K Shanmugam
Singapore
“Bank accounts are frozen when there is reason to suspect that the bank accounts are involved in illicit activities, including money laundering activities.”
“The Singapore Police Force does not track the requested data. Distinguishing artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content typically requires more detailed forensic examination which may not be necessary in every investigation and may also not be conclusive as to whether AI-generative tools were used.”
“The Building and Construction Authority’s Code on Accessibility provides baseline requirements for accessible and inclusive buildings. It stipulates a minimum width of 1.5 metres or 1.8 metres for primary accessible routes, depending on the building type.”
“The Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Driving Licence) Rules under the Road Traffic Act set out the scope of the medical assessment required for motorists aged 65 and above who wish to retain their driving licences.”
“When a Police report has been made, the Police will investigate to determine if a criminal offence has been committed. If there is reasonable suspicion that a case is scam-related, the Police can direct online service providers to restrict Singapore users' access to the relevant online activity under the Online Criminal Harms Act.”
“Through intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement actions, the cross-border operation disrupted a transnational drug trafficking syndicate and downstream drug trafficking activities, with the UK arresting seven persons so far and further investigations underway.”
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“Singapore adopts a multi-layered approach to identify and intercept persons of security or law enforcement interest. The case referred to by the Member involved an individual associated with multiple identities. There was an error in the handling of the case which then allowed him to enter and leave Singapore. The relevant agencies have since strengthened their processes, including through the leveraging of biometrics and the use of data analytics to identify persons of interest with multiple identities. This includes the launch of the Multi-Modal Biometrics System in 2020 by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), which captures multiple biometrics of travellers arriving and departing from Singapore. Government agencies also routinely share relevant information with each other to enhance screening capabilities and support enforcement operations. Such information sharing enables persons of interest to be detected at multiple touchpoints, including when they transact with Government agencies. For operational and security reasons, the Ministry is unable to disclose details of our operational systems and capabilities.”
“When a Police report has been made, the Police will investigate to determine if a criminal offence has been committed. If there is reasonable suspicion that a case is scam-related, the Police can direct online service providers to restrict Singapore users' access to the relevant online activity under the Online Criminal Harms Act. The use of an address in such cases does not mean that the owner or occupier is presumed to be involved. The Police will assess the facts and circumstances of each case to determine if an offence was committed and conduct the required investigation to ascertain whether an individual is culpable for the offence.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) does not impose any video recording requirement on driving schools. That said, TP is aware that the driving schools use in-car video cameras for safety and audit purposes. Regardless of the use case, driving schools must comply with prevailing laws on the collection, use and retention of personal data.”
“The Government does not track such statistics.”
“The Building and Construction Authority’s Code on Accessibility provides baseline requirements for accessible and inclusive buildings. It stipulates a minimum width of 1.5 metres or 1.8 metres for primary accessible routes, depending on the building type. For instance, a width of 1.5 metres would allow sufficient space for a wheelchair user and another person to pass each other. The Fire Code has a different purpose. It establishes the minimum requirements for fire safety provisions in all buildings. This includes a stipulation that all escape routes in commercial developments must have a minimum width of 1.2 metres, including commercial shopfronts. This requirement is sufficient for evacuation during emergencies and there is no intention to review it at this point in time.”
“Through intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement actions, the cross-border operation disrupted a transnational drug trafficking syndicate and downstream drug trafficking activities, with the UK arresting seven persons so far and further investigations underway. Through this joint operation, the UK authorities managed to seize a further 412 kilogrammes of cannabis in a separate container bound for the UK on 25 February 2026 and additional quantities of cannabis in the UK.”
“As a major global transhipment hub, Singapore handles a very high volume of cargo and it is not practical to subject all of them to checks and inspection. Instead, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Singapore Customs adopt a risk-based and multi-layered approach to detect and interdict illicit goods, including narcotics. This entails making risk assessments based on advance cargo information, document analytics, routing patterns and intelligence inputs. Higher-risk consignments will be targeted for further checks and inspection using advanced radio graphic scanners and physical checks as well. The risk models are regularly reviewed to take into account the evolving modus operandi of the syndicates. Singapore also works closely with international counterparts to detect and disrupt the flow of illicit goods through the timely exchange of intelligence and joint operations. These joint efforts enable enforcement action to be taken at multiple points along the supply chain, including beyond Singapore's borders. The effectiveness of this approach was demonstrated on 3 January this year, when ICA and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) detected a 20-foot inbound container carrying 509 kilogrammes of cannabis at Pasir Panjang Scanning Station. Investigations found that the drugs were only transiting through Singapore and were bound for the United Kingdom (UK). CNB then launched a cross-border operation with the UK's Home Office International Operations, UK Border Force and West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit.”
