Masagos Zulkifli B M M
Singapore
“Coordination between Early Intervention (EI) centres, families and preschools is important for the continuity of support for children with developmental needs.”
“The Taxi Subsidy Scheme supports persons with disabilities (PwDs) who are unable to take public transport, by providing means-tested subsidies to offset the cost of taxi travel to school, work and employment-related training supported by SG Enable.”
“The Skills and Salary Guidelines published by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) guides social service agencies (SSAs) to pay their employees fair and competitive remuneration and maintain the sector's attractiveness. The Guidelines are adjusted so that salaries remain competitive with comparable roles in competing markets.”
“Staff turnover rates vary across social service agencies (SSAs). An individual's decision to leave an organisation is influenced by a myriad of factors, of which pay is only one.”
“Beyond the requirement of a structured daily programme, community-based SCFA administrators have the flexibility to offer programmes and additional enrichment activities that meet the needs of their students. MSF does not track staff salaries and turnover of SCCs in general nor those that administer SCFA.”
“Male preschool educators comprised about 1% of the early childhood workforce in each of the last five years. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has not issued guidelines pertaining to the rules set by preschool centres specific to the conduct of male preschool educators.”
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“This will only apply to a small group of premise owners that have a poor track record and where SCDF deems it necessary for the safety of persons that the premises be closed immediately. The premise owner will be considered to have a poor track record if he has had three or more court convictions for fire hazard offences during the past 24-month period. Imposing the CCO will send a strong signal to recalcitrant premise owners. However, I would like to assure all Members that the CCO will only be used as a last resort. As far as possible, SCDF will rely on other measures such as fines and court-imposed closure orders to compel premise owners to put in place the required abatement and mitigation measures. Mdm Speaker, in January this year, a fire broke out in a nightclub in Brazil resulting in more than 200 fatalities. This is indeed very tragic. Preliminary findings have revealed that the high death toll was due to numerous fire safety lapses such as faulty fire extinguishers, absence of clear exit lights and overcrowding. This incident illustrates the importance of compliance with fire safety requirements, otherwise there could be dire consequences. The Amendment Bill also proposes to increase the penalties for certain categories of fire safety offences and notices of composition. This is to align the penalties with similar offences under the Building Control Act and ensure that the penalties continue to have a deterrent effect. The fire safety offences affected include unauthorised fire safety works, failure to supervise fire safety works, non-compliance with closure orders and continuing offences.”
“These resulted in a heavily smoke-logged environment which made it very difficult for SCDF to put out the fire. Due to the severity of the fire safety violations and consequences, the management was brought to Court and fined the maximum sum of $60,000 on two charges involving unauthorised fire safety works and change of usage. Madam, let me now elaborate on the key amendments. Currently, Commissioner SCDF is empowered to order the owner or occupier to close the identified premises for a period not exceeding 72 hours if a previously issued Fire Hazard Abatement Notice (FHAN) has not been complied with. Two conditions have to be met for the closure to take effect. First, the fire hazard constitutes an immediate or substantial danger of fire within the premises, or if a fire breaks out in or on the premises, it is likely the fire hazard will increase the normal risk to life. Second, the safety of persons within the premises cannot be reasonably ensured by any other means. Clause 13 amends the second condition such that the Commissioner's Closure Order (CCO) may be issued when it is "necessary for the safety of persons that the premises should be closed immediately". This will allow the SCDF to act quickly and decisively to address fire safety violations. Clause 13 gives SCDF additional powers to deal with recalcitrant offenders. Currently, the CCO has to be rescinded once the fire hazard is abated. However, there may be premise owners who continue to violate the fire safety Page: 42 requirements, such as permitting overcrowding, once SCDF's inspectors leave the site. Clause 13 gives the Commissioner the authority to effect the CCO for up to the full duration of the 72 hours, even after the fire hazard has been abated.”
“Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." We last amended the Fire Safety Act in 2004 to implement a performance-based regulatory system for buildings and to extend regulatory control over non petroleum-based flammable materials. These amendments strengthened our fire safety regime and contributed to Singapore's success in maintaining its good track record in fire incidences and fatalities. In fact, Singapore's fire fatality rate is lowest when compared to major cities such as Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York and London. We had 0.02 fire fatalities per 100,000 population in 2012. We have recently completed a review of the fire safety enforcement framework, taking into account changes in our industrial structures, lessons and experiences from major incidences both locally and overseas. Page: 41 Arising from the review, we are introducing this Amendment Bill with the aims of strengthening the operational effectiveness of the SCDF and raising the fire safety standards of buildings and premises. SCDF will keep up its tempo of inspections and will take action against those who do not comply with fire safety regulations. We will also enhance measures against those who repeatedly flout the law. One example is the People's Park fire on 21 April 2010. The fire occurred at the fifth level of the multistorey car park. Post fire investigation revealed that there were extensive illegal fire safety works, with full height partitioning segregating part of the car park into storage facilities. Apart from contributing to the fire load with excessive storage of combustibles, the unauthorised partitioning covered up the original openings at the fifth level of the car park and impeded the natural ventilation.”
“Last month, I attended the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for the Palestinian Development in Tokyo where we pledged Singapore's assistance towards the Palestinian National Authority's capacity-building efforts – an enhanced technical assistance package worth S$5 million over five years. I also met Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who highlighted education as one area they are keen to learn from Singapore's experience. Singapore has been expanding relations with Turkey too, which has a growing importance both in the Middle East and Asia. We opened an Embassy in Ankara in July 2012 and there has been increased bilateral engagement. Minister Shanmugam visited Turkey in January 2013 and he had a good discussion with Turkish leaders on how to enhance economic, transport and cultural relations. Another emerging market that we have been watching is Africa, where recent developments and economic performance have opened up possible Page: 31 opportunities for Singapore companies. Let me now hand over to Senior Parliamentary Secretary Sam Tan who will respond to the rest of the questions on Singapore's technical assistance to other countries and MFA's consular assistance to Singaporeans.”
“Mdm Chairman, Minister of State Teo Ser Luck and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Hawazi Daipi asked about developments in the Middle East and Singapore's efforts to tap on the emerging markets in the Middle East and Turkey. Page: 30 Singapore is actively expanding our reach to emerging markets in the Middle East. We are monitoring the fluid geopolitical situation in the region closely where the uncertainties are mainly in Levant and the Maghreb. Our focus in the region remains on the Gulf countries which are stable, perhaps except for Yemen. Last year, our trade with Middle East countries reached S$75.9 billion. We will establish a Consulate-General in Muscat, Oman, later this year. With this, we now have a diplomatic presence on the ground in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar and Oman. Our engagement is not only economic. There remains keen interest to learn from Singapore's developmental experience. For instance, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, instructed officials to visit Singapore just a few months ago to understand our water management strategies – a strategic issue for the UAE. We also received study visits by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood to learn from our developmental experience in areas, such as economic planning, developing SMEs, public administration and port management. I called on President Mohamed Morsi when I visited Cairo last November, and he expressed admiration for Singapore's achievements. As Egypt undergoes a challenging political transition, Singapore is happy to share our experiences where relevant. The Palestinians have also expressed interest in learning from Singapore.”
