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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“Members of the public are encouraged to make a Will, as it would allow them to decide how their assets should be distributed after they pass on. Seniors who live alone can write their Will themselves or engage a third-party to help them write one. They can also consult a lawyer, for example, if their Will involves complicated arrangements. A senior needs to be of sound mind when making a Will. After they have made a Will, seniors can deposit information on their Will with the Singapore Academy of Law Wills Registry (wills.sal.sg). This will facilitate access to the Will after they have passed on. Those who wish to write their Will themselves may refer to My Legacy@LifeSG (mylegacy.life.gov.sg), which is a one-stop Government platform that assists individuals with legacy planning and end-of-life matters. My Legacy provides step-by-step information on how to make and deposit information on their Will. Seniors can also approach Pro Bono SG's Community Law Centres and Community Legal Clinics for legal advice and assistance with Wills. They can also obtain assistance from the Legal Aid Bureau to draft their Will and deposit information on the Will, if they pass the means test. To ensure that their assets will be dealt with in accordance with their Will, seniors should appoint one or more executors that meet the legal requirements and are able and willing to carry out their wishes. If necessary, a professional executor, such as a lawyer, may be appointed. Once a Will has been validly executed, the executor appointed under the Will has to apply for a Grant of Probate to deal with the testator's assets in accordance with the directions contained in the Will.”
“The Government has in place various measures to ensure the safety and security of places of worship. The Police conduct patrols in areas where there is potentially more crime, for example, where we have received more reports from members of the public. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) works with places of worship through its Crisis Preparedness for Religious Organisations programme, where religious organisations participate in security self-assessments, develop contingency plans, attend counter-terrorism seminars and have their employees and volunteers trained in skills, such as psychological first aid. These efforts complement the Ministry of Home Affairs' broader public engagement through the SGSecure movement, together with our partner agencies. These outreach efforts include sharing advisories, such as "Run-Hide-Tell" and "Press-Tie-Tell", as well as the importance of learning emergency preparedness skills, such as first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of Automated External Defibrillator. After the November 2024 knife attack at St Joseph's Church, MCCY engaged various places of worship to remind them of relevant security advisories by SGSecure. The Police also engaged the relevant stakeholders to put in place appropriate security measures. We will continue with these measures and programmes to ensure safety and emergency preparedness at our places of worship.”
“The Singapore Police Force does not track the number of advisories issued against individuals at the conclusion of investigations. An advisory is issued, in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, to put a person on notice about the law. It can apply to different cases, but, in general, is issued upon the conclusion of investigations where no further action is taken against the individual. This can happen if the act done by the individual is possibly criminal, but an offence cannot be made out for various reasons, such as when there is insufficient evidence to establish the requisite intent to commit the offence.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) recognises that roadblocks pose inconvenience to motorists, including those who drive for a living. They are, however, a critical means of detecting and deterring drink driving and keeping other road users safe. TP judiciously manages the number and conduct of roadblock operations to reduce the impact on motorists, while maintaining the safety of our roads. For the roadblock on 21 December 2024 along the Central Expressway (CTE), TP gave early notice to the Singapore Civil Defence Force and Land Transport Authority to enable the rerouting of emergency vehicles. TP officers stationed along CTE were also on hand to direct traffic as necessary, including emergency vehicles.”
“We may also contact them proactively if we have significant security concerns or there is sufficient evidence that offences might have been committed under our laws.”
“The Police closely monitor INTERPOL Notices. An INTERPOL Red Notice is not an arrest warrant, but an international alert for a wanted person published at the request of a member country. Hence, an INTERPOL Red Notice does not confer the Police with powers to arrest a fugitive wanted by a foreign jurisdiction. The Police would only be able to do so pursuant to an extradition request made under an extradition treaty. Nevertheless, we will take action against such persons, if there is sufficient evidence against them to take action in Singapore and if the offences are such that action can be taken in Singapore. Depending on the evidence, their immigration facilities may also be revoked if they are foreigners. When an individual with links to Singapore is the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice, we will keep the individual under close watch and commence investigations, in the above circumstances. In addition, if such persons, who are foreigners, are deemed to be an immediate threat to the safety and security of Singapore, we will take action to remove them from Singapore, including declaring them as prohibited immigrants. All new applications and renewals for immigration facilities are screened against available adverse information. The presence of any adverse information, including INTERPOL Red Notices, are considered during the assessment. As at December 2024, about 80 individuals linked to Singapore are traced to INTERPOL Red Notices. About half of them are Singaporeans. About half of them are not in Singapore. We are unable to share more details as such information comes from INTERPOL and the issuing countries. Where the issuing country of an INTERPOL Red Notice has contacted us, our relevant authorities cooperate with them within the ambit of our laws.”
