K Shanmugam
Singapore
“Bank accounts are frozen when there is reason to suspect that the bank accounts are involved in illicit activities, including money laundering activities.”
“The Singapore Police Force does not track the requested data. Distinguishing artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content typically requires more detailed forensic examination which may not be necessary in every investigation and may also not be conclusive as to whether AI-generative tools were used.”
“The Building and Construction Authority’s Code on Accessibility provides baseline requirements for accessible and inclusive buildings. It stipulates a minimum width of 1.5 metres or 1.8 metres for primary accessible routes, depending on the building type.”
“The Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Driving Licence) Rules under the Road Traffic Act set out the scope of the medical assessment required for motorists aged 65 and above who wish to retain their driving licences.”
“When a Police report has been made, the Police will investigate to determine if a criminal offence has been committed. If there is reasonable suspicion that a case is scam-related, the Police can direct online service providers to restrict Singapore users' access to the relevant online activity under the Online Criminal Harms Act.”
“Through intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement actions, the cross-border operation disrupted a transnational drug trafficking syndicate and downstream drug trafficking activities, with the UK arresting seven persons so far and further investigations underway.”
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“In this GE, the WP released its own statement on 26 April, the day after ELD and MHA had issued their statement. The WP statement stated that no promises, commitments or agreements were made to Deros in exchange for political support. In the circumstances, given the fundamentals of our multiracial, multi-religious approach and the ideals set out in our pledge, more needed to be said by WP and it needed to be said immediately after Deros had made his posts. First, on the timing of WP's statement. On 23 April, Deros publicised his meeting with WP. That was on Nomination Day. He said that WP were the only ones who took him seriously. He called on all Muslims in Singapore to vote for WP if they agreed to his demands. He also called on Tampines residents to vote for Mr Faisal Manap, specifically over Minister Masagos. The next day, 24 April, Deros continued to speak publicly about his meeting with WP. He said that he had met with all of WP's Malay candidates. He also repeated his call for Tampines voters to vote for Mr Faisal Manap. Only on 26 April did WP issue its statement. That was more than two days after Deros publicised his meeting with WP and after the statement by ELD and MHA. This was during the campaign period, when every day made a huge difference. This delay, on such an important matter, begs many questions. It can confuse the ground. For example, sections of voters might be misled into thinking on those two days that WP was possibly considering Deros' demands. Deros was saying all these things and WP was silent. MHA and ELD had to step in and say that this was unacceptable. And after that, the WP issued its statement. Second, the WP's statement was ambiguous. It said that no commitments, promises had been given and no agreements were reached.”
“Just consider one example from our history, which few in this House will remember. In the 1963 GE, after we became a constituent state in Malaysia, the PAP won all three Malay-majority seats in Singapore at that time – Geylang Serai, Kampong Kembangan and Southern Islands. The PAP's Malay candidates beat Singapore Umno Malay candidates in these constituencies. The Umno leaders in Kuala Lumpur were furious. They were not going to allow a non-communal party, like the PAP, make inroads into what they considered to be their special preserve. So, they launched a vicious anti-PAP and anti-Lee Kuan Yew campaign. Malay Singaporeans who voted for PAP were called traitors. The leading Malay leader in the PAP then, Encik Othman Wok, was called a "kafir". Chinese-Malay relations spiralled down. And within 10 months, we got the riots of July 1964. That is all it took, 10 months, to unravel everything. Hence, when Deros started making dangerous statements, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong decided to go public. He felt that he must respond robustly to Deros. And he did so. I will come back to this later. On 25 April, my Ministry, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Elections Department (ELD) released a joint statement highlighting the dangers of mixing religion and politics. This was in the middle of the GE. The statement also urged all political parties and their candidates to do their part to safeguard the harmony in Singapore. On 26 April, the Prime Minister held a press conference. He called on Singaporeans to reject efforts to bring race and religion into politics. He asked all political parties to take a clear stand on two principles: one, that identity politics has no place in Singapore; and two, that we should never mix religion and politics.”
“If we go down this path of canvassing based on identity politics, the result will be that most parties will appeal to the Chinese vote, and the minorities will feel the squeeze and will be marginalised. When you try and get the Malay/Muslim vote in this way, and if the Malay/Muslim community responds, the other communities, in particular, the Chinese, will quickly notice and very likely start to view the Malay/Muslim community with suspicion, along communal lines. This is what happens in many countries and our sense is that something like that may have started to happen in Tampines. Many Chinese voters in Tampines seem to have observed the communal nature of the appeals to the Malay voters, and they seem to have chosen to take a different direction during this GE. But this sort of racial dynamics in politics is very bad for Singapore. The same can happen with religions – Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism. These will emerge as the dominant religions influencing politics that will cause deep resentment and anxiety among Muslims, Hindus and other groups. In the US now, there is a blurring of lines between religion and politics. There was an article published by Spiegel International two weeks ago on 2 October 2025. The article reported that prominent US religious leaders are openly pushing political agendas. One even called for the establishment of an “American theocracy” and banning Muslims from holding public office. Instead of rejecting these ideas, some politicians in the US are promoting them in order to get votes. More citizens have also become more accepting of political violence in the name of furthering religious ideals. Bigger countries may possibly survive with these sorts of divisions. Singapore – we will certainly be divided, damaged and ruined.”
