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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“Several factors are taken into consideration in the conduct of security clearances, including the nature of the work in the position and the confidentiality of the information that the position deals with. Security checks will vary for different positions, with different levels of access to confidential information or access to different types of persons. For operational reasons, I will not be able to go into the specifics. But I will give one general example: a Permanent Secretary will, in general, have different access to confidential information compared with an entry level junior officer. The requisite security checks will naturally be different. I note that the Member had asked a similar question on the same topic in 2016 and I had provided my reply then. It will be helpful for the Member to check the questions he has asked previously. The Hansard has them.”
“In 2020, 15,756 cases of scams were reported to the Police. Of these, 501 involved victims who had been scam victims before. As of 26 April 2021, there had been more than 110,000 downloads of ScamShield by iOS users. The National Crime Prevention Council, GovTech and the Police are working on technical issues related to the Android version of the application. We are unable to provide a timeline for the roll-out of the Android version at this point in time.”
“The security agencies do monitor extremist ideology and content on the Internet, including social media. We have blocked some sites. It is not possible to block all of them, given the vastness of the Internet and as new sites are always popping up. Determined individuals will also find ways to circumvent our blocking. That is why we adopt a multi-pronged approach to counter radicalisation and do not just rely on Internet-facing measures. We have invested significant resources in upstream efforts to educate and sensitise our communities to the threat of extremist ideologies and online radicalisation. We have done this through the SGSecure movement, as well as outreach to schools by community organisations, such as the Religious Rehabilitation Group and the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group. We also work with foreign partners to share radicalisation-related intelligence. The public has a part to play, by not disseminating extremist content. Industry involvement is also critical. Some technology companies have stepped up efforts to take down or stop the spread of extremist content on their platforms. We applaud their efforts, which will go a good way towards making the digital space safer for everyone.”
“The Penal Code was amended in 2019 to enhance protections for vulnerable victims. Enhanced penalties can be imposed for most hurt and sexual offences that are committed against children below 14 years of age, domestic workers and vulnerable persons defined as individuals who are substantially unable to protect themselves due to mental or physical disabilities. The amendments also introduced new offences under the Penal Code to target persons in the same household who failed to protect vulnerable victims from abuse and whose inaction allowed the abuse to continue. Section 335A of the Penal Code makes it an offence for persons responsible for the safety and well-being of domestic workers or vulnerable persons in their care, custody or control, to fail to protect them from abuse or neglect. Under section 5 of the Children and Young Persons Act, it was already an offence to knowingly permit a child or young person to be ill-treated by another person and the amendments in 2019 increased the penalties. Where abuse leads to death, section 304C of the Penal Code makes it an offence for persons in the same household who have frequent contact with victims that are below the age of 14, domestic workers, or vulnerable persons, to fail to take reasonable steps to protect them from abuse or neglect. These offences came into force on 1 January 2020 and apply to offences committed on or after that date.”
“We encourage members of the public to make a will, as this will give them greater peace of mind that their affairs will be better taken care of after they pass on. They can either write their will themselves if they are at least 21 years old and of sound mind, or engage a third party to help them write one. To help those who wish to write their own wills, we are looking at making information on wills and probate more readily available on digital platforms, and to set out the information in a way that is clear and intuitive to laypersons who have no knowledge of the law. In January 2020, we launched the Government’s "My Legacy" portal, which provides step-by-step guidance on how to make and deposit a will, and how to settle the estate of a deceased loved one. It also provides a secure Vault feature – which is accessible using SingPass – which helps citizens to consolidate a record of their assets, important documents and personal information, including where their will is located, Advance Care Plan and Lasting Power of Attorney. We will continue to expand and improve the features offered by "My Legacy" and make this available and accessible to Singaporeans. Individuals can also engage lawyers to help them to write their wills. Those who are lower income can reach out to the Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) for assistance. LAB has been helping Singaporeans with limited means with the drafting of their wills. Community organisations also offer subsidised will-writing services for low-income residents with limited means.”
“MHA’s assessment is that the data it collects is adequate for formulating its schemes. Different types of data are collected and research studies are also conducted. In 2014, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) conducted a research study on the behaviours of young drug abusers. The study found that young drug abusers were five to seven times more likely to come from a family with a history of drug abuse, compared to non-drug abusers. The findings from the study have been used for further analysis. In 2017, SPS conducted a study to understand how parental drug abuse impacts the next generation, whether they were more likely to commit crimes and abuse drugs. The study found that about one in five drug-abusing parents had at least one child who had also committed a crime or abused drugs. The findings of the study also affirmed many of SPS’ efforts to reduce the impact of drug abuse on an offender’s family. We will continue to conduct research where useful to inform our policies and programmes to mitigate inter-generational drug abuse and offending. We will also periodically review the data to be collected.”
