Wong Kan Seng
Singapore
“We all want a better future for our children and the future generations. Amid the debates, let us not lose sight of what we are working for – we are working for the benefit and future of Singaporeans. Not for growth targets, not for foreigners, but for Singaporeans.”
“Mrs Mildred Tan also suggested doing a longitudinal study on the impact of new citizens on Singapore. I am told that there is a periodic study on the perception of integration and rootedness of Singaporeans and PRs. A study is now ongoing too.”
“All they need to do is simply declare that they meet the residential criteria. EASING IN US ECONOMY (Impact on Singapore) 9. Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Senior Minister what will be the expected impact on the Singapore economy arising from the US Federal Reserve's announcement on 3rd November 2010 of a "quantitative easing" of the US economy…”
“Well, from the data I have here, 553 registered to vote before the 2006 GE and this is the data I have but Ms Lim may be right. There may be 1,000-odd that Ms Lim had mentioned. From what I am told now, we have 1,325 Singaporean overseas who are eligible to register to vote have registered.”
“But, as I said, there are so many other possibilities that they could come in and there could also be many possibilities that we could have missed and they have entered or left Singapore. LAND SWAP AGREEMENT FOR KTM STATION AND RAILWAY LANDS 2.”
“They are also recruiting people by offering them scholarships. So, we hope more of our companies can do that. Hopefully they come here to work for a while and, if they like our place, they may want to settle down. This is a place which they can think about. POPULATION AND TALENT DIVISION 5. Assoc. Prof.”
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“The method of execution in Singapore is specified in law under the Criminal Procedure Code (Cap 68), section 216, which stipulates that "when any person is sentenced to death, the sentence shall direct that he shall be hanged by the neck till he is dead". We had previously studied the different methods of execution and found no reason to change from the current method used, ie, by hanging. Column No : 1937 ALJUNIED GROUP REPRESENTATION CONSTITUENCY (Upgrading) 5. Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Minister for National Development (a) if he will explain the Government’s willingness to spend $160 million to upgrade Aljunied Group Representation Constituency when there are much older housing estates still awaiting upgrading; and (b) whether the decision to upgrade any particular constituency has to do with increased opposition activity in that constituency.”
“We should use this occasion here to elicit policies, and the policy is: no foreigner should take part in local politics. If Mr Chiam has a specific complaint, file a complaint, so that the proper authority could investigate it. Parliament is not the investigation agency, and neither am I the investigator. TAMPINES EXPRESSWAY (Measures to prevent congestion) 6. Miss Penny Low asked the Minister for Transport in view of the number of growing towns in the north and northeast parts of Singapore and peak hour congestions at entry and exit points of expressways, (a) what measures are in place to ensure that the Tampines Expressway (TPE) remains an efficient expressway; and (b) are there plans to prevent it from becoming another Central Expressway (CTE) in due course.”
“I think we should not use a particular case and raise questions in Parliament and assume that this is the forum for investigation. [Mr Chiam See Tong rose.] Please sit down, Mr Chiam. I am answering your question.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, maybe I will answer the question. I do not know the circumstances of this case. I do not know whether Mr Chiam himself has made a police report about this performer. But the key point he was raising earlier on was whether a foreign artiste can come here and say something about his host. If he is there just to say something about his host, to say that he is a good host and he is doing a good job, it is the same thing that Mr Chiam can also do, invite a performer and say, "This is a good host and please support him." I think let us not confuse ourselves because, in this instance, we do not know that a person is really the candidate for election. The words "prospective candidate" can refer to anyone in the street. So, let us not jump the gun a bit. If we confuse the two together, then we are going to have a lot of people being prospective candidates. But as to foreigners' interference in local politics, the Government's stand is very clear. Foreigners have no business in Singapore politics. They cannot interfere in our domestic politics. That is clear, unless Singaporeans want others to come and tell them what to do and how to run the country.”
“Sir, legal counsel is not an interpreter and, therefore, cannot help to do the interpretation either. What is done during the interviews and at the time when the accused person needs to sign any statement is that there will be interpretation given to him by those who are qualified to do so or those who are able to do the interpretation, and it will be clearly explained to him what the statement is all about. FOREIGN ARTISTES AND SINGERS (Performance in constituency social functions) 5. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether his Ministry will allow popular foreign artistes and singers especially from Taiwan and China to perform in constituency social functions in support of a prospective election candidate and, if not, whether such artistes and singers will be blacklisted or debarred from performing in Singapore in the future if they do perform for such a purpose. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Encik Mohamad Maidin B P M) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, foreign artistes and singers are allowed to perform at constituency functions. There is nothing wrong for them, in the course of the function, to express appreciation to their host. Hence, the question of debarment or blacklisting does not arise.”
