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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“In 2025, about 22,000 Malaysia-registered motorcycles were issued with Notices of Traffic Offence.”
“There were 13 accidents at the junction of Loyang Avenue and Old Tampines Road between 2023 and 2025. The Traffic Police (TP) has put up signs along Loyang Avenue to alert motorists to manage their speeds. In the next few months, the Land Transport Authority will be making the traffic light signals more visible and installing additional signs to remind motorists to keep within speed limits. Traffic enforcement cameras are typically deployed by TP at locations prone to accidents and traffic violations, subject to space availability. Given the space constraints at this junction due to ongoing road and construction works, it is not practical to install enforcement cameras, but TP will step up manned enforcement as an interim measure instead.”
“The Police do not track the number and proportion of cases investigated with seized properties. There are established procedures to ensure that seized properties are returned to the rightful parties when they are no longer required for investigations or prosecution. Otherwise, they will be returned to the rightful parties only upon the conclusion of the case. Parties who require their seized properties to be returned urgently may contact their investigation officer-in-charge, who will assess the request carefully. In all cases, a Court order must be obtained before the seized property can be returned.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) assesses motorists involved in an accident for impaired driving. If TP suspects drug or etomidate use, a blood test will be required. Drivers may be liable for the offence of driving while under influence. Between 2023 and 2025, 77 accidents were suspected of drug and/or etomidate use. About 25 of the 77 cases were suspected of drug use, while the remainder were suspected of etomidate use. Of all these cases, two were suspected to involve drug and etomidate use. [Please refer to "Clarification by Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs", Official Report, 8 April 2026, Vol 96, Issue 28, Clarification section.] Today, there are already enhanced penalties if a motorist causes an accident while driving under influence. For example, a first-time offender convicted of dangerous driving causing death while driving under influence face an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a minimum 12-year driving disqualification. The Ministry of Home Affairs will continue to monitor the adequacy of our penalties.”
“The 1777 hotline operators use a structured screening protocol to assess whether a patient's condition may constitute a medical emergency. The protocol guides operators to identify symptoms, such as major trauma, stroke, cardiac arrest or other life-threatening conditions. Where a case is assessed as a medical emergency, the caller will be advised that the patient's condition warrants an emergency response and the call will be redirected to Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), unless the caller declines. Between 2024 and 2025, an average of 1,420 cases were redirected annually from 1777 to SCDF. Callers are informed upfront that 1777 services are intended for non-emergency medical conveyance. Should a caller insist on engaging a private ambulance1 despite being advised that the patient's condition warrants an emergency response, the 1777 operator will dispatch a private ambulance licensed under the Healthcare Services Act as an Emergency Ambulance Service2 (EAS) provider. The EAS provider would then be able to convey the patient to the hospital. For cases initially triaged as non-emergencies, a Medical Transport Service (MTS) provider would instead be dispatched. The crew would not be equipped to manage emergency cases and would activate SCDF if they assess upon arrival that the patient's condition warrants an emergency response. The payment of fees is subject to the terms and cancellation policies of private ambulance operators, which may vary. Callers may incur fees for services rendered by the private ambulance operator, even if the case is subsequently redirected to SCDF.”
“As of December 2025, there were about 390,000 non-residents who have been in Singapore on their current work passes or long-term immigration facilities for more than five consecutive years. The majority of them are work permit holders and migrant domestic workers. A large majority of them are unlikely to qualify for Permanent Residency status in Singapore. We do not track the number of them who have unsuccessfully applied for Permanent Residence. On (c), the general approach taken is that these non-residents are in Singapore because their employers need them, and in other cases, they are allowed to stay in Singapore for the economy, for family or other similar reasons. Most of them, as stated, will not qualify for Permanent Residency. Work permit holders, for example, are generally restricted from setting up roots in Singapore. This context has to be understood. Nevertheless, there will be some who may be keen to engage with our community. They can learn about Singapore's shared values, history and culture through visits to our museums and heritage sites. Second, they can – in so far as they are able to, and to the extent that they are not restricted by the conditions of their passes – build ties with locals by participating in community grassroots programmes, such as neighbourhood trails, cultural festivals, local sports and arts events. Third, they can also contribute through volunteering opportunities. The Government has to decide how to focus its limited resources – in assessing how much it should do, in the context of integrating such non-residents. The Government regularly engages locals and non-residents to understand their sentiments including on this issue.”