“Mr Eddie Ong, a COP volunteer from Teck Ghee Division, told me that it was a "humbling experience to witness the state of needy households and how they coped with the sudden incarceration of a loved one." He recalled the example of a 73-year-old mother whose daughter was incarcerated. The mother was beset by health and financial problems. Volunteers arranged for her to use tele-visit facilities to speak to her daughter and overcome her travelling difficulties. I would like to thank all our dedicated volunteers for their invaluable contributions. Let me end with where I have begun. The drug challenge remains serious. We will continue with the approach of robust laws, effective enforcement and community partnerships to address this issue. In particular, I would like to thank all our community partners who have contributed their time and energy. I hope that more will step forward and join us in this endeavour. Let us continue to Page: 169 work together to keep Singapore safe and secure.”
“SCORE prepares offenders for employment by helping them acquire market relevant Page: 168 skills, such as culinary skills and experience in logistics operations, before their release. Offenders receive nationally-accredited training which is aligned with WDA's Workforce Skills Qualification framework. This gives employers the assurance that offenders are qualified and well-trained. Working closely with the private sector, SCORE also provides practical experience for offenders in its various workshops within prisons, which includes a large laundry and bakery. SCORE also conducts job suitability assessments for offenders to match them with suitable jobs. In 2012, SCORE helped more than 1,420 offenders secure employment before their release. SCORE will also continue to engage offenders and employers to better understand their job needs. In response to Mr de Souza too, we recognise the support and contributions of employers. SCORE organises an annual Appreciation Award Ceremony and gives out the HOPE awards to employers that have gone the extra mile. One of these awardees is Revenue Valley Pte Ltd, which manages home-grown restaurants like Manhattan Fish Market. Over the years, Revenue Valley Pte Ltd has hired more than 150 ex-offenders and offers fair remuneration and career advancement for deserving ex-offenders. Ex-offenders who performed well have been promoted to leadership positions, with some assuming responsibility in managing their outlets. They have also implemented a buddy system to help newly hired ex-offenders to adjust to their working environment and culture, thereby easing the offenders' transition to working life. We are indeed very grateful for all the volunteers who have stepped forward to help offenders and their families.”
“To meet her accommodation needs, they helped her search for transitional shelters for her and her children while working with HDB to give her priority for a rental unit. She was eventually offered a rental unit. She now has a job and is very grateful for the help rendered. Given the success of COP, we will reach out to even more divisions in 2013 and consolidate the excellent work done by existing divisions. This will benefit even more families and especially their children. We are also mindful that some offenders have little or no family support. Hence, we have a separate programme for them. The Community Befriending Project (CBP) pairs a volunteer-befriender with an offender to provide positive peer support and role modelling. The CBP has grown from 40 volunteer befrienders in 2010 to about 90 befrienders in 2012, and benefitted about 180 offenders. This, too, will be expanded in 2013. Currently, we have a strong core of volunteers with the passion to serve. More than 1,300 dedicated volunteers served in our prisons in 2012. In 2013, we will develop a training and development framework to systematically equip volunteers and community partners with core competencies, knowledge, and skills to better support the rehabilitation of offenders. These include skills in counselling and casework. Mr Christopher de Souza talked about giving second chances to ex-offenders and asked what the Ministry is doing to match ex-offenders with jobs after their release. Over the years, the Yellow Ribbon Project has helped to increase acceptance of ex-offenders in the community. We agree with Mr Christopher de Souza that gainfully employed ex-offenders are less likely to re-offend.”
“While family and community continue to play a role to help ex-offenders, the offenders must be responsible for their own selves and work hard to lead a drug-free life. (In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, we agree with Ms Tin Pei Ling that the support of the offender's family, volunteers and community partnerships plays a critical role in ensuring that rehabilitation and reintegration are successful. The Community Outreach Project (COP) was a key initiative launched in September 2010. It involves the community helping offenders' families link up with the relevant Government agencies for social assistance and support in other areas. Since then, the COP has grown tremendously, from a small pilot with just seven grassroots initially, to 44 divisions as of December 2012. More than 390 volunteers have been trained to reach out to over 780 families. 7.30 pm Let me share how COP has helped the family of an incarcerated offender. The wife was thrown into disarray when the husband was arrested for drug offences. The family sold their previous flat due to mortgage loan arrears. The Page: 167 sales proceeds were used to rent a unit and to start a business but that business failed. At that point, she had almost no savings, was about to lose her shelter and have four children to care of. The COP members stepped in to help her through her issues one by one. First, she was referred to a Family Service Centre (FSC) for counselling sessions to help her cope with her husband's imprisonment. Arrangements were also made with the CDC to provide her with ComCare assistance. Help was also given for her to sign up for courses to acquire employment skills so that she could find work more easily. Mind you she had never worked all her life.”
“] In 2012, the number of Malay drug addicts who were arrested increased by 10%, from 1,600 in 2011, to 1,760 in 2012. This number makes up half of the 3,480 drug addicts arrested in 2012. This is still a marked improvement compared to the mid-1990s. The number of new Malay drug addicts has gone down slightly, from 580 in 2011, to 560 in 2012. Even so, it is still a cause for concern because new Page: 166 addicts make up 30% of the total number of drug addicts arrested. The majority of new young addicts abuse methamphetamine (ICE). They view drug taking with their friends as a fun activity and are unaware of its detrimental effects. This is something to be concerned about. The approach taken by the Government to tackle this drug problem is comprehensive, and it includes preventive steps through education, strict laws and effective enforcement, as well as suitable rehabilitation and advanced care, that are implemented with the community's cooperation. Family and community play an important role. A strong bond between parents and their child, as well as a forgiving nature and love, can help a young offender to return to the right path. I have seen for myself how a family that gives a second chance to a young offender, manages to leave a positive effect on that young offender. The community also plays an important role in our effort to combat drug abuse. We will continue to work with MENDAKI and have marshalled the efforts of other Malay/Muslim organisations as well as Indian Muslim organisations, like Jamiyah and PERTAPIS and the Federation of Indian Muslims (FIM). Together, they think of other ways to assist the offenders and their families.”