“There are presently no prescribed assessments of an applicant's knowledge of Singapore or English proficiency. However, all new citizens aged 16 to 60 years old who have been granted in-principle approval for Singapore Citizenship must complete the Singapore Citizenship (SC) Journey before the completion of citizenship formalities. The mandatory programme helps enrich new citizens' understanding and appreciation of Singapore’s history and development, our norms and values, and to build stronger ties with the local community through the following components: a) an online e-learning module with quiz components to support learning, covering topics, such as Singapore's history, key institutions and systems, responsibilities of citizenship and shared values and social norms; b) an experiential learning programme that brings participants to significant historical landmarks and national institutions or a half-day programme to introduce participants to community service in Singapore; and c) a Community Sharing Session, where local community leaders share with new citizens their experiences of living in a multiracial and multi-religious society and encourage them to be involved in the community. The Government will continue to study how we can support the integration of new SCs in a sensible and practical manner.”
“The Singapore Police Force does not track the requested data. Distinguishing artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content typically requires more detailed forensic examination which may not be necessary in every investigation and may also not be conclusive as to whether AI-generative tools were used. That said, where there is a report relating to an impersonation scam, the Police will conduct investigations, including looking into digital forensic evidence, if deemed necessary. Should there be reasonable suspicion that the content is preparatory to or furthers the commission of scams, the Police can issue Directions under the Online Criminal Harms Act to online service providers to restrict Singapore users' access to such content, regardless of whether it was generated through AI.”
“The Member may refer to the annual scam and cybercrime brief 2025 for figures on the total amount of scam losses and the total amount recovered each year. The Government does not track the amount of scam proceeds returned to victims due to operational challenges. Seized proceeds could be co-mingled with other non-scam-related activities, such as cases involving unlicensed moneylending proceeds, and may not be directly correlated to crime committed in that same year.”
“Bank accounts are frozen when there is reason to suspect that the bank accounts are involved in illicit activities, including money laundering activities. These bank accounts would be unfrozen when they are subsequently found not to be involved in criminal activity and are no longer required for the purposes of investigation, trial or other Court proceedings. The Government neither tracks the number of bank account owners who may have received the funds unknowingly, nor the time taken to unfreeze such bank accounts. However, the Member may refer to Singapore Police Force's (SPF's) annual scams and cybercrimes brief published on the SPF's website for the number of bank accounts suspected to be involved in the laundering of scams proceeds which the SPF has frozen each year. Affected individuals can apply to the Court to access their bank accounts for legitimate purposes, such as basic living expenses or other essential spending.”
“The Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Driving Licence) Rules under the Road Traffic Act set out the scope of the medical assessment required for motorists aged 65 and above who wish to retain their driving licences. The three-yearly assessment covers the motorist's past medical history, vision, hearing, movement and physical or mental abnormalities. A Singapore-registered medical practitioner conducts the assessment using the medical examination checklist developed by the Traffic Police (TP) based on the Singapore Medical Association's (SMA's) "Fitness to Drive" guidelines. TP monitors the road traffic situation closely for new risk factors and, as and when necessary, consults stakeholders, including SMA, to ensure that the criteria remain adequate.”
“Under the revised surrender regime which took effect from 16 May 2026, first-time drug abusers who surrender to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) will be placed on community-based supervision and compulsory case management for a period of up to five years. If these abusers relapse thereafter, they will be placed on an appropriate regime, which may include institutional rehabilitation at the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC). At DRC, abusers will undergo intervention programmes tailored to their rehabilitation needs, such as psychology-based interventions targeting drug use habits and family programmes that equip them with relationship skills. The revised surrender regime will only apply to abusers who physically surrender at a CNB office or Police station. They must also not be wanted by the authorities, be under investigations, be on bail, serving an on-going Court sentence or placed under supervision under any prevailing laws. Family members who wish for a loved one to receive treatment and rehabilitation under the revised surrender regime should encourage the abuser to voluntarily present himself or herself to CNB.”
