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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“Thus, I have set out the position in the broadest possible way, outlining the Government's position so that everyone is clear where, as a matter of principle, the Government stands on these issues. Even as we make clear that we do not fully know the exact context in which the imam spoke, the Government's position has to be made clear because matters like these have the potential to escalate with people jumping in, opinions being formed, hardened along religious lines. A National University of Singapore (NUS) academic, Khairudin Aljunied, has come out to criticise the individual who made public what the imam has said. Mr Aljunied has encouraged vilification of that individual. Looking at what Mr Khairudin Aljunied has said, he seems to suggest that it is okay for the imam to say that Jews and Christians should be defeated. He assumes that the imam intended to mean that and Mr Khairudin Aljunied sees nothing wrong with that, even if the imam had intended the meaning of his words. Mr Khairudin Aljunied's position and actions are quite unacceptable. He has jumped into this without verifying the facts and without checking the context. He supports a position that is quite contrary to the norms, values and laws in Singapore. The Police will look into the issues and the conduct of everyone involved quite thoroughly. When such issues arise, it is best that parties referred it to the Police. Going public may inflame the views further. This brings us to SGSecure. In September 2016, we officially launched SGSecure. The objective is to have at least one Prepared Citizen in every household who knows how to recognise and report suspicious behaviour and items, protect their family and themselves and keep calm and reach out to others in times of crisis.”
“Mdm Chair, Mr Christopher de Souza and Ms Rahayu Mahzam spoke about the Police report lodged over an imam's remarks on Christians and Jews. The imam is reported to have quoted a verse from the Quran and he seems to have said, I quote, "God grant us victory over Jews and Christians", amongst other things. And he seems to have repeated it and said it more than once. Investigations are ongoing. We will know the context of what he said once the investigations have finished. At this stage, let me say this to make clear the Government's position. If the imam had referred to the phrase to say, for example, that such phrases can promote ill-will, hatred, enmity or violence against other communities and that this is not acceptable in a multi-religious society, then there can be no objection. But if he had said that Jews and Christians should be defeated and for God to grant Muslim brothers victory over them, to make that very point, then that is completely unacceptable. And if any Member disagrees, I welcome him or her to stand up and clarify. The Government has taken a strict position when Muslims have been attacked. People have been charged and sent to jail. There have been many examples. Let me give one. In 2009, a Christian couple was sentenced to eight weeks' jail for distributing publications that cast Islam in a negative light. The same applies to any attack on any other religion. We will not tolerate any religious preaching that encourages violence or seeks to pit one religion against another. If the imam had not made any inflammatory suggestion, no action will be taken and we will issue a public statement. But if he did, indeed, make such suggestions or had engaged in such preaching, then some appropriate action will be taken. We have to be fair to the imam.”
“He launched a claim against the UK government and was reportedly awarded a million pounds. In 2014, he left the UK to join ISIS in Syria. Last month, he reportedly carried out a suicide bomb attack in Mosul. There is much debate and concern within the UK whether the government's compensation was used to fund ISIS. It is not a question of whether the UK approach was right or wrong. Each country has got to decide its own approach. But it is basically a question of how much risk you are prepared to take with such people. We believe people in our society will not want to allow this to happen here. In Singapore, Jamal would have been detained under ISA. Singaporeans accept a tighter security framework. The second example is Anis Amri, the Tunisian truck driver, who drove a truck into the Berlin Christmas Market last December. Between 2011 and 2014, he served a four-year prison sentence in Sicily for several crimes, including arson. He arrived in Germany in July 2015. He visited radical mosques, mingled with extremist preachers and was linked to extremist networks. The German authorities had him on their radar. Security services closely observed him. But the laws did not allow the authorities to pre-emptively arrest him or produce him in court. Unable to find sufficient evidence as required by them, the monitoring stopped in September 2016. The state police chief said that they had "exhausted all legal powers to the limit to ward off potential dangers". Three months after the monitoring stopped, in December, the Christmas attack took place. We should not reach that stage in Singapore. The trade-off for us is between taking a greater risk or intervening earlier. And my view is we must be able to intervene early and decisively.”
“We completed the installation of Police Cameras in all 10,000 HDB blocks and multi-storey car parks under Police Cameras (PolCam) 1.0. The House was updated on that. We have started installing cameras in public areas − towns and neighbourhood centres and hawker centres. Over the next few years, we will install about 11,000 Police Cameras at 2,500 locations island-wide. We will also develop video analytics capabilities from 2018 onwards and we will continue to strengthen our capabilities through 2017. Amongst these steps, I will share two examples. One, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has started to enrol iris images. This will help ICA more accurately verify a person's identity. For travellers, if they face difficulties with fingerprints, they can still do self-clearance, as long as their iris matches. Two, to further enhance our frontline response capabilities, the Police plan to equip frontline officers with pistols. Pistols will give our officers better firepower, compared to revolvers. They have up to three times more ammunition. On dealing with terrorists, our position is that we will deal with anyone who engages in conduct that is potentially a trigger for terrorism. If necessary, we will detain the person. Otherwise, the person may be counselled or placed on a Restriction Order. ISA allows us to do this and that has helped avoid what has happened in other places. Let me quote two examples that have been widely reported in the media. First, Jamal al-Harith. According to media reports, he is a British citizen. In 2001, he was picked up by American forces in Afghanistan. He was detained in Guantanamo Bay. In 2004, he was released without charge and repatriated to the United Kingdom (UK).”
