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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“As the industry regulator, the Singapore Police Force works closely with the Auxiliary Police Forces (APFs) and issues directives to ensure the continuity and reliability of APF services. These directives contain requirements for APFs to implement measures to ensure the safety and well-being of Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs), in addition to requirements on operational competency and equipping. Measures to address their safety and well-being include limiting deployment hours and ensuring APOs have sufficient rest between deployments.”
“More than half of the total number of reported cases of outrage of modesty in 2025 involved perpetrators known to the victims. The breakdown of the perpetrators for these cases are approximately as follows: 11% were colleagues or supervisors; 2% were teachers; 10% were relatives and 20% were friends of the victims.”
“The Police do not track the number of calls made to report specific offences, such as outrage of modesty. However, the Police track the number of reported cases of outrage of modesty, of which there were 1,531 cases in 2025. The Police investigated into all the reported cases. There are some cases which are still under investigation or prosecution.”
“As part of its community outreach programmes, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) partners the National Environment Agency and the National Fire and Emergency Preparedness Council to regularly engage and educate stallholders in food establishments on how to prevent and respond to fire emergencies. In addition, under the Fire Safety Act, public buildings with an occupant load exceeding 200 persons, including hawker centres, must establish an emergency response plan and conduct evacuation drills at least once per year. The use of liquefied petroleum gas for cooking, cleaning requirements for kitchen exhaust ducts in eating establishments, as well as fire safety provisions, such as hose reels, fire extinguishers and adequate means of escape, are regulated under the Fire Code. As part of its enforcement efforts, the SCDF inspects hawker centres through scheduled visits and unannounced inspections in response to public feedback. Premise owners or occupiers in breach of fire safety requirements, such as the non-maintenance of kitchen exhaust duct, may be liable to fines up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment for up to six months.”
“As of 31 December 2024, 15.4% of inmates under the custody of the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) have at least one child below the age of 18 years old. SPS does not actively track outcomes for children of incarcerated parents. The Ministry of Home Affairs recognises that incarceration impacts the inmate and family members. A 2017 study done by the SPS found that about one in five incarcerated parents had at least one child who subsequently offended.1 The study also found that these children tended to come into contact with the criminal justice system at a younger age than their parents. The findings highlighted the importance of strengthening family and social protective factors to mitigate the risk of intergenerational offending. To address this, inmates with children below the age of 21 years old are proactively identified by SPS upon their admission into prison. With the inmate's consent, social workers will assess the family's needs and refer them to appropriate community resources. SPS also collaborates with community partners through various programmes to assist the families of inmates, including children. For example, the Yellow Ribbon Community Project is a grassroots-led programme where trained volunteers reach out to and support the families of inmates, if they opt into this programme. If necessary, volunteers will also link the families up with existing community resources, such as social service agencies and Family Service Centres. These initiatives help to cushion the impact of parental incarceration.”
“The Fire Code stipulates the fire safety requirements for Energy Storage Systems (ESS), such as minimum setback distances, fire-rated compartmentation, maximum storage limits and enhanced sprinkler systems for effective fire containment and suppression. In developing these fire safety requirements, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) collaborated with Government agencies, international experts and industry partners as well as referenced international standards, such as the NFPA 855 safety standard. SCDF already imposes differentiated fire safety requirements for ESS installations based on their corresponding fire risk profile which is, in turn, determined by factors, such as potential for fire spread, explosion and toxic gas emissions.”
“The United States has not approached the Singapore Government to share information relating to involvement of Singapore entities or persons in the indictment which the Member is referring to. Singapore will only investigate and enforce breaches of our own laws. While Singapore does not enforce the laws – including the export controls – of other countries, we expect all companies operating in Singapore to take into account such regulations and other relevant laws when conducting international business activities. We also do not condone businesses deliberately using their association with Singapore to circumvent or violate the export controls of other countries.”
