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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“Between 2021 and 2023, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) received an average of about 340 reported cases per year, involving possession or distribution of voyeuristic, intimate or abusive images under sections 377BC, 377BD, 377BE, 377BI, 377BK and 377BL of the Penal Code. SPF does not track the number of such cases involving deepfakes or manipulated images or videos using generative artificial intelligence tools.”
“As part of efforts to manage law and order concerns in areas where there is high foreign worker concentration and high propensity of public order incidents, the Police deploy Foreign Workers Management (FWM) teams, comprising Auxiliary Police Officers and Security Officers, to reinforce Police presence at these areas. As part of their duties, the FWM teams take enforcement action against offences, such as urinating, littering, spitting in public and sale of illegal drugs. The FWM teams are required to follow strict protocols when carrying out their enforcement duties, to ensure that all evidence seized are properly accounted for. For example, the officers are required to take photos of the evidence, in the presence of their team members, before seizing the exhibits and putting up an incident report. The exhibits would then, be handed over to the relevant law enforcement agencies, who will tally the exhibits seized against the incident report. In addition, FWM teams are not allowed to collect any summons payment in cash, to minimise the risk of the payments being misappropriated. The Police exercise supervisory oversight over FWM teams by conducting pre- and post-shift briefings and checks as well as surprise checks on the teams during their shift. In addition, all FWM teams will be equipped with body-worn cameras by March 2025, which will provide another avenue of supervisory oversight. Should FWM teams be found to be not in compliance with the prescribed protocols, the Police would refer the officers for internal disciplinary action. If an offence has been committed, the Police would prosecute them, no different from other offenders.”
“The Member may wish to refer to the reply given on 6 April 2020. [Please refer to "Plans to Tackle Transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in Prisons", Official Report, 6 April 2020, Vol 94, Issue 129, Oral Answers to Questions section.] The Singapore Prison Service's healthcare measures are in accordance with the Ministry of Health's standards and protocols. There remains no known instances of inmates contracting HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C while they are in prison. That said, there is a higher prevalence of some of these diseases in Singapore's inmate population as compared to the general population. This is not a reflection of active transmission within prison, but may be a reflection of what had happened prior to incarceration, in particular, for inmates who have drug antecedents.”
“On 1 July 2024, the Police sent a legitimate scam advisory to alert members of the public to the re-emergence of a fake bulk order scam. This was sent via the “gov.sg” SMS Sender ID. The advisory was sent to more than 7,000 members of the public with the wrong recipient names. This resulted from an officer making an administrative error when sorting the list of names and contact details of the SMS recipients. Upon realising the error, the Police immediately sent a follow-up SMS to the affected recipients and apologised. The recipients’ personal data was not compromised. As Members will understand, while officers are trained, human errors will happen sometimes. Our task is to ensure that it is not a systemic issue.”
“And in June 2024, we published the E-Commerce Code of Practice under the Online Criminal Harms Act, which requires platforms that pose the highest risks of e-commerce scams to implement additional upstream measures, such as user verification against Government-issued identity documents. Beyond e-commerce marketplaces, we have observed scammers making use of other platforms, such as Facebook and Telegram, to perpetrate e-commerce scams. We urge all online platforms to create a safer and more secure environment for their users.”
“E-commerce scams are among the most common types of scams seen in Singapore. There were 4,762 cases reported in 2022 and 9,783 cases reported in 2023. However, in terms of average amounts involved in each case, the losses in e-commerce scams are among the smallest. E-commerce marketplaces which have implemented the recommended safety features under the E-Commerce Marketplace Transaction Safety Ratings (TSR), such as user verification and secure payment option, see significantly fewer scams. For example, following the launch of TSR, Shopee progressively implemented user verification against Government-issued identity documents for sellers in December 2022. Subsequently, the number of reported e-commerce scams on Shopee went down by 65% in 2023. Amazon and Qoo10, which have implemented all the recommended safety features, have seen negligible numbers of e-commerce scams. In contrast, platforms that have yet to implement the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA's) recommended safety features have continued to see spikes in the number of scams on their platforms. Overall, we assess that TSR has helped prevent even more e-commerce scams from succeeding. It incentivises e-commerce marketplaces to enhance their safety features. It also educates users on the availability of safety features on e-commerce marketplaces and what they should look out for when transacting online. Apart from TSR, MHA has worked with industry partners to revise Technical Reference 76, the national standard for e-commerce transactions, to include additional anti-scam guidelines.”
“The Criminal Procedure Code allows the Police to order telcos to terminate phone lines used for unlicensed moneylending and other crimes. Under the Online Criminal Harms Act, the Government can direct online services to stop accounts or content perpetrating crimes, including unlicensed moneylending, from interacting with or reaching Singapore end users. Between January 2023 and May 2024, the Police flagged more than 4,500 phone numbers and more than 5,300 online accounts and advertisements involved in unlicensed moneylending activities for termination. The Police also work with online platforms on upstream measures against unlicensed moneylending activities, such as pre-emptively detecting and blocking accounts involved in such.”
