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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“Private lotteries clubs (PLCs) are issued permits under the Private Lotteries Act to operate jackpot machines. There are currently 84 PLCs in operation, compared to 97 in 2010. Since 2010, the Police have issued seven new PLC permits, while 20 PLCs have ceased operations. The private lotteries' duties from jackpot machines operated by PLCs between financial year (FY) 2006 and FY2015 are listed in the table below.”
“The Police believe that the Jurong West market fire on 11 October 2016 was caused by arson. The Police have arrested a male Chinese. He has been charged. Investigations at the incident site revealed that fire was set to several styrofoam and cardboard boxes at two different stalls. As a result, the fire spread quickly from these two areas to the other parts of the market. The fire was set probably at about 2.30 am in the morning. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received multiple 995 calls about the fire at 2.42 am and arrived within six minutes. By 4.26 am, the fire was fully extinguished. The property damage was extensive and three residents who had breathing difficulties were conveyed to hospital. SCDF adopts a risk-based approach in prescribing mandatory fire safety requirements for building premises. Automatic fire sprinklers have not been a requirement for all buildings. Such systems are useful in controlling fire spread in higher-risk premises, such as those with a large open floor area of more than 4,000 square metres, high-rise enclosed buildings of more than 24 metres in height, or enclosed basements. It has not been mandatory for wet markets like the Jurong West market, which are not enclosed and are designed to be well-ventilated. The deliberate act here is more appropriately dealt with as a criminal act. SCDF's assessment is that there is no need for additional Fire Code requirements on all wet markets.”
“In some situations, payment of ransom, for kidnapping, could be an offence under the Kidnapping Act. Beyond that, payment of ransom, for example, to be free from some other threat, is generally not an offence. There is a trend on the Internet, termed as "ransomware", where a cybercriminal locks the victim’s files, computer system or mobile device and restricts its access, until a ransom is paid. While it is generally not an offence to pay ransom to a cybercriminal who deploys ransomware on the victim’s computer or device, victims are, nevertheless, advised not to pay the perpetrator. There is no guarantee that their files can be recovered even if they have paid a ransom. There have been instances where users were unable to access their files again. Instead, victims of ransomware should lodge a Police report as soon as possible. Prevention is key to avoid falling prey to ransomware and other cybercrime. Individuals should be careful when dealing with emails from unfamiliar sources or when interacting with strangers on the Internet, and not to download suspicious files or open attachments in emails from these unfamiliar senders. The public and corporations should also protect their computers or devices with firewalls, spam filters and up-to-date anti-virus software. They should also back up their data regularly.”
“Police Officers are trained to respond to cases of attempted suicide with sensitivity and compassion. Persons who attempt suicide are emotionally and psychologically distressed. When responding to such cases, the Police's priority is to ensure the person's safety. Police Officers will look out for signs of suicidal tendencies, and what actions to take. The Police usually arrest persons for attempting suicide in order to prevent them from doing harm, either to themselves or to others. In these cases, the Police Officers will make an assessment and apply handcuffs when there is a need to ensure the safety of the person, the escorting officers or members of the public in the vicinity, or to prevent the person from absconding. For persons taken into custody, depending on their condition, they may be taken to the Police station for investigation, sent to the hospitals directly for medical treatment, referred to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for psychiatric treatment, or to the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) for counselling. The Police do not maintain data on the number of persons referred to IMH or SOS. However, only two out of 1,096 cases of attempted suicide reported in 2015 were eventually prosecuted. The purpose of arrest is primarily to ensure that the person receives the appropriate help, and not to bring charges. For persons who are brought back to the Police station, the Police will not detain them longer than is necessary to investigate the case and to process the necessary referrals. The actual duration of detention depends on the circumstances of each case.”
“The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) introduced the enhanced Drug Rehabilitation Regime in the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) in 2014. Under the enhanced regime, SPS officers will assess the inmates’ risks of re-offending and severity of drug use upon admission. For higher-risk inmates, SPS will assign Correctional Rehabilitation Specialists to conduct high-intensity counselling programmes for them. The counselling programmes address multiple risks and needs, such as criminal thinking and drug addiction issues. Lower-risk inmates will go through lower-intensity intervention programmes where they learn about the consequences of drug use and pick up skills to prevent relapse. All DRC inmates also undergo general programmes which help them in their reintegration journey. These include family support programmes, employability skills training and religious services. SPS will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the enhanced Drug Rehabilitation Regime. As for the enhanced regime that was only implemented in 2014, the evaluation is still ongoing.”
“The two-year recidivism rates for persons released from the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) and Long-Term Imprisonment 1 (LT1) from 2010 to 2013 are as shown in the table below. The recidivism rates of drug inmates have come down significantly from 60%-70% in the 1990s. The improvement was a result of rehabilitation programmes, as well as tough enforcement measures. Singapore Prison Service (SPS) has been continuing to enhance its rehabilitation programmes. For example, under the enhanced Drug Rehabilitation Regime introduced in 2014, inmates are placed on programmes tailored to their drug addiction issues and re-offending risks. SPS also introduced the Enhanced Supervision Scheme in 2012 to provide more intensive care for high-risk LT inmates. The aftercare enhancements include mandatory casework, individual counselling and community supervision.”