“The Traffic Police does not track the requested data.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) sets a high and objective standard in testing the competencies of learner drivers. This standard has not changed in recent years. Driving schools and private driving instructors are responsible for developing the curriculum and delivering the quality of instruction that would enable learners to meet TP's driving competency standard. To incentivise this, TP publishes the passing rates of all driving schools and private driving instructors. Learners should make sure they are proficient before attempting their driving tests.”
“The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has elevated the security threat landscape globally, including for Singapore. The involvement of state actors, proxies and militant networks across the Middle East region has raised the risk of attacks and spillover incidents beyond the immediate theatre of the conflict. The conflict in the Middle East also serves as a rallying point for extremist narratives. Terrorist groups and their affiliates have capitalised on the conflict to disseminate online propaganda justifying violence and inciting terrorist attacks. These extremist narratives have also increased the risk of self-radicalisation, particularly in cyberspace. Since the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023, the Internal Security Department has detained or issued Restriction Orders to six Singaporeans under the Internal Security Act, whose radicalisation was triggered or accelerated by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. A vigilant and cohesive Singapore is the best safeguard against these threats. Singaporeans are encouraged to remain vigilant and to promptly report any suspicious activities, including suspected radicalisation cases, to the authorities. We should also firmly reject any extremist or polarising narratives that could divide our society. These are important roles which everyone can and must play. SGSecure's latest "Play Your Role" campaign has been an important reminder to underscore the importance of every Singaporeans' role in keeping Singapore safe and secure.”
“The Police do not track the breakdown of the reporting channels for reported cases of outrage of modesty. There are instances where multiple reports, through different channels, are made for one case of outrage of modesty. The Police will follow-up on all reports of outrage of modesty promptly and thoroughly, regardless of the reporting channel.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has an AI governance framework on the development and use of AI tools. All predictive analytics and data-fusion software, including underlying algorithms from third-party vendors, are evaluated on this framework. Risk assessment and mitigation measures are applied to manage risks in use cases as well. Independent assessments and audits are performed before and after deployment of the AI application to ensure compliance.”
“Decisions on the deployment of unmanned Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPCs) or Neighbourhood Police Posts (NPPs) take into consideration multiple factors, such as the Police's operational needs and infrastructure plans. These deployments are necessary to allow the Police to focus their limited resources on their crime-fighting mandate, without affecting Police presence or incident response. Tracking the accessibility of online Police services to the elderly and non-English speaking population is challenging because tracking indicators cannot easily differentiate between assisted and unassisted access. That said, the Police engage these communities through various channels and are sensitive to their need to access essential policing services. While more than 70% of all Police reports are already lodged through self-help options, those who require face-to-face assistance can be assisted at any of the 33 NPCs and 64 NPPs islandwide. Those who visit unmanned NPCs or NPPs can still speak with a Police officer through videocall if necessary, who can help guide the member of public through the process. The officer can also remotely lodge a Police report on behalf of the individual.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) deploys enforcement resources based on accident and traffic violation patterns and has intensified enforcement at accident-prone stretches along the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) and the Seletar Expressway. TP and the Land Transport Authority have also introduced targeted road calming measures, such as speed-regulating strips along the BKE, and will continue to review the necessity of additional measures.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs will share the specifics of the blind box regulations when we are ready, around mid-2026. Additional safeguards, such as probability disclosure and minimum guaranteed rarity distributions, may be considered subsequently as we need more time to study them. The safeguards will need to be proportionate to the gambling inducement risk of the product.”
“The Police may, upon application, provide information or documents arising from investigations to persons or their legal representatives, for use in civil proceedings if the persons are directly involved in the investigations. All applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers where necessary.”
“The Traffic Police detected about 1,300 individuals driving or riding without a valid licence on average annually between 2021 to 2025. About 53% were Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, with the rest being foreigners.”
“From 2020 to 2025, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) processed an annual average of 1,900 applications for Permanent Residence (PR) from Singapore Citizens for their aged parents. An average of 1% were approved.”
