Zaqy Mohamad on Singapore’s COVID-19 response
Singapore can be heartened by how its people had shown resilience, adaptability and unity throughout the pandemic, said Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad. He said Singaporeans have learnt to be adaptable and resilient in overcoming the challenges. They rallied together and “came through as one united people”, he said. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 21), he highlighted the efforts to keep Singapore going and manage the impact of the pandemic. One area is standing up emergency accommodation facilities for migrant workers and supporting their health and well-being. Mr Zaqy said a key lesson from the pandemic is the importance of adaptability and resilience of Singapore’s infrastructure. The unprecedented scale and prolonged nature of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an overwhelming demand for quarantine housing and temporary accommodation. Mr Zaqy said learning from this experience, public sector agencies are working to identify suitable facilities to meet possible crisis scenarios and better safeguard and operationalise sites for emergency needs. This includes exploring developing dual-use facilities to serve both peacetime and crises functions. One way is to retrofit available and suitable state properties and pivot them to crisis use if needed. Public sector agencies will also explore with private site owners to potentially utilise a wide variety of private infrastructure for emergency housing. These include chalets, hotels, serviced apartments and exhibition spaces. The Government is also looking at strengthening the resilience of key food distribution facilities. The Singapore Food Agency is carrying out upgrades to enhance the security, surveillance and access control systems of key food supply facilities. This would allow for better contact tracing, as well as support the enforcement of control measures. Mr Zaqy urged businesses to continue to review and keep their business continuity plans relevant. For the broader workforce, a key lesson from the pandemic is developing a strong Singaporean core and complementing it with a diverse foreign workforce, said Mr Zaqy. This would help to grow the pie for Singapore in providing more good opportunities for all, he added. Turning to the Malay/Muslim community, he noted its important role in the national effort, such as adjusting to the closure of mosques and suspension of congregational prayers. He thanked the community for making adjustments to religious and cultural practices, and staying united with fellow Singaporeans to keep the country safe. “I am confident that the lessons we have learnt will put us in good stead for the future and prepare us for the next crisis,” he said.
Singapore can be heartened by how its people had shown resilience, adaptability and unity throughout the pandemic, said Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad. He said Singaporeans have learnt to be adaptable and resilient in overcoming the challenges. They rallied together and “came through as one united people”, he said. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 21), he highlighted the efforts to keep Singapore going and manage the impact of the pandemic. One area is standing up emergency accommodation facilities for migrant workers and supporting their health and well-being. Mr Zaqy said a key lesson from the pandemic is the importance of adaptability and resilience of Singapore’s infrastructure. The unprecedented scale and prolonged nature of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an overwhelming demand for quarantine housing and temporary accommodation. Mr Zaqy said learning from this experience, public sector agencies are working to identify suitable facilities to meet possible crisis scenarios and better safeguard and operationalise sites for emergency needs. This includes exploring developing dual-use facilities to serve both peacetime and crises functions. One way is to retrofit available and suitable state properties and pivot them to crisis use if needed. Public sector agencies will also explore with private site owners to potentially utilise a wide variety of private infrastructure for emergency housing. These include chalets, hotels, serviced apartments and exhibition spaces. The Government is also looking at strengthening the resilience of key food distribution facilities. The Singapore Food Agency is carrying out upgrades to enhance the security, surveillance and access control systems of key food supply facilities. This would allow for better contact tracing, as well as support the enforcement of control measures. Mr Zaqy urged businesses to continue to review and keep their business continuity plans relevant. For the broader workforce, a key lesson from the pandemic is developing a strong Singaporean core and complementing it with a diverse foreign workforce, said Mr Zaqy. This would help to grow the pie for Singapore in providing more good opportunities for all, he added. Turning to the Malay/Muslim community, he noted its important role in the national effort, such as adjusting to the closure of mosques and suspension of congregational prayers. He thanked the community for making adjustments to religious and cultural practices, and staying united with fellow Singaporeans to keep the country safe. “I am confident that the lessons we have learnt will put us in good stead for the future and prepare us for the next crisis,” he said.
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