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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Every one of 4,552 lines we hold for K Shanmugam, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 56 of 92.
“In fact, the way African-Americans are dehumanised is to depict them in drawings, with stereotypical physical features which rob them of their humanity. And then, through music as well. Some examples of the lyrics are on the screen. But I do not want to read them out partly because of the language. You look at references to "niggers running amok", "you cannot come up here anymore because now you are faced with the nigger foe". Hence, a lot more not mentionable, not least in Parliament. In the 1990s, there was a study of skinheads in the United States (US) to determine factors that were able to distinguish terrorist skinheads from non-terrorist ones. White Power music was found to be important to the construction of the identity of the terrorist skinheads. Approximately 91% of terrorist skinheads limited their music consumption to White Power bands. The German government has described skinhead music as the No 1 gateway to violence. Members may have heard of the Malay Power music festival in Malaysia. The Malay Power movement believes that Malaysia should be an exclusively Malay nation, immigration should end, non-Malays should be expelled. A Malay Power band says this, and I quote, "the lesson that we can learn from Nazism is that we can take extreme racist action if the position of the Malays is affected by these factors." Just across the Causeway. A music fest featuring Malay Power nationalists called Rebellion Fest, was cancelled just this month in Malaysia. Sir, it is all around us. There is nothing special about us that these things cannot happen here. In summary, hate speech denigrates the out-group and says the out-group is the source of the problems; dehumanises the out-group, making violence against them justified.”
“The leader of one of the movements called mosques "enemy bases", urged Buddhists to boycott Muslim businesses and not have interfaith marriages. When you have this situation, logic, reason will not work because an entire architecture of hate has been built up. The hateful emotions have been engaged. The marketplace of ideas does not work in these circumstances. In 2018, two Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) students did a study in Warwick University. They showed that hate speech triggered hundreds of violent crimes against refugees in Germany. But they also saw a pattern. You take a place where you can expect to see crimes against refugees – in fact, there have been crimes against refugees – but where hate speech becomes limited for a period of time, that violence decreased sharply. Germany's Federal Ministry of the Interior's 2015 Annual Report says: "Uninhibited hate speech on the Internet can lead to individual or collective radicalisation." I am not going to read all of it. It is on the screen but it makes a point – hate speech creates "a pressure to take immediate action and it creates fertile soil for militancy and violence." The rest of it is on the screen. Let us look at songs which spread hate. Studies have shown that music can create powerful emotions in the listener. Listening to violent music stimuli, even without lyrics or videos, can cause greater aggression than listening to no music at all. Songs have been a very powerful medium for spreading hate speech. "Hate music" has been used to label, devalue, persecute, scapegoat particular groups of people, often minorities. White racialists use White Power music, too. They use it to deny the humanity of African-Americans.”
“A Hutu mother beat to death a child who lived next door because the government had told her Tutsis were her enemies, even as the child was looking at her, with its innocent eyes and they had grown up next door to each other. She justified the slaughter as "doing a favour" to the child because he had already been orphaned because the parents had been killed. You have Pakistan: the concept of honour, shame involved. If you are a true "Muslim", a “hero", then you will be a person who has the courage to defend Islam and the Prophet by killing "kafirs". And that happened to the former Governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, who was assassinated by his own security officer because he took positions which were considered against Islam. You have Sri Lanka where Buddhist priests painted a picture of Buddhism as being under threat and promoted hate and violence. The Group's leader, Gnanasara Thero, suggested Halal certification is an "evil conspiracy", "spreading across the island in various guises, casting its dark shadow." So, one could ask: what do these countries have to do with Singapore? Sri Lanka was ahead of Singapore in most indices in the late 1950s. We went there to study their systems. Why is it that religious leaders in Singapore do not say these things? It is not pre-ordained. In fact, in Singapore, even the population opposes religious leaders saying these things. I will show Members a survey which shows that. But why is that so? It is because of our laws and, over the last 54 years, the many, many things we have done to try and build a society based on mutual respect and harmony. Do Members know what happened in Myanmar? Hate speech was directed at the Muslim Rohingyas.”
“Once that is done, it is harder for people to control their emotions and think before they act. People do not have to be extremists to be moved to violence by incendiary rhetoric. Studies show just about any person could be susceptible under the right conditions. A psychologist from Princeton has shown that distrust of an out-group is linked to anger and impulses towards violence against that group. Most people, most of us, are moral creatures. So, you picture morality as being in a gear. At times, it can get disengaged and set to neutral. Morality can get disengaged when we redefine our actions as honourable and we believe that what we are doing is a matter of honour. We believe the victims are deserving of their punishment – they are an out-group, and not quite human. Dehumanisation then takes place. Distrust and contempt against the out-group can be built up. Neuro-imaging studies showed that you then do not think of these people as social beings. So, the lesson is that when hate speech is systematically developed, it becomes socially acceptable to discriminate and to oppress. So, the important lesson is that civilisation must intervene early to prevent hate speech from becoming normalised. Once it is normalised, dehumanisation of the out-group is very difficult to reverse. Let me set out some real world consequences of hate speech. Of course, a classic and extreme example is the Holocaust – how hate speech was used to mobilise an entire population to commit terrible crimes. Jews were considered vermin by Nazi Germany, requiring fumigation by the Aryan state. Rwanda is another example. In 1994, 800,000 were killed.”