“Police are unable to comment on the cases involving the 167 individuals as investigations are ongoing. From past concluded cases, it has been difficult to secure sufficient evidence to conclusively prove whether money mules are members of scam syndicates. That said, the Police’s observation is that most money mules facilitate the activities of scam syndicates and these syndicates typically conduct mule recruitment through online messaging and social media platforms. The Police issue directions under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) to take down scam-related accounts and advertisements, including those used to recruit money mules. Online platforms are also subject to ex ante requirements under the OCHA Codes of Practice, which are intended to reduce the prevalence of scam accounts and advertisements. The Police and the National Crime Prevention Council also conduct regular public education campaigns to raise awareness of the tactics of scam syndicates when recruiting mules and the penalties of being a mule.”
“All in, the cost of housing, training, and running programmes aimed at rehabilitating an inmate far exceed a salary such an inmate would earn outside prison in a full-time job.”
“A similar question was answered in this House in 2022. [Please refer to "Average Wage Earned by Prison Inmates Per Hour of Work in Prison Jobs in Past Three Years and Plans for Wage Framework", Official Report, 8 March 2022, Vol 95, Issue 56, Written Answers to Questions section.] The allowance is reviewed periodically. Imprisonment serves the purposes of punishment, deterrence and to prevent the offender from causing further harm to society. Hence, the prison regime and conditions are kept intentionally austere. That said, the sentence should also encourage the rehabilitation of the offender. The Singapore Prison Service has taken a progressive approach, such as through work programmes. The objectives of these work programmes are to: (a) keep inmates gainfully engaged; (b) inculcate positive work ethics – this is necessary, as a key reason why many relapse is that they cannot keep a job and drift into crime; and (c) equip them with useful skills that would enhance their employability upon release. The primary purpose of work programmes in prison is not financial remuneration. Earnings from such programmes have no co-relation to the accumulation of assets, such as a HDB flat. Making it financially remunerative would defeat some of the purposes of imprisonment. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also shared at various platforms on how Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG) provides skills training and assists inmates in securing jobs before their release.1 For example, YRSG provides job matching and career coaching services for inmates, ensuring that they are matched to suitable jobs based on their skills and interests. YRSG may also assign a career coach to provide support on work-related issues for up to 12 months after release.”
“The Police only freeze bank accounts when there is reason to suspect that the funds within the accounts are involved in illicit activities, such as scams. Under section 35(8) of the Criminal Procedure Code, individuals whose bank accounts are frozen can apply to the Courts for the release of funds to pay for basic living expenses or other essential spending. Those who face difficulties in applying to the Courts can approach the Investigation Officer responsible for their case or seek legal advice. The Police do not restrict these individuals from receiving income or accessing essential banking services. Individuals whose accounts have been frozen by the Police can continue to use other non-frozen accounts if available or apply for a new bank account, subject to the bank's own due diligence and risk assessment.”
“We have to look at what the entity does and its relationship with the military. In A and B's case, they were not involved in any military activities in 2016 and no action needed to be taken. However, based on what is currently known about Sar-El and its activities today in support of the IDF, involvement in the group as well as other organisations with similar objectives, would not be acceptable and Singaporeans should not volunteer with Sar-El. We will consider taking action under our laws, including the Internal Security Act, against any person who still plans to or does proceed to volunteer under these circumstances, or who is otherwise involved in activities found to be prejudicial to Singapore's national security and interests.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) issued a joint statement on 24 March 2026 pertaining to two individuals A and B who had volunteered with Sar-El in December 2016. Members may refer to the joint statement for the facts. In 2024, the Internal Security Department (ISD) learned about the blog post made by A, which included a hyperlink to his website that in turn redirected users to the Sar-El Volunteer Corps (Singapore) website. For operational reasons, we do not discuss the ISD's methodologies or sources. At that time, A was based overseas pursuing his undergraduate studies. ISD subsequently engaged A, along with his father B, when A returned to Singapore in 2025. ISD's investigations concluded that A and B were not involved in any military activities with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Nevertheless, ISD advised A and B that A's blog post was inappropriate in the context of the conflict in Gaza. Following ISD's engagement, A voluntarily took down the blog post. A and B are no longer involved with Sar-El. Many such conversations take place with individuals who wish to go to Israel, Gaza, Ukraine or other conflict zones. We do not make these conversations public when the individuals comply and there are no security issues. When the events involving A and B were re-surfaced recently, MHA and MINDEF provided an account of the facts known to the Government. In general, we do not want Singaporean citizens to be involved in foreign militaries. When the conduct is linked with entities which are not strictly speaking military outfits, but the entities are nevertheless associated with foreign militaries, then whether that is objectionable depends on the facts of each case.”