“It would be very difficult for the Police to ensure that the accused persons are not coached by the defence counsel on how to answer interview questions through non-verbal forms of communication, such as hand signal, gesture, or body language, for example, frown, smile, nodding or shaking the head, wink, and so on. Sir, defence counsel who wants to sit in during interviews must be willing to testify as a prosecution witness if the accused claims that he has been subject to promise, inducement or threat during the course of the interview. This will place the defence counsel in a conflict of interests, and he may even have to discharge himself as defence counsel in such a situation.”
“Let me reiterate the principle, Sir. The Police's job is to find the reasons and to establish the facts and to know why the accused person has committed a particular crime or is alleged to have committed a particular crime, and he would have access to legal counsel when the Police has wrapped up his case. Therefore, the access to legal counsel is not denied. What we do not want is to have the accused have his counsel present the moment the Police arrests him and have him interviewed in the same room with the legal counsel. Otherwise, the Police investigation would be compromised. The Member asked why is it not appropriate for the lawyer to be present during the Police interviews. Let me just cite a few examples. During the interview, the accused could be questioned on highly confidential or sensitive matters surrounding the alleged crime. For example, the facts, the documentary evidence, physical evidence, the witness' testimony, the locations, existence and proceeds of crime, etc. There is a need to ensure that absolute confidentiality on these matters is preserved, especially while investigations are ongoing. Otherwise, there is a risk of critical evidence being destroyed or tampered with, witnesses being intimidated or suborned and proceeds of crime being removed or dissipated. The only way to guarantee that confidential information discussed during interviews is not leaked, thus ensuring that investigations are compromised, is for the defence counsel not to be present during interviews. We also do not want interviews to be interrupted by defence counsel by unnecessary interjection and intervention. For example, the Member said that the counsel can advise in saying this or that. That is the kind of intervention or interjection that can impede an investigation.”
“Would the lawyer not make it more conducive for the suspect to be cooperative and that the lawyer can better advise the client to cooperate with the Police?”
“As such, an accused person must either be charged in court within 48 hours from the time of his arrest, released on bail or released unconditionally. No accused person can be detained in Police custody longer than 48 hours without being charged, regardless of the number of reports or charges pending against him. If the Police wishes to keep an accused person in remand for more than 48 hours after arrest, it has to make out a case to the court which will then make a ruling based on the information and facts before it. Giving the accused person immediate access to legal counsel or family members could compromise Police investigations, especially in cases where the prosecution relies primarily on the testimony of witnesses and accused persons to lead them to crime scenes, accomplices and other corroborating evidence. Permitting an accused person to communicate with third parties before the Police can wrap up their investigation may result in evidence being destroyed or accomplices being alerted. Sir, we will continue to carefully balance the needs of the accused person and the public interest which is to enable the Police to conduct complete and thorough investigations. Every country must find the right balance that suits its circumstances. Our system is well-established and has proven to be effective over the years in helping to keep Singapore safe and secure, and our crime rates low. Ms Eunice Elizabeth Olsen (Nominated Member): Sir, I would like to thank the Minister for his reply. Sir, can I just ask, how does the legal counsel impede or compromise the investigation process because, in fact, when the suspect is not cooperative with the Police during the court process, the judges draw up adverse inferences from uncooperative clients, and it works against them.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the rights of an accused person to legal counsel is set out in Article 9(3) of our Constitution, which states: "Where a person is arrested, he shall be informed as soon as may be of the grounds of his arrest and shall be allowed to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of his choice." Our courts, in interpreting the Constitution, have determined that this right to legal counsel is to be exercised within a reasonable time after arrest, and not immediately upon arrest. What amounts to a reasonable time would, of course, depend on the circumstances of the case. We need to strike a balance between the rights of the accused person to consult his legal counsel and the public interest in ensuring that the Police is able to effectively investigate each case. Sir, the rights of an accused person to be informed of the grounds of his arrest are also provided for in the provision of the Constitution which I had referred to earlier. Typically, an accused person is informed of the grounds of his arrest at the scene of the arrest, unless it is not appropriate to do so, such as when the person is violent or drunk. In addition, after the person is brought back to the Police station, an officer will record his particulars and the offence that he has been arrested for in a charge book which is maintained for the purpose of keeping track of accused persons. The accused person will also be asked to sign against these records as a form of acknowledgement. This procedure ensures that an accused person knows why he has been arrested. In addition, our Criminal Procedure Code provides for every accused person to be produced before a Magistrate without unreasonable delay and, in any event, within 48 hours of his arrest.”
“Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Health what are the chemotherapy drugs that are not subsidised in the C class wards and why are they not subsidised.”