“For operational security reasons, the Ministry of Home Affairs does not divulge details of storage capacity for body-worn cameras and other police cameras. The Member may refer to the Budget Book for the overall project costs for body-worn cameras and other police cameras.”
“But this is a matter which will be reviewed regularly.”
“Video recording of interviews (VRI) was introduced to provide an objective account of the interviews and enable the Courts to determine the voluntariness and credibility of the interviewees' statements, if needed. To facilitate the Courts' assessment, it is important for the VRI footage to be of good visual and audio quality. VRI is thus conducted in purpose-built VRI rooms, with adequate lighting and away from noise distractions. The video-recording equipment is also purpose-built for VRI. The cameras are mounted such that they focus on the interviewee and capture an overview of the room. New discs are used to record each interview. Immediately after the interview, a copy of the footage is sealed in the presence of the interviewee and stored securely thereafter. A duplicate copy is made to facilitate investigations and Court proceedings, including viewing by the accused or the defence lawyers upon request. If there is an allegation that the duplicate copy has been tampered with, the sealed copy can be used, including to determine if the duplicate copy has indeed been tampered with. A transcript of the entire interview is prepared for every VRI session, to facilitate Court processes. Transcripts may be voluminous, depending on the duration of the VRI session. The accuracy of the transcripts is ensured through checks by the Police and Central Narcotics Bureau officers against the entire duration of the video footage, which can be a few hours long. All of these arrangements and procedures ensure the integrity of VRIs and their utility to the Courts. The Ministry of Home Affairs' assessment is that body-worn camera footages in uncontrolled environments do not provide the same level of reliability for use as VRIs in Court.”
“The number of new citizenships granted for 2024 is not yet available. The number of new citizenships granted for 2023 for the age groups of 21 to 30 and 31 to 40 by gender is reflected in the table below. Of these, approximately 20% were to foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens, under the Family Ties Scheme.”
“In January 2024, the Traffic Police (TP) commenced the mandatory installation of speed limiters for lorries with maximum laden weight between 3,500 kg and 12,000 kg. As of end-2024, only around 50 lorries have completed the installation. TP is concerned by the low installation rate. They are working with Authorised Motor Distributors, the Motor Traders Association of Singapore and Authorised Inspection Centres, to encourage lorry owners to install speed limiters early, such as when their vehicles are sent in for regular maintenance. TP has also started sending out SMS reminders to lorry owners and will continue to do so at regular junctures. We urge lorry owners to install speed limiters early, ahead of the compliance deadlines, to avoid a bottleneck at the workshops. Eligible lorries that fail to comply by the deadlines will be liable for an offence and will fail their periodic inspection. As a reminder, older lorries are required to comply sooner, with heavier lorries by 1 January 2026 and lighter lorries by 1 July 2026. Newer lorries are given one more year to comply as speed limiters for such vehicles were not previously available.”
“Under the National Registration Act, all identity card holders who change their place of residence must report the change to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) within 28 days. They can do so online via ICA's website. Those who fail to comply may be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for up to five years, or both. ICA received over 2,000 reports in 2024 regarding persons suspected of misusing an address or failing to report a change of residential address within 28 days of moving. ICA investigates all complaints and follows-up to update its records, where necessary.”
“For the convenience of applicants, online submission is now the default for applying for immigration facilities, like Singapore Citizenship, Permanent Residence or Long-Term Visit Pass. Nonetheless, members of the public who require help to submit their applications online may approach officers at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority Services Centre for assistance.”