“Studies commissioned by the Norwegian Gaming and Foundation Authority indicate that the share of the Norwegian population that participated in gambling decreased from about 70% in 2007 to 58% in 2015. Even as we take into account the experiences of other jurisdictions, we need to be careful about drawing strict parallels with them. Notably, the social context and the regulatory environment differ from one jurisdiction to another. So while we learn from their experiences, we will continue to closely monitor the situation in Singapore and make adjustments, if necessary, to ensure that our exempt operator regime achieves its objective of mitigating law and order and social concerns arising from unauthorised gambling.”
“Similar to Singapore, Hong Kong and Norway have also allowed authorised operators to complement a general prohibition of remote gambling. These authorised operators run remote gambling services in a highly regulated environment. The nature of remote gambling, especially underground illegal gambling, is such that it is hard to get accurate details of the extent or the exact number of people who are gambling. There may be a range of estimates and this applies to any jurisdiction. There are some studies and analyst reports on the experiences of Hong Kong and Norway. They suggest that an exempt operator regime can mitigate the extent of unauthorised remote gambling. Hong Kong’s authorised operator, Hong Kong Jockey Club, launched its online betting service in 2001, and its mobile app-based betting in 2011. A report from H2GC consultancy estimates that the share of the remote gambling market in Hong Kong attributed to unauthorised offshore operators halved between 2003 and 2015. Norway’s authorised operator, Norsk Tipping, launched online casino games in 2014. Gambling prevalence studies commissioned by the Norwegian Gaming and Foundation Authority indicate that the percentage of Norwegians who played illegal online casino games decreased by about one-fifth between 2013 and 2015. Hong Kong and Norway's experience also suggest that allowing for authorised operators has not resulted in higher gambling participation rates. Studies commissioned by the Home Affairs Bureau in Hong Kong indicate that the share of the Hong Kong population that participated in gambling decreased from about 78% in 2001 to 62% in 2011.”
“Racial and religious harmony is fundamental to Singapore’s peace and prosperity as a nation. Our laws against the incitement of hatred and disharmony among racial and religious groups are contained in the Penal Code, Sedition Act and Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act. The Telecommunications Act also includes a provision that criminalises the sending of false messages. Offences under these laws are subject to imprisonment or a fine, or both, for a first offence. For example, section 298A of the Penal Code criminalises the promotion of enmity among different groups on grounds of religion or race, or any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony among different religious and racial groups. The offence under section 298A is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years, or a fine, or both. Under the Sedition Act, it is an offence to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility among different races or classes of the population of Singapore, which is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to $5,000 or both, for a first offence. Subsequent offences are dealt with more severely. There have been prosecutions for transgressions. We should have no tolerance for those who seek to undermine Singapore’s racial and religious harmony. The Government will continue to take a tough stand against those who seek to do so. We will review our legislation to ensure that they remain relevant.”
“Racial and religious harmony is fundamental to Singapore’s peace and prosperity as a nation. Our laws against the incitement of hatred and disharmony between racial and religious groups are contained in the Penal Code, Sedition Act and Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act. The Telecommunications Act also includes a provision that criminalises the sending of false messages. Offences under these laws are subject to imprisonment or a fine, or both, for a first offence. For example, section 298A of the Penal Code criminalises the promotion of enmity among different groups on grounds of religion or race, or any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony among different religious and racial groups. The offence under section 298A is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years, or a fine, or both. Under the Sedition Act, it is an offence to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility among different races or classes of the population of Singapore, which is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years, or a fine of up to $5,000, or both, for a first offence. Subsequent offences are dealt with more severely. There have been prosecutions for transgressions. We should have no tolerance for those who seek to undermine Singapore’s racial and religious harmony. The Government will continue to take a tough stand against those who seek to do so. We will review our legislation to ensure that they remain relevant.”
“Singapore does not allow dual citizenship. We are a small and young nation and it is important that our citizens have a long-term commitment to building a future together. Singaporeans enjoy rights and privileges as citizens and are expected to uphold the duties and responsibilities that come with citizenship. Allowing Singaporeans to retain or acquire a second citizenship is unlikely to enhance that commitment, but could instead dilute it.”
“The priority of the Police in a hostage situation is to ensure the safety of the hostage and the people in and around the incident location, such as the public and Home Team officers. Where possible, the Police will seek to resolve the incident without any person coming to harm. The tactics employed to achieve this objective would vary according to the incident. I cannot go into the specific operational details for this case. In general, the Police will engage the hostage-taker to seek a peaceful resolution, even if it could lead to a prolonged stand-off, such as in this case. There are risks involved for the hostage and people in and around the incident, when a storming operation is carried out. The Police did not storm into the flat earlier as it was assessed that the hostage-taker did not pose any immediate danger to the child if he was not provoked. As a result, the ground decision was taken to de-escalate the situation by deploying the Crisis Negotiation Unit to talk to the hostage-taker to persuade him to surrender. When negotiations were not successful, the Police had to assess the right timing to break into the flat without putting the child at risk. The Police eventually succeeded in rescuing the child, unharmed, and apprehended the hostage-taker. No one was injured in the operation.”
