Parliament to discuss Singtel landline outage, oil spills and telemedicine standards

SINGAPORE: Members of Parliament will discuss last month’s Singtel landline outage at the next sitting on Monday (Nov 11), as well as the recent oil spill incidents.
There were also questions filed on telemedicine services in the wake of a probe into provider MaNaDr Clinic, and the new study to assess if 38 Oxley Road is worthy of preservation.
According to the order paper released on Friday, MPs asked about what could have caused the Oct 8 landline disruption, how such an incident could be prevented in future, and whether any action will be taken against Singtel.
The hours-long landline outage, which the telco called an “isolated incident”, disrupted calls to emergency services, healthcare institutions, banks and businesses.
MP Tan Wu Meng (PAP-Jurong) asked the Ministry of Digital Development and Information what the root causes of the disruption were, and whether existing business continuity requirements are adequate for instances where a telco supports essential hotlines.
Dr Tan also asked the Ministry of Home Affairs about the backup contingencies for essential landline hotlines such as 995 and 999 in the event of a telco failure.
NCMP Hazel Poa (PSP) asked for the estimated number of calls to 995 and 999 that were impacted by the outage, and what penalties, if any, have been imposed on Singtel.
MP Yip Hon Weng (PAP-Yio Chu Kang) asked about the lessons learned from the disruption and whether there will be an independent inquiry to identify vulnerabilities and prevent future incidents.
MP Lim Wee Kiak (PAP-Sembawang) asked the Ministry of Health how many patients experienced delays in accessing medical services due to the outage, whether there were any adverse outcomes for patients due to the delays and what assistance has been given them.
MPs also filed questions about last month’s oil spills, which included an incident off Changi during bunkering operations and a Shell oil pipeline leak.
Ms Cheryl Chan (PAP-East Coast) asked the Ministry of Transport whether a review is required for oil sighting and alert mechanisms given Singapore’s status as a global bunkering hub, and how the cost and workload incurred by agencies involved to manage each incident would be dealt with.
MP Poh Li San (PAP-Sembawang) asked about the impact of the spills on Singapore’s seawater quality and marine ecosystem, and the mitigation measures for future incidents.
NCMP Hazel Poa (PSP) wanted to know whether the government will be checking the structural integrity of all oil pipelines in Singapore’s waters, and whether any penalties will be imposed on Shell.
Questions were also filed on the regulatory framework for telemedicine providers.
MP Wan Rizal (PAP-Jalan Besar) asked the Ministry of Health (MOH) about the measures in place to ensure telehealth providers consistently meet patient care standards, and whether additional regulatory frameworks will be developed.
MP Hany Soh (PAP-Marsiling-Yew Yee) asked how the public would be assured that teleconsultation services meet the appropriate standards, and whether MOH has received feedback on potentially errant medical clinics.
MPs also asked about the National Heritage Board (NHB)’s study of the Oxley Road site to assess if it is worthy of being preserved as a national monument.
NCMP Leong Mun Wai (PSP) asked the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth why another study was needed considering that the Ministerial Committee on 38 Oxley Road had assessed in 2018 that the property had architectural, heritage and historical significance.
MP Louis Chua (WP-Sengkang) wanted to know the terms of reference for NHB’s study and how the present study differs from the terms of reference of the Ministerial Committee on 38 Oxley Road.
Six Bills are set to be introduced, including the Protection from Scams Bill.
Seven other Bills are also scheduled for second reading, among them the Community Disputes Resolution (Amendment) Bill.