“Sir, as the first proposition, I assume and certainly hope there will be unanimous agreement in this House that we must preserve racial, religious harmony in Singapore. Assuming we do, then we have to consider: first, the degree to which hate speech can impact on racial and religious harmony; second, the steps that should be taken to deal with hate speech; and third, the continuum between hate speech and speech which is offensive on race and religion. There is an overlap between the two. So, what do we do about offensive speech? So, let me start with hate speech. It has been defined as "all forms of expression which spread, incite, promote or justify racial hatred, xenophobia, or other forms of hatred based on intolerance." It can fall into different categories on different platforms. For example, religious hate speech can be very powerful; political hate speech can be very powerful, especially if the politician is charismatic. It can be in general discourse, in the mass media. It can be as part of entertainment like music, theatre. This list is illustrative. It is not intended to be exhaustive. What impact can hate speech have? With your permission, Mr Speaker, I have asked the Clerk of Parliament to place handouts on the seats, the various steps, so that I do not need to read out some of the stuff. [Handouts were distributed to hon Members.] Look at Tab 1, hate speech leads to deep social divides. Repeated hate speech increases people's prejudices, feelings of being threatened, and propensity to violence. How does it do so? Hate speech desensitises individuals. It normalises behaviour which we will otherwise consider unacceptable. It stokes anger and fear. It provides a surge of stress hormones. It engages the amygdala, the brain centre for perception of threat.”
“So, my speech will focus on this latter aspect: hate speech, racial and religious harmony. I will cover the following areas. First, I will deal with what hate speech is. An example of hate speech: political leader calling members of a racial, religious group "vermin" that "needs to be exterminated". I will share using research in neuroscience how hate speech interacts with the brain, how logic and reasoning are ineffective. Second, I will touch on the experience of other countries, how they have attempted to deal with hate speech. Third, l will discuss offensive speech as opposed to hate speech and our approach towards it. Fourth, I will discuss the Christchurch shooting and the lessons that we can learn from it. Fifth, I will discuss specifically the cancellation of the Watain concert. Sixth, I will deal with the arguments that have been made against our approach in dealing with offensive speech. And finally, I will discuss the role of social media in propagating hate speech. Sir, with your permission, may I display some slides on the LED screens? I think this has been discussed, some specific slides.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on 7 March 2019, the Government cancelled the permit for a concert due to be performed by Watain. Eight days later on 15 March, a white man shot and killed 50 people – all Muslim – in two mosques in Christchurch. Three days after that, on 18 March, a man of Turkish origin shot and killed three people in the Netherlands. Five days after that, on 23 March, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria's (ISIS') last stronghold fell. Four events, four countries, 16 days. All four tell us how different societies deal with race and religion. Is there a larger picture showing interconnections among the four events? I will suggest to this House that there is such a larger picture, with possible lessons. Sir, hate speech, racial, religious harmony. This is an issue of considerable consequence to our society. I, therefore, propose to make a Ministerial Statement and it is important that we hear Members of Parliament. I will move a Motion later for my Statement to be considered by Parliament and that will allow Members of Parliament to speak on the Statement. I hope that we can reach some level of clarity, agreement, on how we should frame, apply our rules on speech, so as to maintain racial, religious harmony. But one point to note, as a matter of record, regulation of content of entertainment, in general, is one of the Ministry of Communications and Information's (MCI's) important functions. Ensuring, among other things, that we deal with hate speech to prevent conflict, violence among people of different races so as to maintain internal security is one of my Ministry's core functions. My Ministry as a whole, and the Internal Security Department (ISD), in particular, spend a lot of time on this.”
“The average time taken to conclude a civil divorce at the Family Justice Courts (FJCs), where parties consent to the divorce and agree on all issues relating to the divorce, is about four months. Where a divorce is contested, the average time taken to conclude the case is about eight months. On average, cases at the Syariah Court (SYC) are concluded within six months or less, on average, if parties consent to the divorce and agree on all issues relating to the divorce. Where a divorce is contested, it is concluded, on average, within one year from the date of filing the divorce application. Compared to 2015 and 2016, there has not been an increase in the number of divorce cases filed in 2017 and 2018. This applies to divorce cases filed both in the FJCs and SYC.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been looking into the psychological preparedness of the community, such as in the aftermath of a terror attack. In 2017, we launched the Human Emergency Assistance Response Team (HEART). Each HEART Team comprises psychologists and community mental health practitioners from MHA, the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Institute of Mental Health. MHA and the HEART Teams have been working closely with the People's Association to incorporate psychological preparedness as part of our community emergency preparedness. We have been training grassroots leaders and community responders from the Community Emergency Response Team on psychological first aid through the use of skills-based role playing. A total of 1,116 community responders from all the constituencies, as well as an additional 350 Public Service officers, have been trained in psychological first aid. Several HEART Team exercises have been held as part of Community Crisis Response Exercises.”
“I think the primary essence of the Member's question is on how we deal with the ongoing programme on Singapore Muslim Identity. It really needs to be answered by the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs. If I can take one step back, the point the Member made about young Muslims finding it very appealing to look at black-and-white preachings, I do not think that it is restricted to young Muslim youths. I think it cuts across many different religions, races. Beyond religion, as you can see from different parts of the world, black-and-white soundbytes are appealing, even in very mature democracies. It is much easier to listen to simple soundbytes rather than a more reasoned point of thinking. It does take time to put it across. But we know what the challenges are in terms of the trends that have come across. I have said that in my speech. It is not restricted to Muslims. I think it cuts across all religions. We need to try and bring them together and ensure that the secular space that we have created for politics is there. And at the same time, one pursues freedom to practice one's religion, and we guarantee that; at the same time, to create and make sure that the common space we have created is maintained, all will have to contribute to that – the different religious organisations, faiths, people, secular organisations, the Government.”
“Often, that is what the person who is writing the appeal letter is trying to do. Trying to persuade the agencies, that this is the case that comes in a grey area where some discretion ought to be exercised. And the agencies which deal with it, the Police, will have to look at it, see whether it is an appropriate case for discretion to be exercised, and deal with it, and it is all put in writing, so that everything can be looked at, and see whether it conforms to our rules. When the Police respond, whether it is yes or no, and where necessary, the reasons are set out, so that anyone can look at this and ask further questions.”