“The southern region of the Philippines may become an ISIS province or wilayat. It has experienced a wave of terrorism-related attacks. Most recently, on Sunday, a German was beheaded by the Abu Sayaaf Group. ISIS seems to be concentrating on the Southern Philippines. In 2016, four militant groups established an umbrella group called the Islamic State Philippines (ISP) and pledged their allegiance to ISIS. ISIS also endorsed ISP leader, Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Basilan, as "amir", or supreme leader, for Southeast Asia. We need to watch this carefully. The area can attract would-be terrorists from the region and become a safe haven to trained terrorists who can then come back to harm us. Within Singapore, we took security action against nine Singaporeans last year. The Home Team has taken significant efforts to strengthen our computed tomography capabilities in 2016. Mr Christopher de Souza and Dr Tan Wu Meng asked for an update on this. First, we launched the Police Emergency Response Teams (ERTs). Our ERTs are on the ground daily. They are spread out across Singapore. They patrol public places, such as malls and stadiums. They talk to building owners and operators and they familiarise themselves with their operating environment and are trained to respond swiftly to neutralise threats. Two, we sharpened our operational preparedness with major public exercises. In October of last year, we conducted the largest counterterrorism exercise to date, involving more than 3,200 participants. It tested the island-wide response of Home Team and SAF officers for terror threats. Three, we enhanced our Police Camera coverage and video analytics capabilities.”
“All of us face these cases. They arise for a number of reasons, for example, structural reasons, interagency issues. But in perspective, these cases are the exception and not the rule. In a large majority of cases, our public servants are outstanding, dedicated. They go well beyond the call of duty and serve with heart. And I know the Members who spoke share this view. I spoke with Er Dr Lee Bee Wah and Mr Louis Ng and they confirmed this to me. And Nominated Member Kuik Shiao-Yin has made a Facebook post setting out her thinking along these lines. It is, therefore, good to see the position in context. Without an outstanding Public Service, we would not be here. And without an outstanding Public Service, we would not get to where we want to be. Many things go right, so we do not think about them. The Public Service works very hard so that the rest of us can go about our lives seamlessly.”
“An incredible number of the public hold the Police in high regard. Eighty-seven percent regarded the Police as a world-class crime fighting organisation. Ninety percent believe that the Police are ready to deal with any major law and order incidents and are well-prepared to respond to future security needs. So, if we ignore some of the artificially created online attacks on the Police, this is what people on the ground really believe, as opposed to Members coming here and trying to make it out that people say this and people say that and trying to create the impression that the majority believe it. I have no doubt some people believe and I have no doubt that Members are honest when they put it out. But you got to have context. Eight-eight percent felt that the Police provide a high quality of service. All of this reflects the extraordinary level of faith and trust Singaporeans have in the Police Force. I have no doubt that the same goes for the other Home Team departments. I believe, for example, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) ranks very high in the people's assessment. Many law enforcement agencies around the world will envy this. All of these have been possible because of several factors. But a key and critical factor is the immense dedication and commitment of our Home Team officers. This is a survey on the Police Force but, at the broader level, it also gives a perspective to the discussions about the Public Service. Singapore is where it is today because of three key reasons: excellent political leadership, excellent Public Service and excellent quality of our people who are extraordinarily capable. If any one of these factors were absent, we would be in a very different position. I can understand the frustration of Members in individual cases.”
“Madam, if I may make some observations as a background context for many of the questions that had been raised. First, the fundamentals of law and order in Singapore are very strong. The overall crime rate in 2016 was the lowest in the last three years and we were again ranked first in the Gallup's Law and Order 2016 Report. That report studied the public's sense of safety and the public's confidence in the Police Force. Mdm Chair, there has been discussion about the Public Service in the last two days. In that context, let me share with Members a Public Perception Survey that the Police conducted last year, the results of which came to me yesterday. The results will put in context the general discussion on Public Service. On the question of the public's sense of safety and security, 92% rated general safety and security in Singapore as "good" or "very good". Ninety-two percent is quite astounding. The top three reasons were low crime rates, more Police around and fast response to crimes. These again give the context to what most people think. Ninety-three percent felt safe walking in their neighbourhood at night and that was attributed to a highly effective Police Force, more Police presence and, again, quick arrest of criminals. If you think about it, 93% feel safe at night in a public space. You will not get this result anywhere in the world. New Zealand and Hong Kong, also known for good safety, carried out their own surveys. They had 75% of people feeling safe at night. If you go to other first-world cities, I suspect the figures will be much less and, in some cities, you will find much less than 50%. Almost half of the public said that installation of Police Cameras at housing estates made them feel safer.”
“CNB also conducts outreach online to engage persons who may be vulnerable to the online drug trade. CNB will continue to monitor the developments closely and keep up its enforcement and public education efforts.”
“Law enforcement agencies worldwide face the growing challenge of online drugs sale. The anonymity provided by the Internet makes it more difficult to detect and apprehend the offenders. We also face this challenge in Singapore. In 2016, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) arrested 201 persons for buying drugs and drug-related paraphernalia online. This was a significant increase from the 30 persons arrested in 2015 and the six arrested in 2014. For the profile of the offenders, it is more meaningful to look at the 2016 data because the numbers in 2014 and 2015 were small. The majority of those arrested in 2016 for online drug trading were male and between the ages of 20 to 39 years old. Chinese and Malays made up about 50% and 30% respectively of the persons arrested. We do not have data on their individual or family income. The increase in the online drug trade is a direct result of the increasing use of the Internet. More people have taken to the Internet for shopping and other transactions. It not surprising that drug buyers and suppliers are also moving online. Moreover, the Internet offers the cloak of anonymity and therefore a perceived sense of safety. The Internet allows buyers to purchase their drugs without physically meeting with the suppliers. The buyers and suppliers may think that in this way they can better evade detection by law enforcement agencies. CNB works closely with partners such as the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and courier companies to detect and take action against the online drug trade. As part of CNB's public education efforts, the agency works with the media to publish trends and dangers of people ordering drugs and drug paraphernalia online.”