“Since 2015, there were a total of 233 hit-and-run accidents involving injuries and seven involving fatalities. About one-third of those involving injuries, which comprise the bulk of such accidents, have been solved. Of the seven fatal hit-and-run accidents, all but one have been solved. As part of investigations into such accidents, the Traffic Police (TP) will examine all available forensic evidence as well as camera footage from the accident scene and its vicinity. TP will also appeal for witnesses through multiple platforms, such as displaying witness appeal signs at the accident location and broadcasting appeal notices via mainstream and social media. Once the identity of the offender or vehicle is established, TP will spare no effort to bring the offender to task. TP also work through various partners like the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, the insurance and motor workshop industries to locate the vehicles. TP obtain accident information, including the damage to the vehicles, from the General Insurance Association. TP will also engage motor workshops as part of its investigations. We take a tough stance against motorists who flee from an accident scene. All motorists must stop when they are involved in an accident and render aid to the victim. Severe penalties are meted out to hit-and-run offenders to deter motorists from fleeing from the accident scene. Offenders can be fined up to $3,000 or sentenced to imprisonment of up to a year. The offender will also be disqualified from driving for at least a year. These charges are in addition to charges under the Penal Code, if death or hurt is caused in the accident.”
“Based on the employment facilitated by the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) in 2015, the median salary of ex-offenders was on average about 10% lower than the median salary for similar occupations in the market. Of the 2,157 inmates assisted by SCORE in 2015, 1% (or 30) were matched to white-collar jobs. This figure has been fairly consistent over the last five years. Employers' support for the acceptance and fair employment of ex-offenders is key in helping them rebuild their lives. As ex-offenders make the effort to turn over a new leaf, we hope that society, including employers and the community, will stand ready to support them.”
“LTA will also build more pedestrian crossings to facilitate safe crossing. TP works closely with LTA on the "Silver Zone" initiative, which brings senior-friendly road safety features to mature estates with high concentrations of elderly folks. LTA will expand the Green Man Plus Scheme, which allows seniors extra time to cross the road by tapping their senior citizen EZ-Link cards. It is also the pedestrians’ individual responsibility to ensure that they practise good road safety habits, including not jaywalking. We would like to remind pedestrians to always use proper pedestrian crossings, for example, traffic light junctions, zebra crossings, overhead bridges and underpasses. All road users have a part to play in keeping our roads safe. Other road users, including motorists and cyclists, also need to look out for pedestrians.”
“To get a sense of the jaywalking situation, the Police monitor two indicators: the numbers of fatal and injury accidents involving pedestrians who jaywalked. In 2011, there were 25 fatal accidents and 292 injury accidents involving jaywalkers. In comparison, in 2015, there were 22 fatal accidents and 208 injury accidents involving jaywalkers. While the numbers of fatal and injury accidents involving jaywalkers have fallen, nevertheless, jaywalking remains an issue we are concerned about. We need both enforcement and education to tackle this issue. The Traffic Police (TP) deploys officers at jaywalking hotspots to enforce against jaywalking and educate pedestrians on safe road use. On average, in the last five years, TP issued about 7,400 warnings or summonses for jaywalking each year. TP regularly engages pedestrians on road safety and good road-use practices, especially the young and elderly, who are more vulnerable. Last year, TP partnered Shell to organise the 35th Shell Traffic Games to educate primary school students on road safety. TP also partnered the Singapore Road Safety Council, Tote Board and Singapore Pools to organise the Road Safety Concert for the Golden Age to educate elderly pedestrians about safe road-use. TP will also be launching another road safety campaign targeting the elderly later this year. The campaign will provide an easy self-test kit for elderly pedestrians to learn more about their visual, hearing and reflex capabilities, and help them better understand themselves and the risks of jaywalking. The Government will continue to implement road safety features for pedestrians. For example, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has installed metal barriers along the road or centre divider to discourage jaywalking.”
“Our priority is to ensure the security of Singapore’s borders. All travellers, including Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, are required to undergo security checks and screening at the checkpoints. Where necessary, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) may conduct further interviews and checks. There is no reason or justification from a security perspective to state that an entire category will be exempted from interviews, including foreign spouses of Singapore citizens. There is no blanket exemption even for Singaporeans – where necessary, ICA interviews Singaporeans. To pre-exempt any person or group from such checks and interviews will create a security gap. Once you announce to the world that a certain group will not be interviewed or checked, then you effectively announce to the terrorists which route can be exploited. We can be compassionate, but should not engage in practices which are innocent of the ways of terror. ICA facilitates the clearance of travellers with special needs, such as pregnant women or elderly persons, where necessary and practicable. This, however, has to be done without compromising security.”
“The inter-agency workgroup on Video Recording of Interviews (VRI) has completed a round of consultations with the legal community, including the Law Society of Singapore and the Judiciary. MHA had previously announced that we will start a pilot of VRI in the first quarter of 2016. After taking into account the feedback received, we have decided that it would be better to first put in place the necessary legislative amendments before starting the VRI pilot. This was announced during the opening of the Criminal Law Conference on 14 July 2016. The legal framework will set out the procedures, admissibility and disclosure regime. We will announce details on the legislative amendments and the VRI pilot in due course.”