“There were 907, 877 and 868 massage establishment licences in 2023, 2024 and 2025, respectively. During the same time period, there were 45, 40 and 30 vice activities detected in licensed massage establishments respectively. These numbers do not include open-concept massage establishments. Such establishments are currently exempt from applying for a licence so long as they comply with certain rules aimed at preventing the premises from being used for vice activities. Police are reviewing the massage establishment regulations to ensure the regulatory regime is updated and fit for purpose. Industry consultation will be done in due course.”
“Foreign-registered vehicles incurred 86,492 and 126,820 vehicular-related fines while driving on our roads in 2024 and 2025, respectively. These numbers comprise both fines under the Traffic Police and other regulatory agencies for offences, such as driving, parking and vehicle emissions-related offences. In 2024, the breakdown of vehicular-related fines involving foreign-registered vehicles was 26% for cars, 41% for motorcycles and 33% for other vehicles, such as buses, lorries and heavy vehicles. In 2025, the breakdown of vehicular-related fines involving foreign-registered vehicles was 20% for cars, 38% for motorcycles and 42% for other vehicles, such as buses, lorries and heavy vehicles. Agencies regularly conduct multi-agency operations against foreign motorists who have outstanding vehicular-related fines at the checkpoints, where such foreign motorists are stopped and asked to settle their fines before they are allowed entry into Singapore. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority may also deny entry to foreign vehicles with outstanding fines.”
“Police cameras are typically installed in all new Housing and Development Board (HDB) precincts within a year after the temporary occupation permit has been granted. However, for Plantation Village and Grove precincts, there has been a delay due to rectification works necessary to ensure the supporting infrastructure for the cameras meet the Police's operational standards. We have been working closely with HDB to resolve this and expect the cameras to be progressively installed from March 2026. Police cameras are part of the Singapore Police Force's overall strategy in deterring and solving crime in Singapore. When identifying locations for deployment of Police cameras, the Police will consider their operational needs, the prevailing crime situation and public feedback they receive on the local safety and security situation. More focus will be given to public areas with high footfall and crowd congregation.”
“Under the Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF’s) Fire Certificate Scheme, building owners are required to appoint external parties to conduct annual inspections, which include verifying the functionality of communication devices and visual alarm systems at persons with disabilities (PWD) holding points. The SCDF conducts audits to ensure the integrity of these inspections. Additionally, SCDF carries out routine enforcement checks to verify that building owners adhere to fire safety requirements. This involves ensuring that escape routes, including access to PWD holding points, remain unobstructed. The SCDF has not received any complaints regarding non-functional PWD holding points in the last five years (2021 – 2025).”
“At the completion of building works, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) requires building owners to appoint a Registered Inspector to certify that all fire safety measures comply with the Fire Code before the building may be occupied. This certification includes verifying compliance with requirements in the Fire Code for persons with disabilities (PWD) holding points. Thereafter, SCDF carries out routine enforcement checks to verify that the building owners adhere to fire safety requirements. This includes ensuring that escape routes, including access to PWD holding points, remain unobstructed. Based on its enforcement checks, SCDF did not detect any non-compliance related to PWD holding points in the last five years (2021 to 2025). The SCDF does not track whether buildings built prior to the current PWD holding point requirements in the Fire Code have been retrofitted with PWD holding points.”