“There are two parts to this. One is: as a Government, we try and say "no wrong door". So, if a person is entitled to make an appeal on behalf of somebody, for example, a GRA, then if it comes from some other letterhead or he does not mention that designation, nevertheless the agencies will check. If he is a GRA, then it is a little bit pointless to write back to him and say – and meanwhile, time is taken up – "Send it to us on a different note, mention your designation and then we will deal with it". I think that is a very bureaucratic way of dealing with it. We want to try to help the residents. I am sure, so does the Member. 6.15 pm So, in order to help the resident, when the person who is writing the appeal comes within the rules, as in, he holds an appointment either as a Member of Parliament or as a GRA, the agencies will respond, will deal with it and will respond. Because the interest of the Government is also to deal with the appeal in the interest of the residents. At the same time, there have to be some rules of who the agencies will respond to and will not respond to. They cannot respond to everybody who purports to write on behalf of somebody else. How do we know if, indeed, that it is so? If it is a GRA or a Member of Parliament, then we can hold that person responsible for whatever is said. And as Mr Faisal Manap knows, some of these representations can have legal consequences as well. Any other representation from anyone else will be treated as an individual representation. Now, in terms of the status, the weight that is to be given to appeals, proper appeals, appeals by Members of Parliament and GRAs, the fact will be considered and they will be assessed in accordance with our rules. And as Mr Faisal Manap will know, sometimes, there is a grey area.”
“It will be difficult and unwise to give a broad answer to a question like this. It depends much on what is it that the person is planning to do and the degree of association, the help or other kinds of assistance the person who knows has given. Is it just pure knowledge, is it something more? I think it depends on a variety of factors, but such a person who knows of a potential terrorist action would be well advised to report to the agencies. And quite a number of the arrests that the Internal Security Department has made over the years have, in fact, been based on reports from family members, friends, others who have noticed that something is not quite right.”
“The Police will respond, like other Government agencies, to Members of Parliament and GRAs, regardless of any other appointments they may hold.”
“Does Mr Faisal Manap have the letter? And if you do, can you please first check the facts and see if the person was also a GRA, because Police are very clear, they will respond to Members of Parliament and they will respond to GRAs. It does not matter if they have any other positions, but I think you should check and let us know whether that person is also a GRA, and I am sure he would have been.”
“We aim to give more details later this year, after we have thought through some of the issues and done some consultations. Third, we have to preserve the culture of mutual respect for one another’s religions. We have to reach out across religious lines and keep the avenues of conversation open. Religious harmony is built and nurtured on the basis of trust among the communities. So, the Government will continue to provide platforms to facilitate dialogue and build this trust. And, of course, the Government is a key player and partner in this process.”
“Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Ms Rahayu Mahzam and Mr Christopher de Souza asked how we should respond. First, of course, the non-"sexy" bit as it were, is what we have always been doing, that is, continue to build a strong Singaporean identity, preserve and grow our common space and experiences. It is hard work. It is a lot of work and it takes a long time. But we are where we are here today because of all the steps that we have taken over 50 years. 5.15 pm Our education system, public housing and National Service, all examples of us coming together, common space, people of different backgrounds, understanding, creating our own value system, and building common experiences. We have to build a strong Singaporean identity through these common experiences. We also have to guard against segregationist thinking, teachings and practices that seek to reduce the opportunities for Singaporeans of different religions and races to come together. Second, we have to continue to keep religion and politics separate. Our politics, our approach, is secular. We have managed to balance the right to religious freedom, with a secular approach to politics, and with the need to ensure harmony, peace and security in our multiracial, multi-religious society. A key challenge – it is an increasing challenge – is to ensure that we can maintain the right balance in the face of the challenges that Members have spoken about that I have acknowledged. So, we have to work harder in the community to maintain and strengthen the Singapore value system. We also have to review our legislation to deal with some of the challenges. We are reviewing our Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act in this context.”
“I will identify three trends that are of concern. First, resurgence of identity politics around the world. More people are identifying themselves in narrow ethnic, cultural and religious terms. They turn inwards, they reject diversity, they reject co-existence with others. Political parties and movements that ride this wave have gained traction around the world. For example, far-right parties have made electoral gains in France, the Netherlands and Germany. Alt-right movement gained prominence in the US as well. Significant support for religion-based parties and parties which advocate moves in this direction have gained in our immediate region as well. Mr Baey Yam Keng spoke about increasing segregationist ideas and practices. These views are all around. They can come from foreign preachers, they can come from the Internet. One particular example of such teaching is what was said in Myanmar. Ashin Wirathu – some Members may be familiar with him – urging Buddhists to boycott Muslim businesses. And I quote, "do business or interact with only our kind: same race and same faith". So, it is all around us, and he is not alone. The second worrisome trend, as Mr Christopher de Souza and Ms Rahayu Mahzam have noted, the Internet has allowed hate speech and incitement to spread further and faster, and there can be devastating effects. The third trend is religiously-motivated terrorist groups who continue to spread their propaganda. Overseas experiences show that in the immediate aftermath of a terror attack, there is distrust, there is suspicion between communities. And the rise of Islamophobic incidents in Paris and Brussels in wake of attacks would be known to Members. So, how do we respond?”