“Any person who wishes to supply liquor through vending machines can do so if he is licensed under the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015. In doing so, he will have to adhere to the regulations under the Act, such as not supplying liquor beyond the hours permitted by his licence, and to persons younger than 18 years old. Selling liquor through a vending machine without a licence is an offence.”
“Scam syndicates make automatic calls to millions of victims all over the world every day. In the first quarter of 2021, the Police received 169 reports of scam perpetrated via phone calls, which translate to an average of around two a day. This was a 40% decrease from 282 such cases in the first quarter of 2020. These figures refer only to successful scam cases, where the call recipients had fallen prey. The overall number of scam calls received by the public is likely to be much larger, as most recipients would simply ignore the calls. The Police also receive reports on scam calls through ScamShield, an iOS mobile application developed by the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), MHA and GovTech. Apart from blocking messages and calls from known scam numbers, ScamShield also has a function for users to report suspected scam calls to the Police. Since the launch of the app in November 2020, users have reported over 56,000 suspected scam phone numbers. The ScamShield team is presently working on developing an Android version of the application.”
“As of March 2021, there were 5,974 employers registered with Yellow Ribbon Singapore, or YRSG, to offer employment opportunities to ex-offenders. YRSG tracks the job retention rate of ex-offenders who are provided with job retention support, or JRS. Ex-offenders under JRS are assigned a career coach for up to 12 months after release. The career coach works closely with the ex-offenders to provide relevant support, such as guiding them on how to manage job demands and setting behavioural goals. The most recent available recidivism rate data is for the 2018 release cohort. YRSG provided JRS to about 1,500 ex-offenders in that cohort and tracked their employment status for one year. YRSG found that 66% had remained employed for six months or more. The two-year recidivism rate of ex-offenders in this 2018 cohort who were on JRS was 20.1%. This was lower than the recidivism rate of 22.7% for ex-offenders in the same cohort who did not receive JRS.”
“Volunteers who are consistently rated below a certain threshold may not be assigned further cases from LAB. The Bureau conducts yearly customer satisfaction surveys. The average overall customer satisfaction for the past three years (from 2018 to 2020) was 96%, that is, 96% of applicants indicated overall satisfaction with LAB’s services, including in the last year. In addition, in the 2020 survey, more than nine in 10 survey respondents indicated satisfaction with what the lawyers had done to progress their cases and that their lawyers were respectful and understanding and made sufficient efforts to help them understand what was happening with their cases.”
“The Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) has practice groups in the areas of family, civil and Syariah law, which are headed by experienced in-house lawyers from the Legal Service. LAB’s in-house lawyers are governed by the Public Service Code of Conduct and held to high professional standards. They undergo regular training and development, including attachments with senior practitioners in private practice, to learn about niche areas of law. The in-house team of lawyers have a mix of public sector and private practice experience. These in-house lawyers are supplemented by a pool of volunteer lawyers from private practice who handle about one-third of LAB’s cases. All volunteers are screened and have to demonstrate that they understand LAB’s ethos and their roles and responsibilities before they can take on cases. Some of these lawyers have volunteered for more than 20 years and assisted hundreds of legal aid recipients. All LAB cases are reviewed by the Director of Legal Aid on a quarterly basis to ensure quality and timely progress. For cases handled by its in-house lawyers, LAB also tracks the time taken to process an aid application, and time taken to draft, vet and file Court documents, to ensure timely progress. The statistics on case progress are shared with supervisors, as well as staff to empower them to monitor their own performance. LAB also monitors the cases handled by volunteers. If a volunteer is found to have caused undue delay, LAB may reassign the case. If legal aid applicants raise any issues about the work of the volunteers, LAB will conduct internal investigations and reassign the case if need be. After completion of a case, LAB rates the volunteer on their timeliness and quality of the work done, taking into account applicants’ feedback on the case.”
“We have to make a living by being open to the world. We will fail if we allow racism and xenophobia to become prevalent. It is contrary to everything that has made us successful and proud to be Singaporean. [Applause.]”
“There are also websites which deliberately fan racism. They are anti-Government; that is perfectly okay, but do not play with race. Comments on these sites – Indians being called cockroaches, rapists and so on – we should be ashamed that in the name of free speech, we allow such comments. This bad behaviour and open expression of racism, I invite all here to condemn. And when called out, we cannot seek to justify such racist behaviour by saying, "Oh, it is because of Government policies" or "It is because of the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA)" or that the Indians are behaving badly or that we are entitled to be racist and xenophobic because of these things. Just ask whether racism and xenophobia can ever be justified on these grounds. There have been several canards about CECA, promoted by a whispering campaign. If anyone here believes that CECA is a problem, put it up for a Motion, debate it openly and let us hear whether Singaporeans benefit or lose from it. I am looking at you, Mr Leong. I invite you to put up a Motion to debate CECA. You know that most of what is said about CECA is false. And what is happening on the ground? We are picking up from different coffeeshops. This morning, a friend of mine overheard in a coffeeshop a conversation among five elderly gentlemen. They discussed the incident covered in the media of an Indian expatriate family. We do not know the facts; several highly racist comments targeting Indians. So, it is getting into the ground and being repeated. This will become normalised if we are not careful. I hope responsible Opposition parties will take a stand on this, notwithstanding that many of these sites that promote xenophobia support you. Singapore is 725 square kilometres of rock.”