“The driving schools are actively hiring more driving instructors to meet the high demand for Class 3 licence lessons and to reduce wait times for lessons. The Traffic Police (TP) has allowed the driving schools to employ foreigners to alleviate the shortage of driving instructors. The driving schools have put in place anti-bot measures. These include implementing CAPTCHA and one-time password verification. Driving schools have also implemented booking restrictions to ensure that all learners have a fair opportunity to book lessons. Learners who are caught using bots will have their user account suspended or even terminated. TP has no plans to re-issue private driving instructor licences. TP stopped doing so in 1987 to create a more professional and standardised approach to driver education. This rationale remains valid today.”
“The Police seized more than $190,000 from bank accounts linked to concert ticket scams reported between January and October 2025. Some of the monies in these bank accounts could have originated from sources other than the concert ticket scams. We do not actively track the number of offenders prosecuted specifically for concert ticket scams.”
“The number of Citizenships and Permanent Residency granted, as well as Employment Passes, S Passes and Dependant's Passes issued to individuals aged 65 and above for the period June 2024 to December 2024 is reflected in the table below. The figures for 2025 are not yet available.”
“The data for the entire time period and breadth of offences as requested by the Member is not readily available. Based on available data, in 2024, 279 individuals were convicted of a serious sexual or serious violent offence that attract either mandatory or discretionary caning. These offences include, rape, sexual assault, sexual penetration of minors, voluntarily causing grievous hurt, fatal abuse of vulnerable victims and culpable homicide, which are among the most severe offences that attract caning. Of this number, 76 were males below the age of 50 who were sentenced to at least one stroke of the cane, 53 were males aged 50 or above at the time of sentencing, and 13 were females.”
“The Police plan to deploy over 200,000 police cameras (PolCams) islandwide by the mid-2030s. PolCams will be located at and focused on public areas, including at all public housing blocks and multi-storey carparks, public areas in the neighbourhood and town centres, and selected entertainment and commercial districts. More focus will be given to areas with high footfall and crowd congregation. In these plans, the vicinity of some places of worship will be covered. Efforts to improve the security of places of worship go beyond the deployment of PolCams. The Government has put in place various measures and programmes to ensure that places of worship are safe and secure. The Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force work with building owners and managers across Singapore via the Safety and Security Watch Group, which includes religious organisations, to conduct security audits, share best practices and deliver training on building safety and security awareness. Exercises are regularly conducted to test contingency response plans and ground readiness in the event of emergencies. As part of the SGSecure movement, religious organisations are provided additional support, such as assistance with security self-assessments and to develop contingency plans, access to counter-terrorism seminars and training for their employees and volunteers in skills, such as psychological first aid through the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth's Crisis Preparedness for Religious Organisations programme. Beyond these efforts, building up public vigilance is key. To that end, the SGSecure movement engages members of the public on how to spot and report suspicious activity, and how to respond to a terrorist attack at touchpoints, such as roadshows and grassroot events.”
“These platforms facilitate the exchange of intelligence, enforcement experiences and best practices.”
“Etomidate is not listed in any international drug convention. Under international drug control conventions, a substance may be listed only after scientific assessment by the World Health Organization Expert Committee on Drug Dependence finds sufficient evidence of abuse liability, health harms and international public-health concern, and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) has voted on it. That process has not taken place for etomidate internationally. The Institute of Mental Health is currently collating and studying the evidence relating to the full negative impact and consequences arising from etomidate abuse, as well as its legitimate medical uses. At this stage, therefore, Singapore has not tabled a proposal to schedule etomidate or its analogues under any international drug convention. Singapore's listing of etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act is a temporary arrangement, as explained in our reply to Mr Vikram Nair published on 26 September 2025. Singapore works with international partners to monitor emerging drug threats. Singapore is an active member of the CND, which is the policymaking body at the United Nations (UN) for global drug control. Global trends on new psychoactive substances are discussed at the CND platform, and members decide on the scheduling of substances under the UN drug conventions. Singapore also works with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Its Global SMART Programme plays a role in identifying emerging psychoactive substances and provides an early warning mechanism for countries to share data and information in a timely manner to support international monitoring and responses. At the regional level, Singapore engages ASEAN counterparts on drug matters regularly at the ministerial and senior officials' levels.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs shares relevant criminal records with various Government agencies, such as the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Education, when they conduct pre-employment screening for positions that involve access to vulnerable groups.”