“It has been a criminal offence to attempt suicide. It was thought to be important that society should oppose people taking their own lives. In practice, prosecutions are rare. Police officers try to respond to cases of attempted suicide with sensitivity and compassion. Persons who attempt suicide are emotionally and psychologically distressed. When responding to such cases, Police's priority is to ensure the person's safety. Police officers try to look out for signs of suicidal tendencies and take this into consideration in their response. As regards arrests, Police arrest persons for cases of attempted suicide usually to prevent them from doing harm, either to themselves or to others. When it is assessed that there is no such risk, they may not be arrested. It is on this basis that 837 persons were taken into custody for attempting suicide, out of 1,096 cases of attempted suicide reported in 2015. However, only two of them were eventually prosecuted. For all cases of attempted suicide, Police will recommend the appropriate follow-up. Police may refer the person to the Samaritans of Singapore for counselling, or engage the next-of-kin to assist in supporting and caring for the person. If there are clear signs indicating possible mental instability, Police may refer the person to IMH for an assessment of the person's mental state. If deemed necessary by medical professionals, the person may subsequently be warded at IMH for care and treatment.”
“The practice of law in Singapore is subject to licensing and regulatory requirements under the Legal Profession Act, whether the legal services are provided online or otherwise. Section 33 of the Legal Profession Act sets out the services that can only be provided by persons who are duly qualified and authorised to practise law in Singapore. A person who breaches this provision is liable to be prosecuted for an offence. At present, there is a wide variety of products and services offered online to assist those with legal needs. Some, though not necessarily all, of what is offered may constitute legal services regulated under the Legal Profession Act. Each provider has its own service model, and some of these online providers may not even be physically based in Singapore, even though their products and services may be accessible from Singapore. It is not practical for the Ministry to proactively seek out and monitor each and every website that purports to offer assistance to those with legal needs for compliance with the Legal Profession Act. Members of the public may visit the Legal Services Regulatory Authority's portal on MinLaw's website to check if the service provider is a licensed law practice. If a member of the public is of the view that there has been a breach of the regulatory requirements, he or she can file a complaint with the police, which can then look into the matter.”
“However, if the foreign parent chooses not to apply for, or fails to acquire, such foreign citizenship for the child through his home country, then the child will become stateless. A child born in Singapore will become stateless if neither of his parents is a Singapore citizen or a citizen of another country.”
“Each application for Permanent Residency (PR) and Singapore Citizenship (SC), including those submitted by stateless individuals, is evaluated on a range of criteria, including economic contributions, educational qualifications, family profile and length of stay in Singapore. The person must be able to make a positive contribution to the country as a citizen. The fact that there are SC family members, for example, an SC spouse or child, would be a plus factor in the evaluation. The circumstances in which the person became stateless may also be relevant. People may, for example, have chosen to give up their foreign citizenship, or may not have acquired foreign citizenship because of the actions/inactions of their parents. There are also some who are stateless, by reason of not applying for citizenship in Singapore previously. The different circumstances will have to be considered, and not everyone who is stateless and in Singapore can be treated in the same way. As of end August 2016, around 82% of the stateless persons in Singapore have become PRs and enjoy the various benefits, such as healthcare, housing and education, that are accorded to PRs. These stateless PRs can also acquire SC if they meet the necessary requirements. A child born in Singapore to a stateless parent may be eligible for SC at birth. This can happen if his other parent is a Singapore Citizen and the parents are legally married to each other at the time of his birth. A child born in Singapore to a stateless parent may also obtain foreign citizenship. This can happen if the child’s other parent holds foreign citizenship and manages to obtain foreign citizenship for his child through his home country.”
“Each application for Permanent Residency (PR) and Singapore Citizenship (SC) is evaluated holistically on a range of criteria, including economic contributions, education qualifications, family profile and length of stay in Singapore. The objective is to assess how committed the applicant is to sink roots here, and how well the applicant is able to contribute and integrate into our society. However, we do not reveal the detailed criteria for granting PR and SC as it is not in our interest to do so. Revealing the detailed criteria would, among other things, create sensitivities in their countries of origin. For child applicants, there may be instances where a child is granted SC but not the foreign parent. For example, a child born to a foreign parent who is legally married to an SC at the time of his birth would be entitled to the grant of SC under our Constitution. However, the foreign parent is not entitled to SC in the same manner and would need to meet prevailing criteria to qualify for PR or SC. In such cases, we would not deny the child the grant of SC, even if his foreign parent does not yet meet the prevailing criteria for PR or SC. Page: 84 Foreign spouses who do not qualify for PR or SC may be granted a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP+) for them to remain in Singapore with their families. For foreign parents who are widowed or divorced and have sole custody of young SC children, we would generally facilitate their continued stay in Singapore through a renewable LTVP or LTVP+, to allow them to care for their children here.”
“As of 30 June 2016, about 10,000 Singapore Citizen (SC) children under the age of 21 had foreign parents who were residing in Singapore on either a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or a Work Pass. Based on the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's (ICA) records from 2012 to 2015, there were around 14,000 unique non-Permanent Resident (PR) foreign parents with SC children under 21 who applied for LTVPs. We do not have the 2011 data on hand because the reports were in hardcopies and did not allow us to perform the analysis needed to extract this data. Of these 14,000 parents, around 13,000 of them were female. Among this group, only 1% or 148 of them were widowed, divorced or separated. Only three did not eventually qualify for long-term stay through an immigration or employment facility. As of 31 August 2016, the SC children of these three were still residing in Singapore.”