“The Police do not differentiate their takedown protocols, investigation timelines or victim support measures specifically based on whether the crime is deepfake-related or not. For online criminal activities, including those involving deepfake-related content, the Police can issue directions to online service providers under the Online Criminal Harms Act. Providers of designated online services are also required to put in place measures to disrupt scams and malicious cyber activities, including those facilitated by deepfakes, under the Codes of Practice which were introduced in June 2024. Where there is any deepfake-related crime committed, the Police will consider the predicate offence involved and investigate the offence, including working with other agencies where necessary. To deal with the technical challenges of deepfakes, the Police have been working with the Home Team Science and Technology Agency to develop technologies to detect AI-generated audios and videos. The Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety is also building tools to detect harmful online content, including deepfakes.”
“Well, in the first place, they would have served time in Singapore if they have committed an offence here. Second, of course we are interested, which is why we are the chair of the Financial Action Task Force. We take this very seriously. But it is wishful thinking to think that every other country will take the same approach or that we can control how other countries can or cannot operationalise their legal position. If the Member were to ask any country, they will all tell the Member that they take it very seriously. We should not be making those value judgments. However, rather than engage in this back and forth, Ms Sylvia Lim may be aware that we have amended our legislation last year such that once it is operationalised, which should be sometime later this year or next year, the law will allow us to decide where to send such a deportee. But the only consideration cannot be what we think of the different legal systems. There has got to be a multiple set of considerations.”
“Madam, on whether offenders can choose to go to where they want to go, we have said it several times. They can choose to go to where they want to go. The law allows them to go where their passports allow them to go to. So, what we think about what will happen to them in the receiving country, whether it will be more favourable or less favourable, as Ms Lim will appreciate, is legally irrelevant and is not something that the Government can take into account. Second, as regards the choice of deportation and whether that is part of the plea bargain process, again, strictly speaking, if the offender, the person who is asked to leave, can choose to go wherever he wishes to go to, then the relevance of it becomes small. I do not engage in plea bargains. That is a matter between the Attorney-General's Chambers and the defendant's lawyers. I cannot rule out that these discussions take place, but I can tell you what the legal position is.”
“It is not in the public interest to disclose it because there are a variety of reasons why we may be in touch with foreign governments, and likewise, we may want people to be deported from foreign governments as long as the law allows it and we sometimes will not want that publicly disclosed upfront. Otherwise, others who are collaborating with such persons of interest may then get wind of it. So, these are, sometimes, matters of operational security. But here, in answer to the question, no, we did not discuss with the Cambodians.”
“As regards whether the Government has a standard protocol of consulting the authorities of the intended receiving countries before proceeding with the deportations of foreigners, the short answer is that there is no such standard protocol. As stated in my Ministry's reply on 2 July 2024, foreigners who are being deported can leave for any country to which their passports allow them to go. [Please refer to "Factors Considered in Deciding Deportation Destinations for Foreigners Who Have Served Their Sentences in Singapore", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Oral Answers to Questions section.] The foreign country can, as a sovereign state, choose to allow entry or it can choose to disallow entry when the person arrives on its shores, or it can take subsequent actions to expel the person after entry. The way we treat these persons is no different from any other traveller. We do not consult the foreign countries beforehand as a general rule as to whether a traveller is allowed to go there. As regards Ms Lim's second specific question, the general position is that we do not disclose specific discussions. Discussions may sometimes take place for operational security reasons, for intelligence reasons, other similar purposes. [Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair] But since this particular question seems to interest the Member of Parliament (MP), because she asked last month and followed up with several supplementary questions, and now, again. I will say no, we did not discuss with the Cambodians or the Cambodian authorities. But having made that position, for future, let me make it clear to MPs, the general position that my Ministry takes about discussions with foreign governments on deportations is that we should not be disclosing this.”
“The Ministry of Law does not keep track of the number of complaints that have been made against judicial officers in the State Courts and Supreme Court for breach of the judicial code of conduct over the past three years. I understand from the Judiciary that, in the past three years since January 2021, there have been a small number of complaints against Judges, Judicial Commissioners and Judicial Service Officers relating to the Singapore Judiciary's Codes of Conduct. One of them is pending determination. The others were found to be not substantiated.”
“Between 2021 and 2023, approximately 308,600, 338,300 and 370,500 unsecured personal loans were obtained from licensed moneylenders in the respective years. The approximate number of such loans taken up by Singapore Citizens aged 18 to 25 increased from 11,300 in 2021 to 13,200 in 2023; and those taken up by Singapore Citizens aged above 65 increased from 19,800 in 2021 to 28,700 in 2023.”
“The Traffic Police installs enforcement cameras at speeding-prone and accident-prone locations, where the terrain is assessed to be suitable. This is regardless of whether there is a zebra crossing.”
“Enforcement against scams and cybercrimes is extremely challenging. Most of the cases are perpetrated by syndicates based outside Singapore. They are adept at using technology to cover their tracks. They run sophisticated transnational operations, which are not easy to uncover, let alone dismantle. Recovery of scam proceeds is also difficult, especially when the monies have been transferred overseas. Our ability to solve these cases and recover scam proceeds depends critically on the cooperation and capabilities of overseas law enforcement agencies. The case referred to by the Member illustrates this. In this case, two men were charged in court for their suspected involvement in malware-enabled scams against Singaporeans, which had been going on since June 2023. Their arrests and the dismantling of their scam infrastructure relied on the strong partnerships between the Police and their counterparts in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Notwithstanding this successful operation, there are many more cybercriminals who remain outside the reach of our law. Therefore, the most effective way to deal with scams and cybercrimes is to prevent them from happening in the first place. This is why we have been doubling down on public education. Industry stakeholders, including banks, telecommunication companies, device manufacturers and online platforms, also play a critical role. Our agencies will continue to work with them on upstream measures to protect their users.”