“Over the past five years, about 4,300 motorists per year were caught making illegal turns. The total number of motorists caught making illegal turns has trended down, from about 7,700 in 2019 to about 2,000 in 2023. The majority were making unauthorised U-turns. The Traffic Police does not track the number of injuries or deaths caused by such violations. We had provided a reply in May 2024 on the various measures in place to strengthen compliance with and enforcement of traffic laws. [Please refer to "Measures to Improve Safety on the Roads and Increase Penalties following Recent Spate of Fatal Accidents", Official Report, 7 May 2024, Vol 95, Issue 135, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“The majority of youth arrests under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act (CESOWA) are for the possession of offensive weapons. Youths commit offences for complex and multi-faceted reasons. All stakeholders, including educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, social services and parents, have a role to play in reducing youth crime. It requires a holistic approach, including upstream preventive measures, downstream rehabilitative programmes as well as enforcement. The Police have been working with schools, the Institutes of Higher Learning and National Crime Prevention Council to educate youths on the consequences of crime, including the possession of offensive weapons. This is done through school talks, crime prevention exhibitions and crime awareness programmes. In the first half of 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will operationalise the Guns, Explosive and Weapons Control Act (GEWCA), which expands the list of regulated offensive weapons and subjects such weapons to tighter controls. This is to further restrict access to such weapons and deter members of the public, including youths, from acquiring or possessing them. MHA will continue to monitor the number of youth arrests under CESOWA and consider further mitigation measures where necessary.”
“The Central Narcotics Bureau does not track the data requested by the Member.”
“The Singapore Police Force continuously reviews the training, procedures and equipment of our officers to ensure that they can carry out their duties safely. Police officers are empowered to use force, so as to contain situations where there is danger to life, including to protect themselves. They are trained in and equipped with various force options, such as contact tactics, batons, tasers and firearms. These options will be deployed by the officers in a manner that is proportional to the perceived threat.”
“The Member may refer to Parliamentary Question No 71, which was addressed during the 11 November 2024 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to "Back-up Contingency for Essential Hotlines to Enhance Robustness Against Telco Disruptions", Official Report, 11 November 2024, Vol 95, Issue 145, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] Information on emergency contact channels are available on the Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force websites.”
“The Government has blocked more than 50 Internet domains that were found to contain extremist content. However, it is not possible to block all extremist content. New websites, containing extremist content, are constantly emerging and bad actors will continue to find ways to get their message across while avoiding detection. Determined individuals will find ways to circumvent our blocking. That is why public education and outreach remains essential to countering extremist narratives. The Internal Security Department (ISD) has been working with Government agencies and community partners on outreach efforts to strengthen the community's resilience to extremist ideologies. The public also plays an important role and we encourage members of the public to contact the ISD Counter-Terrorism hotline at 1800-2626-473 (1800-2626-ISD) or report via the SGSecure app, if they are concerned that someone close to them may be at risk of being radicalised.”
“In addition, the Court of Appeal also accepted in an earlier decision which also dealt with the disclosure of prisoners’ correspondence1, that although there was oversight by AGC when it received correspondence from SPS, there was not an attempt to seek any advantage in Court proceedings. Since May 2020, SPS and AGC have instituted a policy that a prisoner’s correspondence will not be sent by Ministry of Home Affairs or SPS to AGC, unless the prisoner’s consent, or an order of the Court, has been obtained. Our agencies do their best to carry out their responsibilities in accordance with the law. Occasionally, there may be lapses. Here the lapses were such that the Court ordered $10 in damages each, to three of the applicants. SPS has put in place measures to prevent a reoccurrence. In this case, the officers were acting in good faith. AGC and SPS have reminded their officers of their obligations following the Court’s decision. No further action will be taken against them as there is no basis to do so. The Member has also asked how attorney-client privilege for prisoners will be ensured. Under the Prisons Regulations, letters to or from a prisoner’s legal adviser cannot be copied or withheld. However, this privilege cannot be at the expense of ensuring security and good order of prisons, which is SPS’ foremost responsibility. This matter will be considered carefully.”
“The Court of Appeal ruling was delivered in a case brought by 13 Prisoners Awaiting Capital Punishment (PACPs) at the time of application. In essence, they filed legal proceedings seeking various remedies, on the basis that the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) and the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had breached their right to confidentiality under civil law, as SPS had extended copies of their correspondence to AGC. It has been explained to the Court of Appeal why these documents were disclosed to AGC. Most of these documents were shared with AGC, in the context of scheduling the executions of PACPs. SPS’ practice was to keep AGC informed of developments involving these PACPs, and to seek legal advice on whether there were any relevant pending proceedings, or issues which could give rise to such proceedings, that would require the capital sentence to be held in abeyance. This approach was adopted out of an abundance of caution. The officers who disclosed the documents believed in good faith that they could be shared with AGC, for the purpose of seeking legal advice on scheduling, and ensuring that PACPs’ rights were not infringed in terms of further steps being taken with regard to their sentences. The Court of Appeal ruled that the relevant prisoners’ consent, or an order of Court, should have been obtained for the disclosure. The Court of Appeal said that three out of the 13 prisoners were entitled to damages, but only nominal damages of $10 each, for a breach of copyright. The Court of Appeal was of the view that there was no basis for the prisoners’ claims for further damages. The Court also noted that no breach of confidence arose from SPS officers opening or perusing any of the documents, because they were entitled to do so under the Prisons Regulations.”