“Patient identification enables access to crucial information, such as medical history and drug allergies, which can facilitate prompt and effective medical interventions, including in life-threatening medical emergencies. That said, in all emergencies, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedics are trained to prioritise patient care and hospital conveyance, and to exercise flexibility with regard to procedural requirements. SCDF reinforces this through the formal certification and refresher training of its emergency medical personnel. To ensure accountability and adherence to operational standards, SCDF conducts regular audits, reviews body-worn camera footage and investigates all feedback received. While this training is standard across all SCDF paramedics, there was a recent case in which a paramedic had informed a patient's family member that formal identification was required before the patient could be conveyed to hospital. Following this incident, SCDF has reiterated to all paramedics that patient care and timely hospital conveyance must always take precedence over administrative procedures.”
“Under the Fire Code, food and beverage establishments, including coffee shops, are subject to a comprehensive suite of requirements to minimise fire risk. These requirements include measures to reduce the risk of a fire from cooking-related activities as well as to ensure the safety of people in the coffee shop in the event of a fire. To ensure Fire Code compliance, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) also conducts enforcement checks on food and beverage establishments. These include both scheduled visits and unannounced inspections based on public feedback. These inspections complement the annual fire safety checks conducted at coffee shops by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), as well as other regulations imposed as part of the HDB's licensing conditions. These fire safety measures and enforcement checks remain adequate. The number of fires at coffee shops in HDB blocks has remained largely constant between 2021 and 2025, ranging from 15 to 19 cases annually. This translates to under 1% of the total fire incidents per annum. Nonetheless, SCDF will continue to monitor fire trends involving HDB coffee shops and work with related agencies, such as HDB and the National Environment Agency, to take the appropriate intervention measures if required. Nevertheless, it is important that we remain vigilant and mitigate fire risks as best we can. We urge all stall operators to uphold good fire safety practices and do their part to keep our community safe.”
“ISD and MOE have also jointly produced an online guide for parents and guardians on protecting their children from radicalisation. In schools, secondary students learn about the impact of transnational terrorism on countries and how it has led to some individuals becoming self-radicalised through exposure to extreme ideologies. They also learn to develop empathy and respect for one another, discern the reliability of information from different sources and be vigilant against harmful online content. The Ministry of Home Affairs also launched the SGSecure Instagram and TikTok accounts in 2024 to share key advisories on radicalisation using bite-sized videos and posts. Community partners, such as the Religious Rehabilitation Group and the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group, are upgrading their skillsets to deal with CoVE cases and conduct regular outreach to youths and families, which will strengthen the community's resilience to extremist ideas. In addition, ISD has worked with community partners to tailor the rehabilitation programme for individuals radicalised by CoVE. The interventions are aimed at addressing not just their ideological misconceptions, but also personal vulnerabilities, grievances and psychological factors that contribute to their radicalisation.”
“In the past year, the Internal Security Department (ISD) issued Restriction Orders under the Internal Security Act against two youths who were self-radicalised online by Composite Violent Extremism (CoVE). Individuals radicalised by CoVE subscribe to multiple extremist ideologies to form their worldview. For example, they may combine Islamist extremism, far-right neo-Nazism, incel misogyny and other grievance-fuelled narratives in a highly personalised and seemingly contradictory manner. Their understanding of the ideologies may be shallow and disorganised. Their support for the different ideologies may also be flexible and fluid. However, the lack of a clear and coherent ideology does not diminish the severity of the CoVE threat. Individuals motivated by CoVE have perpetrated deadly attacks overseas. In fact, it may be harder to detect such individuals, as the threat they pose may be dismissed given the absence of a standard or predictable ideological footprint. Furthermore, the more ideologies and grievances they harbour, the more potential triggers for violence they possess, which means that they can escalate quickly from radicalised beliefs to violent actions. Public education and community vigilance remain critical to tackling the radicalisation threat upstream, including those involving CoVE. ISD works with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to conduct counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation outreach for youths, educators and school counsellors, to sensitise them to the threat and possible indicators of radicalisation, and the importance of early reporting of suspected radicalisation cases. The outreach materials have been updated with CoVE cases, to enhance understanding of these threat profiles.”
“All the summonses issued for the offence of failing to keep left on expressways have involved vehicles with a vehicular speed limit of 60 km/h or slower, since the offence in the Road Traffic (Expressway Traffic) Rules only applies to such vehicles. These violations are detected through on-road enforcement by Traffic Police officers, reports submitted by members of the public and traffic accident investigations.”