“The number of youths involved in housebreaking and theft offences has been relatively stable. For housebreaking offences, 80, 110 and 100 youths were arrested in 2002, 2003 and 2004 respectively, while for theft and related offences, 2,910, 3,140 and 2,980 youths were arrested in 2002, 2003 and 2004 respectively. Mr Ahmad Khalis asked about the trend in handphone theft cases. This has been on the increase over the past three years. There were 2,480, 3,260 and 3,410 cases of handphone theft in 2002, 2003 and 2004 respectively. For the first half of this year, we saw a 44% increase in handphone theft cases as compared to the same period last year. More than half of these handphone theft cases could have been prevented, as they were stolen when victims left their phones unattended in public areas, inside vehicles or at home. In addition, handphones have also been the primary target for robbers, cheats and snatch thieves. Factors contributing to the rising trend in handphone theft cases include the increasing ownership and use of handphones in Singapore, including by young people, the relatively high value of handphones and the ease of disposal (eg, by selling handphones to second-hand phone shops). Of the 600 offenders arrested for handphone-related offences in the first half of this year, approximately half were youths. In this same period, about 40% of the 1,890 victims of handphone-related offences were youths. Members will agree that such opportunistic crimes can be prevented if the victims had taken more care in safeguarding their properties. I urge Singaporeans to cooperate with the Police and help to prevent such crimes. CHEMOTHERAPY DRUGS IN C CLASS WARDS (Subsidy) 36.”
“There were 1,110, 1,340, and 1,240 reported housebreaking cases in 2002, 2003 and 2004 respectively. In the first half of this year, housebreaking cases increased by 48% compared with the same period in 2004. In the corresponding period, Police made 48% more arrests for housebreaking. The increase in housebreaking cases can be attributed to an increase in the number of cases committed by serial offenders. 25% of housebreaking cases reported in the first six months of 2005 were committed by serial offenders, compared to 19% in the same period in 2004. These serial offenders typically target residential premises, education centres and childcare centres. At the same time, negligence on the part of the victims has contributed to this rising trend. In the first half of 2005, there were 14% more break-ins at residential premises in public housing estates as compared to the same period in 2004, where the perpetrators gained entry through unsecured windows or doors, or there was no sign of tampering. This suggests that, if residents pay more attention to securing their own premises, they can prevent such housebreaking crimes from being committed. Turning to theft and related offences, there were 16,840, 16,720 and 17,990 cases of theft and related crimes in 2002, 2003 and 2004 respectively. In the first six months of this year, there was a 31% increase in the number of theft cases compared to the same period last year. The increase in theft and related crimes can be attributed to more cases of shop theft and theft in dwelling, as well as other theft cases where victims lose their belongings, such as handphones, after leaving them unattended in public areas, such as food centres and basketball courts.”
“Ivan Png Paak Liang asked the Minister for National Development if he will persuade private residential developers to offer buyers the option not to take delivery of fittings, without any refund of payment, and so reduce solid construction waste.”
“Any organisation that is a full or associate member of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) or is conferred the status of an Institution of Public Character (IPC) under the Income Tax Act is exempted from the Common Gaming Houses Act (CGHA) and permitted to conduct a public lottery, provided certain conditions are met. The conditions include the following: (i) proceeds of the lottery, after deducting expenses incurred, are to be used for the purpose for which the organisation has been established (expenses should not exceed 30% of the proceeds); (ii) the organisation conducting the lucky draw is not to promote more than one lottery a year; (iii) if the total value of prizes exceeds $10,000, the results of the lottery are to be published in a newspaper within seven days following the determination of all the winners; (iv) all prizes which are not won or remain unclaimed after two months of the announcement of the winners are to be donated to the Community Chest or to such other charity as may be approved by the Minister; and (v) an audited statement of accounts and the results of the lottery are to be sent to the Police within three months of the termination of the lottery. In deciding whether to allow an IPC to conduct more than one lottery a year, the general guidelines include the following: (i) the organiser must comply with the conditions under the Common Gaming Houses (Exemption) Notification and the mechanics of the promotion must not breach the CGHA; (ii) the organisation has exercised due diligence in submitting audited statements of accounts for previous lotteries; and (iii) a permit under the House to House and Street Collections Act has been granted. PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPERS (Fittings) 4. Prof.”
“Dr Geh Min asked the Minister for Transport (a) what percentage of Singapore's total land area is occupied by roads and expressways; and (b) what is the projected percentage for 2030.”