“Around the world, economic pressures have led to populism and the populists have been seeking political profit by exploiting people's fears over jobs and economic insecurity, blaming foreigners and blaming immigrants for all of a country's problems. In Singapore, we have avoided the worst of such populism but people are concerned for their jobs, and naturally so. Amongst Singaporeans, there are legitimate concerns about foreigners taking over our jobs. The concern is fair and the Government's duty is to protect Singaporean jobs. But these concerns have been fuelled by unacceptable practices, for example, unfair employment practices that favour hiring foreigners and discriminate against our locals. It is a minority who behaves like this, but it naturally makes Singaporeans unhappy. MOM has taken steps to deal with these bad practices. But what has been happening also is that parties have been deliberately stoking the fears, encouraging racism, xenophobia and dog whistling, much like what we have seen in the US. That is dangerous and dangerous for Singapore because, first, it will be expatriate Indians, then it will come to Singaporean Indians. Anyway, not everyone can distinguish between foreign-born Indians and Singaporean-born Indians. The lady who was attacked has been a citizen for 25 years. If we go down this route, eventually, all Indians can be targets of hate, the so-called "outgroup" which I referred to in a Ministerial Statement a couple of years ago. It is not the case now – far from it – but expression of overt racism is still there only amongst a minority in Singapore. The majority of Singaporeans are decent and not racist. But if we continue to fan the flames of racism, we will get to a more uncomfortable position.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir. I thank the Member for his question. The facts we have are as reported in the media. Last Friday, 7 May, in the morning, a 55-year-old Indian lady was brisk walking towards Chua Chu Kang stadium. She said that she lowered her mask below her nose to prevent breathlessness. A man wearing a light-coloured t-shirt, accompanied by a woman, shouted at her to put her mask above her nose. She told him that she was exercising. The man then shouted at her again, used a racial slur, and she responded to him, "God bless you" and began to walk away. She said that the man then ran towards her and landed a "flying kick" on her chest, causing her to fall. She had scratches on her arms and hands. She lodged a Police report that night and she said that she would seek medical attention on 10 May – yesterday. The matter is under investigation. The attacker is believed to be a Chinese. Investigations need to be done before we can come to any conclusions. But such conduct, unfortunately, is consistent with some of the other things that have been happening and, if the facts are as stated by the lady, then it appears to be racist conduct. We have seen racism around the world during this pandemic: in the US, for example, Asians, particularly Chinese, being attacked; the virus being described as "Chinese virus" or "Wuhan virus", as if viruses have nationality. And we condemn that. Equally, we have to condemn such behaviour in Singapore. I have said previously there has always been racism in Singapore like in other countries but we have managed it and, over time, we have sought to reduce it. But it has been stirred up recently.”
“Trainees may also seek the Law Society’s assistance through the Members’ Assistance and Care Helpline and the SCMediate scheme, where a Senior Counsel acts as a mediator.”
“The practice training contract is a formal training arrangement entered into between a law graduate and a Singapore law practice. Under the Legal Profession (Admission) Rules 2011 of the Legal Profession Act (“the Rules”), the Singapore law practice must ensure, among other things, that the practice trainee is supervised by a solicitor who is in active practice in that law practice and has had in force a practising certificate for at least five out of the seven years immediately preceding the date of commencement of his supervision of the practice trainee. The Rules also require the Singapore law practice to register every practice training contract with the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (SILE), including the particulars of the trainee and the supervising solicitor, and to declare to SILE the number of solicitors in the law practice who are qualified to be supervising solicitors. As for practice trainees who wish to ascertain if their supervising solicitor has the qualifying experience, they may seek confirmation from the law practice or supervising solicitor concerned and also request to have sight of the practising certificates. The Law Society can assist to verify the supervising solicitors’ eligibility upon the request of the supervising solicitor or the trainee. The Law Society will also investigate any incident which is brought to its attention where the lawyer in question does not meet the requirements of a supervising solicitor. Cases of disputes between a practice trainee and supervising solicitors or law practices are rare. But when they occur, the Law Society and SILE provide informal assistance and support to the parties concerned.”
“The set-up of a Task Force on Family Violence to look into tackling family violence was first announced by then Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs Ms Sun Xueling and then Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Mr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim in February 2020 during the launch of a children educational book on family violence, and subsequently in a joint press release by MHA and MSF in April 2020. Minister of State Ms Sun Xueling also talked about the Task Force’s mandate in MSF’s Committee of Supply debates in February this year. It will be useful for Members, where possible, to consider the publicly available information, and what has been stated in Parliament, when asking a question.”