“We have streamlined some of these processes, but the fact remains that conducting VRI takes up far more of the investigation officer’s time compared to a written statement. The speed of transcription is another consideration, and even the fastest turnaround time takes days. This is not ideal for time-sensitive cases, such as capital cases, where officers need to review the transcripts quickly to conduct follow-up investigations. While technology, such as speech-to-text transcription, can help augment manual transcription, it is not yet at the accuracy that avoids the need for time-consuming verification against the interview footage. We are reviewing whether we should develop in-house transcription capability to better support the expansion of VRI. We remain committed to expanding the use of VRI, at a pace that is supported by adequate infrastructure, resources and technology.”
“Video recording of interviews, or VRI, was first introduced in 2018 for rape cases. Last year, we updated Parliament that VRI has been expanded to include other offences, such as serious sexual offences like aggravated outrage of modesty and sexual assault by penetration, as well as child abuse, maid abuse and non-capital drug-related offences. We also updated that we have started expanding VRI to vulnerable suspects investigated for non-capital cases, specifically for young suspects where there is no Appropriate Adult in attendance, and offenders with mental disabilities. Since then, we have expanded VRI further to cover trafficking in persons and more sexual offences, including the sexual penetration of minors, and procurement of sexual activity with person with mental disability or by deception. We have also completed the expansion of VRI to all non-capital cases involving the vulnerable suspects I mentioned earlier. Moving forward, we are carefully studying how we can expand VRI to more cases, including capital cases and interviews with victims or witnesses. One issue is that VRI is resource-intensive. With VRI, there is no written signed statement. Transcripts have to be prepared to facilitate investigation and Court processes. They have to be checked against the video footage for accuracy. This means that officers have to review the whole duration of the video recorded, and each interview can be a few hours long. There are also additional administrative procedures involved, such as setting up and ensuring functionality of the VRI facilities, replaying the VRI footages for the interviewee, sending the footages for transcribing and so on.”
“The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) does not share personal data with non-Government entities, including insurers, unless these entities have been authorised to carry out specific Government services. Insurers licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore seeking to verify the deceased status of their policyholders can apply for a death extract online using ICA's e-Service.”
“A person who dishonestly or fraudulently obtains services without intending to make full payment may be liable for one of the cheating-related offences in sections 417 or 420A of the Penal Code, which carry maximum imprisonment terms of three and 10 years respectively. Depending on the specific facts of the case, the situation that the Member described may already be covered by these offences.”
“As at end-June 2024, out of the total number of Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP+) holders who were foreign spouses of Singaporeans, 7.5% were foreign mothers with minor Singaporean children and were married to their Singaporean spouse for at least eight years. All Permanent Residency (PR) and Singapore Citizenship applications from foreign spouses are evaluated on a range of criteria, including the ability of the Singaporean sponsor to support the family, length of marriage, and whether the couple has children from the marriage. The fact that the foreign spouse is married to a Singaporean and has Singaporean children will also be considered. Foreign spouses who do not qualify for PR can apply for an LTVP or LTVP+ to reside in Singapore.”
“The Police are investigating the individuals involved in the incident for offences of organising and taking part in unlawful public assemblies, which is prohibited under the Public Order Act 2009. This includes the employers of the migrant workers, who had allegedly organised the public assemblies. Separately, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has released a statement on 25 October 2024, confirming that the migrant workers involved were not owed salary payments and had no wellbeing concerns. MOM is also investigating the employer for illegally deploying the workers and abetting the workers to perform illegal acts under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and will take appropriate actions, if necessary.”
