This is the first of two Bills on workplace fairness. A second Bill on how private employment claims can be made for workplace discrimination will be tabled later on.
If passed, the legislation will be implemented sometime in 2026 or 2027.
Fifteen MPs rose to speak in the debate. It will continue on Wednesday, where Dr Tan is expected to address concerns raised by MPs.
Workers’ Party (WP) chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, who was the first to speak in the debate, said the spirit of an anti-discrimination law does “far more” than just support and help workers.
“This Bill sends a fundamental and powerful message,” he said.
“It speaks to how the state deals with where Singaporeans stand at workplaces in their own country. It speaks to how the state recognises multiracialism, especially when minorities form about 25 per cent of the population.”
He called the Bill a “powerful signal” given that some Singaporeans fear becoming second-class citizens in their own country and believe that foreigners have better job prospects.
WHY BILL DOES NOT COVER ALL DISCRIMINATION
Mr Singh and other MPs also pointed out that there are certain exceptions to the Bill, which only covers a list of “protected characteristics”.
For now, the Bill covers five categories of protected characteristics where there is “broad societal consensus”, said Dr Tan. Together, they account for more than 95 per cent of discrimination complaints received by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) and MOM, he said.
These include age and nationality – the top two causes of discrimination reported. A third category includes sex, marital status, pregnancy and caregiving responsibilities; the fourth covers the characteristics of race, religion and language ability; and the last encompasses disabilities and mental health conditions.
Mr Louis Chua (WP-Sengkang) criticised the Bill for limiting legislation to only certain characteristics.
“How can we confidently say that workplace discrimination of any form should not be tolerated, but yet some forms of discrimination are legal while others are not?” he asked, highlighting some types of discrimination that will not be covered, such as that based on physical medical conditions.
Ms Denise Phua (PAP-Jalan Besar) called for the broadening of the definition of disability in the Bill, which now covers autism, intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities and sensory disabilities. This excludes individuals with learning disabilities like dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and conditions like cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis, she said.
Mr Patrick Tay (PAP-Pioneer), who is the assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), said outsourced workers and freelancers, including platform workers, may be an underserved segment of workers.
“I envisage they should similarly be protected against discrimination in the course of their work.”
Ms He Ting Ru (WP-Sengkang) said platform workers and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are “explicitly excluded” from the Bill.
Citing a Singapore study which found that gay people experience higher levels of discrimination at the workplace, she said: “This is disturbing, as we should aim to harness the contributions of all Singaporeans.”
She said these decisions seemed deliberate and the government should be open with why they were taken.
“I am not casting aspersions, but hope that we can have better clarity and understanding of the thought process and timing behind how the government intends to ensure that these groups, too, are eventually afforded legal protections against discriminatory behaviour,” she said.