“Traffic enforcement officers, including the Traffic Police (TP) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) officers, receive customised training in accordance with their duties, to equip them with the skills to carry out their functions safely and effectively. The training, which TP and LTA officers go through, is rigorous and includes defensive riding and driving techniques as well as how to safely stop and engage drivers who violate the law. They are also taught the standard operating procedures in various scenarios. As TP officers enforce against irresponsible driving, they undergo additional training to handle such cases and are required to attend a riding refresher course every year. Following the completion of their training, new TP and LTA officers are partnered with experienced officers for up to six months. They are deployed alone only after they are assessed to be competent. In addition, TP and LTA officers don protective riding gear and their motorcycles are equipped with several enhanced safety features. Some low-risk functions, for example, illegal parking enforcement, are outsourced. These officers receive appropriate training by their respective companies before being deployed.”
“There are two WhatsApp channels today to alert members of the public on scam-related matters. Messages are available in the four national languages on both channels. First, the "gov.sg" channel, which communicates key messages on behalf of the whole-of-Government, including advisories to alert the public on scams and fake news. Second, the "National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) ScamAlert" channel, which is a dedicated channel for scams. It provides information on the latest scam trends and how members of the public can protect themselves. There are also specific, targeted ways to reach out to seniors. For example, the Police work with the Agency for Integrated Care and grassroot organisations to alert residents, including seniors, to the latest scam trends, tell-tale signs of scams and steps they can take to protect themselves. Another example is the "SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme", which teaches seniors cyber hygiene practices through a mix of physical and online platforms. A handbook in the four official languages has also been produced for digital ambassadors from the SG Digital Office to hand out to seniors.”
“To further protect the public against scam SMSes, IMDA is currently working with the telecommunication companies (telcos) to provide the public with the option not to receive international incoming SMSes. To detect and report scams, we launched ScamShield, which identifies and blocks scam calls and SMSes. It also comprises a reporting function where members of the public can report suspected scam calls and SMSes via their phones. The Police also work closely with telcos to block mobile lines suspected to be involved in scams. In 2023, more than 9,200 mobile lines, which were believed to be used in scams, were submitted for termination. Ultimately, the best defence against scams is a discerning public. We urge the public to adopt precautionary measures through the three simple steps of "Add", "Check" and "Tell". First, "Add" the ScamShield App to protect yourself from scam calls and SMSes. Set security features, such as multifactor authentication, for digital accounts and transaction limits for Internet banking. Second, "Check" for scam signs and with official sources. Be cautious of bank offers with unrealistically high interest rates. Banks will only send you SMSes using registered Sender IDs. They will never send SMSes using personal numbers or with clickable links. If in doubt, call the bank directly at its official hotline to verify the authenticity of bank offers. Third, "Tell" your family and friends about scam encounters and report any fraudulent transactions to the bank immediately.”
“As part of its anti-scam strategy, the Police issues advisories on scam variants and also shares them in its Weekly Scam Report. These include an advisory on the fixed deposit scams variant, which saw an increase in reported cases in early 2024. The scam variant involves Social Media Services (SMSes) impersonating banks, offering victims fixed deposit scheme promotions with high interest rates and inviting them to contact a number. When the victims initiate contact, the scammers would pretend to have opened bank accounts under the victims' names. In some cases, victims would receive forged bank statements showing the new bank accounts in their name. Victims would, then, be instructed to deposit or transfer money into these bank accounts, which, in fact, belonged to the scammers or money mules. The victims would only realise that they had been scammed when they log into their banking application and were not able to find the supposed bank accounts that had been created. The Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams has implemented several anti-scam measures which can help combat this scam variant. To block scam SMSes, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) mandated registration with the Singapore SMS Sender ID Registry (SSIR) in January 2023. Organisations needing to send SMSes bearing alphanumeric Sender IDs to Singapore mobile numbers, are now required to register with the SSIR. SMSes bearing non-registered SMS Sending IDs will be labelled as "Likely-SCAM" to advise recipients to exercise caution. All retail banks in Singapore have registered their Sender IDs under the SSIR and legitimate SMSes from banks would only be sent via registered Sender IDs.”
“In times of war, residents have little time to seek protection. It is relatively safer to remain at home than being out in the open trying to reach a public shelter. Therefore, since 1998, we have required all residential developments to have either a shelter in every household unit, or a common shelter on each storey or within the staircase of a building. Public shelters, such as at underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations, schools and community centres, are now mainly for those conducting essential activities outside, such as distributing food rations and supplies. All civil defence shelters, whether residential or public, are designed in accordance with the technical specifications set by the Singapore Civil Defence Force and provide protection against blast and fragmentation effects. We have assessed residential shelters to be the most effective protection approach and will continue to adopt them as the primary means of shelter for the public during times of war.”