“The alleged car dealer has been charged in Court on 8 November 2024 and 2 April 2026 for a total of 12 counts of cheating under section 420 of the Penal Code. He has been remanded and prosecution is in progress. Investigations into cases of alleged fraud, especially cases like this, are typically complex and may take time. The Police would need to gather sufficient evidence to prove that there is a fraudulent intent to cheat and not a case of genuine business failure. While the case is ongoing, there are levers to prevent the accused from reoffending. Under the Criminal Procedure Code, the Police can freeze any bank accounts that are suspected to contain funds from illicit activities. If any arrestable offences are disclosed, the Police may also arrest the suspects. Prior to the release of arrested persons from the Police's custody, or if the person has been brought before the Court, bail conditions would be set. This would include a condition to not commit any offence while on bail. If bail conditions are breached, it may lead to the forfeiture of bail money or revocation of bail, and the accused would be remanded in custody. For this case, the Police had also worked with other relevant Government agencies and private companies, to ensure that the dealer and his companies would not be able to perform motoring transactions or post advertisements on motoring platforms.”
“The Traffic Violation Enforcement Cameras (TVECs) use video analytics and automatic number plate recognition technology to detect and capture selected traffic offences in real time. TVECs are mobile and can be redeployed according to enforcement needs. During the trial period from April 2025 to February 2026, TVECs detected over 67,000 traffic violations, such as red-light running, illegal U-turns and crossing double white lines. TVECs enhance enforcement as they automatically detect violations that are enforced manually by officers today and operate round-the-clock. Following the trial, the Traffic Police has deployed nine TVECs on our roads from March 2026. Traffic Police is also developing plans to increase the number of TVECs on our roads in the future.”
“The Police do not track the number of cases involving fraudulent GIRO transactions. Erroneous GIRO transactions may sometimes stem from administrative mistakes rather than criminal intent. The Police will assess each reported case based on its facts and circumstances. If a criminal offence is established, the Police will investigate accordingly.”
“As a policy, we do not disclose these. That is deliberate. Disclosing such details would reveal where our limits lie and that could be used against Singapore in times of crisis. What matters is that we have sufficient buffers and contingency plans in place. And we regularly review and strengthen these arrangements to ensure that they remain robust. Sir, in conclusion, the HCMC will continue to closely monitor the situation. We will respond as a whole-of-Government to take care of Singapore and Singaporeans. We will work together to get through the crisis and emerge stronger – as we always have. [Applause.] Sir, the questions will be taken by the Ministers who deal with their respective areas.”
“Advanced nuclear energy technologies have the potential to provide safe, reliable and clean baseload power. Nuclear fuel is energy dense and can be efficiently stockpiled. Five uranium pellets one-inch-tall can generate the same amount of electricity as one Olympic-sized swimming pool of natural gas. But adopting nuclear energy requires very serious consideration. It needs to be studied very carefully to ensure that it is safe for deployment in or around Singapore. We have been building up the technical expertise to evaluate the technology as it develops. And we are partnering overseas governments and companies who are leaders in this field. We really need the best expertise on this. We will continue to study this very carefully and rigorously. And there are dedicated teams in the Government that are doing this. Let me now turn to food security. Our primary concern is with inflationary pressures on our food products. Natural gas is a key feedstock for fertilisers. With disruptions to gas supply, fertiliser prices will go up. Food crops and animal feed will therefore cost more, and the price of our imported food products will rise. As fuel costs go up, it will also cost more to transport and store food products. Singapore maintains strategic food stockpiles. That will help us mitigate the impact of any unforeseen supply disruptions. Meanwhile, we are relooking at our supply chains with a view towards strengthening them. However, we are only able to maintain stockpiles of essential food types. Singaporeans should be prepared for supplies of some foods from some countries to be unavailable and will have to exercise flexibility in choosing alternatives. There have been questions about the extent of Singapore's fuel reserves and food stockpiles.”