“On 24 April, Deros made further public statements. He reiterated his call for Tampines voters to vote for Mr Faisal Manap. He also said that he had spoken to all of WP's Malay candidates. Deros was saying that he would rally votes for any political party that agreed with his demands, demands which were along racial religious lines, and he was comparing two Malay/Muslim candidates and saying, vote for Mr Faisal Manap because he has been a more vocal champion of race and religion for Malay/Muslims. That was the main troubling issue, not whether some of his demands were absurd or whether one agrees or disagrees with his demands, or whether one agrees or disagrees with his assessment of candidates. Asking Singaporeans to vote for political parties and candidates along racial religious lines is a reckless thing to do. It also sets a dangerous precedent. If we allow this, other racial and religious groups will have similar demands and we have to allow them to make similar calls, too. The natural result in a democracy will be that the largest and the best-organised religions and races will get their way. They will have the strongest lobbying power and the most number of votes, and political parties will have to listen to them. The other natural result is that the followers of different races and religions will clash. Followers of different faiths can hold beliefs that are essentially incompatible with one another. If different groups press their religious ideals hard, instead of compromising with one another, and if the Government prioritises the views of one faith over another, conflict is inevitable.”
“We may look stable now, but we are no more stable than other countries, which I have cited, were before their communal relations became worse. With this background, let me turn to a few troubling incidents during the recent GE. During the last GE, one Noor Deros came to prominence. He is a self-styled preacher based in Malaysia. He has been denied accreditation as an Ustaz here in Singapore, because he refused to comply with the Code of Ethics under Singapore's Asatizah Recognition Scheme. He refused, despite being counselled by the Asatizah Recognition Board. On 19 April this year, two weeks before the GE, Deros issued a public statement. He said that he would campaign for any political party which could meet his list of demands. These demands included: one, adopting Islamic economics by changing the financial system to a non-interest-based model. Another demand was that policies aimed at preserving existing racial proportions should be ended. Some of his demands were absurd, I would say very damaging. For example, his demand that we change our financial system to be more Islamic. The financial industry contributes to 14% of our gross domestic product (GDP). It employs nearly 200,000 people. It is vital to our economy. This man, who is based in Malaysia, wants to stop all of that. It is madness. On 23 April, Deros put up two Facebook posts. He said only the Workers' Party (WP) was taking his demands seriously. Deros said that he would invite Muslims in Singapore to vote for WP if they agreed to his demands. He also portrayed WP's Malay/Muslim candidate in Tampines, Mr Faisal Manap, as a more vocal champion of Malay/Muslim issues compared to Minister Masagos. He called on Tampines voters to "do the right thing"; meaning, vote for Mr Faisal Manap.”
“In these cases, the Government highlighted the dangers of identity politics. But politicising race and religion remains seductive. It is an easy way to sway the emotions of voters for short-term political gain, but once the division has been sown, it is hard to contain and impossible to reverse. When one group asserts its identity aggressively, other groups in society will push back just as aggressively. If this happens in a small diverse city state like Singapore, we will be irretrievably damaged. You see around the world what happens when such identity politics takes root. Take the United States (US). Culture wars dominate US politics as parties run identity-based campaigns. Liberals accuse the right wing of preserving white political and social dominance by portraying African Americans as sources of crime and unrest. Republicans counter that Democrats have taken exclusionary identity politics too far, undermining traditional and nationalistic values. Every grievance, every disagreement is framed as an ideological battle. It becomes an all-out war with no room to compromise. If you look at the Netherlands, politicians openly frame Islam as incompatible with liberal Dutch values and portray themselves as protectors of Dutch culture. Some, like Geert Wilders, even go so far as to campaign around banning the Quran, closing mosques and sharpening divides for electoral gain. We can see how societies are getting increasingly divided. The Edelman Trust Barometer conducts a large-scale global survey every year. They found that more than half of the respondents globally say that their countries are more divided today than in the past. Singapore has come a long way in building harmonious, multiracial and a multi-religious society.”