“The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) enhanced oversight over the Product Listing Scheme in 2020, when it introduced the Fire Safety (Regulated Fire Safety Products) Regulations. The Regulations set out the accountability of manufacturers, suppliers and the independent, accredited Certification Bodies (CBs). Regulated fire safety products, which includes fire doors, must meet the requisite fire safety standards. Independent, accredited CBs are responsible for certifying that fire doors meet these standards and are provided with an appropriate fire safety label. Suppliers or manufacturers of certified fire doors are required to provide proof of the fire door's intended installation location before CBs issue a label. The labels themselves are tamper-proof so that once affixed, they cannot be transferred to another item. CBs perform random site inspections to verify if the declared location of the fire door is accurate. Since 2022, the location of every newly-certified fire door and the accompanying fire safety label's serial number may be found on the respective CBs' online directory. This allows other parties, like premises owners, to confirm and also report any discrepancies. The SCDF conducts annual audits of CBs to ensure that they uphold these protocols effectively.”
“The total number of Volunteer Special Constabulary (VSC) officers and VSC (Community) officers recruited and those who resigned each year for the past five years, since 2019, is reflected in Table 1 below.”
“The Government takes a holistic approach to tackle the threat of online radicalisation among youths. In recent years, we have strengthened our legislative levers to block or remove extremist and terrorist propaganda, including those generated by AI. For example, the amended Broadcasting Act (effective since February 2023) and the Online Criminal Harms Act (effective since February 2024) allow the Government to disable access to egregious or criminal content online, including those that advocate and instruct on terrorism and those that incite violence. However, it is not feasible to detect or remove all such content. To tackle the radicalisation threat upstream, ISD has been working with other Government agencies and community partners to conduct outreach. For example, ISD has collaborated with the Ministry of Education, to conduct counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation outreach to schools, including school leaders, teachers, school counsellors and student leaders. There are also efforts to enhance the students' media literacy through the school curriculum. These efforts aim to sensitise youths and educators to the dangers of radicalisation and the importance of early reporting of suspected radicalisation cases.”
“Youth radicalisation is a pressing concern. Since 2015, following the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Internal Security Department (ISD) has dealt with 14 youths, aged 20 or below, under the Internal Security Act. Six had intentions to mount attacks in Singapore. All were self-radicalised through violent extremist materials they found online. The Internet facilitates radicalisation by providing a ready source of violent extremist material and terrorist propaganda, easily accessed by our digital-native youth. Consumption of such material may be amplified by social media algorithms that recommend more extremist content once the youths start searching for such content. These online platforms also serve as echo chambers, where interactions with likeminded users may reinforce radical beliefs. Extremist and terrorist elements have also misused social media and online gaming platforms to radicalise and recruit youth. These factors have resulted in an acceleration in the speed of radicalisation. From the point where a youth encounters such online material, to the point of his or her radicalisation, the process can be as fast as a few months, if not weeks. Artificial intelligence (AI) will further hasten the radicalisation process and facilitate terrorism-related activities. Terrorist groups are exploiting AI tools to generate and disseminate their online propaganda. AI can quickly auto-translate existing propaganda into multiple languages and create personalised messages at scale to facilitate recruitment efforts. AI is also being used to produce increasingly convincing synthetic multimedia, indistinguishable even to the trained eye. These "deepfakes" have been used by malicious parties to sow discord in society as well as incite violence.”
“Between October 2023 and September 2024, the average waiting time for an applicant to start their Class 4 driving lessons was about five months. The recent increase in waiting time is attributed to an increase in foreign workers applying for Class 4 driving licences and a shortage of instructors in the driving schools. Traffic Police (TP) will allow driving schools to employ foreign instructors, to supplement the local pool and alleviate the shortage of driving instructors. This will increase training capacity. In addition, TP will prioritise applicants who require Class 4 driving licences for occupational purposes. Singapore Safety Driving Centre is currently the only driving school that provides facilities for Class 4 training and testing. TP is prepared to license more centres that can meet the requirements for Class 4 training, which are set out in the Schedule of the Road Traffic (Driving Instructors and Driving Schools) (Exemption) Order 2011.”
“The Police work closely with the Ministry of Education to deal with bullying and physical violence among students, striking a balance between punishing and deterring such behaviour and rehabilitation in view of the young age of the offenders. For cases that are assessed to be egregious, the Police will investigate and consult the Attorney-General’s Chambers on the action to be taken against the offender. The assessment of whether to investigate and pursue prosecution would depend on the facts and circumstances of each case. In general, the Police would consider factors, such as the extent of harm caused and the need for deterrence. Cases that are not egregious are best dealt with by the school. The school can investigate and decide on the appropriate course of action, including disciplinary action and counselling the victims. Teachers can help the offending students mend their ways through education and restorative efforts. Parents of children who are victims of bullying and physical violence should alert the schools. All reports are treated seriously. For cases that are egregious, the school will make a Police report.”