“As I said earlier, we are a major refining centre. When countries began imposing controls on their export of fuel, many asked us if we would still be able to supply them with refined fuel products. Some of these countries supply crude oil and other essential products to us. In turn, we supply them with refined products, which they need. This creates a mutual interdependence. It keeps Singapore relevant in the international energy trade. And this has enabled us to have continued access to crude oil. Some have also questioned the role of refineries over the medium term, given our green transition. We remain committed to de-carbonising our economy. But as stated before, our path to net zero will depend on technological breakthroughs and sustained international cooperation. For now, the priority worldwide is energy security. Countries everywhere need to keep the lights on. Fossil fuels remain part of the global energy mix. Because renewable energy is not yet able to meet all of the demand. In that context, Singapore will continue to play a role as a refining hub. And we will continue to work with our refineries to improve their energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint. Second, we must continue to press on with our efforts to diversify our sources of energy. We have made good progress on domestic solar energy deployment. We have already achieved our 2030 target of two gigawatt-peak in 2025. At the Committee of Supply debate in March, the Government announced that it would raise the target to three gigawatt-peak. In the near term, we will continue to deploy solar energy domestically and pursue electricity imports from the region. In the medium to long term, we are assessing other sources of energy to diversify our fuel mix. One potential source is nuclear energy.”
“The Energy Market Authority (EMA) also requires power generation companies to have pre-arranged contractual access to additional fuel. Fuel suppliers are required to deliver the fuel to the power generation companies within a set number of days upon activation. And we are prepared, if necessary, to direct the power generation companies to exercise their legal rights to secure the additional fuel. That said, securing the additional fuel by the power generation companies may be subject to force majeure events. Some of the additional fuel may be sourced from overseas and may be subject to supply disruptions again. Fourth, EMA has strengthened regulatory requirements on electricity retailers in 2023. This ensures that they are sufficiently hedged and will be better able to handle an extended period of gas price volatility. The position we put ourselves in before the crisis and the steps we have taken since the crisis have helped us remain relatively stable. Nevertheless, if the supply disruptions increase and if more suppliers are unable to supply fuel or gas, then potential disruptions to our domestic energy and electricity supply cannot be ruled out. However, this remains a low-probability scenario for now, though we continue to monitor developments closely. But prices will go up. The Deputy Prime Minister spoke earlier on the regulated electricity tariff. Even though the cost of gas accounts for almost half of the regulated tariff, this has so far only partially transmitted to the tariff price. If the conflict is prolonged, then we have to expect much sharper increases in electricity prices. The situation has caused many countries to take a closer look at their energy security. I will make two points on our situation. First, on refineries.”
“Singaporeans are feeling the impact in higher prices as fuel and energy costs rise. Prices are likely to remain high even after hostilities cease. Damage to infrastructure in the Middle East will take time to repair. We have already seen damage to large oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other places. Even if the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens tomorrow, global oil and gas export capacity will not return to pre-conflict levels quickly. In the broader term, we are concerned about broader disruptions to global supply chains which can affect goods critical to Singapore's economy and essential services. MTI is monitoring the situation closely and working with the industries. As for electricity, we have taken steps to reduce risks to disruption of our supplies, to meet our electricity needs. And there are four aspects to this. First, our sources are diversified. Apart from the Middle East, we also import LNG from Australia, one of our key suppliers; the US; and Mozambique. GasCo was set up last year to centralise gas procurement for the power sector. GasCo has begun buying replacement natural gas to replace the disrupted supply from Qatar. Second, while 95% of our electricity is generated from natural gas, our power plants can switch from natural gas to diesel when needed. Third, and relatedly, we have fuel reserves. These reserves comprise a mixture of natural gas and diesel. Some are owned by the Government. Some are owned by power generation companies. We are also planning to increase our fuel reserves. It will be costly, but we think it necessary. We have so far not tapped on our fuel reserves nor have we implemented fuel rationing.”