“Members can understand, Mr Singh can understand, if you committed a crime, you have done this, you go in, you get access to psychology-based correctional programmes which I think they need to address their underlying drug addiction issues. They also undergo skills training and work programmes. For example, we find that for those who, when they come out, are able to keep a job, their recidivism rate is much lower. So, we have to help them while they are in prison to try and get the right attitudes towards getting and keeping a job. SCORE provides job matching to emplace them in jobs before they are released and job coaches to help abusers stay in employment, draw a steady income. We also partner the community, such as halfway houses and religious organisations, to provide various forms of support, for example, interim housing arrangements. So, those with a higher risk profile of re-offending are given more help, through the Mandatory Aftercare Scheme. So, after they get released, they go through the scheme. LT inmates will be put through the scheme and legislation has now made it mandatory. Prisons also work closely with community partners and other Government agencies supported by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to ensure that abusers and their families, when they need financial assistance, can tap on community resources, whether at the point when they get admitted into detention or post-release. We will monitor closely the results from the changes that have been made. Our intention is to try and make it work and we will make further changes where necessary. We will monitor closely. Let me now move on to religious harmony. There are three worrisome trends. Members spoke about them or asked what the Government's response is.”
“Take a situation where there are those who abuse drugs and those who abuse drugs as well as committed crime. Do they need to be treated differently? For those who abuse drugs, the right thing to do is not to look so much at their economic or social background, but to see what is going to help them kick the habit and become useful citizens in society. And our approach, based on many years of data and experience, science- and evidence-based, is that we can do more with rehabilitation. And that has been welcomed by all. At the same time, let us take those who commit crime in addition to abusing drugs. What is in their interest? It is in their interest that we help them both to kick their drug habit and, at the same time, not commit a crime. What is in society's interest? It is also to prevent them from committing a crime and ensuring the safety of society. So, those on the second category need to be helped to move out of criminality and drugs. So, we try and achieve that through a number of programmes, when they are in detention. How to help them, whether in LT or DRC, stay off drugs and crime is something that we are intensely focused upon. And hopefully, with our programmes, regardless of which socioeconomic group they come from, when they come out, they are able to lead a healthy life and a more productive life from their own perspective. So, for example, we have put in place a range of programmes to address the varied and complex causes of both addiction and crime. So, for all drug abusers, Prisons provide psychology-based correctional programmes. So.”
“Our current thinking is that early detection and exposure are critical. Second, we must be able to act quickly and keep up with new digital-age tactics. Third, apart from strengthening our laws, we have to build up the ability of Singaporeans to understand what is happening, to discern, to respond appropriately, and to try and resist foreign interference. We must train people to spot it. But it is a reality that many people will find it difficult. We must also accept that. Some of the steps that I have outlined can only be taken through legislation. The Government will come to this House later this year with its proposals. Let me deal with the concerns raised by Mr Pritam Singh on low-income drug abusers. The Member said that recent changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act may inadvertently operate in favour of drug abusers who come from more affluent households, and are we are doing enough to help low-income hardcore addicts. I think the questions are fair. I will say look at the facts. The Member did preface his speech by saying he does not have the statistics with him. So, with that caveat in mind, if we look at those in long-term imprisonment, nine in 10 inmates, before these changes were made, were from the bottom 20th percentile of wage earners nationally. Long-term (LT) inmates are drug abusers who have been picked up for the third time or more. That data shows that those in the lowest 20th percentile of wage earners are no more likely to have both drug and criminal convictions at the same time, as compared to those who earn more. They will be eligible to be channelled to DRCs if they admit to drug use and have committed no other crime. That is an answer based on the facts in the current situation. But take a step back more philosophically.”
“Hostile information campaigns have been used to weaken countries' resolve when countries are in conflict or tension between states where one country uses hostile information campaign to destabilise the other country. Foreign actors have attempted to undermine democracy and elections in a number of countries. Foreign interference has also come into play to try and weaken the social fabric of different countries. Mr Christopher de Souza spoke about the need to look at what has happened to other countries, how they have dealt with foreign interference, and learn some lessons on what we can do. We intend to do that. We have been doing it. Several countries have, in fact, passed laws to combat both falsehoods as well as foreign interference. I will quote a couple of examples. In Germany, the Network Enforcement Act requires social media platforms to set up a process and the process must ensure that "manifestly illegal content", such as hate speech, should be removed within 24 hours of receipt of a complaint. Failure to comply could mean fines of up to €50 million. In Australia, recently, legislation was passed on dealing with foreign interference. Stiff penalties. There was a complete ban on foreign political donations. And those who act on behalf of foreign nations or entities must declare that relationship. Failure to comply could mean up to five years' jail. And for foreign interference aimed at influencing elections or supporting foreign intelligence, people who engage in that could face a penalty of up to 20 years in jail. The kind of penalties that you see indicate the severity of the threat and how countries are reacting to them. We are studying their experiences. We are studying what has happened to them and what they are doing to combat the threat.”
“The approach for the new Science and Technology Board is to deepen the Home Team's scientific and engineering capabilities. We want to strengthen the operational effectiveness and work on developing new technologies, focusing on threat detection, digital forensics, unmanned systems. Really, it will pool together Science and Technology (S&T) resources, integrate S&T requirements across the Home Team, and attract and develop S&T talent, which is critical. Minister Josephine Teo will speak in more detail about our plans. We will also update the Committee on other plans to maintain Singapore's safety and security. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin will speak on drug abuse prevention, rehabilitation of offenders, cybercrime and the Home Team manpower transformation. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Sun Xueling will speak on improving fire and road safety and also improving community partnerships. I will speak on two emerging concerns, which Mr Christopher de Souza, Mr Baey Yam Keng, Ms Rahayu Mahzam and Mr Gan Thiam Poh have raised: one, foreign interference in domestic politics; and second, trends that may undermine our religious harmony and what we intend to do about both of these. I will also speak about the rehabilitation of low-income drug abusers, a point raised by Mr Pritam Singh. First, on foreign interference in domestic politics. Last month, Senior Minister of State Edwin Tong spoke on overseas examples of foreign interference in domestic politics and elections. I think Members and the public know the impact that foreign interference has on politics in different countries. It is well-documented.”