“If the Member meant something other than what is already being done and set out above, then she can clarify, and the Government will consider her suggestions. The Government conducts periodic policy reviews of existing laws and measures, including those to protect persons from family violence and harassment. The amendments to POHA in 2019 were a result of MinLaw’s policy review of the measures, after consulting stakeholders and feedback from the public. The Task Force on Family Violence set up in 2020 is conducting a review of the family violence landscape and identifying recommendations along the following four broad thrusts: (a) Increasing awareness, strengthening societal attitudes against violence, and enhancing targeted preventive efforts for individuals at potential risk; (b) Making it easier for victims and the community to report violence, and to get immediate help; (c) Strengthening protection for victims to reduce their risk of being harmed again; and (d) Increasing the accountability of perpetrators and strengthening their rehabilitation. The Task Force will present its recommendations later this year. The Member may wish to note that all the above points have been mentioned several times, both in Parliament and public. For instance, the point relating to enhanced penalties for repeated breaches of protection orders had been made during the Second Reading for the Protection from Harassment (Amendment) Bill in May 2019 and in the press releases issued by MinLaw. This point had also been reported in both the online and print media. In February and March this year, I also talked about the enhancements to POHA in MHA's Committee of Supply debates and in the Ministerial Statement on the review of sentencing framework for sexual and hurt offences.”
“MinLaw had amended the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) to, among other things, double the prescribed punishment for: (a) Repeat breaches of a protection order or an expedited protection order; (b) Offences under POHA committed against vulnerable persons and persons in intimate relationships; (c) Breach of a protection order or an expedited protection order involving vulnerable persons or persons in intimate relationships. These enhanced penalties have been in force since 1 January 2020. Apart from the enhanced penalties for breaches of protection orders, the Government has been working closely with community partners to support victims of family violence. The National Family Violence Networking System was established in 1996 to connect the Police, Courts, hospitals, social service agencies and MSF in a network to provide support to victims of family violence. For instance, victims may report breaches of protection orders to the Police, and with their consent, the Police will refer them to the Family Violence Specialist Centres (FVSCs) or Family Service Centres (FSCs) if they require social support or to crisis shelters for temporary accommodation. The FVSCs and FSCs may also accompany victims to make Police reports for breaches of protection orders, or to a hospital if the victims have injuries that require medical attention. MSF also officially launched the 24-hour National Anti-Violence Helpline in February 2021 to make it easier for victims of violence and abuse to seek help. The function of the specialised support centre that the Member asked my Ministry to consider setting up for persons to report breaches of protection orders is not clear. The Member’s question seems to ask the Government to do, what is already being done.”
“The choice is therefore choosing between the risk that a Police officer might misuse his weapons; and the risk that society will face, from not arming Police officers. The latter is the far bigger risk. The way in which we manage the risks from the earlier situation have been described (in very broad terms) above. The same goes for APOs. The choice is to decide between risks that arise from two different situations: (a) Not having armed APOs (b) Having armed APOs. The risk to society from having APOs who do not carry weapons, and who therefore cannot intervene effectively when the situation requires, is greater. Likewise, the same can be said about our foreign national APOs. Naturally, our ability to know the security background of foreign national APOs will be less compared with what we will know about local APOs. There is naturally a risk in having foreign APOs and arming them. But we do not have enough local APOs. We therefore need foreign APOs. Again, the risks from not deploying enough APOs are greater than the risks from having foreign APOs and arming them. The record shows the misuse of weapons, by Police officers, APOs including foreign APOs, is very low. We deal with the risks through the measures set out above.”
“I will set out some of the measures in place to manage the risk of security officers misusing firearms which are issued to them. All Police officers and Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs) undergo security vetting before employment. During employment, officers may be barred from accessing firearms in certain circumstances, for example, if they are under disciplinary investigation. Firearms for the Police and the Auxiliary Police Forces are kept in armouries, and subject to processes for their issuance and safe custody. For example, there are systems to verify the identity of the officers, confirm that they are authorised to carry firearms for that particular deployment, and track the timely return of the firearms after the deployment. These processes are regularly audited to ensure compliance. For operational security reasons, it is not appropriate to disclose details on the use of geo-fencing, other technology, and measures in relation to Police operations. Regardless, such technology and measures are not infallible, and cannot monitor or ascertain the location and activities of every officer at all times, or stop them from misusing their weapons at all times. The real issue is this: Police officers need to carry firearms, to carry out their duties. That, in itself means there are some risks. The selection, training and discipline of Police officers, and the conditions under which they can draw weapons, substantially reduces the risk of them misusing their weapons. But the risk is not zero. There have been cases in the past where Police officers have committed offences. No police force in the world can ensure zero risk.”