“We must help these repeat offenders break the cycle of re-offending and transit from imprisonment to reintegration within the community. To achieve this, we will amend the Prisons Act in 2013 to introduce a Conditional Remission System (CRS). Under CRS, all inmates released at the two-third mark of their sentence will be subject to certain conditions during the remission period – something like probation in other countries. Those who breach these conditions will be taken to task. The implementation of the CRS will also allow us to place high-risk ex-inmates on a Mandatory Aftercare Scheme (MAS). This is part of the broader through-care strategy to help inmates in the period prior to and after their release. This will be achieved through a structured step-down approach in control and supervision from prisons to the community, with the provision of aftercare support, counselling and case management upon their release. We want everyone to succeed in their rehabilitation. As part of this through-care strategy, we will develop a halfway house in the Selarang Park Complex to provide a structured environment to supervise and rehabilitate high-risk ex-inmates emplaced in the MAS. This will complement the efforts of our current halfway house partners who will work with moderate to low-risk offenders. More details will be released in due course. The Government will continue to commit resources and work with the community to provide opportunities for ex-offenders to rehabilitate and reintegrate back into society. However, it is ultimately the responsibility of the individual ex-offender not to re-offend. Those who break the law will be called to account. Mr Chairman, in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.”
“We expect the CRC operations by end 2013. Mr Desmond Lee has expressed his concern on the re-offending problem and asked what we will do to help drug re-offenders break the re-offending cycle and reintegrate back into society. I share his concerns. Repeat offenders continue to account for more than two-thirds of those arrested for drug offences. As highlighted by Mr Hri Kumar, about 3,000 of these repeat offenders will be released from long-term imprisonment (LT offenders) between 2013 and 2015. Many of these repeat abusers could return to drug abuse or crime, or perhaps even influence others, and especially our youths, to experiment with drugs. Since 1 November 2012, LT offenders with higher risks of re-offending have been placed under an enhanced supervision regime. Apart from regular urine supervision, these LT offenders have been subjected to additional restrictions such as strict curfew hours and electronic monitoring. They are also required to attend counselling and case management by prison counsellors. Mr Hri Kumar also asked for an update on the recidivism rate in 2012. The prisons recidivism rate for the 2010 release cohort has dropped to 23.6% from 26.7% for the 2009 release cohort, but even then there is no room for complacency. Although a lower recidivism rate means fewer ex-offenders are returning to the prisons, many who do are repeat offenders. Repeat offenders Page: 165 account for more than 80% of the prison population and are more likely to re-offend upon their release. I agree with Mr Desmond Lee that more support needs to be provided to these ex-offenders in the period after their release as this is when they are most vulnerable.”
“We will, therefore, strengthen our existing efforts to prevent drug offending upstream, to stop youths from even thinking about taking drugs. CNB will refresh its Preventive Drug Education (PDE) efforts. As youths today rely heavily on the Internet and social networking sites for information, we will leverage on these platforms to maximise the impact of our outreach and make use of peer advocacy as much as possible. CNB will launch a youth-oriented blog in April and with the help of young bloggers, we intend to grow a vibrant online anti-drug community with more personal anti-drug messages. It is ultimately, however, the individual's responsibility not to take drugs and we will not Page: 164 hesitate to take action against any youth today. Because of the persistence of the problem, we are also increasing our downstream efforts, where we seek to keep people on the right path, and provide opportunities for rehabilitation and aftercare in partnership with the community. We will enhance the Direct Supervision Order for new young low-risk drug abusers. Currently, they are only required to go for regular urine tests. CNB is working with MSF to introduce a compulsory counselling component to these drug abusers by first quarter this year and we will involve their families. For new young drug abusers who are of moderate risk, Prisons will establish a Community Rehabilitation Centre (CRC) as a step-down arrangement after a period of detention in the Drug Rehabilitation Centre. Once transferred to the CRC, these young offenders will participate in a structured residential component and attend compulsory counselling sessions in the evenings. This will, therefore, allow them to continue their education or employment in the day to minimise disruption to their daily lives.”
“And what is more worrying is that the profile of methamphetamine abusers is younger and most of whom take drugs with no real appreciation of the danger they are putting themselves in. The initial effect of methamphetamine abuse is deceivingly harmless. Just this week, a brother of an offender who came to my Meet-the-People Session (MPS) said his brother who was abusing methamphetamine and was being detained at the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) looks normal. Let us be clear about the dangers of methamphetamine. It is a misperception among younger people that it is less addictive and less harmful than heroin. This is not true. Some youths use methamphetamine to lose weight, some to keep up their energy levels. I know a case of a young girl who used methamphetamine to lose weight and, as a result, she almost lost her life. In the short term, methamphetamine abusers will suffer from insomnia, psychosis and convulsions. Prolonged abuse of methamphetamine leads to long-term health problems, such as liver damage, stroke and, eventually, death. Due to our zero-tolerance policy on drugs and CNB's rigorous enforcement of our laws, drug addicts are kept off our streets and the drug problem is not very visible to most Singaporeans. Compared to other countries, the problem may be invisible, but it is by no means benign. I want to stress that the drug abuse situation remains challenging. Its long-term destructive effects go beyond the individual, affecting his or her family and eventually, the wider community. Our approach has been and remains to address the drug abuse problem holistically: tough laws and vigorous enforcement coupled with preventive education upstream. Downstream, we seek to provide opportunities for rehabilitation and aftercare in partnership with the community.”
“Mr Chairman, let me first thank the Members for their indulgence to continue this debate beyond 7.30 pm. I will now speak about drug abuse, re-offending, community support and engagement. Mr Vikram Nair and Dr Intan Azura asked about updates on the current drug situation, especially among youths, and their rehabilitation. I would like to start by describing the regional drug situation to set this context. Regional drug production in methamphetamine and poppy cultivation continues to set record highs. According to the 2012 UNODC Report, which is the latest, heroin and methamphetamine seizures in Southeast Asia increased significantly by 41% and 23% respectively in 2011 when compared to 2010. Drug syndicates, therefore, continue to carry out large-scale illegal drug production and distribution in our midst. This poses a challenge to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and our regional partners. My Ministry is watching these trends very closely. While local heroin seizures dropped slightly between 2011 and 2012, methamphetamine seizures have increased more than three times from 14 kilograms to 51 kilograms over the same period, with around eight kilograms of methamphetamine meant for local market consumption. But, mind you, this amount for local market consumption alone can feed the addiction of at least 1,000 drug abusers over 30 days. To answer Mr Vikram Nair's question on the situation regarding the abuse of synthetic drugs, the key challenge going forward will be methamphetamine, or "Ice" abuse. Among new abusers arrested, methamphetamine has replaced Page: 163 heroin as their drug of choice, being the drug abused by 56% of all new drug abusers in 2012.”