“There were 12 hit-and-run accidents between 2023 and November 2025 on the roads, where the alleged offending party was a cyclist or an active mobility device (AMD) user. Of these, eight resulted in injuries to pedestrians. In one of the cases, a suspect has been identified. Investigations into hit-and-run cases involving cyclists or AMD users can be more complex, as there may not be registration numbers which the Police can use as investigation leads, and the accidents may occur in locations with limited camera coverage.”
“The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) does not support or endorse services offered by commercial entities or consultants who claim that they are able to help applicants improve their success in obtaining long-term immigration facilities, such as Permanent Residence or Singapore Citizenship. Applicants who choose to engage the services of any third party in the preparation of their immigration application are advised to exercise caution. The onus is always on the applicant to ensure that the information submitted in the application is true, accurate and complete. If the application contains false declaration(s), the applicant will be held responsible, regardless of whether a third party had helped prepare the application. The applicant is required to confirm that the facts stated in the application are true and will have to take personal responsibility for it. Thus, from ICA's perspective, it is not relevant whether an application has been prepared by a third party. In law the responsibility for the application remains with the applicant. To deviate from that principle will lead to endless possibilities of applicants raising spurious defences to try and avoid responsibility for false statements.”
“Under the Online Criminal Harms Act, the Police impose ex ante anti-scam requirements on online platforms. This includes measures that reduce or remove the circulation of scam content on the platforms, such as advertiser verification and user reporting. We think that this approach is more productive, compared to trying to directly assess and require changes to the platforms' content distribution algorithms. The latter is not easy to do and platforms must be responsible to adjust their algorithms, systems or processes as necessary and as they deem appropriate, to comply with the Government's anti-scam requirements. We intend to further tighten the anti-scam requirements on platforms and will announce the details in due course. We do not think it is reasonable to stipulate that platforms only display content that individuals explicitly follow or request for. This could prevent legitimate advertising activity and, in any case, may not stop the circulation of scam ads if the ads feature content that the user had requested for.”
“So, it is as I thought, Sir, I have not read it recently, but as a point of clarification, and I am sure Speaker can get advice, but it would appear that it is set out in a legislative provision that such information can only be released within the framework set out in that legislation. And maybe, I am not sure that I have ever come across a situation where Parliament can ignore the legal position set out in law. But it is a matter of clarification.”
“Since 2020, all Government Procuring Entities (GPEs) are required to adopt outcome-based contracts (OBC) in the procurement of security services, unless they have strong reasons not to do so. All GPEs that procure security services have adopted at least one OBC. The Government does not track data on the working hours and shift patterns of security officers across GPE security contracts. Nonetheless, measures are in place to safeguard security officers' welfare, for example under the Police's licensing conditions. The Government will continue working with tripartite partners to ensure fair and reasonable working conditions for security officers.”
“The Fire Code stipulates the fire safety requirements for energy storage systems, including the storage and charging of large quantities of lithium-ion batteries in workplaces. These include the use of fire-rated compartments, with stipulations on the maximum stored energy that can be housed within each compartment and the provision of higher discharge density sprinklers as well as mechanical ventilation systems to disperse any build-up of flammable gases. These requirements, which referenced relevant international standards, were introduced after extensive consultations with the industry and other stakeholders. The Singapore Civil Defence Force regularly reviews the Fire Code, including such requirements, to ensure continued relevance and fitness for purpose.”
“Between 2021 and 2025, the number of cases of licensed liquor sellers selling alcoholic beverages to underage persons or allowing underage persons to consume alcohol on their premises was 32, 23, 13, 11 and 12 respectively. Police conduct regular enforcement checks on licensed premises, and the frequency will vary based on the public feedback and Police's observations of the situation.”