“The two-year recidivism rates for persons released from the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC), Long-Term Imprisonment 1 (LT1) and Long-Term Imprisonment 2 (LT2) from 2012 to 2014 are as follows. The recidivism rates in recent years for drug inmates have fallen significantly from 60% to 70% in the 1990s. In the past few years, several new programmes were introduced to better support the rehabilitation of DRC and LT inmates. Singapore Prison Service (SPS) introduced the Enhanced Supervision Scheme (ESS) in 2012 to provide more intensive support for high-risk Long-Term Imprisonment inmates. They undergo a psychology-based programme during incarceration as well as mandatory casework, individual counselling and community supervision after their release. The Prisons Act was also amended in 2014 to introduce the Mandatory Aftercare Scheme, which provides structured supervision to high-risk offenders as they transition back into the community. In 2014, SPS launched the enhanced Drug Rehabilitation Regime which placed DRC inmates on tailored programmes based on their re-offending risks and severity of drug use.”
“CNB launched the NS Commander Toolkit in June 2016 to equip them with information on drug abuse as well as how to identify and steer potential abusers away from drugs. CNB is also building a community of advocates who will spread the anti-drug message among their peers. Some of our initiatives to advance advocacy for a drug-free Singapore include the forming of the United Against Drugs Coalition and the Anti-Drug Abuse Advocacy (A3) Network. Through these programmes, we aim to mobilise the community to support our zero tolerance approach to drugs. CNB is also enhancing its online presence. CNB uses social media to reach out to this group of abusers to share information about the dangers of drugs, including how drug abuse can harm the abuser’s family and loved ones. In addition to CNB's engagement and PDE efforts, we need rigorous enforcement to keep drugs away from our young. CNB maintains a tough stance against drugs and will not let up on its efforts to arrest drug traffickers who sell to our young. CNB will continue to address the trends of youth drug abuse and online drug peddling through a comprehensive approach of enforcement, education and engagement.”
“Law enforcement agencies worldwide face the emerging challenge of tackling online drugs sale. Traffickers and drug abusers can trade drugs anonymously on online black market websites. This makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to detect and apprehend the offenders. We also face this challenge in Singapore. The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) works closely with partners, such as the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and courier companies, to detect and take action against online drug trade. In 2016, CNB arrested around 200 persons for buying drugs and drug-related paraphernalia online. The majority of these persons were between the ages of 20 and 39 years old. These individuals are vulnerable to the online sale of drugs as they are tech-savvy and are familiar with online transactions. While the total number of drug abusers arrested fell in 2016, there was an increase in the number of new drug abusers arrested. Close to two-thirds of all new abusers arrested were under the age of 30. This is an area of concern. The two-year recidivism rate for drug abusers between the ages of 20 and 29 has been around 34% to 36% in the last three years: Preventive drug education (PDE) is our first line of defence in the fight against drug abuse. This is especially true for younger persons, including those between 20 to 29 years old. CNB reaches out to them through multiple channels. CNB partners key influencers in the community to spread the anti-drug message. For example, National Service (NS) Commanders have regular interaction with their NSmen and are well placed to detect signs of drug-related problems.”
“The Home Team will continue to work with the PTOs to build on the current training and outreach initiatives, including conducting exercises that enhance their preparedness in the event of a terror attack. One such example was Exercise Heartbeat which involved one of the PTOs conducted in September 2016 at Bishan Bus Interchange and Junction 8.”
“SGSecure was launched to sensitise, train and mobilise Singaporeans to play their part to prevent and deal with a terrorist attack. The Home Team has developed advisories and applications to equip and prepare our community in the event of an attack. These include: (a) The "Run, Hide, Tell" advisory which guides the public on how to respond when an attack occurs. (b) The new SMS71999 platform to allow the public to SMS the Police if they see something suspicious. (c) The Police@SG app's i-Witness function which enables users to point, shoot and send information on major incidents and crime to support Police's investigation. (d) The "Improvised First Aid Skills" advisory which teaches the public how to use everyday items to help administer first aid to injured persons in the event of an attack. (e) The SG Secure E-learning package which allows the public to carry out e-learning at their own pace and pick up useful survival skills to stay vigilant, cohesive and resilient. Since the launch of the SGSecure movement, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been working closely with the Land Transport Authority and the PTOs to equip frontline staff with knowledge and skills to respond to a terror attack. The PTOs currently train some of their staff in first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of the automated external defibrillator. The PTOs also support SGSecure's public awareness efforts by putting up relevant safety advisories, such as Run-Hide-Tell and Improvised First Aid Skills in MRT stations. Video messages that remind commuters to be vigilant are also broadcasted at the station platforms and in the trains.”