“Currently, the 995 and 999 hotlines are connected to multiple Singtel telephone exchanges for system reliability and resilience. However, they do not have the ability to "hot-swap" to an alternative telecommunications company. During the Singtel service outage, both 995 and 999 continued to receive around one in two calls. When the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) learnt of the technical difficulties faced by some callers, the public was informed to contact SCDF via short message service (SMS) 70995, and SPF via SMS 70999. They could also report incidents via the SGSecure application. SCDF and SPF are conducting a comprehensive review with Infocomm Media Development Authority to evaluate additional resiliency measures, including the feasibility of telecommunications company diversity for our emergency hotlines.”
“As at 31 December 2023, there were 853 stateless persons living in Singapore, 204 of whom are on Special Passes. The Government is reviewing whether stateless persons residing in Singapore on Special Passes may be given Singpass accounts.”
“The Police do not track the number of individual requests for assistance received by the redesigned Neighbourhood Police Posts.”
“In the past two years, an average of 450 overstayers were arrested each year. Of these, about 270 were holders of a Short-Term or Long-Term Visit Pass. We estimate that there are about 500 to 600 overstayers who have not been arrested. This is less than 0.001% of our annual visitor arrival numbers. Some may have inadvertently stayed past the validity of their issued pass, while others do so intentionally for reasons, such as to seek employment. It is not always possible to immediately arrest overstayers as they may have changed their contact details or residential address from the details previously declared to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). That said, ICA will continue its rigorous enforcement checks and work with other law enforcement agencies, such as the Singapore Police Force, to detect and arrest overstayers to ensure the situation is kept under control.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) last updated Parliament on the work of the Inter-Ministry Committee (IMC) on Drug Prevention for Youths at the 2024 Committee of Supply debate, as well as during the Ministerial Statement on Singapore’ Drug Control Policy in May 2024. We have made further progress. To date, we have appointed over 1,000 DrugFreeSG Champions and equipped them with the skills and knowledge to spread the anti-drug message in their communities. We launched the Drug Victims Remembrance Day at Ngee Ann Civic Plaza on 17 May 2024, which was followed by a roving exhibition across eight different locations between May and July 2024. Over 35,000 people attended those exhibitions. We have also worked to ensure that every Singaporean in school and in our institutes of higher learning, as well as those serving full-time National Service will receive preventive drug education messaging at least once a year. There are more plans in the pipeline. MHA will provide another update on the IMC’s work at the 2025 Committee of Supply debate.”
“When a youth is dealt with under the Internal Security Act (ISA), an Internal Security Department (ISD) aftercare officer is assigned to the family. The aftercare officer will provide social support to the family and work with community partners, such as the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group, to provide the family with financial support, if necessary. Religious counselling, psychological support and other rehabilitation initiatives are also extended to the family members where appropriate. For instance, in the case of the self-radicalised 14-year-old youth who was issued with a Restriction Order in June 2024, ISD will be arranging for him and his parents to be enrolled in cyber-wellness programmes to sensitise them to the dangers of online radicalisation. Friends of youths dealt with under the ISA who need psychological or social support can approach their schools.”
“Passport-less immigration clearance has been fully implemented across all four Changi Airport terminals since 30 September 2024. Arriving and departing Singapore residents can clear immigration by simply using facial and iris biometrics, without the need to present their passport. All foreign visitors can also enjoy passport-less clearance when they depart Singapore. As of 15 October 2024, close to 1.5 million travellers have undergone passport-less clearance. Travellers have welcomed the initiative, as immigration clearance is now even faster and more convenient. The average clearance time for each traveller has been reduced by 60%, from 25 seconds to 10 seconds. For staff, the initiative has streamlined processes and raised productivity. For instance, there are now far fewer instances of travellers requiring assistance with passport scanning. Travellers undergo a similar screening process as they would under automated clearance when passports are required. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) continues to use a combination of iris and facial biometrics to authenticate the identity of travellers. Our view is that the process has adequate security checks. ICA will continue to monitor and engage relevant stakeholders. This includes working closely with the airlines to ensure prompt submission of passenger and crew information, as delayed or late submission may affect the passport-less clearance process.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) has records of the location of reported road traffic accidents that involve injuries and fatalities. This data is used by TP for enforcement, and also by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to assess potential road infrastructure enhancements. LTA already publishes a list of locations with high incidence of traffic accidents under the Black Spot Programme. These locations are closely monitored and treated with appropriate road safety engineering measures.”
