REACH (Telegram) 20 - Over the course of the day, we will be sharing articles on key issues discussed in Parliament today. Please share with us what areas you might be interested in and let us have your views on the issues raised.

(SK)

09 Sep 2024 (10am - 7pm)

REACH (Telegram)

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 11:45 AM]

Dear contributors,

Welcome back! 😊

⏰ We will be opening the chat from 12pm to 8pm today. ⏰

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Megan 😊

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 11:59 AM]

📢 Topic 📢

Parliament will sit today (9 September) at 12pm. Of note, parliamentary questions regarding the Mobile Guardian cybersecurity breach, issues relating to the extremist preacher from Bangladesh who delivered a sermon in Singapore, the current mpox situation, the revamped Gifted Education Programme (GEP) will be raised. 

Six Bills are set to be introduced, including the Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) (Amendment) Bill. The Platform Workers Bill and Casino Control (Amendment) Bill are among the four bills scheduled for second reading. 

💬 Over the course of the day, we will be sharing articles on key issues discussed in Parliament today. Please share with us what areas you might be interested in and let us have your views on the issues raised.

📌 Mobile Guardian cybersecurity breach

- Mobile Guardian is a device management app installed on personal learning devices used by students. It enables parents to manage students’ device usage by restricting applications or websites and screen time. 

- The Ministry of Education (MOE) said in August that Mobile Guardian would be removed from all students’ personal learning devices after a global cybersecurity breach affected about 13,000 students from 26 secondary schools in Singapore. 

- MPs have called for updates from MOE on what it is doing to help students who have had their study notes wiped out and how many were unable to recover their data, if “targeted support” is being offered to affected students experiencing distress, if steps are being taken to avoid similar incidents, and if there would be a review of the use of technology by students.

📌 Bangladeshi preacher who delivered an illegal and extremist sermon to migrant workers

- Amir Hamza managed to enter Singapore because he used a passport with a name different from what was in the security databases, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said last month. MHA said its Internal Security Department was aware of Amir Hamza’s background, but “did not have his biometrics at the time of his entry”.

- MPs have asked how the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) mitigates the risk of individuals using fraudulent documents to enter Singapore, what are the rules governing the use of foreign worker dormitories for events involving speakers or religious preachers, and what are the penalties in place to deal with dormitory owners when such incidents occur. 

📌 Mpox

- MPs called for an update on the virus and the local situation, as well as border and social management measures. 

- Last week, Singapore said that it will offer the mpox vaccine to healthcare workers who are at the highest risk of exposure to the disease as well as close contacts of confirmed cases. The announcement came against the backdrop of growing concern about the clade 1 strain, which prompted the World Health Organization to declare mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.

📌 Revamped GEP

- The gifted programme, a curriculum catering to intellectually gifted students, will be overhauled and replaced with a new approach for high-ability learners in all primary schools. This was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his maiden National Day Rally.

- MPs have called for more details on the revamped GEP, how it would be implemented, and how MOE would address any potential disparity in resource allocation and learning opportunities between students in the GEP and those in the mainstream programme. 

📌 Platform Workers Bill

- The Bill proposes measures to support the housing and retirement adequacy of platform workers.

- It would make provisions for work injury compensation, and strengthen the responsibilities of platform operators and workers to prevent injuries.

- The Bill also calls for creating a legal framework for the representation of platform workers.

👉 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/parliament-order-paper-sep-9-mobile-guardian-mpox-gep-extremist-preacher-4590736

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 12:00 PM]

👉 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/mobile-guardian-hacking-singapore-cybersecurity-moe-secondary-schools-ipad-4536331

👉 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/bangladeshi-preacher-amir-hamza-extremism-illegal-sermon-4558811

👉https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/mpox-vaccine-healthcare-workers-close-contacts-no-mask-wearing-4573951

👉https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/gifted-education-programme-gep-changes-4554486

👉 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/ntuc-new-platform-worker-associations-legal-mandate-bill-parliament-4574666