“Mdm Speaker, we thank the Member for her supplementary questions. We extend our condolences to all the victims, and their families, of traffic accidents, especially those who suffered fatalities, including the recent accident in Tampines. We recognise that to have better road safety is a sum of education, enforcement and better road infrastructure. We have announced, as the Member said, that we will be deploying more Traffic Police officers on the roads; we will step up enforcement to make sure that the message goes through that errant behaviour that jeopardises the safety of all other road users will not be tolerated. We will indeed do more. The reason for doing more is we believe that it is not sufficient right now. We will keep up the pace. The Traffic summonses tend to indicate that there are more road safety problems presented by the motorists. Secondly, yes, we will use more technology. The recent announcement by the Second Minister for Home Affairs has indicated that we will be rolling out more traffic cameras and we will deploy them judiciously and as quickly as possible in all road areas which merit the use of these cameras, including along Page: 38 Yishun Avenue 1 if there is merit.”
“As I mentioned, it is important to note that in this particular case, Mr Yeo has always and will continue to uphold our national interest. Therefore, it is important for us to note that, in this particular case, there is no conflict of interest. The Official Secrets Act is sufficient and will have the reach to make good any problem that may arise from such appointments.”
“MHA will strengthen our collaboration with key partners, such as the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA), the Singapore After-Care Association (SACA), halfway houses, and other voluntary welfare organisations, including religious organisations, to build capabilities in the community to support ex-abusers and their families. Under the community befriending project, we also match volunteer befrienders with inmates so as to provide positive peer support and role modelling to them even after they are released. Page: 1226 However, while support is provided by the Government, the community and the abusers' families, ex-abusers have the responsibility to take charge of their lives and use every opportunity to rehabilitate and change. I think I cannot but reiterate that the onus is on the ex-abusers to make the effort otherwise all these measures would become opportunities missed. We will make changes to the system over time, where appropriate, and I would be happy to receive suggestions and feedback from Members on how to further strengthen the anti-drug regime. 1.49 pm”
“We must not allow the drug abuse problem to worsen like what happened in the 1970s, when drug abuse was widespread and drugs were easily obtained. We have seen the negative effects of drug abuse on the addicts, their families and the community. We must maintain a firm stand of zero tolerance on drugs and work together to bring down the numbers further. To address the issue of young abusers upstream, the Government will be improving upstream intervention by enhancing the Direct Supervision Order scheme where, apart from urine supervision, casework and counselling will be made compulsory for these abusers. We will also establish a Community Rehabilitation Centre (CRC) which will be a step-down arrangement for young abusers of moderate risk, after they have served a period of detention in the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC). This will allow them to continue to go to school or work, minimise disruption to their daily lives and reduce the risks of being influenced by repeat abusers in the DRC. To reduce the risk of relapse of drug abusers in the DRC and among those who are placed under the Long-Term Imprisonment regime, we will also improve their rehabilitation and supervision framework. However, the community needs to support the process of re-integration of ex-drug abusers so that they will not relapse into drug abuse when they are released. (In English): As Dr Intan rightly pointed out, there are many helping hands in the community to support ex-abusers who are committed to staying on the path of rehabilitation.”
“Hence, even though the Task Force to review the issue of drug abuse has completed its job, I will still head the Coordination Committee which will monitor the follow-up actions and suggestions made. It will include Government agencies and relevant community groups. This will pitch this effort at an appropriate level, which is at the national level. I think that Mr Faisal Manap's suggestion to form a Malay Leadership Committee to manage this drug problem is not in line with the demands of the community and Malay/Muslim organisations like AMP, and I do not want it to be a signal that this is a Malay problem specifically. Page: 1225 In fact, it is clear that the Malay/Muslim community and organisations have been very involved in helping the families of inmates and ex-inmates. Some have implemented programmes to help them with temporary accommodation, so that those who have been released can have shelter and to re-adjust themselves as free persons. What we need is a more concerted effort, not another new committee. Through the coordination committee, the Malay community and all other communities will be able to make use of national resources, and the Malay/Muslim community and organisations, who are both helping, are given the support that suits their respective strengths and contributions. These efforts have helped much to reduce the rate of recidivism, including those who have been imprisoned for drug offences. Mr Speaker, we have to take a preventive approach and, hence, our community has to increase their vigilance. Only when every family shows concern, educates and protects our children from the influence of drugs, will they see drugs as something that is revolting and not as something that they should try.”
“The enhanced supervision regime is part of the comprehensive approach to address the drug addiction situation recommended by the Task Force on drugs to strengthen our overall rehabilitation and supervision regime for repeat abusers. Sir, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech on Pg 1312-1313.] In principle, the Government's approach is to treat drug abuse as a national problem. Drug abuse is dangerous and affects the abusers, their families and the community. However, we have to come to terms with the fact that Malay abusers continue to form the majority of abusers arrested in 2011, comprising more than 48% of all drug abusers. Last year, the number of Malay abusers arrested increased by 16.5% from 1,376 in 2010 to 1,603 in 2011. Although this is worrying, it is still a significant improvement compared to the height of the drug problem in 1994 when there were more than double the abusers arrested. We are now particularly concerned about the rising trend of new, young abusers below the age of 21 years old. The number of young Malay drug abusers arrested in recent years has quadrupled from 41 in 2007 to 166 in 2011. A majority of these young abusers abuse methamphetamine or "Ice" which is a synthetic drug that has toxic effects and will cause extensive damage to their brains. These young abusers view the taking of drugs with their friends as a "fun" activity but later find that they cannot extricate themselves from the vicious and painful cycle of addiction. This problem requires a concerted approach across the Government, the community, families and the abusers themselves.”
“The Task Force found that within the DRC regime, higher-risk DRC inmates may also have other criminogenic risk factors that need to be addressed, such as anti-social thinking. As such, we will implement a new intervention programme in the DRCs to help these inmates address their multiple risk factors. These efforts will be complemented by a compulsory after-care regime to enhance the supervision of DRC inmates upon release to reduce the risk of relapse into drug abuse. Given that about 2,000 repeat abusers who are sentenced to Long-Term Imprisonment (LT) will be released over the next two years, we must also do more to reduce their risk of relapse and enhance their potential for reintegration. In this regard, Prisons started a Pre-release Centre Pilot in April 2012 targeted at offenders with higher risk of relapse. This will also allow more time and opportunities for family members and counsellors to engage soon-to-be released offenders and help them to better reintegrate into society upon their release. Page: 1224 Since 1 November 2012, all LT offenders assessed to be at high-risk of relapse must also undergo enhanced supervision upon their release. About 500 high-risk inmates will be emplaced on the regime next year. Apart from the regular urine supervision, there will be additional restrictions, such as strict curfew hours and electronic monitoring. They will be required to go through a programme of intensive compulsory counselling and case work provided by Prisons counsellors. This will cover referrals for employment and shelter as well as equip them with practical life skills. These additional requirements aim to reduce their risk of relapse and support their rehabilitation efforts.”