“Our Home Team Departments and the Public Transport Operators (PTOs) are prepared to deal with emergencies in Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) trains, including fires. In the event of a fire, the automatic fire detection system in the train will be triggered to alert the station staff and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). There are established procedures to evacuate commuters to safety and to deal with different situations, regardless of whether the fire occurs when the train is at the station or on the tracks. Upon arrival, the SCDF will put out the fire, rescue and provide medical assistance to the injured, while the Police will maintain law and order. The Home Team Departments and the PTOs conduct regular exercises to validate and familiarise ground officers with such emergency response protocols. The cause of the fire may be deliberate. In the evening of 10 February 2017, a 60 year-old man tried to hurl a lit Molotov cocktail into a packed MTR train in Hong Kong. The incident resulted in injuries to commuters and disruption to the MTR's services. Arson attacks such as these, whether the act of a criminal or a terrorist, call for a heightened level of vigilance and preparedness. The Police formed the Public Transport Security Command (TransCom) in 2009 to conduct security patrols of our public transport system, including our MRT trains and stations. TransCom officers are trained to look out for suspicious persons and approach them for further checks. They are also the first line of response to any security incidents in the public transport system. The community plays an important role in our efforts to fight terrorism on a sustained basis.”
“Singapore takes a tough stance on economic crimes, such as bribery, fraud and money laundering. Our rates of economic crimes have been low. We are consistently ranked among the least corrupt countries. Commercial organisations, such as companies, are also liable under the law if they commit these economic crimes, or abet the commission of these offences by their employees, contractors, or any business partners. There have been cases in the past where companies were charged for such offences. The current legislative and regulatory levers we have to take action against errant companies are adequate. At this point, there is no need for a further specific provision to penalise a company for failing to prevent a crime from taking place, where the company did not commit and did not abet committing the crime. To ensure that companies adopt good corporate governance practices, the Companies Act imposes various obligations on company directors who provide stewardship of companies. In addition, the Code of Corporate Governance sets out corporate governance best practices for listed companies to comply with or explain any deviation from these practices.”
“The Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT) was established on 1 October 2015 as a forum to help neighbours with difficult disputes resolve their conflicts after avenues such as community mediation, have been exhausted. Between 1 October 2015 and 31 January 2017, CDRT received 109 applications. Out of these 109 applications, 102 claims have been disposed of and seven claims are pending. Out of the 102 claims that have been disposed of, a total of 73 claims were successfully resolved, with 55 claims withdrawn/discontinued and a Consent Order granted in the other 18 claims. As for the remaining 29 claims, CDRT granted orders after trial or dismissed/struck off the applications. The Community Disputes Resolution Act 2015 does not provide CDRT with the power to order a party to undergo a mental health assessment. However, there are existing measures in place to facilitate the referral of parties who may be suffering from mental health issues for examination. The CDRT's in-house psychologists and Court counsellors will first conduct a preliminary assessment on the party's suspected mental health issue. They will then provide inputs to the Judge on whether the party will benefit from a referral to the Institute of Mental Health for medical examination and treatment and facilitate the referral.”
“Sexual crimes are serious and reportable crimes. The Police encourage all victims to come forward to report these offences, so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice. Forensic medical examination is an important part of the criminal investigation into sexual crimes. The Police issue Sexual Assault Examination Kits to Singapore General Hospital (SGH), KK Women's and Children's Hospital and National University Hospital, because these are the only hospitals with 24/7 Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) Specialist Clinics that can facilitate forensic medical examination at any time of the day. Trained O&G specialists use these kits to gather and preserve physical evidence in cases of serious sexual assault, including semen, blood, body fluids and hair, in order to assist the criminal investigation and any subsequent prosecution. It is thus important that a Police report is lodged first, to enable the Police to commence investigations swiftly. The forensic medical examination is not a medical treatment process. A Police report is not needed for the victim to seek immediate medical attention. The Minister for Home Affairs recently announced a new initiative to make forensic medical examinations more convenient for rape victims. The Police have partnered SGH's O&G department to operationalise the new One-Stop Abuse Forensic Examination Centre, or OneSAFE Centre, at Police Cantonment Complex. Since 15 January 2017, adult rape victims whose cases are reported within 72 hours of the assault, and who do not require any other medical attention can go through the necessary forensic medical examination at the OneSAFE Centre, without needing to travel to one of the three hospitals.”
“The ME licensing framework allows legitimate businesses to operate and serve customers in residential areas, while minimising the risk of crime and vice activities through stricter qualifying criteria and operating conditions. Police’s data shows that the majority of vice infringements are detected in unlicensed MEs and not those which are regulated, that is, licensed or exempted. The Ministry, therefore, has no plans to restrict all MEs from operating in residential areas.”
“There are three different categories of Massage Establishments (ME) under Police's licensing framework – Category I, Category II and Exempted MEs. Only MEs with a Category I licence, which has more stringent licensing conditions; or those under the "Exempted" category, which has low risk for vice activities, are allowed to operate in residential areas. Category I MEs are subject to more stringent qualifying criteria than Category II MEs. The criteria for Category I MEs include CaseTrust accreditation and a capital investment of at least $50,000. These conditions ensure that the applicant is a genuine business owner who is willing to invest capital to run a legitimate massage business. The "Exempted ME" category is for low-risk activities, such as open-concept foot reflexology outlets and physiotherapy clinics. These MEs only need to register with the Police and are exempted from licensing. Exempted MEs are subject to strict operating conditions, including no partitions or cubicles within the premises. In addition, all areas in the premises where massage services are carried out must be visible from outside the premises. Police may revoke the exemption of any ME that does not comply with the operating conditions. The Police assess each ME application on a case-by-case basis. The Police will consider other factors that are specific to an area, such as the incidence of vice-related activities or any related law and order issues. Where there is information on vice in any ME, the Police will take enforcement action against the licensee and revoke the ME licence.”