----

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 12:32 PM]

[ Poll : Which issue are you most interested in for today’s Parliament sitting? ]

- Mobile Guardian cybersecurity breach

- Extremist preacher from Bangladesh

- Mpox

- Revamped Gifted Education Programme (GEP)

- Platform Workers Bill

Jun Ming, [9/9/2024 1:29 PM]

I am interested in the full 6 bills

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 1:33 PM]

📢 Personal responsibility is 'cornerstone' of social compact even with unemployment benefits, says Tan See Leng

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/jobseeker-support-scheme-unemployment-jobless-benefits-personal-responsibility-4595206

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 2:30 PM]

📢 About 2,500 visitors refused entry at Singapore’s checkpoints every month: Shanmugam

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/amir-hamza-bangladeshi-preacher-singapore-border-security-shanmugam-4595216

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 2:30 PM]

All the topics are relevant to us.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 2:40 PM]

*Bangladeshi preacher who delivered an illegal and extremist sermon to migrant workers*

1. Just wondering, I thought all overseas religious preachers who need to conduct sermons to our religious groups - need endorsement by the respective Religious leaders before the Authorities approved the conduct of the talk?

2. Even though the preacher may disguise himself under different names and passports, the scrutiny by the Religious leaders from MUIS will have reveal his credentials when going through his background and track record.

3. Also, the organisers that arrange the overseas preachers must have know his background before inviting him over. The organisers will have to submit to the respective Religious Leaders for endorsement and the Authority for approval.

4. If all the above steps are done, the foreign extremist preacher will have no chance to sneak in.

Hanny, [9/9/2024 2:45 PM]

I don’t think the preacher came under the legal route.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 2:46 PM]

Hmm...

Then the dorm organiser will be held responsible why they smuggle him in.

Hanny, [9/9/2024 2:47 PM]

I don’t totally agree with the approach of dismissing Legal Guardian. It’s an easy step that only appease public. 

It’s the same as crowdstrike issue. Crowdstrike has the best solution. Are you going to get rid of crowdstrike because of one incident?

Jun Ming, [9/9/2024 3:00 PM]

What is the replacement of mobile guardian

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 3:01 PM]

[ Poll : Which issue are you most interested in for today’s Parliament sitting? ]

- Mobile Guardian cybersecurity breach

- Extremist preacher from Bangladesh

- Mpox

- Revamped Gifted Education Programme (GEP)

- Platform Workers Bill

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 3:02 PM]

*Mobile Guardian cybersecurity breach*

1. When engaging or buying application products from cloud service providers, I feel that we must not only look at the content of the products and services provided, there must be an additional scrutiny - that is how the cloud providers safeguard and secure their cloud infrastructure.

Because no matter how good the content is, if cloud service provider does not do a good job in securing their cloud infrastructure, then services will not be make available during critical time, and the denial of service will impact the functions of the schools.

2. For example, evaluators of the tender should require the cloud service providers to demonstrate how their cloud infrastructure are protected :-

a. Is there a "Security-in-depth" - eg. firewall, proxy, IPS, APT security, MDM security (eg. security posture assessment of firewall, OS version and latest security patches, anti-virus etc, Quarantine VLAN, Isolation VLAN, captive portal etc) - Web-Apps-Db segregation etc.

b. SIEMs (Security Incident Events Management) - proactive monitoring and management of cybersecurity.

c. Password management and cyber hygiene

d. Backup, Recovery procedures, BCP (Business Continuity Plan)

e. Resilient, Redundant and Secondary cloud infrastructure for recovery if cloud infrastructure is compromise.

f. Apps, OS, DB security in addition to cloud infrastructure security

g. DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) security safeguard

3. If the cloud infrastructure security evaluation is also conducted with strict cybersecurity hygiene, then any breaches to the primary infrastructure Mobile Guardian - can be easily isolated and the secondary infrastructure activated to continue to provide service with no downtime to the users.