“"Peidu mama", or study mothers, refer to the group of mothers who are here in Singapore to accompany their children studying here. As at end July 2005, there were about 6,800 study mothers in Singapore, of whom some two-thirds were from the PRC. The Ministry of Manpower does not allow study mothers to work during their first year of stay here. This is to enable them to properly supervise their children who are studying in a new environment. Thereafter, they can apply for a Work Permit to work. As at end June 2005, less than 1,000 study mothers were holding Work Permits. Before the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority approves an application for a Student's Pass, it would make sure that the foreign student has been accepted by an approved educational institution. ICA requires a student studying in our Government schools, private education organisations and ITEs to have a local sponsor, who will be responsible for the student. ICA may also require the student to furnish a security deposit. ICA would not approve the application if it has reason to believe that the applicant is not bona-fide. These safeguards have been found to be adequate in mitigating any immigration or law and order risk that these students and their mothers may pose. Out of more than 6,000 study mothers in Singapore, less than 40 study mothers were caught for illegal activities for the period from January to July 2005. As such, we see no need at present to review the current procedures for approving student visas. However, let me assure the House that if and when the Home Team detects study mothers abusing their stay here, actions will be taken against them. LAND USAGE (Roads and expressways) 30.”
“For the first six months of 2005, 3,640 cases of illegal money lending and harassment by loan sharks have been reported. 190 loan sharks were arrested in the first half of this year. Based on the age and nationality profile of loan sharks arrested in the first six months of this year, a typical loan shark is a young male Chinese. 70% are between 20 and 34 years of age; 95% of them are male; and 98% are citizens or permanent residents. The educational profile of the loan sharks arrested is not available. As for victims who reported loan shark harassment, 56% are of age 40 years and above; 65% are male; and 93% are citizens or permanent residents. The educational profile of the victims is not available. OFF-PEAK CAR SCHEME 2. Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the measures taken to ensure that off-peak cars (OPC) are used according to the regulations stipulated in the OPC scheme; (b) has the OPC scheme caused more traffic on Singapore roads; (c) will the Ministry consider scrapping the OPC scheme now that car prices and COE premiums are lower; and (d) will the Ministry consider reducing the upfront $17,000 rebate and the annual $800 discount on road tax in the OPC scheme.”
“Sir, we, of course, pay great attention to whatever other airports are doing and, particularly, when there are reports of their inadequacies or reports of slip-ups or lapses of security screening. We will pay close attention to them and find out why. Let me also say here that we can have the best of systems, procedures and equipment but, ultimately, it must depend on the person who implements those procedures, executes the various security measures and screens the passengers. That is the part which we must also pay attention to. It is not just buying the best equipment. So, when there are airports which we discover to be lacking, we will also pay particular attention to them. SINGAPOREANS (Plans for retirement) 4. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Manpower what action will be taken to help Singaporeans better plan for their retirement following the recent Monetary Authority of Singapore study which shows that only 24% of Singaporeans plan for retirement and a large number do not know how much to save for retirement or details of financial products in the market.”
“For example, Changi Airport screens departing passengers at the individual gatehold rooms immediately before boarding, but other airports prefer to centralise security screening for all passengers at the point of entry into the Departure Hall. Because our configurations are different, we have arranged the security screening in the way we want. As the considerations differ from airport to airport, Singapore is, therefore, not in a position to prescribe a specific method of security screening for other airports. This would be left to the ICAO to audit. However, there are close cooperation and regular exchanges of information and best practices between us and our foreign partner airport authorities.”
“Sir, our security agencies regularly conduct risk assessments on all flights coming into Singapore. Our airlines assist to provide inputs for a security assessment of foreign airports. In addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs' officials also conduct regular security audits on the ground operations of Singapore Airlines abroad. Appropriate security measures are then taken, based on the assessed level of risk. We have been pursuing agreements with many foreign authorities also to accommodate air marshals on select flights. This is an on-going process. Security measures at the Changi Airport have also been stepped up considerably since 9-11. Apart from out-bound checks, which are staple in all airport security regimes, we also subject all arriving passengers not just to immigration and customs checks by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority at the Arrival Hall, but also security screen in-coming passengers when our security risk assessment requires it. Although some inconvenience is caused to passengers, let me assure the House that the security agencies are constantly working with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore to reduce the inconvenience without compromising security. Sir, as to whether we encourage other airport authorities to strengthen their security screening of departing passengers in the same way as Changi Airport, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which is the governing body of all international civil flight operations, spells out guidelines and requirements on aviation security for member states to meet. The specific security measures to adopt to meet these guidelines and requirements are left to individual member states to decide and enforce, because the design and security considerations differ for every airport.”
“Ivan Png Paak Liang asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether our civil aviation authorities proactively assess the risk of the various airports from which flights to Singapore originate and take precautionary measures accordingly; and (b) if he will encourage the airport authorities of other countries to strengthen their terminal security and, in particular, follow Changi Airport's example of building isolation rooms at the gates so that passengers can be effectively screened immediately before embarkation.”
