Parliament

Speech by MOS Rahayu Mahzam at the Committee of Supply Debate 2026

2 March 2026

Mr Chairman, while technology has made our lives easier and offers the promise of a better future, we must ensure our digital society remains safe and vibrant.
1. The Government will continue to play a strong role in protecting those who are most vulnerable to online harms.
2. At the same time, we must also empower citizens to build the skillsets and confidence to navigate and learn in today’s digital world, especially with the advent of AI.
3. I will outline MDDI’s efforts in these areas.

Fostering Online Safety Through Regulations and Public Education

Let me start with online harms. Many of us have heard stories, or perhaps even know someone who is a victim of online harms.
1. Some victims have experienced online stalking, while others have had their intimate photos abused.
2. Often, victims and their families deal with tremendous distress and helplessness.
This is why the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act (OSRA), passed in Parliament last November, is so crucial.
As part of OSRA, we will establish a new agency, the Online Safety Commission (OSC).
1. The OSC will be set up by the first half of this year.
2. It will begin by supporting victims of five highly prevalent and severe online harms – (i) online harassment; (ii) intimate image abuse; (iii) image-based child abuse; (iv) doxxing; and (v) online stalking.
3. Upon assessment of a victim’s report, the OSC can issue directions to disable access to harmful online content or restrict the perpetrator’s online account.
Even as we set up the OSC to provide an additional avenue of support, I know that many parents are naturally worried about their children’s daily digital activities.
1. Children are amongst the most active digital users, and many parents are stretched ~~thin~~ as they juggle monitoring their children’s digital usage with other commitments.
2. In MDDI’s Digital Parenting Study in 2025, over half of respondents wanted more government support, including stronger legislation, to help them manage their children’s digital activities.
Ms He Ting Ru asked about efforts to better protect children from the harms and risks associated with social media.
We have taken progressive regulatory measures to address the concerns of parents and the community.
1. Over the past three years, we introduced two Codes of Practice for Online Safety.
  1. The Codes require designated social media services and app stores to minimise Singapore users’, especially children’s, exposure to harmful content.
  2. The Codes also require designated social media services and designated app stores to submit annual online safety reports to IMDA. IMDA is presently assessing the annual online safety reports submitted by the designated social media services in 2025. IMDA’s overall report will be published alongside the designated social media services’ reports when ready.
  3. Today, we already do age assurance in the physical world, like how supermarkets or convenience stores check the ID of customers before selling age restricted products such as alcohol or tobacco.
  4. From the end of this month, designated app stores will have to implement age assurance measures to prevent users who are under 18 from accessing and downloading age-inappropriate apps.
As new risks continue to emerge, online safety remains a constant challenge around the world.
1. Some overseas jurisdictions have announced or implemented social media bans.
2. Singapore also wants to strengthen protection for our children online. And we want to do it right and take a holistic approach.
3. As MDDI continues to study the impact of social media bans, we plan to extend age assurance requirements to designated social media services.
  1. This would better ensure that online services are age-appropriate for users, including children.
  2. Consultations with the designated social media services are ongoing, and more details will be announced later this year.
The Government remains vigilant regarding online harms outside of app stores and social media services.
1. Some parents have expressed concerns about harms that online video games bring, including exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and screen addiction.
2. We recognise these concerns and are studying whether safeguards on online video games are needed.
We are also mindful of other types of online services that may pose a threat to online safety.
1. As Ms He Ting Ru pointed out, one example is the misuse of AI to generate indecent content, such as sexual content and violent content, in real time and at scale.
2. Chatbots that are embedded in social media services present unique risks as users, including children, can access them more easily.
3. Ms He also raised a recent worrying trend of users using prompts on X’s chatbot, Grok, to replace the clothes of adults and children with revealing attire such as bikinis. IMDA is engaging X on the issue. We note that X has taken some measures to address the matter globally. We will continue to monitor the issue closely and will work with X to enhance online safety for Singapore users on its platform. We will not hesitate to take designated social media services to task if they have failed to comply to the SMS code.
4. We are also studying whether safeguards for AI chatbots are needed to better protect users from the harms caused by their misuse.
While parents can look forward to stronger guardrails to protect our children from online harms, parents also play an important role in inculcating healthy digital habits in children.
1. Parenting in the digital age is undoubtedly challenging. We frequently hear stories of children being glued to their devices during family dinners, or parents feeling shut out from their children's digital spaces. Some have even described parenting today as swimming against a relentless digital tide, while struggling to stay afloat amidst competing priorities.
2. These concerns are real, and we want parents to know that they are not alone.
To address these concerns, MDDI has rolled out resources for parents and is strengthening efforts to make them more accessible in the community.
1. Parents can access tips on how to guide their children’s digital interactions on IMDA’s Digital for Life portal. These are tailored to different digital milestones in the parenting journey, such as a child’s first device use, first social media use, and first online game.
2. Families with young children will also be supported by digital parenting workshops and webinars.
  1. These sessions are designed to meet different needs. Some support parents of younger children, while others engage families with youths who may encounter more challenging online situations.
3. We will continue to do more to support digital parenting and welcome suggestions on how we can improve our programmes.