“Many of these places started out better and stronger than us, but many of them have been going the wrong way. Sir, this deals with the first part, the background to our approach to race and religion. Let me move on to the second part. Second point, some recent incidents where race and religion have been brought into politics. The good position we have in Singapore can remain so only if Singaporeans work at keeping it that way. Politicians, in particular, play an important role in setting the right tone for our society. Not deepening divisions, not misleading the different communities, but by encouraging constructive discussions. By finding solutions to problems and issues faced by the different ethnic communities, not by exacerbating them and not by sharpening differences. It is possible for politicians to say that they subscribe to our multiracial and multi-religious values, but still use veiled rhetoric to work up racial and religious sentiment. Sir, if you look at our short history over 60 years, there have been several attempts to inflame racial and religious sentiments for political gain. Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, may I ask the Clerks to distribute Annex D, where I have set out some examples of such attempts which happened in previous GEs.”
“In the 2023 Gallup World Poll, 92% of Singaporeans said that Singapore was a good place for racial and ethnic minorities and we ranked first out of 135 countries. In the 2024 Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Survey on race, religion and language, 65% of Singaporeans rated racial and religious harmony as high or very high. More than 90% felt that there was sufficient involvement, or that there should be more Government involvement to ensure racial and religious harmony. Over the past five years, there have been 178 Police reports filed relating to race and religion. This works out to only about three cases per 100,000 people per annum. Sir, I am not suggesting that race and religious harmony is perfect in Singapore. As I said earlier, it is work-in-progress. Members of different communities do experience racism and face other issues. The deep-seated human instinct, the tribal emotions which come from the gut, these cannot be wished away. As the Prime Minister himself has acknowledged, it is more difficult to be a member of a minority community in Singapore than being a member of the majority communities. But as a system, we have sought to contain and overcome the natural human impulses by overlaying them with a broader sense of national identity. A community of shared values, experiences and vocabulary. And in the words in our pledge, "regardless of race, language or religion", our approach towards racial and religious issues is not to forsake our respective races, languages or religions and force a singular identity, but to forge common ground and find strength in diversity. And our people generally accept these principles. Singapore is in a good position today. Not perfect, but I dare say, better than most other places.”
“The word has negative connotations. But we make no apologies for our philosophy. It extends well beyond economic planning. The Government also takes an active stand and approach in managing social issues, housing issues, community issues and more. But for this approach, Singapore would not be where it is today. We have in Singapore an exceptionally high level of racial and religious harmony. Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, may I ask the Clerks to distribute Annex C, which contains a fuller list of indicators on this.”
“Sir, as we did that, set out the laws, we also know that people will have views on sensitive issues and that these views should not be suppressed. So, we provide safe spaces where honest, frank discussions can be held. These include, closed-door dialogues, fireside chats, regular engagements with different groups, including young people, entrepreneurs, religious groups, unions, non-profits and many others. These settings encourage people to be rational, responsible, while pulling no punches on the substance of their views. This is, in broad terms, the first key policy underpinning our ideals. One, a robust legal framework that protects the rights of all communities and sets out what you cannot do, what you cannot say in public; and two, a reasonable, calibrated approach to discussing such views in public as well. But whilst laws can deter and penalise actions that seek to divide our society, laws alone cannot make society harmonious. They cannot force people to understand, respect and like each other across races, religions and across divides. That is where the second key policy framework comes in. This second key policy is that the Government should actively promote actions, platforms to encourage intermixing and understanding between our different communities. These are too numerous for me to cite. I have listed some of the key examples in Annex B. Members will see that there is a fair degree of activist Government policy. In the past, critics have mocked this as “social engineering” and a violation of free choice. But today, many look at our high level of social cohesion, and ask, “What is your secret sauce?” The Economist has in the past described the Singapore Government's approach as "Dirigisme". "Dirigisme" refers to a state-led approach to economic development.”
“Their foothold in Parliament had been eroded to just 25 out of 51 seats at the time of the 1963 GE, less than half. The PAP's position did improve after the 1963 GE, but it was still in a fierce contest with the Barisan Sosialis. Yet, it chose to follow the more difficult, more idealistic course, at a time when the PAP government needed the support of the majority Chinese population. Mr Lee and his colleagues chose the path that would in most contexts be seen as politically foolhardy. I would ask Members to take a moment to reflect, think about this. You will realise how extraordinary their actions were. How this cuts against all political realities and standard norms. And for 60 years, we have strived to achieve the ideals in our pledge. But achieving the ideals is still work-in-progress. We have not fully achieved them. Minorities in particular will tell you about the lived realities on the ground. That they sometimes face racism at different levels. That they sometimes feel discriminated against. Beyond what each of us hears, surveys show how minorities feel. Some Chinese will also tell you of their experiences, though the instances are much fewer. The key point however is: we set out those principles as our ideals and we swam strongly against the tide – the tide of ethnic identity as an organising principle of society. Instead, our foundational principles were a secular state, meritocracy, multiracialism, equal opportunities for all and the rule of law. A secular state, with neutral language, English, as the language of administration and instruction. The language of government, business, education.”