“The discretion whether to charge offenders in court, and what charges to prefer, lies with the Public Prosecutor. In general, law enforcement agencies (LEAs) under MHA will make their recommendations to the Deputy Public Prosecutors (DPPs) after investigations are completed. The DPPs will then review the evidence and the circumstances of the case, before deciding on the appropriate course of action. The Public Prosecutor, however, has authorised LEAs to prosecute some offences without the need to consult the DPP. These authorisations are subject to criteria imposed by the Public Prosecutor, and the offences involved are generally straightforward and less serious in nature, such as drink-driving and driving without licence. Some LEAs are also authorised to administer stern warnings in lieu of prosecution for pre-agreed categories of cases.”
“Between 2018 and 2020, the Police received 533 reports of cheating, fraud or other crime in connection with investments in cryptocurrencies. Around $29 million was lost to such cases between 2018 and 2020.”
“Examples of such NGOs include HAGAR and the Good Shepherd Centre. When required, the Singapore Inter-Agency Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons (TIP Taskforce) supports the NGOs in working with their overseas counterparts to help the victims return safely to their home countries and reintegrate smoothly into society. While the victims remain in Singapore to assist with investigation and prosecution, arrangements are made through the Temporary Job Scheme for employers to hire those who are able and willing to work. To achieve better job matches, the Government engages potential employers to understand their requirements before facilitating the emplacement of the victims. NGO partners also provide basic conversational English lessons, and relevant job skills training, to help victims find a job and adjust to the workplace. The TIP Taskforce will continue its efforts to combat human trafficking by working in close partnership with the NGOs and employers; reviewing the support given to employers; and participating in TIP training with international partners such as UNODC, INTERPOL, overseas law enforcement agencies, and foreign embassies.”
“Since the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act (PHTA) was enacted in 2015, MOM and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) have investigated 260 cases of alleged sex and labour trafficking till date, of which 12 cases were prosecuted. Of these 12, seven cases concluded with convictions under PHTA – one labour trafficking case and six sex trafficking cases; one case of alleged sex trafficking was convicted under the Women’s Charter; and another case of alleged sex trafficking was acquitted. The remaining three cases – two labour trafficking cases and one sex trafficking case are still undergoing court proceedings. Frontline service and enforcement officers from the SPF, MOM and ICA are trained to detect potential cases of human trafficking, and to manage the victims in a sensitive manner. SPF, MOM and ICA officers also received training on the identification of potential trafficking victims conducted by international partners such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and INTERPOL. Under the PHTA, there are a suite of protective and assistance measures to protect the trafficked victims, as well as the informers. To protect the identity and safety of the victims and informers, in-camera court proceeding is made mandatory for child victims. For non-child victims, in-camera court proceeding has to be available as an option. Media gag orders for proceedings involving sexual exploitation are also issued to protect the identity of victims and informers, to encourage more to come forward to report human trafficking activities. To ensure that the victims continue to be protected and cared for after being rescued, the Government supports and funds non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that provide victim support services such as shelter, sustenance and counselling.”
“The tenure of sites sold through the Government Land Sales Programme typically depends on factors such as the type of use and site-specific planning considerations. For example, the tenure for residential, commercial, hospitality and white sites is typically 99 years, while industrial sites are generally sold on tenures between 20 and 30 years.”
“About 673,000 passports expired in 2020. As at end March 2021, close to 70%, or about 464,000, of these passports have been renewed. The validity of a passport cannot be extended after it has been issued. This is a requirement by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which does not allow any changes to a passport once issued. While the validity of an existing passport cannot be extended, ICA has recently announced the issuance of 10-year validity passports from October 2021. This is double the validity of the current five-year passports, but the passport application fee remains the same at $70.”