“Foreign spouses married to Singapore Citizens (SCs) may be granted Permanent Residence (PR) under the Family Ties Scheme (FTS). Each application is evaluated on a range of criteria, which include an assessment of the ability of the SC sponsor to support the family, the length of marriage and whether the couple have any children from the marriage. From 2009 to 2015, on average about 4,000 such PR applications were approved each year and about an equal number were rejected each year. Foreign spouses who do not qualify for PR yet may be granted a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) for them to remain in Singapore with their families. Those who are granted LTVP are allowed to seek employment to help support their families. Over time, the foreign spouse can qualify for a Long-Term Visit Pass Plus (LTVP+) if the marriage proves stable, or if there are SC children from the marriage. The LTVP+ provides the foreign spouse with longer periods of residency and subsidies for inpatient services in public hospitals. The profile of foreign spouses of SCs who were granted PR from 2009 to 2015 is as follows: a) around 45% had a monthly household income of less than $4,000, which is around the 25th percentile of monthly incomes across all resident households in 2015; b) around 81% were female; and c) at the point of application, around 28% of them had children. Of them, around 86% had SC children.”
“Since the amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act in 2012, information provided by drug couriers have contributed to the arrest of more than 80 drug traffickers.”
“We do not release data on the number of traffickers arrested in Singapore due to operational security reasons. However, we can share that there was a dip in the number of drug traffickers arrested in 2010 and 2011, compared to the preceding years. The numbers have gone up since 2011 but remained below the 2009 figure. Several factors could have contributed to the increase in the number of traffickers arrested since 2011. These include a worsening regional drug situation, local demand for drugs such as methamphetamine and cannabis, and stepped up enforcement efforts by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB).”
“ProCom officers will be trained and deployed to protect key installations in peacetime and national emergency. They will also be responsible for event security at key national events. Three, Police Land Divisions. Since August 2016, NSmen in the NPCs have been reorganised and centralised at the Police Land Division Headquarters as the Division Special Task Force (DSTF). DSTF NSmen will be recalled and deployed in sections or troops to enhance camaraderie, as well as command and control. DSTFs will project greater Police presence in the heartlands and crime-prone areas. Four, Special Operations Command (SOC). Police NS Public Order Troops will be established in SOC by 2018. These troops will have public order capabilities similar to the Police Tactical Troops (PTTs) comprising regular officers. The NS Public Order Troops will bolster SPF's public order capabilities. These troops can also be deployed for anti-crime patrols or for major events with public order concerns. SPF's priority in the next few years is to implement the Police NS Transformation Plan well. Police NS officers can look forward to meaningful roles, more training and development opportunities, new concepts in operations and the application of advanced technology.”
“The percentage of Police Operationally-Ready NSmen (NSmen) recalled in the last three years has steadily increased, from 76.9% in 2013, to 77.9% in 2014 and 81.4% in 2015. The Police will call up as many as possible. Some of the reasons that the National Servicemen (NSmen) were not recalled include NSmen who were temporarily not deployable pending a review of their medical status, family emergencies or critical work commitments. Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) and ORNSmen are an integral part of the Singapore Police Force (SPF). In line with the recommendations of the Committee to Strengthen National Service, the Police has been increasing the percentage of NS officers holding leadership and specialist roles. The Police developed its NS Transformation Plan in 2014, to better train and deploy NSmen for greater operational effectiveness and offer a more meaningful NS experience. Under the Police NS Transformation Plan, the roles of NSmen in the following four areas were re-designed to enhance the Police's capabilities. One, Community Engagement (CE). SPF has proactively re-deployed NSFs and NSmen into frontline CE roles since May 2016. As CE officers, they undertake duties as part of the Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) Community Policing Units. They undergo training that focuses on essential emergency preparedness knowledge, crowd management and evacuation skills. They reach out to members of the public to raise awareness on crime prevention and counterterrorism. The NSFs will perform the same roles back in the same unit when they return as NSmen. Two, Protective Security Command (ProCom). ProCom was commissioned as a new Police line unit in July 2016. ProCom will comprise the largest group of Police NSFs and NSmen.”
“From 2009 to 2015, an average of around 4,600 citizen children were born in Singapore each year to mothers who were Permanent Residents (PRs). For the same period, an average of around 2,200 citizen children were born to foreign mothers who were not PRs.”
“The Traffic Police is currently reviewing the upper age limit for driving instructors. We will announce the outcome of the review when it is completed.”
“To enhance our community response, two key pillars in SGSecure – "Stay United" and "Stay Strong" – will specifically focus on the need for the community to stay united in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, pull closer together by helping one another, and be able to bounce back quickly to show that we will not be cowed. SGSecure will be officially launched by the Prime Minister on 24 September. Members will hear more about the SGSecure programmes which the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and its partner agencies will be rolling out across the various domains, such as schools, workplaces, National Service community and community groups.”
“SGSecure is a call to action to Singaporeans to unite and prepare for the threat of a terrorist attack. SGSecure builds on the work that we embarked upon in 2006 under the Community Engagement Programme, or CEP. The CEP began as an initiative to preserve and strengthen communal harmony and cohesion in the aftermath of a terror attack. We decided to do this because we saw what happened after the London 7/7 bombings in 2005, when some segments of the community became targets of hate crime. Over time, the CEP expanded its objectives to also prepare our people to be resilient and better prepared for any crisis or emergency. In the last 10 years, the CEP has laid the groundwork and built networks of trust, so that we will stand strong and united. In today’s heightened security climate, it is even more urgent that we continue to strengthen the bonds among our various communities. Terrorist attacks can have a crippling effect on societies that extends beyond the physical devastation. In some instances, we have seen how terrorism has fomented distrust among fellow citizens, making their efforts to stand united and bounce back as one people more challenging. There are lessons for Singapore in this regard. We must ask ourselves how we will react when a terrorist attack happens here, especially if the perpetrators are fellow Singaporeans. Will our communal ties remain strong? Will we be able to overcome suspicion and fear? Will we refrain from pointing fingers, and instead help and support fellow Singaporeans, regardless of race or religion, to overcome the trauma of an attack?”