“The Traffic Police installs the mobile traffic violation enforcement cameras at locations with a higher risk of accidents and violations. They may redeploy these cameras elsewhere, or deploy additional cameras, depending on the prevailing risk assessment.”
“Table 1 below shows the two-year and five-year recidivism rates1 of local offenders who were incarcerated for child sexual abuse offences and whose re-offending offence was also a child sexual abuse offence. The recidivism rates for such offenders are generally low but are prone to fluctuation since the number of such offenders released each year is small.”
“Sellers who deceive victims into making payments without any intent to provide the goods or service may be liable for cheating under the Penal Code. If the seller failed to provide the goods or service but did not have fraudulent intent, no cheating offence would be disclosed and the buyer may seek redress through civil remedies. In determining if a case is a scam, the Police assess each case based on its facts and circumstances, for example, whether the seller impersonated a legitimate shop or became uncontactable immediately after receiving payment.”
“From 2022 – 2024, the average annual approval rate for Long-Term Visit Pass applications from spouses of Singapore citizens was around 91%.”
“It is the responsibility of all businesses to comply with the Fire Safety Act and the Workplace Safety and Health Act to ensure a safe workplace environment and minimise fire risks. There are available resources for businesses to draw upon. For example, guidelines and best practices on the safe handling of flammable materials are available on the Workplace Safety and Health Council's website, while fire safety advisories and relevant resources, such as fire safety posters, can be found on the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) website. In addition, businesses can reach out to SCDF to seek clarifications on fire safety requirements under the Fire Code. To prepare for fire emergencies, businesses can send their staff to attend SCDF's Responders Plus Programme, where they will receive free hands-on training on the use of fire extinguishers, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automated external defibrillators.”
“The Police concluded their investigation in relation to the case involving Genneva Pte Ltd several years ago. In 2019, six individuals were charged. From 2020 to 2025, five of them were convicted in Court of various offences, including fraudulent trading, cheating and money laundering. Court proceedings are still ongoing for the remaining individual. The Police had seized properties amounting to more than S$1.5 million from Genneva Pte Ltd and its related companies and will be making a Court application to distribute them to the claimants. The distribution process is complex and may take some time, as there is a large number of potential claimants. The Police will notify them on the filing of their claims in due course.”
“The standard of care required under the relevant offences in the Road Traffic Act and the Penal Code is that of a reasonable and prudent driver. This already includes an assessment of whether the driver was reacting reasonably to a circumstance for which he or she was not responsible. Where the driver acted reasonably, no offence of negligent driving would be disclosed. There is therefore no need to codify the common law concept of "agony of the moment" as a defence to negligent driving.”
“However, if the hoarding is of such severity that it impedes the escape of the occupant in the event of a fire, SCDF may direct the occupant to clear and maintain a path of escape within the unit for safety reasons. Failure to comply is an offence which carries a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both. As a measure of last resort, the Director-General of the Community Relations Unit can apply to the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal (CDRT) to declutter the hoarded unit, if an earlier CDRT order to the unit to declutter has not been complied with and there is public interest to do so. The Government will continue to monitor the fire situation in relation to hoarding behaviour and introduce further legislative or regulatory levers if necessary.”
“All Housing and Development Board (HDB) units are designed and built in accordance with the prevailing Fire Code. Each unit functions as a fire compartment to limit the spread of fire. Fire escape routes and exit staircases in HDB buildings are also designed to be well-ventilated to disperse smoke for safe evacuation. Dealing with hoarding behaviour is a complex matter and the management of severe hoarding cases is coordinated through the inter-agency Hoarding Management Core Group and the New Environment Action Team (NEAT). Agencies partner with community groups to support the hoarders and their families in decluttering. While there have been, on average, fewer than six fires annually involving hoarding over the past five years, the key fire safety risk to both the occupants and for neighbouring units is the obstruction of escape routes during emergencies. When hoarding extends into the common areas of HDB estates, Town Councils are responsible for ensuring compliance with the Singapore Civil Defence's (SCDF's) fire safety requirements, and they work closely with the SCDF to rectify fire hazards in common areas, such as blocked corridors. If fire hazards are found during enforcement checks, SCDF will take action against the relevant Town Council. Within the unit, the occupant generally has a right to store what household items he or she wishes. Where the threshold for public health and safety risks has not been crossed, agencies need to obtain the cooperation of the hoarder to agree to the decluttering process, and they do this with the assistance of community support groups.”
“Emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, fire engines and Police vehicles, are equipped with sirens that meet the SAE J1849 international standard, which sets the minimum sound level required to ensure that they are audible enough to be effective as warning devices. These sirens are necessary to ensure that emergency services are able to respond promptly to situations where there may be a threat to life or property. They are only activated when necessary.”
“As part of its efforts to ensure fire safety, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) conducts regular enforcement checks on worksites to ensure that building owners fully comply with the relevant fire safety requirements, including the use of only features or materials attached to building facades which had been approved by SCDF. The Ministry of Manpower also conducts worksite inspections to ensure compliance with the Workplace Safety and Health Regulations, including measures to address work-related fire risks. The Government has started reviewing the early observations from ongoing investigations into the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong and is studying whether we need to strengthen the relevant regulations for works during the construction and maintenance of residential buildings in order to better manage fire safety risks. The outcome of this ongoing review will be announced in due course.”
“In the event of a residential fire, immediate medical assistance will be provided to residents who have suffered injuries, including psychological first aid for those who are in mental distress. Where necessary, People's Association grassroots organisations will coordinate the provision of essential items like food and daily necessities, and the Housing and Development Board will provide temporary accommodation. Those who require long-term psychological support should seek professional help from the healthcare system. We assess that there is no need to establish a Fire Victim Support Unit. The Singapore Civil Defence Force usually conducts a "Post Fire Blitz" following a residential fire to engage residents in the vicinity on fire safety and promote good fire safety habits.”
“The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) does not track the number of foreigners who were holding In-Principle Approval (IPA) letters issued by the Ministry of Manpower but were subsequently denied entry into Singapore by ICA. An IPA letter is issued in relation to a work pass application and does not guarantee entry into Singapore. Upon arriving in Singapore, holders of an IPA letter will still have to be assessed by ICA on their immigration and security risks and whether they should be allowed into Singapore, like every other foreigner. A foreigner's entry into Singapore is neither automatic nor a right. When the No-Boarding Directive is implemented later this month, there may indeed be instances where foreigners issued with IPA letters are prevented from boarding flights bound for Singapore. They should then inform their prospective employers. In effect, the outcome is no different from today, where they will be denied entry upon arrival at our checkpoints. If they still wish to travel to Singapore to work, they will have to appeal to ICA via the ICA feedback channel, before arranging a new flight to Singapore.”
“Travellers who are issued with No-Boarding Directives (NBD) but wish to enter Singapore nevertheless may appeal to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) by writing to the ICA feedback channel on its website. If the appeal for entry is approved in due course, the travellers may then re-book their flight to Singapore. There is no mechanism for immediate appeals. The NBD will be implemented at our air and sea checkpoints from 30 January 2026 and by end-2028 respectively. The ICA has no plan to implement NBD at the land checkpoints for now. This is because while we can conduct screening for air and sea travellers before they board the craft at the country of departure, this does not work for the land checkpoints where most of the travellers turn up at the checkpoints in their own vehicle or on public transport.”