“Prior to the crisis, about 9% of our natural gas would have been imported from Qatar, if it had carried on as per normal through the year. Many other critical supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz, including helium and aluminium. We can no longer rely on such supplies in the same way. I will speak in a little more detail about two key sectors: first, fuel and energy; and second, food supplies. First, on fuel and energy security. Since the start of the conflict, several countries have announced export restrictions on fuel or implemented fuel rationing measures. We have not done so. So far, there has been no need to do so. Global energy majors and trading companies have a sizeable presence in Singapore. We are the world's third largest oil trading hub and the sixth largest refinery export hub. These capabilities were built up over decades. It is the result of a deliberate long-term strategy. Today, they underpin our energy and fuel resilience. Because of this, we are deeply connected to global flows of energy. That gives us access to diverse sources of energy and fuel supplies. So, we are able to respond to disruptions more flexibly. We continue, so far, to have access to crude oil. And we have been meeting our domestic needs and international obligations for fuels. However, we do not know how long the disruptions will last. As Minister Tan See Leng said a fortnight ago, we need to brace ourselves for a bumpy ride ahead. No one can say what the situation will look like, or will be like if there are more serious disruptions and if they last longer. We have secured crude oil supplies from alternative sources. But we have to pay prevailing prices, which are much higher. Brent crude has surged as high as 70% since the increase in hostilities on 28 February.”
“There are 13 members in this HCMC and their names are in the Annex. Over the past month, both the HCMC and the HCEG have met several times. The HCMC has been looking at a broad range of issues, including energy and food resilience, including supply chain resilience; resilience for other essentials; security developments, both domestic and external; support measures for Singaporeans and public communications; and foreign affairs and our diplomatic relations. In response to the heightened threat environment, from the security perspective, we have put in place additional measures. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has increased checks at our checkpoints upon the escalation of the conflict, and Police have also stepped up patrols at areas of concern. We also activated contingency plans to repatriate Singaporeans in the Middle East affected by the conflict. Flights were organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). They were executed at short notice and required close coordination between the Ministries. MFA began assessing evacuation routes upon the escalation of hostilities, given the possibility of prolonged airport or airspace closures in the region. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura or MUIS) have also been engaging Singaporean residents in the Middle East, as well as key partners, such as the Association of Muslim Travel Agents Singapore, for Umrah and Haj arrangements in the light of this conflict. You have heard about the impact of the conflict from Deputy Prime Minister. I will highlight a few points. More than half of our total crude oil imports comes from the Middle East.”
“The Singapore Police Force (SPF) maintains close ties with foreign counterparts and exchanges information on transnational crime investigation matters, both bilaterally and via multilateral organisations, such as the Interpol. Following a request from the Indonesian National Police (INP) in September 2025 on the allegations of babies being trafficked from Indonesia into Singapore for adoption, SPF has been rendering assistance to the INP for their investigations. Apart from this request from INP, SPF has not been requested to participate in any joint operation nor received any information request from any other foreign counterpart relating to child trafficking syndicates linked to adoptions in Singapore in the last five years. On whether adoption processes will be reviewed, the Member of Parliament may wish to refer to a Parliamentary Question reply on this matter by the Ministry of Social and Family Development for the Parliament Sitting on 3 February 2026. [Please refer to "Due Diligence Measures before Processing Adoption of Children", Official Report, 3 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 15, Written Answers to Questions section.]”