“Security and background checks for Government jobs are not unique to Singapore. Many countries do so. The checks are done in a variety of contexts by different agencies and departments. Several factors could be relevant, including the security classification of the position, the nature of work and the confidentiality of the information that the position deals with. It is difficult to be more precise because the question is so broad. And for operational reasons, I will not be able to go into how or when such checks are done. As regards the second part of the question on safeguards, the information collected for security checks is looked at, and assessed where possible against other relevant information for reliability and accuracy. Officers are guided by their supervisors as necessary on what to look out for when assessing the information. I am unable to say more without getting into confidential operational procedures.”
“The number of road accidents involving pedestrians has remained fairly stable over the past three years, with an average of 952 such accidents. We do not have the breakdown of the number of accidents that are related to the use of mobile phones or personal electronic devices. It is not practical to ban the use of electronic devices by pedestrians when they are walking or crossing the road. A better approach is to instil good road safety habits in road-users. In this regard, the Traffic Police conducts outreach programmes to raise road safety awareness. Such educational and engagement efforts include road safety training for the public, as well as talks and exhibitions at schools and community events. Last year, the Traffic Police introduced the "Use Your RoadSense" movement to inculcate good road behaviour and practices amongst all road users, including pedestrians. This includes the importance of pedestrians remaining alert to their surroundings and not be distracted when using the roads.”
“The Registrar of Societies refused 20 society applications from 2005 to 2015. The applications were refused on grounds provided within the legislation under the Societies Act. They have been refused where the society was likely to be used for purposes that were unlawful or prejudicial to public peace, welfare or good order in Singapore; the applications did not comply with provisions under the Societies Act or its regulations; or where registration of the society would be contrary to the national interest.”
“The Singapore Police Force (SPF) equips its officers with the skills to tackle online crimes, through specialised and structured training programmes. Newly-appointed Police Officers undergo both theory and hands-on training on how to respond to online crime as part of their basic training programme. Those appointed as Investigation Officers receive additional training on how to search and seize information technology (IT)-related evidence on laptops and mobile devices, and the proper handling of such evidence. Police’s cyber investigations and forensics capabilities have also been strengthened. Last year, Police established a Cybercrime Command in the Criminal Investigation Department to build up capabilities to combat cybercrime. In addition, Cybercrime Response Teams were formed in the six Police Land Divisions to equip frontline units with the necessary investigative and forensic capabilities to deal with cybercrime. Page: 159 To combat e-commerce scams, the Police reach out to organisations such as financial institutions and remittance agencies, to train their staff to detect victims of scams when they process remittance requests. Police also engage online advertising portals to proactively identify and remove fraudulent advertisers from these online platforms. In addition, SPF has forged close partnerships with international and local partners to tackle cybercrime. These partners include the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation, Infocomm Development Authority, the Cyber Security Agency (CSA), local research institutes and institutes of higher learning. Such partnerships strengthen SPF's cyber-forensic and detection capabilities in areas, such as malware analysis and uncovering trends in online scams.”
“The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) currently manages 45 black and white bungalows in Sembawang. Twenty-nine of them are currently rented out, while four units are available for rent as residences. The remaining 12 units are safeguarded for Government agencies which are exploring other uses for these properties. SLA has appointed a managing agent to carry out regular maintenance on all the vacant properties. The maintenance works include housekeeping, grass cutting, tree pruning and vector control. SLA's managing agent also carries out painting, building, mechanical, electrical and interior works before the properties are let out, or during tenancy renewals. Repair works are also carried out when necessary. SLA ensures that none of these properties falls into a state of disrepair. The Government recognises the heritage value of these bungalows. The Urban Redevelopment Authority will take this into consideration when studying the future development plans for the area. Page: 156”
“Police conduct road blocks to deter and detect crime. The safety of Police Officers and the general public is an important consideration in the planning and execution of roadblocks. Light beacons and signs are also placed ahead of the roadblocks to give motorists advance notice to slow down their vehicles, while officers don reflective vests to make them more prominent to road users. Police vehicles are deployed in a manner to cause approaching vehicles to slow down safely. The vast majority of motorists who encounter a roadblock comply with the directions of the Police. In the event of an evasion, Police will pursue the vehicle with full consideration for the safety of road users. Police will alert road users through the use of sirens and blinkers. Members of the public are advised to give way to Police vehicles in a safe manner. Depending on the circumstances, Police will terminate the pursuit if it becomes too dangerous. Roadblock evasion is irresponsible and dangerous. As such, my Ministry amended the Police Force Act last year to increase the penalties for such offences. Offenders can be fined up to $5,000 and/or jailed up to one year. This is aligned with the penalty for the Penal Code offence of rash driving or riding which endangers the life or personal safety of others. Motorists who evade Police roadblocks or otherwise endanger the lives of others will be dealt with firmly under our laws.”