“In 2025, seniors aged 65 and above made up about 15% of all scam victims, the only age group to register an increase in the number of victims between 2024 and 2025. Each senior lost about $37,000 on average, the highest among all age groups. About two in five scam victims who are seniors fell prey to investment or Government official impersonation scams. The Police do not track the amount of scam proceeds recovered by age group. We have explained in this House before why the recovery of scam proceeds is very challenging. Once the monies exit Singapore, the odds of it being recovered is very low. Notwithstanding, the Police have implemented several measures to improve asset recovery, including strengthening international collaboration among law enforcement agencies and enhancing cryptocurrency tracing capabilities. The Member may wish to refer to the Annual Scam and Cybercrime Brief 2025 for more details on these recovery initiatives.”
“Police's licensing application assessment endeavours to detect if a person had previously applied for the same type of licence, whether at the same premises or elsewhere. They do not track the number of such cases.”
“Since June 2021, under the Small Motorised Vehicles (Safety) Act 2020, anyone who brings power-assisted bicycles (PABs) and motorised personal mobility devices (PMDs) into Singapore, including for personal use, must obtain approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA). LTA works closely with Singapore Customs to ensure that the imported devices meet technical and safety requirements prior to issuing an import permit. Goods entering Singapore are subject to risk-based checks, leveraging data analytics and screening technology, such as radiographic scanners. Where the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority detect PMDs/PABs without valid import permits at the checkpoints, the cases will be referred to LTA and Customs for investigation.”
“As of 31 Dec 2025, there were 914 children who had a pending Permanent Residency (PR) or Singapore Citizenship (SC) application sponsored by their Singaporean parent. Most applications for PR and SC are processed within six and 12 months respectively. Some applications may take longer to process. It depends on the facts of the case, the need to verify documents and other relevant factors. The SC applications for young children generally take less time. For children born overseas to SCs, their SC applications are expedited because, often, there will be a need to travel. Such applications are generally processed within a month, depending on the case and whether all required documents are submitted and are in order. While their application is being processed, these children may visit or stay in Singapore on other immigration passes, such as a Short-Term Visit Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass, Dependant's Pass or Student's Pass, subject to the prevailing criteria. The Government will seek to process such applications as quickly as possible, without compromising the robustness of the assessment and checks.”
“Agencies, including the Singapore Police Force (SPF), have implemented a suite of measures to prevent offending, encourage reporting and improve victims' support. For instance, SPF has been working with schools to teach students to report their concerns and seek help from trusted adults. It has been working with the Ministry of Social and Family Development and social service agencies to provide social and emotional support for victims of violence, including sexual violence. Victim care services are also provided to victims of sexual offences during investigations. Beyond the legal penalties, society's approbation can also be a powerful deterrent against such crimes. SPF recently launched a public education campaign to drive home this message. The campaign will be rolled out across public spaces, public transport networks, public entertainment outlets and schools. Most importantly, members of the public who come across any sexual crimes should report them to the Police expeditiously, so that quick action can be taken against the offender and he is prevented from preying on more victims.”
“The Police and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) conduct regular compliance and enforcement checks against massage establishments located within HDB estates, including unlicensed establishments which purport to be traditional Chinese medicine clinics. Between 2023 and 2025, the Police investigated close to 350 vice-related breaches involving unlicensed massage establishments. The Police also work with HDB to evict massage establishments which have committed offences.”
“Police cameras are part of the Police's strategy to deter and solve crime in Singapore. When identifying locations for deployment of cameras, the Police will consider their operational needs, the crime situation in the locality and public feedback. More focus is given to public areas with high footfall and crowd congregation. These same considerations apply when assessing whether and where to install Police cameras in private residential estates, including landed estates in Nee Soon South. That said, in general, the Police will be progressively installing police cameras at strategic entry and exit points of private residential estates over the next several years.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs will share the specifics of our proposed blind box regulations, which will also cover trading card games later this year. We are currently engaging industry stakeholders. The regulations will aim to mitigate the gambling inducement risk of blind boxes. We do not intend to require the sellers of blind boxes, of trading cards or otherwise, to open the sealed boxes and sell the contents as individual items. This would effectively ban blind boxes. Any proposed safeguard will need to be proportionate to the gambling inducement risk of the product.”