“During their initial stay in the DRC, these young abusers will undergo the same regime as other drug abusers. The eventual transfer to the CRC is meant to enhance the rehabilitation upstream while facilitating their education or employment. However, these young abusers will still have to adhere to the rules and regulations of the CRC and, should they commit major breaches, they will be transferred back to the DRC. Page: 1223 Mr Faisal Manap asked about the involvement of religious and voluntary welfare organisations in the CRC regime. Besides undergoing drug intervention programmes which aim to help them address risk factors for relapse, these young abusers will also participate in programmes conducted by voluntary welfare organisations engaged by the Prisons service. These programmes cover areas, such as rebuilding family relations, inculcating life skills, engaging in community service activities and fostering positive peer relations. They will also be allowed to attend religious services and activities conducted by religious volunteers as appropriate to their respective religions. Mr Speaker, our rehabilitation and supervision framework will be enhanced to reduce abusers' risk of relapse. Prisons currently conduct psychological-based programmes to address risk factors which are likely to lead to re-offending. To Mr Zainal Sapari and Mr Desmond Lee's questions on the effectiveness of rehabilitation, these programmes have shown some positive results through the achievement of programme goals, such as reduced criminal attitudes among offenders who attended the intervention programmes. However, more can be done. Previously, DRC-intervention programmes mostly only address drug abuse and addiction.”
“In recent years, we have adapted our outreach strategies to go beyond school-based talks to reach out to youth through social media and interest-based activities, such as outdoor games, sports and dance, to spread the anti-drug message. Other countries have commended us on our approach with preventive education and expressed interest in the materials produced by the CNB. The Task Force recommends that the CNB should broaden its reach to include at-risk youth, post-Secondary youth and national servicemen to prevent them from even experimenting with drugs in the first place. This is currently being done. We have also improved upstream intervention for youth drug abusers. Since January 2012, CNB has established a dedicated reporting centre for young drug supervisees on the Urine Supervision Scheme. This means that they report to a separate centre for the regular urine test, different from those where adult drug supervisees report to. This segregation reduces opportunities for young ex-drug abusers to be influenced by experienced older abusers. CNB is also working with MSF to enhance the Direct Supervision Order (DSO), for low-risk youth abusers. The new scheme to be implemented in 2013 would include compulsory case work and counselling. With this Bill, we will also be enhancing the rehabilitation regime for new young abusers. A Community Rehabilitation Centre (CRC) will be established as a step-down arrangement for them after they have served a short period of detention in the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC). This will constitute one DRC admission and render the abuser liable for the long-term imprisonment regime if he is arrested for drug abuse after a second DRC admission. This is, therefore, no different from other drug abusers admitted to the DRC for the first time.”
“The basis for this offence is that the gathering must have taken place and the persons arranging or planning the gathering must have the knowledge that a controlled drug would be consumed or trafficked. However, there is no requirement for the drugs to be actually consumed or trafficked for the offence to be complete. Apart from the amendments that give effect to the Task Force's recommendations, some amendments will also provide greater clarity in terms of processes, such as the amendments to allow CNB discretion to decide whether to submit urine samples for testing by the Health Sciences Authority in cases where the instant urine test is negative. Page: 1222 In relation to Mr Lee's question about how the CNB will exercise this with discretion, this will be based on the holistic assessment of the case, taking into account various factors like the presence of circumstantial evidence at the point of arrest and whether the person has admitted to drug consumption. Beyond the legislative amendments, I would also like to speak about other measures we are taking to comprehensively address the drug situation. Dr Intan Azura, Asst Prof Eugene Tan, Ms Faizah Jamal are right in saying that preventive drug education, or in short PDE, is critical in preventing our young from getting caught in a vicious cycle of drug addiction. Mr Desmond Lee has asked whether our preventive education efforts have been effective. CNB has done well in reaching out to students in Primary and Secondary schools. The PDE modules are already integrated into schools' syllabus and curriculum. In addition, close to 80% of Primary and Secondary schools participate in PDE programmes and activities.”
“But we will explore the possibility of using hair analysis to complement urine testing for prosecution of drug abusers in future. We will also learn from the experiences in other countries, such as South Korea and Japan, as we build up our own capabilities in hair analysis. If hair analysis is used as a basis for prosecution in future, we will establish the necessary safeguards to ensure a fair and robust system for determining whether someone has abused drugs. Mr Lee also suggested making the importation or trafficking of any new psychoactive substance a residual offence. We have to proceed carefully as these are substances which may have psychoactive effects but also have legitimate medical or other uses. We therefore have to undertake thorough research and industry consultation before we decide on the controls to be placed on the substance and whether to criminalise its possession and trafficking. But we will take Mr Lee's suggestion on board and move quickly if we see these substances intentionally and widely distributed or abused for their psychotropic effect. On the new offence of arranging or planning drug gatherings, Ms Sylvia Lim asked whether the intent of clause 4 would be to include situations where there had been the intention to bring drugs or consume them at a gathering, but for some reason such intention had not been carried out. As Deputy Prime Minister has mentioned in his speech, clause 4 is intended to criminalise the arranging or planning of a gathering by those who have the knowledge that a controlled drug would be consumed or trafficked at such gathering.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Members of the House for their strong support of the Government's stand against drugs. Our stand on drugs is clear. Drug use is harmful to the individual, his family and society, and is undesirable. We must, therefore, continue our zero tolerance approach against drugs, and I am happy that the community is also behind us in this. We must not go the way of other countries that have given up the fight to suppress demand. Mr Speaker, the Task Force on Drugs completed its work in April this year and recommended a comprehensive approach to address the drug situation covering targeted prevention, strong deterrence and enforcement and upstream intervention for young abusers, rehabilitation and supervision to prevent relapse and active engagement of families and the community to support the fight against drugs. Page: 1221 Mr Desmond Lee asked about the status of implementation of the Task Force on Drugs' recommendation and I will cover this in my speech today. In the area of strengthening the deterrents and enforcement, the Task Force recommended having stiffer punishments for repeat traffickers and those who target the young or vulnerable, creating a new offence for arranging and planning drug gatherings, taking new psychoactive substances out of circulation through the temporary listing of these drugs as well as enhancing our detection and deterrence through the introduction of hair analysis. The legislative amendments will give effect to these recommendations. Mr Desmond Lee asked whether hair analysis results would be used as a basis for consumption charges. The Bill proposes that the hair analysis will be used for placing persons under drug supervision.”