Conscientious backup of the schools data - can also be recovered and run on the secondary cloud infrastructure.

Similarly, if crowdstrike cloud infrastructure if subjected to similar scrutiny, then crowdstrike software updates failure will not have impacted the users.

Another thing, wonder why Microsoft allows 3rd party developers to plug software upgrades or updates directly into the OS kernel?

This is a very bad apps development practice because any bugs will have trigger a blue screen of death.

I thought API interfaces are always the safest approach to software upgrades. Any bugs won't bring down the OS kernel and trigger the Blue Screen of Death.

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 3:02 PM]

Dear Contributors,

Please take a moment to participate in our polls 📊 and share your opinion 💭. The poll questions are pinned for easy reference, and your vote is anonymous.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts on today’s topic!

Thank you.

Megan

Hanny, [9/9/2024 3:05 PM]

I am sure moe has done all the due diligence. Incident happens. We need to respond in a way that is most pragmatic.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 3:11 PM]

Mostly subscribers to cloud services don't do this step.

Because cloud service providers are tough negotiators - and say other customers are involved in the shared infrastructure, cannot disclose how the cloud infrastructure are secured.

If I am not wrong.

Moreover, mobile guardian could only be an apps provider but don't own the cloud infrastructure.

Hence unable to articulate how its cloud infrastructure are secured.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 3:14 PM]

As far as I know, so far have not come across any customers successfully request cloud service providers to provide information how their cloud infrastructure are secured - citing security secrecy to prevent leakage.

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 3:15 PM]

📢 Singapore proposes ban on deepfakes of candidates during elections

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-elections-ban-deepfakes-candidates-advertising-4585686

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 3:15 PM]

But then customers are at the mercy of the cloud service providers.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 3:21 PM]

Eg. Any business when subscribe to cloud services offer by say Amazon ask how they protect their cloud infrastructure?

Amazon will say, you just subscribe to the cloud service.

Cloud security non of your business (in a nice way).

Adam, [9/9/2024 3:27 PM]

I think this should extend beyond elections

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 3:28 PM]

Unless all government services are built on private cloud and apps service providers reside their apps service on the private clouds provided managed by the government.

Jun Ming, [9/9/2024 3:31 PM]

Agree those deepfake minister should be punished

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 3:32 PM]

*Revamped GEP*

1.I feel that revamping and spreading the GEP programme will have the following benefits :-

a. Don't need talented students to leave their neighborhood schools to congregate in a few elite schools.

b. Remove the stigma of elitism, integrate, interact and accept diversity with other students.

Else if all elite students congregrate into a few elite schools, elitism aptitude will creep into the students - unable to interact well with the larger segments of the students.

c. More students who are late boomers can be identified and push into the GEP programme of the respective schools - as more slots can be made available - slots not limited to the few elite schools.

d.Some students will be more talented in some subjects and not all the subjects. By spreading the GEP programme into all schools, students who are talented in certain subjects can join the GEP in that particular subject to its highest potential possible.

2.The only catch is, talented teachers handling GEP are scarce resources. There must be sufficient talented teachers able to handle GEP students in all the schools.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 3:43 PM]

Eg. If mobile guardian reside their cloud apps on the government private cloud, then all the cloud infrastructure security safeguards will have been in place.

The service won't go down.

Because the security in depth is solid, backup and recovery is conscientiously done and redundant cloud infrastructure is in place.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 3:56 PM]

However by doing so, higher costs will be involved.

Because if mobile guardian cloud apps are shared by global customers, the price is cheaper because of Economies of scale.

If mobile guardian apps reside in our government private cloud, then only Singapore schools are using it. Lack Economies of scale.

Also our IT professionals need to maintain the Private cloud infrastructure. More storage places needed and backup.

So our schools will incur higher costs.

The plus side is, cybersecurity and availability are assured.

So it is Cost versus Service Availability.