“The Government adopts a holistic approach to road safety. Besides enforcement, the Traffic Police (TP) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) work together on road infrastructure, regulations and penalties and public education. On road infrastructure and design, TP and LTA take into account community feedback to implement traffic calming measures, in particular at violation- and accident-prone locations. LTA will also be expanding Friendly Streets to all towns by 2030, which will entail roads with reduced speed limits and road markings to assist vehicle drivers to be more careful. Vision Zero is an example of successful intervention in road safety in Finland. The Government also approaches road safety on the basis that every fatality is one too many. We will draw reference from the example in Finland, as well as others, in reducing road accidents. However, road accidents are often caused when drivers engage in risky behaviour, for example, drink driving or speeding and other such behaviour. This happens despite the penalties and despite the public education that is going on.”
“ISD works with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to conduct counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation outreach to schools. These engagements sensitise students and school personnel to the threat of radicalisation, and the importance of early reporting of suspected radicalisation cases. MOE's cyber wellness lessons in the character and citizenship education curriculum aim to equip students with the skills to recognise risks in the digital space and to be safe, respectful and responsible online users. In addition, community partners, such as the Religious Rehabilitation Group, have intensified counter-radicalisation outreach in the digital space. The Ministry of Home Affairs also works with digital content creators to raise awareness on the threat of online radicalisation.”
“Self-radicalisation is often driven by progressive exposure to online radical content, reinforcement within online echo chambers and repeated and sustained consumption of extreme and violent materials. Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools like large language models (LLMs) can accelerate and amplify the pathways to self-radicalisation. For example, they can provide personalised and interactive responses which affirm or validate an individual's radical beliefs. Social media algorithms can also drive exposure to reinforcing content, hastening the time taken for self-radicalisation. Youths are particularly vulnerable due to the significant amount of time they spend online. Some of the self-radicalised Singaporean youths that the Internal Security Department (ISD) has dealt with, have leveraged AI, including LLMs, to facilitate terrorism-related activities. For instance, a 17-year-old detained in September 2024 used an AI chatbot to generate a pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and his attack manifesto. A 17-year-old far-right extremist detained in March 2025 had searched on an AI chatbot for instructions on producing ammunition and on 3D-printing of firearms, for his local attack plans. The Government takes a holistic approach to tackling online radicalisation. We have strengthened our legislative levers through the amended Broadcasting Act and the new Online Criminal Harms Act to block or remove extremist and terrorist content, including those generated by AI. However, it is impossible to detect and remove all such content. Public education and community vigilance are critical complements to tackling the radicalisation threat.”
“Between 2021 and 2025, motorcyclists were involved in approximately 64% of speeding-related accidents and 36% of red-light running accidents. In the same period, elderly pedestrians were involved in approximately 0.4% of speeding-related accidents and 2.3% of red-light running accidents.”
“Fatigue is a known contributory factor of traffic accidents. This is one of the factors highlighted in Traffic Police's road safety education materials. There are no plans to collect additional data or indicators.”
“Pyrotechnics are regulated as explosives under the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021 (GEWCA). Any person who wishes to conduct activities involving explosives, including their importation, possession or use, must obtain the relevant licence from the Singapore Police Force (SPF). Unlicensed use is an offence under the GEWCA and may result in fines or imprisonment. Between 2021 and 2024, there was an average of about 19 cases annually relating to unlawful possession, discharge and importation of fireworks under the Dangerous Fireworks Act, which has since been replaced with GEWCA. Under the GEWCA, which came into force on 1 July 2025, fireworks and pyrotechnics are classified as "explosives" alongside other materials, such as explosive precursors. As the GEWCA applies to a wider category of explosives, SPF does not track the number of cases that specifically relate to fireworks and pyrotechnics. The Ministry of Home Affairs and SPF tackle unlicensed importation, possession and use of pyrotechnics on several fronts. First, SPF works with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to intercept unlicensed pyrotechnics at our borders. Second, SPF enforces against the unlawful possession or use of pyrotechnics through ground patrols and investigation of reported cases. Third, SPF reminds members of the public of the legal requirements and safety risks through news releases in the lead-up to festive periods.”
“Appended in the table below is the annual number of accidents involving injury or death that the Traffic Police (TP) has investigated and determined to be caused by the motorist. This excludes accidents where TP was unable to determine the at-fault party. The current licence renewal regime aims to promote road safety and provide seniors the convenience of driving in a risk-calibrated manner. The Ministry of Home Affairs and TP will continue to review the licence renewal rules regularly to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose.”