Building Digital Literacy in our Society

Preparing for the digital world requires us to not only be safe online users, but also purposeful and discerning learners.
1. We need to prepare our students and educators for an AI-enabled future, as Mr Henry Kwek and Ms Lee Hui Ying highlighted. Educators play a critical role in the development of essential skills for our students.
MOS Jasmin spoke earlier on enhancing public sector digital capabilities. We are also doing more to grow educators’ knowledge and understanding about technology.
1. Last year, MDDI and MOE launched the Smart Nation Educator Fellowship (SNEF). 58 Fellows attended the inaugural run, and I am glad that the feedback has been positive.
2. Many participants shared that SNEF has sharpened their abilities to guide students to become thoughtful and responsible users of technology.
3. Mr Ezal bin Sani, a Lead Teacher for History in Jurong Secondary School, was one of the SNEF fellows. For a Secondary 1 History inquiry-based project on Singapore's migrant Chinese communities, Ezal’s students conducted AI-powered interviews with historical 'coolies' and used ElevenLabs or Google NotebookLM to create their own AI podcasts. Initiatives like this demonstrate how powerful educational technology can be in our classrooms, with students critically assessing the information gleaned from AI tools to enhance their learning process.
This year, we are refining the fellowship to focus on the power and possibilities of AI.
1. Through workshops and industry visits, educators will better appreciate how AI is relevant in the workplace. This can in turn support students’ development of AI skills and competencies.
We will update programmes in our schools to meet emerging needs, just as we have done before. As PM shared, AI literacy is a fundamental digital competency that will become even more important going forward.
Mr Sharael Taha and Mr Daryl David asked about the Government’s plans to make digital skills and tools available to every child, regardless of background.
We will continue to ensure that AI literacy programmes remain accessible in our schools.
1. IMDA is working with MOE to update the Code for Fun (CFF) programme in our primary and secondary schools to integrate AI skills as core baseline capabilities for all students. We will make this available to all schools in 2027.
  1. Primary school students will learn the basics of AI, such as creating digital storybooks.
  2. Secondary school students will learn to use AI to create solutions for real-world problems.
  3. As students experiment and learn with AI, they will also learn about the risks, limitations, and responsible use.
For lower-income families, IMDA’s DigitalAccess@Home scheme will continue to support them with subsidised broadband and computing devices.
I thank Mr Fadli Fawzi, Ms Jessica Tan, and Mr Sharael Taha for their interest in public education initiatives to strengthen citizens’ digital literacy and resilience, including for our seniors and persons with disabilities.
Today, citizens can look to IMDA’s Digital Skills for Life (DSL) resources to pick up skills to navigate digital spaces. This includes how to use Generative AI confidently and safely, as well as how to identify AI risks such as misinformation, scams, and deepfakes.
Our libraries also provide important touchpoints for digital learning.
1. NLB’s S.U.R.E. programme, which stands for Source, Understand, Research, Evaluate, encourages Singaporeans to evaluate the credibility and reliability of information. NLB will roll out new resource packages and outreach programmes under S.U.R.E to build information literacy skills.
2. NLB will also offer roving experiential showcases across public libraries and other public spaces. Members of the public can experience the uses and benefits of AI, and how to use Generative AI safely and responsibly.
We will continue to provide targeted support for vulnerable groups.
1. At SG Digital Community Hubs across Singapore, seniors can learn how to use digital services for daily tasks, such as booking medical appointments and mobile banking.
  1. I would like to reassure Ms Sylvia Lim that the Government will continue to adopt a “digital first, but not digital-only” approach. Citizens, particularly seniors, who need in-person support will still be able to receive assistance at Government agencies’ physical service touchpoints and at ServiceSG Centres.
2. We will also continue to collaborate with Digital for Life partners to help persons with disabilities participate meaningfully in our digital world. For instance, Guide Dogs Singapore developed a toolkit to help members of the visually impaired community learn to use low vision accessibility features on the smartphone, such as the VoiceOver function.
Through these efforts, we are building an inclusive Singapore where every citizen can benefit from our digital future.
Sir, allow me to say a few words in Malay.
Mr Chairman, mastering new skills can sometimes feel daunting, but the learning experience becomes more rewarding with support from our peers and the community.