“As of February 2026, about 13% of Singapore Citizens have registered an additional Hanyu Pinyin name with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. Between 2016 and 2025, an annual average of about 3,500 Singapore Citizens had an additional Hanyu Pinyin name included during their birth registration.”
“Early detection and warning of fires can help homeowners, including the elderly, respond better and reduce the risk of tragic outcomes. Home Fire Alarm Devices (HFADs) are an effective and simple solution to detect fires early, including those from unattended cooking. Since 2018, HFADs have been mandatory for all new residential premises and existing residential premises undergoing fire safety related addition and alteration works. To further encourage the installation of HFADs, the Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) programme was expanded in 2024 to include the installation of HFADs. Seniors can opt to have HFADs installed in their homes under EASE with up to 95% subsidy. To ensure safety when an electrical fault occurs, the Housing and Development Board checks and replaces faulty Residual Current Circuit Breakers for older flats through its Home Improvement Programme and EASE. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will continue to assess fire safety technological solutions for our elderly and incorporate them in homes where suitable. Ultimately, homeowners play the key role in preventing fires in their homes. SCDF will continue to engage residents, including the elderly, through platforms, such as the Responders Plus Programme, Community Resilience Day and MyNicehome Roadshows, to raise awareness on fire-unsafe behaviours and practices.”
“The mandatory Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) modules under the Progressive Wage Model for the security sector equip security officers with skills such as threat detection and incident management. These are core skills to ensure the security of premises at which they are deployed. Currently, the mandatory WSQ modules do not include training on recognising and appropriately responding to persons with special needs. The Government will, in consultation with the industry, continue to review security officers' training requirements so that they can carry out their duties effectively.”
“From 2016 to 2025, there were four police reports made for suspected offences under Part 9 of the Administration of Muslim Law Act. In one case, the Police, in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, administered a warning to the person involved. In another case, the person was prosecuted and convicted in Court. Investigations are ongoing for the other two cases.”
“Since June 2018, it has been mandatory for all new residential premises, and existing residential premises undergoing fire safety-related addition and alteration works, to install home fire alarm devices (HFADs). For existing premises built before 2018, we have not mandated the installation of HFADs but strongly encourage it. This is to strike a balance between fire safety and practicality for home owners. For existing home owners who wish to install HFADs, we have extensive financial support schemes to help them. For example, HFADs installed as part of fire safety works under the Home Improvement Programme are heavily subsidised, as are HFADs in households with elderly residents, under the Housing and Development Board's (HDB's) Enhancement for Active Seniors programme. HDB also provides HFADs free of charge to tenants of public rental flats. We thank the Member for her suggestion to consider HFADs that are capable of sending alerts to home owners' mobile devices. Such HFADs are commercially available and home owners can procure them if they wish to. The Government will continue to review and adopt effective fire safety solutions, as well as the financial support available for the public to install such equipment.”
“No driver had their licence suspended due to the erroneous issuance of speeding tickets. The Traffic Police conduct monthly audits on all speed enforcement cameras. To reduce the risk of technical errors, additional verification procedures have also been implemented following maintenance work.”
“Possession, production and dissemination of sexually explicit images of children are offences under the Penal Code. Offenders are liable for mandatory imprisonment and discretionary caning upon conviction. These offences cover computer-generated child abuse material, including artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images of children. In 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) amended the Penal Code to make clear that the Prosecution need not prove that an actual child was used in the production of the computer-generated material. It is an offence so long as the image resembles a real child. MHA does not intend to amend the offences in relation to child abuse material, as the Member seems to propose, to make the penalties for AI-generated child abuse material less severe than those using real children. This expresses our society's strong stance on protecting children from sexual predation.”
“Which means that if the Israeli government seeks to find out such information, the soldiers may not be obliged to give that information. I do not know; I am speculating. And if so, then there will be difficulties in getting the information – not just by the Israeli government, but other governments too. But we have reached out, we have not gotten a response. If we get any credible information, we will take action. It does not matter to us whether you are fighting for Israel or Ukraine or Russia or some other Middle Eastern country or a terrorist organisation. It is not acceptable and we will take action if we find you.”