“Today, motorists aged 65 and above must pass a medical examination and be certified fit-to-drive by a Singapore-registered medical practitioner, before they can revalidate their Singapore driving licence. Medical practitioners are not authorised to access National Electronic Health Records (NEHR) for this medical examination, as it is not one of the permitted uses. Access to NEHR is granted primarily for the purposes of providing direct patient care. For Class 4, 4A and 5 driving licences, which are for heavy vehicles, motorists between the age of 65 and 75 must undergo a medical examination and a Proficiency Driving Test every year. Motorists above the age of 75 are not allowed to drive heavy vehicles. For the other classes of driving licence, motorists aged 65 and above must undergo a medical examination every three years. We are reviewing the frequency of medical examination, as suggested by the Member. We do not intend to limit such medical examinations to specialty clinics, as the assessment does not require any special knowledge, skill or experience in any particular branch of medicine.”
“The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority has various methods to try and detect adult Singaporeans who hold multiple citizenships. Nevertheless, of course, it is not an easy exercise when people wilfully do so and hide their action. We do not disclose details of methods used for detection, for operational reasons. Adult Singaporeans found holding multiple citizenships are required to renounce their foreign citizenships if they wish to retain their Singapore citizenship. If they fail to do so, they are liable to be deprived of their Singapore citizenship. Between 2019 and 2023, a yearly average of about 1,600 adult Singaporeans chose to renounce or were deprived of their Singapore citizenship, because they were holding multiple citizenships.”
“While they are deployed at the frontlines, SCDF officers continue to undergo regular exercises and drills as well as annual proficiency and certification tests, such as the Individual Physical Proficiency Test, Breathing Apparatus Proficiency Test and other vocational certification tests. This is to ensure that their skills and fitness are at the required standards. There are clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place with which all firefighters need to comply during firefighting operations. These SOPs are benchmarked against international standards and best practices and incorporate safety considerations. For example, during firefighting operations, SCDF officers are to work together in teams, and officers’ movements in and out of the scene of fire are tracked at a Staging Point that is set up near the entry point to the scene of the fire. SCDF also ensures that its officers are properly equipped. The full set of firefighting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) comprises a bunker gear, helmet with torchlight, firefighting gloves, a flash hood, firefighting boots and a complete set of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus with face mask. The officers are required to check that their PPEs are in working order at the start of every duty and before they are deployed for firefighting operations. Following the tragic incident, SCDF convened an Internal Review Group to examine the operations from the viewpoint of firefighting strategy, safety procedures, training and equipping. In particular, SCDF will, henceforth, include an Emergency Medical Services crew as part of the firefighting team that will proceed to the vessel on fire, so as to be able to attend more expeditiously to any medical emergency that may arise during the operation.”
“The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has robust frameworks and processes in place to ensure the safety of its officers during firefighting operations. All SCDF officers are required to undergo regular medical screening to ensure that they are fit for deployment as firefighters. Only those who are certified to be medically fit and are of Physical Employment Status "A", "B1" or "B2" will be deployed because of the physically demanding nature of the job. All firefighters are required to undergo firefighting training as part of their foundational course at the Civil Defence Academy (CDA) before they can be deployed. The firefighting training includes both theoretical and practical components, covering competencies, such as incident management, firemanship, rescue and the use of equipment. All firefighting training at CDA is conducted with "live" fire simulators to provide realism, so that trainees can experience operating in conditions similar to real fires. The training curriculum is reviewed regularly to ensure continued currency and to enhance effectiveness. Following graduation from the foundation course, those who are selected as marine firefighters will go through further training to equip them with the additional skillsets needed, for example, ship firefighting and search and rescue operations at sea. The specialised training covers knowledge in ship construction and design. Marine firefighters are also required to pass the Marine Firefighting Specialist Certification Test comprising swimming, water rescue, water survival, ship intervention and marine knowledge theory test.”
“One such PACP is Iskandar bin Rahmat. He is not a drug trafficker, but his applications are somewhat illustrative of the point I am making. He killed a father and son – brutal murders. I think people remember them as the “Kovan double murder case” – a 67-year-old father and a 42-year-old son. In fact, one of the victims was even dragged almost one kilometre along Upper Serangoon Road. And he did it for money. He was sentenced to capital punishment on 4 December 2015 by the High Court. His appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in February 2017, seven years ago. Since then, he has filed eight applications. Some of them are still ongoing and I make no comment whatsoever about those which are currently before the Courts.”