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 4:01 PM]

📢 Mpox likely to be more troublesome than disruptive: Ong Ye Kung

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/mpox-likely-to-be-more-troublesome-than-disruptive-ong-ye-kung

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 4:14 PM]

Understand from the Minister respond to MP Patrick query about why $5,000 is the criteria for dishing out the Retrenchment temporary grants to lower and middle income people. But pmet are left out.

The Minister respond is that for a start, this will be the criteria as those above national median salary has a longer runway.

And the grants are finance by the government operating budget - which is the savings - and hence quite limited.

Understand the constraints and hope the government will review the criteria overtime and when budget permit.

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 4:01 PM]

📢 Mpox likely to be more troublesome than disruptive: Ong Ye Kung

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/mpox-likely-to-be-more-troublesome-than-disruptive-ong-ye-kung

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 4:14 PM]

Understand from the Minister respond to MP Patrick query about why $5,000 is the criteria for dishing out the Retrenchment temporary grants to lower and middle income people. But pmet are left out.

The Minister respond is that for a start, this will be the criteria as those above national median salary has a longer runway.

And the grants are finance by the government operating budget - which is the savings - and hence quite limited.

Understand the constraints and hope the government will review the criteria overtime and when budget permit.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 4:28 PM]

But agree that rebounce from retrenchment is a personal responsibility.

No matter how difficult, retrenched workers must seek to recover and find a new jobs either by own efforts or helps from job search government sanction organisations or private job seeking companies.

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 5:07 PM]

[ Poll : Which issue are you most interested in for today’s Parliament sitting? ]

- Mobile Guardian cybersecurity breach

- Extremist preacher from Bangladesh

- Mpox

- Revamped Gifted Education Programme (GEP)

- Platform Workers Bill

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 5:08 PM]

Dear Contributors,

Please take a moment to participate in our polls 📊 and share your opinion 💭. The poll questions are pinned for easy reference, and your vote is anonymous.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts on today’s topic!

Thank you.

Megan

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 5:09 PM]

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 5:20 PM]

📢 MOH will do more to help people choose the right IP insurance for their needs

👉🏼 https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/moh-will-do-more-to-help-people-choose-the-right-ip-insurance-for-their-needs

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 5:22 PM]

Ensure medishield insurance can cover 90% of the public hospitals healthcare services - will be a good benchmark.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 5:27 PM]

Currently, quite a number of public hospitals bill cannot be covered by the medishield insurance.

Hence ensuring at least 90% of the hospital bills can be covered by medishield insurance is more important.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 5:59 PM]

Realise that every year, the medishield premium is getting higher.

But most of the time, hospital bills are not covered.

Patients still have to fix out of pocket money to pay for the hospital bills.

Begin to wonder why pay medishield premium when most of the time, medishield insurance don't cover?

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 6:05 PM]

Would it be a better insurance plan under medishield insurance - will cover all public hospital bills co-pay 10% by patients ?

Then medishield insurance will not be abused because of the co payment - yet serving the needs of the patients.

Then paying yearly medishield premium is a more equitable solution.

Else why every year keep paying increasing medishield premium.

But when go public hospital treatment, this don't cover, that don't cover.

Then why do compulsory payment for medishield premium year after year - when only a few people benefits subsidise by majority of the medishield subscribers?

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 6:09 PM]

Hence I feel there is a need to revamp the medishield insurance scheme.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 6:30 PM]

The irony of the current medishield insurance is that it benefits all the insurance companies at the expense of the majority of the patients - where the original intent is to benefit the patients.

Hence I feel that it is overdue to revamp the medishield insurance.

Cover all public hospitals bills but co-pay 10% by patients to prevent abuse.

Then contribution to medishield premium every year is worth it.

Else I don't find any value in the medishield insurance whereby most of the time, medishield cannot claim in public hospitals - this don't cover, that don't cover.

Wonder what is really covered under medishield insurance?

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 6:36 PM]

If medishield insurance are adequate, then patients will less likely to procure private IP.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 6:44 PM]

Public hospitals staff will try to submit patients hospitals bills to the medishield insurance companies.