“Legal costs for proceedings at the Small Claims Tribunals are kept low as the process is straightforward and parties appear in person. A Money Order issued by the Tribunals is deemed to be a Magistrates' Court Order and can be enforced through a Writ of Seizure and Sale. The filing fee for a Writ of Seizure and Sale to enforce the Tribunals' order is to be paid by the claimant unless the Court orders otherwise. Currently, the filing fee is $80, which is about half the fee for a case filed under the Magistrates' Court. In addition, there are other associated and ancillary fees, which may bring the total cost of enforcing the Tribunals' Money Order to about $400 to $600. The claimant can recover these enforcement costs from the judgment debtor if the judgment debtor's personal property is successfully seized and sold, and the proceeds of sale are sufficient to cover the costs incurred. The claimant may also apply to the Registrar of the State Courts to waive or defer the payment of such costs. The Registrar will consider all the relevant facts in the specific case, including the claimant's financial circumstances, in deciding whether to waive or defer such fees. The claimant will not be charged a fee for making a waiver or deferment application. The Legal Aid Bureau may also provide legal aid for the execution of a Writ of Seizure and Sale, provided that the applicant satisfies the requisite means and merits tests.”
“The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) will assess every inmate upon admission to understand whether they have any condition, for example, medical, physical or intellectual disability, which may require special attention. Depending on the individual’s profile and needs, SPS would tailor the management approach and rehabilitation programmes for the inmate, such as housing arrangements, where this is practicable. SPS does not currently collate detailed data on the overall number, profile and recidivism rate of inmates with intellectual disabilities. It plans to do so going forward.”
“On 9 January 2017, a group of eight Indonesians tried to enter Singapore through the Woodlands Checkpoint. The Indonesians were referred for secondary checks by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers when they presented themselves for immigration clearance. One of them said that he was a religious teacher and that his travelling companions were his students. He was found to possess images of security concern, including that of a shoe-bomb and fighters from the terrorist group that calls itself the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The group was denied entry into Singapore and turned back to Malaysia from where they last departed. The Malaysian authorities repatriated the Indonesians back to their country of origin after they had completed their investigations. It is the prerogative of the Indonesian authorities to decide on the course of action to take with regard to their citizens. On our part, we have shared our investigation findings on the case with our Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts. We will continue to watch our borders closely and work with our partners to counter the terrorism threat in the region.”
“The percentage of inmates in the Drug Rehabilitation Centres (DRCs) who received the maximum allowable two visits per month is as follows: Requests for additional family visits by DRC inmates or their family members are rare. When requests for additional visits are made, the Singapore Prison Service would assess each request and grant the visit based on the circumstances of the request.”
“The Police are investigating nine incidents of public assembly without a permit relating to the Jallikattu movement. Jallikattu is a bull-taming event practised in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as part of the Pongal festival. It was initially banned in India, which led to protests in India and other countries. There are 114 persons under investigation by the Police for participating in these public assemblies without permits, of whom four are Singaporeans, 23 are Permanent Residents and 87 are foreigners. The incidents took place between 15 and 22 January 2017. We take a strong stand against the importation of foreign politics by foreigners into Singapore. Foreigners visiting or living in Singapore are to abide by our laws and should not import the politics of their own countries into Singapore.”
“One such example was Exercise Heartbeat, which involved one of the PTOs, conducted in September 2016 at Bishan Bus Interchange and Junction 8.”
“Since the launch of the SGSecure movement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been working closely with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Public Transport Operators (PTOs) to raise public transport workers’ awareness of the terrorism threat and to equip them with knowledge and skills to respond to an attack. PTOs currently train some of their staff in first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of the automated external defibrillator (AED). MHA has worked with LTA to incorporate the SGSecure messages of vigilance, cohesion and resilience into the training curriculum for bus captains at the new Singapore Bus Academy. These messages have been included in the taxi driver vocational licence and refresher courses at the Singapore Taxi Academy. These knowledge and skills are also reinforced by PTOs during their staff in-service or in-house training. We will continue to work with LTA and PTOs to incorporate emergency response skills into their training programmes. We are encouraged by the ground-up SGSecure initiatives by the transport industry community. For example, the National Transport Workers' Union organised a counter-terrorism seminar in December 2016 where 200 public transport workers learned how to prepare themselves for a terror attack. The National Taxi Association also organised a number of workshops in November and December last year which trained more than 100 taxi drivers in CPR, AED and first aid skills. MHA will continue to work with LTA and PTOs to enhance the current training and outreach initiatives, including exercises that hone their preparedness in the event of a terror attack.”
“These processes ensure that persons who have committed serious sexual crimes are not employed in sensitive positions which may put children at risk, but without publicly listing sex offenders which will add to the stigmatisation of these offenders and hinder rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.”
“Thirdly, we take a robust approach towards rehabilitation and reintegration of sex offenders, so as to reduce re-offending. For less serious offences, the Court may make mandatory treatment orders requiring the sex offender to undergo psychiatric treatment. Sex offenders who are imprisoned for more serious offences are put through the sex offender treatment programme administered by the Singapore Prison Service, which seeks to reduce reoffending by enhancing self-management of sex offending behaviour. Fourthly, the Police also work with relevant agencies to put in place proactive safeguards. These include conducting talks in Ministry of Education (MOE) schools to educate students on precautions to protect themselves from sexual assault, and to raise awareness of the legal and social consequences of teenage sex. The Police also train teachers and school counsellors to recognise and report tell-tale signs of sexual assault or abuse in students. The Member asked about plans to create a sex offender registry with limited access given to agencies. The Registration of Criminal Act allows the Police to maintain a non-public record of persons convicted of serious offences, including sexual offences. Agencies, such as MOE and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), work closely with the Police to screen prospective employees who are applying for jobs involving children. For example, MOE screens prospective employees for childcare centres, kindergartens and schools with the Police.”