“We did not force any ethnic group to assimilate. The majority group accepted that while they were the biggest group, they should nevertheless take extra care and make sure that the minorities were not slighted. It was in this spirit of multicultural integration that we encouraged each ethnic group to preserve its own heritage. And we created space, space to enhance mutual understanding and develop a common identity. Our founding fathers, however, faced tremendous opposition to this approach. Many Chinese organisations, including some highly influential ones, asked the Government to make Mandarin our national language and the only official language. Questions were asked: why not – since Chinese were 77% of the population? Why should Singapore adopt English, the colonial master's language, as the language of administration and instruction? Why should Malay be the national language? Why should our National Anthem be in Malay? Barisan Sosialis, the main opposition party then, took an active position on this matter. The communist-inspired left had long relied in Singapore and Malaya on the mobilisation of Chinese-educated students and labour organisations. They did this by emphasising Chinese-language, Chinese-culture and Chinese education. By doing this, they repeatedly stoked tensions within the Chinese community. The politically expedient course for the People's Action Party (PAP) government would have been to agree to these demands and make Mandarin Singapore's only official language. It would have helped to anchor the support of the majority Chinese community. In the run-up to the 1963 General Election (GE), the PAP government's majority had been steadily whittled down.”
“Thank you, Sir. If our founding fathers had followed the prevailing norm, Mandarin would have been our only official language. But we became independent in 1965 precisely because Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his team decided on a very different approach for Singapore. Mr Lee Kuan Yew declared on the day of our Independence: “This is not a Malay nation; this is not a Chinese nation; this is not an Indian nation. Everyone will have his place, equal: language, culture and religion.” This was not just political rhetoric. Our founding fathers took systematic steps to build a multiracial, multi-religious Singapore. They enshrined the foundational principles: unity in diversity, justice and equality in our National Pledge. All citizens, regardless of race, language, or religion were to have equal status. Policies were designed to enable each ethnic group to preserve its own cultural heritage. At the same time, our common space would be enlarged to facilitate interaction and understanding between the ethnic groups. English was used as the language of administration and instruction, meaning the language used in schools. At the same time, students studied their mother tongues – Mandarin, Malay, Tamil – as a second language. Selected festivals of the major ethnicities were designated as public holidays. And on the ground in the heartlands, activities were organised for all ethnicities to promote multiracial harmony. Religious freedoms were protected in the Constitution. At the same time, we retained Malay as our national language. This meant that we continued singing our national anthem Majulah Singapura proudly in Malay in schools and at national events. Members can see how different this approach is compared with the approach taken by most countries.”
“Foreign-registered vehicles should settle promptly any outstanding fines they may have incurred while driving on our roads. For this reason, in recent years, foreign-registered vehicles exceeding a certain threshold of outstanding fines may be denied entry into Singapore. These fines must be paid before the foreign-registered vehicles are allowed entry. There were 149, 174 and 1018 entry denials in 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively. As of August 2025, about 58% of the fines issued during this three-year period remain unpaid.”
“The Member may refer to the response to Question No. 3 which was delivered on 26 September 2025. [Please refer to "Increase in Fake Bulk Order Scams Impersonating SAF Personnel and Measures to Protect Small Businesses", Official Report, 26 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 6, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“In the first eight months of 2025, there were 152 vehicle fires. The main causes were overheating of engine, electrical faults, and ignition spark due to impact during collision. The Singapore Civil Defence Force does not track whether the vehicle was stationary or in operation at the time of the fire.”
“The Member may refer to the response to Question No. 3 which was delivered on 26 September 2025. [Please refer to "Increase in Fake Bulk Order Scams Impersonating SAF Personnel and Measures to Protect Small Businesses", Official Report, 26 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 6, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) conducts regular outreach to equip residents with the capabilities to deal with fires. Through the SCDF's Responder Plus Programme, residents are offered free hands-on training on the use of fire extinguishers, CPR and AEDs. These emergency preparedness skills are also publicised as part of the SGSecure national movement. In addition, the SCDF and the People's Association's Community Emergency and Engagement Committees continue to regularly conduct block evacuation exercises. Under a joint initiative with Temasek Foundation, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and Town Councils, SCDF has progressively installed fire extinguishers at Lifesavers’ Emergency Points (LEPs) since October 2023. These fire extinguishers are co-located with existing automated external defibrillators at the lift lobbies of one in every two residential HDB blocks. To date, more than 5,000 LEPs have been set up, which is more than 90% of all targeted HDB blocks. We aim to complete the roll-out by 2028.”
“Since the commencement of the Debt Collection Act on 1 December 2023, there were eight cases of unlicensed collection by debt collection companies and/or individual debt collectors. Police have issued stern warnings, in lieu of prosecution, to three companies involved in unlicensed debt collection activities. Investigations are ongoing for the remaining cases. In general, Police do not track the customers of debt collection companies. But none of these eight cases involved debts owed to our public hospitals.”