But they will always say, we try to submit, but no guarantee medishield insurance will be successful.

Most of the time, they are right.

Every time not successful, patients still have to pay own cash.

When ask the staff under what circumstances medishield insurance will definitely cover? 

They say no idea.

Then wonder why make medishield insurance compulsory when it is not design to benefit patients - and yet patients every year got to contribute to medishield premium - compulsory.

It seems to benefit the insurance companies and not the patients.

Adam, [9/9/2024 6:45 PM]

I wonder how it works

Adam, [9/9/2024 6:45 PM]

Do you get treatment not knowing how much it cost off pocket?

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 6:46 PM]

Nobody knows how it works.

Adam, [9/9/2024 6:46 PM]

Can i ask if medisheild will cover before go a&e and tell driver to go causeway if rejected?

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 6:47 PM]

You got to ask MOH.

Even hospital staff can't tell what is covered under the medishield insurance.

Jun Ming, [9/9/2024 6:52 PM]

Actually no one's knows how much you will pay when admit to hospital

Jun Ming, [9/9/2024 6:53 PM]

As you don't know what conditions you are and what treatment they will administer

Nicholas, [9/9/2024 7:01 PM]

Good move by MOH, looking forward to their guidance on which IP is suitable.

Adam, [9/9/2024 7:01 PM]

Cant the doctor give like some quotation before any treatment?

Adam, [9/9/2024 7:02 PM]

Or the price of diagnosis too

Adam, [9/9/2024 7:04 PM]

If they itemise the bill maybe patient can be in a better position to look for better prices

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 7:12 PM]

MediShield Life, the mandatory national medical insurance scheme, is designed to cover nine in 10 large subsidised bills incurred at public hospitals. A comprehensive review is under way, and results are expected to be shared later in 2024.

Ms Rahayu said the review is being done to ensure that MediShield Life continues to protect Singaporeans against large medical bills.

“Coverage may broaden and claim limits may need to go up, to give Singaporeans greater peace of mind should they encounter a major health episode” as a result of the review, she noted.

These patients may not need IPs or riders, because MediShield Life is generally sufficient for such episodes, and will be further enhanced after the major review this year,” she said.

I can't reconcile the above statement.

Because I have not come across any of my family members and relatives - have successfully claim under medishield insurance for hospital treatment.

Am I missing something?

So far, hospital staff have tried submitting, all the time unsuccessful.

Adam, [9/9/2024 7:14 PM]

If you dont mind disclosing, what kind of treatments was it?

Adam, [9/9/2024 7:14 PM]

Was it critical illness?

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 7:14 PM]

Some are day surgery.

Some are critical illness

Adam, [9/9/2024 7:16 PM]

Ive always thought medishield would cover at least some amount

Adam, [9/9/2024 7:16 PM]

Now im scared

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 7:16 PM]

Lately my eye scar in a hospital treatment after referral by a&E - also rejected.

I start to wonder what is the use of medishield insurance when I have zero benefits from it.

Adam, [9/9/2024 7:17 PM]

If they hide like this, i think its inexcusable

Adam, [9/9/2024 7:17 PM]

Why are we paying into an opaque system

Adam, [9/9/2024 7:18 PM]

If a financial institute pitched this plan to the gov it will never be allowed to be sold

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 7:19 PM]

My wife day surgery also rejected.

LCL (Danny 心), [9/9/2024 7:31 PM]

What actually happens on the ground and what is reported don't seem to synch.

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 7:45 PM]

Dear Contributors,

⏰ We will be closing the chat in 15 minutes ⏰

Thank you very much for being part of our Telegram chat and participating actively.

Goodnight!

Megan 😊

REACH Singapore, [9/9/2024 7:59 PM]

Dear Contributors

We will be closing the chat for today.

Thank you very much for being part of our Telegram chat and participating actively.

Goodnight!

Megan 😊

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