“Sir, I thank the hon Members for their comments. Twenty-eighteen was an intense year for the Home Team. High-signature events – the Trump-Kim Summit, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit because we were the Chair of ASEAN, and, of course, some issues arose in our waters from the disputed Malaysia Johor Port Limits. So, to deal with that, the Police Coast Guard has been operating at a very high tempo since when the dispute began, round the clock. And the entire Home Team, because of the events of last year, has been working round the clock. I want to thank all the Home Team officers for their hard work, their dedication and the professionalism with which they have approached their work. 5.00 pm Let me move to an overview of the safety and security situation. Like in past years, we continue to rank very highly on indices on safety and security. The Gallup Global Law and Order Report of 2018, the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index of 2019 and the Global Smart City Performance Index of 2018, all ranked us No 1 on this score. The crime and drug situations remain under control and our internal surveys, which we do regularly, show that public trust and confidence in the Home Team remain extremely high. Let me now move on to what we intend to do this year. A significant step this year will be taken to qualitatively improve our capabilities. We are going to set up a new Science and Technology Agency that will help transform the Home Team through the increased use of technology to support operations, for example, through the use of biometric identifiers at our borders, using our sensors to better detect threats, and robotics to automate and streamline processes.”
“There are six companies in Singapore that are exempted from the Dangerous Fireworks Act (DFA), which prohibits the possession, sale, transport, delivery, distribution, import or discharge of dangerous fireworks1. These companies deal with fireworks and pyrotechnic displays for indoor events, such as concerts, and outdoor events, such as the National Day Parade. Notwithstanding their exemption, the six companies are required to comply with strict conditions to ensure public safety, as stipulated under the Dangerous Fireworks (Exemption) Notification 2018. For instance, the fireworks must be certified safe and approved by the competent authority of the country of origin or manufacture, and by the manufacturer. There are also conditions pertaining to the storage of fireworks at the firing point, safety distances and direction of fire. The companies have maintained a good track record. Separately, ambient air and water quality monitoring by the National Environment Agency and the Public Utilities Board have so far showed no long-term environmental impact of concern arising from fireworks displays.”
“In the past five years, an average of around 1,500 inmates each year participated in structured family programmes which have an open visit component. However, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) does not track the number of open visits individual inmates have with their children. SPS will extend such programmes to more inmates.”
“Technically, there could potentially be some offences under the Official Secrets Act, particularly if further action is taken upon receipt, to say, publicise it or send it to others. But as the Minister has said, if it is sent to MOH, I do not see AGC taking action in those circumstances.”
“Between 2017 and 2018, there were 14 calls and letters from members of the public to Traffic Police (TP) on speeding vehicles along Upper Bukit Timah Road, of which eight cases took place at night. In all 14 cases, the stretch of road outside the two condominiums was not cited. There were, however, 15 road traffic accidents on this stretch of road during the same period. Speeding was likely to have been the cause for only one of the accidents. Eight of the accidents involved vehicles that had been making right turns or U-turns. To help motorists make right turns and U-turns more safely, the Land Transport Authority will install red-amber-green arrow lights at some traffic junctions along Upper Bukit Timah Road, including the stretch of road outside the two condominiums, by the end of this year. To deter speeding and other offences, TP will continue to conduct regular enforcement operations in the area. Prominent signage has been installed outside Springdale Condominium, to remind motorists of the speed limit. TP will also consider installing speed cameras in the area if found necessary.”
“Between 2014 and 2018, on average, about 17 motorists between the ages of 18 and 21 were arrested for drink-driving annually. The corresponding figure for motorists with probationary licences was about 111. The table below provides the detailed statistics.”
“The number of reported bicycle thefts has been on a downward trend in the past three years. In 2018, there were 522 cases, compared to 979 in 2016, and around 1,100 to 1,200 each year between 2011 and 2015. The Bicycle Security Label scheme was started in 2011. About 150,000 labels were issued, before the scheme was discontinued in 2017. The Police found that the scheme had limited effectiveness in tackling bicycle thefts. For one thing, it was not difficult to tamper with the labels. There are more effective ways to solve bicycle theft cases, such as through the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footages to identify the culprits. The Police have channelled resources to raise public awareness on preventing bicycle thefts, especially on the use of secure bicycle locks. The Police have also worked with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and shopping malls to install CCTVs covering designated bicycle parking areas. The expansion of Police Cameras has also helped to deter and solve theft cases. With these efforts, the number of bicycle theft cases has fallen significantly, by over 57% since 2015.”
“The vast majority of inmates who are released from prison have homes to return to. For inmates who do not have a place to stay after their release, the Family Resource Centre at the Singapore Prison Service will refer them to interim housing options, such as halfway houses and shelter homes. In the past three years, around 850 such referrals were made. This represents about 3% of the total number of inmates released.”
“The unauthorised use of images per se is not a criminal offence. The Police do not track the number of such cases. However, depending on the contents of the images and how they are used, the person may be committing an offence of insulting the modesty of a woman under section 509 of the Penal Code. Even where no Penal Code offence has been uncovered, if the images cause the victim harassment, alarm or distress, the victim can apply for a Protection Order under the Protection from Harassment Act for the images to be taken down. The victim can also lodge a Magistrate's Complaint to seek redress or compensation.”
“As at 31 December 2018, there were 1,303 stateless persons living in Singapore, 80% of whom are Permanent Residents. Some of these stateless persons came from other countries to live and work in Singapore and lost their foreign citizenship over time. Others were born in Singapore but were not eligible for Singapore Citizenship (SC) at birth as their parents were not Singapore Citizens and did not obtain citizenship for their children from their home country. Stateless persons can acquire SC on the same basis as other applicants. They will need to meet the relevant requirements, such as economic contribution, education qualification, family profile and length of stay in Singapore.”