“Over the last five years, 187 fires (or about 4% of fires in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates) involved Active Mobility Devices (AMDs). During the same period, Land Transport Authority (LTA) detected more than 6,000 cases of non-compliant AMDs on public paths and roads, and more than 100 violations by retailers. To further encourage AMD owners to use their devices safely and responsibly, the Active Mobility Fire Safety Taskforce, co-chaired by LTA and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), will step up public education under the “Be Device-Safe” programme, on the dangers of using non-compliant devices, and the importance of safe charging. We are also considering tougher enforcement action to send a stronger deterrent signal that the use or sale of non-compliant AMDs poses significant safety risks.”
“[Please refer to "Clarification by Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs", Official Report, 12 January 2026, Vol 96, Issue 12, Clarification section.] These results are of concern, even if understandable. With no terror attacks in recent memory, many Singaporeans wrongly assume that a terror attack is unlikely to occur. The strong capability of and high public trust in the security agencies also lead them to think that the Home Team will be able to prevent every attack. But the reality is, no security agency in the world can succeed in detecting and preventing every terror plot and attack. This is why the SGSecure movement has consistently emphasised that it is not a matter of "if" but "when" one takes place. To address the gap, MHA and our partner agencies will continue to explore new ways to make the threat of terrorism salient to Singaporeans. This includes continually refreshing our communications so that it remains relevant and compelling, and exploring new modes of engagement. For instance, MHA launched dedicated SGSecure Instagram and TikTok accounts in 2024 to better reach out to young Singaporeans and will refresh our campaign next year.”
“The Ministry assesses the effectiveness of the SGSecure movement through a range of indicators. We conduct surveys to gauge public awareness of and sentiments towards the terror threat and the SGSecure movement, as well as the public's willingness and readiness to respond. These survey results are published annually in the Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report. We also track the breadth and depth of direct citizen engagement in the SGSecure movement, for example, in schools, at workplaces and in neighbourhoods. For instance, we track the number of business entities engaged to raise their preparedness in dealing with security incidents, SGSecure programmes held in the neighbourhoods, households engaged on the movement, and students and educators engaged on counter-radicalisation. We are cognizant that these are imperfect measures of the effectiveness of the SGSecure movement. We will only know truly how successful the movement is when a terror attack strikes us. To better understand the say-do gap, between surveys and actual behaviour, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) conducted two social experiments in June 2025 using a suspicious suitcase and a suspicious vehicle, to gauge the actual level of public vigilance to terror threats. Only about 17%, or less than one in five, of persons who walked past the suspicious items noticed them. Among this 17%, only about 5%, or one in 20, intended or took steps to inform the authorities. This stands in stark contrast to the SGSecure Public Perception Survey held in 2024, which found that 77% of respondents said they were alert enough to look out for suspicious behaviour or items, and 88% said they would report such sightings.”
“The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) have in place established coordination protocols regarding individuals whose passports have been impounded by SPF due to ongoing investigations, including when there is an application for issuance of a new passport.”
“Individuals with criminal records may check if their records have been rendered spent through the Police e-service mentioned by the Member. Applicants for licences issued by the Police are not evaluated solely on their criminal record, or lack thereof. Every application is assessed on its own merits, considering all relevant facts and circumstances that exist at the time of the application. For Security Officer licences, this includes criteria, such as whether the applicant is an undischarged bankrupt or has been involved in unlawful activities.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) does not track the occupational or employer data of those involved in accidents as these are not material to investigations. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) tracks injuries to employees and platform workers caused by work-related traffic accidents, which are reported by employers and platform operators. TP also notifies MOM of certain work-related traffic accidents, such as those involving fatalities. The weight of vehicles is highly correlated to the degree of injury and the fatality risk in the event of an accident. TP's interventions and public communications are, therefore, targeted at the owners and users of vehicles of different weight classes.”
“A first-time offender convicted of drink driving faces a fine of between $2,000 and $10,000, or an imprisonment term of up to 12 months, or both. A repeat offender faces harsher penalties, of a fine of between $5,000 and $20,000, an imprisonment term of up to two years, or both. In addition, first-time offenders will be disqualified from driving for a minimum period of two years and repeat offenders will be disqualified for at least five years. To more effectively deter drink driving, we are also reviewing the maximum allowable breath and blood alcohol concentration limits. We will announce the details when ready. The message is simple: if you drink, do not drive.”
“The Member may refer to the response to Parliamentary Question No 56 for oral answer which was delivered on 22 September 2025. [Please refer to "Post-incident Support for Scam Victims beyond Public Education Workshops and Fund Recovery Efforts", Official Report, 22 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 2, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“The Police's regulation of the debt collection industry is aimed at preventing problematic debt collection conduct. It does not regulate the commercial arrangements between debt collection companies and their clients.”