“One such PACP is Iskandar bin Rahmat. He is not a drug trafficker, but his applications are somewhat illustrative of the point I am making. He killed a father and son – brutal murders. I think people remember them as the “Kovan double murder case” – a 67-year-old father and a 42-year-old son. In fact, one of the victims was even dragged almost one kilometre along Upper Serangoon Road. And he did it for money. He was sentenced to capital punishment on 4 December 2015 by the High Court. His appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in February 2017, seven years ago. Since then, he has filed nine applications. Some of them are still ongoing and I make no comment whatsoever about those which are currently before the Courts. [Please refer to "Singapore's National Drug Control Policy", Official Report, 08 May 2024, Vol 95, Issue 136, Ministerial Statements section.] [(proc text) Written statement by Mr K Shanmugam circulated with leave of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5): (proc text)] I wish to make the following factual correction to the Ministerial Statement on Singapore’s National Drug Control Policy at the Sitting of 8 May 2024. My statement should read as follows:”
“The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) manages a wide portfolio of state properties ranging from commercial buildings, former school compounds, to apartment blocks and heritage properties. The properties are mostly old properties. They are usually returned by various Ministries and agencies to SLA for management and are put to a variety of uses, including commercial, residential and social and community. In addition, the maintenance and inspection requirements for each property will vary depending on the specific context, such as the age and condition of the building, the use of the property and different levels of maintenance or repair may be required. SLA can provide the aggregated cost of maintenance and inspection and rent, but it will not be a meaningful comparison. SLA and its appointed managing agents, conduct safety inspections on the residential state properties periodically as part of the maintenance regime. They also ensure that the properties comply with the requirements imposed by the regulatory authorities. It is difficult to be comprehensive on the kinds of safety incidents handled by SLA and their managing agents, but some examples include the deterioration of the timber structures and the presence of asbestos in older state properties. Where these safety issues are identified, SLA will take steps to quickly address them, including taking advice from relevant professionals and carrying out the necessary rectification works; for example, replacement of timber structures, asbestos control measures.”
“We do not track the information that the Member has requested. We will explore with the Courts if they are able to collect such data.”
“I met him last week. He apologised for the post having been put up. He said it was wrong for the post to have been put up. The post was not authorised and the officer responsible for the post will be sent back. He also said that this would never happen again. I pointed out to him that Embassies are entitled to have their point of view. But where what has been said affects Singapore, in this case, the harmony and safety in Singapore – especially the security of our minority communities – we have to step in. Posts like these have the potential to create tension between our Jewish and Muslim communities and may also, in particular, put the security of our Jewish community at risk. The Police received a report on the post. The Police, in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, have assessed that no further action was to be taken. The Israeli Embassy's actions are covered by the principle of Sovereign Immunity.”
“We have not had many serious incidents pitting one racial or religious group against another. Most Singaporeans understand the importance of safeguarding our social cohesion and the value of mutual respect and tolerance. Even where views on the conflict have differed, we have been measured and rational in our response. Beyond the law, we work actively on strengthening our social compact by building mutual trust and understanding across our ethnic and religious communities. At the leadership level, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) facilitate platforms where senior religious and community leaders engage with one another frequently, such as the National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony as well as the Racial and Religious Harmony Circles in every constituency. At the people-to-people level, MCCY provides support for inter-faith and inter-ethnic initiatives that bring different communities together, such as dialogues that encourage mutual understanding and respectful interactions across different communities. I now turn to the social media post by the Israeli Embassy that was raised by Mr Zhulkarnain. Foreign embassies and diplomatic staff in Singapore enjoy diplomatic immunity under the law, unless they waive it. Among other things, this means that they enjoy immunity from our criminal jurisdiction. Nevertheless, MHA shared our concerns with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), which agreed that the post was offside and should be taken down. MFA then engaged the Israeli embassy on the post and requested that it be taken down. The Embassy did so immediately. Members will remember what I said in public – that the post was completely unacceptable. The Israeli Ambassador asked to see me.”
“At United States (US) universities, exchanges between duelling groups of pro-Israel and pro-Palestine student protestors have become increasingly acrimonious. Students on both sides have faced harassment and assault. Ironically, some of the leading US universities are beginning to say that freedom of expression does not mean that one can say or do anything one wants. What we see happening in many places overseas is that the protests often become violent. People occupy buildings, prevent others from going about their daily business, cause significant dis-amenities and disruption to the public. And often, that leads to damage and harm. They may start off well-intentioned, led by honest, idealistic people. But then the protests become infiltrated by others with their own agendas. These others try and engineer violence. The New York Times and other media outlets have run stories on what is happening in the US now. The Mayor of New York has reportedly criticised outside agitators for being on campus grounds training and co-opting the protests. He was concerned with, "young people…being influenced by those who are professionals at radicalising children". The New York Times ran an article, quoting a student saying that a big part of the protests was people coming in from the general Los Angeles area and putting on a demonstration that caused widespread disruption. There are also reports which deny that outsiders have been significantly involved. It is difficult to know the true facts. What we can say is this: if we allow protests on this issue, it is likely that there could be some violence, breach of the peace and law, occupying of buildings. Individuals who engage in offensive or violent conduct are an extremely small minority in our society.”
“External developments, especially those as emotionally charged as the conflict in the Middle East, often spill across borders. They cause tensions between people who feel differently about and who identify with different sides of the issue. Singapore has been affected by such forces as well. We see in particular a divide in the reactions between the Malay/Muslim community and the Jewish and Christian communities. Many in the Malay/Muslim community see the injustice in what is happening in Gaza. The Jewish community, meanwhile, feels deeply the pain inflicted by Hamas' act of terror on 7 October 2023 as well as the threat it poses to the security of Israel. There are sections of the Christian community who feel that any attack on Israel is an attack on Christianity – not all Christians feel this way, but some have expressed these views. Other communities may also empathise with one side of the conflict more than the other. Deeply held feelings can also result in words or actions that offend other communities. Between 7 October 2023 and 31 March 2024, the Police received 43 reports regarding alleged offensive remarks or actions targeted at members of the Jewish or Muslim communities in Singapore. The Government will intervene against acts which can affect our social harmony. Laws, such as the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act, Penal Code and the Protection from Harassment Act, draw boundaries of what is acceptable conduct. In this context, let me also say something about protests. We have seen how tensions have boiled over in many countries. In Berlin, pro-Palestinian protestors have clashed with the Police, with hundreds of people arrested.”