“There are, as I said, pros and cons with both approaches – whether to allow or to prohibit the publication of names of accused persons until they are convicted. And as I said earlier, we will keep our position under view. 1.32 pm”
“The downside in this second approach is that, of course, the reputation of accused persons is often irreparably damaged by the publicity from media coverage of an on-going criminal trial, even if they are acquitted at the end of the day. I think Dr Tan's question probably arises from the trials of doctors for sex crimes, but it applies to all accused in a variety of cases. Our approach has been to lean towards the United Kingdom example but both approaches have their merits and downsides. After assessments, we decided to keep our approach, which means that in general, accused persons are publicly tried and the verdict is publicly announced. That also allows unidentified victims of serial offenders, for example, to come forward and seek help. But I emphasise that our position on this issue is not set in concrete. We can also see the merits of shifting to some version of the first approach. So, we will keep reviewing this while we are maintaining the status quo. I would say that even in the current situation, in certain circumstances, there is anonymity given if it is required for public interest. For example, to sensitive information relating to national security or if the release of information on the accused may lead to identification of, say, children, young persons and alleged victims of sexual or child abuse offences. The reason for doing that is to protect those vulnerable victims and children from being identified and give them a better life. With that focus, the Courts have some power to prohibit publication of the identity of the accused and impose some conditions on how the trial can be reported and the media have got to comply with those requirements.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) has previously assessed whether the names of accused persons should not be published until they are convicted. In this, we look at the practice in other jurisdictions. Broadly speaking, there are two possible approaches. The first approach leans in favour of protecting the identity of accused persons if and until they are convicted, and some rules to grant anonymity to accused persons in specific types of cases. If you look at examples, you have the Republic of Ireland, where accused persons charged with rape offences are granted anonymity until they are convicted, unless a judge orders otherwise. In Switzerland, accused persons may be granted anonymity if the court is satisfied that they could be exposed to serious danger to life and limb, or other serious prejudice. In New Zealand and Australia, where for jury trials, the court may prohibit the disclosure of an accused person's identity if it is satisfied that such a disclosure would create a serious risk of prejudicing a fair trial. That is one approach. The second approach is to lean in favour of just having open court proceedings and all matters are out immediately. There is no general power to the courts to grant accused persons any sort of anonymity to protect their reputations. For example, in the United Kingdom, the general position is that legal proceedings should be held in public and there are some rules, exceptions which restrict media reporting of some criminal cases, which prohibit the disclosure of identity of accused persons. But the primary aim of those provisions is to protect vulnerable witnesses and victims, and to avoid substantial risk of prejudicing proceedings, if such a risk exists.”
“The Singapore Legal Service ("SLS") comprises the Judicial Branch and the Legal Branch. The Judicial Branch comprises the Supreme Court, the State Courts and the Family Justice Courts. The Legal Branch comprises the Attorney-General’s Chambers and Legal Departments/Units in Ministries and Statutory Boards. The SLS' structure, and remuneration, training and career development frameworks, are carefully designed, and consistently reviewed, to ensure that the SLS has a first-class personnel management system to attract, develop, and retain talented officers with the right values and commitment to Singapore, amidst an increasing scope and complexity of work across the Government. Over the years, the SLS has grown from 45 officers in 1965, to 815 officers today. The numbers of LSOs who were serving in, who were appointed and initially deployed to, and who left the Legal and Judicial Branches respectively between 2016 and 2020 are set out below:”
“Such contractors are required to protect a customer's deposit through the purchase of a deposit performance bond, that safeguards the deposit against closure, winding up or liquidation before the renovation is completed. For major HDB renovation works, flat owners must also engage a renovation contractor listed in the HDB Directory of Renovation Contractors. A company convicted for offences such as cheating or that appears on CASE's company alert list, cannot be listed in the Directory of Renovation Contractors, and will not be allowed to carry out major renovation works in HDB flats.”
“Errant contractors who engage in unfair practices may also be dealt with under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act. For example, it is an unfair practice for a contractor to accept pre-payment for the supply of goods or services if that contractor knows or ought to reasonably know that it would be unable to supply the goods or services. Contractors that persistently engage in unfair trade practices could be referred to the Competition and Consumer Commission ("CCCS") for investigation. Where warranted, the CCCS will seek a court injunction to restrain a contractor (or any other supplier of goods or services) from engaging in an unfair practice. Nonetheless, it is not possible for the Government to intervene in cases where a company winds up as a result of genuine financial difficulties. The possibility of a company going under due to financial difficulties is a risk that is inherent in any transaction. It is caveat emptor. Consumers are therefore encouraged to conduct due diligence and proper research, so that they can make informed purchasing decisions. This is especially so if the transaction involves a significant prepayment. In this regard, consumers can refer to the consumer advisories and company alert list that the Consumers Association of Singapore ("CASE") publishes on its website against firms that have received multiple complaints. Home owners who intend to carry out renovation works can also consider engaging renovation contractors that are accredited under the joint accreditation between CASE and Singapore Renovation Contractors ("CaseTrust-RCMA").”
“Between January 2018 and December 2020, 627 cases pertaining to renovation disputes were filed with the Small Claims Tribunals, while 278 civil writs involving renovation disputes were filed with the State Courts. However, we do not have data to identify how many of these renovation disputes involve claims against home renovation firms that failed to deliver after accepting a deposit. Where the Court has issued a judgment requiring a payment or deposit to be refunded, that judgment must be complied with. If not, the claimant can take steps to enforce the judgment. If the renovation firm is unable to satisfy the judgment because it is insolvent, the firm may be wound up. The usual insolvency laws will then apply. In such a situation, a consumer who has obtained a court order that requires the payment of monies may file a proof of debt as a creditor of the company. The liquidator will realise the company's assets and make appropriate distributions to the creditors if there are sufficient assets remaining for distribution. There are various measures in place to protect consumers from errant contractors that become insolvent. For instance, under the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act, it is an offence for a company to carry on business with the intent to defraud its creditors. It is also an offence for a company to incur a debt or other liability without reasonable prospect of meeting it in full. Directors or officers of a company that engages in fraudulent or wrongful trading can be liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment. These directors or officers can also be held by the Court to be personally liable for all debts or liabilities of the company arising from such fraudulent or wrongful trading.”