“To clarify, the Central Narcotics Bureau's annual review with the Health Science Authority relates to the purity of seized drugs, and not to net weights for the legal presumptions to apply, which are encoded in law. The Ministry of Home Affairs closely monitors the drug situation. We have not detected a trend of children or young persons deliberately being targeted by drug syndicates to sell drugs to, or to recruit them into the trade. Nonetheless, we take this risk very seriously. The Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) was amended in 2012 to enhance punishments for those found to be trafficking drugs to young persons, with the minimum punishment double that of a normal trafficking offence. In addition, an offence was provided for any adult who causes or procures any young person to traffic or import drugs, with similar enhanced punishments. In 2019, the MDA was amended to make it an offence for an adult to knowingly or recklessly leave drugs or drug utensils within easy access of a child below 16 years of age, and also an offence for an adult to permit a young person below 21 years of age to consume drugs in his possession. We take a zero-tolerance approach towards controlled drugs, regardless of how the drugs are consumed or the medium in which they are trafficked or possessed. It is an offence to possess any apparatus or article, including vapes, with the intention of using it for the consumption of controlled drugs.”
“From 2020 to 2024, an annual average of about 600 Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or LTVP+ applications from foreign spouses of Singapore citizens with at least three years of marriage were rejected. Of these applications, around 3% declared that they have at least one Singaporean child.”
“The myResponder app alerts Community First Responders (CFRs) to nearby minor fires and medical cases. Missing person cases are very different in nature and require different capabilities. The Police already have an established process to locate missing persons, including appealing for information from the public where appropriate. Such appeals are published through various channels, including social media. There are therefore currently no plans to expand the myResponder app to include appeals for information from the public on missing persons.”
“The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and Singapore Police Force have been supporting the Ministry of Health (MOH) in the enforcement, investigation and prosecution of trafficking syndicates as well as the enforcement against abusers in relation to vaping. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority has stepped up enforcement at the checkpoints. The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) has dedicated resources to carry out rehabilitation for etomidate abusers who are sent to its Drug Rehabilitation Centre. Several hundred Home Team officers are supporting these operations. To manage the increased workload, Home Team departments are recruiting additional officers on a temporary basis, until the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is able to stabilise its resourcing and operations to deal with vapes and etomidate. This is expected to take between six months and a year. In addition, as of 15 September 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has seconded 13 officers to HSA to assist with vaping investigations and rehabilitation of vape abusers. The officers are seconded for a period of six months for now. We have also referred over 300 retired Police, CNB and Prisons officers to HSA to consider for recruitment. These efforts by the Home Team departments do impose challenges on existing operations. As has been stated on several occasions, the Home Team was already facing manpower challenges. However, given the national needs, MHA officers have been asked to shoulder the additional workload, for a limited period.”
“The Police do not track such statistics. The Police's regulation of the debt collection industry is aimed at preventing problematic debt collection conduct, in particular, to address the disamenities which may arise from such conduct. It does not regulate the commercial arrangements between debt collection companies and their clients.”
“Investigations are still ongoing. Based on the Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF's) preliminary findings, the fire had likely originated from an area used for storage on the second storey of the shophouse. SCDF also found several fire safety non-compliances, including unauthorised works involving the erection of partitions within the premises.”
“Under a joint initiative with Temasek Foundation, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and Town Councils, the Singapore Civil Defence Force has progressively installed fire extinguishers at Lifesavers' Emergency Points since October 2023. These fire extinguishers are co-located with existing automated external defibrillators at the lift lobbies of one in every two residential HDB blocks. To date, more than 90% of all targeted HDB blocks have been equipped and we aim to complete the roll-out by 2028. Since its inception, more than 220 such fire extinguishers have been used at minor fire incidents. At this juncture, we are focused on completing the roll-out to the remaining blocks. We will assess whether there is a need to do more thereafter.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) residential units are designed as fire compartments to delay the spread of a fire. This facilitates firefighting, while enhancing the safety of residents. It also enables the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to be targeted in its evacuation of residential buildings. For high-rise fires, SCDF prioritises the evacuation of occupants on the floors affected by the fire, as well as those residing in the two floors above. Residents in unaffected floors should remain in their respective units and will only be evacuated if SCDF assesses that it is necessary. Our overall approach seeks to minimise injuries and mishaps resulting from the evacuation. It is aligned with international best practices. SCDF constantly reviews its evacuation procedures for residential buildings to ensure that they remain effective. For now, SCDF does not have plans to implement smoke curtains or evacuation chairs in HDB blocks. We have assessed that these measures present limited additional benefits over the existing measures. SCDF will continue to review other technologies that may enhance our operations.”