“The Government has asked the Israeli government. We have not received a response. And one must understand that there are obviously difficulties that other governments may face in complying with this request. We have made these sorts of requests and other sorts of requests to various governments. Sometimes, we get answers; sometimes, we do not get answers. Because while it is an offence under Singapore law and we consider it to be contrary to our national interests, it may not be an offence in Israel, nor may it be an offence in other countries. And persons who may be doing these things in other countries, whether in Ukraine or Russia, in the Middle East or elsewhere, or for Israel, may not be under any legal obligation to declare either their dual citizenship or any other fact relating to themselves. And in such situations, those governments will not be able to even force them to give answers. They may well know that there are citizens or they may not even know because even their dual citizenship need not be reported. So, the Israeli government, or for that matter, the Ukrainian government or the Russian or other governments, may not even know that these people hold the dual citizenship. And any requests would then have to be made to all their soldiers, "Let us know all your dual citizenships." And such a request is probably not enforceable. I am just sketching out to the Member the difficulties that foreign governments will have in complying with any such request. It is fairly credibly reported that a lot of American citizens fight for Israel and that is not contrary to either American law or Israeli law. So, I assume that under Israeli law, people with dual citizenship can fight for Israel.”
“The Member said that he had two supplementary questions. I assume that question comprises both questions, is it? Well, whether section 125 applies really depends on the facts and that would require investigation. In the past, we have often used the Internal Security Act as well. In our view, given the positions we have stated, the current legal framework, including the Internal Security Act, is adequate.”
“Anyone with a Singapore citizenship who is found to be engaging in a foreign armed conflict, as I have said earlier and I have said previously publicly, and my Ministry has also stated, will be dealt with in accordance with our laws. That could include being charged and that could certainly include being detained under the Internal Security Act if they are considered to be a threat to national security. And many have been detained on those grounds in the past and we have publicised them. If we come across credible evidence of such persons, we will normally engage with foreign counterparties to try and get such persons to Singapore, but people can appreciate, that has its own challenges. If they are within Singapore, there is no issue; we will deal with them, as we have dealt with in the past. On the second part of the question, on how can we make it clearer, I think we have made it very clear. The simple answer is, "Don't do it", and there is zero tolerance for it.”
“Can I ask the Member to repeat her first part of the question?”
“Thank you, Sir. Sir, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is aware of a foreign news report stating that two Singaporeans were among those who fought for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the conflict in Gaza. The Ministry has no substantiated information confirming that any Singaporean has served, or is serving, in the IDF. Our position has always been quite clear and publicly stated: Singaporeans should not participate in any foreign armed conflict not involving Singapore. Our loyalties as Singaporeans should only be to Singapore and we should only ever engage in military action in defence of Singapore. If Singaporeans are found to be fighting or even planning to fight in foreign armed conflicts, these persons will be dealt with sternly in accordance with our laws. We have stated that and have detained people in the past for that reason. And they can be dealt with under the Internal Security Act if they are found to be a threat to our national security. Those found holding multiple citizenships may also be deprived of their Singapore citizenship.”
“About 2,800 motorists were issued summonses on average annually between 2021 and 2025 for using mobile communication devices while driving. Three conditions must be fulfilled to make out an offence of using a mobile communication device while driving. First, the vehicle must be in motion. Second, the motorist must have held a mobile communication device in his or her hand. It is not an offence to use a mounted device. Third, the motorist must have operated any of its functions, including viewing a passive navigation display, typing, swiping or video viewing. Even if a driver uses a mounted device while driving, he or she may, depending on the facts of the case, be liable for the offence of driving without due care and attention or reasonable consideration, or for reckless or dangerous driving.”
“There are no plans to review regulations relating to the use of mounted screens in moving vehicles.”