“I entirely agree with the Member that we need to educate Singaporeans not to leave things behind on the train, otherwise they may not just be considered as lost items. If the items look suspicious, they may even cause inconvenience to other travellers, and I would urge them to be very careful about leaving any parcel behind. And such an exercise goes on all the time. Even on the MRT trains and stations, we have posters advising commuters to look out for items left unattended. When they see such posters, I hope they will also be reminded that they should not leave such items behind that may cause suspicion. The train operators and the staff are also trained to look out for such items. There are people who want to play pranks on the MRT and cause inconvenience to the public transport commuters. I would advise them not to do this, because when the person is caught, the penalty can be very heavy. Just in June last year, there was a staff of one of the MRT operators who was not quite happy for some reason, and he decided to put a parcel under a seat. Unfortunately for him, that act was captured on the CCTV and that man is now serving a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence. There were also instances where people think that they could call up and make bomb hoaxes. If they think they can get away with it, think again, because two individuals, who either sent letters to people and threatened them or made phone calls to threaten them, were also sentenced to long jail sentences. Under our current situation and the threat that we are facing, we will not look kindly on anyone who wants to cause such a prank. Just this morning, two persons were charged in court for doing such a thing. AIRPORT SECURITY (Risk assessments of incoming flights) 3. Prof.”
“Sir, whether it is an explosive device, improvised explosive device or a parcel containing chemical or biological agents, these could be suspicious items, and the staff and the operators of the MRT and the public transport system have been and will continue to be trained to look out for these objects. Once that item is identified to contain chemical and biological agents, the Civil Defence has the capability to deal with it. We have learned from the example of the Tokyo sarin attacks in 1995. Since then, the Civil Defence has built up its unit as well as the resources and expertise in coping with such devices.”
“This exercise is still going on and many talks and seminars have been held for our taxi operators, and we will continue to do so. We will do it also for the other agencies or businesses that would have a role to play in our security. Take the example of the major shopping centres and shopping malls which have security guards. We, too, would want to involve them in the security of the building, not just in looking out for crime but also in looking out for suspicious parcels and individuals who may want to attempt a bombing in their building.”
“Sir, I have mentioned that we do not have specific information now with regard to any threat to the MRT system. But Members will be aware that when we exposed the various cells of the Jemaah Islamiyah in 2002, some of the cells did consider, and they did recce, the MRT system. So we are aware that some of them do think about this, as we have seen in the case of Madrid and London. So we cannot rule out the possibility of the MRT system or any part of our transport system being vulnerable. In fact, the public transport system is one of the most vulnerable areas where terrorists would want to cause harm to Singapore. And we have to continually step up our measures and continually review the measures we have taken so that we will be ahead of the terrorists. This is what we have been doing over the last two or three years. We have also involved not just the security agencies and the Government departments but also the transport operators. In the case of the MRT system, for example, the two MRT transport operators have indeed been involved in the security planning as well as in the deployment of guards and other CCTV systems in their MRT platforms and trains, and so on. In the case of other parts of the public transport system, the bus interchange is an area which we have also paid attention. Members would have noted that we have also started putting in cameras at these bus interchanges. The other component of the public transport system is the taxi drivers. Since early this year, in fact, last year, we have started talking to the taxi operators as well as the taxi drivers' associations. We have recently mounted an exercise to brief them on how to look out for suspicious persons who board their taxis.”
“As Members are aware, the Singapore Civil Defence Force has conducted a number of such civil defence exercises using the MRT stations as exercise areas and this has been going on for years, and members of the public are involved, including our grassroots leaders. In the case of Pasir Ris, for example, I think they had a large community turn-out to support the "Heartland Alert" exercise which they did last year and this year. I want to encourage all advisers of grassroots organisations to take advantage of that and make full use of the resources made available by the SCDF and the Police to conduct such exercises. At the same time, security agencies like the Police, SCDF and others involved in the security of Singapore, including MOH for example - because we need the hospitals to help with the medical treatment of those who may be affected by a bomb explosion or by any civil disaster - are involved in such exercises. And we have from time to time conducted such exercises. There will be a major exercise coming up in November in which we will simulate several incidents in different MRT stations, and we hope that the public can also get involved to get an idea of what it means and what to do when they unfortunately have to experience such an incident in the MRT station.”
“Sir, I am confident that Singaporeans are aware of public education as in the form of alerting the public as to what they should look out for when they come across suspicious items or persons and report them to the police; and many of them are already playing a role in this. Of course, the message needs to go down further so that everyone gets involved and plays a deeper role. The Police MRT Unit officers are dressed differently from the normal NPC officers. They are dressed like the Special Operations Command officers and their role is to patrol our MRT and transport system. So when members of the public see these officers, they will be able to distinguish the Police MRT officers from the rest. Over time, members of the public will get used to the idea and know what our officers are supposed to do.”