“Between 2020 and 2024, 98 fires in the Housing and Development Board estates occurred during the charging of active mobility devices (AMDs). The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has stepped up regulatory measures and enforcement against the sale or use of non-compliant AMDs. Since June 2021, businesses and individuals must obtain LTA's approval to import power-assisted bicycles and personal mobility devices into Singapore. The devices must meet the prescribed technical and safety requirements, before they can be used on our public paths and roads. LTA also conducts regular enforcement operations against non-compliant AMDs on public paths, as well as retailers selling non-compliant AMDs. LTA, together with the relevant agencies, will continue to review existing guidelines on the safe storage and charging of AMDs. Currently, AMDs do not require special charging infrastructure and can be charged using standard wall sockets found in homes. LTA is considering tougher enforcement action to send a stronger deterrent signal that the use or sale of non-compliant AMDs poses significant safety risks.”
“The two swimmers were treated in accordance with a framework for treating offenders, based on types of offences committed, and the same framework applies to all persons, whether foreign or local. Singaporeans are treated similarly. In the case of foreign offenders, the Singapore authorities will inform them of their right to consular access upon their arrest or detention. Should they request consular access, we will inform the embassy, so that the embassy can provide consular assistance as appropriate. This is a requirement under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to which Singapore is a party. Singaporeans have similar rights if they are arrested or detained in other countries. The provision of consular assistance has no bearing on the investigation process and legal outcome. In the case of the two Italian swimmers, they stole items worth about $150. The items were recovered. After they were arrested, the two requested consular access. The Police alerted the Italian embassy of their arrest and continued their investigations. There were no diplomatic interventions to influence the legal outcome. In deciding on the appropriate course of action for a case, the Police and Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) will generally consider the following factors: (i) the facts and circumstances of the case, (ii) the severity of the offence, (iii) any aggravating or mitigating factors; and (iv) how similar cases have been treated. In this case, the Police and AGC assessed that a 12-month conditional warning was appropriate. Given that they are foreigners, an entry ban was also imposed. Such a ban will, obviously, not be applicable to Singaporeans.”
“The Member may refer to the Mid-Year Scam and Cybercrime Brief 2025 for the recently implemented and upcoming anti-scam initiatives. The number of scam cases and losses would be much higher if not for the many measures we have taken over the years. In fact, in the first half of this year, scam numbers decreased by about 26% and scam losses decreased by 13% compared to the same period in 2024. That said, we know that the scammers will pivot to evade our measures and the numbers may go up again. It is a never-ending tussle. That is why the ultimate defence we can put up is an alert and discerning public. Then no matter what the scammers try, the public is less likely to fall for it. Unfortunately, in the first half of this year, about 79% of scams involved self-effected transfers, where the victim was manipulated into transferring their monies to the scammer. These are preventable. We strongly urge Singaporeans to check if the approach to them for money is a scam by calling 1799, before taking any steps to respond.”
“In the first half of 2025, fires involving Active Mobility Devices or their batteries accounted for less than 2%, or eight cases, of the fires in Housing and Development Board flats. Of these, one and seven fires were attributable to Power Assisted Bicycles and Personal Mobility Devices respectively.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), as well as our community and religious organisations, such as Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), has also leveraged the popularity of online platforms amongst youths. For instance, MHA launched the SGSecure Instagram and TikTok accounts in 2024 to share key advisories on radicalisation using bite-sized videos and posts. In 2019, MUIS launched the Muslim.SG website, which educates youths about Islam’s inherent values, and promotes messages of peace, tolerance, and compassion. MUIS has also worked with the Asatizah Youth Network, a group of young religious teachers, to provide guidance against youth radicalisation both online and in person.”
“Agencies, including ISD, leverage multiple touchpoints to sensitise youths and those who regularly interact with them, to the threat of radicalisation, and encourage early reporting of suspected radicalisation cases. For example, ISD has partnered with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to conduct counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation workshops for educators, school counsellors, student welfare officers, and students. ISD and MOE have also jointly produced an online guide for parents and guardians on protecting their children from radicalisation. Community partners such as the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) and the Interagency Aftercare Group (ACG) conduct regular outreach to youths through counter-ideology forums and school assembly talks, and visits to the RRG’s Resource and Counselling Centre. In schools, students learn about the negative impact of extreme ideas and prejudice on societies in Social Studies and History lessons. In Character and Citizenship Education, students learn to develop empathy and respect for others, recognise risks in the digital space, and use the internet safely and responsibly. They also develop critical skills to help them discern the reliability of information and learn to maintain vigilance against harmful online content. Beyond schools, the Government has put in place public education efforts to help Singaporeans navigate the digital space and safeguard against digital risks. As an example, the National Library Board's (NLB’s) S.U.R.E. (Source, Understand, Research, Evaluate) Programme, was launched in 2013 to strengthen Singaporeans’ resilience to misinformation and online falsehoods.”
