18. There are also many Singaporeans who are keen to embrace new technologies like Gen AI.

19. Mr Alex Yam asked about new library initiatives to encourage tech adoption. Over the next few years, our public libraries will be rolling out showcases that allow the public to experience uses of Gen AI.

a. We hope that these showcases will demonstrate the practical value of AI in daily life, excite citizens about these possibilities, and at the same time help them understand the limitations and learn how to use AI responsibly. Gen AI is a useful tool, but it cannot replace learning or original thought.

20. These are just some of the activities that citizens can enjoy at our public libraries as NLB celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025. NLB will host a series of “NLB30” events to mark 30 years and beyond of empowering Singaporeans to read, learn and discover together. More details will be announced later this year.

21. Sir, I will say a few words in Malay.

a. Antara cara terbaik untuk kita belajar menggunakan teknologi canggih adalah melakukannya bersama dengan mereka yang berfikiran sama dengan kita.

b. Satu usaha perintis yang membuka peluang untuk masyarakat berkumpul dan belajar bersama adalah Lorong AI. Ia adalah hab masyarakat yang memberi ruang kepada mereka yang punyai persamaan dan minat serta kemahiran dalam AI untuk meneroka bagaimana mereka boleh memacu pembangunan AI bersama. Melalui wadah ini, mereka bertukar-tukar idea, dan membincangkan penemuan baru. Mereka turut menghasilkan prototaip, dan meneroka penggunaan AI dalam kehidupan seharian kita.

c. Encik Muhammad Zahari bin Abu Talib memainkan peranan penting dalam Lorong AI. Selaku Ketua, beliau membantu menghubungkan individu, memulakan perbincangan, dan menghubungkan kumpulan-kumpulan berbeza. Saya sendiri dapat merasakan keghairahan mereka untuk belajar, berkongsi dan bekerjasama semasa menghadiri salah satu sesi perkongsian AI Wednesdays anjuran Lorong AI.

d. Dalam masyarakat Melayu/Islam kita, ramai yang sudah pun berjinak-jinak menggunakan AI. Satu kumpulan bernama PEREKA, yang terdiri daripada para pereka bentuk Melayu/Islam pelbagai bidang telah berkongsi bagaimana mereka menggunakan AI bagi memperbaik hasil kerja mereka. Saya berpeluang bertemu mereka baru-baru ini dan sangat teruja mendengarkan bagaimana mereka memanfaatkan AI untuk mempertingkatkan proses kerja mereka. Tujuannya bukanlah untuk menggantikan kreativiti manusia, tetapi bagi memudahkan proses penjanaan idea, dan mengumpulkan maklumat. Semua ini bagi menghasilkan ciri-ciri reka bentuk yang menepati nilai dan identiti budaya kita. Pada masa yang sama, memastikan sentuhan manusia kekal menjadi teras sepanjang proses mereka bentuk.

e. Saya amat berharap lebih banyak lagi kumpulan-kumpulan tempatan yang dinamik seperti ini akan tampil. Agar mereka sama-sama dapat belajar dan mencetuskan idea-idea menarik bagi memanfaatkan teknologi, demi kesejahteraan rakyat Singapura.

22. Let me now turn to how we are equipping the future generation to benefit from Gen AI.

a. We have an existing Code for Fun programme offered to all primary and secondary schools, which exposes students to computational thinking through coding, as well as inventive thinking through digital making. From this year onwards, the Code for Fun programme will incorporate new AI for Fun modules which provide students with hands-on opportunities to tinker with AI technology.

b. For instance, primary school students will be taught how to use an appropriate Gen AI platform to generate stories and images to create a digital storyboard. Students will be taught the risks of Gen AI such as biases and hallucinations, and the need to check AI-generated content against other sources.

c. About 60 per cent of primary schools and 40 per cent of secondary schools will introduce AI for Fun this year.