“Let me reiterate, Sir, that implementing enhanced Police measures on the MRT system is not an indication of a specific threat against the MRT or any public transport infrastructure. Rather, it is part of our ongoing efforts to keep Singapore safe and secure. Members of the public are advised not to be alarmed, and they should also play their part in the safety and security of Singapore and remain vigilant.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Police have deployed dedicated armed officers at Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations and on board trains starting from today. The mission of the new Police MRT Unit is to deter and detect potential terrorist attacks in the MRT through armed police presence, high visibility patrols and security checks. The deployment of Police officers at MRT stations is not a new initiative. Since 9-11, Police have increased patrols at MRT stations as well as at places where there are large crowds. However, the skills required for MRT Unit officers are distinct from those of NPC officers. They will be equipped with specialised skills and knowledge to handle typical incidents in MRT stations, eg, response to improvised explosive devices (IEDs), bomb hoaxes, suicide, molest and pick-pocket, to conduct searches of persons, buildings and vehicles. The dedicated Police MRT Unit will complement the existing security measures adopted by the two MRT operators, which include the use of surveillance CCTVs and the deployment of private security guards. Officers from the Police MRT Unit will concentrate primarily on security duties and be on the lookout for suspicious persons and items. However, the officers will also respond to a crime report and apprehend the suspect at the scene, if possible. The officers will be equipped with revolvers. The rules of engagement on the use of firearms are similar to those of other police officers from the Police Divisions or Neighbourhood Police Centres. This is governed by the Singapore Police Force's Use of Force and Firearms Doctrine. Under this Doctrine, if an officer is confronted with a situation where there is immediate danger to life, he is authorised to use necessary force to remove the danger, and this may extend to the use of firearms.”
“Traffic Police receives feedback on illegal parking from the public by telephone and through the post. When a member of the public writes to Traffic Police with feedback on illegal parking, he will receive an acknowledgement from the Traffic Police within five working days. Upon receiving feedback on illegal parking, if Traffic Police assesses that the vehicle is causing serious obstruction or posing road safety risks to other road users, Traffic Police will immediately proceed to the scene to take action. Otherwise, Traffic Police adopts a problem-solving approach to tackle the illegal parking problem at source. First, Traffic Police will form a working group, which involves the community living around the area of complaint. Participants in such working groups include representatives from schools, grassroots organisations, places of worship, and other agencies such as the Land Transport Authority and the Urban Redevelopment Authority. The working group will then assess the problem and work towards a solution that meets the needs of all the stakeholders. Typically, the group will arrive at a consensus after meeting for about one to six months. In areas with frequent illegal parking problems, CISCO officers, under the Traffic Warden Scheme, typically conduct patrols every 15 minutes to enforce against parking offences. CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND (Top-up grant) 2. Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim asked the Minister for National Development if his Ministry will consider giving higher Central Provident Fund top-up grants to married couples who are first-time buyers of HDB flats and who opt to stay with their parents, so as to encourage more Singaporeans to provide care to their parents.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we still have some business tomorrow on the Minister for Health's Statement. Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. Adjourned accordingly at Five o'clock pm. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER NOT ANSWERED BY 3.00 PM DROWNINGS OF YOUTHS 15. Mr Alexander Chan Meng Wah asked the Minister for Education given the recent reported drownings of youths during recreational swimming activities, (a) whether this has been due to any changes in policies or practices in our school system with regard to swimming lessons; and (b) what should the Ministry be doing about this.”
“The Singapore Prisons Department has been publishing statistics relating to offenders in its Prisons Annual Reports. In fact, some of the statistics which Prof. Ivan Png has highlighted, such as a breakdown of offenders by detention and gender can be found in the Annual Reports. These reports, which contain statistics on our penal institutions' and Drug Rehabilitation Centres' average daily population, admissions as well as population breakdown by gender, are widely distributed to the Department's strategic partners and official visitors. They are also available in the Parliament library and the libraries of our tertiary institutions. I have asked Prisons Department to make them more accessible to the public. Details of offenders by age and nationality are currently not disclosed annually as a matter of course. However, Prisons Department has released these statistics on a request basis. I have also asked Prisons Department to consider making more information available in its Annual Report. As for the breakdown of offenders by institutions, for security reasons, it is better for such statistics not to be disclosed. ENDANGERED SPECIES (IMPORT AND EXPORT) ACT (Amendment) 2. Dr Geh Min asked the Minister for National Development whether he will consider amending the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act to serve as a more effective deterrent against illegal wildlife trade by (i) increasing the current fine of $5,000 to a more realistic figure; (ii) amending the Act to a per animal basis, or in the case of animal parts, a quantifiable unit, to replace the present 'per species' penalty that does not represent the true market value of what is traded; and (iii) authorising the detention of specimens that are in transit.”
“Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Minister for Trade and Industry if he will allow at least a percentage of the capital invested in a residential property in Singapore to be considered as part of the investment required for grant of permanent residency status, since those who wish to sink their roots will require a residential property.”