“Since 2015, following the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Internal Security Department (ISD) has dealt with 18 youths, aged 20 or below, under the Internal Security Act (ISA). Nine had intentions to mount attacks in Singapore. All were self-radicalised online. The range of extremist ideologies and motivations that can radicalise an individual has become more diverse over the years. In recent times, ISD has issued ISA orders against four youths who were self-radicalised by far-right ideologies, and one who subscribed to a mix of extremist ideologies. The Internet has been pivotal in facilitating radicalisation. It provides a ready and easily accessible source of extremist material and terrorist propaganda. Social media platforms, encrypted online platforms and gaming-based communities have also increasingly played a role in radicalisation and terrorist recruitment. These private spaces are digital echo chambers, where one's radical beliefs are reinforced through access to the copious amounts of extremist materials circulated in the spaces, and through interaction with other extremist or terrorist elements who are also in there. It can now take mere months, if not weeks, from the point where a youth encounters such online material, to the point of his or her radicalisation. The accelerated speed of radicalisation has meant shorter lead times for threat detection and intervention. The Government takes a multi-pronged approach to address the threat of youth radicalisation. Legislative levers have been strengthened through the introduction of the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act and the Online Criminal Harms Act to block or remove harmful materials, including content that advocates violence and terrorism.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Gambling Regulatory Authority will review the Member's suggestions on probability disclosure and parental consent to reduce the gambling inducement risks relating to loot boxes.”
“Foreigners, including Singapore Permanent Residents and Work Pass holders, who break our laws or engage in undesirable conduct may have their passes or permits cancelled and be prohibited from re-entry into Singapore. There is a framework to assess such cases, based on the facts, the nature and severity of the incident, the person's family roots here, and the contributions of the person to Singapore.”
“The Traffic Police (TP) will roll out new Traffic Violation Enforcement Cameras by 2026. These cameras will enhance enforcement against various traffic violations, including illegal U-turns. TP deploys officers islandwide, with a focus on accident-prone locations and violation hotspots. They do not focus only on illegal U-turns and zebra crossing violations. The number of officers deployed varies, depending on operational needs and manpower constraints.”
“The provisional number of deaths from suicide reported in the annual Report on Registration of Births and Deaths are based on those confirmed to be suicides as at the time of publication of the report. At the time of publication, there could, in addition, be a number of unnatural death cases which are still pending an outcome from the Coroner's Inquiry. These cases are captured in the same report under "Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified". Some of these cases may subsequently be classified as suicides after the completion of the Coroner's Inquiry and the number of suicides for that year will then be updated accordingly in the following year's Report on Registration of Births and Deaths. Hence, the finalised number of deaths from suicide for a particular year will generally be higher than the provisional number. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority will provide an explanatory note in future Reports on Registration of Births and Deaths.”
“As of June 2025, Home Fire Alarm Devices (HFADs) have been installed in about 191,000 Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, or 17%, of all HDB flats. Of these, 74,000 flats, or 39%, were built prior to 2018. In 2018, we made it mandatory for all new residential premises to have HFADs. For existing residential premises, we took a risk-calibrated approach and only mandated it for homes which are carrying out fire safety related addition and alteration works. This was to strike a balance in wanting to ensure its adoption, but in a practical manner. Nonetheless, we strongly encourage all homeowners to install HFADs and have put in place several schemes to support them in doing so. More than 80% of HDB public rental flats already have HFADs installed and HDB will progressively install HFADs in the remaining 20%. The installation of HFADs is done at no charge to the tenants. In 2024, Ministry of National Development expanded the Enhancement for Active Seniors programme to include the installation of HFADs. Seniors can enjoy a subsidy of up to 95% to install HFADs in their homes. HFADs are also installed as part of fire safety works, under the Home Improvement Programme in cases where fire-rated doors are installed. We will continue to review the fire safety of our HDB flats. However, we do not see a need for HFADs at HDB corridors or for centralised building fire management systems, at this juncture.”
“The number of fires in the Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates has generally been on a decline in the last five years, from 939 in 2020 to 803 in 2024. The Singapore Civil Defence Force already collaborates closely and systematically with many agencies, such as Land Transport Authority, HDB, People's Association, and stakeholders, such as the Town Councils. We will continue to leverage these strong partnerships to further minimise fire risk in our homes.”
“The number of fires in the Housing and Development Board estates has generally been on a decline in the last five years, from 939 in 2020 to 803 in 2024. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) conducts regular outreach to equip residents with the capabilities to deal with fires. Through the SCDF's Responders Plus Programme, residents are offered free hands-on training on the use of fire extinguishers, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillators. These emergency preparedness skills are also publicised as part of the SGSecure national movement. In addition, SCDF and the People Association Community Emergency and Engagement Committees continue to regularly conduct block evacuation exercises.”