“Members may wish to refer to our replies made during yesterday’s Sitting on 7 May 2024 on the measures to address road safety. [Please refer to (a) "Measures to Improve Safety on the Roads and Increase Penalties following Recent Spate of Fatal Accidents"; and (b) "Measures to Prevent Speeding and Reckless Driving Especially at Accident-prone Junctions", Official Report, 7 May 2024, Vol 95, Issue 135, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“And, like other foreigners convicted of serious offences in Singapore, these offenders will be deported after serving their sentence and will be banned from re-entering Singapore. The risk of imprisonment is an important deterrent against money laundering. Asset forfeiture is another crucial tool in our arsenal against white-collar crime, as it deprives criminals of their illicit proceeds and, hence, acts as a deterrence to laundering their monies here. But the biggest deterrent of all, is the prospect of being caught. Globally, cases of money laundering are very difficult to uncover. There are not many cases as big as the $3 billion money laundering case, which was the result of extensive intelligence probes and painstaking piecing together of disparate types of information. This is not because there are no such monies being laundered in other jurisdictions. Rather, criminals hide their tracks very carefully. We know this from our foreign law enforcement counterparts as well. What this $3 billion case has shown is our system's ability to detect suspicious individuals and activities. And once we become aware of them, we have the resolve and capabilities to track the criminals down. Nevertheless, we continue to tighten our measures. The Ministry of Home Affairs is tabling a Bill at a later Sitting to amend the CDSA to further enhance law enforcement agencies' abilities to pursue and prosecute offenders for money laundering offences. The Bill will also allow sectoral regulators to have access to Suspicious Transaction Reports filed by their regulated entities, to better detect money laundering activities.”
“The Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992, or CDSA, provides for fines ranging from $150,000 to $500,000, and jail terms ranging from three years to 10 years; or both, depending on the nature of the money laundering offences. This is similar to the penalties for other serious offences, like cheating and forgery. It is also comparable with the sentencing regimes in other jurisdictions, such as Japan, Switzerland, New Zealand, Germany and France. The CDSA was reviewed and updated twice in recent years. In 2018, we strengthened penalties against legal persons and failure to file a Suspicious Transaction Report. In 2023, we enabled Police to take firmer enforcement action against money mules. The Act sets out the range of penalties. The Courts will then consider the appropriate penalties to be imposed, based on the specific facts of the case. Factors that may be considered in the sentencing include: the amount of money laundered; the length of the offending conduct; and the culpability of the accused person, which would include the extent of his abuse of Singapore's financial system. The Courts will also take into account mitigating factors, such as the accused person's plea of guilt and voluntary forfeiture of seized assets. With respect to the $3 billion money laundering case, the Courts would likely have taken such factors into consideration, including the relatively early plea of guilt and agreement by the accused persons that most of the funds be forfeited to the State. This has saved public resources by avoiding long-drawn court processes. So far, the sentences meted out by the Singapore Courts have been comparable to those in other jurisdictions.”
“These amendments do not affect the constitutional rights of a person apprehended under the MHCTA.”
“In the High Court case of Mah Kiat Seng vs AG, the Attorney-General's Chambers took the position that there was no practical difference between the terms "apprehend", as used in the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008 or MHCTA, and "arrest", as used in other legislation, such as the Criminal Procedure Code or CPC. This was a legal argument raised before the court, in the context of explaining the Police's legal powers and duties in relation to apprehensions and arrests, as the CPC only explicitly specifies the powers of arrest and not apprehension. As explained by the Second Minister for Home Affairs during the Second Reading of the Law Enforcement and Other Matters Bill, the High Court judgment in 2023 determined that apprehensions under the MHCTA are distinct from arrests under the CPC. This meant that the Police would not have certain powers associated with arrest, when making apprehensions. For example, the Police would not be able to ensure that a person apprehended under the MHCTA was not hiding dangerous weapons or items before the individual is handed over to the staff of a medical facility. This is not tenable, as it endangers the safety of the apprehended individual, Police officers and the medical staff. We have thus amended the law to make clear that essential powers associated with arrests, such as those of search and seizure, are also available to the Police when making apprehensions under the MHCTA. Nevertheless, Police officers will carry out search and seizure of persons apprehended under the MHCTA with due care and respect. Those who are apprehended solely under the MHCTA would be brought to a medical practitioner and not to a Police lock-up. They would also not be prosecuted.”