“In general, the Police is very concerned about any crime that is perpetrated on our citizens or their properties. Therefore, we will take all measures to ensure that this particular trend that will affect us, we will try and stem it as quickly as possible. We do not see yet a surge in the number of foreign syndicates coming into Singapore. They know clearly that we are very strong in solving our cases, as I mentioned to the Member – 91.6% of these cases were solved and we have deterrent sentences against them. I hope those are strong enough messages to any foreign elements who think that they can easily break into our houses and not get detected. But more importantly, it is essential for all of us to take the prerequisite proactive measures to ensure that our houses, properties and ourselves are properly protected. Take proactive measures to put burglar alarms, cameras, in addition to the enforcement actions that are being taken on the part of the Police. Page: 1206”
“I thank the Member for the question. Unfortunately, I only have the statistics up to September because those for October are not ready. For the other specific questions on Latin Americans, these were not alluded to in the question, so I do not have the numbers with me. But if the Member would like to file a parliamentary question (PQ) on it, I will be happy to answer it. On the operational issues, unfortunately, many of the things that the Police and ICA are doing are very sensitive and we cannot divulge them. In our Crime Watch series, we can see cases being solved in just half an hour, but really a lot of work and intelligence are being put into it. I assure Members that we will take a very strong stance against anyone coming into Singapore to commit crime. We will turf them out when we can, and work with international authorities as much as possible.”
“Mr Speaker, we thank the Member for raising the clarification. Firstly, you are right. We should not blame SCDF for all these. If there are items placed outside the houses or in the lift lobbies which are combustible or present an obstruction for emergency evacuation, yes. These are requirements not only for the purpose of imposing rules but for the safety of the residents. But if there are other things, clutters or decorations or plants which may bring other kinds of problems, which do not necessarily impose fire hazards or evacuation problems, these are rules which MND or Town Councils have, in implementing them. It might be good for the Member to file a separate PQ to address the overall general principle on use of common areas because what I will address is only on the safety and security issues.”
“I think it is prudent for the Police to take a precautionary stance. We do not want any small or even what seems to be a minor breach to be taken lightly. Police orders ought to be taken seriously, no matter how minor the directions are, so that the permit holders, as well as the candidates, can carry out their rallies in an orderly fashion, and then the security and safety of the crowds can be assured. So, no matter how small, how minor, how major, Police will certainly take action on that. Page: 724”
“If the Member is asking about breaches by certain political parties – all parties committed these breaches.”
“Currently, Mr Speaker, Police assess the circumstances surrounding each case individually, and will take the appropriate course of action. We believe that we should take a non-escalatory approach at this point in time because as you all know, election periods are times when emotions run high. We want to act on circumstances and evidence, and most of the time, these breaches can be rectified on-site. For example, there are not enough lights or the rostrum is said to be put on one side, and it was actually put on another side. These things can be rectified quite quickly. Those are the kinds of breaches that many of the breaches were like, although the more serious ones where safety and security are compromised, certainly Police would take a very more serious view on that.”
“Sometimes, the portions shrink because after my visits to the schools, I tell them that there is really too much for the child to eat. It is not always because of prices. I think the Member has to look at which schools we are talking about. If the situation is due to a way for the school canteen stallholders to profit from smaller portions, we will certainly take action. ART AND MUSIC STUDENTS BECOMING TEACHERS OF THESE SUBJECTS 20. Ms Audrey Wong Wai Yen asked the Minister for Education (a) in the past five years, what are the numbers of students who have taken Art and Music as a subject at GCE 'O' and 'A' levels; (b) how many of these students have chosen to join the teaching profession; and (c) of these students who have joined the teaching profession, how many of them are teaching Art and Music in our primary and secondary schools.”
“Let me assure the Member, Mr Ong, once again, there is no presumption and there is no automatic prosecution by the Police if a person goes to hospital for a motorcycle accident, whatever reason that is. We will only prosecute if there is enough evidence to do so. In fact, my own experience: I fell, skidded on a road once on oil slick, went to hospital, got stitches on my chin and that is perhaps why I keep a beard now. There was no prosecution or any letter from the Police. Assoc. Prof. Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade): Sir, the Minister has mentioned the Home Team is well prepared in terms of training and technological preparation, pertaining to terrorism. Can I just ask the Minister: when it comes to psychological preparedness, how well prepared are we? We know that these situations with terrorism can indeed be situations of high stress. How prepared are our officers to handle these? It is not an easy matter to handle.”
“Sir, I would like to thank the previous clarification by Ms Sylvia Lim who pointed us to the study she says that was done in 2010. Just a clarification. We want to know whether it was done in 2010 or published in 2010. Because any study done on prisons and prisoners would have been done with the consent and cooperation of the Singapore Prison services. We would have pointed them to the prisoners that they wanted to interview. And to ensure that there is objectivity in their study, we would have given them the primary data to compare against the situation on the ground, within the prisons, as well as in the society.”
“They must pay attention to their children's activities, be alert to tell-tale signs of delinquency, seek help for their children early and play an active role in their children's rehabilitation if they have been caught offending. To this end, my working group is also looking into ways to enhance parents' involvement in upstream intervention measures and rehabilitation. Sir, let me conclude on these cuts. We will continue to adopt a holistic approach in tackling youth offending and reducing re-offending. Ultimately, the Home Team will need the continued support of the community to keep Singapore a safe home for all of us.”
“I am chairing an inter-agency working group, comprising members from MHA, MCYS and MOE, to study measures to deal with youth gangs, including the additional powers mentioned. We will announce our recommendations when ready. Third, as Mr Hri Kumar and Mr de Souza have pointed out, youth crime is as much a social problem as it is a law and order issue. Thus, where necessary, we refer youths to social agencies which are better equipped to tackle the social risks. For an integrated approach, MHA works with the Central Youth Guidance Office under MCYS and the National Committee on Youth Guidance and Rehabilitation to share information, enhance and coordinate preventive and rehabilitative programmes to tackle youth offending holistically. Lastly, while we do our best to make sure that our youths stay on the right path, we must expect that there are some bad apples who will be undeterred. We will not hesitate to take them to task if they become a social menace. These youths may be sent to the reformative training centre where they undergo a rigorous regime of strict discipline and rehabilitation programmes to address their offending behaviour and enhance their personal development and family relations. Upon release, they are placed on supervision so that any sign of them re-drifting into crimes can be detected and addressed promptly. Last year, Prisons and ISCOS also piloted a Peer Mentoring Programme for a small group of RT releasees where they receive mentoring and encouragement from rehabilitated ex-offenders to remain crime-free. There are plans to expand such mentorship programmes over time. Sir, while the Government will do its best, parents and families bear ultimate responsibility for keeping their children out of crime.”