“In 2003, six cases were reported which involved the fraudulent use of someone else's NRIC. In 2004, three such cases were reported. In these nine cases, the offenders commonly used someone else's NRIC card fraudulently to apply for handphone lines or to gain entry into pubs and bars. In many instances, the NRIC cards were stolen by the accused persons or found and picked up at public places. In a few cases, the I/C holders had handed their NRIC cards to acquaintances, either for some otherwise lawful purpose or with the knowledge that the latter would use it to commit an offence. For five out of the nine cases committed between 2003 and 2004, the accused persons were sentenced to imprisonment for periods ranging between two months to six months. In three out of the nine cases reported between 2003 and 2004, the accused persons were administered stern warnings in lieu of prosecution. As for the remaining case, investigation is still in progress. Any person who without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, knowingly obtains or is in possession of a forged identity card or an identity card other than his own is guilty of committing an offence under section 13(2)(b) of the National Registration Act, Chapter 201, and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to both. Singaporeans should take good care of their NRIC cards and not to allow others to use them. Loss of NRIC cards should be promptly reported to the authorities. By taking such measures, the risk of someone using another's NRIC card for fraudulent purposes can be reduced. INVESTMENT IN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 5.”
“Sir, it is the same. Identity cards can be given for a myriad of other purposes.”
“Sir, I think there is no other more straightforward way than requiring these people to be present on nomination day at the nomination centre itself. Anything else done is done after the fact, after the nomination paper is accepted. And, as I said, if a candidate is serious, he should not find difficulty in getting people to support him, if he is indeed a serious candidate.”
“Sir, that "one other person", as I said, is the one that the Returning Officer will allow, and it is up to the Returning Officer to decide who will be this "any other person".”
“Sir, I think we have to look at the title and read new section 31 of clause 10. It is talking about the people who are entitled to be present, and these include election officials as well who are entitled to be present, and it is up to the Returning Officer to decide who are these persons. As far as the candidates are concerned, they should only concern themselves with the candidates, their proposers, seconders and assentors and one other person. The rest of the people are not the business of the candidate.”
“Sir, as I said, while it may not be in the Bill - subject to verification - we would rather not have the foreigner in the nomination centre.”
“Sir, I said the "one other person", as we practise it, is normally the person who goes into the nomination centre and who will be able to give advice to the candidate. In all the past instances, we have got a legally-qualified person, because that person will then explain to the PAP candidate what was the issue, if the Returning Officer or his official says, "The following things have not been complied with", and then there will be some discussions, and that is the job of our "one other person". As I have said, election is for Singaporeans and, therefore, we would have Singaporeans rather than foreigners.”
“Yes. Mr Chiam See Tong: So, appointed by the candidate, approved by the Returning Officer. Is that the situation?”
“Sir, that is a drafting language. If he looks at our other laws, I think that is the language being used, that "may" means we let the person do so. It is not just at the discretion of the Returning Officer.”
“Mr Low raised one other point, ie, regarding the correction of errors, in clause 8 to amend section 29. As I have said, the Returning Officer will give as much time as possible, up to 12 noon, to the candidate to correct the errors. And if there is indeed error spotted and the form cannot be accepted, I think it will be pointed out to him so that he can then make the necessary correction. But it is not the job of the Returning Officer or his election officials to correct errors for the candidate. The filling up of the form and filling it correctly are the responsibility of the candidates concerned. On clause 10 regarding the "one other person", I have explained that already.”
“On why does the Government not fix the date of the elections, or at least provide the period for an election to be held and give enough notice, I have explained this before, most recently during the Committee of Supply in March, where I said that this is something we have had for so long, that it works well, and that it is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to decide on when to have an election. That is no reason why four months' notice should be given. For the Presidental election, that was a practice we put in, and it is in the law that an election should be held within three months before the end of the President's term. Our President's term ends on 1st September. That was when Mr Nathan assumed his presidency. So an election will be held three months before that date. Next, the size of a GRC is another perennial complaint of Mr Chia. I think that again should not be a difficult issue because, so long as he can find enough people to contest, he should be able to get the voters to support him, if he has worked the ground hard enough. On setting up an independent Elections Commission, again, I have dealt with this in March, so I will not belabour the point. Mr Chia made one interesting point, ie, it is not in Singapore's interest to wipe out the Opposition parties. We never said we will wipe out the Opposition parties. In fact, we encourage more people to come forward, whether to join the PAP or the Opposition, but, eventually, it is the people who will decide who they want. For so many years now, the people have confidence in the PAP and, therefore, they re-elected the PAP to Government term after term. If the Opposition has difficulty attracting people to stand for election, I think they should do some soul-searching and see how they can reach out further.”