“This issue is being reviewed actively. We will give an update when the position is clearer.”
“Unlicensed moneylending (UML)-related cases registered a 10-year low in 2015. There were 4,862 UML cases reported in 2015. These include UML harassment cases, as well as other UML-related cases, for instance, carrying on or assisting in a UML business. This was a 25.8% reduction when compared to 2014. The number of cases has come down substantially to about a quarter of the cases reported at the peak in 2009 when there were 18,649 cases. The number of persons arrested for UML-related cases decreased by 8.6% from 1,643 persons in 2014 to 1,501 persons in 2015. This is a decline from the 1,981 arrests in 2011. In the period from 2011 to 2015, a total of 2,845 persons were sentenced to imprisonment and caning by the Courts. Under the Moneylenders Act, an individual who acts as a UML, or assists the UML to conduct his business, shall be sentenced on conviction to a fine of up to $300,000, seven years' imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane. An individual who commits UML harassment shall be sentenced on conviction to a fine of up to $60,000, nine years' imprisonment and 18 strokes of the cane. Police will continue to take a tough approach and clamp down on all manner of UML activities.”
“In addition, we have also taken steps to retrain and redeploy older officers. For instance, in the Singapore Prisons Service (SPS), older officers with their wealth of knowledge are retrained to take up new roles as Reintegration Officers to supervise offenders after their release into the community. Job redesign is an ongoing effort to ensure our jobs remain relevant and challenging and to enable Home Team officers to contribute effectively. This way, the Home Team can continue to keep Singapore safe and secure.”
“The Home Team works in a dynamic operating environment. We face evolving threats and challenges which require us to develop new concepts of operations and capabilities. There are also new opportunities presented by innovation and advances in technology. We, therefore, regularly review and redesign our jobs in the Home Team to ensure they remain relevant in supporting our mission. For example, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has redesigned the job of the Fire Rescue Specialist. Their Fire Rescue Specialists are now dual-trained in both firefighting skills and emergency medical technician (EMT) skills. With the EMT skills, our firefighters can also attend quickly to victims of fire and trauma incidents. This allows SCDF the flexibility of deploying a single set of personnel for both fire and rescue and improves the overall effectiveness of its operations. Our firefighters benefit as well. They are now equipped with a wider range of professional skills. The Home Team also leverages innovation and technology to increase the productivity of our officers. For example, the Police Coast Guard (PCG) is exploring the use of Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) to carry out localised surveillance patrols, project presence and intercept intruding vessels to enhance its response capabilities. With the use of USVs, the focus of PCG officers will be on critical maritime functions, such as conducting anti-smuggling checks on vessels, without compromising security coverage and control of our waters. The Home Team values the experience, skills and knowledge of our officers. The development of our officers is, therefore, a key priority, in particular, to help them take on new roles and redesigned jobs effectively.”
“A total of 838 youths were arrested in 2015 for shop theft and 58% of those arrested were male and 74% were first-time offenders. The trend has remained roughly stable compared to previous years. These youths may have committed shop theft for a variety of reasons. Some did it for material gains, while others were influenced by peers. Youth crime, including shop theft, is a multifaceted problem, and we need to tackle it on multiple fronts. Besides law enforcement agencies, schools, retailers, the social services sector, parents and youths themselves, all play a role in reducing youth crime. The National Committee on Youth Guidance and Rehabilitation was established in 1995 as an interagency committee to reduce juvenile delinquency and youth crime. Since its formation, the committee has supported several developmental, prevention and rehabilitation programmes to reach out and help youths-at-risk. For example, parenting programmes organised by schools, voluntary welfare organisations, grassroots organisations and community clubs help parents to discipline as well as instil the right values in their children. Police have been working with schools to raise awareness among youths on the consequences of committing crime. These efforts include school talks, crime prevention exhibitions and Youth Engagement Programmes, which engage at-risk students through meaningful activities, such as soccer leagues. Police have also enhanced their crime prevention outreach using more interactive modes. One example is the installation of interactive touchscreen game panels at bus stops near youth congregation areas like the "Scape" youth park, to spread anti-shop theft messages to our youths.”
“In addition, all heavy vehicles with maximum laden weight exceeding 12 tonnes for goods vehicles and 10 tonnes for public service vehicles are required by law to be installed with speed limiters, which restrict their maximum speed to 60 kilometres per hour. Such vehicle owners are required to send their vehicles for annual inspections at registered vehicle inspection centres to ensure that the speed limiters are in working condition. Heavy vehicles with speed limiters are also required to undergo additional speed limiter inspections, if these vehicles were caught speeding. Those caught tampering with their speed limiters can be fined up to $1,000 or imprisoned up to three months, while repeat offenders can be fined up to $2,000 or imprisoned up to six months. TP and the Land Transport Authority are reviewing measures to further curb heavy vehicle traffic violations and will announce the changes in due course.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) adopts a three-pronged strategy of education, engagement and enforcement, to promote safe driving by heavy vehicle drivers. On driver education, learner drivers, including those who drive heavy vehicles, are taught to occupy the most appropriate lane as part of the driving school syllabus. Heavy vehicle drivers go through a more rigorous course than other drivers in order to obtain their licence. One must have a Class 3 driving licence to apply for a Class 4 licence, and have a Class 4 licence to apply for a Class 5 licence. Beyond the basic driving courses, employers are encouraged to send their heavy vehicle drivers for refresher or defensive driving courses offered by the driving schools. TP regularly engages heavy vehicle drivers on road safety and good driving practices. In 2016, TP partnered stakeholders, including vehicle inspection centres like VICOM, merchant associations, the Workplace Safety and Health Council, and the Ministry of Manpower to carry out an outreach campaign to educate heavy vehicle drivers. TP maintains a tough enforcement stance against errant drivers who flout speed limits and other traffic rules. In addition to fixed speed cameras, from early this year, TP deployed mobile speed cameras and new Police speed laser cameras to enhance its enforcement at speeding hotspots. Heavy vehicle drivers currently face stiffer penalties for traffic offences, compared to other drivers. Heavy vehicle drivers caught exceeding the speed limit by up to 40 kilometres per hour will be given fines ranging from $160 to $200 and four to eight demerit points. Heavy vehicle drivers caught exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 kilometres per hour will be charged in Court and given 12 to 24 demerit points.”