“In addition, we also have in place mechanisms to identify at-risk youth to offer guidance and support and to intervene early, before they become a social menace. This was a concern raised by Dr Maliki. Indeed, the programmes Mr Hri Kumar illustrated are certainly of interest to us and we will look into them to study whether they are replicable in our context. First, Police maintains close links with schools to keep abreast of youth trends on the ground, to spot problem youths and intervene early. Mr Liang Eng Hwa will be happy to know that just last month, MHA, MCYS and MOE organised a symposium for more than 400 school principals, youth workers and police officers to share information on youth crime and drug trends. If Mr Liang has any information to share on gangs waiting outside schools to recruit students into gangs, he can pass the information to us for the Police to follow up. We can also extend this network of cooperation that the Police already have with the grassroots in Mr Liang's ward into the tripartite protocol that we are strengthening across these three Ministries. *Cols. 4527-4528. 1.00 pm Last year, Police also worked with schools in the Ang Mo Kio area to identify 180 at-risk students who were put through a series of counselling sessions, anti-gang talks and leadership camps. After the programme, the participants were monitored and given additional mentoring where necessary. This project has been successful in helping at-risk youths stay away from crimes. Police will be rolling out similar projects with schools in other areas, including those in Mr Liang's area. Second, to address specifically the problems of youth gangs, we are exploring giving Police additional powers to disrupt loose gang associations as early as possible.”
“(In English): To make volunteering meaningful, we will provide opportunities for volunteers to develop and strengthen their expertise. Prison, SACA and the Social Service Training Institute have implemented a structured training framework for prison volunteers. Since January 2010, more than 500 prison volunteers have received basic training that equips them with knowledge and skills in working with inmates. Sir, to fight against crime, it is equally important to tackle problem youths upstream and ensure that they stay on the right path. We have a spectrum of measures calibrated according to the different target groups. First, we regularly disseminate crime prevention messages to youths generally. Second, we proactively identify those at risk of offending and, together with other partners, offer them help. Third, for those who have entered the criminal justice system, we have a range of programmes to reform them and prevent re-offending. Let me now elaborate on each of these and how we interface with the MOE and MCYS, to ensure that our approach is a holistic one. One way of encouraging youths to stay away from crime is by educating them on the consequences of offending. Our partner, the National Crime Prevention Council, is very active in this. In addition, for schools, the Police Liaison Officers (PLOs) of our NPCs regularly conduct crime prevention talks and road shows for school students in schools. Specially-trained Honorary Volunteer Special Constables are also stationed at schools to manage discipline and extend a symbol of authority. We will do more, to strengthen this cooperation and increase its effectiveness.”
“The solid support from the community, especially volunteers who have lent help to Prison and SCORE in the after-care programmes and in providing moral support to ex-offenders after their release from prison, made this success possible. Last year, the Community on Preventing Reoffending proposed a number of initiatives to mobilise volunteer support more effectively, including a number of initiatives to further enhance the involvement of volunteers from the Malay-Muslim community. The aim is to reach out to ex-offenders, offer them shelter, help them find jobs, obtain social assistance, and offer them the social support and motivation to remain free from crime in the appropriate way, depending on their backgrounds. For example, in September 2010, Pergas and Mendaki launched an intensive religious counselling programme for Malay-Muslim inmates. Under the programme, Pergas volunteers provide counselling services and intensive religious guidance grounded on lifeskills for inmates who want to take part in the programme. Besides providing for the spiritual needs of the inmates, the programme also helps them build a positive attitude, so that they can re-integrate into the community. Such a programme cannot be conducted without the contributions of volunteers who understand the cultural backgrounds of the inmates and their rehabilitative needs. Furthermore, these volunteers often are also active at Malay-Muslim organisations and the mosques, and these facilities could provide sustained support for the social needs of the former inmates after their release. There were 44 new Malay-Muslim volunteers in 2010 and we hope more volunteers will come forward to help us further step up our after-care and rehabilitation services for the Malay-Muslim community.”
“Under this programme, offenders and volunteers establish a mentoring relationship that begins in prison, through letter-writing and visits, and continues after release. 40 offenders and 38 trained befrienders are currently participating in the pilot. We will expand the project this year. Second, we are doing more to enhance support for families of offenders. For example, under the grassroots-led Community Outreach Project, coordinated by the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA), grassroots volunteers will visit the families of inmates and help them to link with relevant avenues of social assistance. This reassures the offenders that the community is providing support for his family, while he focuses on his rehabilitation in prison. About 50 offenders have agreed to participate in the pilot thus far, and we plan to expand it this year. SACA and SANA will also be shifting towards a more family-centric case-management approach to provide assistance for the offender's family, in addition to the offender himself. Our after-care programmes rely heavily on the support of the community, especially volunteers, to ensure continuity and effectiveness. When we set out the recommendations, we knew that a key challenge faced in the implementation of the various initiatives is the need for more volunteers to assist in the rehabilitation of offenders. We are heartened therefore that in 2010, we saw nearly 300 new prison volunteers come forward to support Prisons' rehabilitation efforts. We hope to reach out to more volunteers in the coming year. (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] The Malay community has recorded good progress in the efforts to reduce the re-offending rate in the past few years.”
“Mr de Souza asked if MHA will consider initiating a government-community framework, to provide job assistance for ex-offenders. Prison and SCORE currently work with community partners, such as CDCs and e-2i, to share details of potential employers. We encourage the participation of grassroots organisations and CDCs in this effort, whether by pointing the ex-offenders to where they can get help for skills training, or by broadening the base of supportive employers willing to give ex-offenders a second chance in the workplace. The solution is not just to have a formalised framework but to nurture a community of employers ready to give ex-offenders a second chance. This is what we hope to achieve with the Yellow Ribbon Project. As for ex-offenders who are unable to find shelter, the Residential After-Care Support programme funded by the Yellow Ribbon Fund provides temporary shelter for up to a period of six months after their release. This gives them some time to find their own accommodation. Prisons and SCORE actively refer those in need of assistance to the programme. Sir, institutionalised measures cannot comprehensively address the multi-faceted reintegration needs of ex-offenders. As Dr Maliki pointed out, there are more intangible forms of support that have to come from the family and the community. Thus, the Committee on the Prevention of Reoffending (CPR), which I chaired last year, suggested a number of initiatives to enhance the involvement of families and peers in the rehabilitation of an offender. I will give an update as requested by Dr Maliki. First, Prison, with the assistance of the Singapore After-Care Association (SACA), piloted the Community Befriending Project in August 2010 to provide peer support for offenders.”
“Inmates, who have renounced their gang affiliations, can approach Prison officers for assistance if they receive threats or intimidation from former gang members. If they are threatened by gangs after their release, they can get direct help from CID's Secret Societies Branch. On Ms Lim's final question, it does not appear that gang affiliation has been a major cause of recidivism. In fact, the majority of those who reoffend commit offences that are unrelated to gang activities. Sir, ensuring that ex-offenders are not pressured by gangs is but one aspect of after-care. Mr de Souza and Mr Hri Kumar have rightly pointed out that ex-offenders may be unable to meet their basic needs after they are released from prison, whether they are youths or adults. We have put in place a comprehensive system to identify the employment, accommodation, financial and family needs of inmates early while they are still in prison and follow through after their release. For example, the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE), a statutory board under the Ministry, provides employment assistance for offenders and ex-offenders. SCORE provides inmates with employability skills training and job coaching during their imprisonment to prepare them for the workplace. The Industrial and Services Cooperative Society (ISCOS), a co-operative initiated by MHA, also provides employment assistance to ex-offenders through supporting skills training. SCORE and ISCOS proactively reach out to potential employers to source for job opportunities for ex-offenders. Last year, 1,200 inmates were matched to jobs after their release by SCORE. Another 220 secured jobs through SCORE within a month after their release.”