Tuan Pengerusi, ada kalanya, mempelajari kemahiran baharu terasa mencabar. Namun, proses ini memberikan lebih kepuasan dengan adanya sokongan daripada rakan sebaya dan masyarakat kita.
Digital technologies, including AI, have become important ingredients in our daily lives and for the jobs of tomorrow. Thus, it is important that all of us are equipped to not only have digital skills, but to use them confidently and thoughtfully.

Teknologi digital, termasuk AI, kini menjadi kemahiran penting yang diperlukan dalam kehidupan seharian kita dan pekerjaan pada masa hadapan. Justeru, penting bagi kita bukan sekadar melengkapkan diri dengan kemahiran digital, tetapi berupaya menggunakannya dengan yakin dan berhemah.
Everyone is at a different stage of their digital journey. Some are just starting to explore and experiment, while others are focused on enhancing their technical skills and putting them into practice.

Setiap individu berada pada tahap berbeza dalam perjalanan digital mereka. Ada yang baru mula meneroka dan mencuba, ada pula yang menumpukan usaha mereka untuk meningkatkan kemahiran teknikal dan mengamalkannya.
To work towards our vision of an AI-Confident Malay/Muslim community, M³ has launched Langkah Digital, led by Yayasan MENDAKI.

Dalam usaha menjadikan visi sebuah masyarakat Melayu/Islam yang celik AI satu kenyataan, (M kuasa tiga) M³ telah melancarkan inisiatif Langkah Digital, diterajui oleh Yayasan MENDAKI.
1. As I announced last month, Langkah Digital is designed around three key elements – Kenal, Guna, and Yakin.
  
  Seperti yang telah saya umumkan bulan lalu, Langkah Digital didukung oleh tiga teras utama, iaitu Kenal, Guna, Yakin.
2. Kenal helps people learn more about safe digital exploration; Guna encourages integrating technology in daily life; and Yakin nurtures lifelong digital learning so that the community can continue to adapt independently.
  
  “Kenal” membantu masyarakat belajar cara meneroka dunia digital dengan selamat. “Guna” menggalakkan penggunaan teknologi dalam kehidupan seharian. “Yakin” pula memupuk pembelajaran digital sepanjang hayat, supaya masyarakat terus berdikari dalam usaha menyesuaikan diri.
3. This step-by-step approach allows us to engage different sectors of our community and meet people where they are at in their digital journey.
  