“Actually, the "one other person" is the one other person who can help the candidate. We have a "one other person" who came along with us - I am telling Mr Chiam a bit of our election preparedness secrets - and that "one other person" is a lawyer. So, in the event we have difficulty understanding some rules, then that "one other person", who is legally-qualified, can browse through the Parliamentary Elections Act and the regulations and help explain to us what they mean. So, there are no difficult criteria to satisfy. So long as that person can understand the Parliamentary Elections Act, that person can be the "one other person". Can he be a foreigner? I think he needs to fill in the name of the "one other person", and I believe he ought to be a Singaporean because we want Singaporeans to be involved in our political process and not foreigners. Mr Chia raised other questions too, eg, election deposit. Is the $13,000 too much? Indeed, there were people who turned up and some lost their deposits. But that is not because the election deposit is too much. It is because they just could not get the support of the voters. Election is a serious business. It should not just be one where one can go and tikam-tikam and put $2 and hopefully win. No such thing. Election is serious business and, therefore, the election deposit, being one-eighth of the total parliamentary allowance paid in the year before the election, is not a big sum of money, whether it is to the PAP candidates or to the others. And I am sure that they can find enough people who will support them and loan them the money because, if they get one-eighth of the votes, they will get their money back. So, it should not be difficult in raising that sum of money.”
“I will try to persuade my colleague in the PAP in that constituency where Mr Chia will be contesting to find supporters for him so that they will be present. So, I do not see an obstacle in this here. Regarding the other comment that supposing a mistake is made and something needs to be corrected and there is no Commissioner for Oaths to help the candidate to affirm the declaration and the whole process would be made difficult and, as a result, the candidate cannot contest, let me assure the Member that, this time round, the Elections Department would be very approachable and helpful. They would make available enough forms so that, if indeed a candidate needs to fill up a fresh set of forms with names from among his supporters who are present and who could be their proposer and seconder, the forms and a Commissioner for Oaths would be made available. So, in the case of Aljunied where the Workers' Party had candidates wanting to contest in the 2001 elections and, unfortunately, the forms were filled without the name of the constituency, the forms were rejected. This time round, I think it would be possible to correct an error like that, if it is done before 12 noon. So, the Opposition can see that the Government is not making it difficult for them in the election process. It is indeed trying to make it as simple as possible, eg, simplifying forms and making available forms as well as the Commissioner for Oaths and computers with registers of electors, so that the candidates can access and check whether indeed the person who is an assentor, proposer or seconder, or even a candidate of the Opposition is indeed a registered voter. Mr Chiam asked about the "one other person". What is this "one other person"?”
“But I am told of a story by a colleague that in one of the elections, and I would not name which particular constituency, when one of the PAP's supporters turned up together with the candidate at the nomination centre, he saw his name on the Opposition candidate's list as an assentor. He was surprised because he did not sign it. So there could be instances where the candidate could not find enough people within the constituency he was contesting to support him because he did not know the ground. He just filled up the form, looked up the register, filled up the names and forged the signatures. So, in order to ensure that there are indeed electors within the constituency that will support the candidate, this requirement is put in to make sure that the candidate comes with the proposer, seconder and assentors. Right now, the forms only have space for up to six assentors, although the law requires a minimum of four. The forms would be revised to allow spaces for eight assentors and it should not be difficult to find six persons - the proposer, seconder and four assentors - to turn up. After all, at every election, during nomination at the nomination centre, we will see hordes of supporters of candidates, both the PAP and the Opposition, turning up at the nomination centre. Indeed, the people who want an Opposition would turn up and support him. There is no reason why these supporters would be made a target practice, as Mr Steve Chia said. I think Mr Steve Chia has a wild sense of imagination to dream of this. Let me assure him that that is not the case. But if there are indeed difficulties in finding assentors to support him, Mr Chia could let me know.”
“I thank the Members for their comments and their questions on the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill. I note in particular that there is this question which requires the appearance of the proposer, seconder and assentors at the nomination centre. I am also very cheered that Mr Low has taken such a sensible and mature approach with regard to the voters having to play a part and not afraid to turn up at the nomination centre and that he does not see that requiring the proposer, seconder and assentors to be present is an obstacle. He is quite optimistic that there will be enough Singaporeans who feel that they want to participate in this process and support the Opposition, and they will turn up together with the candidate. There are reasons why this particular amendment is put in. Of course, the current law does not require the proposer, seconder and assentors to turn up. The present law allows the proposer and seconder to be present at the nomination centre. In practice, the PAP candidates always brought along their proposers and seconders. There is no secret about this. They would then know what the nomination process was about. I did not know that some Opposition did not bring along their proposers and seconders, and they would have difficulty bringing along assentors if it is required by the law. But the reason why this was put in is that we want to ensure that there is no fraud in that the candidate will just put somebody's name by copying the name of an elector, his serial no. and forging his signature on the form. It is just a hypothetical situation. I do not have evidence of this.”
“(3) Whether any person, including a foreigner, can be appointed as the "other person"?”