“From 2012 to 2016, the Police investigated an annual average of 325 cases of serious sexual crimes involving victims below the age of 16. Sexual penetration of minor made up the majority of serious sexual crimes, accounting for about 230 cases a year, on average. This is followed by about 75 cases of rape and 20 cases of sexual assault by penetration a year. Over the same period, the Police also investigated about 290 cases of outrage of modesty and 45 cases of sexual exploitation and sexual grooming per year. The trend for sexual crimes involving victims below 16 years of age has been stable over the past five years. We take a serious view of sexual crimes, in particular, when the victims are minors. To tackle these offences, we adopt a four-pronged approach. Firstly, the Penal Code imposes stiff penalties for serious sexual offences. For instance, rape is punishable with an imprisonment term of up to 20 years and also liable to caning. If the rape involved a minor under the age of 14 without consent, the enhanced punishment is an imprisonment term of not less than eight years and up to 20 years with minimum 12 strokes of caning. We have also created specific offences targeting those who take advantage of the vulnerable, such as sexual grooming of minors. Secondly, we enforce these laws firmly. Police take all allegations of sexual offences seriously. Sexual crimes are investigated by specialist units in the Police Divisions and the Criminal Investigation Department. The investigation officers in these units are trained to handle sexual crime investigations, as well as to manage sexual crime victims, including minors, with appropriate sensitivity.”
“Under the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act, consumption of alcohol in all public places, including public areas in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates, is already prohibited between 10.30 pm and 7.00 am. The restricted hours were intended to minimise disruption to the usual activities of most residents as 10.30 pm is the closing time of most businesses in residential areas, as well as the time when most community activities cease. Since the Liquor Control Act came into effect on 1 April 2015, we have observed a general islandwide decline in the number of public order incidents related to liquor consumption and feedback on social disamenities, such as noise caused by people drinking in public late at night. There is, therefore, no necessity to extend the restricted hours for public consumption of alcohol at the present time. The Member's suggestion to extend the restricted hours for certain areas in HDB estates is also challenging to implement. This would result in finely delineated zones within the same HDB estate. Different common areas, depending on whether they were located near residential blocks, would have different restricted hours for alcohol consumption. Members of the public may be confused which zone they are in, making compliance and enforcement difficult.”
“The Singapore Police Force's current practice has been to recruit Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs) as Police Officers. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) requires the majority of Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs) in the Auxiliary Police Forces (APFs) and security officers in the private security industry to be Singaporeans. The APFs and security companies are also required to adhere to the dependency ratio ceiling set by the Ministry of Manpower. For APOs, Malaysia has been the only approved foreign source country. Demand for APOs is growing due to new infrastructure, such as Changi Airport Terminal 4 and Tuas Terminal, and heightened security threats. It is estimated that another 600 APOs will be required over the next few years. The APFs have indicated that they will not be able to recruit sufficient suitable Singaporeans to meet this projected demand. In the last five years, despite their best efforts, the APFs have only been able to expand the pool of Singaporean APOs by 250 officers. To meet the growing demand, APFs are exploring Taiwan as a possible source for APOs. MHA has decided to allow the APFs to recruit Taiwanese APOs to supplement the current pool of Singaporean and Malaysian APOs. These Taiwanese APOs are required to meet the same training, education and physical fitness criteria as imposed on Singaporean and Malaysian APOs. In addition, the Taiwanese APOs must be able to communicate in English and pass an English proficiency test. Their specific deployment will be determined based on our risk assessment and operational requirements. MHA will assess and review the performance of the Taiwanese APOs after they have been deployed for a period of time.”
“That is quite ridiculous. The Government has taken advice. I am satisfied. Anybody who reads it will be satisfied. If the Member feels that there is something wrong, I would leave it to the Member to apply. If the Member is right, a number of anomalies, of course, Justice Chao Hick Tin's appointment as AG would then have been not in order. Secondly, if you look at Article 35(5) − so, according to the Member then, if a person is above 60 − then Article 35(4), since it only applies before the age of 60, then what happens to decisions taken by those people above 60? You must read the Constitution with common sense. "The Attorney-General" − I am reading 35(4) − "may be appointed for a specific period" − and that is the term appointment − "and, if he was so appointed, shall, subject to clause (6), vacate his office − at the expiration of that period, but subject as aforesaid, shall otherwise hold office until he reaches the age of 60". So, it clearly envisages two types of appointments. And it is strange to ask the Government, which has taken a view and has taken advice from AGC: "I disagree with you and therefore would you apply to Court?"”
“He was 63 when he was appointed for a term of two years, and 65 when he left office. And we have had a number of AGs below the age of 60 who were appointed for a specified term: Mr Walter Woon, the current Chief Justice, Justice Steven Chong and Mr V K Rajah. All these appointments were in accordance with the Constitution. And the interpretation I have put forward, Mdm Speaker, is something we have confirmed with the AG's Chambers.”