“The figures requested by the Member are in Table 1 below. A motorist caught for any of the above offences will either be issued a warning or offered a composition sum ranging between $100 and $250, depending on the offence type. A motorist who has committed a Rule 6 offence will, in addition, receive four or six demerit points, depending on the type of the offending vehicle.”
“We had answered a Parliamentary Question on our efforts to tackle unlicensed moneylending involving foreign domestic workers in May 2024. [Please refer to "Harassment of Migrant Domestic Workers' Employers by Moneylenders", Official Report, 7 May 2024, Vol 95, Issue 135, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] A person who is harassed by unlicensed moneylenders should make a Police report or call 999 for cases requiring immediate Police assistance. The Police will not hesitate to take firm enforcement action against unlicensed moneylenders.”
“From 2019 to 2023, an average of 17 applications for Permanent Residency (PR) and 60 applications for Singapore Citizenship (SC) from stateless persons were processed each year. Of these, on average, 35% of the PR applications and 60% of the SC applications were approved. Applications for PR and SC, including those submitted by stateless individuals, are evaluated on a range of criteria. These include the conduct and contributions of the applicant, links to Singapore, including if they have family members who are Singaporeans, and how long they have been in Singapore. The circumstances under which the person became stateless would also be taken into consideration. As to the Member’s question on whether the applications can be expedited, the Member appears to be, in effect, asking whether these applications can be approved, without going through the assessments that are currently made. This will not be the right thing to do. The applications will have to be assessed fairly, based on the applicable criteria.”
“Between 2020 and 2023, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) processed an average of about 4,500 Permanent Residence (PR) applications from Student Pass (STP) holders each year, including those who applied for PR together with their family. An average of around 1,100 applications were approved per year. The average and median ages of STP holders whose PR applications were processed, as well as those who had their PR applications approved, ranged between 12 and 14. In the same period, ICA processed an average of 4,300 Long-Term Visit Pass applications each year from parents and grandparents who wished to accompany the STP holders. An average of around 4,100 applications were approved per year.”
“The Police define violent offences as the commission of: (i) rioting-related offences under sections 146 to 148 of the Penal Code; and (ii) serious hurt offences under section 323A and 324 to 326 of the Penal Code. In the following, “minors” are defined as persons below the age of 18, while “non-minors” are those of or above the age of 18. Table 1 below shows the number of arrests of minors and non-minors for violent offences from 2019 to 2023. Table 2 below shows the number of Police reports made concerning violent offences from 2019 to 2023 resulting in the arrest of at least one minor or where only non-minors were arrested, respectively. The number of arrests for violent offences, whether for minors or non-minors, has been steadily decreasing since 2019.”
“Foreigners applying for long-term immigration passes, such as the Long-Term Visit Pass and Student’s Pass, must declare their race to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). ICA may seek supporting documents where necessary. Subsequently, however, we do not require them to come to ICA to change their registered race, if they change their views about the race under which they should be registered. This is for practical reasons, because their presence in Singapore is transient, and we have no policy need for them to do so. On the other hand, Permanent Residents, like Singapore Citizens, are required to register a change of race with ICA.”
“The Ministry of Law and the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority are looking into this matter. There are anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) requirements that apply separately to both lawyers and corporate service providers (CSPs). Lawyers who act as CSPs are expected to fully comply with the AML/CFT requirements applicable to all CSPs. These include requirements to conduct customer due diligence, enhanced customer due diligence for higher-risk customers and to report suspicious transactions. Singapore’s AML/CFT requirements on verification and background checks are reviewed to be consistent with applicable international standards.”
“The process and procedure for enforcement of Court judgments, which include orders made by the Small Claims Tribunals (SCT) and Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT), are governed by the Rules of Court. The Ministry of Law is working with stakeholders on reforms to make the enforcement of civil judgments more effective, efficient and simpler. Under existing law, any person who intentionally disobeys or breaches an order of Court, including orders by the SCT and ECT, may be subject to committal proceedings under the Rules of Court. If found to have committed contempt of Court, the person is liable to be punished with a fine or imprisonment under the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act 2016.”
“At the point of their last entry into Singapore, these persons were not known to be wanted by the foreign authorities. Singapore authorities are in contact with our foreign counterparts, including rendering assistance within the ambit of our laws. We are unable to provide further details at this juncture.”