“In the last five years, about 20% of retired Prison Officers were re-employed. Their re-employment contracts range from one to three years, which may be renewed, depending on organisational needs. For those officers whom Prisons is unable to re-employ because of headcount constraints, Prisons helps them look for suitable job opportunities. The Home Team Career Transition Office also organises regular career advisory sessions for officers to network with potential employers. Officers are provided with time-off and subsidies to attend training to enhance their employability, and to participate in employer attachment programmes. Through these efforts, some Prison officers have successfully secured second careers within and outside the Home Team, such as the Industrial and Services Cooperative Society, halfway houses and in the healthcare and social service sectors. Currently, officers re-employed under the Home Affairs Uniformed Scheme (HUS) get a 3% pay cut to their last drawn salary. We have recently reviewed this guideline. From 1 April 2019, officers will be paid the last drawn salary if they are re-employed in the same level job in the HUS scheme. On the other hand, if an HUS officer is re-employed in a civilian role or deployed to a smaller job, the salary will have to be adjusted accordingly. All re-employed officers are eligible for wage components, such as performance bonus and annual increment, as well as benefits, such as vacation leave, medical care and training. These terms are consistent with the re-employment guidelines for the Public Service.”
“Electronic game loot boxes are virtual items that can be bought using real-world money or in-game credits. These loot boxes yield a range of prizes that can be used in the game, for example, weapons. The specific prizes in each loot box are determined by chance. The Remote Gambling Act (RGA) covers games of chance conducted over remote communications and the Internet which allow players to win money or money’s worth. Given the randomness of the prizes in loot boxes, they are a game of chance. However, whether the loot boxes are considered a form of gambling under RGA depends on whether there are in-game facilities that allow players to convert game credits or any in-game items, for example, weapons and skills, to real-world money or merchandises. The Ministry of Home Affairs has been studying different aspects of this matter.”
“The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is monitoring the commercial and cybercrime workload situation closely and will make resourcing adjustments whenever necessary. SPF has also enhanced its capacity and capabilities to deal with such crimes in other ways. First, better organisation of resources. In 2016, cybercrime investigation, digital forensics training, liaison and policy matters were integrated under a single Cybercrime Command. This has allowed SPF to achieve greater economies of scale and better coordination among sub-units in fighting cybercrime. Second, better training of officers. Officers with the aptitude for cybercrime investigations and digital forensics are given specialised training and deployed to the Police Land Divisions. All frontline uniformed Police Officers and investigation officers have also been trained in basic cybercrime investigations. Third, the use of technology, such as digital forensics, malware analysis and video analytics. This has helped to strengthen the SPF's capabilities and reduce the reliance on manpower. Fourth, working more closely with the community in crime prevention. In concert with the National Crime Prevention Council, the Police have launched several rounds of cybercrime and scam prevention education campaigns to raise public awareness and vigilance.”
“Security agencies are responsible for the training and performance of their security officers. They must ensure that their security officers are trained in accordance with the requirements under the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the security industry. In fact, PWM requirements are part of the licensing conditions for security agencies. Failure to comply would constitute a breach of the licensing conditions, which is an offence punishable with a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both. Security agencies are also required to undergo the annual Security Agencies Grading Exercise (SAGE). The assessment includes whether their security officers are adequately trained and knowledgeable about relevant security processes. Regulatory offences committed by a security agency will also affect their SAGE score. Those that fare poorly in SAGE will be given a D (unsatisfactory) grade, and if they receive two consecutive D grades, their licences will not be renewed. Security agencies can also be taken to task if they are found to have contributed to their officer's offence or errant behaviour.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) does not rely only on the prescribed alcohol limit to determine whether a motorist has been drink-driving. A motorist will be deemed to have done so, as long as he has consumed alcohol and is unable to exercise control over his vehicle. TP also does not differentiate its treatment of drink-drivers based on age or driving experience. Young drivers and drivers with probationary licences are not more likely than other drivers to drink-drive.”
“The Penal Code Review Committee (PCRC) had looked into voyeurism and the distribution of intimate images without consent. In coming up with its recommendations, the PCRC studied other countries' approaches, namely, England, Wales, Scotland, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. PCRC has recommended to make it an offence to take, possess, distribute or access voyeuristic images; and to distribute or to threaten to distribute intimate images. PCRC has also recommended enhancing the punishments, particularly when a victim of these offences is below 14 years of age. The Government has completed its public consultation on the PCRC's recommendations and is studying the feedback. We will announce our response on the various issues within the next couple of months.”
“For those who only consume drugs and admit to their drug abuse, rather than staying in LT, as we said, they will undergo a shorter but a more intensive rehabilitation in a DRC which could be up to four years and then be placed on CBPs and then a longer supervision period. To make sure we are able to intervene as soon as possible if they do relapse, even after they are released from supervision, the Director of CNB can require abusers who have completed their rehabilitation supervision or imprisonment to still report to CNB for urine or hair tests, when required. We will do this in a measured, targeted fashion. Mr Deputy Speaker, we have introduced offences to protect children and young persons from the reckless acts of older people. We have to give the next generation the best chance of leading a drug-free life. Young people who are already on drugs, we must provide them with the support to get out of that cycle as quickly as possible. Hence, the change to mandate parents and guardians of young drug abusers to attend counselling. Sir, we thank Members for the many useful suggestions, especially during last year's Parliamentary Motion on drugs, and today. Together, we will continue to work towards maintaining a drug-free Singapore. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr K Shanmugam.] (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“The reason why – and I have said this many times, for those of us who have children – you will let your 10-year-old child go on public transport in Singapore but you will not let that child take public transport in many other first-world cities is because we are safe, and we are safe because of our drug policies. Let us not forget that. Let us not be seduced by the liberal arguments. Liberalism is not an unfair word. Where it makes good sense, we will take it, as Members can see from major aspects of this policy. But where it makes sense, we must be ready to stand our ground. So, we want to achieve the core goal of reducing drug abuse in Singapore. As Mr Desmond Choo, Mr Pritam Singh and other Members pointed out, there is a risk of these changes being characterised as we are going soft. We will distinguish between abusers who only consume drugs from those who also face charges for other offences and we will point out that the approach we are taking is based on evidence. It is not going hard or going soft. There is no particular merit in being hard for the sake of being hard or soft for the sake of being soft, or attaching labels like right-wing, left-wing, liberal. Actually, all of that is irrelevant. What is relevant is the evidence, how we deal with it, what is in the interest of our society. And we deal with it openly and debate it openly. We set out the facts and we try and come to an agreement. That is the preferred approach, not ideology. Those who face additional charges for other offences will continue to be charged for their drug consumption offences as well as their other offences.”