“I think that would not be an accurate reading. In fact, it would be quite an inaccurate reading. If you look at Article 35(4) carefully, it provides for two types of appointments; appointments in two situations. One, an appointment of an AG without a specific term. That can only be done when the appointee is under 60 years of age. There are two parts to Article 35(4). In that first situation, the appointment ends when he reaches the age of 60. The second situation is when the appointment of an AG is for a specified term, say, two years, three years and so on. That person can be below 60, can be above 60 and the appointment ends when the term ends. And of course, in both cases, the Government may allow extensions beyond the age of 60 or beyond the specified term. The proviso applies in one of those situations when a person below 60 has been appointed, and then he is allowed to carry on beyond 60. Any other reading − looking for a reasonable word − would not make much sense because that would say that you can carry on beyond 60 but only if you have been appointed before you reach 60. And in which case, then the age does not seem to be the relevant criterion. And if you look at past practice, the late Mr Tan Boon Teik held the office until past the age of 63. At that time, the relevant provision stated age 55. Mr Chan Sek Keong, who was AG as well as Chief Justice, was appointed in 1992 at the age of 54. He was appointed for a two-year term past the age of 55. And in 1994, that age in Article 35(4) was changed from 55 to 60. And Mr Chan continued to hold the office past the age of 60 and he was re-appointed for a series of terms thereafter. Current Judge of Appeal, Justice Chao Hick Tin, was above the age of 60 when he was first appointed AG.”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker, for allowing me to answer. No, Article 35(4) does not create an age issue for the appointee.”
“Madam, I am taking this question on behalf of the Prime Minister. The appointment of the new Attorney-General (AG) is in accordance with Article 35 of the Constitution.”
“The Police report the crime statistics annually, broken down into the different crime classes. This information is available on https://data.gov.sg/dataset/overall-crime-cases-crime-rate. Between 2010 and 2015, the conviction rate of persons charged in Court was about 97%. The Member has asked for a comparison between the number of convictions and the total number of crime cases reported. This is not likely to be meaningful for various reasons, including (a) multiple cases attributed to the same offender; (b) not all reported cases require arrests and prosecution. For example, there are, not infrequently, unmeritorious Police reports, and other cases, which for many reasons, result in no further action; and (c) even where investigations are necessary, prosecution may not be the most appropriate option. For example, over 80% of cases running into several thousands involving young people are not prosecuted, for reasons which have been publicly disclosed. Thus, Police do not actively track the comparison between the number of all Police reports made versus the number of convictions which, as has been stated earlier, is not a meaningful comparison.”
“I had addressed the issue of attempted suicide in an earlier reply. It has been a criminal offence to attempt suicide, because it was thought to be important that society should make it clear that people should not take their own lives. Based on the World Health Organisation’s statistics, Singapore's suicide rate is lower than a number of other developed countries. In practice, prosecutions are rare, and Police Officers are trained to respond to cases of attempted suicide with sensitivity and compassion. When responding to such cases, the Police's priority is to ensure the person’s safety. The Ministry of Health has also shared in an earlier reply how Singapore adopts a multi-pronged approach to prevent suicide. Government agencies and social sector organisations work together to try and prevent suicides through upstream prevention, encouraging people to seek help, providing support to at-risk groups and offering crisis support. This multi-pronged approach includes programmes to reduce the stigma in seeking help for suicidal thoughts. Voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs), such as the Samaritans of Singapore, have been actively promoting public awareness on suicide prevention. They have rendered advice and help to persons with suicidal thoughts who call their hotlines. Silver Ribbon (Singapore) also addresses the stigma associated with mental illness, reaches out to those who need help, and encourages them to seek early treatment. The Institute of Mental Health also conducts public education programmes in schools and in the community to increase understanding of mental health conditions.”
“Our law enforcement agencies are committed to improving safety and security in Geylang, while retaining the vibrancy of the neighbourhood. We will continue to work with local community leaders and other agencies to maintain law and order in the area.”
“The Police have installed more Police Cameras and improved the lighting at the Geylang lorongs. A total of 171 cameras have been installed in Geylang since 2015. This is a fourfold increase from the 47 cameras in 2014. The increased street lighting and wider network of cameras enhance the deterrence and detection of illicit activities at back alleys and side lanes, including those mentioned by Ms Chia, such as the peddling of duty-unpaid cigarettes and illegal gambling. Third, to optimise the limited enforcement resources available, the various law enforcement agencies have pooled and reorganised existing Auxiliary Police Officers into multi-skilled enforcement teams. Unlike single-agency teams which have a limited scope of enforcement, these multi-skilled teams allow officers to take action against multiple offences during each enforcement round, therefore, delivering a greater impact on safety and security in Geylang with the same amount of resources. Since April 2016, the multi-skilled teams have performed high-visibility patrols in Geylang and enforced against a range of regulatory offences, including the supply of medicinal and health products without a valid licence, another area of concern raised by Ms Chia. On Ms Chia's feedback about the illegal pasting of advertisements on lamp posts and other public properties, the Land Transport Authority enforces against such activities. Anti-stick paint is applied on lamp posts and other street infrastructures to make it more difficult for advertisements to be pasted on them. Advertisement boards are also installed at areas with high pedestrian traffic to allow advertisers to publicise their goods and services.”
“Over the past three years, serious crimes reported in Geylang, such as robbery and snatch theft, have fallen by more than 42%, from 134 in 2013 to 77 in 2016. Public order-related cases, such as affray and serious hurt have also fallen by 27%, from 51 in 2013 to 37 in 2016. Nonetheless, more can be done to address the other offences and social disamenities at Geylang. The various offences reported in Geylang, such as those raised by Ms Chia Yong Yong, come under the purview of multiple agencies beyond the Ministry of Home Affairs. However, to enhance enforcement effectiveness, the various agencies co-ordinate their actions closely. This coordinated approach is underpinned by (a) information-sharing; (b) leveraging technology; and (c) optimising enforcement resources across agencies. Let me touch on these aspects in turn and explain how they have enabled us to deal more effectively with the specific issues raised by Ms Chia. First, information-sharing among agencies. An inter-agency operations centre (IAOC) led by Police, has been established at the Geylang Neighbourhood Police Centre since May 2016. The IAOC allows multiple agencies to plan and execute enforcement operations in a coordinated manner. Take the example of the sale of duty-unpaid cigarettes, an issue which was raised by Ms Chia. The IAOC's closed-circuit television camera feeds of Geylang allow Singapore Customs and the Police to conduct surveillance, identify persons-of-interest, locate storage areas for duty-unpaid cigarettes, and mount joint operations to apprehend illegal peddlers and seize the cigarettes. Second, our enforcement agencies are deploying more technology to enhance their effectiveness in Geylang.”