“The Police do not specifically track which scam cases involved gold or gold-related investments. However, in 2025, they observed at least 130 cases involving the handover of physical gold assets to move scam proceeds. Close to two in three victims were aged 65 and above. The scammers would typically pose as Government officials and instruct the victims to hand over gold as part of their purported investigations into criminal activities. Another modus operandi involved the scammers instructing the victims to surrender gold to resolve fraudulent insurance policies allegedly purchased under the victims' names or for fake investment opportunities. The victims would then pass the gold to unknown individuals claiming to be officials or agents, or leave it at designated locations for collection. The Police, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) are working with banks and precious stones and precious metals dealers (PSMDs) to put in place measures to better protect potential scam victims. For example, the Association of Banks in Singapore has carried out public outreach to raise scam awareness, including those involving gold handovers. MinLaw has been engaging PSMDs to increase awareness of such scams and has published a Code of Practice to provide them with practical guidance on measures that they should adopt to mitigate scam-related risks and strengthen early intervention.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) does not have data on the prevalence of the use of bots or third-party services to secure driving lesson slots. Nevertheless, we have taken action. The three driving schools suspended close to 13,400 accounts suspected of bot activity in 2025. TP has directed the schools to also implement anti-bot measures, such as CAPTCHA authentication, and account restrictions when they detect suspicious logins. There are no plans to implement a centralised booking system. It is more appropriate, expedient and practical for the driving schools to design and manage their respective booking systems, because they all have different commercial and operating models. The current wait times reflect fundamentally a mismatch between the supply and demand for Class 3 lessons. The Ministry of Home Affairs and TP are studying additional supply measures to improve the situation.”
“The Police will step up enforcement in anticipation of the increase in illegal football betting during the upcoming FIFA World Cup. This includes blocking websites or advertisements that offer illegal gambling services, terminating local phone numbers that advertise illegal gambling activities and blocking payment services, like bank accounts and credit cards, linked to illegal gambling. Singapore Pools is the only entity licensed to offer sports betting in Singapore. Gambling advertisements related to unlicensed sports betting are prohibited. It is an offence under the Gambling Control Act (GCA) and a person who is found guilty would be liable on conviction to a fine of up to $20,000. It is also an offence under the GCA to induce an underaged individual to gamble, including through advertising and promotional activities. An offender would be liable on conviction to a fine of up to $300,000 or to imprisonment of up to six years or both.”
“For jobs under the purview of public agencies that involve contact with children and young persons, there are already measures in place to screen for past offences. For example, pre-employment background checks are conducted for individuals deployed to preschools licensed under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act, personnel in student care centres registered as Student Care Fee Assistance Administrators who have prolonged contact with students, and individuals working in the Ministry of Education schools. In the sport sector, applicants to the National Registry of Coaches are required to declare disciplinary and criminal records to Sport Singapore. Applicants who have been convicted of offences, such as sexual crimes, will not be admitted to the registry. There is currently no requirement for employers in unregulated sectors to verify the criminal records of employees. However, they may still request that prospective employees declare any past offences and take this into consideration in their hiring decision. The Government has been considering further measures on how to strengthen the screening framework for jobs involving contact with children and young persons. The framework will have to be set up in a way which is possible to implement.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Traffic Police (TP) have been reviewing the driving school ecosystem and policies to increase the capacity of the schools to meet the sharp rise in demand for lessons in driving schools over the last few years. TP has no plans to re-issue private driving instructor licences. We stopped doing so in 1987 to create a more professional and standardised approach to driver education, where driving schools operate within a structured curriculum and training framework approved by TP.”
“We have not hosted such study visits. Generally, we assess requests for study visits based on various factors, including the availability of resources, and whether it is in Singapore’s interests to host such study visits. If we receive requests from foreign delegations to study our death penalty regime in the future, we will consider them then.”
“From 2021 to 2025, there were around 1,300 missing persons reported annually. The Police do not track the time taken to locate a missing person. This can vary significantly from case to case. When the Police receive a missing person report, investigations will be launched to locate the person. The Police will accord priority to vulnerable missing persons, including young children, elderly persons and persons with intellectual disabilities. The large majority of vulnerable missing persons are found within the day. SG Alert is designed to expeditiously alert the public to time-sensitive and life-threatening emergencies. When the public receives a SG Alert, it is a trigger to them to immediately take protective and life-preserving actions. Frequent and overuse of the SG Alert for a wide variety of scenarios, including to achieve objectives for which it is not designed, like notifications of missing persons, would desensitise the public to its alerts and the sense of urgency associated with it and reduce its effectiveness as a national emergency communication capability. The Police have well-established procedures to locate missing persons, including appealing for information from the public where appropriate. Such appeals are published through various channels, including social media.”