“Though, if I could decode what Ms Anthea Ong was saying, I think, in context, she was talking about the drug abuser and putting that human being at the centre of our policies, which is usually how debates in this field are often structured. When I say I agree completely, I would add this caveat that I will put also the victims of the drugs at the heart of our policies. And, usually, the victims far outnumber the drug. Let me put it slightly differently. There are victims on both sides. The drug abusers are victims, the drug traffickers, in some way, are the people who are benefiting from it. But there are a lot of people who are innocent bystanders who suffer as a result of other people's drug habits. Let me give an example. These people do not find mention in many of these debates which centre on drugs. A few years ago, there was a little girl – I think she must have been four or five – called Noi Noi, charming, a life full of hope and expectation. Her adult relative, a drug abuser, killed her. She is a victim of drug abuse. She does not enter the statistics in the context of debates on drug abuse. We could well put the drug abuser who killed her in the heart of our policies, but I think we should also spare a thought for the Noi Nois of this world. It is often pointed out by the Singapore Government, in the context of the death penalty, the 15 grammes of diamorphine or pure heroin that a trafficker brings in is enough to feed around 180 drug abusers for one week. Those are all victims, too.”
“Fundamentally, our philosophy of a drug-free Singapore has not changed. But we will continue to take an evidence-based approach. We will see what is it that we can improve, and we will have no hesitation in refining or even changing our policies based on evidence. If I may deal now with the points – again, slightly more philosophical in nature – raised by Nominated Member of Parliament Ms Anthea Ong. She suggested that it is a habit to do with brain structure and could be beyond people's control. I think it will be wrong of the Government to say we will not consider certain things or we will not accept certain things. It is not a hard line which precludes consideration of evidence. We have to, when we deal with public policy, deal with evidence and base our policies on evidence and science. But I will caution against taking approaches which are fashionable – I am not suggesting the approaches the Member suggests are fashionable – and which have been thoroughly discredited if you have looked at the evidence from the countries which have taken that approach. I think their experience shows these approaches to be thoroughly discredited. We will be quite stupid if we blindly follow because the arguments are attractive but not backed by evidence. So, I think there is scope for saying that we will look at research, we will look at evidence, and we will manage our policies accordingly. At the same time, we also have to believe in individual responsibility until evidence shows us otherwise. The suggestion that we have to put human beings in the centre of our policies, I do not think we can agree more.”
“So, you can say, roughly, it has fallen by half. So, we are in a much better situation, but we are in this situation because of the actions that had been taken in the past. At least that is my conclusion. Mr Pritam Singh is right in asking the question. The profile of the abusers over the 20 years has changed with the profile change of the general population as a whole, though I do not have the figures right here to give. The other point is that the drugs of choice have changed as well, from the very hardcore heroin to more NPS and so on. Today, nearly two-thirds of the new abusers are under 30. Again, a different situation, compared with what we had 20 years ago; many with higher educational qualifications, professionals, and many of them use drugs like "Ice" and NPS. Also, over a period of time, we have built a substantive body of evidence-based work on rehabilitation based both on international experience and local research, counselling techniques, psychological interventions, evidence-based programming and technology, and the importance of family involvement, stable employment and the crucial nature of extended post-release support. So, today, we decided that we will make this move. As Mr Pritam Singh and other Members have said, it is not without risks. One of the risks is, of course, how people might characterise it. But people must be slow to characterise the Singapore Government as being weak or soft on drugs. Some people might take that view, but I think we have to do the right thing. The knowledge and experience built up over the last 20 years enable us to take a risk-based approach which, as far as possible, take into consideration an individual's risk and protective factors, so that the intervention is most effective and appropriate.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank all the Members for their support. Everyone who spoke welcomed the Bill and it was across party lines. I will just deal with a couple of points which are slightly more philosophical or, perhaps, a matter of principle. First, is Mr Pritam Singh's point going back to the speech when the LT regime was introduced in 1998. I thank him for the support of the Bill. The LT regime – LT1/LT2 – was introduced at a point when the situation was quite dire. We had about, I think, between 7,000 and 8,000 in DRC. Three quarters of them were hardcore opiate users. They repeatedly went back to heroin, morphine, opium and many were using crime to feed their habit. I can talk about a few other factors but, essentially, we were facing a very difficult situation. And if we did not deal with it decisively, the sense was that it could have gotten much worse. In the context of the very serious concerns that the Ministry then had, the LT regime was conceptualised. The proposals received very strong support from Members and the larger community, and also the people who worked with the addicts. They were very concerned because they could see that many of the addicts they were working with did not change their attitudes. So, decisive action had to be taken, it was taken, and what the LT regime did was to keep away from society many of the hardcore users who could have infected many others, who could have induced many others to come into the drug trade and drug abuse situation. So, together with strong enforcement, more preventive education, improvements in rehabilitation and the LT regime, I think we dealt effectively with the situation. As I said earlier, from nearly about just under 6,000 people being arrested in 1996, we are now down to just about 3,000.”