“In the past two years, seven foreign domestic workers in Singapore were found to have been radicalised through the Internet. They did not have plans to carry out acts of violence in Singapore at the time they were investigated. However, their interactions with others showed that they had bought into radical ideologies and were on a dangerous path. Their presence in Singapore posed a security concern. They were repatriated to their home countries. Our security agencies will continue to monitor the situation closely and will investigate individuals in Singapore who are suspected of being radicalised, both foreign and local. As part of the global counter-terrorism effort, our agencies actively share intelligence with foreign security partners to tackle this transnational threat. The public must also play a part in protecting Singapore against the terrorism threat. The public should promptly alert the authorities if they notice signs that someone is becoming radicalised.”
“These include passengers who arrived in Singapore in the early hours of the morning and choose to stay in the transit areas until public transportation is available, or passengers who have missed their flight. The Airport Police also partner the airport community to keep a lookout on the ground, and exercise vigilance against suspicious behaviour or objects which may pose a threat to our airport. The airport community including staff working at the transit lounges are trained by our security agencies to detect and report suspicious people and articles so that further checks can be conducted. The Airport Police have engaged the transit lounge operators, advising them to be vigilant against possible abuses of boarding passes and to promptly report any suspicious cases. The Airport Police are also working with the transit lounge operators to review the process of screening travellers entering the transit lounges. The Airport Police are also liaising with airlines. Airlines need to assist by alerting when passengers do not turn up for a flight. In this case, it was the vigilance of four airport staff that had led to the detection and arrest of Raejali. Police have also recognised them by commending them with the Public Spiritedness Award on 20 September 2016.”
“On 21 August 2016, a Malaysian, Raejali Buntut, entered the airport transit areas after clearing departure immigration. He checked into Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal 1 using a valid boarding pass and a Priority Pass card, which allows the card holder access to various airport lounges at Changi Airport. He was due to depart for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at 7.05 am on the same day. Raejali overslept in the lounge and missed his flight. Instead of informing the airline, which would have assisted to book him onto another flight, he remained in the airport transit areas for 18 days. He visited various transit lounges using his Priority Pass and forged electronic boarding passes. On 7 September 2016, Raejali re-entered the Dnata transit lounge at Terminal 1. Dnata lounge staff became suspicious after seeing his visits to the lounge and alerted the police. He was then arrested. Police investigations revealed that Raejali had come to Singapore for job interviews. After missing his return flight to Kuala Lumpur, he decided to stay on in the transit lounges as he waited for the result of his job interviews. Raejali was charged in Court for forging boarding passes to cheat the airport lounges and was sentenced to two weeks' imprisonment. This year, about 4.85 million passengers passed through the transit areas every month, or more than 160,000 passengers per day, in Changi Airport. Our security agencies conduct regular patrols and checks on persons and identify those who do not have a valid reason to remain within the transit areas. Every day, on average, about eight passengers are escorted out of the transit areas because they do not have a valid reason to be in the transit areas.”
“Mdm Speaker, I have dealt with this several times. I do not think I need to repeat myself.”
“Mr Faisal Manap, one does not have to characterise the Constitutional Commission's proposals. What I will say is that the Constitutional Commission gave many important recommendations which were directly relevant to the questions that were asked. In addition, it added an observation for the Government to consider if it wished and if it wanted to accept. That is what the Commission said, and I think we will keep to the Commission's words.”
“In your position paper, you say, on the election of one elected President, that it is super elitist and it is such a narrow criterion and so on. But then you turned around and you said, you want 16 people with the same qualifications to run for the Senate, of whom eight will be elected. So, I am pointing out that one of your objections to this whole Elected Presidency is that it is super elitist. But then that major objection is made eight times worse because you want the same people to run for your Senate. So, how does your proposal deal with the objection? That was the point I was making. I think it was a simple point, and you could not have misunderstood.”
“If I may deal with the last point first. I did not talk about a referendum. I do not think it arises from what I said, and I think Mr Perera got more than what he wanted yesterday from Dr Puthucheary on the question of a referendum. I do not think he wants similar treatment this afternoon. As regards to politicisation, I am not sure that the Member has understood what we have said. We understand and accept that there is a risk. The Prime Minister talked about it. Others have talked about it. There is a risk. We have always acknowledged the risk. We do not run away from the problem. But when you balance out, ultimately, the requirement for a custodian to safeguard the Reserves from dishonest people who will want to raid the Reserves, it is a bigger risk. You need to deal with that bigger risk. And until and unless someone can suggest a better system, our assessment is that this is a risk worth taking. And as our experience shows, if you elect good people, good Presidents, the risk is well manageable. The alternative that is being suggested is a complete disaster. You are so embarrassed by it, you do not even want to answer questions on it now. As regards to the CPA and gridlock, I am able to deal with it. The Member has gotten it wrong, but Deputy Prime Minister Teo will respond. I did not touch on the CPA. As regards to your criteria and my suggestion or supposed contradiction in saying there might be too few people or too many people, and at the same time suggesting that this is too elitist, I think the Member could not have misunderstood what I said. The problem is not with what we are saying, the problem is with what the Member is saying.”