“The level of gang activity in prisons is low and under control. There is also no evidence to suggest that gang activities are being organised along racial lines, or that Prison has become a recruitment ground for gangs. Ms Lim cited academic papers suggesting that gangs are still active in prisons. We are not sure how current Ms Lim's information is, as some of the research on this could be dated. As I have mentioned, we have the Zero Tolerance Policy in place and we are determined to ensure that our prisons remain gang-free and safe. We are not naive. There will be some inmates who will try to recruit new gang members in prisons but we will stop them and punish severely those who breach our Zero Tolerance Policy. As I said earlier, the gang situation is under control, and we know that we have not let gangs take control of our prisons. If Ms Lim has evidence to the contrary, we would like her to show us the information and put us in contact with the researchers, so that we can interview them to find out why they think so. Indeed, the Singapore Prison Service is mindful that prisons are not run along gang rules and have put the proper staff training and supervision in place to prevent and detect gang activities. Gang recruitment within Prison is a very serious offence and prisons will come down hard on any such activity. As Ms Lim mentioned, Prison has a Gang Renunciation Programme where inmates can publicly renounce their gang affiliations at a ceremony attended by prison staff and other inmates. We have a number of measures to prevent former inmates from being hurt, or victimised by other inmates, or upon their release.”
“45 pm Mr Ong said that he heard from ground feedback that there is an automatic presumption of fault by the Police against motorcyclists involved in accidents. This is a very serious allegation and I want to assure Mr Ong unequivocally that this is definitely not true. The Traffic Police conduct an impartial and thorough investigation into each individual case to determine the full facts before coming to a conclusion. The parties involved, and witnesses, if any, are interviewed to establish the facts. Traffic Police may, after obtaining all the facts of the case, consult the Attorney-General's Chambers on an appropriate course of action to take. If Mr Ong has any information from anyone to share on cases of unprofessional bias by our investigators, I would be grateful to receive it and to engage such persons. Sir, ultimately, road safety is everyone's responsibility. All road users, including motorcyclists, must be responsible by following the traffic rules and showing due consideration for other road users. Other road users should also recognise the vulnerability of motorcyclists and keep a look-out for them. With everyone playing their part, we can reduce the lives lost from needless accidents. I will now address Ms Sylvia Lim's questions on gangs in prisons. The Prison Department has a Zero Tolerance Policy on any conduct that undermines discipline and order of the Prison. All inmates must declare their gang status upon admission and undertake not to participate in gang activities. Prison is constantly on the alert for any gang activity. Former gang members are monitored closely. If they engage in gang-related activities, they will be segregated from the general inmate population and have privileges curtailed. This tough regime curbs gang influence.”
“Sir, I will now touch on the issues raised by Members on traffic, gangs in prisons, initiatives to prevent reoffending and youth offending. Mr Ong Kian Min expressed concern about the number of accidents involving motorcyclists and asked how the take-up rate for the Expressway Familiarisation Ride, otherwise known as EFR, can be improved. We share Mr Ong's concern about the number of accidents involving motorcyclists. Indeed, he is right to point out that the motorcyclists and pillion riders comprised about 49% of all fatalities and injuries on the road over the five years although, in absolute numbers, there is a downward trend. This was precisely why we launched the ongoing campaign with Bukit Batok Driving Centre (BBDC) to promote safe riding techniques and introduced a series of "Defensive Riding Theory Lessons" to raise rider competency. We also introduced the EFR last year. The EFR provides all new riders who have just obtained their Class 2B licence with the opportunity to experience riding on our expressways under close supervision of their school driving instructors. Since the launch of the EFR just three months ago, about 40% of newly qualified riders have attended the course. This is encouraging. There are various incentives in place to encourage the take-up of EFR. Firstly, the course is offered free-of-charge, as pointed out by Mr Ong. Secondly, those who attend the course will also get a faster test date when applying for the Class 2A riding test. Since the EFR was introduced three months ago, Traffic Police have been monitoring the response. Traffic Police will continue to study how we can encourage even more riders to take up the course. 12.”
“Our community's self-confidence bloomed because more and more Malay children have graduated from world-class institutions and our professionals have proven themselves capable of competing in an open economy without the crutches of special rights and affirmative action. We can progress on the principles of meritocracy, just like other communities. I would like to ask the Minister: how can we continue to foster inter-racial harmony and further the achievements of our community members who are competing on the world stage? Progress of the Malay/Muslim community”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] The Muslim community here has been proactively organising many cross-ethnic events. PERDAUS once celebrated the Islamic New Year with a night walk together with Mr Yeo Guat Kwang and his grassroots members as well as youths from the Soka Association. For four years now, Er Lee Bee Wah and her residents have been cycling together with the congregation from Ahmad Ibrahim Mosque while visiting places of worship. One special characteristic of Muslims in Singapore is the close collaboration between religious leaders and community leaders to reach a consensus and wisdom that will guide the Muslim community on the practices of the religion within our unique context. It is this sensitivity and accommodating attitude in all communities that has enabled all places of worships to co-exist harmoniously in our heartlands, even though the residents around them do not belong to those faiths. Therefore the commitment of the Muslim community in Singapore towards racial integration should not be questioned and, indeed, the practice of harmony has become an integral part of our daily lives and we are sensitive that more can be done. The Singapore Muslim community is special, self-confident and is always calm and rational in the face of any issues, even those that shake the community. This was evident in the face of the 9/11 incident and the detention of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) members. Our approach to religion and our successful efforts towards harmony has been commended not just by the Prime Minister but also many world leaders.”
“I will answer the second question first, on whether there is a good retention of teachers in the sector. Yes, indeed, there is. Over the last few years, the net injection into the pre-school sector is quite healthy. The number of people who has left the service is far fewer than the number of people who has come into the sector and stayed on. Secondly, the issue of whether there has been a study on the impact of high-end pre-school education on students. While we have not conducted such a study, MOE's approach is to ensure a baseline quality of pre-school education in all pre-school centres that are allowed to operate in the industry. We have studied and identified the key leverage areas that we can focus our efforts on in order to uplift the quality of the sector. The outcome of that study was the recommendation that we increase the teacher quality of those in the pre-school sector. Over the last few years, we have seen a considerable increase in the centre quality of pre-schools, including those in the non-profit sector.”