“The Attorney-General's Chambers is reviewing CAD's investigation findings. It is not appropriate to comment further at this point.”
“Between 2015 and 2020, Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG) assisted more than 2,000 inmates each year to secure jobs upon their release. We do not have the data for those who declined YRSG's assistance. For inmates who secured jobs with YRSG's assistance, the breakdown of job placements in the top five industries in 2015 to 2020 is shown in Table 1 below. Of the inmates who secured jobs with YRSG's assistance between 2015 to 2020, 81% had committed drug-related offences.”
“We will continue to leverage these different platforms to engage our youths on the threat of radicalisation.”
“MHA has been reaching out, under the SGSecure movement, to different groups in the community, including schools, religious groups and social organisations, to raise awareness of terrorism and radicalisation. All schools have a framework to drive SGSecure initiatives. Age-appropriate SGSecure content is incorporated into various materials for students, and assembly talks and mobile exhibitions are conducted by Home Team agencies. ISD has also been working with schools, institutes of higher learning, and community organisations to conduct counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation outreach activities for students, youths, and educators. These include workshops, talks and seminars. With the COVID-19 pandemic, ISD has leveraged online platforms for its outreach efforts. For example, ISD conducted webinars for educators in institutes of higher learning last year. Community partners such as the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) and the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group also conduct counter-ideology outreach activities targeted at students and youths. the RRG has been working with schools to organise assembly talks, workshops, as well as learning journeys to the RRG Resource and Counselling Centre. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the RRG has intensified its digital outreach efforts. It produced over 60 online lectures, ‘live’ postings, online engagements and videos for the community, including youths. Additionally, programmes such as interfaith dialogues and activities, and visits to the Harmony in Diversity Gallery, are conducted to sensitise the public to cultural and religious nuances and sensitivities, as well as to deepen mutual respect and understanding among our different races and religions.”
“The public can report letters from government agencies addressed to persons who are not residing at the address to ICA using the ICA’s online feedback form. The public can also email ICA or call the ICA hotline. ICA will share these outdated addresses with other Government agencies, so that they can take steps to stop sending letters to these addresses.”
“In the past 18 months from September 2019 to February 2021, Traffic Police (TP) took action against 6,500 drivers for speeding along Fernvale Street, Fernvale Link, Jalan Kayu, Fernvale Road and Sengkang West Way. TP does not define areas as "speeding red zones". That said, of the five areas mentioned, Sengkang West Way accounted for the vast majority of the speeding violations. TP and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) have been conducting joint operations, including at these locations, to detect speeding, as well as illegal modification of vehicles. Any person caught speeding can be fined up to $1,000, imprisoned up to three months, or both. Any person who illegally modifies a vehicle can be fined up to $5,000, imprisoned up to three months, or both; repeat offenders can have their penalties doubled. For Sengkang West Way, TP is also studying the feasibility of deploying a speed camera to increase deterrence.”
“We will need to consider the consequences and see if we should provide for further pathways for checking a person’s criminal antecedents, beyond the current approach.”
“The approach taken today is to try and balance between ensuring that persons who have committed serious sexual crimes are not employed in positions which may put children at risk; and at the same time, not to add to the stigmatisation of ex-offenders and hinder their rehabilitation and reintegration. To strike this balance, the Registration of Criminals Act allows the Police to maintain a non-public record of persons convicted of serious offences, including sexual offences. Agencies such as MOE and MSF work closely with the Police to screen prospective employees who are applying for jobs working with children, such as those in licensed preschools and schools. However, as these records are non-public, members of the public, including parents, do not have access to them. We are considering whether more steps need to be taken, to make it mandatory that all persons employed in similar sectors working with children be screened. There are some practical difficulties in taking this approach, which we are thinking through. It is a further step, from that, to allow parents to screen potential tutors for the tutors’ past offences. I can see the reasonableness in the MP’s request. However, it will be little short of having a public registry of a person’s criminal antecedents. The information could easily become public. And that has its own consequences. As far as we know, only the U.S. has a public sex offender registry. One research study found that convicted offenders on the registry are more likely to reoffend, as the resultant exclusion from their neighbourhood, job loss, and anxiety problems are counterproductive. The registered sex offenders and their family members have also experienced stigmatisation, harassment, and abuse.”