23. It is our endeavour to ensure that every Singaporean, regardless of age, is encouraged to learn, use and have fun with new technologies in an informed and responsible way.

Fostering digital well-being, citizenry and safety for our community

24. This brings me to the topic of online safety. Incidents that take place online, like the generation and dissemination of deepfake nude photos, cause real-life damage and are unacceptable.

25. About 74 per cent of Singaporeans had encountered harmful online content in 2024. This has led some people to be fearful of the Internet, and how it appears to be changing the fabric of our society. But it is important to recognise that these harms are not caused by technology in itself but by bad actors and bad behaviour.

26. The Government will do our part to reduce online risks. Minister Josephine Teo earlier spoke about our regulations to make designated social media services and app distribution services responsible for putting in place safety measures to protect their users from harmful content.

a. However, regulations are not fool proof. Bans and age limits like those being contemplated in other countries may sound compelling, but in reality, there will always be ways to circumvent such rules and restrictions, as Mr Eric Chua has pointed out.

27. Citizens must also take steps to protect themselves and their loved ones online.

a. Parents play a critical role in guiding their child’s digital journey. The Government shares parents’ concerns over excessive screen use and exposure to online risks amongst children.

b. MOH’s updated guidance on screen use under Grow Well SG and the Parenting for Wellness Initiative equip parents so that they can better protect their children from inappropriate content and instil good screen use habits. Parents can also find bite-sized resources on IMDA’s Digital for Life portal. Members may refer to Handout A2 for a list of these resources.

c. A Positive Use Guide on Technology and Social Media will also be available later this year.

28. Youths are a key group of citizens who shape online behaviour and culture. Youths should be encouraged to use their influence to foster a positive online environment.

a. I was encouraged to see students championing a kinder Internet at the recent Digital Well-Being Roadshow at the Singapore Management University (SMU). One booth featured an interactive game that showed participants how to navigate online conversations and respond to their friends with care and kindness. Over 650 students participated in the two-day Roadshow.

29. Toxic online discourse is worrying, because it undermines our ability to understand one another, and disrupts our social cohesion. As Mr Alex Yam mentioned, we must be civic-minded in the online space, just as how we conduct ourselves in our shared physical spaces, like our neighbourhoods, parks, and schools.

a. The Government is committed to exploring new ways to nurture a positive online space. We will study issues like online polarisation that can negatively impact our social cohesion, and explore ways to encourage a culture of positivity and civic-mindedness online.

30. In the work that the Government does, it is always important to check in on the sentiments of the community. This allows us to accurately identify Singaporeans’ concerns, and aligns with their expectation of a responsive government. Mr Gerald Giam shared his experience with surveys and asked if they were commissioned by the Government. It is unfortunate that the pollster did not disclose to Mr Giam the identity of the commissioning party for the survey. Without the benefit of seeing the actual questionnaire, it is difficult to say for sure that the surveys were conducted by the Government.

a. In MDDI’s case, we conduct regular polls to gauge the public’s awareness of scams as well as the quality of mainstream and online media, and the public’s news consumption habits. When asked by respondents, our representatives would identify MDDI as the commissioning agency for the surveys. We conduct the media polls to help Government agencies to adjust their public communications efforts to better reach target segments on key national policies. They also help shape our public broadcast funding. The poll findings on scams help MDDI to shape our policies to tackle online harm.

b. The findings from Government-commissioned surveys are shared publicly when it is useful to do so. However, as the surveys are commissioned primarily to shape public policy, not all findings are suitable for public release.

c. As to Mr Giam’s concern that Government-commissioned surveys could be used for non-public policy purposes, funding for such surveys are subject to the same governance requirements as other forms of public expenditure undertaken by government agencies.

Conclusion

31. To conclude, Mr Chairman, we invite everyone — individuals, companies and community organisations — to become a partner of the Digital for Life movement, and join us in our efforts to help Singapore build an inclusive and cohesive digital society. All of us have a part to play in making our online space a safe, healthy and positive one.