“In the last two years, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) recruited close to 1,300 Police Officers. The retention rate has been stable, with an annual resignation rate of 2%. There are, however, limits to how far we can sustain this pace of recruitment. Like the rest of the Civil Service, the SPF headcount is subject to a manpower management framework. The rate of recruitment will slow down over the next few years, in line with the slower growth in the overall local workforce. Given the many new demands on SPF, whether it is to deal with the terrorist threat, cybercrime or transnational organised crime, it is important that we continue to recruit the best officers that we can within the manpower cap. It is also important that we make the best use of the Police Officers that we have by developing new concepts of operations, make smarter use of technology and invest in the training and development of our officers. We are currently in the midst of redesigning our Neighbourhood Police Posts (NPPs) as part of the new Community Policing System. We are studying how we can better use technology at NPPs to provide round-the-clock automated services for residents, while allowing us to redeploy Police Officers away from NPPs to more critical areas, such as patrols in the neighbourhoods. We will explore how to better position NPPs as key nodes and rallying points for our community volunteer programmes, such as SGSecure. There are currently no plans to increase the total number of NPPs but there may be relocation of some NPPs as the population shifts to new housing estates.”
“Scams are now being committed not just through phone conversations, but also over the Internet, as accessed through mobile phones and computers. Such scams include credit-for-sex scams, Internet love scams, kidnap hoax scams and lottery scams. There were 2,450 of such cases in 2015, compared to 1,007 cases in 2014. In the last two years, 127 persons were arrested in connection with these cases. Scammers convicted of cheating are liable to imprisonment terms of up to 10 years and a fine. The Ministry of Home Affairs will continue to ensure that our laws are relevant and effective against scammers. Perpetrators of scams come from many different countries, including China. They do not select specific targets; they do a general sweep and hope that they strike at least a few victims. We have not observed any specific targeting of elderly victims. The Police recognise that public education is key in preventing members of the public from falling prey to scams. The Police regularly publicise crime advisories via different media platforms, such as Crimewatch episodes, newspapers, the Police's Facebook page and the National Crime Prevention Council’s Scam Alert website. The Police have also strengthened efforts to reach out to the public, particularly the elderly, through Community Safety and Security Programmes and educational roadshows. In 2015, the Police conducted more than 80 roadshows in the community. We urge the public to exercise caution and vigilance to avoid falling victim to scams.”
“Contributions to the Central Provident Fund, amounts for dependants' living expenses and the applicant's Housing and Development Board flat are automatically deducted from the calculation of disposal income and disposable capital. In addition, further deductibles can be applied in certain special circumstances, such as where the applicant is suffering from sudden physical or mental disability which permanently and severely restricts the applicant's capacity to earn an income. However, there is no special category for bereaved families, because legal aid is granted based on the applicant's financial status. In 2013, the Act was amended to allow approximately 25% of Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents to qualify for legal aid under the means test, up from 17% previously. The Director of Legal Aid was also given discretion, in family proceedings which involve children or protection orders, to ensure that the most vulnerable persons in a family dispute are eligible for legal aid.”
“When a person passes away, the next-of-kin will have to apply to the Family Justice Courts to obtain the necessary documents that authorise specific persons to undertake the administration of the deceased’s estate. The next-of-kin may check the Courts’ website for an information guide or contact the Courts for any queries relating to the filing of Probate. If the estate value does not exceed $50,000, the next-of-kin can apply to the Public Trustee to administer the estate, subject to certain criteria, for instance, that there are no conflicting claims to the estate and that the estate does not have any outstanding debts. For estates of higher value, the next-of-kin will have to engage a lawyer to assist in the estate administration, and the costs of doing so can be recovered from the estate. Persons of limited means may also approach the Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) or legal clinics in the community for legal advice. LAB receives around 10,000 applications per year, of which around 7% are probate, letters of administration and other estate cases, collectively referred to as "estate cases". Between financial year (FY) 2013 and FY2015, LAB received a total of 1940 applications for estate cases. Of these, 1,566 applications, or about 80% of applications, qualified for legal aid, but not all of them followed through. To qualify for legal aid in civil matters, under the Legal Aid and Advice Act, applicants will have to satisfy a means test. The means test is satisfied where the applicant's disposable income is not more than $10,000 per year and he or she has not more than $10,000 of disposable capital.”