“That said, this is a serious challenge and technologies will continuously evolve. It is difficult to pick up all cases.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs has been working with the Ministry of Communications and Information, the Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore to address crimes which involve deepfakes, or which are otherwise facilitated by Artificial Intelligence. The Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), allows the Government to issue directions to online service providers to prevent online criminal activities from interacting with or reaching Singapore users. These include deepfake images or videos used to commit offences, such as the making of threats and extortion. OCHA also allows us to require providers of designated online services to put in place measures to disrupt scams and malicious cyber activities, including those facilitated by deepfakes. These measures will be stipulated in the Codes of Practice which will be introduced this year. In addition, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), enables the Government to issue corrections and label deepfakes that are deceptive or misleading to the public, where there is public interest to do so. POFMA also allows the Government to issue disabling directions to restrict access by Singapore end-users to such deepfakes. The Government will also continue to strengthen our technical capabilities to deal with these threats. For example, the Singapore Police Force is working with the Home Team Science and Technology Agency to develop technologies to detect AI-generated audios and videos. The Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety, an initiative by the Ministry of Communications and Information and hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, is also building tools to detect harmful online content, including deepfakes.”
“Thank you, Sir. Some might, for example, refer to vaping as a gateway and for that, the Ministry of Health will answer as to what steps they are taking. 2.38 pm”
“We usually get one of two reactions: one, a sullen silence as we put out our statistics and situation, because people just do not like it; the second is, "Well, you know, yes, we accept that Singapore succeeds but what you do cannot be replicated elsewhere". I think it can be, but it is not for me to fight the fight in the rest of the world. As long as others do not tell us what to do and leave us alone to protect our population, then I think that is the best that we can hope for. Second Minister Josephine Teo goes very regularly to the UN conference on drugs in Vienna. We put forward our position and, yes, we are somewhat isolated. There are other countries which take a tough approach, but I think none put forward the arguments quite in the way that we do, presented with research and statistics. But we do have a group of countries that take a view against drugs, including in ASEAN. There are differences of view, but never underestimate, it is a very tough environment to get our message across to our own people and we will all have to continue to fight on it. Preventive drug education is a broad title, but CNB and MHA is trying many different things now to try and get the message across even better, even clearly and to more people. I think if you go and ask, those of you with primary school children; ask them, I think they would have heard about it. They will tell you what they have been told. The next question is trying to get it to be imbued in. I think parents have a big role. And there, I am hoping that our initiative on Drug Victims Remembrance Day would help. The other steps that we are taking, I am hoping will help.”
“Thank you, Sir. On the first question, how do we embed this anti-drug message in the face of an assault from multiple sides putting forward a positive spin on drugs? I think this goes to Mr Singh's question as well, because if you see what is happening, by decriminalising and making drugs available, people stand to make a lot of money, billions of dollars. So, there are listed companies around the world which want this and they finance non-governmental organisations (NGOs), they finance publicity, which sells the idea that soft drugs are good, they are harmless. If you look at these international conferences, the NGOs which are taking a tough line on drugs are usually poorly financed, their material is not so attractive; whereas on the other side, there are all these glitzy arguments as to why soft drugs, cannabis cause you no harm. It is just something for you to try, it is cool. So, the whole idea of the "cool" factor pushed at our young from media, online, friends, peer pressure; wherever you turn, it is there and it is glamourised today. It is frequently glamourised. You cannot get away from it. So, if you ask why is there a jump amongst our young in, albeit from a lower base, the answer is obvious. How do we deal with it? We do not produce Hollywood movies. It is very difficult to stand against this multi-faceted assault. But I think we have done a reasonably good job. And that goes, in a way, to the second question that Mr Pillai asked, Sir. We are an outlier in the United Nations (UN), in international conferences.”
“Every time you identify a compound, someone else can very quickly alter one or two chemical properties and come out with a technically different compound but with the same impact as the original compound. So, it is a continuous chase and you have to continuously deal with it. And because now it can be produced in a lab, as it were, it is also much easier to produce larger quantities and some of it have properties that some of our young find attractive. Are there ethnic components to new psychoactive substances? I do not think there is a clear correlation, but we have seen a slightly higher level of Chinese participation, as it were, the number of Chinese who take these new psychoactive substances compared with the traditional drugs, if I can so refer to them. As to whether the five-year recidivism rate has come down over the 30-year period, I would ask the Member to file a Parliamentary Question and we will deal with it.”
“Sir, on the last question, I was not suggesting that there were gaps. What I was suggesting is that as we see how people file their applications, we learn. And looking at the methodology, for example, if there is a constitutional challenge – and there was last year – we may have to consider whether we need to amend the Constitution to make sure that any future constitutional challenges of such a nature will not succeed. And I look forward to support from Mr Singh if we were to come for that, since this is a fight that all of us have to take seriously. So, the answer is, we looked at what we needed to do and we passed the Bill. We have seen how the applications have evolved and I have directed my Ministry – I have not said there are any gaps – to look to see whether we need to do anything more, given in particular that there was a constitutional challenge. Second, Mr Singh has asked about the 18% increase in youth drug abuse. This is the approach we take. We disclose everything, we put the data out there and be transparent. There is a problem, and CNB and my Ministry said that there is this problem. What new initiatives? We need to do even better at preventive drug education. We need to focus on the parents as well to understand the messages. And the other new initiatives, I have spoken about them in my Ministerial Statement earlier. The question on psychoactive substances – why is there a jump? Sir, the answer is actually quite simple. These were not available previously. Now, you can alter chemical properties and create drugs fairly easily and they become easily available.”
“Sir, to conclude, our drug control policies have been effective. But the drug situation continues to be challenging, abroad certainly, but at home as well. And we have to respond robustly to these challenges so that we do not have a generation caught up with drug addiction, so that our children can inherit a country that is safe and free of drugs and have the same environment that we enjoy today. [Applause.]”