“There is a cost to administering un-nominated CPF monies. This includes resources expended to trace a deceased’s next-of-kin, identify all eligible beneficiaries, and establish the familial relationship between beneficiaries and the deceased. The fee is used to cover this cost. The fee model is designed to keep fees as affordable as possible. A minimum fee of $15, is imposed for cases where the amount of monies administered is small. For all other cases, the schedule of fees applies, so that the fee charged varies according to the sum of monies to be administered. The fees model is reviewed regularly to account for inflation as well as process improvements. The Public Trustee has waived the fee in part or full for cases where the amount of monies administered is very small or upon the applicant’s appeal, taking into consideration the applicant’s financial circumstances. To allow their CPF monies to be distributed to preferred beneficiaries faster and without incurring fees, we strongly encourage all members to make their CPF nominations and update it as their life circumstances change.”
“There are existing laws protecting debtors from unreasonable or illegal conduct by debt collectors, such as harassment and intimidation. For example, debt collectors may be liable to criminal sanctions under the Penal Code if hurt or threatening behaviour is involved. The Protection from Harassment Act also provides for criminal sanctions and civil remedies against harassing behaviour. Borrowers who encounter such behaviour should report the matter to Police for investigation, or consider applying for a protection order against harassing debt collectors under the Protection from Harassment Act. We are currently considering the introduction of a new legislation to regulate debt collection companies and their employees. MHA will share more details when ready.”
“That has got to pervade across all sectors, including the media. Against that are very powerful countervailing forces – the power of money and what sells. What makes a film more watchable, what makes a TV show successful? So, these are all factors. In a context where people will do everything possible to push their products, including objectifying women in the process, if they can sell more cars or whatever. But how should we approach it as a society? It is a value system and it is going to require a mindset change, it is going to require education. The answer does not lie with the law alone.”
“I thank Ms Tan for that. On the exposure of young children to sexual images, that is an offence. I talked about it and, in fact, the penalties have been enhanced. The other question is a much broader one – sexual objectification. How does the media portray women? How do we think of women? That is beyond the remit of Home Affairs and Law because we deal with crime and punishment. But it is precisely the topic that is front and centre for the women's conversation, which has been kicked off in September of last year. I spoke about it when I started off my Ministerial Statement. These cases where the boys going to girls' toilets in universities and take a video, and they think of it as a prank or something that is cool to do. How does that mindset come about? And if we approach it simply from a criminal law perspective, yes, we will keep putting these boys into prison. But while we have to take a tough approach, what is really needed is a new approach and new way, a change of mindset. Which is why last year, when we kicked off this entire process of having conversations on women's development, I spoke about us having to affirm the status of women, the inviolability. It is a fundamental value for society. And every boy and girl has got to grow up learning that respect for women is a non-negotiable point. And, therefore, it is not cool to go and do this. It is not just a prank. It is a serious violation of a fundamental value. That is the approach we have to instil. So, it has got to bring a multi-agency effort to the table and that is what is being done through the conversations, understanding we have got to do it in the schools, we have got to get people to understand, we have to get them to understand from the time they are young.”
“As I understand Mr Giam's question, for harassment, there is a continuum. There is harassment which does not cross the threshold of criminality and then there is a harassment that does cross that threshold. Once it crosses the threshold, that is what I have been talking about, amongst other things. The law takes over, criminal sanctions apply. I am not sure Mr Giam was in Parliament then, but when POHA was amended, it specifically allows individuals who feel harassed to take steps and to prevent the harassment, because, as I said, not all harassment amounts to criminal conduct. We drew a line ahead of whatever is criminal and said individuals, you can go and get remedies. It has been made relatively easy to apply and get such orders. We amended POHA to make expedited orders possible and make it even easier for orders to be obtained and we also made it criminal if people continuously breached Protection Orders. So, there are these steps that have already been taken. Whatever the law can do, we have done. One of the remits I have asked MinLaw to look at would be, has been to analyse the number of applications that have been made, the time that has been taken and how effective is the process, and whether there are things that can be done to make it more effective. So, from the legal perspective, we have empowered the individual, we have tightened up the criminal law. The laws stand there, first, to give aid and succour to individuals; and second, to protect them through the criminal process against the offender. I think the essence of Mr Giam's question really is, beyond the legal framework, can more things be done from the perspective of employers and workplace safety. And that is a question I would invite him to file with MOM.”
“I think we need to be careful about using the tag of vulnerability. There are two points here. Certain categories of workers that you have mentioned perform essential services, they are front facing, they face people and we need to help them because they are more often abused. That is a fair point. But you got to find the right rubric. The right rubric is therefore not to extend the categories of vulnerable victims. I think the right rubric is to say these people face bigger risks and can we identify them or people who fall in those categories for some additional protection? For example, public sector workers, essential workers, these are all defined and may help them. And I think upon your advocacy, we have also extended greater protection to other categories of workers. So, it is possible to work the law towards covering different categories, but you must use the right framework.”
“Sorry, what, including them and vulnerable workers? Vulnerable categories?”