  Pendekatan secara berperingkat ini membolehkan kita mendekati setiap lapisan masyarakat dan menyediakan sokongan yang seiringan dengan tahap perjalanan digital mereka.
Staying true to our ‘gotong royong’ spirit, Mendaki will bring together the whole community, including the M³ family, Malay Muslim organisations, the Mendaki Professional Networks, as well as partners from the public and private sectors.

Dengan memanfaatkan semangat gotong-royong, Mendaki akan menghimpunkan seluruh masyarakat termasuk keluarga (M kuasa tiga) M³, pertubuhan Melayu/Islam, Rangkaian Karyawan Mendaki, dan rakan kongsi baik daripada sektor awam, mahupun swasta.
A good example is Mr Luqman-nul Hakim, who works as an AI engineer and has stepped forward to support Langkah Digital.

Ambil contoh Encik Luqman-nul Hakim, seorang jurutera AI yang tampil untuk menyokong Langkah Digital.
1. Luqman has led sessions on AI at Al Khair Mosque for over 30 participants and facilitated an AI workshop for more than 60 participants.
  
  Luqman telah mengendalikan sesi AI di Masjid Al Khair untuk lebih 30 peserta. Beliau juga menjadi pemudah cara bengkel AI yang dihadiri oleh lebih 60 peserta.
2. These programmes help cater to individuals with different abilities and interests in our community. Some introduce AI tools such as ChatGPT, while others focus on more advanced skills such as prompt engineering .
  
  Program-program ini membantu memenuhi keperluan individu yang mempunyai kebolehan dan minat yang berbeza dalam masyarakat kita. Ada yang memperkenalkan alat AI seperti ChatGPT. Yang lain pula menumpukan kepada kemahiran lanjutan seperti kejuruteraan prom atau ‘prompt engineering’.
3. Digital champions such as Luqman are the driving force behind Langkah Digital. They not only help to bring different groups together but also foster meaningful dialogue and collaboration around technology.
  
  Peneraju digital seperti Luqman menjadi penggerak utama di sebalik Langkah Digital. Mereka bukan sahaja membantu menghimpunkan kumpulan-kumpulan yang berbeza, bahkan menggalakkan perbincangan dan kerjasama yang bermakna dalam bidang teknologi.
Although I just launched the programme last month, I am heartened that we have rolled out 12 AI-related workshops and events in the community so far, reaching over 400 participants. I hope that Langkah Digital will empower even more members in our community.

Walaupun saya baru melancarkan program ini bulan lalu, saya berbesar hati kerana setakat ini, kami telah pun menganjurkan 12 bengkel dan acara berkaitan AI, yang menjangkau lebih 400 peserta Melayu/Islam. Saya berharap inisiatif Langkah Digital akan memperkasakan lebih ramai anggota masyarakat kita.