“When a scam is reported, the Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) coordinates closely with banks to quickly trace where the monies have been transferred to and freeze those bank accounts, to prevent the monies from being siphoned out of Singapore. Staff from seven major banks are co-located with ASC, enabling real-time coordination and response. Typically, ASC is able to freeze accounts within a day and, in some cases, hours. The ASC also works closely with telecommunication companies (telcos) to terminate scam-tainted phone lines, and with GovTech to investigate and stem the misuse of Singpass accounts for scams. Suspending such facilities only after they have been used for scams is not enough. The Police work with industry partners to use fraud analytics to proactively detect mule activities. For example, the major retail banks deploy fraud analytic tools to identify and freeze potential mule accounts, and the telcos proactively block local phone lines suspected to be misused for scams. The Member asked if facility restrictions have been effective to prevent re-offending. We see positive early results but will need more time to assess given that the framework was only implemented from October 2025. To date, about 1,200 individuals and 50 corporate entities have been placed under these restrictions. Persons under investigation for mule-related offences and assessed to be at risk of further facilitating scams, as well as those prosecuted for such offences, will be subject to facility restrictions until the case outcome is determined. Mules who have been warned, issued composition sums or convicted, will be subject to restrictions for one year, or three years for repeat offenders.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) typically takes about two weeks to issue a Notice to Furnish Driver's Particulars to the registered vehicle owner, after the officers have verified the offence and the vehicle number captured by the speed camera. The vehicle owner is required to provide the particulars of the speeding driver within 14 days of the date of notice. TP will thereafter issue a Notice of Traffic Offence to the driver. This process is to minimise wrongful attribution of violations. There is, however, a backlog because of the sharp increase in traffic violations, and a recent ransomware attack against one of TP's vendors. It could currently take about a month before the registered owner receives the Notice to Furnish Driver's Particulars. TP is addressing these issues.”
“The Police will learn from this and reinforce procedures and training for its Officers.”
“In particular, when the Police come across a case of suspected child abuse or when MSF receives an urgent report on high-risk cases through their National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Hotline, the Police will work with MSF's Protective Service for safety planning and social intervention for the family and child. This may include the activation of MSF's Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team (DVERT), a round-the-clock service launched in 2023 to provide immediate help to high-risk domestic violence cases with immediate safety concerns. DVERT officers would respond on-site to conduct a professional assessment and make urgent arrangements for the victims to be relocated or placed in alternative care for their safety, if necessary. DVERT officers are also empowered, under the Women's Charter, to issue Emergency Orders at the scene and to provide immediate safety for the victim. To strengthen IOs' efficiency and supervisory capabilities, the Police have also harnessed technology for the review of cases. They have implemented technological solutions to trigger automatic notifications to IOs and their supervisors to complete time-sensitive tasks promptly. Our frontline Police Officers bear a heavy responsibility to protect lives. They take this responsibility seriously and perform their duties with commitment and professionalism. The demands on our Police Officers continue to increase. They often have to make difficult judgement calls every day in the course of their duties. When under pressure, mistakes can happen. In this case, the lapse arose because two Officers, who were under pressure, did not follow the operating procedure. It was a serious breach and it resulted in a tragic outcome.”
“Cases of missing vulnerable persons are escalated to the regular case review sessions with supervisors for monitoring and guidance. It is standard procedure for the Police to work with other Government agencies to locate missing persons, including sharing the data of the missing persons. Where necessary, the Police may also issue appeals for information to seek the public's assistance. The Police do not track the duration taken to close a case. There are many factors that can affect the length of an investigation. This includes the wide range of offences with varying complexities as well as the need to work with different partners as part of the investigation process. There are internal controls in place to ensure that cases are followed up promptly. These include a daily case review process for supervisors to provide guidance on the cases, and multiple levels of supervision and regular checks throughout the investigation. But the Police continue to strengthen these processes and systems. In particular, the Police have made several enhancements. In 2022, they introduced the Family Violence Training Package for all frontline and IOs to adopt a sensitive approach to family violence cases, including child abuse cases and to recognise and escalate high-risk cases to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). In 2023, the Police formed Family Violence Teams (FVTs) at all Land Divisions to give focus to family violence cases, including child abuse cases. Specialised training is provided to FVT officers to equip them with the knowledge and skillsets to handle these cases, such as how to engage the victims sensitively as well as on working with other agencies.”