“The average number of individuals granted Citizenship and Permanent Residency annually from 2015 to 2025 for the ages between 18 and 45, with a breakdown by sex is reflected in the table below.”
“The use of force by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to deal with public order incidents is governed by an internal framework. The framework calibrates the response according to the severity and risk of the incident, is grounded on de-escalation and premised on legality, proportionality and safety. This framework applies in the deployment of water cannons. SPF's water cannons are intended only for large-scale incidents where there is significant public disorder. Even so, the officers must consider the safety of the public and rioters before deploying the cannons. The SPF regularly reviews the framework and its tactics, incorporating lessons learnt from overseas and the latest technology.”
“We have not exercised powers under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (FICA) against individuals linked to Malaysian civil society organisations. When they seek to interfere, we have stopped them from coming into Singapore. But FICA can be used as necessary. The Ministry of Home Affairs looks at various considerations when assessing if content should be considered normal political commentary or whether it amounts to unacceptable political interference. This includes the source and nature of the content, whether it is an established media, the degree of association the person has with Singapore, whether the foreign actor is masquerading as a local writer, whether he/she is acting on behalf of someone with the intent to cause damage to Singapore, and other factors. This assessment is fact-dependent and done on a case-by-case basis. Individuals barred from entry into Singapore can appeal to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.”
“The Police do not track breaches of Personal Protection Orders specific to harassment at workplaces.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) installs enforcement cameras at speeding- and accident-prone locations along public roads, including at zebra crossings, where the terrain is assessed to be suitable. TP also works with the Land Transport Authority to implement road infrastructure, such as raised pedestrian crossings, humps and other road calming measures at suitable areas, to lower the safety risks.”
“From 2023 to 2025, there were 1,992 instances of non-compliance by cyclists with the helmet-wearing rules. Traffic Police (TP) does not track the number of cycling trips on our roads and cannot compute the compliance rate. To promote road safety, TP and the Land Transport Authority will continue to conduct regular enforcement at accident hotspots and locations reported by members of the public. These include locations where unsafe road behaviour involving cyclists is observed. Errant cyclists can be fined up to $1,000. In more serious cases where injury or harm is caused, the offender could be charged in Court for the relevant traffic offence and face more severe penalties.”
“The general approach we take is not to disclose the identities of suspects before they are charged in Court. However, when suspects are escorted by law enforcement officers to public places, it is inevitable that photographs or videos of the suspects may be taken. Law enforcement agencies do give guidelines to the media on their expected conduct at locations to where the suspect may be brought. Cordons are put in place, where necessary. Respectable media organisations are aware that a person is not considered guilty until proven so in a Court of law. That principle guides their reporting. Should any media organisation cross that line, they may be held liable for contempt of Court.”
“SG Alert is designed to expeditiously alert the public during time-sensitive and life-threatening emergencies, such as major fires, chemical incidents or terror attacks, so that they can take immediate action to protect themselves. Given the use cases, SG Alert does not allow users to opt for vibration-only notifications. SG Alert is, in fact, designed to override the phone's silent mode and emit a distinctive alert tone to attract the user's attention. It also displays a pop-up message that overrides whatever is on the phone screen. For certain public security incidents, such as the ones mentioned by the Member, the Singapore Police Force may withhold the activation of SG Alert if it could endanger lives or hinder operations.”
“55,044 traffic violations were detected between January and February 2026, an approximately 6% increase compared to 51,944 violations in the same period in 2025.1 The statistics for March 2026 are not available yet. The top three traffic violations across the first two months of both years are in Table 1 below.”
“Since October 2023, the Police have investigated into eight cases of unlawful public assemblies and processions that were in relation to the Israel-Hamas conflict. All of the eight cases were in support of Palestine. The Police had investigated into these cases because potential offences under the Public Order Act 2009 were disclosed and not because of the support of Palestine by the defendants. Among these eight cases, four are currently undergoing Police investigations and one was acquitted by the Court but pending appeal by the Attorney-General's Chambers. The remaining three cases have concluded with warnings issued by the Police to the persons involved.”