“But the total detention will not exceed four years, as I have stated earlier. Finally, clause 20 provides the Minister with regulatory powers to provide for the supervision and aftercare of persons who have been convicted under the SAF Act for drug consumption or for failure to provide urine or hair specimens. So, we intend for these groups, like all other groups, to undergo post-release supervision to encourage them to stay drug-free. Mr Speaker, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]”
“Clause 5 repeals and re-enacts section 13 to clarify that the punishment for abetting an MDA offence in Singapore from outside of Singapore carries the same punishment as the primary offence abetted. Clauses 7 and 8 remove the powers of Vigilante Corps members for MDA offences, as they are no longer involved in drug operations. They also extend the powers of "Special Police Officers" to conduct search and arrest for MDA offences, they are often involved in ground patrols or operations which may entail the arrest of drug offenders. Special Police Officers will include full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) and operationally-ready (OR) National Servicemen during their periods of service. Clause 2 sets out the different categories of transport devices to make clear the different types, including unmanned craft, that enforcement officers may seize in the course of investigations. Clauses 6 and 8 define the related powers of search and seizure. Clauses 9 and 11 set out the processes and requirements for forfeiture, return and disposal. Clause 13 allows appointed SAF enforcement officers to collect urine specimens from persons subject to military law, if these persons are suspected abusers. The current practice for suspected abusers is to be committed by Director CNB to a specified place for a maximum of seven days for medical examination or observation. Clause 18 codifies that. It also extends the initial period to which a person may be detained or rehabilitated and the period for which this may further be extended from the previous six months, now to 12 months. This is really to make it more streamlined, when now the detention order of every single abuser in our institutions needs to be extended every six months.”
“Some will still be charged in Court. As I mentioned earlier, those who could be charged would likely be persons who face other criminal charges or deny their drug use. Sentencing trend for first-time drug consumption is usually six to eight months. With one-third remission, the period in custody will come down to four to five months. That is shorter than detention in DRC. Those charged and punished with imprisonment should serve a sentence that is more reflective of the strong deterrent stance against drugs. They should not serve a period which is less than what a person in DRC would serve. Clause 16 provides mandatory minimum sentence of one year for first-time conviction for drug consumption. Previously, there was no mandatory minimum. The mandatory minimum sentence will also apply for first-time conviction for failure to provide a urine specimen or hair specimen. We have also reviewed the antecedents which count towards enhanced punishment for second-time abusers who are convicted in Court and LT. For abusers convicted in Court, clauses 16 and 17, they will receive enhanced punishment or LT, whenever is applicable, if the current offence of which they are convicted is one of drug consumption, or failure to provide urine or hair specimen and their antecedents include any of the following: a previous conviction for drug consumption; a previous conviction for failure to provide urine or hair specimen; a previous admission into an approved institution for rehabilitation; and a previous conviction for drug consumption under the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Act. I will now briefly summarise the other amendments, which are really of a more operational or technical nature.”
“So, I have decided that that should be increased. Clause 18 will increase the maximum supervision duration to five years. So, you are released but you are subject to supervision for five years, which, hopefully, will help in keeping you clean. So, the changes, taken as a whole, mean that if you have abusers who only consume drugs and admit to their drug use, they will undergo shorter but more intensive rehabilitation in the DRC as opposed to LT. And then, they will be placed on CBP, and then they will report for a longer period of supervision of up to five years. During the period of CBP and supervision, the abusers will be encouraged to hold a stable job, strengthen their relationship with their families and build better ties with the community. So, really, the aim is successful reintegration back into society and to reduce reoffending. The journey is not an easy one for abusers. But we want to give them the best possible chance, and we want to motivate them to stay drug-free, and also put in the infrastructure like a longer period of supervision, which can help them in the long term. Clauses 13 and 14 give the Director of CNB the power to require abusers who have completed their rehabilitation, supervision or imprisonment to still report to CNB for urine or hair tests when required. If the person fails to comply, then it is an offence, and the penalty could be an imprisonment or a fine, or both. With the changes we implement, we obviously will track the recidivism rates very closely. If necessary, we will adjust our approach or change. What are the consequences of this? A very substantial number, maybe up to one out of every two persons who are arrested, who would have gone to LT, could now go through this rehabilitation route that I have sketched out.”
“Third-time and subsequent drug abusers, the Prisons will be introducing DRC3 and DRC4. The periods will be longer than DRC1 and DRC2. Clause 18 of the Bill increases the maximum period of detention for rehabilitation; to be increased from three years now to four years. That will apply to high-risk repeat drug abusers who are going to require a longer period of rehabilitation. Those who are assessed to be ready to be discharged from DRC to move into Community-Based Programmes (CBP), they will be put into a halfway house, or a day release scheme from a community supervision centre. Or they could be allowed to go home with electronic tagging. So, from DRC, released into CBP, where you could be leaving in the morning, going and doing your work, coming back at night, really to keep you in as safe an environment as possible. Last week, I just opened the first Prisons-run halfway house. There are other halfway houses, so we work with partners and we financially support them as well. They work quite well. So, after CBP will be the supervision phase. During this phase, the abusers – ex-abusers, hopefully – will be required to report regularly to CNB for urine and hair testing. Prisons, SCORE and CNB will also work with community partners. This is to try and help the abusers in areas, such as job training and support, casework, counselling and befriending. We have been devoting a lot of resources to the post-release support and that is why we feel confident that we can move ahead with this. The risk of recidivism is highest in the first two years. I have given Members the figures for five years. If they can be clean for five years, then the recidivism rates drop quite sharply, particularly for those who are able to keep a job. The current supervision period is two years.”