“This is for our communities to rally together to remind ourselves of the harm, hurt and trauma which the families and loved ones of drug abusers suffer and have suffered. Our aim is to drive home the message that the harms drugs cause are far-reaching and require a strong response from society. In partnership with CNB, schools and IHLs will be organising various activities, such as lessons, exhibitions and talks on the Remembrance Day. There will also be an essay competition for youths in post-secondary educational institutions to encourage conversations and reflections on the impact of drug abuse. This is a major step that we are taking. By this, we hope to bring across to a larger segment of the population, particularly the young, in a very impactful way, or as an impactful way as possible, the harm that drugs cause. An inaugural observance event will be held at the Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza on 17 May this year. We will be holding a candlelight display to remember the victims of drug abuse, not only from Singapore but from all around the world, because victims from around the world deserve our sympathy and thoughts. But of course, it will include victims in Singapore, including the elderly mother and grandmother brutally murdered, the two-year-old toddler who was senselessly assaulted to death by her own guardian, and the countless family members whose lives have been upended by having a loved one going to drugs. These are the people who deserve our sympathy. The event will be followed by roving exhibitions across eight different locations around Singapore from May to July. I strongly encourage Singaporeans to visit the exhibitions, participate in these activities, to be aware of the global and local drug situation and to show solidarity in our fight against drugs.”
“We have these high levels of support because Singaporeans trust the Government to do the right thing and to do right by Singapore. My colleagues and I have engaged thousands of Singaporeans on this issue in just the past year alone. So, when Mr Richard Branson comes in to argue, he does not realise that we take our duties seriously, we are accountable to Singaporeans, we speak with thousands of them every year and we know what Singaporeans support. And the vast majority of Singaporeans know and understand the facts and reality, and why the Government says the death penalty is necessary. Mr Speaker, let me now say something about my Ministry’s plans for the coming years, specifically our upstream efforts to address the drug problem amongst the young. We formed the Inter-Ministry Committee (IMC) on Drug Prevention for Youths last year. I spoke about this at the Committee of Supply debate. Members of the IMC have started running anti-drug programmes to enhance awareness on the harms of drugs and mobilise key community leaders and amplify our anti-drug messages. Let me share some examples. SportSG has begun to incorporate preventive drug education in its programmes and curricula for our young athletes and to reinforce positive life values to remind our youths about pursuing excellence while keeping their minds and bodies healthy. Our schools will cover drug-related topics in their school curricula by extending it to other subjects, such as General Paper, for example. And in our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), these messages will be reinforced at various junctures, such as orientation sessions and pre-departure briefings before students go on overseas trips. And starting this year, we will introduce a “Drug Victims Remembrance Day”.”
“There is broad support from our population because we have been upfront and open about the rationale, circumstances and the safeguards on the use of the death penalty. Surveys conducted the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) show that support for the death penalty has, in fact, gone up in the last two years. In a 2021 MHA survey, 74% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the death penalty should be used for the most serious crimes, including drug trafficking. We redid that survey last year, in 2023. It now shows that 77% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed. This is a statistically significant increase of about three percentage points. The 2021 survey also found that about 66% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the mandatory death penalty is an appropriate punishment for trafficking a significant amount of drugs. In the 2023 survey, last year, 69%, almost seven in 10, agreed or strongly agreed, again, a statistically significant increase. MHA will be publishing the full report later this year. This is quite remarkable because Members might sometimes come across activists and others saying: the death penalty is controversial, support for it is weakening and so on. In fact, on the contrary, we are seeing the reverse. Support for the death penalty has, in fact, increased in a statistically significant way. It shows that Singaporeans understand the need for the death penalty to deal with the most serious crimes. I will refer to yet another survey. In 2023, the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) conducted a survey. Almost 91% expressed support for Singapore’s drug-free approach. This is last year. And 87% agreed that our drug laws are effective in keeping us relatively drug-free.”
“But even before the law has come into force, a post-appeal application was filed by 36 PACPs in September last year to challenge the constitutionality of that law. The application was dismissed by the Court of Appeal recently. The Court of Appeal said the PACPs had no standing to bring such a challenge and the fact that such a challenge has been brought at all, spoke only to the PACPs' abuse of the process of the Courts. Just one day after the appeal was dismissed by the Courts, 36 PACPs, of whom 34 were the same parties involved in earlier post-appeal applications, filed another post-appeal application, relying now on some other matter. I make no comment on the merits of those current applications. My comments about unmeritorious applications, abuse of process, all other similar comments, apply only to applications which have been determined by the Courts and dismissed. And I rely on what the Courts themselves have said. This is not the first time that large groups of PACPs have jointly filed applications to the Court, after all avenues of appeal and clemency have been exhausted. In the past few years, there were at least five other such jointly filed applications, each involving more than 10 PACPs. The PACC Act, when it comes into force, will deal with many such applications. We are now considering, what else needs to be done to make sure that this new legislation can be properly supported. We will come back to the House, if necessary. And I wish to make it clear to Members and Singaporeans: be assured, we will take all necessary steps to ensure that this sort of abuse of process is dealt with. I will now speak about the strong public support for our drug control approach.”