Connecting Communities through Reading and Singapore Stories

Mr Chairman, as technology keeps evolving, it is not enough for us to hone our technical skills. To harness AI wisely, we need to ask the right questions and be discerning about the answers we get. Therefore, our children need to develop capabilities to read and process information effectively from young.
1. I am spotlighting reading because it is a skill that is increasingly at risk in a world where information is delivered at break-neck speeds, often in short-form and visual formats.
2. Reading is essential for learning new skills. It improves our attention span, develops critical thinking skills, and builds creativity and empathy. All of these are essential qualities for us to use technology for the benefit of ourselves and others.
3. Promoting reading is therefore important in addressing the concerns raised by Members about social and intellectual degradation that might come with AI.
Ms Cassandra Lee asked how NLB is refreshing the libraries’ role with families in mind.
We can start with encouraging parents to cultivate good reading habits in their children from a young age. This also provides our children with a screen-free alternative in our device-heavy era.
1. This is why NLB will continue to partner with MOE to strengthen the library programme for schools.
  1. This includes an upcoming School Librarians of the Future Summit and webinars to empower student librarians as reading advocates and champions for information literacy.
  2. Student librarians can also broaden their learning, through volunteering, student attachments, and learning journeys.
2. NLB will do more to foster strong reading habits, and plans will be shared in due course.
Our libraries also play a vital role in preserving and sharing our Singapore Stories. These stories form the bedrock of our community and ensure that our collective experiences are not lost to time.
To mark Singapore’s 60 years of independence, NLB and MDDI launched a book and exhibition on “The Albatross File”, which documents the events, personalities, and debates surrounding Singapore’s journey to independence.
1. I thank Mr Christopher de Souza or commending the teams involved.
2. The exhibition has resonated strongly with the public. Since December, over 130,000 have visited. 96% said they left with a deeper understanding of the path Singapore took.
To Mr Fadli Fawzi’s observation that the exhibition departs from what he was taught in school, there has always been differing view points on Singapore’s separation from Malaysia. This is unsurprising, given the nature of historical accounts.
1. For example, British, Australian and New Zealand archives released from the early 1990s reflected the perspectives of their diplomats and governments.
2. In 1998, full versions of the perspectives of Singapore’s officials appeared. Professor Albert Lau’s A Moment of Anguish remains the most definitive account of the separation. The first volume of founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s memoir also featured a gripping account.
As stated in the editorial notes of The Albatross File: Inside Separation, nothing material to the understanding of the separation was held back. The documents published were reproduced in full, without redaction. Members of the public, including MPs, can approach the National Archives of Singapore to look at all this declassified material and form their own nuanced views.
Mr Fadlialso raised the proposal for a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), to automatically declassify records and release them publicly after 25 years.
The experience of some countries with similar legislation shows that most, if not all, will still have carve-outs. In fact, implementing an FOIA could lead, unintentionally, to more opacity.
1. Mr Tony Blair’s 2010 memoirs record his views on the UK’s FOIA, which was enacted while he was Prime Minister.
2. He said, after leaving office, that “The Freedom of Information Act…is a dangerous Act [because] governments need to be able to debate, discuss and decide issues in confidence. Without the confidentiality, people are inhibited and the consideration of options is limited in a way that isn’t conducive to good decision making. In every system that goes down this path, what happens is that people watch what they put in writing and talk without committing to paper. It’s a thoroughly bad way of analysing complex issues.”
3. In other words, an FOIA can hinder rather than facilitate governance, because issues deemed too sensitive are simply not documented.
Therefore, our starting point should be prioritising transparency that leads to good governance and an informed citizenry, instead of transparency for its own sake.
1. We already have a mechanism for members of the public to request access to government records for reference or research, which historians and researchers have used to nominate documents for review.
2. The Government has made more records available to the public over time, and will continue to do so.
Singapore Stories not only enhance our understanding of history but enable us to reimagine our future.
1. The SG60 Heart & Soul Experience, which was visited by 2 million visitors in the second half of last year, allowed Singaporeans to express their hopes and dreams for Singapore.
2. I am glad to hear that it was well received, with most visitors giving it a rating of 5 out of 5.
3. The Experience was also an example of utilising digital innovations such as AI and immersive storytelling to present a multi‑sensory experience.
4. By pairing the Experience with NLB’s resources, visitors had the opportunity to learn more about using AI in their daily life.

Conclusion

To conclude, Mr Chairman, as digital technologies become increasingly complex and sophisticated, their potential to transform our society and lives, whether for better or worse, has never been greater.
As the Malay peribahasa or proverb reminds us: “Berat sama dipikul, ringan sama dijinjing” (“We share responsibilities and work together to overcome challenges, be it big or small”). Harnessing technology for good as well as mitigating the negative impacts of technologies requires more than just technical knowledge. Ultimately, we need a whole-of-society effort that brings together the experiences and perspectives of the government, industry, academia, civil society, and citizens.
Let us work together to chart a bright and promising digital future for generations to come.
Thank you.

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Speech by MOS Rahayu Mahzam at the Committee of Supply Debate 2026

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