“Megan Khung's case was a tragedy. Minister Desmond Lee has earlier set out the Government's views on it. In 2020, after Megan's death was uncovered, the Police reviewed their handling of the case. There were two rounds of Police reports filed. The first report was made in January 2020 by Megan's grandmother. Further Police reports were made in July 2020, by Megan's grandmother and father. The Investigation Officer (IO) who dealt with the first Police report and her supervisor, failed to follow Police's procedures to escalate the case to the regular case review sessions for monitoring and guidance. The IO had assessed this as a case of child discipline with low safety concerns based on the information that she was presented with at that time. Following the report, the IO attempted to contact Megan's mother over the next two weeks but could not reach her. She did not follow up beyond that because she was then deployed for COVID-19-related duties. Despite this, the case would normally have been followed up if the IO and her supervisor had escalated the case to the regular case review sessions in the first place. The subsequent Police reports concerning Megan were referred to the regular case review sessions. This eventually led to the discovery of Megan's death and arrest of the perpetrators. Police commenced internal investigations once the case came to light in 2020 and disciplined both the IO and her supervisor. The IO resigned subsequently. The review panel corroborated these findings. For missing person reports, the Police have established procedures to guide the follow-up. Specifically, the Police accord priority to missing vulnerable persons as they may be at higher risk, regardless of the duration they have been missing. This includes young children.”
“Upper primary and lower secondary students in Ministry of Education (MOE) schools are already being taught basic first aid skills, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automated external defibrillators as part of Physical Education lessons. Several uniformed group Co-Curricular Activities also incorporate such training in their programmes. MOE and the Singapore Civil Defence Force will regularly review the adequacy of these training.”
“We also regularly conduct briefings, dialogues and workshops to raise awareness of foreign interference. Audiences include public servants, national servicemen and students. MHA will continue to work with other agencies to engage the public about the threat posed by foreign interference and influence. A discerning and educated public is, indeed, our best defence.”
“For national security reasons, the Government does not disclose details or statistics of suspected or actual foreign interference and influence campaigns against Singapore. To alert Singaporeans to the threat, the Government has been running information literacy and public education campaigns. For example, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) launched a campaign earlier this year on the use of deepfake videos and AI-generated and other inauthentic online posts, in online influence operations targeting overseas jurisdictions. The campaign leveraged our General Election in May 2025 as a salient event to help Singaporeans appreciate what is at stake. Next year, we will put greater focus on foreign interference and influence in an everyday context. The Ministry of Defence drives National Education and Total Defence to build a shared understanding of Singapore's foundational values and principles, deepen our public's sense of identity and nationhood, and strengthen awareness of and collective resolve against threats that may undermine societal cohesion and resilience, including foreign interference. The SG101 website is a one-stop Government site which consolidates educational resources on foreign interference, as well as Singapore's positions on sensitive issues, to help the public better understand our national positions and stay resilient against attempts to divide us. The Government has also been implementing programmes to equip our citizens to be discerning consumers of information. These include the National Library Board's S.U.R.E. programme, which stands for Source, Understand, Research and Evaluate. The programme imparts critical thinking skills to help Singaporeans discern the reliability of information they come across on the internet.”
“There is already a differentiation today. Light goods vehicles with a Maximum Laden Weight (MLW) not exceeding 3,500 kilograms have a vehicular speed limit of 70 kilometres per hour, while heavy goods vehicles with a MLW above 3,500 kilograms have a vehicle speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour. The exception is cement mixers, which have a vehicular speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour. The Traffic Police's (TP)'s assessment is that this approach is practical and sufficient to maintain road safety, and there is no need for further differentiation. TP has been engaging the industry intensively on the requirements of the speed limiter regime, including the availability of Productivity Solutions Grant support between 1 October 2025 and 31 March 2027. TP will continue with these engagements.”